Official 2017 MLB Season Thread

[JonInMiddleGA]

[quote=BYU 14;3182249]Cut the break between half innings by full minute.

If you really need the advertising follow the EPL model and put the logo of that half inning sponsor on the score/count display.

The value of that logo is considerably less than actual spots. That's a lot of lost revenue. And you're cutting the legs off the cable systems/broadcast stations because you're cutting their revenue opportunity (remember, both the network and the local cable system/whatever have to have spot inventory).

give him 3 pitched from the mound to get the feel of it and go.

Good luck getting the players union to agree to that, as an added injury risk.

[Young Drachma]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Better it rest in peace than to live on Frankenstein'ed to chase short attention spans that lack the ability to appreciate it.

Yeah, old school cricket fans feel that way too. But Twenty20 is exciting, electric and revenues are through the roof.

Baseball won't learn and doesn't need to for a while, because MLBAM is printing cash still.

I'm not trying to convince anyone to see it differently, though.

[BYU 14]

[quote=JonInMiddleGA;3182250]

Originally Posted by BYU 14

Cut the break between half innings by full minute.



The value of that logo is considerably less than actual spots. That's a lot of lost revenue. And you're cutting the legs off the cable systems/broadcast stations because you're cutting their revenue opportunity (remember, both the network and the local cable system/whatever have to have spot inventory).

Good luck getting the players union to agree to that, as an added injury risk.

I would think a logo in your face for 10 minutes or so would be retained more than a spot you either miss going to the head or getting a snack couldn't hurt too much. I don't know, you have a lot better inside knowledge of that piece than me, so I defer.

I really can't see the players association playing the injury card with a straight face when relievers come in fully warmed up. It has to be a more significant risk sitting cold in the dugout for 20 minutes while an inning drags, then basically getting 3 extra tosses to the 25-35 you just had in the pen. Let the warm up pitches at the start of each inning stay the same, shouldn't be a concern.

[BYU 14]

Originally Posted by Young Drachma

Yeah, old school cricket fans feel that way too. But Twenty20 is exciting, electric and revenues are through the roof.

Baseball won't learn and doesn't need to for a while, because MLBAM is printing cash still.

I'm not trying to convince anyone to see it differently, though.

T20 is an incredibly fun sport to watch.

[Young Drachma]

Relevant to the actual series/games, Houston did a hell of a job with that rebuild. I mean, it was painful and they tanked masterfully in a way that we haven't seen in baseball recently. I mean, the Royals were cheap and managed to get lucky timingwise, too.

But it's been fascinating to watch the successful execution of a rebuild, coupled with good drafting (and kids that actually developed...how many #1 picks in baseball don't manage to make it?) coupled with deft trades/signings to get them over the top.

Verlander got them to the Series no doubt. I'm happy for Houston fans, I forgot they were a '62 expansion team (I almost thought they were a '68 club) and so to go that long without a title and hell, only their second World Series ever after 50+ MLB seasons must have been painful given the players that have gone through that city over the years.

So it was good to see them get this one off their backs and with a fun, young team that peaked at the right time.

Hope the Blue Jays inevitable rebuild goes well but don't have much faith in the current regime.

[Butter]

Originally Posted by BYU 14

T20 is an incredibly fun sport to watch.

Thirded.

[JPhillips]

Originally Posted by Young Drachma

Yeah, old school cricket fans feel that way too. But Twenty20 is exciting, electric and revenues are through the roof.

Baseball won't learn and doesn't need to for a while, because MLBAM is printing cash still.

I'm not trying to convince anyone to see it differently, though.

Fuck that, we need more of that Finnish baseball!

[Young Drachma]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

Fuck that, we need more of that Finnish baseball!

Hahaha.... #forzavive

[CrescentMoonie]

Love the move to a manager with a brain that won't be taking naps in the dugout for the Nats. Martinez was my #2 want for the position behind Cora. Sounds like Rizzo felt the same but Cora didn't talk to anyone else after Boston pursued him.

I'll take it though. A manager that doesn't openly oppose analytics, or just the basics of drawing walks and managing a pitching staff in the 21st century, is a huge departure for how they've run things so far.

