MLB Topics

[Ralph Turner]

Book review of Bud Selig's memoir, For the Good of the Game, with Phil Rogers

http://www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/index.php/bookreview/for-the-good-of-the-game-the-inside-story-of-the-surprising-and-dramatic-transformation-of-major-league-baseball

[Ralph Turner]

My family and I attended that game!

https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2019/08/30-years-ago-nolan-ryan-threw-his-5000th-k/

[Jim Dixon]

My family and I attended that game!

https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2019/08/30-years-ago-nolan-ryan-threw-his-5000th-k/

Here is the game I saw Ryan pitched.  It was one of the best pitching performances for both teams.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SFN/SFN198309110.shtml

[Ralph Turner]

FYI. Major negotiations between MLB and MiLB

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/mlb-floats-proposal-that-would-eliminate-42-minor-league-teams

[RogK]

I can see MLB deciding to apply the Arizona Fall League model for all levels of MLB-affiliated player development.
They could build a complex of 5 or 6 baseball fields in a few different locations and run games day and night. MLB staff could then monitor their prospects without needing to travel much themselves.
MLB likely sees no value in minor league players taking frequent multi-hour bus rides and consuming dubious nutrition. MLB could better control how prospects' non-game hours are spent.
MLB surely would have no qualms about abandoning minor league cities and towns around the country.

[Jim Dixon]

If I had the cash for a MLB team, I would like to own my minor league teams to keep my triple AAA teams close to home but far enough away to expand my fan base and try to get stadiums that mirror the big league footprint for better evaluation.

[Ralph Turner]

NEW YORK – Computer plate umpires could be called up to the major leagues at some point during the next five seasons.

Umpires agreed to cooperate with Major League Baseball in the development and testing of an automated ball-strike system as part of a five-year labor contract announced Saturday, two people familiar with the deal told The Associated Press.


https://www.foxnews.com/sports/computer-plate-umps-allowed-in-new-labor-deal

[Shamrock]

This story makes my 52 year-old heart happy!

[url]https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2020/01/bartolo-colon-not-ready-to-retire.html/url]

[RogK]

Under the category of amazing productivity,
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/walshed01.shtml
this guy had 79 complete games over a two year period.
In all 4,858 regular season pitching starts in MLB 2019, only 45 complete games were thrown.
Could it be that long, rattly train rides were good therapy for pitchers' shoulders and elbows?

[Ralph Turner]

Lit up by the 2017 Astros, he [Mike Bolsinger] never pitched in MLB again. Now he's suing.


https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2020/02/11/lit-up-by-2017-astros-he-never-pitched-mlb-again-now-hes-suing/

[Jim Dixon]

Lit up by the 2017 Astros, he [Mike Bolsinger] never pitched in MLB again. Now he's suing.


https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2020/02/11/lit-up-by-2017-astros-he-never-pitched-mlb-again-now-hes-suing/

I think he has a case.  We hosted Jake Dunning when he played for the Alaska Goldpanners out of a Florida community college.  fast forward to a Giants-Pittsburgh game.  He gets lit up and demoted with that turns out to me his last MLB outing.  I expect this is a pretty common situation for pitchers on the edge.

[Ithaca798891]

Lit up by the 2017 Astros, he [Mike Bolsinger] never pitched in MLB again. Now he's suing.


https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2020/02/11/lit-up-by-2017-astros-he-never-pitched-mlb-again-now-hes-suing/

I think he has a case.  We hosted Jake Dunning when he played for the Alaska Goldpanners out of a Florida community college.  fast forward to a Giants-Pittsburgh game.  He gets lit up and demoted with that turns out to me his last MLB outing.  I expect this is a pretty common situation for pitchers on the edge.

I don't think he has a case at all. Certainly, it's possible his performance was negatively affected by the Astros doing whatever.

Of course, he had a 5.49 ERA heading into that game. And had pitched at below replacement level in 2016, and 2014. He was worth 1.2 WAR in 2015. So it's also possible he wasn't very good.

That he pitched better in the minors later that year is basically par for his course.

ERA

2014
Minors: 3.93
Majors: 5.50

2015
Minors: 2.31
Majors: 3.62

2016
Minors: 4.64
Majors: 6.83

Yes, the difference was more drastic, but given his MLB performance in 2014 and 2016, and up to that start in 2017 was poor, he probably just wasn't that good.

[SJSUPhil]

This story makes my 52 year-old heart happy!

[url]https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2020/01/bartolo-colon-not-ready-to-retire.html/url]

Me too, but I've got a few years on ya'.

[Ralph Turner]

My local SABR chapter is emailing anecdotes from MLB. Here is today's.

In the 1950s, the New York Giants used to play an exhibition game every spring up at West Point against the Army baseball team.  Leo was the Giants manager and always coached third when he managed.  One year some of the Cadets really began riding him.  At one point, a particularly loud-mouthed Cadet yelled at Durocher, "How did a pipsqueak guy like you ever become a big league manager?"

Durocher turned to the stands and responded, "I got my congressman to appoint me."

[Ralph Turner]

The Los Angeles Browns?

I had never heard this.

https://www.mlb.com/news/featured/the-story-of-the-los-angeles-browns-changed-baseball-forever