The 2023 Running Baseball Thread

I remember watching that disaster unfold. I was living in Virginia at the time, but we still got all the Orioles' games. I'm not sure if you can still get them everywhere with the Nationals in DC now. I almost felt sorry for Cal Ripken and Eddie Murray.

 

That had to be, for what it's worth, the best 107-loss team in history. Two first-ballot HOFers in Ripken & Murray plus Fred Lynn, who had a HOF-caliber peak but wasn't able to sustain it long enough to get into Cooperstown. Of course, the dropoff after that was vast. But still.

 

Players on that team who had considerable success before or after:
Eddie Murray: HOF; ROY; 8x All-Star
Cal Ripken: HOF; ROY; 2x MVP; 19x All-Star
Terry Kennedy: 4x All-Star
Brady Anderson: 3x All-Star
Scott McGregor: 1x All-Star
Gregg Olson: ROY; 1x All-Star
Curt Schilling: 6x All-Star

Most of these guys were well before or well after their prime in 1988. But it's still kind of wild that such a bad team had so many players of distinction.

 

Not too bad a showing by the fans thus far. I was prepared to question Matt Chapman ... but he does have the best WAR at a weak position.

And there were years in the past where the voters would not have caught up with Arraez.

 

Ha, I almost added Mickey Tettleton to my original post but didn't even think of the rest of these guys. Per JAWS, he's the 29th-best catcher in baseball history. We can debate how much he really played at catcher (had four great years as a catcher from 1989-92 before gradually moving away from the position) but he was really fucking good for a few years.

 

That the Rays are miles better than anyone in baseball right now and have no one on this list is a pretty sad indictment of their fan base.

 

That said, when you look at the Rays individually, the only solid argument you can make is Wander over Bichette. Maybe Arozarena in an outfield spot. The Rays are a great example of being greater than the sum of their parts. They also have assembled a team of position-less baseball players — is Yandy Diaz a 1B or 3B, and do you argue he’s better than either of the Blue Jays at those positions? Ramirez, Siri and Paredes are platoon players, even though they’re having great years.

I’m a huge Rays fan, but I am kinda OK that their players aren’t winning a popularity contest. As long as McClanahan is named the AL starting pitcher, I’m good with that.

 

I'd find it difficult to argue with that. Clearly the AL's best at this point. I also wouldn't mind Zach Eflin getting a little love.

 

I was going to say McClanahan might lose a tiebreaker b/c he started last year, but Sale & Scherzer have each started b2b All-Star Games in the last decade. I'd think his biggest competition, besides the calendar and a potential start on the Sunday before the ASG, is Nathan Eovaldi (in the middle of yet another comeback season but this one for the biggest surprise in baseball) or Gerrit Cole (who is getting to lifetime achievement award territory when it comes to starting the All-Star Game and the Cy Young).

 

Those of us in the Northwest are wondering what undeserving member of the host team will get a sympathy AL roster spot.

Julio’s enduring a bit of a sophomore slump, the Mariners’ previously stalwart starting pitchers have been getting hit hard, and several relievers are injured. Maybe Paul Sewald gets the nod.

 

A’s 4, Rays 3. Talk about an upset!

 

Third inning, and every guy in the Baltimore lineup has a hit.