Ag_07 said:

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Mike Fiers has 2 no-nos and Roger Clemens has 0

Baseball is weird

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Dallas Braden (career 26-36) has a perfect game with a hangover. Verlander doesn't, despite 3 no-hitters.

bluefire579 said:

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Pine tar seems to be pretty widely used by pitchers. I don't think they actually enforce that rule any more.

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Only if it's blatant ala that one Yankees pitcher a few years ago. And that took the opposing manager complaining

Marvin said:

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TREX01 said:

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I haven't check this thread in probably a month so I didn't go back to see if there was any discussion about this. A thought about Altuve and his chase for 3000 hits. With this injury issues the last couple of years and now this season being in jeopardy, there is a very real chance that his quest for 3000 has dried up. This will end up costing him about a years worth of games and you just don't recover from that in your late 30's. Hate to see that happen to him but at this point its a very real possibility.

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In the 8 years since his rookie season, Altuve has averaged 188 hits. Can he replicate that for another 8? I wouldn't bet against him, but it will be a hill to climb. The question is whether he can make some noise the next couple of seasons. If so, I think he'd certainly give it a shot. If he can stay on his roughly 204 hits per 162 game pace, meaning he stays healthy, he would get there in right about 2400 games. That matches closely to modern players such as Gwinn (2284), Jeter (2362), Rose (2370), Molitor (2411) and Carew (2416). How awesome would it be to cheer another career Astros to 3,000 hits?

No team has more than two players that reached 3,000 hits wearing their jersey (10 teams in total have two players), and only 20 teams total have at least one on the list.

Looks like Miguel Cabrera could be the next one to reach 3000 hits, if he can stay healthy. He would give the Tigers their third player. Interestingly, the next on the list with a shot are Robinson Cano and Nick Markakis... can they stay healthy and play another four years? After that it is slim pickings until you get to Altuve and Starlin Castro. I'd throw Trout in there as well, if his health maintains.

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Quick hands don't ever really go away. See Tony Gwynn batting average at end of his career.

https://nypost.com/2020/05/09/details-of-mlbs-restart-proposal-from-coronavirus-emerge/

Tuesday we will apparently hear the proposal.

-6 game series
-about 80 games
-play regional opponents
-expanded playoffs
-expanded rosters b/c no minor leagues


Money is a huge issue, so this may not go through

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Also, the MLB plan will ask the players to take a pay cut because, at least to begin and possibly all season, there will be no fans and, thus, no revenue from ticket sales, parking, concessions and luxury suites. The union has stated the March 26 agreement with MLB covered this area, ensuring the players would receive a prorated total of their salary about 50 percent in an 80-game schedule. The union has indicated there is no budge in its position on this.

MLB currently is equally inflexible. The commissioner's office has said the March 26 pact calls for further negotiations about player salaries if there are relocations or no spectators. MLB has said it will lose more money by keeping the pay prorated without fans and is averse to playing games in that situation.

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bearkatag15 said:

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If you ever wanted to say something to Bauer, here you go

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He actually answered a few calls and is now being a good sport about it...

Nvm the video says that

Farmer1906 said:

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Alex Bregman said:

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Farmer1906 said:

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Lol at the Yankees and Dodgers

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In their heads. I mean we are buried in their heads nut sack deep.

And those backwoods hillbillies in Arkansas tweet about NYY more than the next door Rangerettes. In fact, there is a noticeable lack of Arlington logo.

2nd week of May and we are still on the off season thread.

Big Al 1992 said:

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2nd week of May and we are still on the off season thread.

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Yea, mothers day w/o baseball seems strange

Ag_07 said:

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Weird guy but Bauer is a damn good dude.

Honestly hope we kick the tires and try and get him in the orange and blue when he hits the market.

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Hes out there for sure but hes my kind of crazy so Im ok with it

Fantasy notes from Eric Karabell at ESPN...

Baseball talk

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What's new: On the field, there's nothing really, since there was other stuff going on and some absence of decision-making capability. Austin Pruitt and Dustin Garneau are new! Manager Dusty Baker is the bigger deal, and again, some are trying to guess his influence on pitchers and young players. I say, "Stop it!" He is not managing the 2004 Cubs anymore.

