2021 MLB Season Thread

[Хahar 🤔]

Guess I'm going to skip this season, too, since the ghost runner is back. I like baseball, not this.

[7,052,770]

Imagine how mad "purists" must have been when foul balls started counting as strikes in 1901 (NL) or 1903 (AL). Or when spitballs were banned in 1920. Or when the mound was lowered in 1968 to induce more offense. Or when the material on the ball no longer had to be horse hide in 1975. Etc., etc., and don't get me started on the 19th century.

Point being, baseball rules have evolved continuously. Purism is a mirage.

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

Imagine how mad "purists" must have been when foul balls started counting as strikes in 1901 (NL) or 1903 (AL). Or when spitballs were banned in 1920. Or when the mound was lowered in 1968 to induce more offense. Or when the material on the ball no longer had to be horse hide in 1975. Etc., etc., and don't get me started on the 19th century.

Point being, baseball rules have evolved continuously. Purism is a mirage.

None of those things except for foul ball strikes is in the same ballpark as these modern changes and that's from a time when the World Series was not even an event. Banning the spitball is like when basketball banned the dunk. Creating fake base runners makes zero sense under the rules of the game.

A better point in your favor for ruining the game is the Dodgers leaving Brooklyn and divisional playoff games, which are indeed not ideal.

[KaiserDave]

Imagine how mad "purists" must have been when foul balls started counting as strikes in 1901 (NL) or 1903 (AL). Or when spitballs were banned in 1920. Or when the mound was lowered in 1968 to induce more offense. Or when the material on the ball no longer had to be horse hide in 1975. Etc., etc., and don't get me started on the 19th century.

Point being, baseball rules have evolved continuously. Purism is a mirage.

Did you just compare foul balls to having a ghost runner in a Major League game?

Cause, if so. No.

[NewYorkExpress]

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/30876960/sources-boston-red-sox-sending-andrew-benintendi-kansas-city-royals-3-team-deal

So, we've got an interesting three-team trade/salary dump today.

The Red Sox send Andrew Benetendi to the Royals for Frenchy Cordero and two players to be named later. They also get minor leaguer Josh Winckowski and a player to be named later from the Mets. The Mets get prospect Khalil Lee from the Royals.

[JGibson]

Pitchers and Catchers reporting season begins this week.

[JGibson]

It's here. Pitchers and catchers are reporting.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

It's literally impossible for me, as one who lives in Pittsburgh, to care about baseball.  We have nothing to hope for here.

[Lambsbread]

It's literally impossible for me, as one who lives in Pittsburgh, to care about baseball.  We have nothing to hope for here.

At least you have the Steel--oh. Wait.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

It's literally impossible for me, as one who lives in Pittsburgh, to care about baseball.  We have nothing to hope for here.

At least you have the Steel--oh. Wait.

This town has no idea how to live in mediocrity when it comes to all sports.  They're going to find out.

[JGibson]

Padres SS Fernando Tatís Jr. has agreed to a 14-year/$340M contract extension.

ESPN:

Fernando Tatis Jr., the emerging face of baseball, agreed to a 14-year, $340 million contract extension with the San Diego Padres on Wednesday, securing one of the largest guarantees in American sports history and wedding himself to the team with which he quickly established himself as a star, sources familiar with the deal told ESPN.

Tatis, 22, will receive the third-biggest deal in baseball history -- and do so at a far younger age than Mike Trout and Mookie Betts, both of whom signed their megadeals at 27.

The 6-foot-3, 217-pound Tatis, whose dazzling shortstop play is perhaps exceeded by his prowess at the plate, went to San Diego via trade and is now the player around whom the Padres will build a team equipped to win a championship.

[7,052,770]

Imagine how mad "purists" must have been when foul balls started counting as strikes in 1901 (NL) or 1903 (AL). Or when spitballs were banned in 1920. Or when the mound was lowered in 1968 to induce more offense. Or when the material on the ball no longer had to be horse hide in 1975. Etc., etc., and don't get me started on the 19th century.

