2022 MLB Season Thread

[JGibson]

This is the thread for the happenings of the 2022 MLB season, from the Cooperstown Ballot on to the World Series. The Atlanta Braves are your World Series Champions. David Ortiz was the only one to get inducted into the Cooperstown via the BBWAA ballot.


The 2021 season went back to the normal 162-game season, and teams played at reduced capacity to start the season and gradually increased it to full capacity over the course of the season. The Toronto Blue Jays were permitted to play at their home park in Toronto after a season and a half of playing their home games in the USA due to the US/Canada Border closed to nonessential travel.


This past season saw the return of the All-Star Game and its associated events. The initial location was going to be held at Atlanta's park, but due to the furor of Georgia's voter-suppression bill SB202, the game and the associated festivities got moved to Denver.


The 2021 season is likely to be the final season of pitchers hitting in NL games as a default rule.

 
The MLB enters 2022 under a lockout. How long will it last before it gets resolved is the question?
 


Key questions:
- Will there be a 162-game schedule like normal? Or will it be shortened or even played at all?
- Will there be a Spring Training?
- Will the lockout be resolved in time for Spring Training or even the start of the regular season?
- If a CBA can be reached, will we see playoff expansion and/or universal DH?



2021: https://talkelections.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=426737.0

[JGibson]

It's looking more and more like Spring Training will be at least delayed and possibly abridged.

[JGibson]

MLB to quit testing for steroids after 20 years.


ESPN.com:

NEW YORK -- Major League Baseball has stopped testing players for steroids for the first time in nearly 20 years due to the expiration of the sport's drug agreement, two people familiar with the sport's Joint Drug Program told The Associated Press.

[JGibson]

Dodgers RHP Trevor Bauer escapes criminal charges for sexual assault accusations filed last July. Bauer, however, is not out of the woods, as he is still facing a separate MLB investigation.


Juan Toribio at MLB.com:

LOS ANGELES – Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer will not face any criminal charges on sexual assault accusations filed against him in July, the Los Angeles County District Attorney announced on Tuesday.

The right-hander is still being separately investigated by Major League Baseball. Under the joint domestic violence policy agreed upon by MLB and the MLB Players Association, the Commissioner's Office has the ability to suspend a player even if he has not been charged or convicted.

“MLB’s investigation is ongoing, and we will comment further at the appropriate time,” MLB said in a statement.

[JGibson]

The universal DH era of MLB is here to stay, meaning that there will be no more pitchers batting in games at NL parks.

amNY:

Upon areas of progress being made, Manfred did reveal that the universal designated hitter will be instituted on a full-time basis in 2022. It finally allows the National League to adopt the DH and eliminate pitchers from hitting — opening the door for a surge in offensive production to make the product more appealing for a fan base that wants to see more runs scored.

Manfred also revealed that the league has “moved toward the players” in talks regarding a draft lottery to keep competitive integrity intact along with an increase in the minimum payments to younger players.

Of course, the universal DH is only good if there is baseball to be played. With just a few days until pitchers and catchers report for spring training on Feb. 14, Manfred still wasn’t ready to officially delay it.

[JGibson]

The arrogance of the owners will be the root cause for the delayed start to the season, as February 28th is the deadline for a CBA agreement to get the regular season started on time, and that's pushing it.

https://twitter.com/BRWalkoff/status/1494488694526410754

[JGibson]

Spring training is being delayed until at least March 5th due to the ongoing MLB lockout.


Yahoo! Sports:

MLB has begun postponing games amid a lockout that has gone on for more than two months. It remains to be seen if the league will cancel games that count.

The league announced Friday that the beginning of its spring training schedule has been postponed until March 5, at the earliest. All tickets will reportedly be fully refunded to fans as collective bargaining agreement negotiations continue with the MLB Players Association.

[JGibson]

If there is no CBA agreement by Monday, expect the start of the MLB regular season to be delayed and the season to be shortened from 162 (if we even have one).

And unlike the aftermath of the 1994-95 strike, baseball's cultural position in the USA is in a much weakened state.


ESPN.com:

JUPITER, Fla. -- Major League Baseball said Wednesday that the 2022 season will be shortened if no labor agreement has been reached by the end of Monday.

Management had maintained that was the deadline for a deal that would allow the season to start as scheduled on March 31. Players have not said whether they accept that timeframe, and there remains a sense both sides are awaiting more time pressure to force more major moves by the other.

[JGibson]

Yadi Molina will be back on Monday, to catch his longtime batterymate Adam Wainwright in Spring Training. 

