Major League Baseball 2016 Thread

[StanJ]

This guy didn't lose the grip, he opened his hands and let it go. With all the stickum these guys use, how come they can't hold on to the bat?

 

[redleghunter]

This guy didn't lose the grip, he opened his hands and let it go. With all the stickum these guys use, how come they can't hold on to the bat?

Yikes heard that thud.

 

[StanJ]

Yikes heard that thud.

I guess I've never really looked at this issue, but why the heck don't umps wear hard hats? I guess some of them do with the hockey style headgear they wear but the guys who just wear the face mask don't wear hard hats.

 

[bhsmte]

I once spoke with one of the UT athletic directors reference the MLB draft. He alluded the draft is akin to finding one or two gems they can turn around quickly and get in the upper tier minors. Then the rest of the draft looking for some potential the organization development team could whip into MLB shape.

It's a huge draft. Unlike the NFL draft, MLB can draft HS seniors.

The one unique thing about the baseball draft, vs other sports like football and basketball, is a number one draft choice in football and or basketball is guaranteed to make the team and will likely play quite a bit.

In baseball, not only will a number one draft choice probably not make the major league roster, they may not even make it past double A ball in a few years and they get released.

Baseball is much more than the pure physical talent you can scout in basketball and football and is therefore harder to project who will become stars.

 

[Gnarwhal]

The one unique thing about the baseball draft, vs other sports like football and basketball, is a number one draft choice in football and or basketball is guaranteed to make the team and will likely play quite a bit.

In baseball, not only will a number one draft choice probably not make the major league roster, they may not even make it past double A ball in a few years and they get released.

Baseball is much more than the pure physical talent you can scout in basketball and football and is therefore harder to project who will become stars.

I was thinking about that the other day. How in the NFL draft someone who goes in the first round might end up a starter that very next season (e.g. Andrew Luck), or if they go in the eighth round they might start off at second- or third-string and work their way up. Some guys aren't drafted but get signed to the practice squad.

But then there's baseball.

You can get drafted at 17 out of high school but you could be 23 before you make it to the show, and that's assuming you do make it to the show. I find baseball more compelling that way, you can be a projected superstar coming out of high school or college, but you still have to earn your spot on the team.

 

[bhsmte]

I was thinking about that the other day. How in the NFL draft someone who goes in the first round might end up a starter that very next season (e.g. Andrew Luck), or if they go in the eighth round they might start off at second- or third-string and work their way up. Some guys aren't drafted but get signed to the practice squad.

But then there's baseball.

You can get drafted at 17 out of high school but you could be 23 before you make it to the show, and that's assuming you do make it to the show. I find baseball more compelling that way, you can be a projected superstar coming out of high school or college, but you still have to earn your spot on the team.

Yep. I played division one college baseball on a top 10 ranked team and played with one guy who had HOF major league number and 3 others who were all stars for several years. One of them during college, I never would have predicted they would have been a 15 year major league player.

Baseball ability as you move up levels, is very much based on how you can adapt your physical skills, to the higher level of competition and much of that comes from each person's mental ability.

 

[StanJ]

http://m.bluejays.mlb.com/news/article/189938816/blue-jays-extend-justin-smoaks-contract/

I am very satisfied about this move, and have always liked Smoak since his Texas Ranger days.

 

[redleghunter]

Yep. I played division one college baseball on a top 10 ranked team and played with one guy who had HOF major league number and 3 others who were all stars for several years. One of them during college, I never would have predicted they would have been a 15 year major league player.

Baseball ability as you move up levels, is very much based on how you can adapt your physical skills, to the higher level of competition and much of that comes from each person's mental ability.

Good points. Especially pitchers. How they develop their secondary pitches will determine when they come up to the bits. Those who throw heat may only pan out to be a reliever and still they need a strike out pitch to survive other than their fast ball.

 

[StanJ]

Watched a show tonight on Netflix called 'Fastball'. According to them, Nolan Ryan had the fastest fastball ever in the history of baseball. They adjusted everything for all recorded pictures and took the measurements to 50 feet in front of home plate, which is just after it comes out of the pitcher's hand and Ryan's was clocked at 108.6 mph! That is the same distance that Aroldis Chapman was clocked out when he threw 105.3 mph.

 

[redleghunter]

http://m.bluejays.mlb.com/news/article/189938816/blue-jays-extend-justin-smoaks-contract/

I am very satisfied about this move, and have always liked Smoak since his Texas Ranger days.

Good move especially if you face the Rangers in the playoffs

 

[StanJ]

Good move especially if you face the Rangers in the playoffs

Well at this point that's definitely not a certainty with two starters not pitching well and the third on the DL.
Rumours are Boston is making a concerted effort to get EE to replace Ortiz.

 

[bhsmte]

Good points. Especially pitchers. How they develop their secondary pitches will determine when they come up to the bits. Those who throw heat may only pan out to be a reliever and still they need a strike out pitch to survive other than their fast ball.

Hitters and pitchers are a different breed. You are correct though, the ability of a pitcher to develop multiple pitches (they can command) is essential to having success over the long term and especially so for a starter. IMO, the radar gun obsession is a little out of hand and focused on far too much. The best way to get hitters out, is to do two simple things; change speeds with the same arm motion and locate. I faced a few guys in college who through 95+ and if you knew it was coming, we had an expression; the faster it comes in, the faster it goes out.

Hitting on the other hand, is the single most difficult task in all of professional sports. Considering you can fail 7 out of 10 times and be considered great, tells you all you need to know. The mental side of hitting is really complex and some guys just can't adapt and properly use their physical skills.

 

[redleghunter]

Hitters and pitchers are a different breed. You are correct though, the ability of a pitcher to develop multiple pitches (they can command) is essential to having success over the long term and especially so for a starter. IMO, the radar gun obsession is a little out of hand and focused on far too much. The best way to get hitters out, is to do two simple things; change speeds with the same arm motion and locate. I faced a few guys in college who through 95+ and if you knew it was coming, we had an expression; the faster it comes in, the faster it goes out.

Hitting on the other hand, is the single most difficult task in all of professional sports. Considering you can fail 7 out of 10 times and be considered great, tells you all you need to know. The mental side of hitting is really complex and some guys just can't adapt and properly use their physical skills.

I agree. When facing a pro pitcher with 4 different pitches it is most difficult to figure out what's coming next and at what velocity. It helps the batter to extend the at bat as much as possible to reduce the advantage of the pitcher.

 

[redleghunter]

 

[redleghunter]

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/the-best-buys-of-the-trade-deadline/