Posts Tagged ‘baseball’

Report from Louisiana: Baseball is Life

Posted: October 10, 2022 by Pat Austin in Uncategorized
Tags: , , , ,
Photo by Jose Francisco Morales on Unsplash

By: Pat Austin

SHREVEPORT – Random, unconnected thoughts about baseball.

I am writing this on Sunday evening while watching the Mets v Padres. It’s not looking good for the Mets at the moment. But as I watch, I am thinking about the proposed MLB rule changes for next year. And a big thumbs down to that from me.

I am by no means whatsoever the baseball expert that my friend Liz is; she is a Pirates fan from waaaayyy back and can quote stats, dates, and important events for all the players. It’s incredible. I am a different kind of fan; I just watch because I love baseball. I don’t even have a favorite team! I have some I like and follow more than others, but I’m not die-hard for any one team.

So maybe that negates my opinions on the matter. Who knows.

But I’ll express them anyway. I’m not a fan of a pitch clock. At all. Baseball is a game of strategy and the dance between a pitcher and the batter is a beautiful thing. Putting a clock on it is criminal. You think the game lasts too long? It’s not fast enough for your video-game-aged-mind? Too bad.

And another thing.

This man-on-second thing when the game is in a tie at the end of the ninth…what the heck!  I hate it. Hate hate hate. Can we say unfair advantage?! Let the teams duke it out…give me those old tie-breaker games that lasted all night! These guys are athletes, professional athletes making lots and lots of money. We aren’t talking about a T-ball game. This is professional baseball!

I really wish we would quit expecting a homerun derby every time we watch a game; batters going for the fences every time does not equate to better athleticism for me. There are merits to be found in “small ball,” in the well placed ground ball, for example. Moving the runners around the bases. You want to see a homerun derby, tune in at All-Star time and you can find one. Leave the rest of the games alone.

And this one will be really unpopular, I’m sure, especially coming from a female, but I do not like a female baseball announcer. I’m so sorry, feminists, but man, listening to some former softball player chick try to tell me what is happening in a Major League baseball game just irritates me. Fight me.

Baseball is the purest, best game we have. Leave it alone. There is no other game more American, more beautiful, than baseball. The history! The poetry! The show! I love it, even though I can’t quote stats and even though I don’t bleed team colors, I love baseball. I hate to see the season end. Spring training is circled on my calendar. Winter is long and dark.

To be honest, I love minor league baseball and even the college leagues even more. If you don’t know about the Clarinda A’s, look it up. What an amazing story!

Rule changers: sit down. Leave it alone.
Baseball is Life.

Five Aaron Judge hits #62 Thoughts Under the Fedora. Yankees Lose, Arraez Rests, Anybody but Othani for MVP, Only Yanks OF need apply and where’s the juice?

Posted: October 5, 2022 by datechguy in baseball
Tags: , ,

As you might have heard if you follow baseball at all Aaron Judge led off the Yankees penultimate game of the regular season with his 62 home run of the season to set a new American League all time record.

On the other hand it wasn’t enough to give the Yankees a win as the once unbeatable team dropped the game to the lowly rangers by a score of 3-2

The one mountain that stands between Judge and the triple crown (lead in HR, RBI & AVG) which would be on the 2nd of the 21st century is Luis Arraez or more specifically his hamstring which has kept him out of games since Saturday. Judge will need to go 4-4 or 5-6 to catch him. If he manages to do this then people will not just be comparing him to Maris this season but to Ted Williams who famously went 6-8 in a doubleheader to finish the 1941 season at .406 the last man to hit .400 rather than settling for .3995 if he sat and making the landmark via a rounding.

One thing that 62nd home run does is take some of the pressure off the MVP voters.

You might think that Judge, would be the clear favorite over last years’ MVP Shohei Othani if you put their triplecrown stats side by side

PlayerBatting AvgHome RunsRuns Batted In
Aaron Judge.31162130
Shohei Othani.2783495

However Othani’s has something the Judge doesn’t have, a Pitching line

PlayerGames as PitcherIPWinsLossesPctStrikeoutsERA
Aaron Judgenonenonen/an/an/an/an/a
Shohei Othani27161158.6522132.35

Judge is 1st in Wins above replacement among batters with Othani 2nd, however Othani is also 2nd in wins above replacement among PITCHERS in the AL, 4th in ERA, 4th in wins . 3rd in strikeouts and did all of this for a team that is going to miss the playoffs and not even get to a .500 record..

