2021 MLB Regular Season thread

Back when the old Costas Coast to Coast radio show was on in the late 80s he asked LaSorda about that game when he was on as a guest. Tommy asked Niedenfuer what the hell he was thinking trying to blow a fastball by Clark and he said, “I was trying to surprise you.”

I’d say mission accomplished.

 

Lasorda always needlessly burned up his relievers. He'd used Niedenfuer repeatedly in three-inning, non-save situations. Same with Forster is '82. Both of those guys were hanging by the end of the season.

 

He came up through the Brooklyn organization in the 1950s. That's what they did, overworked guys like Newcombe, Erskine, Branca, Labine, Black, Milliken, etc., until their arms almost fell off and their career were over at 32. The only guy who survived was Preacher Roe, because his arm was already shot and he couldn't throw faster than 85.

Lasorda managed Fernando into an early pitching grave, too.

 

Whatever their number is next year, take the under.

 

Best known as Stacks in BJ and the Bear

 

Which had a really solid theme song.

 

Sometimes God rewards those who played for the Mariners in the 1980s. He had a great career for a 36th-round draft pick.

 

Money doesn't guarantee anything in MLB, but it sure as hell helps.

The team with the No. 2 payroll in MLB, the Yankees are a few innings away from elimination tonight, but other big spenders are still around. For all the talk about the Red Sox contending ahead of schedule, their roster isn't exactly cheap. They have the fifth-highest payroll in the game this season. No. 1, the Dodgers, are in the playoffs despite some issues with injuries. Part of that was being able to take on enough salary to make the deal for Scherzer and Turner. In fact, four of the top five in the majors in payroll made the playoffs, with the Mets (third) being the exception. The Astros are fourth.

The St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants are also in the top 10, ninth and 10th respectively.

Only two teams with payrolls below the MLB average made it, the Brewers and Rays. The Rays are the lowest at 26th overall, which means we will continue the tradition of MLB not having a team in the bottom two in payroll win a World Series. I bring that up because the NFL has had that happen when the Giants did it.

Four teams lost at least 100 games this season. The big spender of that quartet was the Texas Rangers at 20th. The 110-loss Diamondbacks were 22nd. The Pirates and Orioles 28th and 29th, with only Cleveland spending less and merely being bad at two games below .500.

MLB 2021 Payroll Tracker

 

The Yankees should make Phil Nevin walk home.

 

Aaron Boone can join him if he’d like