MLB 2014 season thread

Ned has a managerial matchup he can win.

He does seem extraordinarily concerned with Angels rookie C.J. Cron; twice he yanked a lefty reliever who was doing fine to bring in the righty, even though Cron has virtually identical numbers against each.

 

That is terrific, with a great backstory of how the films were found.

One interesting thing that was pointed out in the comments. The Senators tied the game up when the batter hit a grounder and was forced out at first. But it looked like the runner from third crossed home plate before the out. Then the fielders run off the field like it was the third out.

Were rules different back then, where the force out had to be done before the runner hits the plate?

 

Scioscia being Scioscia. Paging BYH.

 

Didn't wake up today expecting to see John Vander Wal's name.

 

Probably Frank Frisch.

It's a shame, that we couldn't see the ball very well on the game-winning single. I wanted to see if it indeed bounced over Fred Lindstrom's head.

You don't see crazy exuberant fans like that anymore.

 

Morse left off Giants' roster, won't face former team. Not much of a surprise as he has been hurt. Plus, Moddy knows he doesn't walk enough.

Gary Brown, the 2010 first-round pick who finally got a September call-up but has been a bust throughout the minors, makes it as a pinch runner and defensive replacement. That makes it five rookies on the 25-man, only one of whom was with the big club before July 26. (Joe Panik is the old-timer, having arrived June 21.)

 

I came across this article today.

http://www.sportsbreak.com/mlb/15-baseball-mvps-who-should-not-have-won-the-award/?utm_source=outbrain&utm_campaign=sportsbreak_desktop&utm_medium=cpc

I don't like a lot of these choices for winners who didn't deserve it, or at least who they put ahead in some cases.

15) Klein '31 had a .269/.327/.421 line on the road IN 1931! Frisch shouldn't have won, but how about Bill Terry?

14) I wouldn't take Gibson but Strawberry was not my pick either. Its a logjam, but I have no real problem with this one.

13) '84 Mattingly was my pick that year but Hernandez is underappreciated. He pitched 140 in relief. We are soon going to have starters winning MVPs with not a lot more than that and without the leverage. And if I hadn't cared who was contending I'd have gone for Ripken. Matthingly and Murray had identical OPS and Murray played more games. Gibson or Trammell could have won that year. And Boggs got zero votes. Strange year. No dominant hitters really, no dominant starters either. Mattingly put a lot of balls in play and racked up counting numbers.

11) Bichette! Come on. I knew that 9 home runs on the road (I think) wasn't deserving.

Well, how can they be so wrong on #11 and so insightful on 10, 9, 8, which are good choices all around. I tend to agree on down, and I would have taken Williams in '41 but I really don't have a problem with Dimaggio as an all around player. Its not one of the worst.

The rest are all pretty good choices.

Oh, and the author needs to recheck his facts. Without looking, I know that the Brewers did make the playoffs in 1981.

 

Panik's going to be around awhile.

 

They forgot Pudge over ARod & Morneau over Jeter.

 

If ever there was a year for a pitcher (Hershiser) to win the MVP, '88 was it.

But Gibson's red ass routine in spring training became the narrative of that season.

 

He was back to 36 steals this year in Fresno, and hit a respectable .271. He was never going to be a batting-title contender ... he's more of a big-play guy. When you see him play, you come away with him registered in your memory bank.