Othani is clearly the more valuable player but as long as he is putting up batting and pitching stats like this he would naturally win every single year which the voters don’t want, Judge reaching a thrice in 122 year milestone give the voters and excuse to place Shohei 2nd.

When Babe Ruth (the other great hitting pitcher who was converted to the OF to take advantage of his bat every day) hit his 60’s HR in 1927 he reported said:

“Sixty! Count ’em, 60! Let’s see some other son of a bitch match that!”

It took 34 years and a slightly longer season (162 vs 154 games) for someone, namely Roger Maris to do so with 61

It took a further 61 years and both a DH rule and interleague play for that American league record of 61 to become 62.

Here’s the real oddity.

The only people in American League History to hit 60 homes or more have all been Left Handed Yankee Outfielders playing in a year the Yanks finished 1st.

You have to go back to Hank Greenberg of the Detroit tigers for the next highest man at 58. Mark McGuire’s 58 were split between Oakland (AL) and St Louis (NL)

This also raises a buggaboo for me.

A lot of people are making a larger fuss over Judge because his 62 was done without “juicing” or any kind of steroids, but consider he also was not facing pitchers who were juicing as well.

Or to put it another way. Despite the steroids the number of players who have reached 60+ home runs in the National league is the same number of player who have reached 60 home runs in the American League three (AL Judge, Maris, Ruth), as there have been in the national league (Bonds, McGuire, Sosa)

The difference is quantity Bonds reached 73 home runs in 2001 but never reached 50 any other year. McGuire would manage 70 in 1998 and 65 the next year before age and injury got to him. The real Irony is Sosa who would actually manage it three times while never leading the league with 66 in 98, 63 in 99 both times 2nd to McGuire and 64 in 2001 the year Bonds broke the record.

My thought is it was just as tough to hit those HR’s in the steroid era as without them because again, Judge, Maris and Ruth didn’t have to face juiced up pitchers at the same time.

Baseball will be a lot better off admitting that white regrettable the steroids’ era was a fun time in the game, the fans loved the game of that era and the players that played it and the sooner we get over it the sooner the game will recover.

Dynasty 1970 League Expansion Draft UPDATE with division setup and retaining rules

Posted: April 24, 2022 by datechguy in baseball, dynasty baseball, gaming, online gaming
Tags: , ,

Well we’ve now got our 18 teams and the Dynasty draft league for the 1970 season is starting to roll. It began with our Expansion Draft. We had four new players two of which took existing teams vacated by other players (Cleveland and SF) and two who took new franchises (California & Philadelphia). Those two teams participated in an expansion draft choosing players from existing teams. Each existing team was allowed to protect 7 players from the expansion draft and an additional five if a player was drafted from their team. Once any team lost 3 players (LA Dodgers) no further players could be drafted from it.

Here were the draft results by round

RoundPlayerPositionDrafted FromPlayerPositionDrafted From
Philadelphia PhilliesCalifornia Angels
1Mudcat GrantPSt. Louis CardinalsTommy JohnPBoston Red Sox
2Don McMahonPLos Angeles DodgersBill Russellss/OFBoston Red Sox
3Dick SelmaPLos Angeles DodgersJoe NiekroPWashington Senators
4Clyde WrightPMinnesota TwinsSandy Alomar Sr2BSan Francisco Giants
5Pat DobsonPCleveland IndiansCarl MortonPNew York Yankees
6Luke WalkerPCincinnati RedsDon Money3BSan Francisco Giants
7Tom PhoebusPPittsburgh PiratesBob LockerPOakland A’s
8Clay CarrollPPittsburgh
Pirates		George MitterwaldCSeattle Pilots
9Ron KlimkowskiPMontreal ExposMatty AlouOF Los Angeles Dodgers
10Dick DragoPNew York YankeesLou PiniellaOFBaltimore Orioles
11Jim RookerPMontreal Exposn/an/an/a
12Tony TaylorInfAtlanta Bravesn/an/an/a

Having drafted 10 players in the expansion California will draft 16th in the full scale version ahead of Seattle & Behind LA. Because they took the full 12 players allowed the Philadelphia will draft last at 18th.

