MLB Chatter Thread

Genghis Khan

The worst version of myself
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
37,486
Definitely agree on both of those guys. "Pure hitter" is a pretty ambiguous term but I get what people mean when they say it. I would put Ichiro in that category. He was a machine for the first 10 years of his MLB career.

Rod Carew is another all-timer. He was past his prime by the time I started following/watching MLB but he was still hitting well above .300 even at his advanced age. He was ridiculous in prime.
Both great ones. Carew in particular seems to get underappreciated as time goes on but damn that guy was a fantastic hitter.
 

BipolarFuk

Demoted
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
11,464
You know what I miss in baseball?

Batters who are embarrassed to strike out.

Was looking at players like Carew, Brett, Boggs and others, and those guys just didn't K much.

Now guys just don't give a shit. They just go up there looking for the homer and don't give a fuck if they K 175-200+ times a year.
 

Carp

DCC 4Life
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
15,127
Well, since the Mitchell report in 2008 offensive numbers have gone down. Much more rigid testing followed that. Also, the use of specialized relievers also has made things dip.
 

Jiggyfly

Banned
Joined
Apr 8, 2013
Messages
9,220
 

Jiggyfly

Banned
Joined
Apr 8, 2013
Messages
9,220
Ranking the teams: 6 through 1

Feb 16, 2016
David Schoenfield
ESPN Senior Writer

This is it. The final six teams in my preseason power rankings. Like just about everyone else, I have the Cubs as the best team in baseball entering spring training. My top six teams also all made the playoffs last year ... which, well, that doesn’t seem right. Something will go wrong. Sounds like a follow-up column: Why my predictions are wrong.

Dodgers6. Los Angeles Dodgers

Big offseason moves: Lost RHP Zack Greinke in free agency; signed Japanese RHP Kenta Maeda; LHP Brett Anderson accepted club’s qualifying offer; re-signed 2B Howie Kendrick and 2B Chase Utley; signed LHP Scott Kazmir; signed RHP Joe Blanton; in three-team trade, acquired RHP Frankie Montas, OF Trayce Thompson and 2B Micah Johnson from the White Sox for 2B Jose Peraza, OF Scott Schebler and IF Brandon Dixon; SS Jimmy Rollins remains a free agent.

Most intriguing player: Maeda is a slightly-built right-hander who turns 28 in April. A big star in Japan with a 2.39 career ERA, he posted a 2.09 ERA in 2015, striking out 175 in 206.1 innings for Hiroshima with just five home runs allowed. While Maeda was durable in Japan, rarely missing a start, irregularities in his medical exam meant he had to sign an incentive-laden deal that has a base value of just $25 million over eight seasons; he can earn an extra $10 million-plus per season based on starts and innings. How good is he? The Steamer projection system forecasts a 3.55 ERA/2.7 WAR over 178 innings.

I'm just the messenger: It’s a long laundry list. Yasmani Grandal is recovering from shoulder surgery that led to him hitting .162 in the second half. Justin Turner is expected to be ready for spring training after microfracture surgery on his left knee. Enrique Hernandez had offseason shoulder surgery. The Dodgers are hopeful Hyun-Jin Ryu will be ready for Opening Day after missing all of 2015 with a shoulder injury. Then there’s Yasiel Puig, who played just 79 games in 2015, and Brett Anderson, healthy in 2015 but injury-prone throughout his career.

Where I could be wrong: Well, if Clayton Kershaw goes down ... aside from that, there are legitimate concerns about the offense. What will Puig’s production be at this point in his career? Was Joc Pederson's second-half slump just a blip or a young player unable to make adjustments? What about the late slide of Adrian Gonzalez, who turns 34 in May? He hit .238/.316/.371 the final two months. The Dodgers have depth and versatility, but rookie shortstop Corey Seager may have to be a key cog in the middle of the lineup, and that’s a lot to ask of a 22-year-old, even one rated as the No. 1 prospect in the game.

The final word: With an estimated $242 million payroll, the largest in the game, the Dodgers really have only one big star. Oh, Seager is going to be one, Puig still has the potential to play like one and Gonzalez used to be one, but this is a team built on the depth of its 40-man roster. There are more young players coming as well, like pitchers Julio Urias and Jose De Leon. This won’t be a transition year under new manager Dave Roberts. The Dodgers will be expected to win the division. The loss of Greinke obviously hurt, but I think that depth wins out and the Dodgers edge the Giants for the NL West title.

