MLB Season 2016

[JohnS]

Just remember friends that there are 162 games in a Baseball season, a lot can and will happen with each team and each divisional race can change in the space of weeks, especially when you factor in injuries and trades.

[ChanceSchmerr]

That's it? The Jays have given up 25 and scored 4 the last two games.

Heh heh beat you to it by 1 min!

[planetary]

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.

Ancestral memory remains alive in some of us. I'm a third generation Giants fan, and so the echoes of New York remain. To wit: in my estimation, and what I've taught my boys, is: the only team worse than the Yankees is the Dodgers. One of the few things more thrilling than 2010 (and 2012 and 2014) was watching the Idiots overcome the Yankees in 2004 by winning 4 straight. Thrilling.

[JohnS]

On ‎11‎/‎05‎/‎2016 at 9:55 PM, JohnS said:

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.

I don't know about you, but I've found the post season enthralling folks! I mean Cleveland making the World Series for the first time since 1997, and the Cubs and Dodgers fighting it out in the NLCS, with both those teams not appearing in the Fall Classic since 1945 and 1988 respectively. I extend my sympathies to our many Canadian fans this year...at least Toronto made it to the ALCS again this year. My Mets had many injuries, I was amazed they made the Wild Card game!

I have a soft spot for the Cubs. Again, let's not mention goats, black cats or Steve Bartman. (I) Can't wait until Saturday Night's game 6 in the NLCS!

[joeskow]

Go Tribe!!

[Bohn007]

On 10/21/2016 at 5:41 AM, JohnS said:

I have a soft spot for the Cubs. Again, let's not mention goats, black cats or Steve Bartman. (I) Can't wait until Saturday Night's game 6 in the NLCS!

Roasting the goat on the grill tonight. Wanna goat taco? 

[JohnS]

5 hours ago, Bohn007 said:

Roasting the goat on the grill tonight. Wanna goat taco? 

Yeah...sounds yummy! And (there's been) no sighting of this guy...

[Danimalia]

I was disappointed that my SF Giants got eliminated by the Cubs in the NLDS. After a great start to the season, they collapsed in the 2nd half and barely crawled into the postseason. Still, for a minute, I thought they might be able to regain some of that recent postseason magic, but it didn't happen. No shame in losing to the Cubs. Throughout their 3 World Series runs this decade, the Giants have managed to beat superior teams in the playoffs, but that wasn't going to work forever. Having been through lean years, getting to the ALDS and losing is nothing to take for granted, so I don't.

Now that the Dodgers have been dispatched, I am free to relax and enjoy the World Series. I'd like to see the Cubs win it all, but if Cleveland wins, that would be great, too. Neither team has won in a long time.

[JohnS]

4 minutes ago, Danimalia said:

 I'd like to see the Cubs win it all, but if Cleveland wins, that would be great, too. Neither team has won in a long time.

I was similarly happy that my Mets even made it to the Wild Card game, especially as most of the team was out with injury (Harvey, Wheeler, Matz, deGrom, Wright, Duda, d'Arnaud). I can't quite believe that the 2016 World Series will be between the Cleveland Indians and the Chicago Cubs. I hope it will be a great and memorable series.

[LLC]

Definitely rooting for the Cubs; can't cheer for the team that eliminated my Blue Jays️


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[PaulPower]

Cubbies! I have no "other team." This is my W stick


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[brutusthebuckeye]

Can't wait till Tuesday..shld b a good series..Go Tribe..two perennial losers and one gets to end the misery lol..that's better than seeing my Tribe lose to the F'n Florida Marlins in 97 

[JohnS]

On 23/10/2016 at 4:08 PM, brutusthebuckeye said:

Can't wait till Tuesday..shld b a good series..Go Tribe..two perennial losers and one gets to end the misery lol..that's better than seeing my Tribe lose to the F'n Florida Marlins in 97 

Yes, I would say that the '95 series loss to the Braves was more 'palatable' (if there's such a thing). For what I've seen so far of the postseason, I think Kyle Hendricks, despite trying to live down comparisons to Greg Maddux, has been as effective as Greg Maddux and Jon Lester has been dominant too for the Cubs. I've noted too how managers have employed their relievers in a different way to the regular season, using them as 'relief aces' in the middle innings or late innings, and for multiple innings. I recollect such an idea was mooted (and subsequently disparaged by baseball experts) by sabermetrician, Bill James in the mid-80's and was used successfully by the Boston Red Sox in 2004 with Keith Foulke winning key games in that postseason. Bill James' idea was that a baseball manager should put up his best reliever when the game is tied or close, around the 7th innings usually...this is much more critical than putting up a closer in the 9th innings when ahead by up to 3 runs. I view Andrew Miller's dominance this postseason as been even more effective than Keith Foulke in 2004.

