2018 Baseball season (10 Viewers)

[jazzeum]

I don't know whether I should be happy that spring training is coming to an end. The Mets record is 7-15, the worst in the Grapefruit League.

 

[Panzer ace]

I don't know whether I should be happy that spring training is coming to an end. The Mets record is 7-15, the worst in the Grapefruit League.

Brad:

I am with you, the Giants are 11-12 with a whole bunch of new (expensive) additions.

-Jason

 

[jazzeum]

Jason,

I think 11-12 is ok. The conventional wisdom has been that coming out of spring training you don’t want to be good or too bad; around 500 is considered a good spring training.

I think the Giants and Nats are where they want to be, record wise.

Brad

 

[lancer]

Brad, what are the Angels going to do with Ohtani? He has been terrible this spring, both at the plate and on the mound. Seems like he needs to start the season in the minors and get some seasoning. His numbers in spring training indicate he is nowhere near major league ready. It is true he hasn't been used much on the mound (2 games), for 2.2 innings, but he has allowed 12 baserunners and has a 27.00 ERA. At the plate he is hitting .083 (2 for 24). Any buzz on his fate? -- Al

 

[Panzer ace]

Brad, what are the Angels going to do with Ohtani? He has been terrible this spring, both at the plate and on the mound. Seems like he needs to start the season in the minors and get some seasoning. His numbers in spring training indicate he is nowhere near major league ready. It is true he hasn't been used much on the mound (2 games), for 2.2 innings, but he has allowed 12 baserunners and has a 27.00 ERA. At the plate he is hitting .083 (2 for 24). Any buzz on his fate? -- Al

Great question. Is it too early to tell?

 

[jazzeum]

My son said he should be sent down. At first I pooh poohed what he said but he might have to start in the minors. However, I wonder how Ohtani would react.

 

[CanesBart]

OK, which Stadiums have you been to?

Ever been to a World Series game?

Me: Old Marlins Park ie Joe Robbie Stadium (wont go near the new one, its an unholy place, blasphemly built on sacred
ground.)
Tampa Bay Rays stadium (which is in St. Petersburg)
Wrigley Field (16 oz Old Styles, Vienna Dogs, the best ever!)
Old and new Kominsky Park (South side, it's like "The Road Warrior" with higher crime)
Fenway park (scary. My roomates took me to Boston one summer. Sitting in the bleachers, "Baht! Dont say
ANYTHING! Your Southern accent's gonna get you killed!" )

Went to one World Series game, Marlins game 7 against Cleveland in the 90's. Bought tickets from scalpers for like 40 bucks!

 

[lancer]

O's actually might have a decent starting rotation. They just signed Alex Cobb to a 4 year/$60 mil contract to fill out the rotation. Gives them 4 decent starters in Bundy, Gausman, Cashner, and now Cobb to go with Tillman, who is still a big question mark based on last season. If Tillman can rebound at all, the O's have 5 decent pitchers, all RH, to start the season. Surprised me a bit by springing for Cobb. -- Al

 

[Panzer ace]

O's actually might have a decent starting rotation. They just signed Alex Cobb to a 4 year/$60 mil contract to fill out the rotation. Gives them 4 decent starters in Bundy, Gausman, Cashner, and now Cobb to go with Tillman, who is still a big question mark based on last season. If Tillman can rebound at all, the O's have 5 decent pitchers, all RH, to start the season. Surprised me a bit by springing for Cobb. -- Al

The AL East (as usual) is going to be fun to watch!

 

[theBaron]

OK, which Stadiums have you been to?

Ever been to a World Series game?

In the majors:

Connie Mack Stadium, in its last season (We paid a kid five bucks to watch our car on Lehigh Avenue.)
Veterans' Stadium
Citizens Bank Park

When I was in Chicago for World Expo last July, we looked into seeing a Cubs game, since they were home that weekend, against the Pirates. But you couldn't even look at a ticket for less than two hundred bucks, so it was a no-go. We rode past the White Sox' park, on the El, but didn't have time to go take a look at "Your Name Here" Park.

In the minors:

Reading, PA, home of the Reading Fightin' Phils (starting my 19th season taking my dad to the Sunday games)
Coca-Cola Park in Allentown, home of the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs (aka Taxpayer Park)
Bicentennial Park in Allentown, home of the short-lived Allentown Ambassadors (an independent club, unaffiliated)
Lackawanna County Stadium outside Wilkes-Barre, home of the Rail-Riders (formerly known as the Red Barons)
Harrisburg's City Park, Harrisburg, PA, home of the Double-A Harrisburg Senators (Washington Nationals) (The old grandstand has since been torn down and replaced with a much larger one.)
Prince William County field, home of the Prince William Cannons (Single-A)
Quakertown Memorial Park, in Quakertown, PA, home of the Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League Quakertown Blazers.