[MrBug708]

Somebody run down the Otani posting rules? 20 million to the Japanese team with the old rules, signing bonus allocation money goes as well and he gets rookie minimum salary?

[stevew]

The Bombers can offer Otani a $3.25 million signing bonus, according to a report from the Associated Press. Only the Rangers, at $3.535 million, can offer more. The Twins are next, at $3.245 million.


Other big market clubs can offer the following: Red Sox ($462,000), Cubs ($300,000), Dodgers ($300,000).

Yeah he's on a traditional contract after that. surely any attempt to circumvent the process by offering an over market extension will be penalized as well.

[Vince, Pt. II]

Originally Posted by MrBug708

Somebody run down the Otani posting rules? 20 million to the Japanese team with the old rules, signing bonus allocation money goes as well and he gets rookie minimum salary?

Pretty sure they need to re-draft the posting rules because the old ones expired and are no longer valid.

[MrBug708]

I know they are trying to rework the rules, hit that's just th money th at goes to Otani. What about the fee to the club?

[Young Drachma]

Originally Posted by stevew

Yeah he's on a traditional contract after that. surely any attempt to circumvent the process by offering an over market extension will be penalized as well.

I'd like to think that he'll have to land an endorsement deal or two as a way to bridge his lost income somehow, but baseball players haven't been bankable like they were in the 90s. Does Otani speak English fluently? That'd help considerably.

[CrescentMoonie]

Mookie Betts of Boston Red Sox bowls perfect 300 in PBA event

[MrBug708]

Scherzer beats out Kershaw for the NL Cy Young.

[Vince, Pt. II]

Originally Posted by CrescentMoonie

Mookie Betts of Boston Red Sox bowls perfect 300 in PBA event

"How many have you had?"

"Not that many...maybe...10."

Jeez. I'm pretty good (196 book average is my best season, though only in local leagues, nothing tough) and I've still never bowled a 300.

[Logan]

This letter was sent by Joe Morgan to all Hall of Fame voters this morning. What is most interesting is that it came from the Hall's email address, making it an on the record stance on steroid users from the HoF itself. JoePos confirms, and the letter below.

Let's not mistake this. The letter was sent from the Hall of Fame email address. This Joe Morgan letter is the Hall of Fame's stance. https://t.co/7wHbwubDuK

— Joe Posnanski (@JPosnanski) November 21, 2017

Over the years, I have been approached by many Hall of Fame members telling me we needed to do something to speak out about the possibility of steroid users entering the Hall of Fame. This issue has been bubbling below the surface for quite a while.

I hope you don’t mind if I bring to your attention what I’m hearing.

Please keep in mind I don’t speak for every single member of the Hall of Fame. I don’t know how everyone feels, but I do know how many of the Hall of Famers feel.

I, along with other Hall of Fame Baseball players, have the deepest respect for you and all the writers who vote to decide who enters Baseball’s most hallowed shrine, the National Baseball Hall of Fame. For some 80 years, the men and women of the BBWAA have cast ballots that have made the Hall into the wonderful place it is.

I think the Hall of Fame is special. There is a sanctity to being elected to the Hall. It is revered. It is the hardest Hall of Fame to enter, of any sport in America.

But times change, and a day we all knew was coming has now arrived. Players who played during the steroid era have become eligible for entry into the Hall of Fame.

The more we Hall of Famers talk about this – and we talk about it a lot – we realize we can no longer sit silent. Many of us have come to think that silence will be considered complicity. Or that fans might think we are ok if the standards of election to the Hall of Fame are relaxed, at least relaxed enough for steroid users to enter and become members of the most sacred place in Baseball. We don’t want fans ever to think that.

We hope the day never comes when known steroid users are voted into the Hall of Fame. They cheated. Steroid users don’t belong here.

Players who failed drug tests, admitted using steroids, or were identified as users in Major League Baseball’s investigation into steroid abuse, known as the Mitchell Report, should not get in. Those are the three criteria that many of the players and I think are right.

Now, I recognize there are players identified as users on the Mitchell Report who deny they were users. That’s why this is a tricky issue. Not everything is black and white – there are shades of gray here. It’s why your job as a voter is and has always been a difficult and important job. I have faith in your judgment and know that ultimately, this is your call.

