Major League Baseball

[Timbuktu]

7 hours ago, ryodi said:

MLB’s always been terrible at punishing that kind of cheating. Didn’t the Red Sox get away with something similar a few years ago?

 

It was just last year, Red Sox got fined for using Apple Watch to steal signs against the Yankees and the Yankees got fined too.  So Astros explanation might make more sense against Boston, but they were doing it in previous series too.  I guess MLB would never do anything in the middle of the playoffs.

 

Edit after Astros/Red Sox Game 4:  Kimbrel is going to give me a heart attack at some point; keeps trying to give the game away but has the power of luck in closing games.  The outfield bailed him out multiple times with some gutsy fielding tonight.  That mookie throw and Benintendo catch were magnificent.  Also nod to Joe West for making that fan interference call.

 

Price to pitch tomorrow.  Sale possibly for game 6.  

[McFly]

I havent watched any NLCS games but ALCS has been awesome. Baseball can be tedious at times but it can also grow and maintain tension like nothing else

[McFly]

Spoiler

Sox are the Series! Wicked awesome 

 

[Timbuktu]

It’s always impossible to call what’s going to happen in postseason baseball but I didn’t expect Red Sox to clinch it against Astros in 5 games, and certain ing not for David Price and the bullpen to come up big as they did.  JBJ the obvious MVP with his clutch hits, but the rest of the outfield saved Red Sox in all the massive moments.  Betts and Benintendi were fantastic.  

 

It was all stacked against David Price, coming in for Sale (hospitalised apparently because of irratituon from a belly bottton ring?!), what a time for him to get his first postseason win.  It’s as good as it can be now, with Sale getting the extra rest before Game 1 of the World Series.  I can’t call Dodgers/ Brewers decider tonight at all.  Obviously a lot of people would want a Dodgers v Red Sox World Series.  I’m not sure about Brewers and their bullpen game; them pulling starter Wade Miley after one batter was a crazy move though.

[ryodi]

One of those rare mornings where I wake up and go to check the score on the MLB At Bat app and find out the game is still going. I think it's all up for grabs now the Dodgers have pulled on back but it depends how much what was essentially two games took out of both sides. My money is on the Dodgers to win game 4 and level up the series tonight.

[OneDvBmbr]

2 hours ago, ryodi said:

One of those rare mornings where I wake up and go to check the score on the MLB At Bat app and find out the game is still going.

 

I did the same. As you say, think the momentum is with the Dodgers now. As a Giants fan, it’s a bit worrying!

[Gringo]

I had recorded the extended highlights on BT.  When I started watching them they began in the 9th inning and I was cursing BT but then I eventually realised why   Gonna be some tire bodies in tonight's game.

[Timbuktu]

On 27/10/2018 at 17:11, OneDvBmbr said:

 

I did the same. As you say, think the momentum is with the Dodgers now. As a Giants fan, it’s a bit worrying!

 

It’s strange how quickly it turned around in Game 4.  LA seemed to have raised their game and had it in the bag when they went 4-0 up.  But every move and pitching change the Dodgers make seem to backfire quite spectacularly.  Only Kimbrel can get me that nervous in the 9th with a 5 run lead though.  

 

Boston can wrap it up tonight. Hoping for Betts to show his quality finally in this series.  Interesting that they are giving this one to Price, and the Dodgers have loaded up with righties against him.  He might get the MVP he pitches well again tonight.  Otherwise it’s Steve Pearce with his clutch hitting in these games.

 

Edit: Red Sox!  Feel a bit sorry for LA for having to host WS celebrations for someone else’s team twice in two years.  This is very good Red Sox team though that just steamrolled through some tough oppositions in postseason.    It’s good to see the best team win and there are some good narratives with David Proce turning it around; but it’s all quite straightforward for them.  Felt like Dodgers lost it in Game 4 and wish they put up more of a fight.  Their only moment seem to be that Munch walkoff HR to end that stupidly long game 3. 

[ryodi]

The Red Sox have just been incredible this year and winning the WS looked on the cards as soon as JBJ (who has been my favourite played since I started watching baseball again in 2014) won the ALCS MVP award for his hitting when he's been more cold than hot all season. Hopefully they won't go to shit in the same way they did in 2014 after their last WS victory.

[McFly]

Stoked for the Sox! An incredible regular season, 108 wins, would have felt like a let down had they not won the Series too. Every player contributed when otners were having an off night. The Long Game, 18 innings(!), was madness and the standard remained high which is a credit to both rosters. I dont know what LA ciuld have done different?  Everytime they raised their game, Boston did too and its been a winderful post-season. I think theres a chance for a dynasty here 

[SteveH]

I was watching an episode of Ray Donovan the other day, and in the background there was a baseball game on. The guy with Donovan asked how Japanese pitchers get to be so good, and Ray Donovan replied that in Japan umpires don't call corners. What does that mean exactly? In simple terms please, as although I enjoy baseball, I rarely understand half the terms they mention. Thanks.

