Bear Down Wildcats

Looks like Rick Porcello is becoming the next $20m/pitcher with a 4 yr/82.5 contract extension

Adrian Gonzalez is on pace for 270 homeruns.

F Adrian Gonzalez

Figures Trevor Bauer pitches lights out.

Yankees - Red Sox 5-5 in the top of the 19th on MLB Network.

Kris Barnes being called up for the Cubs

azgreg wrote:Figures Trevor Bauer pitches lights out.

Had another solid outing a night or two ago

Good lord. Bryce Harper just hit a bomb that had to have been at least 480 feet.

The Royals are going to start fights with every team this year

The stuff w the A's is completely justified. That was a dirty ass slide. I dont like the Royals though, save a few players. Bunch of frat boys

rgdeuce wrote:The stuff w the A's is completely justified. That was a dirty ass slide. I dont like the Royals though, save a few players. Bunch of frat boys

Hitting Lawrie the next game was fine but Ventura verbally going after him while Lawrie was taking his punishment going to first back was childish. Then Herrera going after him with pitches the next day and telling him he was going for his head next time is just ridiculous.

Coop Cat wrote:

rgdeuce wrote:The stuff w the A's is completely justified. That was a dirty ass slide. I dont like the Royals though, save a few players. Bunch of frat boys

Hitting Lawrie the next game was fine but Ventura verbally going after him while Lawrie was taking his punishment going to first back was childish. Then Herrera going after him with pitches the next day and telling him he was going for his head next time is just ridiculous.

Yeah, they have been getting into it with everybody this year. They rub me the wrong way as a team. I hate the Giants and I was rooting for them to beat KC last year because of that. They are just loud and obnoxious and over the top. Easy to ignore that stuff when they cant finish .500, but when you combine that with success, you are going to get a lot of veterans riled up.

None of the ex ballplayers on MLB network or Baseball Tonight want to step up and say it was an intentional, dirty slide. Reynolds and a few others have tap danced around flat out calling it is what it is, but you can tell they know but just dont want to be the ones to say it. Lawrie is out of control as a player but I am betting that was his way of punking these guys. I agree with you on all that other stuff. It should have ended with the Lawrie beaning, but Ventura has little man syndrome and KC is going to keep fanning the flames, and of course Toronto is going to react. Very immature team. And Lawrie is just a meathead.

This will be very strange:

Joey Gallo homers in his first two games and is hitting over 400 with 3 HR and 5 RBI through his first three. There have been a few articles about him being Bryce Harper's teammate in Little League so some of you may have followed him, that team must have been crazy. You rarely see prospects rated at 80 power on a 20-80 scale and that is what he is rated at, but he strikes out a TON, a hit it hard or he k's type of guy. He will probably be a 230-250 hitter for a few seasons and strike out 200 plus times, but give you 35-40 homers. If he improves his contact he will probably be the best power hitter of this generation.

8 shortstops taken in the first round including the first 3 picks. Is that a bit unusual?

It's a fairly high number but a lot of shortstops being drafted high is not that unusual. In high school, your best player/athlete will often find himself at shortstop. Starts at little league and keeps going up through there. But they get to the minors and either their gloves or their arms don't play out at the major league level, so they move to 3rd, 2nd, or the outfield. Sometimes the scouts see this in advance and draft them as shortstops knowing they were going to be centerfielders, 2nd basemen or whatever. Some examples of guys who were drafted as shortstops: BJ Upton, Justin Upton (drafted as an OF but played SS in high school), Mark Reynolds, Adam Jones, Manny Machado, Todd Frazier.

Enjoying my first game ever at Fenway with my son.

Sox blew a 7 run lead. What happened to Mike Napoli? Horrible, 0-5.

UAEebs86 wrote:Enjoying my first game ever at Fenway with my son.

Sox blew a 7 run lead. What happened to Mike Napoli? Horrible, 0-5.

