MLB 2020/2021 Off-Season Thread

[Lowerdeck]

1 hour ago, damsher hatfield said:

Aren't they the WooSox now or is that next year?

This was supposed to be the last year in Pawtucket. 

 

McCoy is now an outdoor dining venue.

[The Buscher]

Entire Cardinals/Tigers series this week has been postponed, and next week's Cardinals/White Sox Field of Dreams game in Iowa cancelled.

[gunnar hendershow]

The injuries are getting out of control too. Guys just aren't in shape and I'd bet the teams that come back from these Covid-induced layoffs are going to see a rash of pulled muscles and such right from the get-go.

[The Buscher]

Yeah Mike Soroka tore his Achilles last night and it was really bad.  Just planted to throw a pitch and went down.  Mets had McNeil taken out of the lineup during BP and Cano and Rosario exiting to injuries in-game, none of them sounded serious, just the kind of stuff that could pop up with muscle soreness, and the Mets have played every day this season.

I think some of the teams with prolonged layoffs are trying to lobby to the league to at least allow their healthy players that test negative multiple times after the outbreak to continue working out at the team facilities.  Problem is with both the Marlins and Cardinals outbreaks, some guys don't test positive until three, four, five tests in.  It's too risky to allow anyone from the team out.

[gunnar hendershow]

I saw Boras basically suggested converting the hotels these guys are quarantined in into fitness centers of sorts. Not the worst idea. Certainly not as good an idea as CANCELING THE FUCKING SEASON but better than anything Manfred has thrown out there.

[The Buscher]

It's been said that one of the most important elements to a great pitcher is having a consistent release point so as to not tip off the batter as to what pitch is being thrown.

Well damn.

 

[gunnar hendershow]

I need an overlay of how that compares to an average pitcher.

[The Buscher]

Most leaguewide charts would show you the average release point of each pitcher but doesn't differentiate between their pitches.  So here's a relatively average pitcher in Kenta Maeda.  You can glean that he clearly releases his curveball from a higher point than his slider, etc.

Whereas here is Jake Arrieta and Chris Sale who are obviously better pitchers and have less variance in their zones, everything is being released from a relatively consistent point.  This is around what you'd expect from some of the best pitchers in the league.  I just find this stuff interesting, and it's why deGrom's chart showing he's literally throwing every pitch at the same exact spot is impressive.

 

[The Buscher]

Rosters were set to be trimmed from 30 to 28 today and then from 28 to 26 in two weeks.  Speculation was that they'd cancel these given that players can become unavailable at a moment's notice.

The league and union ended up meeting in the middle.  Rosters drop down to 28 today and then stay that way for the remainder of the season.  A 29th player can be added on double header days, and the taxi squad allowed to join the team to provide quick reinforcement on road trips has expanded from three to five.

[Meacon Keaton]

I always thought the idea of going down to the 26-man was dumb considering the circumstances. I'm glad some friggin' logic was applied to something. 

[gunnar hendershow]

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/29611479/a-bench-coach-sorry-unintentionally-making-apparent-nazi-salute

No I don't think he was intentionally doing it, the first time. He just thought he was being cute with a "social distancing celebration" by having his arm extended as far away as he could. Then his player was like "woah man" and then he quickly raised it again because he's just an idiot who was trying to be funny and laugh it off.

[The Buscher]

Pirates/Cardinals series postponed.  With that, the Cardinals will now had 15 games postponed, a quarter of their season.

It's notable that they haven't gotten to the point of forcing the Cardinals to replace over half their roster and then continue playing like they did with the Marlins.  It feels like a double standard because the Cardinals, unlike the Marlins, actually had playoff aspirations and it would behoove them to play 7-inning double headers with a full roster instead of having to field a team of minor league replacements.

[gunnar hendershow]

The Nationals grounds crew fucked up getting tarp on the field today in the top of the 6th so the response has been they're going to finish the game on Friday, in Baltimore, with the Nats as the home team.

I don't get it. The game is already official, it's the top of the 6th!

[ThrillhouseMAX]

https://www.thebiglead.com/posts/astros-alex-cintron-as-laureano-brawl-01efany9gea5

 

Astros beaned Laser Ramon a bunch of times this weekend, and there was a brawl today. Alex Cintron, the instigator of said brawl, of course ducked for cover behind his players. 

[The Buscher]

I mean they said before the season that they were going to try to suspend as many games as possible if there are opportunities to make it up before another game.....yet the very first game of the season was a five inning rain shortened game even though there was a whole weekend to make it up so I really don’t get it.

[Meacon Keaton]

Astros are little punk fucks. All of em. Players and coaches. I hope they all get punched in the face before it’s all said and done. Fucking cheaters and they pull that shit. Fuck them.

[The Buscher]

Look at 2:22.  Astros hitting coach Alex Cintron telling Ramon Laureano to come on over to say it to his face and as soon as Laureano charges, Cintron ducks behind his players like a coward.

[GhostMachine]

Every time an Adtros player gets hit by a pitch, the pitcher should receive a $500 bonus. $1000 if it puts the Astro on their ass.

 

[Meacon Keaton]

Hush. Your team cheated too.

[gunnar hendershow]

3 minutes ago, Mr. Meacon Moneybags said:

Hush. Your team cheated too.

Meacon finally admits to GM and his beloved Yankees cheating!