351 replies to this topic

[BobPhelan]

Is watching Adley Rutschman hitting the warehouse in the homerun derby not compelling enough!?

[makoman]

Re: tanking, the Tigers in the years up to 2005, the Pirates up to 2006, Royals up to 2012, Padres up to 2016...none of them seemed like they were exactly trying to win the World Series, though tanking hard wasn't really as much of a thing until the Astros won. 

 

It sucks for us, but do generic baseball fans in other cities really care about the O's tanking, would anyone notice that a tanking team got the AS game other than Buster Olney and John Heyman et al. complaining about it in a column when it happened? I couldn't care less about what Arizona is doing this year (except to the extent we are battling for a draft pick). I didn't care at all about what the Astros were doing a few years back. Maybe I'm naive, but I think most people just care about their team or the glamour teams, not the other 26 or so. You would think it would be about the fans, not about spitefulness among owners, but again here I'm certainly being naive.

[weird-O]

Re: tanking, the Tigers in the years up to 2005, the Pirates up to 2006, Royals up to 2012, Padres up to 2016...none of them seemed like they were exactly trying to win the World Series, though tanking hard wasn't really as much of a thing until the Astros won. 

 

It sucks for us, but do generic baseball fans in other cities really care about the O's tanking, would anyone notice that a tanking team got the AS game other than Buster Olney and John Heyman et al. complaining about it in a column when it happened? I couldn't care less about what Arizona is doing this year (except to the extent we are battling for a draft pick). I didn't care at all about what the Astros were doing a few years back. Maybe I'm naive, but I think most people just care about their team or the glamour teams, not the other 26 or so. You would think it would be about the fans, not about spitefulness among owners, but again here I'm certainly being naive.

I have the same thoughts. I'd be surprised if a Padres fan said, "I'm not watching the ASG this year, because it's in Baltimore and that team is tanking". It's about the the pomp and circumstance and watching the most popular players in the sport. Colorado isn't competing this year, but it didn't diminish the festivities. With the ASG being awarded a few years out, who would even know if the host city's team will be competitive that year?

 

No, this is all about the MASN dispute. I'm not expecting Manfred to admit that, how could he? But it's the reason.  

[Mackus]

It's not that people wouldn't watch because of the tanking, it's that how bad and specifically how intentionally bad the team is would be a topic that comes up during the festivities and MLB would rightfully hate that.

 

I'm sure there are other factors at play, the tanking only started recently and we haven't had a game in a long time considering how great the stadium is, but Baltimore absolutely should not be given an All-Star game while ownership and management are disrespecting the game to this degree.  That's partially punishing the city and the team's fans, but the blame for that goes on ownership, not the league.  All ire should be directed towards them.

[weird-O]

It's not that people wouldn't watch because of the tanking, it's that how bad and specifically how intentionally bad the team is would be a topic that comes up during the festivities and MLB would rightfully hate that.

 

I'm sure there are other factors at play, the tanking only started recently and we haven't had a game in a long time considering how great the stadium is, but Baltimore absolutely should not be given an All-Star game while ownership and management are disrespecting the game to this degree.  That's partially punishing the city and the team's fans, but the blame for that goes on ownership, not the league.  All ire should be directed towards them.

The reason I don't share this opinion, is because the O's were a competitive team for a few years there. And they were also the  AL team with the longest stretch since they last hosted. I think it was right after the Petco field game (2016) when MLB broke from their usual tradition of alternating between AL and NL cities. They awarded a string of games to NL cities. The O's had been competitive for a few years, yet they still got snubbed. There had to be something else at play. And it wasn't that Baltimore didn't submit a proposal. And that's the fun of being a shadowy operation. Manfred can say their proposal wasn't compelling enough, and no one can question him on it.    

[makoman]

The 2023 team might still be bad, but they aren't going to be tanking. And being bad is unremarkable among AS hosts. If they're still tanking in 2023 that would be multiple years longer than the Astros did. 

