The 2020 Cleveland Indians

[CATS44]

Assuming that there really is a season. (I have my doubts.)

Will pitchers start out ahead of hitters, or vice versa? And which way helps the Indians?

There are so many tantalizing questions about a game played as a marathon being turned into a sprint.

How much of an advantage will a short season be to a young, super talented team, like the White Sox?

Unlike a season that started in March, both the Tribe and Twins will likely begin with all hands on deck. IMO this is an advantage for Minnesota, who lacked the pitching depth to match Clevelands early on, even with Cookie and Clevinger on short term disability.

Hot...and cold...streaks will be far more influential this season.

Under Tito, we have seen two trends...a cool to cold start....and a torrid finish. Can he turn on the hot spigot from the get go?

 

[sportscoach]

How dare people in Mississippi not drive to Atlanta to see every Brave's game. And all those Mariner Sinners in Montana.

What is even going on with this map? Did Someone spike my burrito with LSD? And yeah... I'm not even talking about the colors. There's a special hell for that person. This map is starting to make me not wonder why baseball is slowly dying. The people who have the most room to play your game you're preventing from seeing actual good baseball. And now you just neutered the minor leagues. Who the hell is running this stuff?

TLDR: This map is insane.

This is what Bauer was talking when it came to blackouts in one of his video rants. Some of the blackouts make very little sense and things need to be changed.

Also can most casual fans name the best players from other teams in the teams division? I dont think most really can. Can they even name a player from another team? In football and basketball even the casual peeps can name players from other teams.

 

[DCTribefan]

This is what Bauer was talking when it came to blackouts in one of his video rants. Some of the blackouts make very little sense and things need to be changed.

Also can most casual fans name the best players from other teams in the teams division? I dont think most really can. Can they even name a player from another team? In football and basketball even the casual peeps can name players from other teams.

You can get around blackouts by adding VPN to your home netwirk.

 

[ncinthenext3]

Fortunately STO is part of my cable package. I'll get to see every one they televise, which is almost always every game. Aside from that, there's always the great Tom Hamilton.

 

[N7RobBob]

With a league that is losing fans you think that they would be looking at creative ways to drive viewership. NBA and NFL, I believe, have both change their blackout rules recently.

This seems like a perfect time to try new things to help for the future of the MLB. Worst case scenario, it doesn't work and they can go back up normal rules next year.

 

[sportscoach]

With a league that is losing fans you think that they would be looking at creative ways to drive viewership. NBA and NFL, I believe, have both change their blackout rules recently.

This seems like a perfect time to try new things to help for the future of the MLB. Worst case scenario, it doesn't work and they can go back up normal rules next year.

This would be the season to try different things at the end of the day

 

[bob2the2nd]

This would be the season to try different things at the end of the day

Easy rule changes

1) implement the stolen first base rule, instead of slowly seeing how things go in the minors. For those that dont know this rule says "Any pitch on any count not caught in flight will be considered a live ball, and a batter may run to first base, similar to a dropped third strike. "

2) Pitch clock, batters/pitchers have so many seconds to get ready. Otherwise a ball/strike is added

3) Automated strike zone


More creative rule changes:

1 in every 5 pitchers used in a game has to be a position player. The pitcher must pitch, no intentional walks, to at least 1 full plate appearance. If that batter walks, then the pitcher must pitch to a 2nd batter. Basically eliminates the unintentional-intentional walk. Position player after pitching does not lose game eligibility and Any player insertion/swap (other than the departing pitcher) is reversed once the position player is no longer pitching. So for example you could bring in your RF to pitch, and put in a bench player into RF. After pitching the starting RF can go back to his position. Position player must have played in the field for at least 1 full inning during the last 5 games or completed an at-bat over the same time(assumption is DH is universal).

A team once per game at the start of inning can trade an out for a runner on first.

 

[LL3]

I was of the mind that there was a 20-25% chance the season will not be completed...I am feeling more 30-ish today.

 

[The Human Q-Tip]

Easy rule changes

1) implement the stolen first base rule, instead of slowly seeing how things go in the minors. For those that dont know this rule says "Any pitch on any count not caught in flight will be considered a live ball, and a batter may run to first base, similar to a dropped third strike. "

2) Pitch clock, batters/pitchers have so many seconds to get ready. Otherwise a ball/strike is added

3) Automated strike zone


More creative rule changes:

1 in every 5 pitchers used in a game has to be a position player. The pitcher must pitch, no intentional walks, to at least 1 full plate appearance. If that batter walks, then the pitcher must pitch to a 2nd batter. Basically eliminates the unintentional-intentional walk. Position player after pitching does not lose game eligibility and Any player insertion/swap (other than the departing pitcher) is reversed once the position player is no longer pitching. So for example you could bring in your RF to pitch, and put in a bench player into RF. After pitching the starting RF can go back to his position. Position player must have played in the field for at least 1 full inning during the last 5 games or completed an at-bat over the same time(assumption is DH is universal).

A team once per game at the start of inning can trade an out for a runner on first.

I'm thinking we should organize the field with bunches of giant barrels all over the field, giving you a certain number of runs depending on the barrel in which the ball lands when you hit it. Like a giant game of Skee Bowl.

Ground balls that clunk off the side of a barrel are outs.

You wouldn't need any fielders, so games would go much faster.

 

[jup]

I was of the mind that there was a 20-25% chance the season will not be completed...I am feeling more 30-ish today.

100% it gets completed

 

[Stark]

I'm thinking we should organize the field with bunches of giant barrels all over the field, giving you a certain number of runs depending on the barrel in which the ball lands when you hit it. Like a giant game of Skee Bowl.

Ground balls that clunk off the side of a barrel are outs.

You wouldn't need any fielders, so games would go much faster.

Each team should be allowed to have a single fan in the stands, able to position themselves wherever they want at the start of the game, armed with a paintball gun.

They can shoot the opposing team's outfielders with the paintball gun when the opponent hits fly balls at them.

 

[Mott the Hoople]

Indians sign 1st round pick Tucker to a $2.9 million contract

 

[Gson]

Indians sign 1st round pick Tucker to a $2.9 million contract

$ 2.0 MM.. well under slot.. and just about right on the slot value for his ranking prior to the draft.. Good job.. but you have to question.. did the indians let a more expensive talent go by to save money and not get the BPA?

 

[Gson]

btw.. the first day of the draft.. when the Indians surprised the baseball world with the Tucker Carson signing.. the only pick after that one that I would have been "happier" (& it's a relative evaluation) would have been the very next pick by the Tampa Bay Rays, Nick Bitsko..

A much later pick that had my eye was Cole Wilcox.. he went on day 2 at # 80 overall to the padres.. He's just not the kind of SP / P the indians draft.. I saw him with a floor as a back of the pen monster to a middle/top of the rotation SP with quite a bit of work in front of him..

Old Friend Zach Putnam was released by the CWSox earlier today..

 

[6.19.2016]

I looked at that map, all of the colors (which I don't see very well) with the slanted lines and gave up in about 5 seconds.

It's like those fan loyalty maps, but pastel/neon...