What is not new: A talented championship-caliber team remains, led by a deep lineup that finished last season third in runs scored and a top-heavy rotation that offers intriguing fill-ins for the lost Gerrit Cole. Sure, several key Astros can walk after the 2020 season (George Springer, Michael Brantley among them) and the rotation is rather old at the top, but if they play baseball in 2020 -- and especially if angry fans in road parks are unable to voice their feelings from the stands -- watch out! Oh, and get outfielders Myles Straw and Kyle Tucker now in dynasty formats, for they could both start in 2021 and do very nice things.

Players to target: Five Astros crack the top-40 in my roto rankings, led by Bregman and Justin Verlander, and fortified by DH Yordan Alvarez, who earned top AL rookie honors with a mere 87-game body of (fantastic) work. Nine Astros should be top-100 picks and, if early ADP indications are any proof, each of them might be statistically underrated. Nobody will know for sure how much advantage Astros hitters gained in 2017, or in the years after, so stop guessing. These fellows are still good. As for later-round bargains, right-handers Lance McCullers Jr., Jose Urquidy and Josh James all miss bats, prevent runs well enough, and will get this run support.

Players to fade: Shortstop Carlos Correa can be a bit overrated, since repeated injuries have kept him from 500 PA in each of the past three seasons. Plus, when he does perform, he is no longer a factor in stolen bases. He is a risk/reward option that I will be fading. First baseman Yuli Gurriel, meanwhile, hit 31 home runs in his first two full campaigns in Houston, and then matched that total in 2019. OK, so everyone showed power, but Gurriel's average flyball distance hardly supported his presumed age-35 breakout. He is safe for batting average and, with this lineup, RBI -- and little else.

Key statistic: Four Astros ranked among the top nine in terms of the lowest strikeout rate for hitters. That wasn't because they were cheating. Brantley, Gurriel, Bregman and Josh Reddick are extreme contact options, and a big reason why the Astros were the toughest team to strike out in 2019, by far. That goes for road games, too.

Bullpen thoughts: Roberto Osuna boasts a 2.75 ERA, a 0.91 WHIP and strong strikeout rate of 10.0 K/9 for his five-season career, He's also posted 20 or more saves in each year -- even the shortened one. It hardly means that Ryan Pressly (or someone else) cannot pitch better, but it would be surprising if there were a closer change here, which is why Osuna is a top-five fantasy closer.

Prospect I like: We have heard about Tucker for so long that he might be a bit overrated, especially if Baker opts to play Reddick in right field instead. Tucker, who has exhausted his rookie status, hit 34 home runs and stole 30 bases for Triple-A Round Rock, so of course we are excited about some regular playing time in the big leagues. Right-hander Forrest Whitley remains a rookie, and while he struggled in 2019, he remains a four-pitch ace in the making if he can figure out what went awry. For 2020, take Urquidy instead, since his role is more clear.

Bold predictions: Things are stable offensively and in the bullpen, so expect modest breakouts from both Urquidy and James. While 2020 remains problematic, I like each for a presumed full 2021 campaign, but believe the younger Urquidy, with better command and ability to keep baseballs in the park, offers greater upside to top-40 starter status in fantasy. Expect double-digit wins, a 3.50 ERA and a strikeout per inning as the No. 3 starter.

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Expect double-digit wins, a 3.50 ERA and a strikeout per inning as the No. 3 starter.

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If we get this from Urquidy, and LMJ comes back healthy and effective, I like our chances.

Biggest key to success that I see for this team is health- mental and physical.

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Sixty of the 5,754 people in a study of the Major League Baseball employee population tested positive for coronavirus antibodies, a rate lower than what similar studies run in California found, the studies' authors said Sunday.

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https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/29158392/few-positive-coronavirus-tests-mlb-employees

Marvin said:

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Fantasy notes from Eric Karabell at ESPN...

