The Pesky Rays Won't Go Away

[Nick]

Pesky rays pitching has been getting better! As long as the pitching holds out, wins will keep coming!

 

Surprising, they have scored more runs than the Sox, albeit they've played couple of more games. As I mentioned elsewhere, their OPS is nothing to write home about, much lower than Sox.

[moonslav59]

Pesky rays pitching has been getting better! As long as the pitching holds out, wins will keep coming!

 

They also excel at the things stats don't cover as well as defense, smart base-running and good management.

 

Their pitching has looked real good, recently, but it is not a given this will continue.

[harmony]

How much have the Rays (and other AL East teams) benefited from playing their interleague games against the floudering NL East?

 

The AL East have four teams above .500 with a 28-13 record this year against the NL East, including Tampa Bay's 7-1 record. In contrast, the AL West has only two teams above .500 with an 11-22 interleague record against the powerful NL West.

 

AL East teams are a combined 13 games above .500 while AL West teams are a combined four games under .500. How much of the difference can be attributed to the relative strength of interleague opponents?

 

Each division should be competitive this year.

[notin]

How much have the Rays (and other AL East teams) benefited from playing their interleague games against the floudering NL East?

 

The AL East have four teams above .500 with a 28-13 record this year against the NL East, including Tampa Bay's 7-1 record. In contrast, the AL West has only two teams above .500 with an 11-22 interleague record against the powerful NL West.

 

AL East teams are a combined 13 games above .500 while AL West teams are a combined four games under .500. How much of the difference can be attributed to the relative strength of interleague opponents?

 

Each division should be competitive this year.

 

Maybe the NL East teams are floundering because they have a tougher schedule due to playing the AL East.

 

In games against everyone else but the AL East, the floundering NL East is 110-77...

Edited June 2, 2021 by notin

[mvp 78]

Maybe the NL East teams are floundering because they have a tougher schedule due to playing the AL East...

 

If only the AL East could play the NL East AND the AL West. Sox would be like 15 games above .500 right now.

[notin]

If only the AL East could play the NL East AND the AL West. Sox would be like 15 games above .500 right now.

 

Exactly. Maybe the powerful NL West is really just beating up on the weaker AL West. It would explain the upstart Giants a bit better...

[mvp 78]

Exactly. Maybe the powerful NL West is really just beating up on the weaker AL West. It would explain the upstart Giants a bit better...

 

It doesn't get much worse than Angels pitching and Mariners hitting. Woof.

[moonslav59]

How much have the Rays (and other AL East teams) benefited from playing their interleague games against the floudering NL East?

 

The AL East have four teams above .500 with a 28-13 record this year against the NL East, including Tampa Bay's 7-1 record. In contrast, the AL West has only two teams above .500 with an 11-22 interleague record against the powerful NL West.

 

AL East teams are a combined 13 games above .500 while AL West teams are a combined four games under .500. How much of the difference can be attributed to the relative strength of interleague opponents?

 

Each division should be competitive this year.

 

Maybe the NLE sucks because we killed them.

 

If they played the ALW instead of ALE, they'd be much better.

[notin]

It doesn't get much worse than Angels pitching and Mariners hitting. Woof.

 

Are you trying to drop subtle hints that both of these teams need to recruit Air Bud?

[dgalehouse]

The Mets have probably been harder hit with injuries than anyone . But they are a very good team . I would not sell them short.

[harmony]

If only the AL East could play the NL East AND the AL West. Sox would be like 15 games above .500 right now.

The AL West is currently 37-33 against the AL East and 11-22 against the NL West.

 

If only the AL West could replace the NL West with the AL East.

Edited June 2, 2021 by harmony

[harmony]

Maybe the NLE sucks because we killed them.

 

If they played the ALW instead of ALE, they'd be much better.

 

The Red Sox are currently 6-10 against the AL West..

Edited June 2, 2021 by harmony

[Maxbialystock]

I believe I read that the Rays have a system contained in a book/manual Chaim Bloom wrote and that explains more than how to pick the right guys in drafts and trades. It's also about how to develop players and skills. There is scant evidence that the Sox have ever had such a systemic approach.

 

So, yes, I like Chaim Bloom's approach, but also recognize--ironically, for me--that big bats and great pitching arms do have marquee value. How else explain that the Rays are always contesting the A's for the worst attendance in MLB?

[moonslav59]

[/b];1390061]The AL West is currently 37-33 against the AL East and 11-22 against the NL West.

 

If only the AL West could replace the NL West with the AL East.

 

Not sure what that has to do with the NLE vs the ALE and the NLE vs everyone else.

[moonslav59]

I believe I read that the Rays have a system contained in a book/manual Chaim Bloom wrote and that explains more than how to pick the right guys in drafts and trades. It's also about how to develop players and skills. There is scant evidence that the Sox have ever had such a systemic approach.

 

So, yes, I like Chaim Bloom's approach, but also recognize--ironically, for me--that big bats and great pitching arms do have marquee value. How else explain that the Rays are always contesting the A's for the worst attendance in MLB?

 

Again, there is no evidence the Rays draft all that well, especially in round one.

 

They develop players very well and no how and when to trade their players right before decline and pick up players right before career years.

[Larry Cook]

Again, there is no evidence the Rays draft all that well, especially in round one.

 

They develop players very well and no how and when to trade their players right before decline and pick up players right before career years.

 

Hang’em Chaim spent the first part of his career here revamping the baseball analytics department. This past offseason we witnessed the success of that endeavor!

 

To date, we have seen no evidence of any revamping or retooling or anything else to make the player development system better than it has been historically!

 

Although I do want to point out that as far as producing hitters and relievers, I would put our system up against anybody else’s!

