MLB Season 2016

[JohnS]

Another exciting year of Baseball and the season is now one-fifth of the way through. How is your team going? Some highlights so far....

• The Chicago Cubs have the best record in Baseball so far, 25-6. This is their best start to a year since 1907. Can they finally claim the World Series after 107 years (the last time was 1908) and put their 1945 loss, the "Curse of the Billy Goat" and the "Steve Bartman Incident" behind them? I must say, December 2015 was quite amazing for the Cubs, with the acquisition of John Lackey, Ben Zobrist and Jason Heyward. Their pitchers, Jake Arrieta and Jon Lester have been outstanding so far.
• If you are a Chicago White Sox fan, their record is currently 23-11. Left-armer Chris Sale is dominating every time he goes on the mound. It's a good time to be a Chicago Baseball fan!
• Is Boston Red Sox's David Ortiz's announcement of his final season premature? Especially in light of the season he is having so far?
• Bryce Harper, the Washington Nationals superstar hitter, is continuing to spook teams who are refusing to pitch to him in the strike zone. The Cubs walked him 13 times in their recent 4-game series, and in one of those games he reached base 7 times without a hit! (6 walks and 1 hit-by-pitch)
• Are the Mets grateful that Yoenis Cespedes chose to stay? 11 home runs and 31 RBI's to lead the National League so far.

[Lant63]

I'm pissed my Tigers signed Upton instead of Cespedes. With that said, I know he will carry the team at some point this season. If you look at a lpt of the teams right around the .500 mark, there are a lot you expect to be in the post season. The tigers are still there, and they suffered a 7 game losing streak. This team is still a little injured, and once the weather warms up this line up is going to put up serious runs. I would Like Jim Leyland to come back and manage though.

[TomF]

As a lifelong Yankee fan all I know is that The Beloveds are stinking up the joint so far this year. My wife's cousin won first row behind the Yankee dugout tickets in a charity auction and we'll be at that monument to Capitalism known as The New Yankee Stadium on Saturday to see them play the White Sox. Never had seats like that in my life. I hope they don't lose. And i can't even smoke a cigar while watching the game.

[wabashcr]

Pretty happy about my Cubbies so far. Made it to see them play in Cincinnati a couple weeks ago, and have a trip or two to Wrigley planned this summer. Arrieta and Lester have both been very strong for the most part. The lineup is ridiculously deep, to the point they don't even miss Schwarber's bat. They've been getting good starting pitching, playing good defense, scoring plenty of runs, and the bullpen is effective. Hard to see a real hole at this point, less than a month and a half into the season. Still not sure the rotation is good enough for the playoffs. Could really use another starter to slot in ahead of Lackey. But if they continue to get solid stuff from Hammel and Hendricks, maybe they'll be ok. Will be interesting to see how everything plays out.

[Corylax18]

As a lifelong Yankee fan all I know is that The Beloveds are stinking up the joint so far this year. My wife's cousin won first row behind the Yankee dugout tickets in a charity auction and we'll be at that monument to Capitalism known as The New Yankee Stadium on Saturday to see them play the White Sox. Never had seats like that in my life. I hope they don't lose. And i can't even smoke a cigar while watching the game.

Enjoy!! That's going to be awesome! I'm a lifelong Yankees and Giants fan. Watching A Rod and Tex jog easy doubles into singles is WAY better up close!

[Corylax18]

In all seriousness though. Enjoy the game, the new stadium is amazing, and those seats!!

[PatrickEwing]

The Cubs are looking legit this year. I'm pulling for them, they seem to be an easy team to like. Hopefully they don't get too injured or Bartman'ed along the way. As for the Yanks? Looks like we have a rough 5+ years staring at us.

[TheLiquidGator]

My Braves are 7-24. They are 1-16 at home. I still think they will win the world series .

[schubb]

My Braves are 7-24. They are 1-16 at home. I still think they will win the world series .

Its a hard time to be a Braves fan, but at least the future looks bright. Lots of young guys on the farm have been doing well. I'm excited to hopefully see Albies and Swanson starting up the middle next year.

[foursite12]

Many Cubs fans have gone to their graves without having seen that team win a damned thing. My mom will be 91 next month. She has been a rabid Cubs fan since our family moved to the Chicago area from California in the mid 50s. She knew the stats of every player every year, in detail, up until just a couple years ago. I have clear memories of her standing at the ironing board, mid-summer swelter, no A/C, sweating like crazy and cheering on Ernie Banks, Billy Williams, Ron Santo and so many others on the little BW TV. For us, this year the real pennant race is between the Cubbies and the dementia that is inexorably gaining on her.

[zrotfus]

Loving the Phils so far this year! Low expectations going into the season but this is a pretty young team that's having fun and winning some games. Vince Velasquez is gonna be a star.

[Miller1985]

Many Cubs fans have gone to their graves without having seen that team win a damned thing. My mom will be 91 next month. She has been a rabid Cubs fan since our family moved to the Chicago area from California in the mid 50s. She knew the stats of every player every year, in detail, up until just a couple years ago. I have clear memories of her standing at the ironing board, mid-summer swelter, no A/C, sweating like crazy and cheering on Ernie Banks, Billy Williams, Ron Santo and so many others on the little BW TV. For us, this year the real pennant race is between the Cubbies and the dementia that is inexorably gaining on her.

