Official 2012 MLB Season Thread

[peanut butter]

I hate the new WC format because it is manufactured drama. Bud Selig and the league office clearly fell in love with the way last season played out. And it was great. Primarily because it was a special moment in baseball history. But rather than just enjoying it and hoping that in the future a similar scenario may again occur organically, the dickheads in charge opted to find a way to force it down our throats on an annual basis. And in doing so, they've cheapened the sport. So now teams barely over .500 with no business being in playoff contention will remain in the hunt until the last week of the season because none of them are good enough to eliminate one another.

And to make it worse, the league had to fabricate high-drama scenarios such as the one game play-in round to get this nonsense system to function. But since when does one game decide anything in baseball? It is a sport that is designed to be played by the series. I know that is a personal beef which sounds old-timey and small minded and shit, but its true. And the league administration ardently clings to this same "baseball tradition" argument when it comes to ideas such as introducing instant replay. So while teams are forced to continue losing games due to umpire incompetence that is solely justified by the "thats the way it has always been" argument, Selig turns around and implements a new system that flies in the face of everything that is traditional about baseball. What a fucking hypocritical cocksucker.

And for what? TV ratings? Lol. C'mon Bud. To 3/4 of the nation's sports fans, baseball season ended as soon as the Giants and Cowboys kicked off. That leaves you stuck with the die-hard baseball fans as your viewing base, and there aren't nearly enough of us left to get you a network deal worth half as much as even a regional college football conference. So quit fucking around and just accept that you aren't going to have a seat at the big boys' table when it comes time to eat up the pie made of TV money. You've got about one thing right as commish, which was bringing in the first WC. And true to form, it appears as if you found a way to ruin that. Dumbshit bastard.

Know what? Fuck it. I hope the Brewers win every game left this season and make it to the play-in round so that their shitty bullpen can blow another lead in the 9th, and just as the heightened fake-drama hits a fever pitch, the Braves win it and Bud Selig chokes to death on a bratwurst.


PEACE

[Myjah]

Isn't all of baseball manufactured drama?

That point aside, I actually do agree with you. I feel like MLB looked at the eventful one-game tiebreakers in the past couple years and decided to force it down our throats. Sure, September baseball is more exciting (I guess) now to more people because more teams are in the hunt for a wild card spot--but five, ten years down the road when two wild cards are common place will it be as exciting? Is there no fear the playoffs are going to become watered down? If teams unworthy get in and just get bumped out or swept right away in an actual playoff series? It seems more exciting now, but anyone who really loves baseball knows it takes more time for things to even out.

That being said--I'm personally very hesitant about expanding replay in baseball. There are too many games and too many close calls, allowing replay creates a bit of a slippery slope. Unlike football, where few games are played, a blown call in baseball rarely makes that much of a difference. My attitude in baseball has always been that if you are complaining that your team didn't win because of a blown call, your team didn't really deserve the win in the first place.

[alpha]

If the wild card play in was a best of 3 would you like it more? I would.

[Myjah]

How would the scheduling work with that though? Everyone waits more three days to see who will make it to the actual playoffs? I wouldn't like that either.

[alpha]

Well it would reward division winners with additional rest. Just saying

[Myjah]

True, but I am actually against dragging out the playoffs longer. They already seem pretty long. I'd probably rather have the one game thing than a three game series. It is just the wildcard. I'm just not sure how I feel about it, if things are going to become watered down.

I'm really not excited about the year-round inter-league shit coming next year.

[Tommy Bunz]

Well it would reward division winners with additional rest. Just saying

I think most teams hate additional rest. They just need enough time to line up their rotation the way they want it, anything longer than that and they risk all their bats going cold.

[Dwight Strawberry]

CY Dickey

[Philaflava]

Yeah Dickey has to get it. He has like 30+ more innings than Gio too.

[jamrage]

Yeah Dickey has to get it. He has like 30+ more innings than Gio too.

But he puts less stress on his arm than Gio does because he's a knuckleballer. Those guys can basically throw every other day.

Gio has only given up 9 homers all season which is incredible and leads the league in BAA.

I've got no complaint with either guy winning it.

[peanut butter]

Cueto has been brilliant this year too. I think he has as good of a shot as Gio does at winning it. Kimbrel could be a sleeper contender as well. And Medlen would have a case if he'd pitched more since he's been the best guy in the second half.


PEACE

[Philaflava]

Yeah Dickey has to get it. He has like 30+ more innings than Gio too.

But he puts less stress on his arm than Gio does because he's a knuckleballer. Those guys can basically throw every other day.

