2021 MLB Season Thread

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

Great to see Rolen over 50% in Year 4 and Vizquel actually losing 3.5% in Year 4!!! The top three clearly have zero momentum. Maybe that will boost the non-controversial 4th place guy enough so we don't go two years without electing somebody. A guy can dream.

I would say disappointing numbers for Sheffield, but Walker had half the votes on his 7th ballot. He could benefit from Schilling, Clemens, Bonds and Sosa coming off the ballot in two years. Of course A-Rod and Papi will start a whole new decade of controversy, but at least they are not outfielders.

Good for Hudson to hang on, but next year's ballot will be four names bigger and might be tough to debate his merits 'a few years down the road'

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

I would say disappointing numbers for Sheffield, but Walker had half the votes on his 7th ballot. He could benefit from Schilling, Clemens, Bonds and Sosa coming off the ballot in two years. Of course A-Rod and Papi will start a whole new decade of controversy, but at least they are not outfielders.

If Clemens and Bonds don't make it next year, then surely there isn't going to be any real controversy here? Would be preposterous for A-Rod to make it but not Bonds.

Completely agree, but A-Rod has chosen to remain in the spotlight to rehabilitate his public image while Bonds is a pariah. Further, the older voters who are the ones largely opposed to roiders will continue falling off the voting rolls over the next decade. A-Rod should almost certainly surpass Bonds' annual benchmarks for each year on the ballot from turnover alone IMHO. He could easily do 10 percent better in his tenth year.

Clearly the Era Committees will step in to reverse the injustice done to Bonds, Clemens, and Schilling someday. Unfortunately, there is a huge backlog of managers, center fielders and Virtual Lock Fred McGriff so it might take longer than it ought to.

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

^^^ And best not to forget that the NBA playoffs are too big already too. The only reason it is allowed to persist is because there is almost zero risk of the top 3-4 teams being eliminated in the first round unless they truly aren't a top 4 team. Fortunately baseball worked out for the best last year with the two best teams in the World Series, but it easily could have worked out otherwise.

[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.

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

Pre-COVID, Pujols had narrowly made himself the 32nd member of the 100 WAR club. Now he can't even get there by rounding up. Trout could potentially get there in his age 32 season, even assuming the next three years are 1.0 wins worse than his worst to date.

Kershaw has a fraction of a percentage chance of getting there. No one else with a chance is even halfway.

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

Mets still winning

How? No idea, but they are

I'm having flashbacks to 1969 watching this Mets team.

wow, you might be older than GA Moderate

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

And he’s 20!

Ah good, so he will be traded for prospects by 24

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In the midst of an easy 13 game stretch, these acquisitions look poised to give the Yankees much hope. Anthony Rizzo has certainly cemented a decent memory for the fans meant to last. If our offense can score just enough and our bullpen doesn't continuously blow it against teams lacking any motivation, I suspect we could get within a game of the Sox (or less likely the Rays) in the loss column in a couple weeks.

But because we are a fundamentally unsound team with an atrocious manager, we will fall apart when we have to play those much superior teams in the final six weeks - no doubt. They'll replace Glasnow - next man up mentality.

Boston is overperforming and had no business winning the last series requiring multiple mental lapses, but I have decided to cheer for them and their much more admirable manager if it means stopping this ugly thing going on down in Florida.

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

I've been watching the Mets and Phillies all week to make sure when I go tomorrow it would be the game when the Phillies finally overtake the Mets.

The only thing better than the Red Sox and Mets losing miserably (like last season) is watching them get so much hope leading the division all year before the inevitable collapse.

Still think Toronto is the best in the AL East as I have all season, but Tampa is holding their ground. Could be Toronto and New York for the Wild Card game.

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

I've been watching the Mets and Phillies all week to make sure when I go tomorrow it would be the game when the Phillies finally overtake the Mets.

The only thing better than the Red Sox and Mets losing miserably (like last season) is watching them get so much hope leading the division all year before the inevitable collapse.

