2016 Random MLB News & Notes Thread

[jerichoholicninja]

Toronto went from down 1 in the top of the ninth to up by 1 and then game over losing by 1 after Jose Bautista's slide at second was ruled illegal on replay and therefore a game ending doubleplay. The slide itself wasn't the problem as he slid early and both feet went right to the base but he grabbed for the fielders leg. Heck of a way to lose a game and was definitely the right call. Probably would have been the right call before the rule change too but it almost certainly wouldn't have been called without the offseason emphasis.

 

Also, Toronto manager John Gibbons said his team might wear dresses to tomorrow's game because that's what baseball is becoming.

[JohnBriggs12]

Happy to see Jim Henderson back in the big leagues!

[Ennder]

Bautista is such a goon, couldn't be more fitting~.

[DuWayne Steurer]

Interestingly enough, back in 2007, the Mets lost a game when a runner was called out for intereference in a similar play, so that rule has actually been enforced *fairly* recently.

 

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/mets-slip-marlon-anderson-slide-article-1.241251

 

At any rate, Bautista did not stay on the base, and he reached out and grabbed the fielder's leg with his hand, so this was an easy call. I don't even understand what Gibbons is arguing about. Whether you're a fan of the rule or not, it was easy to apply in this case.

[1992casey]

This is a fun article:

 

The day Robin Yount caught an inning for the Diamondbacks

 

This happened when Robin wasn't quite 50 years old, and the D'Backs were playing an in-season exhibition game against their South Bend affiliate. In-season exhibitions are never popular with players, so of course, they were grumbling. Robin caught to stop the complaining.

[stoutdude04]

Gallardo threw 89 pitches today...none faster than 90 mph.

[jerichoholicninja]

When did Rickie Weeks become Rickie Weeks, Jr.?

[pitchleague]

I also noticed that about Weeks last night.

 

Oh, and Jean Segura has changed his batting stance a bit.

[DocLuna7]

I watched a decent chunk of the OAK/CHI game last night. Khris Davis has definitely not done much to improve his arm in LF.

[CheezWizHed]

When did Rickie Weeks become Rickie Weeks, Jr.?

 

September 13, 1982

 

After having his first child in the offseason, veteran Rickie Weeks has decided to start going by Rickie Weeks Jr.

 

“I just had a son and I named him Rickie,” Weeks Jr. said. “I am a junior, obviously, but I named him Rickie the third. I wanted to keep it alive, I guess.”

 

Link.

[pacopete4]

I watched a decent chunk of the OAK/CHI game last night. Khris Davis has definitely not done much to improve his arm in LF.

 

And he's struck out 7 times and hasn't walked in 12 plate appearances with zero home runs. He'll end up hitting his homers if he doesn't tank too much to start the season where he doesn't get the playing time.

[reillymcshane]

I watched a decent chunk of the OAK/CHI game last night. Khris Davis has definitely not done much to improve his arm in LF.

 

And he's struck out 7 times and hasn't walked in 12 plate appearances with zero home runs. He'll end up hitting his homers if he doesn't tank too much to start the season where he doesn't get the playing time.

Davis has always been pretty streaky - so Oakland needs to be patient with him.

[jerichoholicninja]

As I looked outside at the Wisconsin weather ruining another high school baseball season I was thinking about how if effects MLB games. Of the "cold weather" MLB cities only two (Milwaukee and Seattle, and Seattle is a stretch as a cold weather city) have a dome. And of all those cities only the Rockies and Chicago teams haven't built a new stadium since 2000. I know you're only dealing with a few weeks out of the year but it's crazy that they play outdoor baseball in Minneapolis and Detroit in early April.

[stoutdude04]

Not only that...but I would not be happy one bit if I planned a day/night and it got rained out. Thankfully we dont have that issue.

[1992casey]

I have nobody that can attest to my truthfulness, but I totally predicted the home run hit by Dodger's pitcher Kenta Maeda in his major league debut Wednesday night.

 

When Kenta's turn to bat came up, he wasn't even in the on deck circle. He grabbed some gloves and finished donning them in the batter's box. On the way to the box, he nodded an apology for the delay to Padres' pitcher Andrew Cashman. That's when I thought to myself, "this dude's going to homer." For what it's worth, this was Kenta's third professional homer. He hit one last year, and he hit one eight years ago.