Gio has only given up 9 homers all season which is incredible and leads the league in BAA.

I've got no complaint with either guy winning it.

If I were to ask you in March who has a better shot at the CY this year, Gio or RA you would say Gio.

That in itself says something. Having less strain doesn't mean much to me, because he still has to pitch. 227 innings to 199. That's practically 3 more games and I believe RA may pitch once more before the season end. 54 BB to 76 BB. 5.3 WAR to 4.6.

Dickey beats him in K's, WHIP too. And it's not like Dickey hasn't been knocked around in September too. He definite settled down.

Gio will get votes but RA deserves it. If he doesn't get it would be strictly because of the teams place in the standings but they got King Felix right so...

[jamrage]

Yeah Dickey has to get it. He has like 30+ more innings than Gio too.

But he puts less stress on his arm than Gio does because he's a knuckleballer. Those guys can basically throw every other day.

Gio has only given up 9 homers all season which is incredible and leads the league in BAA.

I've got no complaint with either guy winning it.

If I were to ask you in March who has a better shot at the CY this year, Gio or RA you would say Gio.

That in itself says something. Having less strain doesn't mean much to me, because he still has to pitch. 227 innings to 199. That's practically 3 more games and I believe RA may pitch once more before the season end. 54 BB to 76 BB. 5.3 WAR to 4.6.

Dickey beats him in K's, WHIP too. And it's not like Dickey hasn't been knocked around in September too. He definite settled down.

Gio will get votes but RA deserves it. If he doesn't get it would be strictly because of the teams place in the standings but they got King Felix right so...

Just because a guy was more likely to win the Cy Young in March doesn't mean shit.

All that matters is who pitched the best this season. You can more than make a case for Dickey, but it wouldn't be a travesty if Gio won.

[Philaflava]

element of surprise

[Tommy Bunz]

Yeah Dickey has to get it. He has like 30+ more innings than Gio too.

But he puts less stress on his arm than Gio does because he's a knuckleballer. Those guys can basically throw every other day.

That's like saying Granderson's home runs are worth more than Cabrera's because he's smaller and has to swing harder.

If anything, what Dickey is doing as a knuckleballer is much more impressive/unique than anything that Gio or Cueto have been doing as traditional hard throwers.
There's never really ever been a knuckleballer who has had as much control as Dickey has had this season, or who is able to throw a knuckleball as hard as Dickey does.

[Tommy Bunz]

Just to put it out there, here's xFIP leaders (basically ERA adjusted for luck/competition/outside factors)

Strasburg 2.82
Cliff Lee 3.05
Wainwright 3.23
Hamels 3.26
Kershaw 3.27
Dickey 3.3
Samardzija 3.39
Gio 3.39

Love seeing my Philles so high, and surprised at Wainwright/Samardzija ranking like that too.

[Tommy Bunz]

Gio is actually ahead of Dickey in fangraphs WAR, 5.4 to 4.8

[jamrage]

Yeah Dickey has to get it. He has like 30+ more innings than Gio too.

But he puts less stress on his arm than Gio does because he's a knuckleballer. Those guys can basically throw every other day.

That's like saying Granderson's home runs are worth more than Cabrera's because he's smaller and has to swing harder.

If anything, what Dickey is doing as a knuckleballer is much more impressive/unique than anything that Gio or Cueto have been doing as traditional hard throwers.
There's never really ever been a knuckleballer who has had as much control as Dickey has had this season, or who is able to throw a knuckleball as hard as Dickey does.

I agree that what Dickey is doing as a knuckleballer is much rarer than what the traditional pitcher does.

I completely disagree with your homer analogy. Dickey isn't putting as much stress on his arm as Gio is. There's no denying that. Grandy and Cabrera both probably put the same amount of torque on their body when they swing.

[peanut butter]

Homer Bailey gonna win the Cy Young now


PEACE

[alpha]

now that's a baseball name. congrats kid.

[jredd109]

couldn't come at a worse time though. typically, guys stink after throwing these. now he's going to suck in the playoffs.

[Tommy Bunz]

Yeah Dickey has to get it. He has like 30+ more innings than Gio too.

But he puts less stress on his arm than Gio does because he's a knuckleballer. Those guys can basically throw every other day.

That's like saying Granderson's home runs are worth more than Cabrera's because he's smaller and has to swing harder.

If anything, what Dickey is doing as a knuckleballer is much more impressive/unique than anything that Gio or Cueto have been doing as traditional hard throwers.
There's never really ever been a knuckleballer who has had as much control as Dickey has had this season, or who is able to throw a knuckleball as hard as Dickey does.