[McFly]

Its a guess, but it sounds like Umpires only call strikes if the ball goes over the centre of the plate, rather than if the ball clips the corners. This makes the pitchers more accurate and consistent.

[Timbuktu]

 

So the London Series pre-sale tickets are up for sale now and they look pretty pricey to say the least.  A fair amount of them are at a premium prices.  As a cheap West Ham season ticket holder, I know how far away some of those CAT 4 and 5 seats are for football, so it'll be a bit strange to say the least.  Still, its a lot cheaper than to go over to Boston or New York and I know my mrs is getting me a ticket for xmas.  Still, I'm not sure if these prices are sustainable if they want to do it year after year and it's not going to be Red Sox v Yankees every time.  

[Salsa Party Animal]

Decided against going to London for baseball games as I feel it is too expensive and a poor ball park. I have seen Boston Red Sox played 10 times this autumn as I went to Chicago, Milwaukee and Boston for my three weeks holiday and seen 19 baseball games in 21 days in 4 ball park and a college football game in Madison. I am saving up for a week in New York in June. So I can go to Mets V Giants and Rockies series.  

[ryodi]

Red Sox getting their asses handed to them in the first inning and thanks to blackout restrictions I can only watch it with the awful international commentary on BT Sport instead MLB.tv.

[Fondue]

3 hours ago, ryodi said:

Red Sox getting their asses handed to them in the first inning and thanks to blackout restrictions I can only watch it with the awful international commentary on BT Sport instead MLB.tv.

It's on BBC Iplayer too (with proper commentary!) 

[McFly]

Quality game, bar the result, the commentary was awful though.

[ryodi]

12 hours ago, Fondue said:

It's on BBC Iplayer too (with proper commentary!) 

 

Thanks. At least that makes today's game watchable.

[Timbuktu]

I was going to write about how much I enjoyed the London series, but the news about Tyler Skaggs is a real gut punch.  He just pitched on Saturday and just 27... RIP

[McFly]

Yeah its sad, sounds like a suicide or maybe an accidental OD 

[mexos]

Never been to a match but we are going to both Chicago and Boston next month and there are seats available to see both the Cubs and Red Sox on days when we are there. 

 

Which one should I go to? Kind of thinking Cubs literally because I can place a bet on the Cubbies winning the world series. 100 to 1 shot!

[McFly]

Both are famous stadiums, ive been to Fenway whoch was great but cant comment on 1066 west-addison. 

 

I go to the Sox, play-off chase is alive and going so itll be an important game.

[Plissken]

Evidence gathering that the Astros had a camera trained on the opposition catcher and were relaying the signals to their hitters.  In the recent World Series, the Nationals changed their signalling system and won all four games in Houston.  Not sure that we've heard the last of this.

 

 

[Timbuktu]

2 hours ago, Plissken said:

Evidence gathering that the Astros had a camera trained on the opposition catcher and were relaying the signals to their hitters.  In the recent World Series, the Nationals changed their signalling system and won all four games in Houston.  Not sure that we've heard the last of this.

 

 

 

I somewhat doubt there would be much made of this.  Damn, did the Astros even have to cheat?  they were favourites and they are still favourites for 2020.  

[Plissken]

Astros lose their GM and manager to one year suspensions.  (The owner fired them afterwards.)  Forfeited 1st and 2nd round draft picks for the next two years and a $5m fine.

 

The Red Sox fired Alex Cora, who was involved in the Astros at the time and alleged Red Sox cheating the season after before the MLB have officially ruled on his case.  (The league is holding back on punishment until the Red Sox investigation concludes.)

[McFly]

Its all a seedy business 

 

What does it mean for the players and teams whove been so succesful during the period mentioned? It must taint them to some extent.

[Plissken]

Tainted but not a lot that the league can do when they have moved on.  Arguably the Red Sox are hurt because Cora cheated for the Astros, but that is mitigated by him cheating in Boston too.  One to keep an eye on in Carlos Beltran, now manager of the Mets. He was identified as a ringleader on the players side as an Astro and denying wrong-doing as recently as two months ago.

[ryodi]

I don’t think it’s unique to the Astros and Red Sox, they were just stupid enough to get caught, Cora will be punished and that’ll be it, the MLB won’t do anything drastic.

[Plissken]

Three managers (one banned for a year, one awaiting sentencing), one GM banned for a year, two years of forfeited major draft picks and £5m doesn't sound like "not doing anything drastic".

[ryodi]

None of the players who took part have been banned and it was apparantly them who came up with the idea. Brady was banned for Deflategate but the players whose idea it was and who took part have gotten away with it. That's what I mean by nothing drastic, getting rid of management doesn't affect what people see on the field as much as a star player being banned. They haven't lost the titles either, if I was an MLB team I'd say the risk was worth the reward.