Still think Toronto is the best in the AL East as I have all season, but Tampa is holding their ground. Could be Toronto and New York for the Wild Card game.

I don't think the Yankees are as good as the Athletics.

The Phillies are having all their best players get hot at the perfect time.

I don't either. Taking 5 out of 6 in Florida when averaging fewer than 3 runs a game in those series and featuring a bullpen that rivals the Mets, Phillies, and Nationals among the league-worst was an aberration. The offense could unleash on Baltimore, but who else? We shall have to see when we take the field in Iowa in one week. Tons of reason to believe Oakland is better and has an easier schedule. But what is life without hope?

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

How much do we love Brett Gardner, folks! Extra innings may be fake, but he's still the greatest. #11 getting retired

And Didi, the love of my life, always puts on a show whenever I have the pleasure of cheering him on. What a guy! Hope he's not injured too badly! He was going for the unnatural cycle when that THUG Aaron Loup drilled him. Real classy. You think I don't remember when you did that six years ago too?

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

I’m beyond disgusted with the Mets and just want Cohen to fire everyone and worse that it has to be to the biggest douchebags in the mlb ie the Phillies

Houston's worse at the moment.

How none of the players involved weren't banned for life for the sign stealing scandal is beyond me.

Hell, the 2020 Astros (and a few years beyond that) should have been made to forfeit all of their games as a penalty for the scandal.

Every team was doing it. Except perhaps the incompetent Mets and Pirates. Only one (and a half?) got caught. Because we decide to investigate winners? Time to move on.

The game has much more serious problems.

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

In the midst of an easy 13 game stretch, these acquisitions look poised to give the Yankees much hope. Anthony Rizzo has certainly cemented a decent memory for the fans meant to last. If our offense can score just enough and our bullpen doesn't continuously blow it against teams lacking any motivation, I suspect we could get within a game of the Sox (or less likely the Rays) in the loss column in a couple weeks.

But because we are a fundamentally unsound team with an atrocious manager, we will fall apart when we have to play those much superior teams in the final six weeks - no doubt. They'll replace Glasnow - next man up mentality.

Boston is overperforming and had no business winning the last series requiring multiple mental lapses, but I have decided to cheer for them and their much more admirable manager if it means stopping this ugly thing going on down in Florida.

15 days to get within a game in the loss column and 17 days to overtake the BoSox. I will now accept my accolades (and pray that I do not have to accept accolades for part 2 of this prediction!) What a great race in the American League with six teams separated by five games. It's anybody's penant yet!

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

I don't know how American League sportswriters are going to able to live with themselves if Shohei Ohtani isn't voted as unanimous MVP and wins the Cy Young award.

The last person to have a season anything close to what he's been doing is literally Babe f*****g Ruth.

Ohtani's even two stolen bases away from a 40-20 season!!!!

He's MVP no doubt, but there are three superior Cy Young candidates in every category across the board. He doesn't get bonus points for offense, especially in the American League. It will be Lynn, Ray or Cole. Lance Lynn is my biased pick. He's such a quietly elite workhorse.

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

We all know about Miggy's big day, but Joey Votto 🇮🇹🇨🇦, one of the hottest hitters in the National League leading the resurgent Reds into playoff position, joined the less prestigious but still essential 2,000 hit club last week. The peak dominance was already enough to make him the third surefire HoF 1B of his generation despite lacking compiled career totals like his two senior peers. But now he at least has the theoretical minimum hit threshold required of all modern era HoF position players with a few years to chase a longshot bid at 400 dingers.

(*Technically 12 hits behind Maz, or if you prefer legitimate elections, 44 behind Bench*)

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

Baserunning!!! An unforgettable part of the offense that few of the players coming up today know about in this age of boom and bust, exit velocity and 500 foot bombs. Have you ever heard of a hit-and-run? A run-and-hit? Taking the extra bag and staying on it?

I love the umps!