Prediction: 91-71

Blue Jays5. Toronto Blue Jays

Big offseason moves: Re-signed RHP Marco Estrada; lost LHP David Price in free agency; signed LHP J.A. Happ; acquired RHP Drew Storen from the Nationals for OF Ben Revere; acquired RHP Jesse Chavez from the A’s for RHP Liam Hendriks; lost C Dioner Navarro, RHP Mark Lowe and IF Cliff Pennington in free agency; LHP Mark Buehrle retired.

Most intriguing player: AL MVP Josh Donaldson hit .297/.371/.568 with 41 home runs and 123 RBIs last season, and he particularly loved the Rogers Centre, hitting .330 with 24 home runs at home. Donaldson’s career already has defied normalcy, with his move from catcher to third base in the minors and his late career arc. While his 2015 season wasn’t a fluke -- he’d finished fourth and eighth in the MVP voting in 2013 and 2014 -- you would expect some regression. This, however, is a driven, athletic player who loves to win. I wouldn’t bet against another monster season.

I'm just the messenger: The Jays scored an astonishing 127 more runs than any other AL team. And, no, that wasn’t just a result of their home park. They scored 58 more runs than any other team on the road. Will they get 120 home runs again from Donaldson, Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion? Probably not -- Steamer projects 91. Those guys are all 30 or older, as are Russell Martin and Troy Tulowitzki. The Blue Jays should still have the best offense in the league, but the age of the lineup lurks in the background.

Where I could be wrong: If the Jays miss the playoffs, it will be a combination of age in the lineup and a rotation that blows up. They’re counting on Estrada to repeat his excellent 2015 and free agent Happ to prove that whatever he discovered with the Pirates translates to continued success. I love Marcus Stroman, but he still has to prove he can get through a 30-start, 200-inning workload. I like this group overall -- hey, I’m picking them to win the division -- but I can see why some have doubts.

The final word: Another reason I like the Jays: I think the front office has built a deep bullpen. Picking up Storen was a good move, and while Aaron Sanchez will compete for a rotation job in spring training, he likely ends up in relief where his fastball velocity plays up. Roberto Osuna had a big rookie season and Brett Cecil (who missed the postseason) and Aaron Loup provide quality from the left side. The Jays ranked fifth in the AL in bullpen ERA, but they struggled at times in the middle innings. Bullpens are volatile, but I think this pen will be one of the best in the AL.

Prediction: 91-71

Royals4. Kansas City Royals

Big offseason moves: Re-signed LF Alex Gordon; signed RHPs Ian Kennedy and Joakim Soria; re-signed RHP Chris Young; lost RHPs Johnny Cueto and Ryan Madson and 2B Ben Zobrist in free agency; RHP Greg Holland (out for the season) was not extended a contract; OF Alex Rios, LHP Franklin Morales and RHP Jeremy Guthrie remain free agents.

Most intriguing player: Third baseman Mike Moustakas had been a disappointment his first four seasons in the majors, hitting just .236, including a .212/.271/.361 line in 2014 that raised doubts about his future. But Ned Yost believed in him, he punched five home runs that postseason and then he had a breakout season in 2015 as he focused on going more to left field. In the first half, he hit .297 and made the All-Star team; in the second half, he hit 15 home runs and drove in 51 runs in 69 games. He’s always had good contact skills. If the improvement against left-handers (10 home runs) is for real, he could be in line for a 30-homer season and his best campaign yet.

I'm just the messenger: Once again, the computers expect mediocrity from the Royals. FanGraphs has the Royals right around .500 and projects the bullpen just 24th in the majors in WAR, worse than the Rockies or Twins. When you dig into the numbers, you can speculate why the computers are bearish on the K.C. relievers: They were 11th in the majors in strikeout rate, 15th in walk rate and 11th in home run rate, all while pitching in a good pitchers’ park with a good defense behind them. So how did the Royals finish second in the majors in bullpen ERA? They had the lowest batting average allowed on balls in play at .260, 13 points better than the Astros and 37 points better than the MLB average of .297. The computers would suggest they were a little lucky. Tell that to Wade Davis and Kelvin Herrera.

