Baseball 2015

[The Minsky Moment]

Valmy - it's not that weird - he used to walk 3-4 guys/9 IP in college, now he is below 2.  Some people just need time and maturity to hone their control and learn how to pitch.  Think of guys like Koufax or RJ.

Also forgot to mention - Kluber finished 9th in the AL voting, not too shabby given the early season struggles.

[jimmy olsen]

Was at the bar last night watching Korea beat Japan in the 9th inning. The crowd was pleased.

[jimmy olsen]

Looking at Bryce Harper's stats... How can a player bat .330, slug .649 and hit 42 home runs, 38 doubles and triple while only managing to drive in 99 runs? How terrible was the front of the Nat's line up? Someone with stats like that should have driven in like 125 on an average team.

[The Minsky Moment]

Jimmy - he was walked a lot with runners in scoring position.  He had no protection in that lineup - pitchers just don't give him anything to hit in those situations.

[sbr]

NL MVP is younger than NL Rookie of the Year.

[dps]

Valmy - it's not that weird - he used to walk 3-4 guys/9 IP in college, now he is below 2.  Some people just need time and maturity to hone their control and learn how to pitch.  Think of guys like Koufax or RJ.

Plus, colleges use the metal bats (they haven't changed back to wood have they?  There was some discussion of doing so a couple of years or so ago), which really inflates hitting stats.

[Valmy]

Valmy - it's not that weird - he used to walk 3-4 guys/9 IP in college, now he is below 2.  Some people just need time and maturity to hone their control and learn how to pitch.  Think of guys like Koufax or RJ.

Plus, colleges use the metal bats (they haven't changed back to wood have they?  There was some discussion of doing so a couple of years or so ago), which really inflates hitting stats.

Yeah you are about 20 years out of date. They deadened the bats years ago. They are designed to perform like wooden bats now, frankly I think they are worse. But that could just be because my team plays in a massive park and hit about five home runs at home a year.

[MadBurgerMaker]

Is this the latest MLB thread?

Whatevs.  There's a new thing re: slides on double play attempts:

[derspiess]

Part of me likes this rule, but it seems to put too many requirements on a "bona fide slide".

Anyway speaking of baseball, I signed Tommy up for his first season in Little League.  He never played tee-ball or any organized baseball, so I had no idea what they'd think of him in tryouts.  They couldn't believe he hadn't played before.  I guess all the throwing and hitting I did with him last year paid off.

I just wish he threw right-handed instead of left, so he'd have the chance to play 2nd, shortstop & 3rd.  I tried to "encourage" him to throw right since he seemed to be ambidextrous when he was younger, but once he saw his cousin throwing and batting left all bets were off. 

Anyway, excited to see him start practicing and playing.  The league he's in only practices once a week once they get into their season, so I signed him up for the "enhanced" program that puts him on a second team.  Also looking for a camp to get him a head start, since practices don't start for another month.

[Barrister]

Part of me likes this rule, but it seems to put too many requirements on a "bona fide slide".

Anyway speaking of baseball, I signed Tommy up for his first season in Little League.  He never played tee-ball or any organized baseball, so I had no idea what they'd think of him in tryouts.  They couldn't believe he hadn't played before.  I guess all the throwing and hitting I did with him last year paid off.

I just wish he threw right-handed instead of left, so he'd have the chance to play 2nd, shortstop & 3rd.  I tried to "encourage" him to throw right since he seemed to be ambidextrous when he was younger, but once he saw his cousin throwing and batting left all bets were off. 

Anyway, excited to see him start practicing and playing.  The league he's in only practices once a week once they get into their season, so I signed him up for the "enhanced" program that puts him on a second team.  Also looking for a camp to get him a head start, since practices don't start for another month.

Are you crazy?  If he's a lefty get him into pitching ASAP.

[derspiess]

Meh.  I'd rather he be able to rotate through every position in the field.  If he develops enough control, the pitching thing will come to him.

[Valmy]

Knowing the inevitability of the Giants winning the World Series does weaken my anticipation for this season

[Admiral Yi]

Anyway speaking of baseball, I signed Tommy up for his first season in Little League.  He never played tee-ball or any organized baseball, so I had no idea what they'd think of him in tryouts.  They couldn't believe he hadn't played before.  I guess all the throwing and hitting I did with him last year paid off.

Hybrid vigor.

[katmai]

Knowing the inevitability of the Giants winning the World Series does weaken my anticipation for this season

Even year! Even year!

Is that why derpsicy didn't make new thread?

[derspiess]

Knowing the inevitability of the Giants winning the World Series does weaken my anticipation for this season

Even year! Even year!

Is that why derpsicy didn't make new thread?

Figured I would leave that honor to you, actually. 

I'd be okay with the Giants getting their even year title this year.  It would be at least another one for my dad while he's still around, plus it would mean the Cubs didn't make it..