2014 MLB Thread

[jonumberone]

I remember Delmon Young killing the Yankees in October when he was on the Tigers.
Guess he hasn't lost his touch!

Originally Posted by icehog3

For you Tom, I hope they win 😀

Originally Posted by kelmac07

Can the Tigers bullpen really be that bad??

They've killed them a lot this year Mac.

Cards and Dodgers game is going to be fun to watch⚾️

[icehog3]

Tigers getting what they deserve, why would Ausmus come back with Jaba?

I could be a KC fan by Sunday night.

[AdamJoshua]

Originally Posted by jonumberone

Fixed it for you, Tom.

Tremendous game last night.
It was probably my first time watching the Royals all year.
What a scrappy team. They're going to be a tough out in the playoffs.
The way they scratched out runs last night left me impressed, and they are relentless on the base paths.
They will be well equipped to play in the tight, well pitched games of October.
Provided their starting pitching keeps them in it.

Once Melvin went to Hammel, I thought the game was over.
That's too tough of a spot to have a starting pitcher come in as a reliever.

Somebody should ask Billy Beane if he's inventing a new stat to explain what happened to his team. Maybe WWH, Wins Without Heart?
He clearly traded the heart of his club away when he dealt Cespedes, and they played like it down the stretch.
For his part, Lester has to do a better job than he did last night. That was the type of game he was brought in to win.

I'm interested to see where the postseason goes from here.
Hopefully tonight in Pittsburgh will be just as fun.

Personally glad the A's got knocked out, hate to see them throw Lester back out there for complete game after complete game in the playoffs, he has to be ready to pitch in Boston next year.

On a semi-related note, good to see old friend Jake Peavy get the win today. Had no complaints about him in Boston, he was just what they needed in the post season and I'm pretty sure they scored one run for him all year this year, maybe 2, but not 3, 3 is right out.

Originally Posted by icehog3

Tigers getting what they deserve, why would Ausmus come back with Jaba?

He's a fan of Duck Dynasty, maybe?

[jonumberone]

So far the Postseason has been great, but, my God, the managing has been awful.
.
The Tigers paid dearly for their managers mistakes.
Game 1, you go to your bullpen guys in their roles. I get it. But you can't go back to them in game 2
Dombrowski has to take a hit too.
His team is a perennial playoff competitor, but he's has the same problem every year.
The bullpen has been his Achilles heel.

I amazed Ned Yost even has a job in baseball. Iv'e never seen a manager that couldn't get out of his own way like this.
I have no idea how the Royals won 89 games, let alone 4 playoff games, with him at the helm.
I was glad to see the Royals move on. They also seem to hit a bit more than I thought, and the numbers suggest.
After watching them steal bases and bunt, down 4 runs in the 8th, against the A's, I didn't think they had any pop.
They scratched out the first 2 games, but they did manage to homer in them, and last night they decided to hit 2.

And Finally Matt Williams.
This guy probably made the worst postseason decision since Grady Little decided to leave Pedro in.
Was he watching Zimmerman pitch, or taking a nap in the clubhouse?

Sometimes I think the feel for the game is going out.
Managers today are so beholden to their stat sheets, lefty-lefty matchups and bullpen roles that they no longer see what's right in front of them.
Some of these guys, like Yost, when called upon to make a decision that isn't in their playbook have no idea how to improvise. We saw that with Ausmus too, when he went back to Joba.
It's the same nonsense they use to justify when they sit a hot bat against a pitcher he's struggled against in the past.
Stuff like that drives me crazy.

So, with the remaining teams left, I'm hoping for a KC - St. Louis World Series.
How about you?

[kelmac07]

All great points Dom. I'm waiting on the press conference to say the Tigers have fired Ausmus...HORRIBLE job. Don't have a clue what Williams was doing...Zimmerman is tossing a three hitter with two out in the 9th and you take him out. WTF????

As for KC, I love a scrappy team. And Baltimore has looked really good.

Although STL is a baseball machine, I'm sick of seeing them play in the Fall Classic, but not so sure the Dodgers can hold them off.

Always good to see different teams in the post season...maybe next year my Mets will be that different team.

[Dave128]

Originally Posted by kelmac07

Always good to see different teams in the post season...maybe next year my Mets will be that different team.

[jonumberone]

Originally Posted by kelmac07

maybe next year my Mets will be that different team.

I think the Mets can go to the World Series next year!

All they have to do is buy tickets!

[icehog3]

Originally Posted by jonumberone

The Tigers paid dearly for their managers mistakes.
Game 1, you go to your bullpen guys in their roles. I get it. But you can't go back to them in game 2
Dombrowski has to take a hit too.
His team is a perennial playoff competitor, but he's has the same problem every year.
The bullpen has been his Achilles heel.

Spot on, Dom.

Originally Posted by kelmac07

All great points Dom. I'm waiting on the press conference to say the Tigers have fired Ausmus...HORRIBLE job.