Where I could be wrong: The rotation ranked 12th in the AL in ERA (while pitching the fewest innings). The main addition is Kennedy, who has had one season with an ERA under 4.00 the past four seasons (3.63 in 2014). He has been durable -- six straight seasons of 30 starts -- but if things turn sour in 2016, it will likely be because the team is unable to make up for a mediocre rotation like it did in 2015.

The final word: I still hear the Royals referred to as a young team. This is wrong. They had the third-oldest lineup in the AL in 2015 (weighted by playing time) and the oldest pitching staff. But their key players are in their primes and last year they played with a chip on their shoulders. Before Game 1 of the World Series, Moustakas was still complaining about the preseason predictions. This year, they’ll be out to prove the doubters wrong once again. We know they’ll play defense. We can assume the Soria/Herrera/Davis trio at the back end will lock late-game leads. I’d like the offense better if the Royals had a second baseman, but they should score enough runs. And Yost has that devil magic. The Royals win the AL Central.

Prediction: 92-70

Astros3. Houston Astros


Big offseason moves: Acquired RHP Ken Giles from the Phillies for RHP Vincent Velasquez, RHP Mark Appel, LHP Brett Oberholtzer and two others; OF Colby Rasmus accepted the team’s qualifying offer; re-signed LHP Tony Sipp; signed RHP Doug Fister; traded IF Jed Lowrie to the A’s for RHP Brendan McCurry; lost LHP Scott Kazmir, LHP Oliver Perez and RHP Chad Qualls in free agency; declined to offer a contract to 1B Chris Carter; traded SS Jonathan Villar to the Brewers; sold C Hank Conger to the Rays.

Most intriguing player: Highest OPS+ for a player in his age-20 season since World War II, minimum 400 plate appearances:

Mike Trout, 2012: 168

Al Kaline, 1955: 162

Mickey Mantle, 1952: 162

Alex Rodriguez, 1996: 161

Frank Robinson, 1956: 143

Ken Griffey Jr., 1990: 136

Bryce Harper, 2013: 133

Tony Conigliaro, 1965: 133

Carlos Correa, 2015: 132

Jason Heyward, 2010: 131

With the exception of Correa and A-Rod, the others were all outfielders. If we extended the list to the top 25, 11 are already Hall of Famers. So, based on his rookie season, Correa has established about a 50 percent chance to turn into a Hall of Famer. I’m not betting against him.

I'm just the messenger: The Astros had three primary positions of questionable production in 2015. Their DHs -- mostly Evan Gattis -- ranked ninth in the AL in wOBA and last in OBP with a .294 mark. Their first basemen, mostly Carter, ranked ninth in wOBA and 10th in OBP. Their center fielders -- Jake Marisnick, Carlos Gomez, Rasmus -- ranked 13th in wOBA and last in OBP. The Astros are hoping they simply get better production from guys already in-house. At first, Carter has been jettisoned in favor of Jon Singleton, who hit .254/.359/.505 at Triple-A Fresno and failed miserably in the big leagues in 2014 with a .168 average. In center field, they’ll expect Gomez to regain his 2013-14 form after battling injury issues in 2015. At DH, Gattis may miss the beginning of the season after recent surgery to repair a sports hernia, perhaps opening up time for Preston Tucker. Prospect A.J. Reed, who tore up Class A and Double-A, also could factor into the picture. Improved production at these spots will help push the Astros past 90 wins, but there’s no guarantee that happens.

Where I could be wrong: Hey, I like the rotation. I completely buy into Cy Young winner Dallas Keuchel as a legitimate ace. Collin McHugh is a solid 2/3, and don’t overlook his second half when he made some adjustments, cut down his home run rate and posted a 3.11 ERA. I love Lance McCullers, one of the big surprises last year, jumping from Class A at age 21 to post a 3.22 ERA in 22 starts. There’s depth after that, especially if Fister rebounds from his own injury-marred 2015 with the Nationals. The FanGraphs projection system is a little more lukewarm on the rotation, however, ranking them tied for 12th in projected WAR. I think it’s a top-10 rotation, but McCullers is just a year removed from a 5.85 ERA in the California League and maybe Keuchel regresses to 3.48 ERA instead of 2.48.