Some World Series questions to ponder until Tuesday Night's game...

[ElReyDel757]

My beloved Dodgers are finished.  However, I find it impossible to hate on the Cubs.  Good luck to Cleveland and the Cubs, both very deserving and championship starved franchises.

[Danimalia]

This has the potential to be an all timer of a world series.

 

Smart observation about the unorthodox bullpen usage this postseason. I think it's been great seeing managers use their best relievers in high leverage, non traditional situations. Then again, this postseason had featured some of the best managers of this era, so maybe not a huge surprise.

[canadianbeaver]

I can watch any team play baseball since Matthew and I are fans from Toronto. My dad and I can sit for hours absolutely still and just comment on an obscure rule that should be in effect, and then ask, "wanna drink?"

My art studio is our cigar/tv cave too, so normally I can be smoking my brains out during this World Series. Just got through the Sinus/cold/flu thing of the year. Yuck. 

Prayer is in by the last game we can celebrate with serious smoke and stuff!

CB

 

[JohnS]

2016 World Series - Game 1 Summary

• Cleveland win 6-0 at home. They have yet to lose at home in the postseason in 2016
• Jon Lester 's weakness against base stealing came back to haunt him in the first innings
• You've got to congratulate Terry Francona playing 'Small Ball' so well at the start of the game. It goes to show that such a strategy can be employed with American League teams too (who generally don't do it because of the addition of the designated hitter). 
• Corey Kluber put out an incredible performance tonight. It's hard to come back against someone who struckout batters so effectively, especially in the first three innings (a record 8 in the first 3 innings).
• Andrew Miller continued to perform as a 'relief ace', despite allowing walks and hits, that slider continues to be very difficult for opposing batters to hit against.
• Despite being rattled in the first innings, I though Jon Lester pitched well. To pitch six innings after his poor first one demonstrated how good a pitcher he is.
• The Cubs had their chances. They were 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position.
• Who could have predicted that Roberto Perez would cleanup in the 9th batting position with 2 home runs?
• Jake Arrieta has to stand up in Game 2 and prove his class. He failed to do so in his last outing against Los Angeles in the NLCS. Can he come back against Trevor Bauer tomorrow night?
• Teams who win Game 1 of the World series have won 5 of the last 6 World Series and 71 of 111 overall.
• The Cubs were shutout twice in the NCLS and still won 4-2. They are more than capable of coming back. My personal view is that the Indians capitalised at critical moments during tonight's game and made the Cubs pay. As they say, "Baseball is a game of inches".  Kluber proved this with his strikeouts by 'painting the corners' so consistently.
• Please note that Game 2 will start one hour earlier, at 7 pm ET, due to the forecast of inclement weather in Cleveland.

[JohnS]

2016 World Series - Game 2 Summary

• Chicago win 5-1 away. Cleveland suffer their first loss at home in the postseason in 2016
• Jake Arrieta took a no-hitter into the sixth innings, the longest such stretch since 1969 (there have only been 2 no-hitters in MLB postseason history - Don Larsen's Perfect Game in 1956 and Roy Halladay's no-hitter in 2010)
• To prove that Baseball is a game of inches, note how Jake Arrieta escaped two baserunners in the 1st innings, whereas Jon Lester in Game 1 did not. The momentum after Jose Ramirez's flyout in the 1st enabled the Cubs to get ahead and keep that lead. 
• The Cubs actively sought to foul-off pitches from Trevor Bauer tonight, something they didn't do against Corey Kluber. Bauer could not get through 4 innings, and his pitch count was over 80.
• Kyle Schwarber went 2-for-4 with 2 RBI singles, and is 3-for-7 in this World Series, but in my mind, the right decision has been made to use him a pinch-hitter in the next 3 games at Wrigley Field.
• Kyle Hendricks has a 1.32 ERA average at Wrigley Field this season. Despite Josh Tomlin winning both his postseason starts, I can't help but feel that Hendricks will pitch well again in Game 3. The onus will be on Cleveland to keep things tight in the first two-thirds of the game, where they can utilise Andrew Miller to create/protect a lead.

