MLB 2014 Thread

[Your Mom]

Indeed he was, but we got him is his prime

Re: Meac: I believe only one writer voted against Maddux joining the Hall. It wasn't Deadspin/Le Betard, but whatever.

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[The Buscher]

I am encouraged that Piazza actually increased his vote total while so many decreased. I'm not sure he'll get into the HOF next year with 3 "locks" (Johnson, Pedro, Smoltz) set to go in plus Biggio probably going over the hump. But 2016 might be his year. Griffey is the only "lock" that year. Wagner should be a lock for 2016 as well but voters seem to be rather stingy with closers.

[Lint]

The Phillies have fired long time TV commentators Chris Wheeler and Gary Matthews. Gary Matthews, AKA Sarge, was well known for making various "unintentional" sexual references while talking baseball during the games.

I hoped to find a clip without the crew from the Preston and Steve show talking over it, but I couldn't

[MalaCloudy Black]

Here's a bunch of ESPN guys & sportswriters reacting negatively to Dan Le Batard's decision to hand his HOF ballot over to Deadspin!

Bruce Hooley, ESPN Cleveland:

Instead of, "Dan LeBatard is Highly Questionable," a more appropriate name would be, "Dan LeBatard is Petulantly Arrogant."

By handing his Hall of Fame vote to the internet site, Deadspin, which polled its readers and then voted with LeBatard's ballot, LeBetard resorted to tactics beneath even the most spoiled child on the playground.

Rather than take his ball and go home, LeBatard brought a whole bunch of kids along to disrupt the game by playing with a completely different set of rules.

Hall of Fame voting is the exclusive privilege of 10-year-and-up members of the Baseball Writers Association of America.

Fans don't get to vote, and it's a different argument as to whether they should. Theoretically, reporters who cover the game on a daily basis are better-informed than fans who follow the sport from afar.

Whether that is correct or incorrect isn't the issue here.

Ed Sherman:

Also, Dan, if you are so disturbed about the process, why did you use Deadspin as a vehicle? Surely, you have plenty of your own platforms to get out your message.

All in all, it just seems to me by undermining the process, Dan, you sold out your fellow members of the sportswriting fraternity. Yes, the process is flawed, but your stunt also reflects poorly on people you've shared the press box with for years. There are better methods if you truly wanted reform.

Ken Rosenthal:

The website obtained one vote — one out of 571 — in an effort to make "a farce and mockery of the increasingly solemn election process." Further, it likened some BBWAA voters to "attention-seeking trolls."

Well, then, what exactly is Dan Le Batard, who turned over his ballot to Deadspin and got plenty of attention for explaining that his vote has "gotten pretty worthless in the avalanche of sanctimony that has swallowed it."

What exactly is Deadspin, for that matter?

If Le Batard no longer wanted to vote, he could have resigned from the BBWAA and spared us his sanctimony.

There's a bunch more in the link. I think I like Dan Le Batard more than all of these guys.

[Maxx]

What exactly is Deadspin? A site with better, more fearless journalist than the any in the BBWAA.

[gunnar hendershow]

I hated Gary Matthews when I was watching Phillies games when I lived up there. He really thought highly of himself, which is fine for a color commentator, but he wanted to make himself the focus of the broadcast it seemed.

Also I gained a ton of respect for Dan Le Batard. The HoF voting is a sham at this point. Journalists pretending to be the spokespersons for morality is absolutely disgusting. I hope the veterans' committee decides to let all the steroid guys in just as a middle finger to those self-righteous jerks.

[MalaCloudy Black]

Predictably, he's been stripped of his HOF vote.

[The Buscher]

The BBWAA are a bunch of babies. Funny part is Deadspin's ballot was probably the best one out of all of them.

[MalaCloudy Black]

BBWAA secretary Jack O'Connell, to Deadspin:

The rules of the Hall of Fame clearly state that the only voters are 10-year members of the BBWAA. Mr. LeBatard transferred his ballot to an entity that has not earned that status.

In that same email, O'Connell named the members of the BBWAA board, among them the group's vice president, Jesus Ortiz of the Houston Chronicle. Funny thing, that: Earlier today, a member of the Houston baseball press dropped us a line. Among other things, he told us this:

"As for the voter who seeks local input, that's BBWAA vice-president Jose de Jesus Ortiz of the Houston Chronicle. He gathers about 6-8 people over a lunch or dinner, they talk about the players, then he votes by how the majority tells him to vote re: each player. I was part of the panel one year."

http://deadspin.com/baseball-writers-to-baseball-fans-fuck-you-1498157564

[thatshortguy]

That is delicious. Props to Craggs and the rest of the current Deadspin team who are working on this.

[The Buscher]

A-Rod's suspension was reduced. But it's still 162 games. Out for the entire 2014 season.

[gunnar hendershow]

And nobody will miss him!

[Meacon Keaton]

Got that right.

[The Buscher]

So the Yankees save $25 million in payroll space this year following the A-Rod suspension. Not sure they'll spend all of it but I'd assume they can throw some extra Tanaka's way to give him a higher first year salary and try to land him. I have to assume they'll try to get a replacement 3B for a year. Michael Young would seem to be the most likely option at this point. Part of me wonders if they'd re-engage in talks with Stephen Drew after previously ruling him out, but then again he's never played 3B before and I'm not sure he'd want to learn a brand new position for a year when there are other teams that would keep him at SS.

Speaking of Drew, sounds like the Red Sox and Mets are the only teams really linked to him at this point, and neither wants to give him more than a 1 year deal. If Drew drops his demands and takes the 1 year, I can't imagine him not going back to Boston. Mets probably need to guarantee a 2nd year to land him. As a Mets fan, I'd probably do it. Drew isn't great or anything but he's a clear upgrade over Ruben Tejada and replacing Tejada's automatic-out bat would be big. I can't see them making a run at Hanley Ramirez next year or anything, so locking Drew in for 2015 wouldn't really bother me.

[9 to 5]

So, how many are down for the fantasy league this year? If I finished 3rd, you lot can win it with ease, no?

[Berober]

So, how many are down for the fantasy league this year? If I finished 3rd, you lot can win it with ease, no?

I'll be up for it. I tend to spread myself too thin with BB leagues each year and lose interest in all of them, so this will probably be the only league I do, unless I do one with my brother.

[EddieG]

Yeah, I'd be interested.

[Maxx]

My usual one is dead, so I'd probably play.

[Your Mom]

I'd play again

[Lowerdeck]

I'm game for a EWB league