 

Bob said in another thread, the #1 farm system in the league is almost always good two years later, and the O's are either 1 or 2. Again, they might not be good, but they aren't going to be trying to lose 110 games. That would be shocking. We are some of the most hardcore of fans, and almost everyone here would be done with them. They have to know that.

[Mackus]

The reason I don't share this opinion, is because the O's were a competitive team for a few years there. And they were also the  AL team with the longest stretch since they last hosted. It think it was right after the Petco field game (2016) when MLB broke from their usual tradition of alternating between AL and NL cities. They awarded a string of games to NL cities. The O's had been competitive for a few years, yet they still got snubbed. There had to be something else at play. And it wasn't that that Baltimore didn't submit a proposal. And that's the fun of being a shadowy operation. Manfred can say their proposal wasn't compelling enough, and no one can question him on it.    

 

I've got no issues with this slate of complaints about why Baltimore hasn't gotten an All-Star game in the past.  No matter how valid those complaints and suspicions of agenda may be (and I agree with all/most of them), I just think that MLB currently has a completely valid reason for not giving us a game.  Once that reason is gone, then we can go back to feeling slighted.  But while the team is tanking I think that it's clearly ownership, not the league office, that is to blame for not getting to host an All-Star game.

[Nigel Tufnel]

Also, I guess being involved in a protracted lawsuit against MLB probably isn't a great idea if you want to host the ASG.  Getting that resolved is probably a key part of any compelling bid.

[BSLChrisStoner]

Seager retires... 2021...  .723 OPS, 35 homers... 

[Mike B]

Seager retires... 2021...  .723 OPS, 35 homers... 

Surprising but good for him.

He made a lot of money and had a good career.

[Mackus]

Everyone be nice to dude if you see him today.

[makoman]

Everyone be nice to dude if you see him today.

Nah, this just confirms his view that players don't do things solely for money purposes. Seager certainly left money on the table if he wanted it.

[dude]

Everyone be nice to dude if you see him today.

 

I saw this the other day but forgot to comment on it.

 

Corey and Kyle Seager are certainly free to do whatever they want.  My consideration was that they would have interest in playing together and that's something a team like the Orioles (maybe others) could provide.  When Seager goes and signs the biggest deal he can find (great for him), it looks like there is no consideration for playing with his brother (although Kyle would have been a nice 2-year fit with the Rangers too) and I'd be wrong on my previous perspective.  That's fine.  Then Kyle decides to retire (we don't know why, do we?) and that now means we'll never know.

 

Kyle Seager, for me, was an opportunity make something else happen.  Couldn't really care less about Kyle in a macro sense.  I never really wanted him just to fill 3B.  Wouldn't be against it, but there's things I would do before him, unless I can leverage him to incentivize Corey.

 

Good for Kyle, Good for Corey,  Orioles still suck. Get Chapman.

[BSLChrisStoner]

Somebody Save Julio Rodríguez

[You Play to Win the Game]

Mariners just added Carlos Santana from KC - sent them RHP’s Wyatt Mills and William Fleming.

https://www.espn.com...william-fleming

[You Play to Win the Game]

Just notched their 11th consecutive victory.

[BSLMikeLowe]

How often have there been two teams with double-digit win streaks at the same time?

[mdrunning]

How often have there been two teams with double-digit win streaks at the same time?

In 1906, the Chicago Cubs and the "Hitless Wonder" Chicago White Sox compiled double-digit streaks in roughly the same time frame. The Cubs put together a 11-game winning streak from August 6 thru August 18, while the White Sox actually had a 20-game unbeaten streak which went from August 2 to August 23. (One game ended in a tie.) 

 

In the only Series meeting between the two Windy City clubs, the White Sox upset the 116-win Cubs, 4 games to 2. 

[BSLMikeLowe]

How often have there been two teams with double-digit win streaks at the same time?

 

Kudos to Jayson Stark for finding the answer.

 

https://theathletic....nnning-streaks/

 

This is the 12th time since 1901 that two teams have been working on double-digit win streaks simultaneously

 

Lots of other interesting factoids in there too about the two simultaneous streaks.

[You Play to Win the Game]

About to win their 12th straight game, on the night the O’s 10 game streak ends.