2022 MLB Season Thread

[mvp 78]

Better late than never.

 

Today:

 

Altuve hits the ball directly into his balls. https://twitter.com/jay_jaffe/status/1521937921879814145

 

MadBum gets tossed after ump strokes his hand and looks lovingly into his eyes. https://twitter.com/BALLYSPORTSAZ/status/1521908022267854850

[mvp 78]

@NBCSEdgeBB

Jose Altuve leaves game due to apparent injury

 

I guess, huh!

[bkzwhitestrican]

That ump should work on Altuve's injury. Win-win.

[redsoxrules]

Mike Trout still a machine out there. Insane how he keeps putting up those numbers every year. He's never had an off year.

[moonslav59]

Good to see the Jays lose to the M's. The Yanks & Rays won.

 

Last WC slot

20-18 Jays --

18-18 CWS -1.0

16-18 CLE -2.0

16-19 TEX -2.5

17-21 SEA -3.0

15-22 BOS -4.5

[Bellhorn04]

The Jays and Angels are in a hell of a slugfest. Jays just went up 11-10 in the 8th.

 

These might be the two teams we duke it out with for the last Wild Card spot.

[moonslav59]

The Jays and Angels are in a hell of a slugfest. Jays just went up 11-10 in the 8th.

 

These might be the two teams we duke it out with for the last Wild Card spot.

 

The guy STORK has been bashing Bloom for not getting, Berrios, now has a 5.61 ERA.

[notin]

The guy STORK has been bashing Bloom for not getting, Berrios, now has a 5.61 ERA.

 

He does know Berrios wasn’t a free agent and was acquired for two very very good prospects, right?

[moonslav59]

He does know Berrios wasn’t a free agent and was acquired for two very very good prospects, right?

 

It's hard to figure he knows anything of value or otehrwise.

[dgalehouse]

Big series out in L.A. The Mets at the Dodgers for four. Could be an NLCS preview . The Dodgers are as good as expected , but the Mets are coming on strong. Met fans believe something big is happening . Dodgers drew first blood last night 2-0.

[bkzwhitestrican]

Big series out in L.A. The Mets at the Dodgers for four. Could be an NLCS preview . The Dodgers are as good as expected , but the Mets are coming on strong. Met fans believe something big is happening . Dodgers drew first blood last night 2-0.

 

Mets fans believe that every year, then the team falters in the second half of the season and misses the playoffs. It's tradition.

[Kimmi]

The Jays and Angels are in a hell of a slugfest. Jays just went up 11-10 in the 8th.

 

These might be the two teams we duke it out with for the last Wild Card spot.

 

The Angels have lost 9 in a row and are now just 1 game over .500. The Red Sox are close.

 

As I've said before, a lot can change in 1 or 2 weeks. Never give up.

[moonslav59]

The Angels have lost 9 in a row and are now just 1 game over .500. The Red Sox are close.

 

As I've said before, a lot can change in 1 or 2 weeks. Never give up.

 

And to think we made gains while losing 4 of 7 to the O's and Reds.

[dgalehouse]

The Angels have lost 9 in a row and are now just 1 game over .500. The Red Sox are close.

 

As I've said before, a lot can change in 1 or 2 weeks. Never give up.

 

I guess that is a good thing , but my own view is that having three wild cards makes an absolute travesty of the season. Hard to work up any enthusiasm over it.

[moonslav59]

I guess that is a good thing , but my own view is that having three wild cards makes an absolute travesty of the season. Hard to work up any enthusiasm over it.

 

I don't like it either, but if we are in the race at the end, because of it, there will be an added excitement in Sox Nation and other cities.

[Thunder]

Trout looks like 2021 Franchy right now

[Kimmi]

And to think we made gains while losing 4 of 7 to the O's and Reds.

 

Yeah, I'm not happy about losing 4 of 7 to those two teams, but it happens. Since their 3-22 start, the Reds have gone 15-12, so they're playing much better baseball.

[Kimmi]

I guess that is a good thing , but my own view is that having three wild cards makes an absolute travesty of the season. Hard to work up any enthusiasm over it.

 

I hear you. I have mixed feelings about the extra wild card teams. I like it in some ways and dislike it others. I certainly understand and somewhat agree with the opinion against having too many teams make the postseason. OTOH, I also think it's a good thing to keep more teams in the race throughout the season.

