Going on 3/4’ers of a century Boston and NYC writers are legendary for spreading trade rumors and FA rumors. Overwhelmingly most turn out not to be true. In the Internet age where many writers get paid by clicks……
Scott Boras is Mr. Bogaerts agent, so expect this to go on for over the next 4 months unless he can find a desperate owner and GM before then.
As for the Phillies – there were rumors all last off-season that they would be bidders for the FA SS’s. None of that proved to be true. Then again, Rhys Hoskins had a big day today and was the primarily player responsible for the win, so Mr. Dombrowski may have some of his underlings feed the media machine as needed.
Always followed teams nationally via The Sporting News. Then Cable TV came. After that MLB offered listeners to buy radio broadcasts of all teams via the Internet. Then MLB offered MLB.TV so it’s possible to watch – or replay – about 98% of all games. They also offer an MiLB.TV package but I don’t have time for that.
I’ll usually watch at least parts of 3-7 games a day during the season (do that in less time then most people watch TV). Don’t have to see them live – with MLB.TV it’s like watching something on You Tube – one can fast forward past the commercials as well as game delays as long as those parts of the game have been played.
Via my business background I can usually figure out what most teams ownership / FO are trying to accomplish. I read some here and elsewhere. When I watch the games I usually listen to the radio broadcast being offered rather than the TV audio. TV almost always comments on replays between pitches (which I can view – I know how to play baseball); radio has no replays so the better announcing teams keep a fan up on what’s going on with both teams – their FO, manager, and players.
It’s a hobby in retirement. I usually follow maybe 5-6 teams closely, but rotate as the year goes on (for instance, lost interest in the Brewers about 6 weeks into the season; watched most Phillies games as Dombrowski does very unorthodox things; a lot of Rays and Red Sox; Twins early in the season; a little Cleveland; saw the Orioles playing very good ball around June, and kept tuning in – they slowly started to jell and took off shortly after Adley Rutschman got called up (best young team I’ve seen in MLB since the 2013 Royals). The past 4-5 days I started watching the Mets – want to see if they’ll dig in and peak going into the playoffs or slide back….so far they’re showing guts. By watching the teams I follow I see most of the other teams when my teams play them. Currently following most teams contending for a playoff spot.
If you’re a fan you can get a year of MLB.TV for less money then it costs to take a family to one MLB game. Best value in paid broadcasting. You can still get in today to see the rest of the season for a very small sum. Recommend it.
I will definitely look into getting the MLB package. You indeed have some premium baseball watching years on me haha. I primarily stick to the Angels and Dodgers but will catch some others on MLB network and ESPN sometimes. I would definitely like to get into a 3rd team..I almost got completely into SD a few years ago but things happen haha. The Mets have done a complete 180 the past year or 2 and it is super impressive. But yeah reading about the teams/games is one thing, actually watching them is quite another. Gotta actually watch them vs catching snippets and clips to really know whats going on and know the team.
Mark P, thanks for getting me on the 1st question about “The Machine” and #700. I still stayed on the other 2+ hours because I am THAT bored today. Good Chat!
Does anyone on this site honestly believe that Pujols isn’t on the juice?
Seriously, at “42” he all the sudden, half through the season, starts hitting like it’s 2007 again?
I may be a little cynical but come on man…
We are doing it, guys. My grandpa went to opening series at the Kingdome in ‘77. He’s never been to a playoff game. With our flex season ticket membership we will be getting playoff tickets at least one game in the wild card series and my girlfriend has graciously insisted that I take him. Still moving around and having a drink at 86 years old. We took him to opening day and he had a ball.
Also appreciate underseen quality HBO fims: Soul of the Game (1996) that shows Josh Gibson & Satchel Paige and how they paved a way for Jackie. Also great, 51* (directed by Billy Crystal) and worth a watch for any baseball fan. Kudos to the Eight Men Out mention by John Sayles. Incredible cast.
RunDMC!! Ahhh How could I forget “61”!!!! Definitely a movie that has flown under the radar all these years…Truly great movie. Thomas Jane and Barry Pepper make you BELIEVE they are the M&M Boys!!
re: players opting out and signing new deals during the postseason:
happened in 07 with a-rod*, announced during the world series, and i recall mlb passing a rule that stated those deals can happened, but teams are forbidden from announcing it any day that a playoff game is happening (so sox could miss out, start talking to xander and agree to new deal during say, the wild card round, but would be required to wait to announce it until after the wild card round is over).
