Disappointing end for the Yanks. Loved the series, wished it was 7 games. I hope they have something left in the tank for the Astros and WS.
@RJM posted:I just can’t pull myself to watch swing and a miss, swing and a miss, swing and a miss, swing and a miss, boom, baseball. I’ll watch again when the NCAA tournament baseball returns.
I read an article on what’s wrong with Andrew Benintendi. The Sox changed his swing angle several degrees to turn him into a 5’9” power hitter. Excluding this year’s injury disaster he’s now a questionable prospect hitting .260 with less power having trouble making contact and striking out an absurd amount instead of a .290 with 20 homer, 40 doubles power hitter.
i just can’t watch this crap. It’s crap it takes four hours to watch, I was a diehard baseball fan for a half a century MLB lost. I never watch more than a couple of innings anymore. After watching three of six hitters strike out, and it takes an hour, I change the station.
You should have watched the Heat beat the Lakers, much more exciting. 
@TPM posted:You should have watched the Heat beat the Lakers, much more exciting.
I haven’t watched any NBA basketball. Black Lives Matter is an anti Semitic organization. It supports organizations (Nation of Islam, Hamas, Hezbollah) that believe in the eradication of Jews from the planet. I’m not sure what this has to do with black lives. Farrakhan rants Jews control America and deprive blacks of opportunity.
The NBA learned their lesson. Their ratings have been hit the worst. They’re removing social issue logos from the court next season.
The NBA has ruined their game. Chucking up thirty threes a game is the basketball equivalent to swing for the fences every pitch.
What I’ve discovered over the past seven months is I don’t really miss pro sports. I won’t be purchasing tickets to one or two games per month anymore. Maybe once a season for each of the four sports. When sports are on tv I stray from the event back to what I’m reading frequently. I’m reading more than watching.
If sports loses diehards like me imagine the fear they have of losing the casual fan. There’s a lot more of them than diehards.
Being a yankee fan living in Houston I was (kinda happy) to lose and not have to face the Astros 😂😂 those fans here is crazy. Especially after they got a bad taste of us laughing hard at the trash cans. All jokes aside 😂😂😂!
Speaking of the Yankees ..... Mets, Jets, Nets, Giants, Knicks, Rangers, Devils and Islanders.
New York sports misery has never been this bad
MLB had to be praying for Yanks/LA. May get Braves/Rays.
It probably should be Rays/LA but it is starting to look like Tampa's year.
They got the Cup, may get World Series and if Tommy completes the Trifecta it'll be a Covid Fiesta!
C'ya!
Those pesky Rays...got to love their overachievement with the 28th lowest (out of 30) payroll in MLB.
BTW...Braves won while I was sleeping and their payroll is 14th. Dodgers are #2 payroll and Astros are #4. Covid-19 has turned the world upside down.
OMG the Dodgers drop an 11 spot in the top of the first!!?? Fortunately I’m “glamping” in the desert rn so I did not have to witness it.
@JCG posted:OMG the Dodgers drop an 11 spot in the top of the first!!?? Fortunately I’m “glamping” in the desert rn so I did not have to witness it.
Snitker woke the Dodger offense up by bringing in Tomlin last night. He should be reserved for blowouts like today, not holding down a 9th inning lead.
Hopefully, the Dodgers spent all their bullets tonight, but pitching matchups don’t favor the Braves in game 4&5.
I was out, just turned it on, 15-1 in the 5th inning. If they had scattered these runs in the previous two games...
As I texted my LA friends...
2019 Braves: Dude, I can’t believe we gave up a 10-run first inning in the postseason....
2020 Braves: Hold my beer....
Like clockwork playoff Kershaw reappears. Maybe this is a sign that 2020 is starting to go back to normal.
Tonight was on him, but the hidden story in all this is that he has had to pay the price his entire playoff career for some terrible managerial decisions and unfortunately it reflects poorly on him.
At the same time, to earn that trust that he will find a way to get it done his teammates and managers must really respect him. He's been so good his entire career that they refuse to believe it will happen again. That being said I'm not going to watch something happen 10x and expect a different result the 11th time around.
The Dodgers have been too good for the past 7 years to have done absolutely nothing. Roberts has to go as soon as they're eliminated.
@PABaseball posted:Like clockwork playoff Kershaw reappears. Maybe this is a sign that 2020 is starting to go back to normal.
Tonight was on him, but the hidden story in all this is that he has had to pay the price his entire playoff career for some terrible managerial decisions and unfortunately it reflects poorly on him.
