MLB 2014 season thread

[Gehrig]

“@Sportsnet: Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Josh Beckett is retiring from baseball http://bit.ly/1yNnDQh

 

[qtlaw]

As for Strickland, how do you not bring in Affeldt to face Harper in stead of Strickland? You saw what Harper did to him in Game 1, why open yourself up to failure again?

My pure armchair guess is: Bochy wants Strickland to be the closer. They have gone almost the whole season without a true one, and Strickland is the first guy Bochy has had since Wilson who has true closer stuff. So this is the audition. He pitched three times in the series, and all three times were maximum pressure.

I think with Romo's struggles earlier this year and Casilla not really being a great answer—though a serviceable one—Bochy is looking hard at Strickland. There's been talk around the Bay that's where the Giants want to go in the future. And, again, you're right that there is no better teaching moment than to throw the guy into the most pressure packed situation you can get him into without fear of losing the game on one pitch. But knowing Harper loves coming out of his shoes on every pitch—especially for hard fastballs—and how everyone else were giving him a steady diet of breaking stuff to get him out, maybe Affeldt would have been better there.

Looking back on the series, the Giants pitchers did a good job at containing Harper. He drove in or scored five of the Nationals' nine runs but three of them were off solo homers. He only had one hit of note with a runner on base: the double that scored the Nats' first run.

I frankly thought that Lopez was the perfect anecdote to Harper in late situation; however Bochy shot that bullet the prior inning, which I get, you nail the first obstacle then worry about later (maybe that's post-season managing).

I don't think Bochy was in love with Strickland, I think he was just managing to get to Romo/Casilla and he knew he could not stretch them more than an inning each. I do think Bochy did not want to use up all his lefties before the 8th and 9th.

I sometimes think mgrs get too much credit/blame, but Williams being stranded with Barrett when he was clearly rattled, with no one warming up, is one instance of a managing shortcoming.

 

[cjericho]

One more note- the Yankees have been known for abusing relievers, Torre in particular.
Also known for having overhyped prospects given the market in which they compete.
Joba was never as great or as bad as people thought.

It was a small sample, but his rookie year he was that great. He knew he could be completely dominant and would not have a chance to close until leaving as a free agent since Rivera wasn't going anywhere. He was as good or better than whoever they had as the 5 starter, probably even the 4, but they should have just told him you're the 8th inning guy continue to be as dominant and you will get rewarded when you're eligible.

 

[LongTimeListener]

Odds to Win 2014 World Series at Bovada as of September 29

Los Angeles Angels 5/1
Los Angeles Dodgers 5/1
Washington Nationals 11/2
Detroit Tigers 6/1
Baltimore Orioles 13/2
St. Louis Cardinals 8/1
Oakland Athletics 11/1
San Francisco Giants 12/1
Pittsburgh Pirates 14/1
Kansas City Royals 16/1

 

[BYH]

Williams & Ausmus were nothing short of awful this postseason. Williams impressed me during the season--thought he had the steady hand and direct but non-confrontational approach, i.e. with Harper, necessary for the long haul--so there's some hope maybe he'll be OK in the long haul.

Ausmus, on the other hand, did absolutely nothing to indicate he remotely warranted a head gig so early. Looked smug and unprepared, which is a bad combo. Maybe a Showalter-Bochy World Series will convince know-it-all GMs of the value of developing managers. Nah, probably not.

 

[Fly]

I believe Soria was in steep decline/injured again this year in Texas and the numbers were just not bearing it out yet.
He has no late movement on the fastball anymore.
A shame a great reliever gave his best years to bad teams.

Didn't witness it as I can't watch as much baseball as in my past life. But looking at his numbers in TX this year (.870 WHIP, 11.3 K/9, 10.5 K/BB) pitching more innings through July than he did in all of 2013 looked like a guy who had rebounded a bit. But I'll defer to those who saw him more than me with the Rangers.

Or maybe Ron Washington was just a freakin' genius at getting the absolute most of out his late-inning bullpen.

Well, what did you think of the breaking ball he threw Young with the bases loaded? Doesn't seem like a guy confident in his heater.
Dombrowski could have fixed his bullpen or the middle of the diamond at the deadline and did neither. He went shopping for something the team didn't really need, as Beane did.

I don't disagree - in fact I mentioned it in a post a few above this one. I completely concur Soria did not look like the same guy I watched a couple times earlier with the Rangers once he got to Motown. It's likely he was hurt and DD and the Tigers medical staff didn't figure it out in a potential blind hope that they found their end-of-the-game stud.

