MLB 2024

[The Buscher]

Steve Cohen deliberately cooled off on his emotional in-game tweeting after getting all kinds of flack for it in 2021 but he let one slip tonight.  He replied to a tweet from a fan asking to blow it up with "all in the future, not much we can do until the trade deadline" and he deleted it within 15 minutes, probably after Stearns or someone else from the office called him in a panic asking him to take it down because this could lead to media blowback, fan disenchantment, bad player morale etc.

But of course it was screen grabbed and the media are running with it and has at least some fans in an uproar.  Already saw a Mets aggregator account moaning about how this is the first time they're ticked at Cohen because it's May 15th, they're 1 GB of the Wild Card and he's already thinking about selling.

Personally this doesn't bother me at all.  All it does is confirm that he's a fan watching the same team the rest of us are.  I don't really care if the losers on this roster are mad at him and frankly maybe this is a last hope to light a fire under them.  From what they've been showing there's almost nobody on this roster worth keeping.

[Gabriel]

The thing I like about Cohen is that he actually does show some fire, and even though it hasn't clicked under him yet, he's engaged and clearly gives a fuck.

Pan over to Ross Atkins and the Blue Jays brass, who just kind of sit their with their thumbs up their asses and keep spouting off the same bullshit about staying with the plan and analytics suggesting they should be better.

I'd almost rather be a Mets fan.

[gunnar hendershow]

Having a "real fan" is great as I've learned in the last 2 months with Rubenstein. But you still need to be aware that you're the face of the entire organization and what you say means a whole lot.

[The Buscher]

Very quickly remembering why I gave up fantasy baseball. First time back in 7 years and forgot that if I get caught up in things in the morning I can and will have guys on the bench I didn't want to be, usually starting pitchers because I have to cycle guys to the bench on their off-days.

Had a meeting early this morning, at the time I'd normally make lineup changes - completely slipped my mind otherwise. And so Paul Skenes is sitting on my bench twirling a gem. Ugh. Daily fantasy just doesn't work for me.

[The Buscher]

The Mets had the best closer in baseball.  Gave him a 5-year, $102 million contract.  Immediately missed the next season due to a fluke WBC celebration injury.  And now he’s back to 2019 Edwin Diaz who was one of the worst closers in baseball.  No control, hanging sliders, 5.50 ERA and blowing a 4-run lead to the Marlins.

Hopefully the lesson is learned now to never, ever pay relievers a big contract.

This is so bleak.  There are zero positive takeaways for this group and if they don’t blow it up I might finally drop my fandom for good.

[gunnar hendershow]

Sat through a 3 hr rain delay prior to first pitch because the game was being broadcast nationally and networks hate rain delays in the middle of games, watched the Orioles bullpen blow it, but got a free voucher to go to another game. The new ownership group really seems to get it.

[Michelle Branch]

3 hours ago, The Buscher said:

The Mets had the best closer in baseball.  Gave him a 5-year, $102 million contract.  Immediately missed the next season due to a fluke WBC celebration injury.  And now he’s back to 2019 Edwin Diaz who was one of the worst closers in baseball.  No control, hanging sliders, 5.50 ERA and blowing a 4-run lead to the Marlins.

Hopefully the lesson is learned now to never, ever pay relievers a big contract.

This is so bleak.  There are zero positive takeaways for this group and if they don’t blow it up I might finally drop my fandom for good.

Better than the gas can that is David Bednar.

[GhostMachine]

On 17/05/2024 at 15:21, The Buscher said:

Very quickly remembering why I gave up fantasy baseball. First time back in 7 years and forgot that if I get caught up in things in the morning I can and will have guys on the bench I didn't want to be, usually starting pitchers because I have to cycle guys to the bench on their off-days.

Had a meeting early this morning, at the time I'd normally make lineup changes - completely slipped my mind otherwise. And so Paul Skenes is sitting on my bench twirling a gem. Ugh. Daily fantasy just doesn't work for me.

