2020-2021 Hot Stove League (1 Viewer)

[Warrior]

I think the Yankees have higher expectations and more pressure to succeed. At least the Nats have a recent title. The Yankees haven’t been to the WS since 2009, something their fans demand every year, and feel they’re entitled to.

In the last 20 years, they've won a whopping one World Series, that one after they spent a quarter of a billion dollars in the off season on Sherman Klump, Beavis and Horseface.....................and as you pointed out, that was their last trip to the World Series, it's been 12 years since they last played in one.

The Red Sox have won two WS titles during that same time frame.

If they keep sputtering, Al is right, Boone may get fired, as the saying goes, you cant fire 25 players.

That said, the AL East is very soft, Tampa took a couple of steps back, the Red Sox are playing way over their heads and Toronto is no power house.

Oh, I forgot about the LET'S GO O'S!!.....................like I said, it's a soft division, the Yankees are too talented to keep playing like this, they'll break out of it sooner or later, go on a run and stampede to an AL East win.............and probably off to the WS too, the AL is hot garbage; where the Dodgers will annihilate them.

 

[lancer]

Last start deGrom fans 15 Nats and shuts them out. Tonight the Mets offense had it's revenge as deGrom gives up 1 run to Boston and losses 1-0. How frustrated can he be? Best pitcher in the game and he knows if he gives up even 1 run, odds are he gets a loss or an ND. I mean, the man has an ERA of 0.51 and has a 2-2 record. Jeez. -- Al

 

[Warrior]

Last start deGrom fans 15 Nats and shuts them out. Tonight the Mets offense had it's revenge as deGrom gives up 1 run to Boston and losses 1-0. How frustrated can he be? Best pitcher in the game and he knows if he gives up even 1 run, odds are he gets a loss or an ND. I mean, the man has an ERA of 0.51 and has a 2-2 record. Jeez. -- Al

The Red Sox scored three runs in two games; and swept the Mets.

I'd call their offense anemic, but that would be unfair to anemics everywhere.

 

[jazzeum]

Last start deGrom fans 15 Nats and shuts them out. Tonight the Mets offense had it's revenge as deGrom gives up 1 run to Boston and losses 1-0. How frustrated can he be? Best pitcher in the game and he knows if he gives up even 1 run, odds are he gets a loss or an ND. I mean, the man has an ERA of 0.51 and has a 2-2 record. Jeez. -- Al

Considering the quality of their pitching, it’s embarrassing to lose to a team like this.

 

[jazzeum]

Another great pitching performance by the Mets last night with an equally pitiful offensive — if that’s the right word — performance. Actually, it was pretty offensive. This team couldn’t beat a tee ball team right now.

When is Cohen going to go Steinbrenner?

 

[lancer]

Another great pitching performance by the Mets last night with an equally pitiful offensive — if that’s the right word — performance. Actually, it was pretty offensive. This team couldn’t beat a tee ball team right now.

When is Cohen going to go Steinbrenner?

Brad, I have been following a ritual every night, wondering which team, the Nats or Mets, is going to offensively fail it's pitching. The inability to score has begun to border on the ridiculous, for both teams. The only reason I haven't opened a vein yet is because I enjoy good pitching and low scoring, but I do worry when 'low scoring' becomes zero scoring night after night. :rolleyes2: -- Al

 

[jazzeum]

Brad, I have been following a ritual every night, wondering which team, the Nats or Mets, is going to offensively fail it's pitching. The inability to score has begun to border on the ridiculous, for both teams. The only reason I haven't opened a vein yet is because I enjoy good pitching and low scoring, but I do worry when 'low scoring' becomes zero scoring night after night. :rolleyes2: -- Al

Looks like the Nats did well last night so that’s good for you. Looking at the Mets last four games, they have scored a run or less in three of those games. That’s not winning baseball and if Conforto, for one, wants a big contract extension, he’d better start hitting. McCarver used to say that hitting is contagious and someone better start hitting so they catch this germ.

 

[lancer]

Looks like the Nats did well last night so that’s good for you. Looking at the Mets last four games, they have scored a run or less in three of those games. That’s not winning baseball and if Conforto, for one, wants a big contract extension, he’d better start hitting. McCarver used to say that hitting is contagious and someone better start hitting so they catch this germ.