I agree that what Dickey is doing as a knuckleballer is much rarer than what the traditional pitcher does.

I completely disagree with your homer analogy. Dickey isn't putting as much stress on his arm as Gio is. There's no denying that. Grandy and Cabrera both probably put the same amount of torque on their body when they swing.

Yeah I didn't actually mean for you to take the swing harder comment seriously. What I meant was I don't see how Gio "putting more stress on his arm" has anything to do with anything.
All that matters are results.

[citizen]

couldn't come at a worse time though. typically, guys stink after throwing these. now he's going to suck in the playoffs.

LOL

homer bailey is awesome, what a fun game to watch, the pirates really are pretty lame at this point

[Myjah]

Can people stop throwing no hitters? Shit is getting ridiculous.

[jredd109]

Can people stop throwing no hitters? Shit is getting ridiculous.

assuming that there are no more, and we finish with 7, that's 7 out of 4860 games for a stellar percentage of .00144. i think we're doing ok.

you're cute though.

[pennsylvania jones]

RA Dickey wins the Cy Young.
Rigged if he doesn't.

He owns almost every major category.

[peanut butter]

A's are still the best thing in baseball


PEACE

[Reason]

my boyfriend better win mvp over tommy frazier. if you don't marvel at what bryce does in the following clip, you just don't appreciate the nuance of hitting. like the gawd f.p. santangelo notes: NO FUCKING STRIDE, NO LOAD, AND HE CRUSHES IT

http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?conte ... 221065&v=3

the kid is balling out of his mind. he hasn't stopped improving in the field and now he is getting great jumps on balls and making trout-like plays (though he'll never have mike's vertical). he has improved his baserunning decisions and chosen aggressiveness in more select spots.

for the season, his age 19 year, and was/is 19 the whole season as he doesn't turn 20 till december:

136 games, 594 plate appearances, 22 homers, 9 triples, 26 doubles, 97 runs, 59 rbi, 17 stolen bases in 23 attempts, 9.4 BB% (walked in 9.4% of his plate appearances), 20.2 K%, .208 ISO (ISO = Extra Bases/At-Bats, so two triples in a game would give you an iso of 4.000 because you got 2 extra bases beyond a single each time), .309 BABIP (batting average of balls in play...the average BABIP for hitters is around .290 to .310. however his was in the .270's for the first half of his season and increased as he grew more comfortable. i have no doubt it will be in the .310 to .320 range next year. i'm guessing he hits .280 to .290 range next year.), .270 batting average, .340 on-base percentage, .477 slugging, .817 ops for you shitty adders, .353 wOBA (wOBA is a great stat that would take too long to explain in a parenthetical comment so: http://www.fangraphs.com/library/index. ... ense/woba/ oh and wOBA = (0.69×uBB + 0.72×HBP + 0.89×1B + 1.26×2B + 1.60×3B +
2.08×HR + 0.25×SB -0.50×CS) / PA), 122 wRC+ ("You can think of this stat as a wOBA based version of OPS+. It’s park and league adjusted and it’s on a very similar scale as OPS+. The difference is that it uses wRC, which is based on wOBA. For those of you not familiar with the scale, 100 is average. Anything higher is above average and anything below 100 is below average.")

having come home from a 9 game west coast road trip that ended in san fran, here are bryce harper's numbers since august 17th:

in his last 41 games: .325 avg(68/209) 12 hr, 3 triples, 5 doubles, 40 runs, 40 rbi, 16 bb, 46 k, 4sb, 1 cs

hitting 2nd behind werth while manning centerfield


also, just got done listening to harold baines and mitch williams blabber about how the tigers clinching the division along with miggy's 45th homer/triple crown ensures he is the RIGHTFUL mvp. fucking gay but trout ain't winning. even though he is literally the best player in baseball and the best 20 year old (considered his age 20 year old season as he started at 20 and played majority at 20) season EVER EVER EVER EVER. kind of by a wide margin. has set all kinds of records, one or two of them regardless of age (i think one of them is that he's the first player EVER to have 30 hr/45 sb/125 runs+). LITERALLY the only statistic/skill that miggy has over trout is strikeouts, as in a month more of a season miggy has only 97 strikeouts while trout averages more than a strikeout per game with like 132 strikeouts in like 130 games or sth like that.

[alpha]

if the A's somehow win the world series this year with an all-rookie rotation, the mayans may have gotten the end of the world date wrong.

for the record, I think it's great the A's are doing well. Not one of those haters.

[Jayou Ayen]

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