How special is Fenway? Being there is like they loaded 37,000 fans and two teams into a time machine to have a game. Where were your seats? Only complaint is the seats, anyone over 6'0 is going to have their knees in the back of whoever is in front of them. Did you get to check out old Yankee Stadium before it closed? Stadium and atmosphere weren't nearly as good as Fenway, but being in the ballpark where Ruth, Gehrig, Mantle, and Dimaggio once stood felt like being in a dream. If you have been you know what I am talking about. Not into ghosts and all that stuff, but you could certainly feel "spirits" and some type of supernatural feeling in that place.

rgdeuce wrote:

UAEebs86 wrote:Enjoying my first game ever at Fenway with my son.

Sox blew a 7 run lead. What happened to Mike Napoli? Horrible, 0-5.

How special is Fenway? Being there is like they loaded 37,000 fans and two teams into a time machine to have a game. Where were your seats? Only complaint is the seats, anyone over 6'0 is going to have their knees in the back of whoever is in front of them. Did you get to check out old Yankee Stadium before it closed? Stadium and atmosphere weren't nearly as good as Fenway, but being in the ballpark where Ruth, Gehrig, Mantle, and Dimaggio once stood felt like being in a dream. If you have been you know what I am talking about. Not into ghosts and all that stuff, but you could certainly feel "spirits" and some type of supernatural feeling in that place.

It is awesome. I grew up a Cubs fan so have been to Wrigley several times. It's a similar experience. I was surprised how nice of condition it was in for such an old park. I guess they have done a lot of renovations over the last decade.

We were in the next to last row of the right field bleachers, but there's really no bad seats in those old parks (except obstructed views I suppose.)
Seats were no more cramped than any other stadium. Never made it to the old Yankee Stadium, one of my regrets.

It was great to scratch it off my bucket list. Highly recommended for any sports fan.

I still need to get to Wrigley. That, PNC Park and ATT (or whatever the Giants call it now) and on my next to see list. The outfield seats must have been made with a little more leg room. Guessing maybe some of them were added years after the park opened and they realized they needed to be spaced out a little more. My seats were even with first base about 25 rows up from the field. Obviously put in when the average American was much shorter. Hopefully you got there early and got to soak in the live music from the old school horn bands, got to see the red Ted Williams seat, Pesky pole and see what the view is like from the green monster. The atmosphere just outside the park is crazy and I could not get over how the stadium looks like an old brick warehouse from the outside.

Wrigley is interesting. Felt amazing to be there with all the history, but it's a complete dump. At least it was 12 years ago when I was there. Most awkward bathrooms ever.

That is kind of how old Yankee stadium was. Once you get into the view of the field, the atmosphere and history all make up for it. But the tunnels around the stadium were dark, gloomy, ugly and smelled terrible. The bathrooms were disgusting. The food was terrible. If you looked under your seats and looked at the legs of the seats, it looked like someone caked them with vaseline and rubbed dirt and god knows what on them every day for 50 years. A lot of the seat cushions were torn. I have also heard that the clubhouses and pretty much anything else the players were exposed to outside of being on the field or in the dugout were cramped and disgusting. Rats and roaches everywhere.

Was sad to see that monument go, but you can understand why.

The settlement the Yankees and ARod came to on the money they owe him for hitting 660 homers is actually pretty awesome.

$3.5 million going all to charity.

Sooooooooo... ARod's back on the juice, right?

Chicat wrote:Sooooooooo... ARod's back on the juice, right?

HGH. Only explanation.

JMarkJohns wrote:

Chicat wrote:Sooooooooo... ARod's back on the juice, right?

HGH. Only explanation.

You mean 40-year-olds aren't supposed to have three homer games where the hits travel an average of 430 feet?

Chicat wrote:

JMarkJohns wrote:

Chicat wrote:Sooooooooo... ARod's back on the juice, right?

HGH. Only explanation.

You mean 40-year-olds aren't supposed to have three homer games where the hits travel an average of 430 feet?