At the same time, to earn that trust that he will find a way to get it done his teammates and managers must really respect him. He's been so good his entire career that they refuse to believe it will happen again. That being said I'm not going to watch something happen 10x and expect a different result the 11th time around.
The Dodgers have been too good for the past 7 years to have done absolutely nothing. Roberts has to go as soon as they're eliminated.
What are they supposed to do? Not start their 30 million/year hall of fame starter?
BTW Kershaw has clearly been worse in the post season and had quite a few implosions but he still has a 4.3 Era in 177 postseason innings. That is sub par for his standards but still doesn't really warrant sitting him as the 4th starter that would replace him likely would be worse than that.
He also had plenty of good starts and allowed less than 3 in 13 of 28 starts.
Sure you wish he were better in the post season but you absolute can't not start him in the playoffs.
@Dominik85 posted:What are they supposed to do? Not start their 30 million/year hall of fame starter?
This is more the point I'm making. Your 30 million/year future hall of famer has to be better.
The 4.3 ERA is average, but doesn't tell the whole story. He has been absurdly bad in every clutch spot and big game. Allowing 3 or less in 13/28 means he has allowed 4+ in more than half his playoff starts. Now I put a lot of that on Mattingly and Roberts as well. Running him out for the 7th with a 5 run lead. Not yanking him after 100 pitches in a tight game. Bringing him in relief when you have the best closer in baseball. The list goes on. There are 8 minute YouTube videos of Kershaw playoff implosions. You can watch the highlights from any of those games and say what is he still doing in the game.
It's not completely fair to him, it just seems like any time his team is on the brink of elimination or in a tight spot he ends up getting the ball. I like Kershaw, but I can only watch the same thing happen so many times before I have a pretty good idea of what the next result will be. You have to start him, but short leash has to be the name of the game.
@PABaseball posted:This is more the point I'm making. Your 30 million/year future hall of famer has to be better.
The 4.3 ERA is average, but doesn't tell the whole story. He has been absurdly bad in every clutch spot and big game. Allowing 3 or less in 13/28 means he has allowed 4+ in more than half his playoff starts. Now I put a lot of that on Mattingly and Roberts as well. Running him out for the 7th with a 5 run lead. Not yanking him after 100 pitches in a tight game. Bringing him in relief when you have the best closer in baseball. The list goes on. There are 8 minute YouTube videos of Kershaw playoff implosions. You can watch the highlights from any of those games and say what is he still doing in the game.
It's not completely fair to him, it just seems like any time his team is on the brink of elimination or in a tight spot he ends up getting the ball. I like Kershaw, but I can only watch the same thing happen so many times before I have a pretty good idea of what the next result will be. You have to start him, but short leash has to be the name of the game.
It was actually less than 3 13 times, he had a couple 3s on top of that too. But I agree you expect him to be better.
One thing that also happened imo was him pitching to much down the stretch in September in many of his peak years despite the dodgers having an 8 game lead in September.
I know he was in some tight CY races and probably demanded to pitch and would be pissed if he lost a CY due to skipping a start but I think if they maybe skipped a start and shortened another 2 he could have been more fresh.
It would have meant throwing away 1 or 2 games of your 8 game lead and possibly cost him a CY but maybe helped in the post season.
This would have needed to be a front office decision of course but they could have done it, really no need to pitch 220 regular season innings when you are running away with the division (talking about young Kershaw here, nowadays he isn't throwing as much anymore of course).
Here's a better one. Full Screen and Sound Up!
@PABaseball posted:This is more the point I'm making. Your 30 million/year future hall of famer has to be better.
The 4.3 ERA is average, but doesn't tell the whole story. He has been absurdly bad in every clutch spot and big game. Allowing 3 or less in 13/28 means he has allowed 4+ in more than half his playoff starts. Now I put a lot of that on Mattingly and Roberts as well. Running him out for the 7th with a 5 run lead. Not yanking him after 100 pitches in a tight game. Bringing him in relief when you have the best closer in baseball. The list goes on. There are 8 minute YouTube videos of Kershaw playoff implosions. You can watch the highlights from any of those games and say what is he still doing in the game.
It's not completely fair to him, it just seems like any time his team is on the brink of elimination or in a tight spot he ends up getting the ball. I like Kershaw, but I can only watch the same thing happen so many times before I have a pretty good idea of what the next result will be. You have to start him, but short leash has to be the was name of the game.
