The 2023 Running Baseball Thread

Dafuq?

 

I'm surprised they didn't go ahead and announce the name of it as Farmers' Field in honor of the downtown LA stadium that also was never built.

 

Adam Wainwright. 200. A very cool achievement, and one we may never see again.

 

I love Wainwright as a Cardinals hall of famer.

Much like the Miggy-Votto thing earlier in the thread, Kershaw could say the same to Adam about the real Hall. Wainwright had the unfortunate luck to be in the same era as Kershaw.

I think if he hadn’t missed two full seasons, wainwright would be much closer to the Hall. And if he’d won the Cy that Lincecomb (sp) didn’t deserve, he’d be closer, too.

Regardless, Wainwright has been a great Cardinal, and that’s good enough for me.

 

Yeah, you can argue easily that Wainwright missed somewhere between four and five seasons as a starter...rookie year as a reliever plus all of 2011 and much of 2015 & 2018 b/c of injury and 2020 b/c of the pandemic. Four or five average seasons and he's well over 50 in WAR and pushing 250 wins and probably a slam-dunk HOF. I still think he's got a really good case.

 

Wow. Another great game.
Earl Weaver Special 3 run HR in the top of the 9th by Mullins.

Lost the DH again. Double switch in the bottom of the 9th.

These guys are not only making it fun - they’re making it interesting.

M# = 9.

 

Cole gets there.

But then ... ?

Neat related article: The Importance Of Justin Verlander's Next Win

 

That was a terrific article and a cool way to look at/appreciate history.

As for Cole, he's on pace to get there, but is no sure thing. He's 57 wins shy at age 33. He's got to stay healthy and get some good fortune when he's on the mound. He's going to win the Cy Young with as few as 13 and no more than 15 wins. It's asking a lot of anyone to average 13-15 wins a year for four straight years these days, especially in his age 33 thru age 36 seasons.

 

As long as Cole stays healthy and finishes his contract he should get there -- he's 57 short with five years to go.

There's not a single pitcher after him remotely in position to get there. Aaron Nola might be your best bet.

 

And Nola's peripherals have fallen off the cliff this year.

 

Interesting stat

 

I caught this on XTwitterX last week: The standings as they would be if all the one-run results were reversed. That's the Padres down in the corner with an 84-62 record (gaining 16 games) in this alternate scenario. Still behind the Dodgers, but definitely in the thick of the playoff race.