MLB 2022: The Long and Winding Thread

If I still had a vote, which I don't, and if I was still alive five years from now (let's hope so), Molina would be one of the pesky borderline cases. It'd help him if he was eligible in a year where there weren't 10 clearcut choices (I always used my full quota) and no one superstar everyone is gonna vote for. Since Pujols is also retiring, forget that. Bottom line: whether or not I voted for Molina, I would not be unhappy if he got in.

 

Mets definitely need another dependable power bat.

The lineup struggled most of September. Missing Starling Marte with a broken finger most of that time made a huge difference. He played the wild card series but I don’t think he was healthy.

Apt comparison with the 2021 Giants. Tho the Mets were one regular season win away from a bye into the NLDS. Braves were insanely hot but you just can’t let the division slip away.

As a side note: I really like this playoff format.

 

Molina has one silver bat in 19 seasons. Ozzie Smith also had one.

 

I could write this exact same thing. Yep, I usually voted for 10.

 

Phillies give Rob Thomson at two-year deal removing the interim tag. Seriously, the guy should have waited. There are a few jobs open and I'm sure he could have done better than a two-year deal. We all know teams have no problem eating a year of a contract, so he's pretty much just still the interim. He did a great job with the Phillies.

 

I wasn't bothered by what Buck did, either. You could tell there was something the guy's ears. And it wasn't sweat. Not at the start of an inning, when Buck pointed it out. Does any human sweat that much out of the ear under any temperature or level of exertion?
I checked on baseball savant. Of the 12 pitchers who threw ≥ 10 curveballs in the Wild Card round, 10 had an increase in spin rate relative to the regular season. While we're talking about a low threshold and therefore a small sample size, Musgrove did register the largest increase relative to the regular season at 6.7%. The collective jump was 4%.
Does this make a difference? Not in the outcome of the series. But it was worth a shot.

 

Of the nine games in the Wild Card series, four were shutouts and two other losing teams were held to one run.
Not shocking given the time of year and the down year for hitting in general.

 

The Guardians scored three runs in 24 innings. And swept their series.

 

Indians and Yankees split their last 22 playoff games.

 

That's one of the greatest stats in baseball history.

Also, this photo popped up in the socials yesterday. One of the best baseball photos I've ever seen. Should be an album cover.

 

One of the ten career games at third base for Ron Cash. Either September of 1973 or sometime in 1974. According to wiki, he was drafted five times and never signed, eventually hitting .297 in 34 total games with the Tigers.

 

Gonna tell my kids that's Lionel Richie before Commodores.