I think I agree with you here. He's been mismanaged a ton in the playoffs. Last year's mistake was ridiculous. And last night, while not on the level of 2019, was certainly a mistake. He should have been pulled after Freeman's double, if not at the start of the inning. The Braves lineup was ahead of him from the first AB, and he was going to get pummeled at some point. I think the game state after Acuna's single in the 6th was the definition of a high leverage situation, and is the type that Roberts/Dodger mgmt has shown an consistent ability to either mishandle or not recognize at all.
If the Dodgers come back to win it, it will not be due to Roberts. But if they lose, I do believe it will be due to Roberts.
@Go44dad posted:Here's a better one. Full Screen and Sound Up!
Did anyone else hear the trash-can in the background??? Never-mind might of have been the drum-line from a remix of Phil Collins
Astros turned 0 3 into 3 3.
@Dominik85 posted:Astros turned 0 3 into 3 3.
Hopefully Altuve is over his yips. Would have never fallen so deep into a hole if not for him forgetting how to throw.
I think dusty baker did a great job. He lost Cole, Verlander, Alvarez and the trash can and still made it to game 7 of the ALCS
When it was all said and done Dusty Baker kept his reputation intact ... Can’t win the big game.
I am so happy Tampa won. Astros didn't deserve to even be on the field.
What a bad example to set for younger players.
JMO
@Dominik85 posted:I think dusty baker did a great job. He lost Cole, Verlander, Alvarez and the trash can and still made it to game 7 of the ALCS
Thank Brett Strom and the Astros player development system for the pitching. Eight rookie pitchers carried them through the playoffs.
And thanks Dom, I take a shot at every bad, unoriginal trash can joke. It had been a few hours.
Yeah Astros pitching depth is really good, they developed more pitchers in the last two years than the red Sox in the last 15
@Dominik85 posted:Yeah Astros pitching depth is really good, they developed more pitchers in the last two years than the red Sox in the last 15
We left out Astros losing their closer, Osuna. I think Strom retires this offseason, if I remember correctly. Springer walks, Brantley walks, but could resign short term. I hope they can sign Correa, he is the best player on the team. Their farm system has been rated in the bottom five the last couple of years.
Also, Jeff Luhnow gave his first interview since the cheating scandal. Strangely/not strangely to a local Houston TV station.
https://www.click2houston.com/...tros-gm-jeff-luhnow/
"Retirement" has not been kind to Jeff, as he went from one of the smartest baseball man I know to Sergeant Schultz in short order.
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Astros showed the true grit of champions. Thrilled the cheating SOB’s are out but impressive work by them.
@old_school posted:Astros showed the true grit of champions. Thrilled the cheating SOB’s are out but impressive work by them.
Regarding their cheating, I was yet again impressed at how dumb baseball players can be.
I want the Dodgers to mulch the Rays. MLB does not need teams duplicating the Ray way. MLB baseball is boring enough. The last thing I want is the Sox and Chaim Bloom replicating the Ray way. I want to see Bloom find pitching talent like the Rays and retain it with the money they have.
I like the Dodgers uniforms.
What’s that fake noise overlay Fox is putting on each Kershaw pitch?
@RJM posted:I want the Dodgers to mulch the Rays. MLB does not need teams duplicating the Ray way. MLB baseball is boring enough. The last thing I want is the Sox and Chaim Bloom replicating the Ray way. I want to see Bloom find pitching talent like the Rays and retain it with the money they have.
Yeah, I actually agree with that. I get why people root for then as they are super smart and beat the odds as a financial underdog, the rays org has done a great job in the last 12 years, no doubt about that. Their front office is probably the best out there and remained so after losing Friedman to the dodgers and bloom to the Sox, they just seem to have a GM pipeline just like they have a prospect pipeline.
However while not really their fault they are doing some things that I don't love:
1. Endless platooning, using openers, tons of bullpen. That makes sense of course as they can't afford stars but for the fans it is more attractive if you have star hitters who bat every day and starters who go 7
2. Exploiting young players while they are cost controlled and then not pay them when they are due to a raise and I'm not even talking just free agency but even arb 2 and arb 3 when they often trade them away. Again very smart but really the deal was underpay young players and overpay veterans and rays avoid that. For the brand value that is not great, baseball is not like basketball regarding to star players but still guys like Ortiz or Jeter who have been the face of the franchise for a decade plus did help with fan identification compared to a big turnover just to gain 0.5 war here and there
This is not the rays fault though, they do their best very effectively but MLB shouldn't allow owners to consistently roll out a payroll that low. It is OK to do that for 3 years in a rebuild but if you do that consistently for 15 years imo teams need to relocate or being sold to another owner. Either it is the owners fault or the market just can't support a mlb franchise. Either way mlb should react.