The Final Draft order for the 1970 continual draft league:

  1. Atlanta Braves
  2. NY Yankees
  3. San Francisco Seals (Giants)
  4. Cin City (Cincinnati Reds)
  5. St Louis Cardinals
  6. Boston Red Sox 
  7. Washington Senators 
  8. Oakland A’s
  9. Pittsburgh Pirates
  10. Baltimore Orioles
  11. Montreal Nos Amours (Expos)
  12. Minnesota Twins
  13. Cleveland Indians
  14.  LA Dodgers
  15. California Angels
  16. Seattle Pilots
  17. New York Day Traders (Mets)
  18. Philadelphia Phillies

Given that the actual draft will be 18 players from all over the country from NY to CA it will take at least a couple of weeks. I expect us to get started by the end of may or beginning of June, sooner if I can manage it, but we’re playing 162 this time and it’s going to be fun.

And if you like what you see, well we can always go to 20 teams next season.

UPDATE The rules for keeping players after the next season are as follows:

  1. World series winner 4 players
  2. World series runner up 5 players
  3. Division winners who don’t go to the series 6 players
  4. Division winners who don’t make the Pennant round 7 players
  5. Wild card teams who don’t go to the series 8 players
  6. 11th and 12th best records 9 players
  7. 13th and 14th best records 10 players
  8. 15th and 16th best records 11 players
  9. 17th and 18th best records 12 players

With 18 teams the divisions are going to be as follows

AL EastAL CentralAL WestNL EastNL CentralNL West
Seattle PilotsCleveland IndiansBoston Red SoxAtlanta BravesNY Day TradersLos Angeles Dodgers
New York YankeesCalifornia AngelsOakland A’s
Philadelphia PhilliesCincinnati RedsPittsburgh Pirates
Baltimore OriolesMinnesota TwinsWashington SenatorsMontreal Nos Amours (Expos)St Louis CardinalsSan Francisco Seals (Giants)
Bold indicates defending division winner from last season Bold Italic Pennant winner Bold italic underline World Series Champion

Divisions were set up with the following priorities in order

  • Division winners not to be put in the same division
  • Whenever possible players are placed in divisions with opponents living in the same time zone
  • If not possible traditional rivals are put together
  • Actual geographic location of the franchise

Thus since the Red Sox (Colorado), the A’s (Arizona) and the Senators (Nevada) all live out west they were put in the same division since with an unbalanced schedule (18 in division, 12 out of division 6 interleague) so alas the Redsox and Yankees will not share a division as the Yanks live in the east

two of the three AL central teams live in the central time zone while four AL team managers live in the east. California and Seattle were the obvious candidates to go to the central but as Cleveland is defending a division title and so is Seattle California was the default as it was the closest geographic choice.

The NL was more complicated four NL teams live in the east, four in the central and only one (Pittsburgh) on the west coast. Thus one eastern player and one central player had to go west. The obvious choices were the Giants and the Dodgers as they are both actual west coast teams and are also traditional rivals.

World Series Day in the SABLE Face to Face League after the wildest Division series ever played

Posted: March 26, 2022 by datechguy in baseball
Tags: ,

For only the 4th time since 1985 and the first time in the 21st century I’ll be heading to the World Series in our face to face league as my Washington Nationals will face the well rested Colorado Rockies for all the marbles.

The Rockies who won their division by winning the final series against me two games to one made short work of the Cardinals sweeping them in three.

My path to the big game was more complicated.

Finishing in a three way tie for the two wild card berths as the B team I defeated the NYY 7-2 with Max Scherzer dodging bullets the entire way to get me the home spot in the wild card game. In that game Yu Darvish who was acquired at the cost of a 1st round pick early in the season pitched a complete game shutout to give me a chance at a pennant against a NY Mets that had only swept the season series against me this year but one that I had only managed two wins against in the three years since the league was revived.

It was a classic series

In game one I jumped to a 4-0 lead after two but starter Lance Lynn who had lost the wild card game the previous year was jumped on for three runs in the 5th to make it a one run game. Mets relivers Valdez shut me down the rest of the way while my bullpen bent but didn’t break TJ Antony getting out of a bases loaded one out jam in the 7th and after a 9th inning leadoff walk two big defensive plays kept the tying run on first.