I mean cheaters cheat and liars lie, and ARod has proven to be both to the benefit of his stats.

He could've half as good and I'd think he was lying and cheating. But this good? It has to be a certainty. Talent doesn't escape the grasp of time. I also have known enough juicers who admit to feeling incredibly weak amidst activity when not juicing.

Last time he slugged this high he was 32, that's seven years ago. He was 31 when he last had a HR% higher than this season. His At bats per home run, one every 14 AB's is also the highest since age 31.

Two things: this turnaround does not happen at age 39 naturally. And anyone who has played or understood baseball knows how hard it is to take a year off. That's RIP to a career once you reach a certain age. To be halfway decent is an accomplishment. To have your best power season in eight years....

Before his suspension, his timing was off. His bat speed was slow, he wasn't getting around on pitches. He was DONE. Those are things that don't magically come back at age 39

He's on something. And what exactly does he have to lose? He's already known as a cheater, busted multiple times. To gain? Nice numbers for the ego, or maybe a case of, see I am natural now, I never really needed roids, look, I'm great without them

When was his last drug test?

Do they still not test for HGH? I'd bet almost anything he's on some sort of designer HGH.

I'm under the impression he is getting tested very frequently and randomly. He is either finding a way to beat the tests, or taking whatever the new PED is that is not yet detectable or known about. Over the years, I have heard from multiple sources in the media and a few friends who are/were MLB or MiLB players, you got to be a complete idiot to get popped by a PED test. If you are careful and do not get reckless you will be fine. I am aware of what exactly my buddy did to duck marijuana positives in the minors, but not sure about what they do for PED tests, which are blood tests. I'd imagine things are much harder on A-Rod with the increased tests, but he is still finding a way. And yes, they do test for HGH.

Mike Trout -- that is all

Hot nights in Texas are fun.

I bet you money Trout tore a ligament in his wrist. They make it seem like its not a huge deal and he finished the game w a bomb. When its too good to be true and only "sore" the next day, its always a ligament tear.

rgdeuce wrote:Last time he slugged this high he was 32, that's seven years ago. He was 31 when he last had a HR% higher than this season. His At bats per home run, one every 14 AB's is also the highest since age 31.

Two things: this turnaround does not happen at age 39 naturally. And anyone who has played or understood baseball knows how hard it is to take a year off. That's RIP to a career once you reach a certain age. To be halfway decent is an accomplishment. To have your best power season in eight years....

Before his suspension, his timing was off. His bat speed was slow, he wasn't getting around on pitches. He was DONE. Those are things that don't magically come back at age 39

He's on something. And what exactly does he have to lose? He's already known as a cheater, busted multiple times. To gain? Nice numbers for the ego, or maybe a case of, see I am natural now, I never really needed roids, look, I'm great without them

538 says his turnaround is not as unprecedented as it might seem at first glance:
http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/how ... esurgence/

Let's say that MLB's testing of ARod is rigorous and as unbeatable as possible. What could be the explanation of this turnaround?

My theory is that the year off helped his hip heal up and he's now better able to get his bat around on fastballs. His bat slowed way down when his hip was bothering him (makes sense) so if he's a lot closer to his early 30s health-wise, it could be a factor in his numbers returning to form.

The other thing that may account for his turnaround is Mark Texeira's turnaround. ARod is definitely getting hittable pitches batting between Gardner and Tex, and even so he's taking a ton of walks which is producing big innings. So to avoid putting him on base he's seeing a lot of pitches in the strike zone and he's obviously mashing them.

Someone check his phone for Lance Armstrong's phone number.

That's a very smart theory Chicat, and could be right or partially right. I just don't buy it though. Even looking at his advanced numbers: for example, Isolated Power and OPS+, which are the highest in 7-8 years and higher than several of his seasons in his prime even before that, and well above his career averages (in a career that is considered one of the all-time best).