But it still occurs to me that anyone who took body-altering chemicals in a deliberate effort to cheat the game we love, not to mention they cheated current and former players, and fans too, doesn’t belong in the Hall of Fame. By cheating, they put up huge numbers, and they made great players who didn’t cheat look smaller by comparison, taking away from their achievements and consideration for the Hall of Fame. That’s not right.

And that’s why I, and other Hall of Famers, feel so strongly about this.

It’s gotten to the point where Hall of Famers are saying that if steroid users get in, they’ll no longer come to Cooperstown for Induction Ceremonies or other events. Some feel they can’t share a stage with players who did steroids. The cheating that tainted an era now risks tainting the Hall of Fame too. The Hall of Fame means too much to us to ever see that happen. If steroid users get in, it will divide and diminish the Hall, something we couldn’t bear.

Section 5 of the Rules for Election states, “Voting shall be based upon the player’s record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character, and contributions to the team(s) on which the player played.”

I care about how good a player was or what kind of numbers he put up; but if a player did steroids, his integrity is suspect; he lacks sportsmanship; his character is flawed; and, whatever contribution he made to his team is now dwarfed by his selfishness.

Steroid use put Baseball through a tainted era where records were shattered. “It was a steroidal farce,” wrote Michael Powell in the New York Times. It is no accident that those records held up for decades until the steroid era began, and they haven’t been broken since the steroid era ended. Sadly, steroids worked.

Dan Naulty was a journeyman pitcher in the late 1990s who admitted he took steroids, noting that his fastball went from 87 to 96. He told Sports Illustrated’s Tom Verducci in 2012, “I was a full-blown cheater, and I knew it. You didn’t need a written rule. I was violating clear principles that were laid down within the rules. I understood I was violating implicit principles.”

The Hall of Fame has always had its share of colorful characters, some of whom broke or bent society’s rules in their era. By today’s standards, some might not have gotten in. Times change and society improves. What once was accepted no longer is.

But steroid users don’t belong here. What they did shouldn’t be accepted. Times shouldn’t change for the worse.

Steroid users knew they were taking a drug that physically improved how they played. Taking steroids is a decision. It’s the deliberate act of using chemistry to change how hard you hit and throw by changing what your body is made of.

I and other Hall of Famers played hard all our lives to achieve what we did. I love this game and am proud of it. I hope the Hall of Fame’s standards won’t be lowered with the passage of time.

For over eighty years, the Hall of Fame has been a place to look up to, where the hallowed halls honor those who played the game hard and right. I hope it will always remain that way.

Sincerely,

Joe Sig

Joe Morgan

Hall of Fame Class of 1990

Vice Chairman

P.S. Families come to Cooperstown because they know it’s special. To parents, it’s a place they can take their kids for an uplifting, feel-good visit. It’s a place where kids can see what true greatness is all about. It’s a place where youngsters can dream that one day they too might get in. This place is special. I hope it stays that way.

[ISiddiqui]

Well, the Braves just got hit hard by MLB:

MLB punishes Braves after international amateurs investigation

Major League Baseball is expected to hammer the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday for circumventing rules governing the signing of international amateurs, declaring 12 minor league players, including vaunted prospect Kevin Maitan, free agents as part of sweeping penalties against the organization, sources familiar with the situation told Yahoo Sports.

Following an investigation that cost general manager John Coppolella and scout Gordon Blakeley their jobs and led indirectly to the resignation of president of baseball operations John Hart, MLB determined the Braves had broken rules – the most severe of which was the packaging of signing bonuses – in the 2015-16 and 2016-17 international signing periods. Nine players from the Braves’ 2015-16 signing class, the majority of whom received bonuses in excess of $1 million, will be declared free agents, as will three players from the most recent class. Atlanta also will lose a draft pick next June for trying to induce a player this year with off-the-books perks, sources told Yahoo Sports.

The biggest name is the 17-year-old Maitan, a switch-hitting shortstop from Venezuela who signed for $4.25 million and was one of the most highly touted prospects from Latin America in the last decade. He will be eligible to sign with the 29 other teams, who will be able to use leftover money from the current international signing period or dip into their 2017-18 bonus pools to sign the ex-Braves, a source familiar with the penalties said. Each of the players will be forced to use an agent different than the buscon, or trainer, who negotiated their original deals.