My condolences on your mothers condition. I can't imagine the pain. Here's to the cubbies winning it all... If for nothing else, then for her.

[JohnS]

The Cubs are looking good this year. This article suggests that his historically they are bound for the big one this year. The only team with a similar statistics who failed to live up to their potential were the 2001 (116-46) Seattle Mariners.

[JohnS]

Loving the Phils so far this year! Low expectations going into the season but this is a pretty young team that's having fun and winning some games. Vince Velasquez is gonna be a star.

I have a work colleague who's a Phillies fan. I didn't rate them as highly as the Mets and Nationals in the NL East, but they've done well so far. We often talk about how good a pitcher Velasquez is.

Incidentally, how incredible was Max Scherzer yesterday. 20 strikeouts with a chance to get the 21st and 96 strikes thrown out of 119 pitches thrown in 9 innings. No other pitcher has ever thrown that many strikes in under 125 pitches thrown in a game!

[trike]

White Sox fan here. Off to what most would consider a surprise start.

Born and raised in Chicago, I know the Cubs will only break your heart.

[Orion21]

Been a Blue Jay fan since their inception. Not sure how I feel about what happened on the weekend with Joey Bats, I like him but I feel like maybe he had a slice of humble pie coming his way.

It's total BS. Jose legitimately slid into second. You see slides like that all the time at all levels of baseball. The fact that this 2nd baseman elevated this to a fight is ridiculous... all over a bat flip in October!?!

I'm sick of the MLB being full of guys who want to quash celebration. Baseball is hard enough to watch as it is and this culture of hit the ball and trot around the bases with your head down or get intentionally hit your next at bat is ridiculous. I wouldn't mind seeing these managers and players run out of the game.

If baseball wants to attract more fans and players they should embrace celebration. A bat flip and fist pump shouldn't lead to something like this 6 months later. Losers.

[wabashcr]

Been a Blue Jay fan since their inception. Not sure how I feel about what happened on the weekend with Joey Bats, I like him but I feel like maybe he had a slice of humble pie coming his way.

I agree with Toronto saying if Texas wanted to hit him, they should have done it well before his last AB against them this season. That's pretty chickenshit if you ask me. I'm not a fan of all of baseball's unwritten rules, but I get that the Rangers were going to settle the score after the bat flip. It's kinda dumb, but it's been that way forever. Bautista knew that. But waiting until it's more difficult for Toronto to respond is weak.

I also agree with Bautista saying he pulled out of that slide a bit. He easily could have gone clean through Odor's front leg and wrecked him. I don't have a problem with a hard slide on a ground ball after being intentionally hit. Just like throwing at him in the first place, the intent was to send a message, not injure.

Texas claiming they didn't throw at Bautista on purpose is laughable. Yes it was a 1-run game, and Bautista was the tying run. Whatever. The way these teams cling to the unwritten rules and previous grievances, I guarantee you they all cared more about getting back at Bautista than winning a meaningless May game. That also makes it all the more puzzling why they didn't go after him earlier.

[puromaniac]

The celebrations in other sports (football, soccer, hockey to name a few) seem way more flamboyant than a bat flip. But they do throw a few punches in hockey I suppose.

[scottyfwil]

As a lifelong Yankee fan all I know is that The Beloveds are stinking up the joint so far this year. My wife's cousin won first row behind the Yankee dugout tickets in a charity auction and we'll be at that monument to Capitalism known as The New Yankee Stadium on Saturday to see them play the White Sox. Never had seats like that in my life. I hope they don't lose. And i can't even smoke a cigar while watching the game.

Enjoy the game! It's been almost a decade since I've watched the boys in pinstripes play in person. What an experience. Let's hope they can get it turned around for you and give you something to cheer about.

[planetary]

As long as the Giants crush the Dodgers, I'm solid. Don't need another championship; we can spread it around.

[Carts]

But bat flip aside, Bautista doesn't seem to know when to check his ego. He's well known for showing up umpires and saying some pretty cocky things to the media.

I like emotion in the game too but it seems like when anyone, (athlete or non athlete) gets a little too arrogant for their own good the world has a way of knocking you down a few pegs.

So personally I wasn't at all surprised that something like this happened, whether I liked it or not.

glad to see someone else taking this side. Jose stood up looking for a fight and Odor beat him to it. I'm glad he got clocked.

- also a jays fan

[brutusthebuckeye]

Id be an angry man to if my last name was Odor..

It's baseball..Jose had to expect some form of retaliation...the slide was late but I've seen a lot worse ..Jose wanted to play pushy back n forth and Odor went straight to the dome...

I think there should be more brawls in baseball..

Go Tribe..

[JohnS]

As long as the Giants crush the Dodgers, I'm solid. Don't need another championship; we can spread it around.

So no animosity for the other traditional foe, the New York Yankees? Or perhaps that's gone since the Giants and Dodgers relocated to the West Coast in the late 50's/early 60's.

[Orion21]

The Yankees have given up 17 runs in the last two games, while only scoring 5.

That is all...

[ChanceSchmerr]

The Yankees have given up 17 runs in the last two games, while only scoring 5.

That is all...

That's okay, the Jays gave up 25 runs and scored 4 in the last two games.