Yeah I always remember he had a reputation for being kind of stick in the mud deek who didn't always get along with guys in the clubhouse.

Whatever...If they wanna plunk Jake and turn this into a beef fine by me. They can do as they please and we'll just continue making them irrelevant for years to come.

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They can do as they please and we'll just continue making them irrelevant for years to come.

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They don't need the Astros help, they hired a guy to do it for them.

Managerial record: 341 - 361

Just an Ag said:

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irish pete ag06 said:

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My final thought on Jake. If meant to truck him he would have led with his left shoulder at the angle he was at and not exposed his head to contact.

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My final thought... The catcher has inside position, he is standing right where he is supposed to stand to receive the ball. The catcher moved up the line to field the ball, maintaining his inside position. Jake misread the movement. He zigged when he should've zagged. Nothing malicious about it, and I have no problem with the ruling, time to move on.

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Yes. This is basically an embellishment of what I said. If he had meant to truck him he would have led with the other shoulder to protect his own head.

Edit: Terrible idea.

No changes need to be made.

This was a fluke play and it almost never happens anymore. Not worth a knee jerk reaction change.

Verlander says the balls are juiced -

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American League All-Star Game starter Justin Verlander told ESPN on Monday that the balls used in Major League Baseball games this season are "a f---ing joke" and that he believes "100%" that the league has implemented the juiced balls to increase offense.

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https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/27149029/verlander-mlb-juicing-balls-more-offense

You're right. I don't think the rule needs to be changed, it just needs to be officiated better.

Visiting the schedule at the break... and these are for the American League only, so 1-15 ranking (hardest to easiest).

Games Played- SOS

2. Astros
4. Rays
8. A's
10. Rangers
12. Yankees
13. Red Sox
14. Twins
15. Indians

Games Remaining- SOS projected
2. Rangers
3. A's
5. Red Sox
6. Yankees
9. Astros
10. Indians
14. Twins
15. Rays

It should be a tougher road for the Yankees, Sox, A's and Rangers the rest of the year. It should be an easier road for the Astros (especially with a healthy roster). It should be laughed at what the Twins face all year- and yet with that schedule and the injuries the Astros still have a better record.

the Red Sox have a difficult second half schedule.

come out of the break with 3 games vs. the Dodgers...then vacation-time with 7 games vs. the Orioles and Blue Jays.

but then a 14-game stretch vs. the Rays and Yankees (in 15 days).

and in September play 11 games vs. the Twins, Rays, and Yankees.

they better cleanup on the O's and Jays

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"I hate the way I feel out there," Verlander told ESPN. "No matter who's the batter, I feel like I'm constantly walking a tightrope, because any batter can go opposite field. Any batter can leave with any pitch that's anywhere in the zone. You can't miss barrels anymore. You have to miss bats. There's been multiple times this year where five years ago I'd probably just throw a fastball away. I can't do that. Because you're the 8-, 9-hole hitter and you still can hit an opposite-field homer.

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redline248 said:

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"I hate the way I feel out there," Verlander told ESPN. "No matter who's the batter, I feel like I'm constantly walking a tightrope, because any batter can go opposite field. Any batter can leave with any pitch that's anywhere in the zone. You can't miss barrels anymore. You have to miss bats. There's been multiple times this year where five years ago I'd probably just throw a fastball away. I can't do that. Because you're the 8-, 9-hole hitter and you still can hit an opposite-field homer.

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What's your take? Would like to hear your thoughts.

Need to move Tyler White to the 8/9 hole then

Makes me wonder what the Astros front office is planning, if anything, in order to make an adjustment to stay in front of the curve.

Also interesting was JD Martinez's take on more power stuff, less control. Any chance more Maddux/Glavine/Moyer types make a resurgence?

Beat40 said:

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redline248 said:

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"I hate the way I feel out there," Verlander told ESPN. "No matter who's the batter, I feel like I'm constantly walking a tightrope, because any batter can go opposite field. Any batter can leave with any pitch that's anywhere in the zone. You can't miss barrels anymore. You have to miss bats. There's been multiple times this year where five years ago I'd probably just throw a fastball away. I can't do that. Because you're the 8-, 9-hole hitter and you still can hit an opposite-field homer.

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What's your take? Would like to hear your thoughts.