 

If hang’em Chaim can get two solid starters out of this upcoming draft he will have surpassed most if not all of his predecessors!

[harmony]

Maybe the NL East teams are floundering because they have a tougher schedule due to playing the AL East.

 

In games against everyone else but the AL East, the floundering NL East is 110-77...

In games against everyone else but the AL East, the floundering NL East is 110-107...(entering Wednesday's games)

[moonslav59]

[/b];1390134]In games against everyone else but the AL East, the floundering NL East is 110-107...(entering Wednesday's games)

 

So, not bad at all.

 

It’s the AL East that makes them look bad.

[harmony]

So, not bad at all.

 

It’s the AL East that makes them look bad.

Yep, just as the NL West makes the AL West look bad.

 

That's the point.

 

Entering Wednesday's games, AL West had an 11-22 record against the NL West and a 130-115 record against all other teams.

 

FWIW with the Red Sox loss tonight the AL East falls to 33-38 in direction competition with the AL West this year.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

Hang’em Chaim spent the first part of his career here revamping the baseball analytics department. This past offseason we witnessed the success of that endeavor!

 

To date, we have seen no evidence of any revamping or retooling or anything else to make the player development system better than it has been historically!

 

Although I do want to point out that as far as producing hitters and relievers, I would put our system up against anybody else’s!

 

If hang’em Chaim can get two solid starters out of this upcoming draft he will have surpassed most if not all of his predecessors!

 

Re. player development: what we just saw on the mound for three nights in Houston couldn't possibly be attributed to any widespread rule-"bending" (see comments from Cards' Manager Schildt) -- but how did the Astros' coaches teach three starters to throw offspeed pitches that break three feet???

 

Nobody on the Red Sox has stuff like that; and obviously, nobody on the Sox can hit stuff like that.

[moonslav59]

Yep, just as the NL West makes the AL West look bad.

 

That's the point.

 

Entering Wednesday's games, AL West had an 11-22 record against the NL West and a 130-115 record against all other teams.

 

FWIW with the Red Sox loss tonight the AL East falls to 33-38 in direction competition with the AL West this year.

 

I thought your point was the NLE is making the ALE look better than they are.

[Larry Cook]

Pesky rays slapped Texas 7 to 1 today!

 

Their pitching was really tight!

[moonslav59]

Pesky rays slapped Texas 7 to 1 today!

 

Their pitching was really tight!

 

I keep waiting for their rotation to stumble, but their peskiness is ceaseless.

[Fan_since_Boggs]

Big news: Glasnow might need Tommy John!

 

Cry me a river Glasnow--the doofus blames the new no "sticky stuff" rule on his injury. So the guy was cheating, discovered he couldn't cheat anymore, got injured, and then blamed his injury on the new rules. Spare me the sob story.

https://sports.yahoo.com/tampa-bay-rays-tyler-glasnow-suffered-partial-ucl-tear-will-try-avoid-tommy-john-surgery-injured-192809527.html

Edited June 16, 2021 by Fan_since_Boggs

[moonslav59]

I'm not happy when anyone gets hurt, but that is pretty cheezy.

 

BTW, it's not a "rule change." It's just word getting out about a rule being followed.

[Larry Cook]

Note to the baseball commissioner: send someone over to wheeler’s house ASAP and check his pitching hand for spider tack!

[dgalehouse]

I think Glasnow may have a point. And I think a lot of pitchers would agree with him. Apparently, many , if not most pitchers, use some combination of rosin and sunscreen to help their grip. ( I don't know about that spider tack stuff). MLB is now telling them to make the change in mid season. It should have been done in spring training or else wait until next year. To say that it has always been the rule is a bit disingenuous. It was rarely enforced before this . The commissioner is just causing confusion and controversy with this seemingly panic - like move. If more pitchers start getting hurt , or batters get hit with pitches , things will get worse. A little common sense is needed here , but that seems to be in short supply.

[moonslav59]

I think Glasnow may have a point. And I think a lot of pitchers would agree with him. Apparently, many , if not most pitchers, use some combination of rosin and sunscreen to help their grip. ( I don't know about that spider tack stuff). MLB is now telling them to make the change in mid season. It should have been done in spring training or else wait until next year. To say that it has always been the rule is a bit disingenuous. It was rarely enforced before this . The commissioner is just causing confusion and controversy with this seemingly panic - like move. If more pitchers start getting hurt , or batters get hit with pitches , things will get worse. A little common sense is needed here , but that seems to be in short supply.

 

I did not mean to imply the commissioner was right in doing what he did, especially the timing of the push to stop a long-standing practice.

 

He obviously panicked over the bad press he's been getting for turning baseball back to 1968, and over-reacted by trying to do something to reverse his earlier blunder(s).

 

What a mess he's caused, when all we needed was an enforced pitch clock.

 

If he wanted to anything radical, maybe robo umps.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

If the MLB turns back into home run derby, how long before a guy like Bauer demands that pine tar should be banned for batters, too? Imagine if hitters were forced to get a grip by scooping dirt out of the box like Old Man Yaz?

[Bellhorn04]

I think Glasnow may have a point. And I think a lot of pitchers would agree with him. Apparently, many , if not most pitchers, use some combination of rosin and sunscreen to help their grip. ( I don't know about that spider tack stuff). MLB is now telling them to make the change in mid season. It should have been done in spring training or else wait until next year. To say that it has always been the rule is a bit disingenuous. It was rarely enforced before this . The commissioner is just causing confusion and controversy with this seemingly panic - like move. If more pitchers start getting hurt , or batters get hit with pitches , things will get worse. A little common sense is needed here , but that seems to be in short supply.

 

Agreed. And not to mention, they also changed the damn baseballs again this year.

 

Absolutely brutal job by Manfred.