2014 Baseball season/Off Season Discussion

[GeorgeSteele]

I'm happy with the split with the Yanks, but I can't get over how inept the Mets' bats are at Citifield.  21 runs at Yankee Stadium and then 0 at Citifield. 

How about that gift for Derek Jeter?  Nice, I guess, a giant number 2 on subway tile... but it also looks like a bathroom wall (with an ominous number 2 on it).

[tim_m]

For whatever reason balls just don't jump out of Citifield like they do Yankee stadium.

[Falcon]

The Yankees really need to consider getting Betances in the starting rotation. This kid has some kinda stuff. He just struck out six in a row.

I saw the highlight last night, great breaking stuff.

One of the guys on MLB Network said he's second on the team in strikeouts, is that true?

[cotis]

The Yankees really need to consider getting Betances in the starting rotation. This kid has some kinda stuff. He just struck out six in a row.

I saw the highlight last night, great breaking stuff.

One of the guys on MLB Network said he's second on the team in strikeouts, is that true?

leave him in the bullpen. don't fuck with him (ex Joba... Phil Hughes). kid has amazing potential and could be a lethal combo with Robertson similar to the way Mo got started...

[Falcon]

Caught a cool interview with Rick Ankiel today, great guy with a helluva story.

He's in the midst of writing his autobiography and is mulling over multiple offers to option the movie rights.

Talk about inspiring shit, wow.

Rough childhood, dominant rookie year, Dad goes to prison on drug trafficking charges, meltdown in the playoffs, reinvents himself as a power hitting outfielder and retires on his terms at the ripe old age of 33.

Still the best pitching prospect I've ever witnessed in person and it's not even close.

[tim_m]

The Yankees really need to consider getting Betances in the starting rotation. This kid has some kinda stuff. He just struck out six in a row.

I saw the highlight last night, great breaking stuff.

One of the guys on MLB Network said he's second on the team in strikeouts, is that true?

leave him in the bullpen. don't fuck with him (ex Joba... Phil Hughes). kid has amazing potential and could be a lethal combo with Robertson similar to the way Mo got started...

Joba we messed up by moving back and forth. I would put Betances in and leave him there.

[tim_m]

The Yankees really need to consider getting Betances in the starting rotation. This kid has some kinda stuff. He just struck out six in a row.

I saw the highlight last night, great breaking stuff.

One of the guys on MLB Network said he's second on the team in strikeouts, is that true?

Unless the stats haven't been updated he's a few behind Sabathia for second.

[Falcon]

The Yankees really need to consider getting Betances in the starting rotation. This kid has some kinda stuff. He just struck out six in a row.

I saw the highlight last night, great breaking stuff.

One of the guys on MLB Network said he's second on the team in strikeouts, is that true?

Unless the stats haven't been updated he's a few behind Sabathia for second.

Yikes.

Not good when a reliever is up there in team leaders in K's, doesn't speak well for the starters.

[tim_m]

The Yankees really need to consider getting Betances in the starting rotation. This kid has some kinda stuff. He just struck out six in a row.

I saw the highlight last night, great breaking stuff.

One of the guys on MLB Network said he's second on the team in strikeouts, is that true?

Unless the stats haven't been updated he's a few behind Sabathia for second.

Yikes.

Not good when a reliever is up there in team leaders in K's, doesn't speak well for the starters.

Well we do have 3 starters out right now, Sabathia, Nova and Pinaeda. Can't increase your strikeouts if you aren't playing.

[Falcon]

The Yankees really need to consider getting Betances in the starting rotation. This kid has some kinda stuff. He just struck out six in a row.

I saw the highlight last night, great breaking stuff.

One of the guys on MLB Network said he's second on the team in strikeouts, is that true?

Unless the stats haven't been updated he's a few behind Sabathia for second.

Yikes.

Not good when a reliever is up there in team leaders in K's, doesn't speak well for the starters.

Well we do have 3 starters out right now, Sabathia, Nova and Pinaeda. Can't increase your strikeouts if you aren't playing.

I hadn't followed who was out, just heard the stat and thought it was interesting.

But you're right, can't K anyone if you're on the DL.

[tim_m]

The Yankees really need to consider getting Betances in the starting rotation. This kid has some kinda stuff. He just struck out six in a row.

I saw the highlight last night, great breaking stuff.

One of the guys on MLB Network said he's second on the team in strikeouts, is that true?

Unless the stats haven't been updated he's a few behind Sabathia for second.

Yikes.

Not good when a reliever is up there in team leaders in K's, doesn't speak well for the starters.