Final Washington 5 Mets 4

Game two was a scoreless pitching duel into the 7th until Nolan Arenado singled in Anthony Rendon and a Molina Sac fly scored Lindor to give me a 2-0 lead. In the bottom of the 8th Mookie Betts completely misplayed a Ramirez liner putting him on third where he scored on a Trey Turner ball that went to the warning track to make it a one run game. In the bottom of the 9th Jeffries allowed a one out walk and followed that with a two out walk a single loaded the bases bringing up Ramirez. With Washington about to go up 2 games to none he hit a shot deep into the hole at short that was just out of the reach of the diving Lindor and just like that the series was tied at once each

Final Mets 3 Washington 2

Game three in Washington started well for the Nats, Merrifield singled home Guriell in the 1st and promptly stole 2nd & 3rd with nobody out but Zac Gallen retired Betts, Rendon and Abreu in order to get out of the jam. Meanwhile Max Scherzer who dodged a bunch of bullets vs the Yanks was not so lucky giving up five runs in 2 2/3 innings including a monster 3 run shot to Trey Turner who had an incredible series. Meanwhile Valdez came in again with one outs in the 5th and after giving up a single that made it a one run game retired the next 14 in a row to make the Mets insurance run in the 6th superfluous.

Final New York 6 Nationals 4

Darvish came back for the do or die game and thanks to another big hit by Merrifield was staked to a 3-0 lead until Trey Turner once again hit a 3 run shot to tie things up in the 5th. That’s how it stayed till the top of the 12th when with runners on 1st & 3rd and two outs manager Gionet surprised everyone calling for the suicide squeeze. Josh Bell laid it down perfectly and everyone was safe so even when Washington turned the 6-4-3 double play to end the inning, the Mets were still only 3 outs away from a trip to the series.

They would only get one of them, Rendon and Betts would both walk to start the bottom of the 12th and with one out and the runners going pinch Hitter Didi Gregorius would smash a double down the line scoring them both and tying the series at 2

Final Nationals 5 NY 4 (12)

The rain clouds looked ominous for game five but they decided to try to get the game in anyways. That decision looked poor for NY when Betts and Hosmer went back to back to give Washington a 3-0 lead (they scored first in every game of the series) but with Lance Lynn finally finding his pitching groove giving up only one hit in 4 innings the sky opened up and the rain didn’t stop. The Game was called to be replayed the next day.

Washington surprised everyone by throwing Scherzer who had been roughed up the last time on three days rest while the Mets did the same with Gallen. Washington scored first on a single two wild pitches and another single to make it 1-0 but Acuna Jr.’s two run shot (his only big hit of the series) was enough to chase Scherzer in the third. The Mets went back to Valdez who had shut down the Nats in game 3 but it didn’t work out that way this time A solo shot by Abreu tied the game up and a critical error by Jeff McNeil led to another two run double by Gregorius followed shortly by a 3 run shot by Betts made it 7-2 and it looked like it was all over but the shouting .

It wasn’t Tejay Antone who had been excellent in relief came in with two on and one out in the 7th and after coaxing a force out to third gave up two walks and a double for three runs before the 3rd out was caught against the left field wall just short of giving away the lead.

Down by two the Mets started the 8th with a leadoff single when McNeil an excellent bat handler trying to make up for his 5th inning miscue hit a liner with the runner going that looked destined for left field but Lindor remembering the ball he couldn’t get to dove to his right to spear the liner and managed to get the ball to first to double off the runner. This turned out to be a critical play as the Jeffries arm stiffened up and he had to come out Rosentall was rushed in and threw a fat pitch for his first offering which was promptly deposited into the left field stands. 7-6.

Washington went quietly in the 9th and Trey Turner who already had 7 rbi’s in the series came up and put a 2-1 pitch into the gap to lead off the 9th. Alas what would have capped a sure MVP award for the series never happened as Trevor Rosentall decided to prove the wisdom of deadline trade that sent him to DC retiring the next three batters in a row for his 2nd save of the series and completing the biggest playoff upset in years.

Final Washington 7 Mets 6

Well my pitching staff isn’t well rested and Colorado who leads the season series against me 4-2 is but on the bright side my starting center fielder who was injured on the final day of the regular season has been cleared to play adding both power and defense to my lineup.

I’ll need it.

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