*which for me, was the first time i had heard of a player having that in their contract (never mind that a-rod had that, since in all the years since he signed, never heard a single word about it being in the deal or maybe being added to it in exchange for going to the yankees).
Re: the question on bigger bases and limited throw-overs, I sincerely hope that getting quicker to home and developing better pick-off moves are at the top of pretty much every White Sox pitcher’s offseason to-do list. While catchers are credited for throwing runners out, preventing attempts is largely on the pitcher and the Sox are terrible at it. They should also get a catcher with a strong arm, though, if they can. Can’t let teams continue to steal at a 77% success rate. With the new rules, that’d go north of 80% with far more attempts.
Other than when Ozzie was managing, the White Sox in the Kenny Williams era have been terrible in all fundamentals. Basically they want the pitchers to throw hard and get a lot of K’s. The hitters to swing for the fences. Don’t much care who plays what position and how good they’re at it as long as they can hit with power. Don’t much care about baserunning, cut-off throws, and situational hitting……if it happens that’s nice, if not – hey, don’t sweat the small stuff.
When you look at rookie seasons for people 21 and under, it’s crazy to see just how good Trout’s was. As good as Julio has been this year, he’s gonna end up being ~1/2 as valuable as Trout was (by fWAR).
The term, “5-tool” is one of the most over and incorrectly used terms on this site. Henderson is not a 5 tool player and sure anything can happen, but anyone that expects a 5 win season from a rookie is just setting themselves up for disappointment.
“Guardians?
8:52 Do they somehow hang on?
_
The youngest team in MLB.
They have an excellent FO, the best manager in MLB, and in 2022 play in one of the worst divisions since division play started.
They will be legitimate contenders for most of the next 5-6 years.
Re: Xander Bogaerts to Phillies
Going on 3/4’ers of a century Boston and NYC writers are legendary for spreading trade rumors and FA rumors. Overwhelmingly most turn out not to be true. In the Internet age where many writers get paid by clicks……
Scott Boras is Mr. Bogaerts agent, so expect this to go on for over the next 4 months unless he can find a desperate owner and GM before then.
As for the Phillies – there were rumors all last off-season that they would be bidders for the FA SS’s. None of that proved to be true. Then again, Rhys Hoskins had a big day today and was the primarily player responsible for the win, so Mr. Dombrowski may have some of his underlings feed the media machine as needed.
Sam The Man, how heck do you follow and know all these teams in depth? Is Cleveland your team?? Who IS indeed your team(s)??
TrumboJumbo;
Been following MLB for over half a century,
Always followed teams nationally via The Sporting News. Then Cable TV came. After that MLB offered listeners to buy radio broadcasts of all teams via the Internet. Then MLB offered MLB.TV so it’s possible to watch – or replay – about 98% of all games. They also offer an MiLB.TV package but I don’t have time for that.
I’ll usually watch at least parts of 3-7 games a day during the season (do that in less time then most people watch TV). Don’t have to see them live – with MLB.TV it’s like watching something on You Tube – one can fast forward past the commercials as well as game delays as long as those parts of the game have been played.
Via my business background I can usually figure out what most teams ownership / FO are trying to accomplish. I read some here and elsewhere. When I watch the games I usually listen to the radio broadcast being offered rather than the TV audio. TV almost always comments on replays between pitches (which I can view – I know how to play baseball); radio has no replays so the better announcing teams keep a fan up on what’s going on with both teams – their FO, manager, and players.
It’s a hobby in retirement. I usually follow maybe 5-6 teams closely, but rotate as the year goes on (for instance, lost interest in the Brewers about 6 weeks into the season; watched most Phillies games as Dombrowski does very unorthodox things; a lot of Rays and Red Sox; Twins early in the season; a little Cleveland; saw the Orioles playing very good ball around June, and kept tuning in – they slowly started to jell and took off shortly after Adley Rutschman got called up (best young team I’ve seen in MLB since the 2013 Royals). The past 4-5 days I started watching the Mets – want to see if they’ll dig in and peak going into the playoffs or slide back….so far they’re showing guts. By watching the teams I follow I see most of the other teams when my teams play them. Currently following most teams contending for a playoff spot.
