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2018 MLB Season Thread (1 Viewer)

David Norman

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Truly shocked to see read how few time these teams have played in 117 years the Red Sox have existed along with the Dodgers.

The one WS (Boston 4W-1L) and only 15 interleague games (Boston 8W-7L) in 21 years -- that just doesn't seem right if the teams play 18-20 IL games per year
 

Mike Frezon

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The way MLB has handled interleague has been a disaster. There's no making sense of it.

For a while IL games emphasized geographic regions (AL East teams played NL East teams). Then they decided to change things up. And, of course, there's been those ever-present "natural rivalries." :rolleyes: Sure...it makes sense to have NYC's "Subway Series" (even though many analysts believe even the novelty on that whole thing has played out and interest has dropped way off). But the "natural rivals" of the Red Sox are, of course, the Boston...erm, Milwaukee...um, Atlanta Braves. The algorithm seems to be always-changing.

They should just scrap the whole thing altogether and keep the mystique of the World Series being an event that features teams that have rarely played each other before. In this case (Red Sox vs. Dodgers), as David pointed out, IL hasn't really taken that away all that much. :D
 

Malcolm R

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Sounds like football where every pairing of teams is described by someone, somewhere, as a rivalry.

I always thought teams had one rival. Not multiples that include everyone in the division, or everyone in the time zone.

BTW, go Dodgers!
 

Mike Frezon

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And there's also the concern that teams which are built to play baseball under one set of rules has to play a good portion of the World Series under an entirely different set of rules.

MLB needs to figure this stuff out.

But why should I be expecting them to figure things out quickly? The DH has only been adopted in the American League for the past 45 years....
 

Robert Crawford

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I think the DH is going to be adopted across the board in the next CBA. It's just a feeling I have with the all the revenue being generated by the sport and the way teams like to rest players throughout the season while protecting their high price pitching from injuries. It's long over due.
 

Kevin Hewell

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But the "natural rivals" of the Red Sox are, of course, the Boston...erm, Milwaukee...um, Atlanta Braves.

The only team to have won the WS in three different cities.

Yep, interleague needs to go but I think the DH is evil. If you play defense, then you should bat. That's the natural order of things.
 

Mike Frezon

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Yep, interleague needs to go but I think the DH is evil. If you play defense, then you should bat. That's the natural order of things.

Vote for me for commissioner, Kevin, and I'll make your dreams come true.

Otherwise, I'm afraid baseball will go down the other path...the one that leads to the dark side.
 

Robert Crawford

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Vote for me for commissioner, Kevin, and I'll make your dreams come true.

Otherwise, I'm afraid baseball will go down the other path...the one that leads to the dark side.
:laugh: I've been hearing that same argument for 45 years, yet the NL is the only baseball league that has the pitcher still batting. IMO, it's time to uniformly have the same rule across baseball.
 
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Robert Crawford

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[mothervoice]If all the other leagues jumped off a cliff should the NL do it also?[/mothervoice]
Mother doesn't have 20-25M dollar pitchers swinging a bat either as pitching becomes more valuable and players salaries continue to rise with increase revenues.
 

David Norman

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:laugh: I've been hearing that same argument for 45 years, yet the NL is the only baseball league that has the pitcher still batting. IMO, it's time to uniformly have the same rule across baseball.

I'm voting for Mike.

Anyway -- have AAA (maybe AA also) changed their rules about pitchers batting when both teams are NL affiliates?
 

Dennis Nicholls

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Then they decided to change things up. And, of course, there's been those ever-present "natural rivalries." :rolleyes: Sure...it makes sense to have NYC's "Subway Series" (even though many analysts believe even the novelty on that whole thing has played out and interest has dropped way off). But the "natural rivals" of the Red Sox are, of course, the Boston...erm, Milwaukee...um, Atlanta Braves. The algorithm seems to be always-changing.

Two observations. The Bay-Bridge WS of 1989 was jinxed. A game was called due to a large earthquake that collapsed part of the namesake Bay Bridge. Play was delayed for 10 days, and fear of aftershocks led the Philadelphia er Kansas City er Oakland A's to finish off the Giants in 4 straight games.

The film Who Framed Roger Rabbit was based on actual events in LA. The Brooklyn Trolley-Dodgers moved to LA long after the LA trolleys were taken out of service and the tracks torn up.
 

David Norman

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Dang that tells you how long it's been since I've been at any High Minors games -- I know when I used to go to a lot of AA and AAA games that was the rule. As best as I can looking at the stats says AAA went full time DH around 2007 in AA around 2008.
 
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Mike Frezon

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Oh. Robert's right. MLB will end up going all-DH. It's just a matter of when (like I said, it's only been a 45-year experiment for them).