[JGibson]

Welcome back to STL, Albert Pujols.  He is likely to be a part-time DH option for the Cardinals.

MLB.com:

Albert Pujols is headed back to where it all began. The Hall of Fame-bound slugger has agreed to a 1-year, $2.5 million deal to return to the Cardinals, a source told MLB.com's Mark Feinsand late Sunday night. The club has not confirmed the move.

Pujols will always be remembered primarily for his tremendous run with the Cardinals from 2001-11, a span in which he won three National League MVP Awards and was already considered a lock for the Hall of Fame.

Following a decade spent with the Angels and half a season with the Dodgers in 2021, the 42-year-old Pujols had said that he wanted to continue playing as he nears the 700-home run milestone. (He has hit 679 to this point.)

[JGibson]

Don't forget that there is a draft on ESPN tomorrow at 6PM ET/5PM CT.

[JGibson]

AL East: Blue Jays
AL Central: White Sox
AL West: Mariners
AL Wild Cards: Yankees, Red Sox, Angels

NL East: Mets
NL Central: Cardinals
NL West: Dodgers
NL Wild Cards: Brewers, Braves, Phillies

ALCS: Yankees over Red Sox in 7
NLCS: Dodgers over Cardinals in 6

World Series: Dodgers over Yankees in 6

[JGibson]

In last night’s San Francisco Giants game against the San Diego Padres, Alyssa Nakken became the first woman in MLB history to appear as an on-field coach, taking the first base coach position due to the ejection of usual first base coach Antoan Robinson.

[JGibson]

Miguel Cabrera is the latest addition to the 3,000 career hits club.

[JGibson]

Angels LHP Reid Detmers threw a no-hitter against the Rays in a 12-0 win for his team.

Astros RHP Justin Verlander took his no-no bid into the 8th against the Twins in a 5-0 win for his team.

[JGibson]

Cardinals FINALLY called up 2B Nolan Gorman, meaning that Tommy Edman moves to SS. Gorman could DH occasionally as well.

[JGibson]

So happy the Cards are back in 1st in the NL Central where we belong, thanks to a long losing streak by the Brewers.

[JGibson]

Cardinals RHP Miles Mikolas came within a strike of a no-hitter against the Pirates last night in the 2nd game of the day-night twin bill. Cardinals CF Harrison Bader almost came up with a game-ending and no-no-saving catch, only for it to barely miss him and bounce over the fence.

[JGibson]

Tommy Edman got robbed.

[JGibson]

Cardinals blew a 6-0 lead and lose 7-6 to the Dodgers. Embarrassing!

[JGibson]

The 2022 MLB Home Run Derby field is set:
#1 Kyle Schwarber, OF/DH, PHI v. #8 Albert Pujols, DH/1B, STL
#2 Pete Alonso, 1B, NYM [2-time defending champ] v. #7 Ronald Acuña Jr., OF/DH, ATL
#3 Corey Seager, SS, TEX v. #6 Julio Rodríguez, OF, SEA
#4 Juan Soto, OF, WSH v. #5 José Ramírez, 3B, CLE


https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1547737745186967552

[JGibson]

Juan Soto is your 2022 Home Run Derby champion, defeating Julio Rodríguez.

Pete Alonso's 3-peat bid got stopped by Rodríguez, as Alonso got eliminated in the 2nd round.

Albert Pujols went to the 2nd round before Soto eliminated him.



https://twitter.com/MLBONFOX/status/1549223064759455744

[JGibson]

Starting with this edition of the MLB All Star Game, any game tied after 9 will have a home run derby to break the deadlock.

MLB.com:

Beginning with Tuesday night’s All-Star Game presented by MasterCard and continuing at least through the life of the current collective bargaining agreement, any All-Star Game tied after nine innings will be settled not with extra innings but with an All-Star Tiebreaker decided by dingers.

The managers of the American League and National League squads will each select three players (and one alternate, in the event of an injury) on his roster who have agreed to participate, as well as three coaches to throw batting practice. Each player will get three swings, and the team with the highest combined homer total after those three rounds will be declared the winner of the game.

[JGibson]

3B Nolan Arenado and 1B Paul Goldschmidt's selfishness in refusing the COVID vaccine is leading them to miss the series in Toronto and possibly cost the Cardinals a division crown or even a playoff spot.

[JGibson]

Vin Scully dead at 94.

Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully, whose dulcet tones provided the soundtrack of summer while entertaining and informing Dodgers fans in Brooklyn and Los Angeles for 67 years, died Tuesday night, the team said. He was 94.

Thought I'd post what might be his greatest call, in his memory.

Vin Scully: RIP.