Random news and notes for MLB 2018

[young guns]

https://nypost.com/2018/02/21/mlb-responds-to-insane-rich-eisen-rule-that-would-make-yankees-deadly/amp/

 

Basically, if you're down in the ninth you can leadoff with any 3 batters is the thought, by an "MLB exec", with the reasoning

No other sport has the best players sitting on the bench in the final minutes of a game. Imagine LeBron [James], [Tom] Brady, [Cristiano Ronaldo] watching from the sidelines.

 

I think it's kind of ridiculous and am glad MLB isn't considering it, though it would increase the value of closers emensly, always facing the other teams 3 best players in the ninth. Plus brady, and other star qbs, do sit on the sideline with the game on the line when their defense is on the field trying to close it out.

[jerichoholicninja]

That's one of the things my high school coach always pointed out. Baseball isn't like every other sport where you give your best player the ball at the end of the game. The guy you need to get the game winning hit could be the worst player on your team and there's nothing you can do about it.

 

I doubt (and pray) this ever happens.

[SeaBass]

Interesting idea but part of the beauty of baseball is how very much it is a team sport. Any day, any inning the so-called worst player on the roster could be the best player that day. Could be on offense or defense. Its how an Eric Sogard, the very definition of a replacement level player can transform a team by elevating his game.

 

An idea like that, while tantalizing with its perceived excitement, isn't needed to make baseball exciting because it already is. The true romance of baseball is the unlikely hero. Kirk Gibson, Bucky Dent, Aaron Boone, Nyjer Morgan (lol) would anyone even talk about those guys if this rule were in place?

[bluescale]

The true romance of baseball is the unlikely hero. Kirk Gibson, Bucky Dent, Aaron Boone, Nyjer Morgan (lol) would anyone even talk about those guys if this rule were in place?

 

I agree with your point, but I don't think Kirk Gibson fits in with that group. He had a 5 year stretch where he was worth ~24 fWAR and 25 bWAR. He won an MVP award, and received votes in 3 other seasons. He was a pretty good player in his prime.

[jerichoholicninja]

The true romance of baseball is the unlikely hero. Kirk Gibson, Bucky Dent, Aaron Boone, Nyjer Morgan (lol) would anyone even talk about those guys if this rule were in place?

 

I agree with your point, but I don't think Kirk Gibson fits in with that group. He had a 5 year stretch where he was worth ~24 fWAR and 25 bWAR. He won an MVP award, and received votes in 3 other seasons. He was a pretty good player in his prime.

 

Gibson would actually validate this proposal as he was a pinch hitter and could be inserted whenever and where ever in the lineup.

[SeaBass]

The true romance of baseball is the unlikely hero. Kirk Gibson, Bucky Dent, Aaron Boone, Nyjer Morgan (lol) would anyone even talk about those guys if this rule were in place?

 

I agree with your point, but I don't think Kirk Gibson fits in with that group. He had a 5 year stretch where he was worth ~24 fWAR and 25 bWAR. He won an MVP award, and received votes in 3 other seasons. He was a pretty good player in his prime.

 

He absolutely fits as an unlikely hero because of his injured legs that World Series. Dude could barely walk. Sending him up to bat was desperation, he wasn't even in uniform when the 9th inning began. I assume you know this and have seen replays of his swing, it was all upper body. It was his only plate appearance that series.

[MoreTrife]

I'm not liking the reports of a slimmed down Schwarber...that's an x-factor for the Cubs. Could go from very good to dominant with a better fat boy.

[TooLiveBrew]

I'm not liking the reports of a slimmed down Schwarber...that's an x-factor for the Cubs. Could go from very good to dominant with a better fat boy.

https://twitter.com/BleacherNation/status/966850326065278976/photo/1

 

The difference is drastic -- looks like a CGI effect in a movie more than actually real.

[stoutdude04]

I'm not liking the reports of a slimmed down Schwarber...that's an x-factor for the Cubs. Could go from very good to dominant with a better fat boy.

https://twitter.com/BleacherNation/status/966850326065278976/photo/1

 

The difference is drastic -- looks like a CGI effect in a movie more than actually real.

 

Wow, that is pretty incredible. Good for him and his health. Now...where is my motivation going to come from...

[reillymcshane]

I'm not liking the reports of a slimmed down Schwarber...that's an x-factor for the Cubs. Could go from very good to dominant with a better fat boy.

https://twitter.com/BleacherNation/status/966850326065278976/photo/1

 

The difference is drastic -- looks like a CGI effect in a movie more than actually real.

