MLB 2019

[Meacon Keaton]

List of people I love:

1. My kids 

2. My wife

3. DJ LeMahieu

[The Buscher]

Phillies get a 4-game sweep of the Mets with the Mets' bullpen collapsing in every game, capped by Diaz blowing another save and allowing 5 runs, his ERA now up to 4.94.  Add this to how little Cano has done relative to the money he's owed and look at the numbers Bruce has put up along with Kelenic tearing up the minors and this legitimately is already one of the worst trades in history.  I know I keep harping on it, but holy shit.

Toss in Familia with his near-8 ERA and two stints on the IL and Lowrie having not yet appeared in a game and I think there's a very real case for BVW to be fired just three months into his four-year GM contract.

[Meacon Keaton]

Almost like a guy that's never worked in a baseball front office wasn't the best choice to, ya know, run one. 😛 

[The Buscher]

I’ll admit I still wanted BVW instead of a retread like Doug Melvin, but the clear choice to me was Chaim Bloom.  I’m sure he’ll be getting some more interviews this winter and he’s going to make a team very, very happy.

[Meacon Keaton]

Judge is going to eat Raheem Sterling as an appetizer.

[Meacon Keaton]

English crowd is really into it at the start. 

[Lowerdeck]

Anyone here going to the London games?

[The Buscher]

The All Star Game starters were announced this week.  So I figured I'd maintain my annual tradition of guessing the rest of the teams.  As always, it could go any number of ways depending on the player vote and the roster restrictions surrounding every team being represented.

NL

Announced Staters

C Willson Contreras, Chicago Cubs
1B:  Freddie Freeman, Atlanta Braves
2B:  Ketel Marte, Arizona Diamondbacks
SS:  Javier Baez, Chicago Cubs
3B:  Noland Arenado, Colorado Rockies
OF:  Ronald Acuna Jr., Atlanta Braves
OF:  Cody Bellinger, Los Angeles Dodgers
OF:  Christian Yelich, Milwaukee Brewers

Player Ballot

C Yasmani Grandal, Milwaukee Brewers
1B: Josh Bell, Pittsburgh Pirates
2B: Mike Moustakas, Milwaukee Brewers
SS: Trevor Story, Colorado Rockies
3B: Anthony Rendon, Washington Nationals
OF: Charlie Blackmon, Colorado Rockies
OF: Marcell Ozuna, St. Louis Cardinals
OF: Juan Soto, Washington Nationals
SP: Luis Castillo, Cincinnati Reds
SP: Jacob deGrom, New York Mets
SP: Hyun-Jin Ryu, Los Angeles Dodgers
SP: Mike Soroka, Atlanta Braves
SP: Max Scherzer, Washington Nationals
RP: Josh Hader, Milwaukee Brewers
RP: Felipe Vazquez, Pittsburgh Pirates
RP: Kirby Yates, San Diego Padres

Managerial Selections

RP: Amir Garrett, Cincinnati Reds
SP: Zack Greinke, Arizona Diamondbacks
SP: Cole Hamels, Chicago Cubs
RP: Will Smith, San Francisco Giants
1B: Pete Alonso, New York Mets
2B: Cesar Hernandez, Philadelphia Phillies
3B/OF: Brian Anderson, Miami Marlins

Final Vote Candidates

3B: Kris Bryant, Chicago Cubs
OF: David Dahl, Colorado Rockies
SS: Manny Machado, San Diego Padres
UTIL: Jeff McNeil, New York Mets
IF: Max Muncy, Los Angeles Dodgers


AL

Announced Starters

C Gary Sanchez, New York Yankees
1B:  Carlos Santana, Cleveland Indians
2B:  D.J. LeMahieu, New York Yankees
SS:  Jorge Polanco, Minnesota Twins
3B:  Alex Bregman, Houston Astros
OF:  Michael Brantley, Houston Astros
OF:  George Springer, Houston Astros
OF:  Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
DH:  Hunter Pence, Texas Rangers

Player Ballot

C James McCann, Chicago White Sox
1B: Luke Voit, New York Yankees
2B: Tommy La Stella, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
SS: Xander Bogaerts, Boston Red Sox
3B: Rafael Devers, Boston Red Sox
OF: Joey Gallo, Texas Rangers
OF: Eddie Rosario, Minnesota Twins
OF: Domingo Santana, Seattle Mariners
DH: J.D. Martinez, Boston Red Sox
SP: Lucas Giolito, Chicago White Sox
SP: Mike Minor, Texas Rangers
SP: Charlie Morton, Tampa Bay Rays
SP: Jake Odorizzi, Minnesota Twins
SP: Justin Verlander, Houston Astros
RP: Aroldis Chapman, New York Yankees
RP: Shane Greene, Detroit Tigers
RP: Brad Hand, Cleveland Indians

Managerial Selections

SP: Jose Berrios, Minnesota Twins
RP: Ken Giles, Toronto Blue Jays
SP: John Means, Baltimore Orioles
RP: Ian Kennedy, Kansas City Royals
3B: Matt Chapman, Oakland Athletics

Final Vote Candidates

SS: Francisco Lindor, Cleveland Indians
2B: Brandon Lowe, Tampa Bay Rays
OF: Trey Mancini, Baltimore Orioles
2B/OF: Whit Merrifield, Kansas City Royals
SS: Gleyber Torres, New York Yankees

[Meacon Keaton]

First game in London and at this rate it’s gonna be a nine hour ordeal.  

[Gabriel]

Giles is a good choice for Jays representative, but I honestly wouldn't be shocked if they gave it to Lourdes Gurriel Jr. He had a rough start to the season, but he's hit 15 or so dingers and is batting over .300 since being recalled. He has the most home runs out of any player in that span of games. Moving him to the outfield was the best thing to happen to that kid. His bat was ice cold at the start of the year, but he was having a lot of issues playing the infield and I think it sapped his confidence.

I'd go with Gurriel myself, if only so that the Jays rep at the game is still a Jay after the trade deadline. Giles is going to be traded for sure.

[The Buscher]

The problem is with the way the selection process works, the AL manager only has five roster spots to fill and four of them have to be pitchers to meet the 12 pitcher requirement.  So if you’ve got three or four teams that don’t have a rep, you invariably have to select whoever their best pitcher is.  Same reason Ian Kennedy is in over Whit Merrifield.

[9 to 5]

1 hour ago, Lowerdeck said:

Anyone here going to the London games?

Given who is playing, fuck no.

[Meacon Keaton]

You’re missing a hell of a game for being a lil Met sissy baby!

[9 to 5]

It's a bloody high scoring game but of any two teams to play here...yeah, no.

[Your Mom]

I wanted to say if my country didn't have MLB and it came I would see it no matter who the teams were and then I imagined a hypothetical Brewers?Cards game and I just got angry  

[The Buscher]

This London game is a microcosm if everything that is wrong with baseball on 2019.

[Your Mom]

17-7?!? The hell happened here?

[Meacon Keaton]

Just now, The Chiksrara Special said:

17-7?!? The hell happened here?

Yankees good Red Sox baaaaad

[Your Mom]

Yikes John Smoltz just tried to do an English accent 

[Your Mom]

English folk will take any excuse to sing at a sporting event and I freaking love it!