The 2023 Running Baseball Thread

Also games at Fenway, Minute Maid, Citizens Bank, Nationals Park and the Marlins' stadium

 

The BlueJays are run from above. Shapiro is never hiring a manager like this and Buck certainly isn’t going to be a simple figurehead.

 

Sad but true, they went from a guy like Charlie Montoyo, who always looked like he couldn't remember where he left his keys, to John Schneider who forgot how many mound visits he'd made one inning.

 

Haven't heard a word about pitch clock violations in the playoffs. Have there been any? Seems like this has been seamlessly adopted.

 

They’re were two in one inning in the Twins’ second game. Max Kepler got assessed a strike then struck out on the next pitch. Then the Blue Jays pitcher Garcia got a violation two hitters later.

 

One of the things I loved about the addition of the wild-card play-in game - adding another WC - is it created a "penalty" for not winning the division - you burned your top starter in the WC game. But with the sweeps this week - and a five-game series - I imagine teams could start their best on Saturday on four days rest. Most staffs have a deep fall off from the 1 to the 3. The lag is going to be interesting to see how it plays as much for the top two seeds top starters as the teams coming off the wild card round.

 

The NL teams play three games in five days -- Saturday-off-Monday-off-Wednesday -- so that will help staffs, too. Arizona can use its top two starters in the first two games since they didn't use Merrill Kelly in the WC, so he can start game 1, and Zac Gallen can pitch game 2 on regular rest. Of course, it helps the Dodgers too, since they are going in with just two traditional starters and a bunch of other arms.

 

I've been semi tuned out, but completely missed this as an issue. Total bummer. Love watching him pitch:

Marlins RHP Sandy Alcantara announces he underwent Tommy John surgery and will miss the 2024 season.

 

I have a buddy who works for the Phillies, and dammit, he has an incredible heart. He knows I love how awesome their night playoff crowds are.

He wrote me this week, "I know you're hurting about the Cubs. But that doesn't mean you can't root for somebody this October."

Then he sent me a Phillies Red October care package - t-shirt, toboggan, rally towel - complete with a sweet vintage Phils (think the maroon and blue) hoodie.

How can you not be romantic about baseball?

 

Saw it coming but doesn't make it suck any less. It's also going to further extinguish the workhorse. If he blew his arm out one year after throwing 228 2/3 innings. every other organization is going to further wrap their guys in bubble wrap. We're not far away from nobody throwing 180 innings in a season.

 

https://x.com/Orioles/status/1710445042362359974?s=20

My favorite of the quotes: "They're going to slide. They've won games they don't deserve to win."

That is not analysis or skepticism; that is bitterness.

Heard Buster Olney on Kornheiser's podcast today. Asked to comment on the Diamondbacks and Orioles being in the playoffs two years after both lost 110 games, he said, "That doesn't count; they quit. They got here by tanking."

Funny. I don't recall the national baseball punditocracy whining when the Washington National League Baseball Club LLC tanked to get Bryce Harper and Stephen Strasburg in consecutive drafts a decade ago. I guess it's OK when one of the favored few does it.

 

This is awesome. I love Mike's writing. Go O's.

How can you not be romantic about baseball?

https://www.thebaltimorebanner.com/...-graff-father-son-7ICZDNFN65D4ZMY62KBEWKWKK4/