2024 MLB Season Thread
Nobody wants these games to start more than Mannfred.
Shohei just spoke to the media for the first time. In a prepared statement, he said:
-He never bet on baseball, or any other sport,
-He didn't know that Ippei lied to him, and that Ippei took the money from Shohei's account to pay his gambling debts
-He'll continue to cooperate with the investigation, and play as the investigation plays out.
If all that's true, then this is probably the best possible outcome for his reputation going forward. He's a naive star athlete who trusted the wrong person. It happens.
In any event, these games are about start! Last year, just like we all predicted, "Someone Else" came on strong in the playoffs, as the Texas Rangers defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks for the World Series. Can that happen again?
T-Mobile is giving away a free MLB.tv subscription ($149 value) to T-Mobile subscribers starting TOMORROW (Tuesday 3/26 - April 1). Don't miss out.
So speaking of gambling, here are the current best odds for the World Series you can find, from Vegas insider!
Yankee fans annual freakout is in full effect atm. Delish like pumpkin pie
The one thing I'll say
Purely as a baseball fan
It's nice to see a star like Mookie Betts run hard to first base on a routine ground ball to first.
I gotta watch guys half ass it all the time.
Clowns like Verdugo and Chisholm pimping home runs that often aren't home runs
I don't think I've ever seen Torres run hard to first.
Betts runs hard there.
Freeman runs hard to just beat a routine dp play ball in game 3 after a horseshit feed from Torres on a ****ed up ankle.
Stuff nobody notices the 99 percent of the time they're out just adds up.
The Yankees were able to out talent KC and Cleveland and ride Stanton hitting like Babe Ruth. But even in those series they played bad fundamental baseball. When you win doing that nobody says anything. Couldn't out talent the Dodgers though.
The non-stop bonehead plays usually aren't compatible with a pennant-winning team, so it's rare you get this kind of display of ineptitude on this big a stage.
Team damn near blacked out my bingo card on mistakes, Weaver casually throwing over to first 3x for the balk was a nice touch. The only thing that could have really capped it off is if the Yanks got the tying run picked off at 3rd to end the game or something.
If they gave an award for MLB's overall MVP I'd give it to Betts and not feel bad about it.
Freeman top 5 all time 1b?
Certainly first ballot HOF at the very least
Was definitely thinking pujols and miggy for sure
Thomas….I mean probably?
I've always loved Freddie.
But there might be a bit of recency bias to talk about him as a top 5 all time 1B.
That's a hallowed position in the Hall with some of the best hitters in the storied history of the game.
Freddie's case is his consistency. He's basically .300/.400/.500 his whole career. But he's never been a HUGE slugger. He's in the 20-35 HR range every year, instead of 35+. Once he's done, his counting numbers might not stack up against some of the steroid guys, or even guys like Gehrig.
First ballot HOF, sure. But I'd really have to dive into the numbers of several recent guys, and several pre-modern guys to be able to make the top 5 all time case.
Braves trade Jorge Soler to LAA for SP Griffin Canning.
Soler is a low average power threat with less power lately as he's aged. Thanks for his efforts in the title, but probably not above a replacement level OF in 2025 and beyond.
Canning is a frustrating guy that I've owned in fantasy, and disappointed that he never got better. Maybe a change of scenery will be good for him.
I've always loved Freddie.
But there might be a bit of recency bias to talk about him as a top 5 all time 1B.
That's a hallowed position in the Hall with some of the best hitters in the storied history of the game.
Freddie's case is his consistency. He's basically .300/.400/.500 his whole career. But he's never been a HUGE slugger. He's in the 20-35 HR range every year, instead of 35+. Once he's done, his counting numbers might not stack up against some of the steroid guys, or even guys like Ge
Freddie has talked about how he specifically trades power and hitting more HR's to be more efficient / get more base hits and doubles.
