2024 MLB season news and notes

[Bellhorn04]

If it was Ohtani doing the gambling, how dumb would he have to be to keep making bank transfers to a bookie that as we can see, were easily identified as such.

[bkzwhitestrican]

Athletes do tend to be dumber than average. But yes that would be very dumb.

[Dipre]

Athletes do tend to be dumber than average. But yes that would be very dumb.

 

Do they though?

[Bellhorn04]

Do they though?

 

In terms of actual IQ, I'd say no. But the athletic life tends to keep a lot of them from advancing intellectually, let's say.

[Dipre]

In terms of actual IQ, I'd say no. But the athletic life tends to keep a lot of them from advancing intellectually, let's say.

 

I'd say it's about having all that money without financial education a lot of the time (which is not a problem of intelligence, but rather information) and a disconnect with the actual cost of things.

[mvp 78]

Frankly, the only thing that makes sense is that Ohtani was absolutely in the know about the money going to the bookie. And as seems to be the consensus, the best story for Ohtani was actually the first one, that he did it to bail out a friend, even if that story has some nasty legal consequences of its own.

 

Between this and Yamamoto giving up 5 runs in an inning, that was one heck of a bad day for the Dodgers.

 

Better to not lie and hope for a slap on the wrist from MLB.

[dgalehouse]

Ohtani has become one of the faces of MLB , both here and on an international level. They will try to ignore or cover this up and hope it goes away.

[dgalehouse]

Gambling often becomes an addiction, a sickness. Look at the NCAA tournament. You have people betting their paycheck on a game of hoops , played by a bunch of kids they never heard of , with a point spread they don't even understand. It's crazy.

[a700hitter]

I saw Hazel Mae on the Blue Jay postgame yesterday. Time has not been kind to her. She used to be cute, but now she makes Suzynn Waldman look like a Vogue Model.

[notin]

In terms of actual IQ, I'd say no. But the athletic life tends to keep a lot of them from advancing intellectually, let's say.

 

Well, a lot of these guys go to college essentially to major in baseball. There’s no Master’s degree in baseball…

[Bellhorn04]

Well, a lot of these guys go to college essentially to major in baseball. There’s no Master’s degree in baseball…

 

Thanks for the insight, Cap'n.

[Bellhorn04]

Second start for Yamamoto tonight.

[mvp 78]

@BigBobsCards

Here’s a hilarious MLB conspiracy theory for you.

 

Last Dive Bar is an online store that describes itself as a “premier online store for unique and stylish apparel that celebrates the iconic Oakland Coliseum”. Go to the website and you’ll see that their apparel seems to have a central theme…

 

Their homepage features shirts and hoodies that read “Boycott” and “Sell the Team”. There’s also a shirt depicting A’s owner John Fisher playing with a puppet that resembles A’s President Dave Kaval. Last Dive Bar hosts a yearly Fans’ Fest that is openly anti-ownership.

 

Now the fun part. Their Twitter account tweeted pictures of 4 A’s players wearing their wristbands…

 

Esteury Ruiz - demoted

Brent Rooker - benched

Cristian Pache - traded

James Kaprielian - released

[notin]

RIP Larry Lucchino

[Jasonbay44]

MLB Leaders:

OPS: M.Betts, 1.686

AVG: M.Betts, .485

OBP: M.Betts, .595

SLG: M.Betts, 1.091

HR: M.Betts, 5

RBI: M.Betts, 11

Runs: M.Betts, 14

Hits: M.Betts, 16

XBH: M.Betts, 9

TB: M.Betts, 36

TOB: M.Betts, 25

Walks: M.Betts, 9

WAR: M.Betts, 1.5

oWAR: M.Betts, 1.2

dWAR: M.Betts, 0.3

OPS+: M.Betts, 337

 

[moonslav59]

MLB Leaders:

OPS: M.Betts, 1.686

AVG: M.Betts, .485

OBP: M.Betts, .595

SLG: M.Betts, 1.091

HR: M.Betts, 5

RBI: M.Betts, 11

Runs: M.Betts, 14

Hits: M.Betts, 16

XBH: M.Betts, 9

TB: M.Betts, 36

TOB: M.Betts, 25

Walks: M.Betts, 9

WAR: M.Betts, 1.5

oWAR: M.Betts, 1.2

dWAR: M.Betts, 0.3

OPS+: M.Betts, 337

 

 

We should have drafted a pitcher, instead of him.