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I think we've seen a number of times this year he makes a pitch and then turns to watch it with a "wtf" look on his face. Other than the steroid era, batters ain't that good up and down lineups.

There is obviously something different about the ball, but I do think it's mostly the hitters "all or nothing" approach. Look at the big picture - yes, JV is giving up more homers, but all in all he's been pitching the best he has in his entire career...so is he saying that with the old balls he'd be striking out 350 and have a sub-2 ERA at age 36?

• I don't hear him complaining that hitters are striking out at the highest rate in baseball history. That stat is escalating even faster than HR.
• JV's WHIP is a ridiculous and by far career-best 0.813 right now. That would be the 7th best single season WHIP in baseball history!!!
• Hits were down to a historic low last year and this year are the 2nd lowest (aside from last year) since 1989!

The only thing out of the ordinary are HR and JV gives up a lot of them. Part of that may be the ball, but IMO it's the way he's going after hitters. You can't challenge hitter after hitter with FB AND lead the league in Ks AND pitch deep into games AND not give up HR.

Also, we are hitting the same baseballs, so it sounds like a bit of sour grapes to me.

If there is anyone who can tell the difference between baseballs from year to year, it's an elite pitcher. I don't think Verlander is just complaining, I believe him when he says the balls are different.

Hitters are on pace to hit more than 500 homers than they did in 2017! Hitters didn't all of a sudden get 500 homers better.

JV is giving up a record number of bombs this year but still leader of the pack to win the Cy Young

Bobby Petrino`s Neckbrace said:

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If there is anyone who can tell the difference between baseballs from year to year, it's an elite pitcher. I don't think Verlander is just complaining, I believe him when he says the balls are different.

Hitters are on pace to hit more than 500 homers than they did in 2017! Hitters didn't all of a sudden get 500 homers better.

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You're missing the big picture. They aren't hitting HR with no sacrifice to any other category like the roid era.

I'm sure the balls are different, but I doubt they are juiced.

Hits last year were the lowest since 1972! Ks are at an all-time high! Hitters didn't all of the sudden lose the ability to put the ball in play either. They are trying to hit HR and only HR.

Edit: To say here is the article.

https://www.espn.co.uk/mlb/story/_/id/27149029/verlander-mlb-juicing-balls-more-offense

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Manfred, who became commissioner in 2015, acknowledged Monday on ESPN's Golic and Wingo the difference in the balls. He has denied any involvement from the league in changing the composition of the ball."We think what's been going on this year is attributable to the baseball," Manfred told Golic and Wingo. "Our scientists that have been now studying the baseball more regularly have told us that this year the baseball has a little less drag. It doesn't need to change very much in order to produce meaningful change in terms of the way the game is played on the field. We are trying to understand exactly why that happened and build out a manufacturing process that gives us a little more control over what's going on. But you have to remember that our baseball is a handmade product and there's gonna be variation year to year."

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"It's a power-arm league," Martinez said. "It's either a walk or a strikeout -- stuff over command. I think you see a lot more mistakes over the plate. The velocity, the guys trying to hit the ball in the air -- I think it's a recipe for home runs."

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Teams also shift waaay more today than ever, which obviously cuts down hits.

As to JV allowing more homers than all the other pitchers, where does he rank in innings pitched? I'm sure there is also a batters faced to homers ratio. I'd guess he is a leader in that stat, too.

Also mentioned in the above article was that JV showed the reporters a blister on his thumb that he only had one other time in his career. He obviously believes that is evidence of the ball being different.

Other pitchers have complained this year. Stroman said he agrees with JV but "it is what it is so why think about it." Joe Madden said they should stamp Titleist on the balls.

And a final point, I think JV and others just want mlb to admit it, which to my knowledge has not happened.

By the way, a similar phenomenon happened in college a few years ago. After the change to the BB core bats, or whatever, NCAA followed with a change to the balls. Homers went up, but strike outs went up, too.

Good point, but the shift doesn't cause strikeouts. I think that's a direct result of guys swinging for the fences.

Why are doubles not up? Why are triples at the lowest of all time? If the ball is juiced, wouldn't line drives be finding the gap more too?

It's definitely a multi-layered issue.

And I won't hold my breath for an Astro friendly outcome

Now that's funny.

I can't believe he beat you Shark haters to it!