 

I don't know how good this guy's going to be, but nothing seems to rattle him. He shoots a smile to the catcher before every pitch and seems to go with the flow.

[DuWayne Steurer]

Hawk Harrelson calls a fly ball a "can of corn". It was a homerun.

 

http://m.mlb.com/video/topic/6479266/v577028183/cwsoak-hawk-calls-canhas-shot-can-of-corn

 

Watching the video, it was pretty much a no-doubter. Harrelson confirms he is one of the worst announcers.

[Fear The Chorizo]

Seems like Schwarber's knee is more of a problem than his ankle - 1st glance at the collision it did look a lot worst than the knee 'tweak' that was first reported.

 

The Cubs have plenty of OF depth, but if Schwarber's out an extended period of time it takes a jolt out of their offense and they'll need to count on talented but unseasoned guys prone to getting eaten up by big league pitching like Soler and Baez getting more ABs. If the injury is serious I think it potentially turns Schwarber into a 1B/DH (which he should've always been) - if the DH doesn't come to the NL he could very well be trade bait next season.

[trwi7]

Seems like Schwarber's knee is more of a problem than his ankle - 1st glance at the collision it did look a lot worst than the knee 'tweak' that was first reported.

 

Right? The way his knee twisted made me think ACL right away.

[stoutdude04]

Gomez said he wants to retire a Brewer. That's pretty cool.

[pacopete4]

Gomez said he wants to retire a Brewer. That's pretty cool.

 

 

The Brewers organization is a big reason he's still in the major leagues. They allowed him to be Carlos.

[Invader3K]

Gomez said he wants to retire a Brewer. That's pretty cool.

 

 

The Brewers organization is a big reason he's still in the major leagues. They allowed him to be Carlos.

Carlos Gomez will definitely be a Wall of Game guy someday at Miller Park.

[Funketown]

http://deadspin.com/oh-no-1770055220

[Mass Haas]

In what has to be the most obscure "Brewers farmhand reaching the big leagues for the first time with another team" story, the Braves are adding 26-year-old RHP Joel De La Cruz (Baseball Reference Page) to their 40-man and 25-man roster today, as per MLB.com's Mark Bowman.

 

De La Cruz made two appearances for the Maryvale Brewers shortly after his 17th birthday in 2006. Remember, the Brewers did not have a Dominican Academy or DSL presence at that time. He was nearly 3.5 years younger than the average league player that summer.

 

We have no record what happened after that, except that De La Cruz would not throw for the Crew again (injury?), and was given his release in July of the following summer.

 

De La Cruz would not pitch at all in 2007 or 2008, re-appeared for a brief stint with the Nationals organization in 2009 before going on a long run in the Yankees organization. He signed with Atlanta this past offseason and impressed as a non-roster player in big league camp, according to the report above.

 

Good luck to the "lost" alumnus.

[JohnBriggs12]

In what has to be the most obscure "Brewers farmhand reaching the big leagues for the first time with another team" story, the Braves are adding 26-year-old RHP Joel De La Cruz (Baseball Reference Page) to their 40-man and 25-man roster today, as per MLB.com's Mark Bowman.

 

De La Cruz made two appearances for the Maryvale Brewers shortly after his 17th birthday in 2006. Remember, the Brewers did not have a Dominican Academy or DSL presence at that time. He was nearly 3.5 years younger than the average league player that summer.

 

We have no record what happened after that, except that De La Cruz would not throw for the Crew again (injury?), and was given his release in July of the following summer.

 

De La Cruz would not pitch at all in 2007 or 2008, re-appeared for a brief stint with the Nationals organization in 2009 before going on a long run in the Yankees organization. He signed with Atlanta this past offseason and impressed as a non-roster player in big league camp, according to the report above.

 

Good luck to the "lost" alumnus.

 

Your recollection of obscure names from 10 years ago is truly amazing.

 

By the way, have you seen former Brewer Sean Halton is now playing for Reynosa in the Mexican League?

[yfinn6]

These dark grey uniforms the D'Backs are sporting today are something that takes some getting used to, I think. Not saying they look bad, but it's unusual to see that dark of grey on a full uniform. I kind of like them, but they're sort of hard on the eyes, for whatever reason.