I started going to minor league games during the 1994 strike season. I was so desperate to see ball games that I went to American Legion games, high school games. When the majors came back, I found that I enjoyed seeing games at the minor league level so much, that I kept going. The parks are small, intimate, and watching baseball there is more what it should be like. I took my dad a couple of times, then started getting him a Sunday season ticket to Reading, for Christmas ever year. We've seen a lot of prospects come through the farm system, not only for the Phillies, but for the other clubs with farm teams in the Eastern League. I saw Robinson Cano, for example, when he was playing with the Trenton Thunder, and Bryce Harper, when he was with the Harrisburg Senators. And last season, we added the Iron Pigs to our Sundays-on the Sundays when Reading is away, we go to Allentown. Plus, my dad just turned 80, and I know that there will come a time when we won't be able to do this. So I make sure we get to go.

I prefer to listen to games on the radio, though. TV is OK, but baseball really is best enjoyed on a summer afternoon or evening, in cool spot, listening to the game on the radio, and enjoying a glass of beer.

Prost!
Brad

 

[lancer]

What is the definition of snake-bitten? SF Giants are beginning to find out as Bumgarner got hit by a line-drive that broke a bone in his pitching hand. Projected to be out 6-8 weeks. This after Samardzija injuring a pec and likely to have to go on the DL. Tough luck less than a week from Opening Day. Hope Bums injury is a simple fracture and isn't more than that. Jeesh. -- Al

 

[jazzeum]

The heat is on Al. Many people are picking the Nationals to go to the World Series.

Will he wilt under the pressure?

 

[lancer]

The heat is on Al. Many people are picking the Nationals to go to the World Series.

Will he wilt under the pressure?

Brad, it's the same pressure the Nats have had for the last few seasons. They have to win a post-season series first, then we worry about the WS. :wink2: Going to be an interesting season, no doubt about it. A rookie manager (and all the attendant problems) and the Harper FA question will share the WS hopes as major concerns here in DC. I just intend to enjoy the games and hope that the team stays healthy and can live up to even a part of the hype. But, as you say, the pressure is on...so let'splay ball! -- Al

 

[Warrior]

Greg Bird to have surgery on his foot, out 6 to 8 weeks; oh well, so much for the MFY's going 162-0, looks more like 150-12 now.......

 

[sammy719]

Schedule for the 1st month of baseball not very kind for my O's... 1st 3 at home vs. Twins, then 3 in Houston (destroyed us last year) then off to New York with a 4 game set vs. the evil Yanks, shortly followed by 4 games with Boston, and the Jays....might get ugly out the gate.

 

[lancer]

Schedule for the 1st month of baseball not very kind for my O's... 1st 3 at home vs. Twins, then 3 in Houston (destroyed us last year) then off to New York with a 4 game set vs. the evil Yanks, shortly followed by 4 games with Boston, and the Jays....might get ugly out the gate.

Sammy, one thing for sure, we're going to find out if the newly rebuilt SP staff is any good pretty fast. -- Al

 

[sammy719]

Sammy, one thing for sure, we're going to find out if the newly rebuilt SP staff is any good pretty fast. -- Al

real fast.^&grin the team played decent ball in Spring training overall (for what that is worth) who knows Al, again this team will score runs in bunches, still got a decent relief crew, if..IF..IF!!! the pitching can improve and I mean really improve, who knows???

 

[Panzer ace]

Bumgarner is out 6 weeks with a broken pinkie. This is not the way I wanted the season to start. To make matters worse the Giants play the Dodgers 10 times in the first 30 games of the season.

 

[Warrior]

if..IF..IF!!! the pitching can improve and I mean really improve, who knows???

You know Sammy.

You know.

Hope springs eternal and all that jazz.................there isn't an Orioles fan under the age of 40 who remembers their last trip to the World Series.

That's a long time between rodeos.

 

[lancer]

Bumgarner is out 6 weeks with a broken pinkie. This is not the way I wanted the season to start. To make matters worse the Giants play the Dodgers 10 times in the first 30 games of the season.

Giants will have to be careful with Bums out. They can't afford to lose too much ground with that many games against the Dodgers. Splitting the 10 will do them nicely. -- Al