2021 MLB Season / 21-22 Offseason Thread

[ThrillhouseMAX]

Yeah that's not scary or anything. Fucking America, man.

[The Buscher]

The first half ends in a bad way for New York.  Mets took a 5-0 first inning lead against a terrible Pirates team that was probably ready to pack it in and get on with the break, but the bats decided to take the rest of the day off even though it was a bullpen game, lost 6-5.  Not to be outdone, the Yankees gave up 6 runs in the 9th to lose it with Altuve hitting a walkoff.

On Opening Day I think any Mets fan would've signed up for 7 games over .500, 4 games in 1st in place at the break.  And that's without knowing about the absurd number of injuries they'd have to fight through to even get to this point.  So I can't really complain but man, sucks having to go into the break right after their worst loss of the season.  If they're gonna be forced to do a bullpen game every fifth day, they may as well cancel Carlos Carrasco's rehab stint and let him be an opener as he gradually ramps up.  I'd certainly rather see him for a few innings than watch Jerad Eickoff serve up meatballs.

[The Buscher]

Months of debate on who the Pirates would pick between the Vandy arms Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker.  The answer is none of the above as they take one of the few top-end college bats in the draft, catcher Henry Davis out of Louisville.

[The Buscher]

Rocker fell to the Mets at #10! 

[GhostMachine]

So....has he officially retired yet? 

[gunnar hendershow]

40 minutes ago, Buschie Kay said:

Rocker fell to the Mets at #10! 

Ton of late red flags with scouts but if you can get him at #10 and, after the presumptive surgery, he returns to the guy once believed to go in the top 3 it's a great pick.

[The Buscher]

1 hour ago, damshow said:

Ton of late red flags with scouts but if you can get him at #10 and, after the presumptive surgery, he returns to the guy once believed to go in the top 3 it's a great pick.

Yeah, the velocity fluctuation in his last few starts made everyone assume there’s an issue with him medically.  If there is, hopefully they find it and clean it up sooner than later.

Unfortunately I’m not really phased by pitchers getting TJS anymore.  At this point it’s almost an inevitable rite of passage.  If teams were allowed to treat it like chickenpox and have pitchers get TJS even when they hadn’t torn their UCL yet I bet they would.

The only thing you can hope for is it happens before you added them to your 40 man roster so you don’t lose a year and a half of service time.

[Your Mom]

Anyone else going to watch the HR derby tonight? I had kinda soured on it but after a year off I think I'm into it again 

[gunnar hendershow]

For Ohtani and Mancini yes I'll be watching.

Also the Orioles and Pirates both have All-Star Game starters now that Cedric Mullins is replacing Mike Trout in the starting lineup. Wild stuff! 

[The Buscher]

I've liked the Derby again ever since they moved to a timed format a few years ago.  Makes it more exciting while also ensuring it doesn't go on a million years.

Gotta watch Alonso and root for the repeat, but like everyone else I also want to see Ohtani.  The humidor was turned off so balls could be sailing out of there in record numbers.

[Szumi]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/sports.yahoo.com/amphtml/mlb-angels-esp-ns-stephen-a-smith-getting-roasted-for-xenophobic-rant-about-shohei-ohtani-204655616.html

So Stephen A Smith was pretty much straight racist and xenophobic about Ohtani. On Twitter he then pretty much refused to apologize and then doubled down while essentially implying because he's black, he's not being offensive to other groups/being racist.

He is one guy I would genuinely be thrilled to see fired.

[Your Mom]

25 minutes ago, Szumi - A Polack said:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/sports.yahoo.com/amphtml/mlb-angels-esp-ns-stephen-a-smith-getting-roasted-for-xenophobic-rant-about-shohei-ohtani-204655616.html

So Stephen A Smith was pretty much straight racist and xenophobic about Ohtani. On Twitter he then pretty much refused to apologize and then doubled down while essentially implying because he's black, he's not being offensive to other groups/being racist.

He is one guy I would genuinely be thrilled to see fired.

And an update. Take it for what you will

 

 

[The Buscher]

This is gonna be a fun one.  Mancini advances 24-23 over Olson in the first round.  Olson probably advances if his pitcher wasn’t working slow as molasses.

[gunnar hendershow]

Yeah I thought Olson was going to catch him but his pitcher just didn't throw that final pitch.

[The Buscher]

Seeing Joey Gallo in this is a sad reminder that Adam Dunn was never in the Home Run Derby.

[Your Mom]

I think they are building up Ohtani too much. I mean I get it but dude can't possibly hit thirty Hrs all over 500 feet right?

[gunnar hendershow]

Tough HR derby for left handed batters too. Gotta get those balls up whereas the right-handed hitters can just hit line drive homers.

[Your Mom]

Yeah Ohtani aint beating that  

[gunnar hendershow]

I had Salvador Perez in my pool with friends...

[The Buscher]

Perez had a great round but Alonso just set an impossible pace.  That dude makes solid contact in this thing and it’s sailing out of the yard.