2021 MLB Regular Season thread

Hadn’t seen the Giants much before last night against the Mets. Obviously have a great thing going.

Everyone on the Giants is outperforming the back of their baseball card. Everyone on the Mets is underperforming the back of their baseball card.

Not sure the last time I’ve seen that, either way. Gotta come down to approach at the plate.

Whatever the Mets are trying to do, it’s ain’t working. They can’t hit fastballs.

Giants are a fun team to watch. With their ages, have to think this is a one-and-done season. And they’re making the most of it.

 

The funny thing is those of us in the Bay probably expected this to be happening next year or the year after. We were going to probably improve this year, but stay right around .500. Then next year when guys like Cueto, Longoria Posey and Belt came off the books (and honestly Crawford before he went insane) and the prospects started taking over, they would stand to compete with the Dodgers and Padres. But the pitching got hot early, the team hit home runs like crazy, the vets played out of their minds, the Dodgers got hurt early on and the Pads were good not perfect at the same time. It was an incredible confluence of events that got the team moving and they never stopped.

Fingers crossed it keeps going.

EDIT: I said Longo when I meant Posey. Longoria has a buyout option after 2022 not after this year.

 

Yep I thought since the Giants were about .500 last year, anything just above that would be setting the stage for '22, especially with the big contracts of Posey, Crawford, Belt, Cueto coming off the books.

What's amazing is Zaidi's and the rest of the personnel dept. finding all of the nuggets among the rejects, Gausman, DeSclafani, Wood, Webb, Yaz, Ruf, Flores, Solano, Wade, Casali, McGee, Rodgers, other bullpen arms, etc., who have out performed their cards. Yes Crawford's been amazing and so has Posey, but without those other guys making huge contributions, its just another mediocre season.

 

I know the yankees aren’t underdogs but how they not only got back in the race but would make the playoffs if they started today is just nuts considering all the injuries/COVID

 

Rays smallest crowd ever tonight, less than 5,000, breaking previous smallest crowd set Monday.

BUT NEW STADIUM.

 

Jack Morris just issued a lengthy on-air apology for this. No word on if he considers himself a man of faith.

 

Reminds me a bit of the 1993 Phillies -- a collection of castoffs, role players and rookies who all happened to have career years at the exact same time, for the exact same team, in a year where the reigning power took a dip and the team on the rise wasn't quite ready to make the leap. Sometimes it all just comes together at the right time to make a magical season.

 

Yeah but it was brought to his attention and he didn't mean to offend anybody, especially those who are Asian, and he doesn't blame a pitcher for walking him.

 

Shhh! Nobody talk about the virus because the gub’nor might get upset.

 

I was today years old when I learned that Pirates catcher Jacob Stallings is the son of former DI basketball coach Kevin Stallings. Hopefully his career in Pittsburgh ends better than pops.

 

One of the biggest differences in this year's team has been their approach at the plate. They're grinding out at-bats more, working the pitchers deep into the count. A refreshing change than what we saw the last few years under Bochy.

 

Making the Hall of Fame hasn’t softened his asshole qualities