(And respect to Freddie Freeman - safe or out - love a first baseman that runs the bases with so much passion)

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

Is there a bigger bum in the history of sport than Aroldis Chapman? How many more years to I have to watch this guy sweating like a dog and giving away games? The obvious move was to go to Wandy from the get-go, but managing is not Aaron Boone's strong suit.

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

Please, the game ended three batters ago. I love the umps!!

https://twitter.com/MajorLeagueGIFs/status/1430362289459322881?s=20

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

LETS GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Mets beat the Yankees to win the series!

Thank you for making Aaron Boone this much closer to being fired. Easily the worst manager I've had to endure from any favorite team in any sport (though my college football team's coach tests me, it's not a particularly close second). Not fun as a player and so much worse as a coach.

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

Book that one-way ticket to Cooperstown! Giancarlo! Non può fermarlo!

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

Book that one-way ticket to Cooperstown! Giancarlo! Non può fermarlo!

Love me some Giancarlo

He's been frustrating, but it really is nice to see him playing to his potential once again. There really isn't another player like him*, so it's nice that we get to watch his full talent on display. I've been critical because it felt like another player lacking the clutch gene that the Yankees have gotten so many times, but he has fully dispelled that now. Glad to be wrong.

*Baseball Reference says Juan Gonzalez as most similar - not sure if that feels right. It feels most similar to Gary Sheffield for me, but even so much better than that "Should Be" Hall of Famer. Stanton 70 homeruns ahead through the same age.

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

The Red Sox are better than the Yankees lmao.

Me proven right once again. People were very dumb to doubt the Sox.

I don't think the Red Sox are better than the Yankees (literally just swept them in Fenway a week ago with DJLM), but I am grateful for this result to put the pressure on the Boone firing. Certainly neither one of these teams is very good and at best a very distant 5th best in the American League.

Hopefully the Joey Gallo experiment is also over. I'm sure he's going to start crushing again somewhere else next year but having a clean up hitter batting a buck 99 in a playoff scenario is an utterly disgraceful decision.

Yankees had everything in their favor - facing the team who couldn't sniff us since July, the ace pitcher in a one game playoff scenario, a team nearing a +200 run differential being left out - and still the manager finds a way to grossly mismanage (among other lacking efforts).

I wish the Red Sox the best as they face the most evil franchise in pro sports next round. Our prayers are with them.

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

I don't think the Red Sox are better than the Yankees (literally just swept them in Fenway a week ago with DJLM), but I am grateful for this result to put the pressure on the Boone firing.

Have fun with Tingler next year!

The Yankees don't go outside the Family (or at least the NYC baseball known commodities) and especially won't for that country bumpkin.

Carlos Beltrán will probably be the first choice. Cheating scandal certainly hasn't plagued Alex Cora who has tremendous job security now. Maybe Miguel Cairo? I've had it with these inexperienced managers though personally. I don't think they will be anything more than pawns.

Phil Nevin cost himself a look last night. I don't know if poaching Mattingly is much of an upgrade given his track record. Girardi would be beneficial for both parties but a tough reunion to make happen. Is Buck Showalter our Tony LaRussa?

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

Let's go Dodgers!!!!

Loved the opener, but not sure I agree with the decision to put Scherzer in the 9th. Not surprised by it but the Wade at-bat was waaaaaaay too tense.

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

Well, if anyone is going to blow a 3-0 lead, it's the team from Georgia.

But I don't know what's worse, a Braves title or a Red Sox(/ the narrowly avoid Giants) title. On one hand, it's the Braves, who cares. On the other hand, do we want to dilute baseball royalty further by bringing them into the 4 title club? And let's be honest, they'd immediately prance past the dying cities of Detroit and Pittsburgh hanging onto lore that almost no one recalls and very nearly past Cincinnati.

Dodgers need to widen the gap between the real clubs and the plebs ASAP or we might *gulp* be forced to have the Red Sox do it.

At least we can say Tampa was denied another year, if nothing else.