What if I told you his strikeout per at bat ratio is the worst in his career since he was 19 years old, a season where he had less than 150 at bats, even worse than the disaster that was 2013. You can look at it two ways: he has become more feast or famine and increased his K totals to "cheat" a little more on certain pitches to get some more pop; or, he is a hell of a lot stronger than he was in the preceding 5 or 6 years because he is certainly not a better hitter and higher K totals tell me he is not seeing the ball well. The problem with the former is, his batting average is not taking a dip, in fact, it is his highest since he was 33.

Look at his numbers from 2007 (arguably his best offensively) on. His power numbers have steadily dropped off every year, as expected. The batting average has steadily dropped off every year, as expected. Then we have this jump. It's just VERY suspect. His hip healed, yea, I get that, for someone in their primes, or younger. But ask any player 36 and older, would you rather have this arthroscopic surgery in January, rehab for 4-6 weeks and be ready in time for spring training? Or would you rather take the whole year off and let your body rest? All things being equal (money, having a roster spot, etc), they are all going to take the first option because taking a year off of baseball as a hitter is really tough especially if you are old with declining ability. And again, if this was just a one or two year thing with Arod, I would buy it. But he is putting up numbers that are better than his last 6 plus seasons.

My issues with that article:

1) He acknowledges Arod is having a historic season for the 39 and over crowd. Looking at the other four in the top 5: Hank Aaron (hit 40 Hr, but 34 or more in the four prior seasons), Bonds (we all know why that was), Stargell (finished 9th in MVP voting the year before), Ted Williams (barring the "off" year before, had five straight years of 328 plus BA including two recent batting titles, with solid pop). Then you have Arod, who we know used PED's, even during some of his decline, and definitely for his best years. Were those guys, other than Bonds, PED users (amphetamines aren't even close to the same enhancer, in case someone brought that up)? Knowing that makes the jump even more insane for Arod.

2) The article is from yesterday, where the hell is he getting his numbers? He says A-rod's Offensive WAR is 0.73, good for 32nd all time for 39 and older. However, baseball reference says his offensive WAR this season is 3.0, hmm. Then he says his batting wins per 100 plate appearances only jumped 0.3 percent (53rd largest jump). He also compares him to a guy who played from 1908-1920. If you think that doesn't matter, look at the all time leaders in single season WAR leaders, Walter Johnson (twice), Ruth and Gooden are the only guys you have heard of in the top 20, the rest played in the 1800s. I think his numbers here are also off, A-Rod' batting wins this year 3.0, last season is 0.4. I tried to factor in "per 100 plate appearances" and still cant get to this bozos number, no matter what I do. Regardless, "per 100 plate appearances" is dumb and flawed anyhow. A-Rod is an every day player who faces righties and lefties. Per 100 plate appearances is going to bring some guys in who don't belong and make them better, eg: a lefty part time player who only gets 120 at bats in a season and only against righties, or a guy with a very small sample size like 42 at bats in a season. You want to impress me, throw some of those numbers out (and make sure they are accurate) against players with a MINIMUM NUMBER OF PLATE APPEARANCES in a somewhat comparable era, so you are ruling out all those old timers with inflated WARs and the situational guys who dont face the daily grind and only facing certain types of pitchers.

3) This guy wants to be a nerd and go by the numbers, and that is fine, just dont pick and choose what numbers you WANT to throw out there. It seems he is twisting and misinterpreting (or misrepresenting?) statistics all while completely disregarding others. So the numbers aren't adding up, and for people using the eye test and experience in and around the game, things aren't adding up there.

Glad Trout's MRI was negative. Angels are a fun team to watch this year

Blue Jays going for it!

That's good stuff RG in regards to ARod.

oh thank you, Jesus for Mike Trout

Speaking of Trout and the Angels... Did you guys see the footage of JJ Watt taking batting practice with the Angels at Minute Maid? Dude was putting balls off the facade below the train tracks.