I quit playing fantasy baseball for several years because I had one season blown up by too many injuries. Including three third basemen in a row. The first one went down with a season ending injury just under a month into the season. The one I signed to replace him got hurt after a week, and the one I signed after that lasted slightly less than two weeks. 

The group I regularly did fantasy baseball AND football with stopped doing either a couple of years ago, and only does weekly football picks for fun/bragging rights on a message board.

 

[Maxx]

Okay.

[Mx. Canadian Destroyer]

The Pirates will be in Toronto next weekend but if nothing changes, it doesn't look like Skenes will pitch unfortunately. 

[gunnar hendershow]

Ronald Acuna tore his ACL, other knee I believe than what he tore in 2021.

Brutal to lose him for basically 2 full seasons now in his prime.

[Michelle Branch]

God bless us everyone.

[Your Mom]

 

[The Buscher]

You know you’re bad when you retire in-season despite working for possibly the strongest union in sports.  Umps are normally pretty iron clad.

Supposedly an enhanced severance package settlement was negotiated with the league, so the league clearly wanted him gone.  Would be hilarious if he was intentionally flubbing calls that were bad even for him because he was trying to get a bigger payday.

[gunnar hendershow]

1 hour ago, The Buscher said:

You know you’re bad when you retire in-season despite working for possibly the strongest union in sports.  Umps are normally pretty iron clad.

Supposedly an enhanced severance package settlement was negotiated with the league, so the league clearly wanted him gone.  Would be hilarious if he was intentionally flubbing calls that were bad even for him because he was trying to get a bigger payday.

You know the funniest/saddest part of Angel Hernandez is that after the umpire scorecards became commonplace we all learned he wasn't the worst or one of the worst umpires in terms of ball/strike accuracy.

CB Bucknor, Laz Diaz, and others continue to ride.

[The Buscher]

Speaking of umpiring, on this day 8 years ago (!) Terry Collins went on his epic tirade that got picked up by the hot mics.

The Mets were facing Chase Utley in Citi Field for the first time since he broke Ruben Tejada's leg with a dirty slide in the 2015 playoffs.  Noah Syndergaard threw a ball 25 miles behind Utley's back, clearly no intention on hitting him but obviously sending a message.  An understood baseball move and probably 99 times out of 100 that would've been the end of it.  But unfortunately it was a call-up ump from Triple A making his debut behind the plate and he then promptly tossed Syndergaard out despite zero pre-game warnings being issued.

Hence, Collins went on a rant as crew chief Tom Hallion intercepted him.  Terry was really just yelling what every Mets fan was saying.  "WHY DON'T WE GET A SHOT TOMMY?  MLB DID NOTHING TO THAT GUY!  NOTHING!  IT'S BULLSHIT AND YOU KNOW IT!" and Hallion seemingly agreeing with him but saying the ejection had to be made because "our asses are in the jackpot".

[GhostMachine]

Now, if only CB Bucknor would go away....

But, seriously, good riddance, Angel Hernandez. And fuck you. After his bullshit racial discrimination suit, they should have waited a year or two (so it didn't look like retaliation) and fired his ass. 

Hopefully once he's gone we never hear his name again.

Edited Tuesday at 15:12 by GhostMachine

[Mx. Canadian Destroyer]

1 hour ago, GhostMachine said:

Now, if only CB Bucknor would go away....

But, seriously, good riddance, Angel Hernandez. And fuck you. After his bullshit racial discrimination suit, they should have waited a year or two (so it didn't look like retaliation) and fired his ass. 

Hopefully once he's gone we never hear his name again.

I, personally, don't think major corporations should be able to retaliate against an employee who feels like they may have been mistreated due to their race. 

[Michelle Branch]

Fire, no. Not renew his contract, absolutely. 

[gunnar hendershow]

He's getting a golden parachute from the sounds of things.