I would not be against a hard salary cap of let's say 170m but then also force teams to spend at least like 130m, maybe you get a 3 year per decade rebuild exempt from that.
That some teams have 3 times the payroll of others just sucks and wouldn't happen in NBA or NFL and that needs to be changed. Maybe the big spenders deserve some blame but also the consistent salary cellar teams. I'm OK with the orioles or tigers having low payrolls for some time because they are tanking and have spent 150+M before but not with teams like the As, marlins or rays who do that consistently 15 years in a row.
@Dominik85 posted:Yeah, I actually agree with that. I get why people root for then as they are super smart and beat the odds as a financial underdog, the rays org has done a great job in the last 12 years, no doubt about that. Their front office is probably the best out there and remained so after losing Friedman to the dodgers and bloom to the Sox, they just seem to have a GM pipeline just like they have a prospect pipeline.
However while not really their fault they are doing some things that I don't love:
1. Endless platooning, using openers, tons of bullpen. That makes sense of course as they can't afford stars but for the fans it is more attractive if you have star hitters who bat every day and starters who go 7
2. Exploiting young players while they are cost controlled and then not pay them when they are due to a raise and I'm not even talking just free agency but even arb 2 and arb 3 when they often trade them away. Again very smart but really the deal was underpay young players and overpay veterans and rays avoid that. For the brand value that is not great, baseball is not like basketball regarding to star players but still guys like Ortiz or Jeter who have been the face of the franchise for a decade plus did help with fan identification compared to a big turnover just to gain 0.5 war here and there
This is not the rays fault though, they do their best very effectively but MLB shouldn't allow owners to consistently roll out a payroll that low. It is OK to do that for 3 years in a rebuild but if you do that consistently for 15 years imo teams need to relocate or being sold to another owner. Either it is the owners fault or the market just can't support a mlb franchise. Either way mlb should react.
I would not be against a hard salary cap of let's say 170m but then also force teams to spend at least like 130m, maybe you get a 3 year per decade rebuild exempt from that.
That some teams have 3 times the payroll of others just sucks and wouldn't happen in NBA or NFL and that needs to be changed. Maybe the big spenders deserve some blame but also the consistent salary cellar teams. I'm OK with the orioles or tigers having low payrolls for some time because they are tanking and have spent 150+M before but not with teams like the As, marlins or rays who do that consistently 15 years in a row.
For a ceiling/floor salary cap by team you must address revenue sharing across the league. Can't compare NFL/NBA to MLB on salary cap unless you also compare revenue sharing.
I agree with you on 3x payroll differences between teams.
Also, James Click is from Rays front office and now GM of the Astros.
@Go44dad posted:What’s that fake noise overlay Fox is putting on each Kershaw pitch?
That is fan noise that Tim McCarver is no longer in the booth calling the game.
It’s not hard to rip off a best announcer in football, basketball and hockey. If everyone doesn’t agree it’s because there’s talent. Mine are Al Michaels, Marv Albert , Mike Emrick.
Then, there’s baseball. Name one good national (not local) announcer. Keep thinking. He’ll come along someday.
If we work backwards ... “I’m Mel Allen. It’s time for This Week In Baseball.” Allen’s voice was the first sign of spring. Allen died twenty-four years ago.
I really don't like Joe Buck, but I did hear an interview he did with Barstool that was hilarious. Not funny enough though for me to like his commentary. Sometimes these media/announcer guys think they are just as important as the guys swinging the bats. He ain't no Vin Scully!
HOF Jon Miller, or up and coming Dave Flemming.
Don Orsillo is my favorite baseball play by play. The Red Sox released him and he is now with the Padres replacing Dick Enberg. Big shoes to fill in Enberg, but Orsillo is really, really good. There are many Red Sox fans who have not forgiven ownership for letting Orsillo's NESN contract expire in 2015.
Picked Off - 100% agree Jon Miller is also great play by play guy. I remember when he was with the Orioles. I can listen to him all day long.
The names being mentioned are local guys. They’re not game of the week or playoff announcers. Most people probably don’t know who they are.
When Jon Miller did ESPN Sunday Night Baseball years ago was when it was at it’s best. Oh my! Dick Enberg was a great national announcer.
I looked up Dave Flemming. Apparently he’s done some ESPN baseball. It shows how much I pay attention at this point. ESPN should have gone after Orsillo.