Nats went to extra innings tied 0-0 last night and if it hadn't been for Schwarber's 2nd walk-off Hr of the season, it might have gone badly as the Nats showed no offense otherwise. Nats did better today in the run department, thank goodness, but early on it looked iffy as they loaded the bases twice in the first 2 innings with less than 2 out and could only manage 2 runs. Things turned out ok though. On an interesting note, Matt Harvey won his 3rd game for the O's today. He's looked pretty decent during most of his starts, not ace quality, but a decent #4 type. -- Al

 

[Panzer ace]

Last start deGrom fans 15 Nats and shuts them out. Tonight the Mets offense had it's revenge as deGrom gives up 1 run to Boston and losses 1-0. How frustrated can he be? Best pitcher in the game and he knows if he gives up even 1 run, odds are he gets a loss or an ND. I mean, the man has an ERA of 0.51 and has a 2-2 record. Jeez. -- Al

Al:

deGrom is ridiculously good. The majority of his pitches are practically impossible to hit.

Never mind wins and loses, as a baseball fan I simply like to watch what he throws pitch by pitch.

-Jason

 

[lancer]

O's LHP John Means just finished a CG No-hitter against Seattle, 6-0. He was dominant the whole game, fanning 12, walking 0. The only baserunner reached on a missed strike 3 and he was then thrown out trying to steal. Means threw first pitch strikes to 26 of the 27 batters. It was Baltimore's first CG no-hitter since Palmer did it 52 years ago. Congratulations, John. He is now 4-0 with a 1.37 ERA this season. -- Al

 

[lancer]

The Angels have DFA'ed Albert Pujols. I am a bit shocked at this. He was only hitting .198 but he had 5 Hrs and 12 RBIs, not awful numbers. Once again, the business side of baseball rears it's ugly head. -- Al

 

[jazzeum]

The Angels have DFA'ed Albert Pujols. I am a bit shocked at this. He was only hitting .198 but he had 5 Hrs and 12 RBIs, not awful numbers. Once again, the business side of baseball rears it's ugly head. -- Al

He should have retired a couple of years ago. He was basically finished. One of the greatest players of all time shouldn’t be hitting 198. It was time, past time actually.

 

[theBaron]

The Angels have DFA'ed Albert Pujols. I am a bit shocked at this. He was only hitting .198 but he had 5 Hrs and 12 RBIs, not awful numbers. Once again, the business side of baseball rears it's ugly head. -- Al

Well, yeah. It's a business, and I wouldn't agree that it's ugly. The team's object is to win. Why should the club keep paying him the salary if he's no longer producing? Those numbers aren't very good at all, for the salary they're paying him. They could use that money for someone else, maybe even position players, whether current major leaguers, or for prospects.

Pujols himself has said he was thinking of retiring after this season. I agree with Brad (jazzeum), that he probably should have retired a couple of years ago. If it weren't for the DH, I don't think he'd have lasted another 9 seasons after leaving the Cardinals.

He's done very well for himself, and if he does take the opportunity to retire, he has a long life left, and he's got other things he's pursued, like charity work, to which he can now devote more time.

So it's sad to see another player reach the apparent end of his career, but that's life.

 

[Panzer ace]

37 games and about 1/4 of the season done the Giants are in first in the NL West.

So, maybe.........................

 

[Warrior]

So the Dodgers have signed Pujols.

Ok then.

Why? So when they play an AL team on the road, he'll DH?

No clue on this move.

 

[lancer]

So the Dodgers have signed Pujols.

Ok then.

Why? So when they play an AL team on the road, he'll DH?

No clue on this move.

This was my first reaction, as well. Why bother, what does Pujols add to the Dodgers? I would have bet that he'd go to the AL as a DH. -- Al

 

[jazzeum]

Pujols is going to be a glorified pinch hitter. Yes, he could have done that with the Angels or been a DH with an American League team but the Dodgers give him the best chance to win a third WS ring.

 

[lancer]

The Nats sure are making it hard for me to maintain a die-hard interest in them with their sputtering up and down (mostly down) form of play this season. Knew the season depended on a lot of players having big comeback type years and so far it hasn't happened. The only real glimmer of hope is a negative as the rest of the NL East hasn't exactly been on fire although most of the other teams are beginning to find their way. If the Nats don't sort things out pretty soon, they look to have a choke hold on 4th or 5th place. I said the same thing in 2019, so I'll be hanging in for a while yet, but these slow starts sure make it hard. -- Al

 

[Warrior]

So today the RS are up 5-4 on the Angels, 2 outs, here comes Trout, 0-the road trip, he hits a mile high ball that finds a hole between the second baseman going out and the center and right fielders coming in.

So naturally, instead of the third out, now Godzilla or whatever his name is gets an AB; a demolishes a two run home run, 6-5 Angels, then the RS have 1st and 2nd with one out but can't score in the bottom of the 9th, ballgame.

Awesome, just awesome.

 

[Panzer ace]

I have watched lots of MLB highlights lately and I can't help but feel that middle relief is losing and winning more games than anyone wants to admit. Exhibit A is the Giants. They lead the league in so many lose categorizes related to middle relief it is difficult to ignore.