MLB 2021 - Lounge - Forums : Best Ever Albums

cestuneblague
Edgy to the Choir

Location: MA/FL

Yeah again I almost forgot we had an MLB season going on already, looking at the standings it feels like something out of a different league entirely- I thought the Red Sox, Indians and Giants were supposed to be reeling and re-building but seem to be legit playoff teams, the Twins are awful as well as the other not-surprising cellar-dwellers, and how the hell are the Mariners bobbing around .500? I wonder who's favored to win it all, always a crapshoot but I would like to see an all-Chicago World Series. And quand le beisbol volver a la montreal, the Rays constantly seemed to be wasted in that mess of a Tampa Bay situation.

RoundTheBend
I miss the comfort in being sad

Location: Ground Control

cestuneblague wrote:

Yeah again I almost forgot we had an MLB season going on already, looking at the standings it feels like something out of a different league entirely- I thought the Red Sox, Indians and Giants were supposed to be reeling and re-building but seem to be legit playoff teams, the Twins are awful as well as the other not-surprising cellar-dwellers, and how the hell are the Mariners bobbing around .500? I wonder who's favored to win it all, always a crapshoot but I would like to see an all-Chicago World Series. And quand le beisbol volver a la montreal, the Rays constantly seemed to be wasted in that mess of a Tampa Bay situation.

Giants did have the most hits in a Dodger-Giant game at Dodger Stadium since 2013 last Friday.

baystateoftheart
Neil Young as a butternut squash

Age: 29
Location: Massachusetts

cestuneblague wrote:

I thought the Red Sox ... were supposed to be reeling and re-building but seem to be [a] legit playoff team

Series sweep in Yankee Stadium legit! I've been surprised too at how much they've snapped back this year, but pleased obviously. 2012 to 2013 was a worst-to-first and they won it all, so it's not out of the question this year, especially if Sale returns in peak form.
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babyBlueSedan
Used to be sort of blind, now can sort of see

Gender: Male

cestuneblague wrote:

I would like to see an all-Chicago World Series

As a Brewers fan, this sounds like a nightmare haha. Cubs vs Tony La Russa. The White Sox have an exciting team though so I could probably bring myself to root for them.

Also as a Brewers fan, I'm really excited about their pitching. First time in my life (actually, ever) they've had a good team that was pitching-driven instead of offense-driven. They could be a buzzsaw come playoff time, too bad they might not make it since they can't hit themselves out of a wet paper bag.

As for the rest of the league, really surprised by the Red Sox and Giants like you said. And the Twins, I thought they'd be fighting the White Sox for the division - I keep expecting them to get hot but it hasn't happened. Dreading a Dodgers-Yankees World Series and hoping the Padres and Rays can make it far because us title-less fanbases need to stick together.
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RoundTheBend
I miss the comfort in being sad

Location: Ground Control

Thought it was funny when former astros pitcher got "I saw the sign" played for him.

Romanelli
Bone Swah

Gender: Male
Location: Broomfield, Colorado

Moderator

As a Rockies fan, I find this entire season offensive. Along with that 4-23 road record.

There are some bright spots (Yonathan Daza, Austin Gomber, Joshua Fuentes, Raimel Tapia)...but the best part of Colorado's season so far is that tonight's TV play by play is being done by the most awesome Jenny Cavnar. Hoping they give her a lot more games this year...she's the best of all their announcers.
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baystateoftheart
Neil Young as a butternut squash

Age: 29
Location: Massachusetts

What do you folks think about the new rules? Call me a purist, but I'm not a fan of the runner starting on second in extras, or of some games being seven innings. It just feels so wrong. And I'm far from one of those people who gripes about player celebrations not respecting the game etc.
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Romanelli
Bone Swah

Gender: Male
Location: Broomfield, Colorado

Moderator

baystateoftheart wrote:

What do you folks think about the new rules? Call me a purist, but I'm not a fan of the runner starting on second in extras, or of some games being seven innings. It just feels so wrong. And I'm far from one of those people who gripes about player celebrations not respecting the game etc.

I'm with you. The extra inning rule is pure beer league. And seven inning double header games is straight from the minor leagues. Also...I'm saddened by the seemingly inevitable addition of the designated hitter to the National League game next year. Baseball lineups should be nine players...not ten.
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babyBlueSedan
Used to be sort of blind, now can sort of see

Gender: Male

baystateoftheart wrote:

What do you folks think about the new rules? Call me a purist, but I'm not a fan of the runner starting on second in extras, or of some games being seven innings. It just feels so wrong. And I'm far from one of those people who gripes about player celebrations not respecting the game etc.

Also not a fan of the extra inning rule, partially because the justification for it is so poor. If the goal is speeding up games (which I agree are too long), the focus should be elsewhere. Most games don't go to extras, and the ones that do often end in the 10th or 11th anyway. I wouldn't mind starting with runners on in the 13th inning, after three more normal innings, or just calling it a tie after 12.

I was fine with the seven inning double headers last year because of the risk of games getting cancelled but I really hope they don't stick around after this year. Don't have a good reason other than it feeling wrong though, there's so much symmetry in baseball that having a game be a number of innings not divisible by 3 feels so off.

That same logic of symmetry (9 players on the field, 9 in the lineup like Romanelli said) meant I was also dreading the National League DH, but I think I've come around to it. As much as the occasional surprise pitcher home run is (Woodruff homering off of Kershaw in the playoffs is top 3 baseball memories for me) there are too many at bats where the pitcher has no chance, especially as pitcher velocity is creeping up. I also think the strategy argument for no-DH is silly - I like double shifts because it means you see your bench players more but managers shouldn't have to take out a pitcher who's dealing because the lineup is turning over at an inopportune time.

One rule I thought I would hate that I actually don't mind is the three batter minimum for pitchers. The justification for it is also bad but I think it's made bullpens more balanced and I can't remember seeing a pitcher getting shelled because they had to stay in one batter too long, which was something I was worried about.
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cestuneblague
Edgy to the Choir

Location: MA/FL

Romanelli wrote:

I'm with you. The extra inning rule is pure beer league. And seven inning double header games is straight from the minor leagues. Also...I'm saddened by the seemingly inevitable addition of the designated hitter to the National League game next year. Baseball lineups should be nine players...not ten.

Yeah, I'm completely against the runner-on-second rule, or really any more of these artificial attempts at a speed-up as it just seems to go against what the game is about, hell I'm perfectly fine introducing a points system and allowing ties after the 11th or 12th inning, if anything it will bring much more urgency to the extra innings in the process. I do think the universal DH is inevitable though, considering a whole lot of top pitching prospects aren't developed two-ways anymore and teams don't like to risk injury with their pitchers, nor do they really hit enough to bring much to the game (but... then again, nobody hits anymore) but it will take out the small-ball appeal of the national league and the uniqueness between them and the AL. I'm more mixed on some of increasingly electronic-aided additions to the game, particularly the automatated strike zone, as well as how they're going to start monitoring the cheating problem, which feels like it's becoming the issue to the modern game that steroids was in the 90s and early 00s (and I guess in many ways, still is).