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2014 MLB Season thread

quagmire

quagmire

macrumors 604
Original poster
Apr 19, 2004
6,910
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Well Spring Training is officially here!

Some things to look for this season.

  • Big thing to look for is how well Tanaka will transition to the majors. Will he be a Darvish( not saying as good as Darvish, but successful like him so far) or will he be a Dice K?
  • Will Cano enjoy his career suicide decision?
  • How will the expanded instant replay rules work out?
  • Yankees just extended Brett Gardner to a 4 year $52 million deal with a team option for a 5th
  • Angels are nearing a 6 year $150 million extension with Trout.
  • How will the Toronto Marlins fare this year?
  • I still don't know why Salty signed with the FL Marlins. He will just be traded to Toronto next year. :p
  • Yay no ARod this year!
 
maflynn

maflynn

macrumors Haswell
May 3, 2009
73,469
43,388
Here's my $.02

quagmire said:
Big thing to look for is how well Tanaka will transition to the majors. Will he be a Darvish( not saying as good as Darvish, but successful like him so far) or will he be a Dice K?
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I think the Red Sox felt they overpaid and given the performance of Dice K were gun shy with even entering into the contest for Tanaka. I have to say even before he agreed with the Yankees, I thought it was a foregone conclusion that he'd land there. They have the cash.

Will Cano enjoy his career suicide decision?
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Poster boy for the mercenary athlete. I mean there's no way he can justify going to Seattle other then because they offered him the most money. It will be interesting to see how he responds with a consistently bad team.

How will the expanded instant replay rules work out?
Click to expand...
On paper, I think its a good idea, but I'll have to wait and see as it plays out in real life.

Yay no ARod this year!
Click to expand...
I agree, all of baseball is happy over this, though it remains to be seen if the Yankees cut him. I think he'll end up like Bonds where no one wants him.
 
MacNut

MacNut

macrumors Core
Jan 4, 2002
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Lets add the new catcher collision rules. How will that affect the game.
 
maflynn

maflynn

macrumors Haswell
May 3, 2009
73,469
43,388
MacNut said:
Lets add the new catcher collision rules. How will that affect the game.
Click to expand...

I missed that, has it been fully fleshed out? I thought there were still questions regarding how they'd actually implement the rule.
 
MacNut

MacNut

macrumors Core
Jan 4, 2002
22,995
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Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association announced Monday the addition of Rule 7.13, covering collisions at home plate, on an experimental basis for the 2014 season.

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article/mlb...md=20140224&content_id=68267610&vkey=news_mlb
• A runner attempting to score may not deviate from his direct pathway to the plate in order to initiate contact with the catcher (or other player covering home plate). If, in the judgment of the umpire, a runner attempting to score initiates contact with the catcher (or other player covering home plate) in such a manner, the umpire shall declare the runner out, even if the player covering home plate loses possession of the ball.

• Unless the catcher is in possession of the ball, the catcher cannot block the pathway of a runner as he is attempting to score. If, in the judgment of the umpire, the catcher, without possession of the ball, blocks the pathway of the runner, the umpire shall call or signal the runner safe.
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A

alent1234

macrumors 603
Jun 19, 2009
5,688
170
it is possible the mariners might have a plan to get better

maflynn said:
Here's my $.02


I think the Red Sox felt they overpaid and given the performance of Dice K were gun shy with even entering into the contest for Tanaka. I have to say even before he agreed with the Yankees, I thought it was a foregone conclusion that he'd land there. They have the cash.


Poster boy for the mercenary athlete. I mean there's no way he can justify going to Seattle other then because they offered him the most money. It will be interesting to see how he responds with a consistently bad team.


On paper, I think its a good idea, but I'll have to wait and see as it plays out in real life.


I agree, all of baseball is happy over this, though it remains to be seen if the Yankees cut him. I think he'll end up like Bonds where no one wants him.
Click to expand...
 
MacNut

MacNut

macrumors Core
Jan 4, 2002
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alent1234 said:
even if he only has 4 years of top notch production left, he will be there to mentor the new guys
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Good luck with that, Cano is not the mentoring type. Unless you want him to mentor the young ones to casually trot to first base on a ground ball to short.

Cano is a good player but not enough to carry a team. And just wait until July when the Mariners are in last place and see how well he hustles.
 
A

alent1234

macrumors 603
Jun 19, 2009
5,688
170
unless you hit it through a hole which you see right away, 9/10 a grounder is out. if it's not out and an error than chances are trotting won't hurt your chances to get on base
 
MacNut

MacNut

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alent1234 said:
unless you hit it through a hole which you see right away, 9/10 a grounder is out. if it's not out and an error than chances are trotting won't hurt your chances to get on base
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Just wait until you see Cano makes the easy out and you want to throw something at the TV. Trust me it will happen, Yankee fans have been going through it for years putting up with his lazy base running.
 
Moyank24

Moyank24

macrumors 601
Aug 31, 2009
4,334
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in a New York State of mind
alent1234 said:
unless you hit it through a hole which you see right away, 9/10 a grounder is out. if it's not out and an error than chances are trotting won't hurt your chances to get on base
Click to expand...

