MLB Offseason 2014-15: Wait, pitchers and catchers report WHEN?

[Captain Clark Terrell]

not sure about your 2nd point considering Banks was long retired when the Reds were winning titles in the 70's.

My point was that if they had switched places, Banks would likely have helped the Reds' WS teams more than Morgan, as he was a superior player; I am aware that he was retired by the Reds started winning WS. I was speaking about a hypothetical scenario.

--Sran

 

[Timby]

“I understand the whole Madoff thing,” Manfred said, “but before and since, Fred Wilpon was an extraordinarily successful businessman. "

But how was the rest of the play, Mr. Lincoln?

 

[Timby]

Victor Martinez has torn the meniscus in his left knee (the same one that he's had ACL and microfracture surgery on).

I wonder how the Tigers are feeling about that $68 million contract.

 

[Scout101]

Yikes. Not a good start to a 68 million dollar contract...

 

[Timby]

Yikes. Not a good start to a 68 million dollar contract...

Right now they're saying his timeline is 12 - 16 weeks, which realistically puts him back around the time of the All-Star Break, at which point he's going to have a lot of rust to shake up.

Man, the Tigers' offense is going to be hilarious if both Martinez and Cabrera can't go on Opening Day.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

Chicago Cubs might be interested in Shields.

Story

 

[Timby]

Rob Manfred says he's open to having a discussion about Pete Rose's ban from baseball.

Between that and the pace-of-game changes he's talking about, I'm ready to write Rob Manfred and the No Good, Very Bad Start as Commissioner.

 

[Captain Clark Terrell]

^He does seem to making waves for all the wrong reasons. I'm sticking by my earlier statement, but I'll admit that some of his public statements have me scratching my head.

--Sran

 

[Alidar Jarok]

Rob Manfred says he's open to having a discussion about Pete Rose's ban from baseball.

Between that and the pace-of-game changes he's talking about, I'm ready to write Rob Manfred and the No Good, Very Bad Start as Commissioner.

Refresh my memory. Is there a reason you think Pete Rose's ban is so important to maintain besides he violated a very clear rule? There's no question, as a player, he was talented enough that he should be in the Hall of Fame. His gambling did not impact that at all.

 

[Timby]

Refresh my memory. Is there a reason you think Pete Rose's ban is so important to maintain besides he violated a very clear rule? There's no question, as a player, he was talented enough that he should be in the Hall of Fame. His gambling did not impact that at all.

Not just a rule, but the rule. There is literally one rule posted in every single Major League clubhouse, and it's Rule 21:

(d) BETTING ON BALL GAMES. Any player, umpire, or club official or employee, who shall bet any sum whatsoever upon any baseball game in connection with which the bettor has no duty to perform shall be declared ineligible for one year.

Any player, umpire, or club or league official or employee, who shall bet any sum whatsoever upon any baseball game in connection with which the bettor has a duty to perform shall be declared permanently ineligible.

Rose bet on Reds games and he voluntarily accepted his ban in exchange for MLB not releasing the evidence showing that he bet against the Reds. Fuck him forever.

 

[Yanks]

BTW...

The O's add no pitching, the Sux are going to rely on Buckholtz as their ace? ...

Yanks win the division by 5.

(runs and hides.... )

 

[Yanks]

I don't think eliminating defensive shifts is likely to make that much of a difference one way or the other, and don't understand why he's focusing on it.

OK, just for a second, lets say anyone on the planet is stupid enough to devise such a rule, and then said rule is stupidly accepted by (blah, blah) ....

How the hell would said stupid rule be enforced? Are we going to put boxes on the baseball field? "X"'s .... Are players going to be allowed to anticipate where a ball is going to be hit based on the pitch and/or location thrown?

The very thought of someone considering this by someone with power in baseball is mind-boggling...

I completely agree with your comments about chewing tobacco--and not merely because Tony Gwynn lost his battle with cancer; it's a serious problem in professional baseball and should have been banned many years ago.

It was a serious problem for Tony because the first thing he did when he woke up in the morning was to put a dip in. It was an addiction problem for Tony, not everyone that chews.