I saw Schwarber on TV the other day. His weight loss is pretty dramatic. However, it seems as if that photo is slightly skewed or something. He has lost a lot of weight - but he doesn't look as thin as that photo. Here's an article with an embedded video of Schwarber.

 

https://nesn.com/2018/02/cubs-kyle-schwarber-looks-like-different-person-after-offseason-weight-loss/

[jerichoholicninja]

He had a pretty good rookie year when he was fat and even last year wasn't a horrible year. I'm sure he'll do a little better in 2018 than 2017 but I doubt it has anything to do with his weight.

[SeaBass]

Random ideas floated by Doug Melvin via Haudricourt on twitter:

 

On Tanking:

Former #Brewers GM Doug Melvin has a great "anti-tanking" plan. On Aug. 1, after trades are made, you identify the eight teams with worst records. Over last two months, the one with most wins gets No. 1 draft pick, second-most wins gets No. 2, etc.

 

Melvin said that would stop contending teams playing "tanking" teams down the stretch from having advantage over teams with tougher schedules. Make the worst teams actually have to win for No. 1 pick. I like it.

 

Expanded rosters/Sept call-ups:

MLB should listen to Doug Melvin. He has has great idea to avoid teams with 40 players having advantage over teams with 30 players after September call-ups. You can summon as many as you want from minors but you have to identify only 30 eligible for any game. Sounds about right.

 

_ _ _ _ _

 

My thought was these are both interesting ideas and don't feel too "out there" to be immediately rejected.

[CrewFanBrewMan69]

It's really not a bad idea if they really feel "tanking" is a problem, for me personally I do not think it's a problem and if it's the route teams want to go fine. Baseball can be a weird sport and teams can end up having bad seasons/no chance to win even if their intent isn't to tank from the start of the year, it seems like a way that can unfairly punish a team(s) that has a rash of injuries or poor performance. Last year I don't think the Giants, Tigers, Mets, Jays, Orioles, Pirates, Marlins and Rangers were really trying to tank yet you have the 2 worst teams in the league in that group and the other 6 finished in the bottom 14.

[TooLiveBrew]

I'm not liking the reports of a slimmed down Schwarber...that's an x-factor for the Cubs. Could go from very good to dominant with a better fat boy.

https://twitter.com/BleacherNation/status/966850326065278976/photo/1

 

The difference is drastic -- looks like a CGI effect in a movie more than actually real.

I saw Schwarber on TV the other day. His weight loss is pretty dramatic. However, it seems as if that photo is slightly skewed or something. He has lost a lot of weight - but he doesn't look as thin as that photo. Here's an article with an embedded video of Schwarber.

 

https://nesn.com/2018/02/cubs-kyle-schwarber-looks-like-different-person-after-offseason-weight-loss/

Even if the still photo is an extreme angle, he's still lost a ton of weight & looks in much better condition. He looks very fit in that video, to me.

[brewtank34]

Tanking isn’t really the issue more so than teams being more willing to go into rebuild.

[trwi7]

The idea that you're going to stop tanking is dumb. What happens if the say 13th or 14th worst team decides to tank the last couple of weeks before the trade deadline to fall in the bottom 8? Now you're going to have a team that's better than the worst team and probably far better having the inside track to the #1 pick. Those bad teams are still going to be bad but now all you've done is keep the bad teams bad and allow the mediocre teams the opportunity to be bad for a few weeks to steal the top picks.

[brewtank34]

Tanking isn’t really the issue more so than teams being more willing to go into rebuild.

[danzig6767]

The idea that you're going to stop tanking is dumb. What happens if the say 13th or 14th worst team decides to tank the last couple of weeks before the trade deadline to fall in the bottom 8? Now you're going to have a team that's better than the worst team and probably far better having the inside track to the #1 pick. Those bad teams are still going to be bad but now all you've done is keep the bad teams bad and allow the mediocre teams the opportunity to be bad for a few weeks to steal the top picks.

I have no problem with tanking, but i don't buy that this would likely be what ended up happening.

[brewerfan82]

It probably needs some tweaking, but I kind of dig the idea. In addition to motivating teams for the last two months, it encourages teams to at least put out a passable team to begin the season as well because if you're just flat out the worst team in baseball and can't beat out teams at the end of the year, you're not going to have a chance at getting that #1 draft pick. You can still rebuild, trade away MLB players to increase minor league talent, etc., but you better still fill out your MLB roster with some decent players via FA as well. It should provide a little better experience for the fans of teams rebuilding and it could help with the free agency freeze that's happening this offseason as well.

