MLB '24 Regular Season Thread

I’m calling 110 losses for the Athletics right now.

They were giving up a bunch of extra-base hits to the Guardians. The Guardians- the team whose outfielders hit 16 home runs last year. Sixteen. From all of them.

And their first seven outs came via strikeout to future Dodger Shane Bieber.

 

110 losses would mean the A’s improved from last year.

 

Young Pete looks like Bryce Harper.

 

Due respect to hair historians, this is not young Pete Rose.

This is Vidal Sassoon / Helen Reddy razorcut / scissortips / Midnight Special, 'shake your head, darling' mid-70s shag Pete Rose.

This is young Pete Rose:

 

And the guy pulled.....

Not even going to post the Jockey ad - which would probably get me banned.

 

Because I am old and sour, I will excuse Pete Rose his youthful crewcut, and overlook his 8-track Quadrophonic contempo-shag - if never, ever those patterned synthetic sous-vide mini-briefs - long before I forgive Bryce Harper's 50-Shades-of-Douchebag eyeblack.

 

Catchers do a hell of job getting their mitt inside the zone.

 

Framing is right up there with a fast throw to second. There is sabermetric data on how many strikes specific catchers "steal" for their pitchers.

https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/catcher_framing?year=2023&team=&min=q&type=catcher&sort=4,1

 

Hedges really is a fantastic catcher in all aspects. Too bad he can't hit.

 

You bat him 8-hole and take what he provides.

 

Maybe. It looks like he is going to get the short side of a platoon with Bo Naylor this season.