If you’re a fan you can get a year of MLB.TV for less money then it costs to take a family to one MLB game. Best value in paid broadcasting. You can still get in today to see the rest of the season for a very small sum. Recommend it.
I will definitely look into getting the MLB package. You indeed have some premium baseball watching years on me haha. I primarily stick to the Angels and Dodgers but will catch some others on MLB network and ESPN sometimes. I would definitely like to get into a 3rd team..I almost got completely into SD a few years ago but things happen haha. The Mets have done a complete 180 the past year or 2 and it is super impressive. But yeah reading about the teams/games is one thing, actually watching them is quite another. Gotta actually watch them vs catching snippets and clips to really know whats going on and know the team.
Mark P, thanks for getting me on the 1st question about “The Machine” and #700. I still stayed on the other 2+ hours because I am THAT bored today. Good Chat!
Does anyone on this site honestly believe that Pujols isn’t on the juice?
Seriously, at “42” he all the sudden, half through the season, starts hitting like it’s 2007 again?
I may be a little cynical but come on man…
GO MARINERS!!!!!!!!!!!
They’re definitely on a roll.
It certainly seems like the 1st and 2nd longest playoff drought may both be ending.
We are doing it, guys. My grandpa went to opening series at the Kingdome in ‘77. He’s never been to a playoff game. With our flex season ticket membership we will be getting playoff tickets at least one game in the wild card series and my girlfriend has graciously insisted that I take him. Still moving around and having a drink at 86 years old. We took him to opening day and he had a ball.
That’s awesome. There will be a lot of fans, I think, who will be rooting for the Mariners once their own team is eliminated. Myself included.
Lots of good questions and answers tonight.
Mark, your top 3 movie picks are certainly good ones, but I have to throw in a mention of the excellent Eight Men Out.
And “The Natural.”
Also appreciate underseen quality HBO fims: Soul of the Game (1996) that shows Josh Gibson & Satchel Paige and how they paved a way for Jackie. Also great, 51* (directed by Billy Crystal) and worth a watch for any baseball fan. Kudos to the Eight Men Out mention by John Sayles. Incredible cast.
Soul Of The Game is an underrated gem.
RunDMC!! Ahhh How could I forget “61”!!!! Definitely a movie that has flown under the radar all these years…Truly great movie. Thomas Jane and Barry Pepper make you BELIEVE they are the M&M Boys!!
re: players opting out and signing new deals during the postseason:
happened in 07 with a-rod*, announced during the world series, and i recall mlb passing a rule that stated those deals can happened, but teams are forbidden from announcing it any day that a playoff game is happening (so sox could miss out, start talking to xander and agree to new deal during say, the wild card round, but would be required to wait to announce it until after the wild card round is over).
*which for me, was the first time i had heard of a player having that in their contract (never mind that a-rod had that, since in all the years since he signed, never heard a single word about it being in the deal or maybe being added to it in exchange for going to the yankees).
Re: the question on bigger bases and limited throw-overs, I sincerely hope that getting quicker to home and developing better pick-off moves are at the top of pretty much every White Sox pitcher’s offseason to-do list. While catchers are credited for throwing runners out, preventing attempts is largely on the pitcher and the Sox are terrible at it. They should also get a catcher with a strong arm, though, if they can. Can’t let teams continue to steal at a 77% success rate. With the new rules, that’d go north of 80% with far more attempts.
hyraxwithaflamethrower;
Not being sarcastic……
Other than when Ozzie was managing, the White Sox in the Kenny Williams era have been terrible in all fundamentals. Basically they want the pitchers to throw hard and get a lot of K’s. The hitters to swing for the fences. Don’t much care who plays what position and how good they’re at it as long as they can hit with power. Don’t much care about baserunning, cut-off throws, and situational hitting……if it happens that’s nice, if not – hey, don’t sweat the small stuff.
When you look at rookie seasons for people 21 and under, it’s crazy to see just how good Trout’s was. As good as Julio has been this year, he’s gonna end up being ~1/2 as valuable as Trout was (by fWAR).
The term, “5-tool” is one of the most over and incorrectly used terms on this site. Henderson is not a 5 tool player and sure anything can happen, but anyone that expects a 5 win season from a rookie is just setting themselves up for disappointment.