Baseball talk

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Prospect I like: We have heard about Tucker for so long that he might be a bit overrated, especially if Baker opts to play Reddick in right field instead. Tucker, who has exhausted his rookie status, hit 34 home runs and stole 30 bases for Triple-A Round Rock, so of course we are excited about some regular playing time in the big leagues. Right-hander Forrest Whitley remains a rookie, and while he struggled in 2019, he remains a four-pitch ace in the making if he can figure out what went awry. For 2020, take Urquidy instead, since his role is more clear.

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What an asinine take. And then people wonder why there's a perceived east coast bias at ESPN. People would rip Karabell to shreds if he called Ted Williams overrated. And yet he calls TED overrated and no one seems to care.

mathguy86 said:

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In their heads. I mean we are buried in their heads nut sack deep.

And those backwoods hillbillies in Arkansas tweet about NYY more than the next door Rangerettes. In fact, there is a noticeable lack of Arlington logo.

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Yeah Yankees for Arkansas is weird to me. Most here don't care about MLB but those that do it's usually Cardinals, Rangers or Royals. I'd even put the Red Sox ahead of the Yankees due to Benintendi.

Deluxe said:

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Marvin said:

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Fantasy notes from Eric Karabell at ESPN...

Baseball talk

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Prospect I like: We have heard about Tucker for so long that he might be a bit overrated, especially if Baker opts to play Reddick in right field instead. Tucker, who has exhausted his rookie status, hit 34 home runs and stole 30 bases for Triple-A Round Rock, so of course we are excited about some regular playing time in the big leagues. Right-hander Forrest Whitley remains a rookie, and while he struggled in 2019, he remains a four-pitch ace in the making if he can figure out what went awry. For 2020, take Urquidy instead, since his role is more clear.

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What an asinine take. And then people wonder why there's a perceived east coast bias at ESPN. People would rip Karabell to shreds if he called Ted Williams overrated. And yet he calls TED overrated and no one seems to care.

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Eric Karabell

More from ESPN: Players Union to hear proposal tomorrow

Link to Article

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The season could start on Fourth of July weekend with games around the country in home stadiums.

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No fans, but viewership would be through the roof

Players are going to vote the first one down

Marvin said:

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CFTXAG10 said:

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More from ESPN: Players Union to hear proposal tomorrow

Link to Article

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The season could start on Fourth of July weekend with games around the country in home stadiums.

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No fans, but viewership would be through the roof

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What an awesome idea... why didn't we think of this?

Oh wait, we did- the great American comeback starts with the great American pastime!! Say it with me, people!

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Who said this? He must be very smart and good looking.

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Did you still have hope for April? I sure didn't. I think mid June is the earliest. Probably after the 4th of July.

But when it comes back, it will be glorious. All sports, all the time.

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Yes, it is. The expected peak is in 10 days and looks to be significantly low by June 1. I think we can have fans in ballparks by July 4th. (random-ass guess!)

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Sean Doolittle has a long Twitter thing about risks/concerns over playing with the virus hanging around. He doesn't sound like a guy that wants to play. I didn't read the whole thread

I live in a county without a single elected republican, where about 80% of the people have secure government jobs, in a deep blue state that's been pretty badly affected by this. I expect my company will tell me to put a mask on and come back to the office on June 1st.

I understand that lots of people are very concerned. But if MLB can figure out a way to make it a work, I don't see players turning down millions of dollars when everyone else is getting back to work.

Farmer1906 said:

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Marvin said:

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CFTXAG10 said:

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More from ESPN: Players Union to hear proposal tomorrow

Link to Article

Quote:

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The season could start on Fourth of July weekend with games around the country in home stadiums.

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No fans, but viewership would be through the roof

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What an awesome idea... why didn't we think of this?

Oh wait, we did- the great American comeback starts with the great American pastime!! Say it with me, people!

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Who said this? He must be very smart and good looking.

Quote:

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Did you still have hope for April? I sure didn't. I think mid June is the earliest. Probably after the 4th of July.

But when it comes back, it will be glorious. All sports, all the time.

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Yes, it is. The expected peak is in 10 days and looks to be significantly low by June 1. I think we can have fans in ballparks by July 4th. (random-ass guess!)

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You're really gonna make me go back and find my original July 4th post? I also said 100 games though, so I might only bat .500...