But that doesn't make it right.

It's no more right than starting extra innings of tied minor-league games with runners on 2nd base (yes, David, that's actually being done!).

The fact that high-priced pitchers need to be "protected" is a joke. It is the market--as created by the owners--which is driving up the value of pitchers. It is the specialization of pitchers--as created by the managers and coaches--which are pigeon-holing pitchers into these niche roles. These are high-end athletes who can also swing a bat and run the bases and stand in the batter's box themselves after they've just thrown up-and-in at a batter on the other team. These are players who are capable of drawing walks, laying down bunts, getting rbi-base-hits and even driving a ball over a wall for a home run.

It is certainly easier for an NL team to deal with transitioning to a DH situation than it is for an AL team to transition to a non-DH situation. I just wish they would rip the band-aid off the wound already and deal with the inevitable and let the healing begin.

LdjvbmA.jpg
 

David Norman

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It's no more right than starting extra innings of tied minor-league games with runners on 2nd base (yes, David, that's actually being done!).

This I did know -- after sitting through some 15-20 inning minor league and HS games I see the logic at that level. I really, really, really hope that is never adopted at the MLB level.

I much prefer the NFL overtime rule to the college/HS scrimmage style overtimes though certainly tweaking the details (one possession minimum, 10min vs 15 min, single vs mult periods to eliminate ties completely), but at least it's real football.

The thing I really despise about College Overtime and really wish they'd change is how the game is scored -- It's 7-7 at the end of regulation, but in theory the game ends up 46-45 or 77-76 giving an entirely incorrect picture of what kind of real game was played. Give 1 point for winning Overtime (I don't care if it's net 2-0 or 56-55) .
 

Tony Bensley

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Two observations. The Bay-Bridge WS of 1989 was jinxed. A game was called due to a large earthquake that collapsed part of the namesake Bay Bridge. Play was delayed for 10 days, and fear of aftershocks led the Philadelphia er Kansas City er Oakland A's to finish off the Giants in 4 straight games.

The film Who Framed Roger Rabbit was based on actual events in LA. The Brooklyn Trolley-Dodgers moved to LA long after the LA trolleys were taken out of service and the tracks torn up.
That the Giants had to play the entire World Series in Oakland due to damage sustained at Candlestick Park, also didn't help matters.

Hopefully, no earthquake scenarios play out in the upcoming Dodgers/Red Sox World Series.

CHEERS! :)
 

Mike Frezon

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I much prefer the NFL overtime rule

Ugh. I'm NOT an NFL-guy anymore. But I HATE the NFL overtime system (which seems to change year-to-year). I think the current rules are the most nonsensical amalgams of confusion ever. They used to just play a 5th quarter. That gives both sides a reasonable chance to have possession, score, etc. And a finite window in which to do it (unless they need a 6th quarter. or a 7th. :D )
 

Robert Crawford

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Oh. Robert's right. MLB will end up going all-DH. It's just a matter of when (like I said, it's only been a 45-year experiment for them).

But that doesn't make it right.

It's no more right than starting extra innings of tied minor-league games with runners on 2nd base (yes, David, that's actually being done!).

The fact that high-priced pitchers need to be "protected" is a joke. It is the market--as created by the owners--which is driving up the value of pitchers. It is the specialization of pitchers--as created by the managers and coaches--which are pigeon-holing pitchers into these niche roles. These are high-end athletes who can also swing a bat and run the bases and stand in the batter's box themselves after they've just thrown up-and-in at a batter on the other team. These are players who are capable of drawing walks, laying down bunts, getting rbi-base-hits and even driving a ball over a wall for a home run.

It is certainly easier for an NL team to deal with transitioning to a DH situation than it is for an AL team to transition to a non-DH situation. I just wish they would rip the band-aid off the wound already and deal with the inevitable and let the healing begin.

LdjvbmA.jpg
I agree with you on one thing and that is the minor league experiment for extra innings is horrible and should never be used in a MLB game.
 
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Malcolm R

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Ugh. I'm NOT an NFL-guy anymore. But I HATE the NFL overtime system (which seems to change year-to-year). I think the current rules are the most nonsensical amalgams of confusion ever. They used to just play a 5th quarter. That gives both sides a reasonable chance to have possession, score, etc. And a finite window in which to do it (unless they need a 6th quarter. or a 7th. :D )
Hmmm, must have been long ago. When I started getting into football in the 90's, they just played one sudden-death quarter, first score of any kind wins. Then they changed to "both teams get a possession, unless the first team with the ball scores a TD." Then they downsized the OT to 10 minutes with the same possession rules.

Shortening OT may have bit them in the butt this year, as there have already been two OT tie games.
 

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