The 2023 Running Baseball Thread

Dusty Baker sure seems like a Hall of Famer to me. Big question... toothpick on the plaque?

 

UL Washington approves.

 

I wonder what UL Washington is up to these days? Or Onix Concepcion for that matter?

I wonder about stupid shit.

 

And they set the market by a longshot when they signed A-Rod to the $252 million deal in 2000, which really changed the landscape for everyone. And in the last few years spent huge on Semien, DeGrom, Eovaldi, and Seager, but they also matched those moves with deadline deals for the likes of Scherzer. They went for it this year and now they're at the door. I'm rooting for them, that fanbase deserves it.

 

It's funny, as there was some consternation among the Orioles fan base at the deadline when Texas went and got Jordan Montgomery and Max Scherzer while the O's got (gulp) Jack Flaherty. I think Texas was in a different place in terms of payroll and roster construction, so it made more sense for them to go all-in, but still. I'm good with whoever wins. I've enjoyed this Texas team and I have plenty of ties to Arizona. Just hoping for a fun series.

 

Francona is in; I think Showalter will get in. Roberts is on the path to be a lock; Snitker has an early foundation. Melvin with a title or two will be a sneaky late in.

GMs/Executives are hard based on who they have put in and how long they have made people wait -- Epstein, Cashman and Dombrowski are locks. Freidman to me is lock. So many others are new -- 16 of them don't have three full seasons under their belt.

 

UL actually turns 70 tomorrow, so Happy Birthday. I hope he wishes for a first and middle name.

 

What about Billy Beane? Or is having Brad Pitt play you in an Oscar-nominated film better than making the HOF? Did Bill James ever get in?

 

I'm not sure the best of the prospects the Rangers gave up for Montgomery, Tekoah Roby, would be among the top 10 prospects in the Orioles' system.

 

Buck's regular season success is way underappreciated. But if Leyland, Piniella & Johnson are all fighting for one spot decades after their lone titles, Buck and his one postseason series win has no chance, Now, if he lands with the Angels and wins it all next year, he's a lock. I guess Roberts is in pretty good shape w/another title, but I'm curious what the electorate will think of the modern manager who is only following orders from the front office. I wonder if the modern manager will have to win a minimum of three titles to garner consideration.

Cashman's ineptitude has endangered his candidacy. He was on a fast track with four titles spread out over two eras, but its becoming increasingly clear those first three titles were all the work of Gene Michael (now there's an interesting candidate). He has completely pissed away a homegrown era with the biggest market franchise of all. I don't see him building another consistent winner and getting the bounces in October.

Even without a title, Billy Beane should be on the fast track, but my guess is his chances depend on the electorate. A handful of old-school guys who don't like (not without merit) how he and his minions have castrated the manager would doom him.

 

You said current, which is why I didn't mention Beane. He is going to be interesting based on the voting block when he is in the running.

 

I won't speak to Johnson, but Leyland and Piniella I think are victims of the changes the Hall keeps making to their ballots. They also haven't waited that long --- Piniella's last season was in 2010 and Leyland's was 2013. Piniella was a single vote from being inducted in 2019 and this is his first opportunity since then to be on a ballot.

Showalter is going to need the right mix of voters -- by then there may be several players he managed on those committees.

I don't think the voters are going to care anything about Roberts that they don't care about with any other manager candidate -- wins, pennants titles. So far in seven full seasons, his win totals are 111, 106, 106, 104, 100, 92 and 91. He has three pennants and a title.

In the history of baseball, 10 managers have won three titles. Six of those came before 1976

Cashman is a lock regardless of how his tenure in. He extended the mid 90s runs and while these last years haven't been great, he's made some great trades, they never have a losing season and it's a miracle considering his owners he's lasted this long