The final word: This is a team with stars, depth and balance. The bullpen was very good last year (sixth in the majors in ERA and third in strikeout rate) until that Game 4 blowup against the Royals, but now has a big-time closer in Giles. George Springer cut down his strikeouts and has breakout season written all over him. Correa is already a star and now he’ll be here all season. Gomez is a huge key; if he bounces back, there’s a good chance the Astros run away with the AL West.

Prediction: 93-69

Mets2. New York Mets


Big offseason moves: Re-signed OF Yoenis Cespedes; acquired 2B Neil Walker from the Pirates for LHP Jonathon Niese; signed SS Asdrubal Cabrera; re-signed RHP Bartolo Colon; signed OF Alejandro De Aza; lost 2B Daniel Murphy, RHP Tyler Clippard, 3B Juan Uribe and 2B Kelly Johnson in free agency; OF Michael Cuddyer retired; RHP Jenrry Mejia banned for life for a third positive steroids test.

Most intriguing player: Matt Harvey? Noah Syndergaard? Jacob deGrom? Cespedes? While I believe Harvey will have a monster season, Syndergaard’s upside remains tantalizing. He went 9-7 with a 3.24 ERA as a rookie, averaging 97 mph on his fastball as he struck out 166 in 150 innings. There’s still room for improvement, however: He had a 4.23 ERA on the road; he gave up 14 home runs in 83.1 innings in the second half; he’s still learning some of the finer points of getting out big league hitters. As much as we love the stuff, however, you have to love this:


I'm just the messenger: One way to measure “stuff,” is swing-and-miss rate. Syndergaard ranked 10th in the majors in this category (among pitchers with at least 150 innings), deGrom ranked 14th and Harvey ranked 15th. Only the Indians also had three pitchers in the top 20. In other words, the hype for this rotation is deserved.

Where I could be wrong: Hey, the Mets’ rotation ranked just fourth in ERA in 2015, behind the Cardinals, Dodgers and Cubs, so maybe the hype machine is a little out of control. The trade of Niese has thinned the depth, meaning they’re counting on the 42-year-old (43 in May) Colon to deliver until Zack Wheeler returns from Tommy John surgery. Aside from one of the big three going down, defense is also a potential issue here: Cespedes is below average in center, Cabrera and Wilmer Flores both have limited range at shortstop, David Wright's back issues limit his mobility at third base and Lucas Duda and Walker aren’t exactly Gold Glove candidates.

The final word: The Mets won 90 games last year. In early July, they ran out a lineup against the Cubs that included Darrell Ceciliani batting second, Eric Campbell in left field and Johnny Monell catching. The next day, John Mayberry Jr. hit cleanup. In the second half, the Mets led the NL in runs scored. Yes, Cespedes played out of his mind for four weeks, but even if he doesn’t match his 2015 numbers, this lineup is better and deeper than the 2015 squad. Maybe it lacks that one superstar hitter, but Terry Collins has depth and versatility with the likes of Juan Lagares, De Aza and Flores. Michael Conforto can rake, and Walker will pick up Murphy’s production. The division is weak. The pitchers are cocky good. The Mets win more games than last year.

Prediction: 94-68



After the upstart Cubs lost the NLCS to the Mets, they restocked with Jason Heyward and Ben Zobrist. Is this finally their year?

Cubs1. Chicago Cubs

Big offseason moves: Signed OF Jason Heyward; signed 2B Ben Zobrist; signed RHP John Lackey; traded IF Starlin Castro to the Yankees for RHP Adam Warren; re-signed RHP Trevor Cahill; lost RHPs Jason Motte, Fernando Rodney and Tommy Hunter in free agency; OFs Dexter Fowler and Austin Jackson remain free agents; RHP Dan Haren retired.

Most intriguing player: Heyward’s big contract and move to center field puts him in the spotlight. Heyward seems to have grown comfortable with the kind of player he is, so the fear that he may try to do much and struggle is probably overblown. In fact, I wonder if Joe Maddon puts him in the leadoff spot since there isn’t another obvious candidate. Maddon could run out a lineup of Heyward, Zobrist, Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Kyle Schwarber, Jorge Soler, Miguel Montero and Addison Russell. There’s power, there’s OBP, there’s left-right balance, there’s youth, there are MVP candidates, there are no easy at-bats for opposing pitchers. Good luck, National League.