[JohnInCleveland]

Not sure how many more games last night I can handle.  4 straight hours of nerve crushing chess played by 2 teams with great pitching.  Tons of mistakes (and dung umpiring) made it even harder to watch.  

 

Anyone who didn't think this would be a great series is sadly mistaken.

[Danimalia]

Series is as advertised. Two great teams, with great managers. Cleveland just took home-field advantage back again by winning game 3. At this point, both teams should be settled in for a long series. Looks like a 7-gamer to me. If Cleveland is going with a 3 man rotation, it will be interesting to see how they fare with their starters going on short rest. 

 

[Danimalia]

Cubbies in deep trouble now. As a warriors fan, though, I can't say I'd be too upset if Cleveland loses a series they're up 3-1

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[brutusthebuckeye]

One more win...Go Tribe. 

[JohnInCleveland]

8 hours ago, Danimalia said:

Cubbies in deep trouble now. As a warriors fan, though, I can't say I'd be too upset if Cleveland loses a series they're up 3-1

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[JohnS]

2016 World Series - Game 3 Summary

• Cleveland win 1-0 away. Cleveland achieve a Major League postseason 5th shutout this season
• Josh Tomlin and Andrew Miller's pitching in the first six innings set up the victory, in my opinion.
• Kyle Hendricks allowed six hits and two walks in 4.1 innings pitched before being pulled. His six strikeouts maintained his shutout. 
• Coco Crisp's game-winning hit in the 7th of Carl Edwards Jr was the first time a pinch-hitter brought home a pinch-runner in a World Series game to win.
• The Cubs had baserunners on 2nd and 3rd in the bottom of the 9th with 2 outs, but closer Cody Allen struckout Javier Baez on a high, rising fastball to end the game.
• The Cubs went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position.
• Andrew Miller's 15 consecutive scoreless innings is a postseason record for a reliever.

[JohnS]

2016 World Series - Game 4 Summary

• Cleveland win 7-2 away. Cleveland are 1 win away from their first World Series since 1948
• Corey Kluber, pitching on three days rest, was critical to the overall win. He pitched six innings, allowed 5 hits and a walk and 1 run. His 0.89 ERA this postseason is the second best in postseason history for pitchers who have pitched at least 30 innings
• Jason Kipnis hit a 3-run home run to put the game beyond doubt in the 7th innings when Cleveland were leading 4-1.
• The Indians took full advantage of Kris Bryant's two fielding errors
• Dexter Fowler hit a consolation home run in the 8th to end Andrew Miller's scoreless innings streak, however Miller's 30 strikeouts this postseason as a reliever is a new record
• Again, Chicago's offense was key to their loss. Cleveland went 3-for-8 with runners in scoring position, whereas Chicago were 1-for-7. The Cubs have been unable to collect critical hits in their last two games
• Personally speaking, and I'd like to apologise to Cubs fans in advance, but this game was unworthy of the outstanding baseball we've enjoyed as fans in the first three games. If the Cubs bow out in Game 5 in the same fashion they did in Game 4, I feel that this will be a great disservice to their fans, especially after they collected over 100 wins in the regular season. Whilst I readily acknowledge that Cleveland players such as Corey Kluber, Andrew Miller and Francisco Lindor have enjoyed exceptional performances, I can't accept players of the calibre of Wilson Contreras and Addison Russell batting like they did today. They way they struckout at balls outside the strikezone, at key moments, is a letdown to other players such as Ben Zobrist who has consistently battled in his at-bats (by fouling off good pitches) this World Series to collect hits, hence his .375 average.
• No amount of blame on 'Billy Goats, Black Cats and Steve Bartman' or excuses for Cleveland's good pitching, is going to compensate for an improvement in the Cubs performance after today's game. Joe Maddon, as manager, requires a pep-talk in the manner that Terry Collins did with the Mets this season to turn them around and at least reach the Wild Card game, despite their many injuries. I don't mind the Cubs losses in Games 1 and 3, but Game 4 was not good enough for the calibre of players in this team
• For Game 5, Jon Lester has to perform in the manner he has this postseason and keep the Cubs in the contest. I'm looking for Javier Baez to perform in the same way he has in the NCLS for Chicago to breakout in their offense. The Cubs have to get an early lead as I don't see them getting hits/runs off Andrew Miller and Cody Allen.