 

To avoid teams "pre-tanking" at the August deadline (or teams not quite making the 8 just becoming the new tanking teams), maybe instead of it being flat out the worst 8 records, the 8 teams are determined by an NBA-like lottery system involving the bottom 16 teams and the results aren't revealed until after the season so teams don't know if they are playing for nothing or not. And anyone outside the bottom 16, should be battling for the playoffs, so there's no worry about them losing on purpose at that point.

[brewcrewdue80]

Random ideas floated by Doug Melvin via Haudricourt on twitter:

 

On Tanking:

Former #Brewers GM Doug Melvin has a great "anti-tanking" plan. On Aug. 1, after trades are made, you identify the eight teams with worst records. Over last two months, the one with most wins gets No. 1 draft pick, second-most wins gets No. 2, etc.

 

Melvin said that would stop contending teams playing "tanking" teams down the stretch from having advantage over teams with tougher schedules. Make the worst teams actually have to win for No. 1 pick. I like it.

 

Expanded rosters/Sept call-ups:

MLB should listen to Doug Melvin. He has has great idea to avoid teams with 40 players having advantage over teams with 30 players after September call-ups. You can summon as many as you want from minors but you have to identify only 30 eligible for any game. Sounds about right.

 

_ _ _ _ _

 

My thought was these are both interesting ideas and don't feel too "out there" to be immediately rejected.

 

Pretty sure Melvin came up with this idea throughout our losing seasons where we won a lot down the stretch and went from a top 5 or 10 pick to 11 or 14.

 

I agree with trwi on there are going to be good teams that were expected to be .500 and instead are 10games under qualifying them for this who goes on to play and finish the season just above .500 while having the #1 pick? A bad team no matter what will be bad and now you're reducing them to the 8th pick which they had no chance of winning enough to get a top 5 pick. Fits Melvin's way of doing GM with his idea since he built .500 teams and never the 90+ win teams.

 

I remember a few years back where it was basically 5 teams within 1 game of eachother for 7-12th draft when top 10 meant not losing that pick when signing a QO player....(something that doesn't exist now) You're looking at a team in that instance who may finish with the 16th best record in baseball and draft 1st just because they were pct points or 1game ahead of a team that winds up with 6th worst record in the league at that time. Gotta be a better way.

 

Expose the revenue sharing and how it's being used by the teams receiving it. If MLB deems they aren't using it to the good of the team, remove their #1 pick.

[Fear The Chorizo]

I think a slimmed-down Schwarber just has a better chance of injuring himself running a little faster in the outfield after misjudging another flyball - his value to any team is what he does at the plate offensively with power. He's still a potentially elite power bat that doesn't have a position on a NL team, which IMO makes him a LH hitting version of Santana.

[Warning Track Power]

I think a slimmed-down Schwarber just has a better chance of injuring himself running a little faster in the outfield after misjudging another flyball - his value to any team is what he does at the plate offensively with power. He's still a potentially elite power bat that doesn't have a position on a NL team, which IMO makes him a LH hitting version of Santana.

Amen. However, because he is a Cub (or you could insert Yankee, Dodger, Red Sox) he should be the centerpiece of an Archer deal. Whereas because Santana is a Brewer (or you could insert Padre, Pirate, Royal) he should be a tertiary piece in an Archer deal.

[jerichoholicninja]

"It's not part of baseball."

"I know that's the new, analytical side, trying to re-invent the wheel...that's just not what MLB is to me."

 

Cole Hamels comments about the Rangers using a 6 man rotation this year. Apparently unaware that the 5 man rotation is a new concept in the grand scheme of baseball.

[sveumrules]

Tampa Bay looking to try out a four man rotation this year & then going with bullpen days when the fifth spot comes up. Will definitely be interesting to see how long they stick with it & what the results will be.

 

Is this the Rays being innovative?

 

"Only if it works," (manager Kevin) Cash said. "If it doesn't, it's dumb."

 

http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/rays/2018/03/07/old-school-or-innovative-rays-eyeing-four-man-rotation-for-full-season/

[Warning Track Power]

Speaking of TB:

 

http://www.tbo.com/blogs/rays/2018/03/07/rays-pitching-prospect-jose-de-leon-headed-for-tommy-john-surgery/

 

First Honeywell and now De Leon. Gotta feel bad for the Rays.