They released Rizzo today. Seemed a little abrupt. So weird that he seemingly didn't try to get to the bag on the play. He was closer than Betts when he realized the base was uncovered, considerably closer it looks like. Of course he isn't as fast as Betts but it would have been bang-bang and I think he could have beaten Betts.
Yet he didn't try. So weird. As if he was showing up Cole or something. Of course there is the factor that you are just pretty sure it's going to be a 1B putout, no help needed. They always judge that and sort of segwaying toward the dugout is what he did? The video shows examples from the season of Cole pointing toward first signaling "I think you have it," but he rarely quit on the play instead running on over at least close to first. But that they both stopped running to try to make the play seems kind of insane, kind of a million-to-one.
Randy Johnson gave up 25 home runs to left handed batters in his career. Over 22 years. That's sick. I guessed 77 (of the 411 total). He was slightly more dominant against LH batters than Koufax, and Koufax was outstandingly excellent. 😀 Oddly, they both faced right around the same amount of lefty batters in their careers, about 2100 to 2000, even though The Unit's career was massively longer. So they just weren't fielding left hand batters against Johnson, obviously. Analytics much more in play.
Bonds ripped Johnson. Shawn Green hit him well. Not much else in terms of lefties. Gwynn and Brett couldn't touch it (in limited at bats, but their K rate was way above their norm).
Anyway, one homer per year to lefties for the Big Unit.
Randy Johnson gave up 25 home runs to left handed batters in his career. Over 22 years. That's sick. I guessed 77 (of the 411 total). He was slightly more dominant against LH batters than Koufax, and Koufax was outstandingly excellent. 😀 Oddly, they both faced right around the same amount of lefty batters in their careers, about 2100 to 2000, even though The Unit's career was massively longer. So they just weren't fielding left hand batters against Johnson, obviously. Analytics much more in pl
Don Mattingly also hit him well.
16 for 44
7 doubles and only 2ks.
Tony Gwynn was 1 for 12 with 4ks which is like anyone else striking out 12 times in 12 abs.
Boggs 2 for 17 with 8ks.
Rickey (right handed hitter) has the strangest line.
7 for 59 with a disgusting 30ks. But he also walked 26 times.
My offseason prediction:
Soto to the Mets
Alonso to the Yankees
rizzo to the mets
Braves pick up Marcell Ozuna’s option.
They decline Travis d’Arnaud and RP Luke Jackson.
I’ve thought the Braves have had the best catcher situation in the bigs (I guess outside of stars like Realmuto or Rutschman) with two starting caliber options. It was especially handy with Murphy missing a chunk of time this year. Will be interesting to see where d’Arnaud lands.
Don Mattingly also hit him well.
16 for 44
7 doubles and only 2ks.
Tony Gwynn was 1 for 12 with 4ks which is like anyone else striking out 12 times in 12 abs.
Boggs 2 for 17 with 8ks.
Rickey (right handed hitter) has the strangest line.
7 for 59 with a disgusting 30ks. But he also walked 26 times.
That Mattingly line is pretty sick. Where I'm looking is showing 16-for-42, a .381 avg. with 2 K's. That 2 Ks in 44 plate appearances versus Johnson alone is worthy of the Hall of Fame. 😀 Gotta be the GOAT ratio for a LH batter??
That Mattingly line is pretty sick. Where I'm looking is showing 16-for-42, a .381 avg. with 2 K's. That 2 Ks in 44 plate appearances versus Johnson alone is worthy of the Hall of Fame. 😀 Gotta be the GOAT ratio for a LH batter??
Yea you're right, 16 for 42 and 2 walks.
I vaguely remember in the late 90s some lefty got 3 hits off of RJ. It was the 5th time a lefty had 3 hits off of him in one game and 3 were Mattingly.
Not sure which is more surprising- Mattingly only 2 Ks off of him in 44 plate appearances or Gwynn striking out 4 times in 12 abs.
Donny ****ing Baseball
Its a shame he never won it all.
He was also awesome in the Simpson’s baseball episode.