I'm just the messenger: The Cubs are the heavy favorites as the best team in baseball. But how often does the preseason favorite actually live up to those odds? Let’s go back to 2010 ...

2015: Nationals (over/under 93.5 wins) -- won 83, missed playoffs

2014: Dodgers (92.5) -- won 94, lost in NLDS

2013: Tigers (90) -- won 93, lost in ALCS

2012: Phillies (95.5) -- won 81, missed playoffs

2011: Phillies (96) -- won 102, lost in NLDS

2010: Yankees (95) -- won 95, lost in ALCS

Two big flops and four teams matched or exceeded expectations, although all failed to reach the World Series.

Where I could be wrong: Is there any way the Cubs don’t win 90-plus games? Sure, the 2015 Nationals and 2012 Phillies are instructive examples. In the Nationals’ case, they were devastated by injuries on the offensive side, but here’s the odd thing: They actually scored more runs than the year before. Their collapse was a result of the pitching, which allowed 80 more runs. That’s probably the most likely scenario for a disappointing Cubs season: Jake Arrieta is human, Jon Lester isn’t quite as good, maybe Lackey gets old overnight. The 2011 Phillies had one of the great rotations in history, but Roy Halladay got hurt in 2012 (4.49 ERA), Cliff Lee went 6-9 despite a 3.16 ERA and the back of the rotation wasn’t good. The lineup was old as well -- less of an issue for the Cubs -- but the Phillies allowed a staggering 151 more runs.

The final word: Barring a long list of injuries, the Cubs look like a powerhouse. They’re loaded with depth and versatility in both position players and starting pitching. Unlike the 2015 Nationals, they also have the right manager to make sure there’s no coasting on hype or clubhouse issues that incinerate the team. Considering I think the Pirates and Cardinals fall back a bit this year, the Cubs win the tough NL Central pretty easily. Then comes the postseason ...

Prediction: 100-62
 

E_D_Guapo

Brand New Member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
3,158
Wow. After reports that Dexter Fowler had signed a 3 year deal with the Orioles it turns out he did not and has resigned with the Cubs. Apparently a 1 year deal with a 2nd year mutual option. Absolutely love it. This allows JHey to play RF, where he is the best defensive player at that position in MLB. Fowler will return to CF. This helps their outfield defense considerably because Schwarber in LF and Soler in RF every day was one of my concerns heading into the season. Fowler isn't a great defensive player but he did an adequate job in the small Wrigley CF last season. Having him there and Heyward in RF minimizes the downside of having a bad defensive LF.

Cubs traded Chris Coghlan so I am assuming Jorge Soler becomes the 4th OF and that he will play LF vs. lefties and also games where Schwarber catches or plays DH.

Offensively Fowler and Zobrist are both high OBP switch-hitters and Heyward is also an excellent OBP guy. The offense was already going to be good, I think it probably just got a little better.
 

Rev

Good, bad, I'm the guy with the gun
Staff member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
19,335
The Orioles and their physicals scared him away or some him up depending on how you want to look at it.
 

E_D_Guapo

Brand New Member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
3,158
The Orioles and their physicals scared him away or some him up depending on how you want to look at it.
The O's have notoriously rigorous physicals that have killed deals in the past but from what I am reading that had nothing to do with this. He insisted on an opt out and the O's aren't big on opt out and said no. Apparently that was a deal breaker for Fowler so he came back to the Cubs.
 

Rev

Good, bad, I'm the guy with the gun
Staff member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
19,335
The O's have notoriously rigorous physicals that have killed deals in the past but from what I am reading that had nothing to do with this. He insisted on an opt out and the O's aren't big on opt out and said no. Apparently that was a deal breaker for Fowler so he came back to the Cubs.
They tried to pull shenannigans with Gallardo with shoulder stuff that has been non existanance in his career. 7 straight years of 30 starts and 180+ innings I believe. You will give us the 1st round comp pick thank you very much.
 