Point being, baseball rules have evolved continuously. Purism is a mirage.

Did you just compare foul balls to having a ghost runner in a Major League game?

Cause, if so. No.

Foul balls are the best example I gave in that post. Baseball would be totally different if foul balls didn't count as strikes today. The strategy from both the batter and pitcher would change a lot.

[GeorgiaModerate]

To really change things up: switch the direction runners go around the bases.  Or maybe even switch it every inning; that would create the potential for some hilarious mistakes.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

We are gonna go thru another yr without fans in stands how boring, I dozed off on NBA games

[brucejoel99]

Padres SS Fernando Tatís Jr. has agreed to a 14-year/$340M contract extension.

ESPN:

Fernando Tatis Jr., the emerging face of baseball, agreed to a 14-year, $340 million contract extension with the San Diego Padres on Wednesday, securing one of the largest guarantees in American sports history and wedding himself to the team with which he quickly established himself as a star, sources familiar with the deal told ESPN.

Tatis, 22, will receive the third-biggest deal in baseball history -- and do so at a far younger age than Mike Trout and Mookie Betts, both of whom signed their megadeals at 27.

The 6-foot-3, 217-pound Tatis, whose dazzling shortstop play is perhaps exceeded by his prowess at the plate, went to San Diego via trade and is now the player around whom the Padres will build a team equipped to win a championship.

This could wind up a steal for the Padres lol

[JGibson]

Albert Pujols is set to retire at the end of this season, per his wife Deidre's Instagram.

https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1364009457873653761

UPDATE: Diedre later clarified that the post was not an official retirement announcement.

[Never Made it to Graceland]

First ballot Hall of Famer. Between the mid to late 2000s he was the best offensive player in the game. I thought he would only play a couple of years in Anaheim, it's amazing to me he's lasted almost ten years there - and everyone will remember him as a Cardinal.

[DINGO Joe]

Albert Pujols is set to retire at the end of this season, per his wife Deidre's Instagram.

https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1364009457873653761

UPDATE: Diedre later clarified that the post was not an official retirement announcement.

Well, it was a realistic announcement as no one will be willing to pay Albert to play baseball anymore.

[brucejoel99]

Albert Pujols is set to retire at the end of this season, per his wife Deidre's Instagram.

https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1364009457873653761

UPDATE: Diedre later clarified that the post was not an official retirement announcement.

Well, it was a realistic announcement as no one will be willing to pay Albert to play baseball anymore.

I have to imagine the Cards would be willing to give him a small 1-year deal to retire in St. Louis if he wanted to.

[NewYorkExpress]

Albert Pujols is set to retire at the end of this season, per his wife Deidre's Instagram.

https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1364009457873653761

UPDATE: Diedre later clarified that the post was not an official retirement announcement.

Well, it was a realistic announcement as no one will be willing to pay Albert to play baseball anymore.

I have to imagine the Cards would be willing to give him a small 1-year deal to retire in St. Louis if he wanted to.

Yeah, he probably could have gotten a one year deal on the Major League minimum (or maybe a $1,000,000 or so above that) if he wanted it.

[7,052,770]

He's currently at 662 home runs, 100 away from the record.

If he were 50 away, I could see him trying to play a couple more years to go for the record, maybe as a DH somewhere (Rockies if the NL adopts the DH?), but I think it's too out of reach to dream about at 100.

[NewYorkExpress]

He's currently at 662 home runs, 100 away from the record.

If he were 50 away, I could see him trying to play a couple more years to go for the record, maybe as a DH somewhere (Rockies if the NL adopts the DH?), but I don't think it's too out of reach to dream about at 100.

I still think Pujols would get a contract with someone next season. Something in the one year $4 to $6 million would seem about right.

[NewYorkExpress]

Here to plug the official Talk Elections/Atlas Forum Fantasy Baseball League, on ESPN.com

Please PM me if interested.

[NewYorkExpress]

I can't believe I missed it...but the Tim Tebow experiment is over. He retired two weeks ago.

[JGibson]

It's basically official: NO DH in the NL and no expanded postseason this season.