[mvp 78]

@Athletics

Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento will host the A's for the 2025-27 seasons - ahead of the team's move to Vegas in 2028.

[Jasonbay44]

@Athletics

Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento will host the A's for the 2025-27 seasons - ahead of the team's move to Vegas in 2028.

 

Worst ownership in sports and that’s saying a lot, I know bad ownership when I see it as a Washington Wizards fan.

[mvp 78]

@JeffPassan

Right-hander Eury Perez, one of the best pitching prospects in recent years, will undergo Tommy John surgery and miss the 2024 season, per the Marlins. In a year of awful pitching injuries, this is among the worst: a 20-year-old handled with immense care still gets hurt.

[moonslav59]

Heard on sportstalk, down here in HOU, that the Astros are first in OPS and several other offensive categories and 6th in pitching, but are still 2-5.

[Jasonbay44]

Heard on sportstalk, down here in HOU, that the Astros are first in OPS and several other offensive categories and 6th in pitching, but are still 2-5.

 

Astros start is very flukey. I expect them to be in the playoffs at the end of the season per usual lol

[Bellhorn04]

Heard on sportstalk, down here in HOU, that the Astros are first in OPS and several other offensive categories and 6th in pitching, but are still 2-5.

 

Good to know we're not the only ones who overreact to tiny samples!

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

Good to know we're not the only ones who overreact to tiny samples!

 

I know -- if only the Red Sox could've started off 2-5 instead of 5-2, then they'd be ranked higher in ESPN's first POWER RANKINGS, like the Phils, Astros, Ms, Rays and Jays...

 

... five teams with losing records ranked most powerful than #13 Boston.

 

Like, what's the use of even writing such a stupid article.

[Bellhorn04]

I'd call the continued existence of "Power Rankings" another example of media's belief that the general public has an insatiable need for any kind of information, no matter how stupid and pointless.

[mvp 78]

I'd call the continued existence of "Power Rankings" another example of media's belief that the general public has an insatiable need for any kind of information, no matter how stupid and pointless.

 

Are we hot?

 

We are not...

 

[mvp 78]

@kileymcd

LHP Jordan Montgomery has hired Wasserman’s Joel Wolfe & Nick Chanock as his agents, per sources.

 

Montgomery was one of the Boras Four, who were unsigned late into free agency.

 

I projected he would get 5 yrs, $106M and he eventually signed for 1 yr, $25M w/Arizona on March 26.

 

Wonder if any other Boras clients bounce.

[moonslav59]

Much like last season, we see some surprise starts by a few teams:

 

9-3 PIT

9-4 KCR

7-4 DET

 

4-10 HOU

[Bellhorn04]

Mookie Betts has a 1.8 bWAR on April 14. Not a joke.

[moonslav59]

Mookie Betts has a 1.8 bWAR on April 14. Not a joke.

 

Generational talent. We all knew it.

 

(1.6 fWAR 1st, 9.3 2023-2024 T 1st w Acuna, 15.4 2022-2023 2nd to Judge at 16.5, 19.2 '21-'24 is 3rd behind Judge & Freeman.

 

2020-2024 (Post Sox)

22.9 Judge

22.5 Freeman

22.1 Betts

20.7 Trea Turner

20.5 Jose Ramirez

20.1 Soto

[notin]

Mookie Betts has a 1.8 bWAR on April 14. Not a joke.

 

Betts also leads all of MLB with 1.6 fWAR, but his lead isn’t as commanding as it was a week ago. Bobby Witt Jr has 1.4 fWAR, and 4 other hitters have 1.0 fWAR or more, including Spencer Steer and Anthony Volpe