E_D_Guapo

Brand New Member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
3,158
No excitement from Rangers fans for getting Ian Desmond for $8M on a one year deal? He had a down year last season but was a 20/20 guy for 3 consecutive seasons prior. Has a chance to be a total steal at that price. They said he'll start in LF but obviously he can play SS/2B if need be.
 

Rev

Good, bad, I'm the guy with the gun
Staff member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
19,335
No excitement from Rangers fans for getting Ian Desmond for $8M on a one year deal? He had a down year last season but was a 20/20 guy for 3 consecutive seasons prior. Has a chance to be a total steal at that price. They said he'll start in LF but obviously he can play SS/2B if need be.
I'm happy but just didn't post it here. Tiring weekend but Just you wait I will get the Ranger wagon rolling soon.


Here is a little bit to start off: they had their first intrasquad game today and Profar homered off of Hamels. Between Profar and Gallo they should combine for 120 HE's this season!!
 

Cotton

One-armed Knife Sharpener
Staff member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
119,726
I wait and see. I think Desmond might be on the way down, but I hope he can go back to his earlier days. His projection to LF might be a reach, but I don't know.

In short, I don't want to get too happy until this strikeout happy player learns to stop striking out.
 

NoDak

Hotlinking' sonofabitch
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
22,930
The Twins are beating the RedSox 5-0 in their preseason opener.

I think it's safe to say they're the early favorites to win the WS this year.






As an aside, BASEBALL'S BACK! :towel
 

Rev

Good, bad, I'm the guy with the gun
Staff member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
19,335
Ol Suck Ass with 2 scoreless innings so far. Yep. The early leader for Cy Young.
 

E_D_Guapo

Brand New Member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
3,158
Just got tickets to a couple Cubs vs. Astros games at Minute Maid in September. Haven't been to Minute Maid since 2002 I think. Looking forward to it.
 

E_D_Guapo

Brand New Member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
3,158
Gossage: Jose Bautista a 'disgrace,' baseball ruined by 'nerds'
9:21 PM ET
Andrew Marchand ESPN Senior Writer

TAMPA, Fla. -- Hall of Fame reliever Goose Gossage called Toronto Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista a "disgrace to the game" and blasted "nerds" for turning baseball into a "joke" during a 10-minute interview Thursday.

"Bautista is a f---ing disgrace to the game," Gossage told ESPN. "He's embarrassing to all the Latin players, whoever played before him. Throwing his bat and acting like a fool, like all those guys in Toronto. [Yoenis] Cespedes, same thing."

Bautista famously flipped his bat after launching a three-run, seventh-inning home run to give the Blue Jays the lead in Game 5 of the American League Division Series.

Eight years before Bautista was born, Gossage began his playing career in 1972. After pitching for 22 years, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2008. He is among a group of former Yankees who are in camp to assist the current players.

"He's a great ambassador for the game," Bautista told ESPN after being informed of Gossage's comments. "I don't agree with him. I'm disappointed that he made those comments, but I'm not going to get into it with him. I would never say anything about him, no matter what he said about me. I have too much good stuff to worry about his comments. Today is my first game [of the spring], getting ready for a new season; hopefully, we will whoop some more ass."

Cespedes, responding to Gossage's comments, told a group of reporters in Port St. Lucie, Florida, through an interpreter that pitchers shouldn't be the only players on the field who are allowed to celebrate.

"Whenever a pitcher strikes someone out, they get to celebrate too and have their moment and revel in it," Cespedes said. "Why can't the batters get a chance to enjoy their success, too?

"I'm not too worried about what anyone says about me. I just go out there and do my job. That's what I'm going to focus on."

Washington Nationals star and reigning National League MVP Bryce Harper told ESPN The Magazine that baseball is "a tired sport, because you can't express yourself. You can't do what people in other sports do. I'm not saying baseball is, you know, boring or anything like that, but it's the excitement of the young guys who are coming into the game now who have flair."

Like Cespedes, Harper said he has no problem with a pitcher showing emotion on the mound, and he wants that same latitude.