[moonslav59]

It's still less than half the team that make the playoffs, so that does keep MLB apart from other major leagues.

[notin]

It's still less than half the team that make the playoffs, so that does keep MLB apart from other major leagues.

 

It’s not as bad as the NBA or NHL. But it is heading that way.

 

The saving grace for MLB keeping the postseason teams down is the bulk of stadiums are still outdoors…

[moonslav59]

It’s not as bad as the NBA or NHL. But it is heading that way.

 

The saving grace for MLB keeping the postseason teams down is the bulk of stadiums are still outdoors…

 

I think when MLB expands to 32 teams, they will go to a 16 team playoffs.

[dgalehouse]

Three wild cards is a travesty. Having more than that would be an abomination. " Keeping the fans interested " is a nice way of saying " Keep taking the sucker's money." Carnivals have used that system for many years. It works.

[moonslav59]

Three wild cards is a travesty. Having more than that would be an abomination. " Keeping the fans interested " is a nice way of saying " Keep taking the sucker's money." Carnivals have used that system for many years. It works.

 

With so many teams having just about zero percent chance at even making .500, I do think this allows some teams' fans a chance to cheer for something, every now and again.

 

a big part of me doesn't like it, either. The 162 game season is long enough to weed out the bad teams, and a ton of money is already made off those games, too, but it's always about making more and more money.

 

It's the American Way. more, more, more. Big, bigger, biggest.

[redsoxrules]

Trout looks like 2021 Franchy right now

 

Since June 7 ( not counting today in which he hit another HR) he has a 1538 OPS

[Kimmi]

Three wild cards is a travesty. Having more than that would be an abomination. " Keeping the fans interested " is a nice way of saying " Keep taking the sucker's money." Carnivals have used that system for many years. It works.

 

Of course the bottom line is $$$. It's always about the money.

 

Regardless, as a baseball fan, I find the season to be a lot more interesting and exciting when there are still many teams fighting for a playoff spot into September.

[moonslav59]

Of course the bottom line is $$$. It's always about the money.

 

Regardless, as a baseball fan, I find the season to be a lot more interesting and exciting when there are still many teams fighting for a playoff spot into September.

 

I think it will grow on me, especially the first time the Sox remain in the hunt, longer, because of the new set-up.

 

I do think that if the playoffs keep expanding, maybe after they go to the inevitable 32 team league. they should shorten the regular season and not have play-in games or 3 game playoff series.

[Kimmi]

I think it will grow on me, especially the first time the Sox remain in the hunt, longer, because of the new set-up.

 

I do think that if the playoffs keep expanding, maybe after they go to the inevitable 32 team league. they should shorten the regular season and not have play-in games or 3 game playoff series.

 

I understand the other side of the argument. The more teams you have making the playoffs, the more it takes away from the division winners.

 

To be fair though, the division winners are not always the best teams in the league. There is something inherently wrong with an 88-win team making the playoffs over a 95-win team simply because they are in a different division.

 

Also, randomness is such a huge factor in the outcome of baseball games that even after a 162 game schedule, it's very likely that the best teams are not the ones who end up in the postseason.

 

So I'm okay with the expanded playoffs.

[moonslav59]

I understand the other side of the argument. The more teams you have making the playoffs, the more it takes away from the division winners.

 

To be fair though, the division winners are not always the best teams in the league. There is something inherently wrong with an 88-win team making the playoffs over a 95-win team simply because they are in a different division.

 

Also, randomness is such a huge factor in the outcome of baseball games that even after a 162 game schedule, it's very likely that the best teams are not the ones who end up in the postseason.

 

So I'm okay with the expanded playoffs.

 

It's not at all about division winners, to me. I don't like the fact that division winners with worse records make the playoffs or get higher seeds.

 

It's all about playing 162 games to weed out the bad teams and pretenders.

 

I don't like one game play-in games. In baseball, luck is more important than other sports. I don't like 3 game series for the same reason. I'd liek to see all playoff series be 7 games, and with 14 or 16 teams making the playoffs, the season would need to be shortened.

[Bellhorn04]

The Dodgers indirect swap of Jansen for Kimbrel at closer is not looking good right now.

[moonslav59]

The Dodgers indirect swap of Jansen for Kimbrel at closer is not looking good right now.

 

You mean the Sox are not the only team making a few poor choices with their pen?

 

Their Joe Kelly signing was brilliant, too.