MLB 2014 Thread

[HC]

Let's replace this Hernandez fella with Meacon. He has the umpiring experience!

[gunnar hendershow]

Meacon would be biased against Orioles players though.

[The Buscher]

Tony Gwynn has passed away. RIP

Only 54...man, fuck cancer.

[Meacon Keaton]

That really does suck, but I grew up knowing Tony Gwynn for his insane amounts of chewing tobacco as much as I did for knowing him as a hitting machine. Still a shame. He always seemed like a really down-to-earth guy.

[thatshortguy]

Agreed. Easily the best Padre I ever saw play in my lifetime, could easily make the argument he was the best hitter in team history alongside Dave Winfield.

[livid]

There's a really great (but kinda sad too) article about Gwynn here: http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/11093930/mlb-tony-gwynn-used-fear-motivation

[Cole]

Was truly sad to read that yesterday morning when I woke up. He was one of the greatest major league players of all time in my books.

He indeed was always caught with a dip in his mouth, something he came out about after his career and one of his first of two surgeries and made it known to people the true hazards of the shit. In years since MLB has made a concerted effort to try not to show players with dips in their mouths, and if I recall tried to somehow ban it from when you're on the field or something. I don't really remember so don't quote me on that.

RIP TG

[DYSI]

So when is the MLB giving Tanaka the Cy Young? Forget waiting until the end of the year, just give it to the man!

[Meacon Keaton]

If you just jinxed him, I'm gonna karate your face.

[HC]

That would make him the first Asian player to win that particular piece of hardware, no? Darvish finished second last year I think.

[DYSI]

If you just jinxed him, I'm gonna karate your face.

If he doesn't win it I'll karate my own face.. somehow.

That would make him the first Asian player to win that particular piece of hardware, no? Darvish finished second last year I think.

I believe so.

Edited June 18, 2014 by Lenny DYSItra

[gunnar hendershow]

Yes Darvish was runner-up last year and back in the 90s Nomo finished in the top 5.

[Maxx]

Kershaw gets a no-hitter, with only a throwing error standing in the way of perfection.

[gunnar hendershow]

About time he got a no-no. Guy is basically unhittable every night.

[Meacon Keaton]

http://deadspin.com/matt-joyce-hits-ball-back-into-pitching-machine-machin-1593621608

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JyXi5EuLRTg

Christ sake, non-donator status can suck a dick.

Edited June 20, 2014 by Don Meaconly

[The Buscher]

Well after the most recent voting update from MLB out and the rosters being announced in a couple of weeks I decided to put in my ASG ballot. I took the current vote totals into consideration, especially with the outfield races where a few starters are all but locked in so I was trying to vote for 3rd OF candidates.

NL

C: Jonathan Lucroy, MIL

1B: Paul Goldschmidt, ARI

2B: Daniel Murphy, NYM

SS: Troy Tulowitzki, COL

3B: David Wright, NYM

OF: Andrew McCutchen, PIT

OF: Giancarlo Stanton, MIA

OF: Charlie Blackmon, COL

Lucroy is really good, plus I can't stand Yadier Molina, who will almost certainly start. Goldschmidt needs the help in a tight race with Adrian Gonzalez. Utley is winning 2B going away, so I feel no shame voting for Murph who I think is the Mets' most deserving ASG candidate. Even as a Mets fan I can say Wright shouldn't be starting, but it seems to be between him and Sandoval in the votes so I want to support my guy. Todd Frazier is the most deserving 3B candidate but sadly he's too far out of the race to have a shot. Tulo needs no help but there is literally nobody else I'd consider at SS. Puig is all but assured of a spot so I didn't vote for him. I'm hoping Cutch and Stanton hold their ground as 2nd and 3rd OFs, and I just wanted to give some love to Charlie Blackmon.

AL

C: Derek Norris, OAK

1B: Miguel Cabrera, DET

2B: Robinson Cano, SEA

SS: Alexei Ramirez, CHW

3B: Josh Donaldson, OAK

OF: Adam Jones, BAL

OF: Yoenis Cespedes, OAK

OF: Michael Brantley, CLE

DH: Victor Martinez, DET

Wieters has about a 500k vote lead on McCann and Norris. Hopefully everybody outside of Baltimore realizes that he's out for the year and stops voting for him. Of the next two closest guys, Norris has been far better. Cabrera and Donaldson are winning in landslides but I voted for them anyway since I really like them and, in the case of Donaldson, there is nobody else. Cano's power numbers are down but he's still having a really good year. I bypassed Trout and Bautista because they're so far ahead there is no chance they lose, instead I focused on trying to get roider Melky out of the 3rd OF spot by voting for Jones and Cespedes who are close in voting, plus Brantley who needs more praise. V-Mart got my vote since he's a pure DH and has been incredible. Living in a NY market I've had to hear about the Jeter Retirement Tour all season and Alexei is having a far better year so SS was an easy call. Let Jeter get voted in by the players and give him his "thank you" sendoff moment late in the game or something. Alexei is actually in a closer race than I thought so it's not out of the question that Chicago stuffs the ballot box but I kinda doubt it.

The last few years I tried doing a full guess of the rosters so will probably do so again once it gets closer.

[HC]

Well after the most recent voting update from MLB out and the rosters being announced in a couple of weeks I decided to put in my ASG ballot. I took the current vote totals into consideration, especially with the outfield races where a few starters are all but locked in so I was trying to vote for 3rd OF candidates.

NL

C: Jonathan Lucroy, MIL

1B: Paul Goldschmidt, ARI

2B: Daniel Murphy, NYM

SS: Troy Tulowitzki, COL

3B: David Wright, NYM

OF: Andrew McCutchen, PIT

OF: Giancarlo Stanton, MIA

OF: Charlie Blackmon, COL

Lucroy is really good, plus I can't stand Yadier Molina, who will almost certainly start. Goldschmidt needs the help in a tight race with Adrian Gonzalez. Utley is winning 2B going away, so I feel no shame voting for Murph who I think is the Mets' most deserving ASG candidate. Even as a Mets fan I can say Wright shouldn't be starting, but it seems to be between him and Sandoval in the votes so I want to support my guy. Todd Frazier is the most deserving 3B candidate but sadly he's too far out of the race to have a shot. Tulo needs no help but there is literally nobody else I'd consider at SS. Puig is all but assured of a spot so I didn't vote for him. I'm hoping Cutch and Stanton hold their ground as 2nd and 3rd OFs, and I just wanted to give some love to Charlie Blackmon.

You're dead to me.

[livid]

Molina is the type of player that gets that reaction though. Definitely a "would love him if he was on my team but since he isn't I hate him" type of player.

[The Buscher]

Pretty much, especially as a Mets fan. Molina hit the game winning home run in Game 7 of the 2006 NLCS. What made it all the more depressing is that, at the time, Yadi was the last person anybody would have expected to do that. He was an all glove, no bat player at that point. Even more bitter that the Tigers looked like utter shit in the World Series that followed. With all the crap the Mets have been through since that game ('07 and '08 collapses and completely irrelevant from 2009 and on) the loss just stings more and more over time. Has to be the worst loss in franchise history and Yadier Molina and Aaron Heilman are to thank. Jerks.

[Maxx]

I know the protective caps for pitchers are being pushed for safety reasons but...

Bwahahaha