[Vince, Pt. II]

As jarring as it will have to be to change teams, these kids have to love this, right? New signing bonus, new contract...

Will be interesting to see how this affects the market this offseason.

[stevew]

Ohtani is coming over. Posting rules largely the same as before. Team pays 20M.

[PilotMan]

I'm just not sold on his skills with the bat on this side of the ocean. I could be wrong, but power especially has never translated well from Japan to the US.

[Vince, Pt. II]

Tons of scuttlebutt about the Giants being the leading contenders for Giancarlo Stanton. I am horribly conflicted about this potential move. The Giants unexpectedly became categorically awful last year, mostly because everyone just decided to suck at the same time with a small side of injuries (Melancon, Will Smith, and Bumgarner being the obvious ones). What's frightening is that none of the people who played poorly were particularly surprising in a vacuum (except for maybe Johnny Cueto), so it's hard to think they will magically snap out of their funk next season.

Combine that with the team having an insane amount of money already committed through the next three years and a farm system bereft of any superlative talent and you somehow come up with a team that has a bleak outlook despite having both a legitimate MVP and Cy Young candidate (Posey and Bumgarner) in their primes, several young, very good ballplayers (Crawford, Belt, Panik), and at least a few very good veterans (Cueto, Melancon, Smith).

Based on last year's record and the financial situation (pushing into the luxury tax again), the team looks like a prime candidate to punt for a minor rebuild and reset the luxury tax by dipping low on payroll for a season or two.

Based on the age of their core (Belt, Posey, Crawford, Panik, Bumgarner, Cueto) they look like a team who really only needs a few pieces and some luck to be immediately back in the hunt.

Based upon the crazy talent that the top-end teams have right now in the NL (Washington, Los Angeles, Chicago, even Arizona), they should definitely not rush things.

Based upon their absurdly low HR total and catastrophically terrible OF (with nearly zero reason for hope moving forward), Giancarlo Stanton is a near-perfect fit. His contract...makes me quiver, and not in a good way.

The Giants can't really outbid anyone in terms of prospects, and financially they are probably extremely unlikely to take on his salary by itself - which means Denard Span almost has to be involved in the deal. But despite a much better second half, Span almost removes value from the deal from the Marlins' perspective, so the Giants will have to part with young talent - probably 2B Joe Panik - in addition to prospects to make it work. Which means the Marlins will probably want to add Dee Gordon to the deal, whose salary is an active detriment to the Giants' side.

Of course, Stanton has a full no-trade clause...which means that he has the final say in where he goes. Which means that the Marlins may have to take a deal they don't particularly like if they are dead-set on dumping his salary.

All of that, and I don't even know if I want him on their team. I mean, obviously I want to see him trying to put a ball in that glove over the LF bleachers every day - but in terms of long-term viability for the team? I don't think he's the right answer.

[stevew]

Originally Posted by PilotMan

I'm just not sold on his skills with the bat on this side of the ocean. I could be wrong, but power especially has never translated well from Japan to the US.

If he can OPS .800 in 350 AB that makes him a top 70 or so hitter. Plus 160+ innings at least at league average. Not saying he will be a superstar but he should be hella valuable.

[PilotMan]

I think he'll be lucky to break .700 frankly.

[AENeuman]

Originally Posted by Vince, Pt. II

Tons of scuttlebutt about the Giants being the leading contenders for Giancarlo Stanton. I am horribly conflicted about this potential move. The Giants unexpectedly became categorically awful last year, mostly because everyone just decided to suck at the same time with a small side of injuries (Melancon, Will Smith, and Bumgarner being the obvious ones). What's frightening is that none of the people who played poorly were particularly surprising in a vacuum (except for maybe Johnny Cueto), so it's hard to think they will magically snap out of their funk next season.

Combine that with the team having an insane amount of money already committed through the next three years and a farm system bereft of any superlative talent and you somehow come up with a team that has a bleak outlook despite having both a legitimate MVP and Cy Young candidate (Posey and Bumgarner) in their primes, several young, very good ballplayers (Crawford, Belt, Panik), and at least a few very good veterans (Cueto, Melancon, Smith).