I have no problem with players chewing tobacco. Need less of the nanny state bullshit. Hell, let them drink between innings, I don't care.

One of the best relieving performances in history was done by an old drunk pitcher that pitched a complete game the day before.

I want Morgana back too

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I completely agree with your comments about chewing tobacco--and not merely because Tony Gwynn lost his battle with cancer; it's a serious problem in professional baseball and should have been banned many years ago.

Agreed. If players want to chew, or get shitfaced, let them do it when they're at home. Like fans and smoking. As long as they're in the stadium, let them abide by the rules. It's just common courtesy to the fans and to each other.

I mean, it's just kind of gross to watch players parade around in the dugouts with huge globs of chaw in their mouths..

 

[Timby]

I mean, it's just kind of gross to watch players parade around in the dugouts with huge globs of chaw in their mouths..

I would argue that it's also part of MLB's social responsibility. It's not like kids have magically stopped being highly impressionable out of the blue, and that MLB has never made a real effort to ban tobacco in the dugout (yes, the union has and would fight it tooth and nail, but it's really a sham negotiating point and there are a million tiny concessions MLB could give up in return) is really a shame.

It's a similar problem to when everyone makes a big stink about PED use and starts screaming about the integrity of the game -- by linking use to actual enhanced performance (despite there being no direct evidence of value), you're telling Johnny Six-Pack in high school that if he finds a way to get some Winstrol to shoot into his ass or whatever he might have a better chance of getting drafted. Ban the use, suspend players who get popped, but stop making a huge stink about it as though they're worse than Hitler and that drugs are Magic Good Player Juice.

 

[Tom Hendricks]

When I was a kid and playing Little League, we all got the gum Big League Chew. Why? Because it was shredded bubble gum that emulated chewing tobacco. So you would have a wad of Big League Chew in your mouth and spitting just like the Pros.

So yeah, chewing tobacco needs to go.

 

[Jedi_Master]

When I was a kid and playing Little League, we all got the gum Big League Chew. Why? Because it was shredded bubble gum that emulated chewing tobacco. So you would have a wad of Big League Chew in your mouth and spitting just like the Pros.

So yeah, chewing tobacco needs to go.

They still sell that gum, by the way.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

And I rather doubt that kids think Big League Chew is anything like tobacco, or that they think makes tobacco look cool. It's just gum and everyone knows it. Kids chew and blow it into bubbles like any other gum, they're not dumb enough to think 'Hey, this is good gum and it comes in a pouch, so why not put cancer-causing slime into my mouth?'

That gum isn't a gateway to anything but more gum.

 

[Pondwater]

And I rather doubt that kids think Big League Chew is anything like tobacco, or that they think makes tobacco look cool. It's just gum and everyone knows it. Kids chew and blow it into bubbles like any other gum, they're not dumb enough to think 'Hey, this is good gum and it comes in a pouch, so why not put cancer-causing slime into my mouth?'

That gum isn't a gateway to anything but more gum.

And cavities!

 

[Danny99]

BTW...

The O's add no pitching, the Sux are going to rely on Buckholtz as their ace? ...

Yanks win the division by 5.

(runs and hides.... )

Not to mention that the Jays think Dickey is still an ace pitcher.

 

[Scout101]

Would argue that the Sox likely think Porcello is their ace, but Buchholz may reclaim that if he is the good Buch instead of the bad Buch. Hard to say who will show up. Either way, he'll likely get the opening day nod out of respect to his having been with the Sox a while.

You could get a bigger laugh about the Yankess thinking the bloated corpse of CC is their ace, but know that Yanks isn't so good at self-evaluation. Maybe Tanaka will be the ace for a month or so until he goes in for TJ surgery? Rest of the Yankees' roster isn't really even worth making fun of, so will let their results speak for themselves. Roster is a retirement home dumpster fire, not sure why he feels he should mock anyone else.

I like the Sox' chances just fine this year. Oh, and we have a farm system and money coming off the books, so plenty of room to swing a trade at the deadline if things need a boost. Plenty of pitchers for rent come July.