To be fair, it's not just on ground balls.

It's stretching a single into a double, or a double into a triple....the difference between being in scoring position and not being in scoring position can change the outcome of an inning and a game.

He likes to watch pop-ups and towering drives.

I like Robby and I hold no ill will for him - it's hard to blame someone for getting as much money as they can. But he can be frustrating to watch at times.
 
zioxide

zioxide

macrumors 603
Dec 11, 2006
5,737
3,726
alent1234 said:
unless you hit it through a hole which you see right away, 9/10 a grounder is out. if it's not out and an error than chances are trotting won't hurt your chances to get on base
Click to expand...

Chances are trotting is a good way to get a one way ticket to the bench. Or the minors.

What happens when the 2nd baseman bobbles the ball? Has difficulty getting it to his throwing hand to toss it to 1st? Or what happens if the throw is off and the 1st baseman is pulled off the bag?

There's also plenty of times where it's hit near a fielder and he'll have a play on it, but the runner has a chance to beat out the throw.

I mean, I'm not a big baseball fan by any means, but come on.. this is little league stuff.



PS. Hey MacNut.. enjoy your offseason? :p

davis_wsgm63_spts-17022.r.jpg
 
zioxide

zioxide

macrumors 603
Dec 11, 2006
5,737
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Moyank24 said:
Let me guess. You're wearing a Pink 2013 WS Champions hat as we speak. Right?
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:D

I didn't know there was a rule that I had to be a die-hard baseball fan in order to enjoy my city bringing home its 8th championship in 12 years. :p

For the record though, the only hats I wear are black and gold.
 
Moyank24

Moyank24

macrumors 601
Aug 31, 2009
4,334
2,454
in a New York State of mind
zioxide said:
:D

I didn't know there was a rule that I had to be a die-hard baseball fan in order to enjoy my city bringing home its 8th championship in 12 years. :p

For the record though, the only hats I wear are black and gold.
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If you paid attention to baseball more, you might know more of the rules. ;)

Anytime you want to learn more, just ask. I'm always happy to educate Red Sox fans. :p
 
zioxide

zioxide

macrumors 603
Dec 11, 2006
5,737
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Moyank24 said:
If you paid attention to baseball more, you might know more of the rules. ;)

Anytime you want to learn more, just ask. I'm always happy to educate Red Sox fans. :p
Click to expand...

I try to pay attention and watch, it's just too slow of a game for me to get into it until the games really start to matter. If they sped up the pace of the game to where it used to be (like throw a pitch every 20 seconds, not one a minute), I'd watch more.

I follow the results and read up on the previous night's game almost every morning, I just don't have the time or the attention span to sit down and watch every one of the 162 games. I'm not ashamed to admit I'm more of a casual fan for baseball, especially compared to hockey and football.

I'll always root for the Sox to do well though.. still have my tiny old Sox cap from when I was like 4 somewhere in the attic.
 
A

alent1234

macrumors 603
Jun 19, 2009
5,688
170
zioxide said:
Chances are trotting is a good way to get a one way ticket to the bench. Or the minors.

What happens when the 2nd baseman bobbles the ball? Has difficulty getting it to his throwing hand to toss it to 1st? Or what happens if the throw is off and the 1st baseman is pulled off the bag?

There's also plenty of times where it's hit near a fielder and he'll have a play on it, but the runner has a chance to beat out the throw.

I mean, I'm not a big baseball fan by any means, but come on.. this is little league stuff.



PS. Hey MacNut.. enjoy your offseason? :p

davis_wsgm63_spts-17022.r.jpg
Click to expand...


i'll watch a few dozen games per year and still the chances of beating a throw to first from a grounder are like 1/10. even if its bobbled or the fielder has to get into a better position to throw it

statistically you are better off having a player who draws more walks than one who's a faster sprinter to first

----------
Moyank24 said:
To be fair, it's not just on ground balls.

It's stretching a single into a double, or a double into a triple....the difference between being in scoring position and not being in scoring position can change the outcome of an inning and a game.

He likes to watch pop-ups and towering drives.

I like Robby and I hold no ill will for him - it's hard to blame someone for getting as much money as they can. But he can be frustrating to watch at times.
Click to expand...


looking at Cano's OPS, there is no way you can say he doesn't get extra base hits. to get a double or triple you have to hit the ball in a corner and have the outfielder run after it, not just run a a second or two faster
 
ucfgrad93

ucfgrad93

macrumors Core
Aug 17, 2007
19,532
10,820
Colorado
zioxide said:
What happens when the 2nd baseman bobbles the ball? Has difficulty getting it to his throwing hand to toss it to 1st? Or what happens if the throw is off and the 1st baseman is pulled off the bag?

There's also plenty of times where it's hit near a fielder and he'll have a play on it, but the runner has a chance to beat out the throw.

I mean, I'm not a big baseball fan by any means, but come on.. this is little league stuff.
Click to expand...

Agreed. Once the ball is hit, you never know what will happen.
 
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