General 2019 MLB thread

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Hauler

Been fallin so long it's like gravitys gone
Feb 3, 2016
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On this date in 1901, the Baltimore Orioles manager John McGraw signed a Cherokee Indian named Tokohama to play 2nd base. In reality, Tokohama wasn't Native American - he was an African-American whose real name was Charlie Grant. The ruse didn't work and Grant never played a game for the Orioles after Charles Comiskey recognized him as a player from the Negro Leagues.

46 years later, Jackie Robinson officially broke the color barrier with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947.
 

Daglord

Posting Machine
Jan 26, 2015
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no more waiver trades effective this year.

trade deadline is July 31st & nothing after.
 

Hauler

Been fallin so long it's like gravitys gone
Feb 3, 2016
45,414
57,814
no more waiver trades effective this year.

trade deadline is July 31st & nothing after.
Good.
Shit was annoying.

"We have a trade deadline. But we have trades after the trade deadline"

Then it's not a deadline you momos.
 

HEATH VON DOOM

Remember the 5th of November
Oct 21, 2015
17,281
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yep, I've had it as long as I can remember.

couldn't imagine a season without it.

IIRC, you can now purchase single teams.
It was o my 30 bucks less for single teams so I just went with the full package. Still have to put the app on my tv's but I have a few weeks
 

Daglord

Posting Machine
Jan 26, 2015
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Good.
Shit was annoying.

"We have a trade deadline. But we have trades after the trade deadline"

Then it's not a deadline you momos.
agree. considering other teams can block the trade by claiming (& most then pulled), it never seemed to make much sense.
 

Daglord

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Jan 26, 2015
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MLB is shelving the pitch clock for this season, postponing its possible implementation until the new collective bargaining agreement takes effect.

Other changes the league is after...
  • 3-batter-minimum for pitchers
  • Further reducing mound visits. Last season it was 6. This season it is 5. The league wants 4 in 2020.
  • Shortening inning breaks from 2:05 to 1:55
  • Automated strike zones
The independent Atlantic League will again be a guinea pig for MLB for some of these proposed changes. They will begin using robot umps - paid for by MLB. Also up for consideration is moving the pitching mound back from its current 60'6".

Atlantic League Expected To Add Robot Umpires, Mound Changes Following New MLB Agreement
3 batter minimum is ridiculous.
 

Daglord

Posting Machine
Jan 26, 2015
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So are the never-ending commercial breaks for LOOGYs.
strategy IMO. I'm in the minority not feeling games need to be sped up. on board with some rule changes, but not 3 batter minimums.

I'd like to see this explained a little more, seems to give advantage to offense if you can pinch hit in the middle of the minimum.

also, when a RP starts the ninth in a non-save & loads the bases, with only 1-2 batters left, can the closer still close out the game? (I'm sure there is some rule allowing this, but can't find it).

Edit:

It’s worth noting the language here in the agreement between league and union: The Office of the Commissioner will implement an amended Official Baseball Rule 5.10(g) requiring that starting pitchers and relief pitchers must pitch to either a minimum of three batters or the end of a half-inning (with exceptions for incapacitating injury or illness). The Players Association has agreed that it will not grieve or otherwise challenge the Office of the Commissioner’s implementation.
 

Hauler

Been fallin so long it's like gravitys gone
Feb 3, 2016
45,414
57,814
strategy IMO. I'm in the minority not feeling games need to be sped up. on board with some rule changes, but not 3 batter minimums.

I'd like to see this explained a little more, seems to give advantage to offense if you can pinch hit in the middle of the minimum.

also, when a RP starts the ninth in a non-save & loads the bases, with only 1-2 batters left, can the closer still close out the game? (I'm sure there is some rule allowing this, but can't find it).

Edit:

It’s worth noting the language here in the agreement between league and union: The Office of the Commissioner will implement an amended Official Baseball Rule 5.10(g) requiring that starting pitchers and relief pitchers must pitch to either a minimum of three batters or the end of a half-inning (with exceptions for incapacitating injury or illness). The Players Association has agreed that it will not grieve or otherwise challenge the Office of the Commissioner’s implementation.
Good point about the pinch hitters.
Huge advantage to the offense if a pitcher is entered into the game to face a lefty, lefty, lefty lineup and the offense pinch hits the 2nd and 3rd guys with righties.

There should probably be some stipulation there.
 

Hauler

Been fallin so long it's like gravitys gone
Feb 3, 2016
45,414
57,814
2018 marked the first year with more strikeouts than hits. I pulled the per game stats dating back to 1871 to see how dramatic of a strikeout increase we have seen in the sport.

When you read about MLB's proposals to move the mound back a couple feet, this is why. They're trying to even the competitive balance between pitcher and hitter, similar to what they did in the late 60's when they lowered the mound.

I also included the HR figures as that's the usual answer to why we are seeing so many strikeouts. "Everyone is swinging for the fences". While that may be true, the per game HR figures have remained fairly consistent throughout the years.

 

Hauler

Been fallin so long it's like gravitys gone
Feb 3, 2016
45,414
57,814
Oh look. The season started this morning in Tokyo.

So fucking dumb.
 

Hauler

Been fallin so long it's like gravitys gone
Feb 3, 2016
45,414
57,814
Pitchers used in today's game in Japan: 12

In an American League game.
 

regular john

Muay Thai World Champion
May 21, 2015
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2018 marked the first year with more strikeouts than hits. I pulled the per game stats dating back to 1871 to see how dramatic of a strikeout increase we have seen in the sport.

When you read about MLB's proposals to move the mound back a couple feet, this is why. They're trying to even the competitive balance between pitcher and hitter, similar to what they did in the late 60's when they lowered the mound.

I also included the HR figures as that's the usual answer to why we are seeing so many strikeouts. "Everyone is swinging for the fences". While that may be true, the per game HR figures have remained fairly consistent throughout the years.

Very interesting. The spike in SO's is ridiculous. They need to lower the mound.
 

Hauler

Been fallin so long it's like gravitys gone
Feb 3, 2016
45,414
57,814
Very interesting. The spike in SO's is ridiculous. They need to lower the mound.
It was dropped from 15" to 10" in 1969. You can see the results of that change in my graph above.

They need to do something. Either drop it another 5" or increase the distance to the plate by a foot or so.
 

regular john

Muay Thai World Champion
May 21, 2015
5,043
6,628
Oh look. The season started this morning in Tokyo.

So fucking dumb.
This is dumb indeed.

Also do you know which national team is participating in the 2019's football America Cup? Japan. At one point the marketing people behind these decisions have got to realize it just looks silly as hell and devaluates the product over time, all in the name of some quick yens.