Based on last year's record and the financial situation (pushing into the luxury tax again), the team looks like a prime candidate to punt for a minor rebuild and reset the luxury tax by dipping low on payroll for a season or two.

Based on the age of their core (Belt, Posey, Crawford, Panik, Bumgarner, Cueto) they look like a team who really only needs a few pieces and some luck to be immediately back in the hunt.

Based upon the crazy talent that the top-end teams have right now in the NL (Washington, Los Angeles, Chicago, even Arizona), they should definitely not rush things.

Based upon their absurdly low HR total and catastrophically terrible OF (with nearly zero reason for hope moving forward), Giancarlo Stanton is a near-perfect fit. His contract...makes me quiver, and not in a good way.

The Giants can't really outbid anyone in terms of prospects, and financially they are probably extremely unlikely to take on his salary by itself - which means Denard Span almost has to be involved in the deal. But despite a much better second half, Span almost removes value from the deal from the Marlins' perspective, so the Giants will have to part with young talent - probably 2B Joe Panik - in addition to prospects to make it work. Which means the Marlins will probably want to add Dee Gordon to the deal, whose salary is an active detriment to the Giants' side.

Of course, Stanton has a full no-trade clause...which means that he has the final say in where he goes. Which means that the Marlins may have to take a deal they don't particularly like if they are dead-set on dumping his salary.

All of that, and I don't even know if I want him on their team. I mean, obviously I want to see him trying to put a ball in that glove over the LF bleachers every day - but in terms of long-term viability for the team? I don't think he's the right answer.

Well said. If if were Stanton I would agree to trade if they bring in the right center field gap.
I also think Giants are more Philly/Angles than Dodgers/Nats.

Above all Belt is a ridiculous drain that is just starting.

[SackAttack]

Originally Posted by Vince, Pt. II

The Giants unexpectedly became categorically awful last year

Gonna quibble.

They were categorically awful the second half of 2016, too.

Like, there's a NEST team on standby in the Bay Area because of the level of radioactivity coming from AT&T park since the '16 ASG.

[Vince, Pt. II]

Originally Posted by SackAttack

Gonna quibble.

They were categorically awful the second half of 2016, too.

Like, there's a NEST team on standby in the Bay Area because of the level of radioactivity coming from AT&T park since the '16 ASG.

Fair point. I still struggle to parse the switch being flipped, since they were literally the team with the best record in baseball (with half a season worth of data to back that up) when they started to suck.

[Vince, Pt. II]

Giants brass (Bobby Evans, Brian Sabean, and Bruce Bochy) in LA today to meet with Stanton's representatives. They're really pushing hard.

[miami_fan]

It's early but new owner same as the old owner.

[MrBug708]

I think the only thing better than the Dodgers getting Stanton is the Giants getting him

[Vince, Pt. II]

Originally Posted by MrBug708

I think the only thing better than the Dodgers getting Stanton is the Giants getting him

[CrescentMoonie]

Aaron Boone beats out Hensley Meulens to be the Yanks manager.

[stevew]

Ohtani turning down both the Sox and Yankees pushes me into eff that guy mode. Like good luck playing for the Mariners or Padres.

[Shkspr]

Originally Posted by stevew

Ohtani turning down both the Sox and Yankees pushes me into fuck that guy mode. Like good luck playing for the Mariners or Padres.

He'll step into Ichiro's shoes and be a Mariner, and that's fine. With nobody able to offer more than $3.5, this contract has to be about getting acclimated to the American game, and the West Coast is easier for that. There's time enough for him to become a shitheel and sign with NY or Boston later in his career.

[bhlloy]

Yeah, how dare he not want to play in a massive media market where the media and fans turn on a player in an instant and treat them like shit. Clearly, fuck him. What an idiotic statement.

[JPhillips]

I can't imagine the Reds have a chance, but they turned in a bid and they are not on this list.

According to multiple reports, the Minnesota Twins, Oakland Athletics, Milwaukee Brewers, Pittsburgh Pirates, Toronto Blue Jays, Arizona Diamondbacks, Chicago White Sox, New York Mets and Tampa Bay Rays are also out.

Good for Williams to make it past the opening cuts.

[stevew]

Rafael Palmeiro attempting a comeback at age 53, lol