Well we do have 3 starters out right now, Sabathia, Nova and Pinaeda. Can't increase your strikeouts if you aren't playing.

I hadn't followed who was out, just heard the stat and thought it was interesting.

But you're right, can't K anyone if you're on the DL.

Yep Sabathia is now out until at least July, Pinaeda is out with the pulled muscle in his back but is getting close and Nova had TJ surgery.

[Falcon]

Alright guys, we're at the quarter pole - any thoughts on your respective teams?

Cards seem to be finding a bit of traction, starting pitching is living up to expectation and the lineup has started to produce runs at a better clip of late.

Still not hitting for power and the bullpen has been suspect, that should get a boost with Jason Motte's return so hopefully everything will click soon enough.

Oscar Taveras is raking in AAA and will likely get called up to DH when the Cards make their first run of beer league games in early June.

Keep an eye out, he's one of the the best hitting prospects in the minors and seems to be ready for prime time.

[GeorgeSteele]

My biggest issue with the Mets these days is how Citifield has gotten into the heads of what seems to be the entire roster.  It used to be just a few guys in a given season who let it get in their heads, but now it's the whole team.  Which pisses me off.  Citifield's dimensions are considered big only because most new stadiums these days are so small.  Back in the day, it would have been your average stadium.  Also, nobody uses the size to their advantage.  When Jose Reyes was here, Citifield was his personal triple factory --- anything that got past the right fielder was an automatic triple for him.  So they need to use what speed they have (and maybe add more speed to the roster) to generate extra bases on their hits.

[AxlsMainMan]

Blue Jays' bats are comin' alive

[faldor]

Red Sox are a mess right now.  I kept questioning how they were getting things done last year all the way to a World Series win.  Now I'm questioning how they're playing so poorly.  I don't think they're this bad, nor are they as good as they played last season.  It was just one of those years when everything went their way.  This year they've been bad across the board for the most part.  Their starting pitching has been pretty good, at least 3/5 of it.  Defense has been awful.  They've been getting guys on base but haven't been able to hit them in, so obviously situational hitting has been a major issue.  Stephen Drew probably isn't the answer, but he should help in some areas.  They've been awful against right handed pitchers, so another lefty bat will help.  And his defense is vastly superior to Bogaerts' at SS.  And in turn, Xander is a better 3B than Middlebrooks, who it appears they have given up on for now. 

They should still remain in the hunt in the "nobody wants it" AL East.  Couldn't tell you who's going to emerge.  All teams seem fatally flawed to me.  I don't see a wild card coming from the division this year.  Looks like the Tigers and the A's are the 2 best teams in the league.  I'd expect Detroit to emerge.  They're well rounded from top to bottom.  They were about 3 pitches away from beating the Sox last year and facing the Cards in the WS.  This year, with a more formidable bullpen, I think that should be enough to put them over the top.

[Falcon]

The Oscar Taveras era begins in STL tomorrow, the 21 year old has been called up tonight by the Cards.

[Falcon]

The Oscar Taveras era begins in STL tomorrow, the 21 year old has been called up tonight by the Cards.

And Taveras goes deep for his first hit in his 2nd big league at bat.

And it's a fucking bomb.

Watch here:

http://m.cardinals.mlb.com/stl/video/v33325603/sfstl-taveras-launches-a-solo-shot-for-first-hit/?partnerId=as_mlb_20140531_25072366

[tim_m]

The Oscar Taveras era begins in STL tomorrow, the 21 year old has been called up tonight by the Cards.

And Taveras goes deep for his first hit in his 2nd big league at bat.

And it's a fucking bomb.

Watch here:

http://m.cardinals.mlb.com/stl/video/v33325603/sfstl-taveras-launches-a-solo-shot-for-first-hit/?partnerId=as_mlb_20140531_25072366

Remind ya of another rookie that homered in his first at bat in 96?

[Falcon]

The Oscar Taveras era begins in STL tomorrow, the 21 year old has been called up tonight by the Cards.

And Taveras goes deep for his first hit in his 2nd big league at bat.

And it's a fucking bomb.

Watch here:

http://m.cardinals.mlb.com/stl/video/v33325603/sfstl-taveras-launches-a-solo-shot-for-first-hit/?partnerId=as_mlb_20140531_25072366

Remind ya of another rookie that homered in his first at bat in 96?

I give Tim, who ya got?

[Falcon]

Has anyone been following the Ortiz/David Price  back and forth from last night and today?

Awesome stuff.

Emotional reaction from Ortiz last night was entertaining as hell but Price just absolutely (an quite intelligently) verbally KO'd Ortiz today.

Check out @ken_rosenthal for the quotes from Price - damn.