Dombrowski DID try to fix the bullpen, with two established all-star caliber guys who both **** the bed tremendously once they got to Detroit. Call it what you will, but you cannot deny that the effort was made to shore up the big hole in the pen. It just failed spectacularly, even though the "numbers" didn't show it was likely to occur.

The other issues??? 4A shortstops, no depth or bench strength at any position, no left-handed bat (where have you gone, Andy Dirks- hard to believe his and Jose Iglesias' season-ending injuries caused so much turmoil with this roster) and a catcher who is a very good receiver but a lousy hitter with a mush head due to getting beat up repeatedly (swear Avila has taken more bats and balls to his coconut than anyone I've watched don the tools of ignorance).

 

[qtlaw]

I'm not of the opinion that Mattingly screwed up leaving Kershaw in, he's your horse, he's been the best pitcher in MLB all year and its a lefty v lefty.

Its similar to Grady Little in 2003 leaving Pedro in; I was fine with that, Pedro was Pedro (well not quite the 2000 version) and I'd rather lose with him than Alan Embree. You dance with "who brung yah."

I feel for Donny Baseball; he's such an ill-fit for the Dodgers; they are such misfits and their stars are so no-Mattingly. Mattingly belongs on a team like the Royals.

 

[3_Octave_Fart]

Fly- I think Avila has to retire. Or,he should be gently encouraged to do so.
I respectfully don't believe going into a season with Joba as setup man constitutes good planning.
And who knows why they let Benoit get away.

 

[Fly]

Fly- I think Avila has to retire. Or,he should be gently encouraged to do so.
I respectfully don't believe going into a season with Joba as setup man constitutes good planning.
And who knows why they let Benoit get away.

Don't think Joba was in the plans as the 8th inning guy, it just happened to work out that way (at least until ASB he was somewhat effective). He even had a couple chances to close games due to Nathan's troubles but was a gas can most times. Totally agree that it should NOT have been that way from mid-August onward. But with Soria's ineffectiveness/injury, plus not a whole lot shown by any others in the pen, Ausmus had to feel that was his best (hell, maybe ONLY) option. Cringe-worthy, true enough, to feel that you can contend for a WS title with that mess.

Avila may have to step aside. Four concussions (that we know of) in the past two seasons...ouch. They may end up rolling the dice on James McCann, as Bryan Holaday is not the answer as an everyday catcher, let alone a credible back-up. He couldn't throw my fat ass out stealing.

 

[YankeeFan]

Manky can celebrate; Kevin Long fired as Yankees' hitting coach: nyti.ms/1wdiiMn

 

[old_tony]

Manky can celebrate; Kevin Long fired as Yankees' hitting coach: nyti.ms/1wdiiMn

Perfect opening for Jetes. Now he can turn all the Yankees into opposite-field singles hitters.

 

[Big Circus]

All three outs in T7 came on horse**** calls. I don't think I've ever seen that before.

 

[old_tony]

So the three outs the Orioles "recorded" in the seventh inning:

1. Dyson steals second, Schoop pushes his foot off the base
2. Called strike three that was clearly inside according to PitchTrax
3. Called strike three that was clearly inside according to PitchTrax on a 3-2 pitch with a runner on.

****ing ****ty umpires.

Edit: As Big Circus noted.

 

[LongTimeListener]

All three outs in T7 came on horse**** calls. I don't think I've ever seen that before.

The Dyson steal was a good call. He definitely came off the base.

 

[old_tony]

All three outs in T7 came on horse**** calls. I don't think I've ever seen that before.

The Dyson steal was a good call. He definitely came off the base.

Clearly pushed off the base. Not even a doubt.

 

[LongTimeListener]

Uh, no.

 

[old_tony]

Uh, no.

Uh, clearly. Without doubt. That wasn't a cramp that suddenly shot Dyson's foot two feet toward right field.

 

[Big Circus]

Like Ron Gant back in the day.

 

[LongTimeListener]

He overslides the base every time he goes in. He almost did the same thing on the steal of third against Oakland. Buck obviously scouted him well.

 

[Big Circus]

He overslides the base every time he goes in. He almost did the same thing on the steal of third against Oakland. Buck obviously scouted him well.

And yet his foot stays on the base if Schoop doesn't "help him off the base" as EJ (I think) put it.