"[Miami Marlins pitcher] Jose Fernandez is a great example. Jose Fernandez will strike you out and stare you down into the dugout and pump his fist," Harper said. "And if you hit a homer and pimp it? He doesn't care. Because you got him. That's part of the game. It's not the old feeling -- hoorah ... if you pimp a homer, I'm going to hit you right in the teeth. No. If a guy pimps a homer for a game-winning shot ... I mean -- sorry."

Harper continued: "If a guy pumps his fist at me on the mound, I'm going to go: 'Yeah, you got me. Good for you. Hopefully I get you next time.' That's what makes the game fun."

On a separate subject, Gossage, 64, said he does not like people who never played at the highest level running the game.

"The game is becoming a freaking joke because of the nerds who are running it. I'll tell you what has happened, these guys played Rotisserie baseball at Harvard or wherever the f--- they went and they thought they figured the f---ing game out. They don't know s---." Goose Gossage

"It is a joke," Gossage said. "The game is becoming a freaking joke because of the nerds who are running it.

"I'll tell you what has happened, these guys played rotisserie baseball at Harvard or wherever the f--- they went, and they thought they figured the f---ing game out. They don't know s---.

"A bunch of f---ing nerds running the game. You can't slide into second base. You can't take out the f---ing catcher because [Buster] Posey was in the wrong position and they are going to change all the rules. You can't pitch inside anymore. I'd like to knock some of these f---ers on their ass and see how they would do against pitchers in the old days.

"Ryan Braun is a f---ing steroid user. He gets a standing ovation on Opening Day in Milwaukee. How do you explain that to your kid after throwing people under the bus and lying through his f---ing teeth? They don't have anyone passing the f---ing torch to these people.

"If I had acted like that, you don't go in that f---ing dugout. There are going to be 20 f---ing guys waiting for you."
Goose Gossage is fed up over Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista's approach to baseball and the influence of "nerds" who never played the game at its highest level. Mark Cunningham/MLB Photos/Getty Images

Gossage began his comments after being asked about reliever Aroldis Chapman, who later Thursday made his debut for the Yankees. Gossage has long lamented how much more difficult it was for relievers in his day, pitching multiple innings instead of the one that specialists of today pitch. Gossage thinks pitch counts have directly led to injuries.

"They have been created from the top, from their computers," Gossage said. "They are protecting these kids. The first thing a pitcher does when he comes off the mound is ask: 'How many pitches do I have?' If I had asked that f---ing question, they would have said: 'Son, get your ass out there on that mound. If you get tired, we'll come and get you.'"

When informed of Gossage's comments about his team, Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said it is a new era in the game.

"The game has definitely changed," Gibbons told ESPN. "Baseball was kind of always the one game that policed itself, and there was no showing everybody up. Players would handle it. Umpires would let players handle it. That's not the case anymore. If somebody doesn't like something you do, you buzz somebody, they suspend you. The whole game has changed. The fans love it. Honest to God, the only team that is not animated that much is these guys [the Yankees]. But that has been their history, and I admire that."

ESPN Mets reporter Adam Rubin contributed to this report.
-------------------------------------------------




Stay classy, Goose.
 
Last edited:

Carp

DCC 4Life
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
15,127
This Adam Laroche retirement thing is stupid. I get that he wants his kid around, but to retire because they asked him to cut down on his son being around the team is not an unreasonable request. He is getting lauded for being a family man, etc, but that shit is weak. His son is home schooled too, so while it is cool for him to hang out with a baseball team and his dad, he also needs to be around kids his age.
 

Rev

Good, bad, I'm the guy with the gun
Staff member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
19,335
I agree. Just took it too far and it's not like they didn't ask him beforehand as well. They asked two different times. The players even tried to form a boycott by not playing in the spring training game the day after until the manager talked some sense into them.
 

Cowboysrock55

Super Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
52,465
This Adam Laroche retirement thing is stupid. I get that he wants his kid around, but to retire because they asked him to cut down on his son being around the team is not an unreasonable request. He is getting lauded for being a family man, etc, but that shit is weak. His son is home schooled too, so while it is cool for him to hang out with a baseball team and his dad, he also needs to be around kids his age.
Yeah I think it's a bit ridiculous for a kid to come to work with their parent every single day. I don't think anyone could convince me that it is a healthy childhood for a kid to be doing that. Even if the parents profession is to play a game.
 
Top Bottom