Wonder what Jim Leyland is doing next year?

[gravel]

Originally Posted by jonumberone

So, with the remaining teams left, I'm hoping for a KC - St. Louis World Series.
How about you?

SF - Bal.



Thats a lot of Orange and Black.

[icehog3]

KC - Dodgers for this guy.

Bullpen really took a dump on the Tigers. I think the 2015 roster is going to be much different in Detroit. Max will probably walk, seeing as he'll likely be a $30 million/year guy. Victor may go as well, but if you're a Detroit fan I'd think he'd be the first guy to sign back. Kinda the heart of the team.

[icehog3]

I would be ecstatic if they bring VMart back, but unfortunately I don't think it will happen.

Maybe they can take the 20+ million they save on Max and buy themselves a real bullpen.

[357]

Originally Posted by kelmac07

Great games last night. Well, the Tigers/Orioles was good up until the Tigers bullpen took over in the 8th.

That's been the chorus in Detroit since April.

Originally Posted by kelmac07

Can the Tigers bullpen really be that bad??

Originally Posted by jonumberone

So far the Postseason has been great, but, my God, the managing has been awful.

The Tigers paid dearly for their managers mistakes.
Game 1, you go to your bullpen guys in their roles. I get it. But you can't go back to them in game 2
Dombrowski has to take a hit too.
His team is a perennial playoff competitor, but he's has the same problem every year.
The bullpen has been his Achilles heel.

Unfortunately yes, yes they ARE that bad. Some want to run Dave Dombrowski (GM) out of town but you have to think about it. If last year someone said our bad bullpen would be adding Joba, Soria, Nathan, and Johnson for the upcoming season, you would have expected improvement. Clearly that wasn't the case.

[357]

Originally Posted by icehog3

I would be ecstatic if they bring VMart back, but unfortunately I don't think it will happen.

Maybe they can take the 20+ million they save on Max and buy themselves a real bullpen.

The Tigers will be in big trouble offensively if VMart doesn't come back. Miggy will get walked 100+ times.

[jonumberone]

Originally Posted by 357

If last year someone said our bad bullpen would be adding Joba, Soria, Nathan, and Johnson for the upcoming season, you would have expected improvement.

I'm not trying to pick on the Tigers or their GM, but every one of those guys is or was damaged goods.
Nathan probably had the best track record of the lot, but he's always been terrible in a big spot. Nathan has a bit of Trevor Hoffman in him.
Dombrowski signed players with a potential upside, but with just as big of a downside IMO.

Another great night of baseball!
I don't know if I ever saw a ballpark as electric as Busch was in the 7th after Adams hit that HR.
Feeling bad for Mattingly this morning. He's probably going to get killed by the fans, and some in the media, plus he might find himself without a job.
The truth of the matter is, he went down with the best pitcher in baseball on the mound, twice.
FWIW, the Dodgers need to get Puig off of that team. As great as he can be, he's a cancer.

Watching the SF game, after Posey singles in the 7th, with Pence and Sandoval coming up, I say to myself they're going to break it open and take the lead.
They got the lead, but it was Washington that handed it to them. Sandoval or Pence didn't even make contact, and next thing you know, they were winning.
FWIW, I though Washington looked tight after the 2nd. I thought Matt Williams made a mistake by getting a pitcher up in the pen.
I know it's an elimination game, and you don't want it to get away from you, but the situation they were in wasn't because Gio was pitching bad.
I just feel like hit hit the panic button too early, and his team played tight after that.
Williams won't be long for DC, especially if he can't get along with Harper. Harper was the only Nat that didn't tighten up.

[jonumberone]

This Royals team is relentless.
I keep waiting for the wheels to come off and for them to fall apart, but they just keep coming.
Game 1, 7th inning, after the caught stealing, and two of the worst called strike threes I've ever seen, I thought they were coming undone.
I'm criticizing Yost for not keeping his players calm and backing them up, particularly Cain, who I thought was going to get ejected.
But they just keep battling!
I'd like to think the O's are going to get a game in KC because they keep coming back, but after yesterday, it's starting to feel like they're a dog chasing its tail.

[GTsetGO]

Originally Posted by jonumberone

This Royals team is relentless.
I keep waiting for the wheels to come off and for them to fall apart, but they just keep coming.
Game 1, 7th inning, after the caught stealing, and two of the worst called strike threes I've ever seen, I thought they were coming undone.
I'm criticizing Yost for not keeping his players calm and backing them up, particularly Cain, who I thought was going to get ejected.
But they just keep battling!
I'd like to think the O's are going to get a game in KC because they keep coming back, but after yesterday, it's starting to feel like they're a dog chasing its tail.

it would be nice if the bats didn't go cold with RISP for the Orioles. 3 times in the first 2 games they have the bases loaded and can't get a run across the plate.

that's frustrating.