2015 MLB Season Thread with Postseason Discussion

[The_Admiral]

Haha the Royals are 14 games up on the second-place Twins. Never thought I'd see the day.

[Dexter Morgan]

I'm sure they have recently, but I can't remember the last time the Twins won a series vs the Yankees. I swear it's been a decade of domination for the Yankees vs the Twinkies.

[OnWis97]

I'm sure they have recently, but I can't remember the last time the Twins won a series vs the Yankees. I swear it's been a decade of domination for the Yankees vs the Twinkies.

I don't have an answer to that...but over the last 10 years, the Twins have been very inventive in losing to the Yankees. They tend to blow leads. Anyone who's a fan of either team absolutely knew that A-Rod was going to hit that grand slam last night. It was not even a question. I tend to think this domination will never end. It's in their heads. They find ways to lose to the Yankees; it's a self-fulfilling prophecy. I cannot find the numbers, but I think in six years at the New Yankee Stadium the Twins have one or two wins.

[Dexter Morgan]

I'm sure they have recently, but I can't remember the last time the Twins won a series vs the Yankees. I swear it's been a decade of domination for the Yankees vs the Twinkies.

I don't have an answer to that...but over the last 10 years, the Twins have been very inventive in losing to the Yankees. They tend to blow leads. Anyone who's a fan of either team absolutely knew that A-Rod was going to hit that grand slam last night. It was not even a question. I tend to think this domination will never end. It's in their heads. They find ways to lose to the Yankees; it's a self-fulfilling prophecy. I cannot find the numbers, but I think in six years at the New Yankee Stadium the Twins have one or two wins.

check this out:

http://joeposnanski.com/the-yankees-twins-follies/

[Tigers6884]

I like Daniel Norris.

[pmoehrin]

Not sure what Utley has left he was having a horrible year

Shame to see the bottom fall out on a such a great player, but sadly not unprecedented. Willie Mays, Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, Mickey Mantle. All of them were great until it just like one day they woke up and couldn't play baseball anymore.

Chase Utley was an all-star as recently as last year. Now he'a starring down a very uncertain future at 36 and you wonder if this is it for him.

Now he gets to be reunited with his partner in crime Jimmy Rollins to go for one last ring. It would be one of the better postseason stories to watch, especially on a great team that hasn't won in over 25 years.

All-time here's where I would put Utley amongst second baseman.

1. Rogers Hornsby

2. Eddie Collins

3. Joe Morgan

4. Nap Lajoie

5. Jackie Robinson

6. Chase Utley

7. Ryne Sandberg

8. Robinson Cano

9. Bobby Grich

10. Charlie Gehringer

11. Joe Gordon

12. Roberto Alomar

13. Lou Whitaker

14. Craig Biggio

15. Frankie Frisch

Everyone talks about Utley's bat, but this guy was criminally underated defensively.

Chase Utley was Jeff Kent with Roberto Alomar's glove.

You'll notice Ryne Sandberg just behind Utley. I thought the two were very similar players. Both were the complete package you would look for in a second basrman and would have been higher on this list had they been great for just a bit longer, but still in both cases I would say slam dunk HOFers.

Of all the players on those great late 2000's-early 2010's Phillie teams, Hamels, Halladay, Howard, Rollins, Lee, I thought he was the best.

[Unocal]

Remember when the Twins were in contention for over half of the year?

Fifth straight 90-loss season.

This is basically the 2011 Pirates all over again minus a really bad Jerry Meals call.

Chase Utley to the Dodgers for cash and prospects. WTF? Why? Just because they can? It's going to be even more fun watching them crash and burn in the playoffs than it was the last two seasons!

Counterpoint- how many other playoff threats have a gaping hole at 2B?

[AnythingChicago]

This Tigers team's hitting is absolutely devastating. They never fail to crush mistake pitches, and there have been several "pitcher's pitches" that they have put good wood on as well. These guys just flat out hit.

Now, I understand that the Tigers have scuffled this season and that Cabrera was hurt for awhile there, but watching this team hit, I think I now understand why Dombrowski was let go. I'll bet ownership knew that this club could definitely make a playoff push despite their lower-than-expected record given their offense and the fact that the AL Wild Cards are essentially up for grabs.

I'm guessing that ownership would have rather seen Detroit pick up some bullpen help and maybe another starter, but Dombrowski, the great GM that he is, knew that he could get a disgusting return from Toronto for Price, a load that wasn't worth renting him for just a few months, and smartly he made a great deal (which is easy for me to say as a Cubs fan watching Daniel Norris demolish the Cubs with his big left arm and his ing bat right now).

So ownership wanted Detroit to go for it because with their offense and some bullpen help, they easily could have grabbed a wild card, gotten hot in the playoffs, and made a deep run. But Dombrowski kinda did the franchise a favor by working some fantastic deals that replenished a farm system that desperately needed to be replenished, but in doing so began a rebuilding process of sorts and went against ownership's interests and lost his job because he was on an entirely different page than ownership.

Tigers fans, am I far off here with my observations?

[Unocal]

No. Tigers kinda remind me of the old-school Rockies minus the thin air- very dangerous with the bats, but they aren't that elite in other areas.

[AnythingChicago]

No. Tigers kinda remind me of the old-school Rockies minus the thin air- very dangerous with the bats, but they aren't that elite in other areas.

Price, Verlander, Simon, Sanchez. Not a terrible playoff rotation, plus they could have traded some excess bats for another starter and definitely some bullpen help; there were plenty of quality arms available at this year's deadline for relatively cheap.

[HedleyLamarr]

Verlander hasn't been the same since The Fappening....

[Unocal]

Verlander hasn't been the same since The Fappening....

He has had some struggles, but this year the bullpen threw away two games he deserves to win (Twins in early July, Astros on Sunday)

[Unocal]

Tigers: where was this last month when you still had Price/Cespedes and were withing striking distance of the Royald ans Twins?

They hadn't played that well really since blowing that 6-1 9th inning lead against the Twins on 7/10, and NOW they suddenly play like their still in the chase

[Dynasty]

Ryan Braun passed Robin Yount for the most home runs in Brewers history.

[2001mark]

Ryan Braun passed Robin Yount for the most home runs in Brewers history.

["Number 1"]

Thank you Dodgers sad bullpen.

Funniest reality show going today. Either they blow the NL West to the injury plagued Giants or they win the west and lose to the espionage fueled Cardinals in the playoffs.

[Dexter Morgan]

Bird is the word.

[BBTV]

Not sure what Utley has left he was having a horrible year

Shame to see the bottom fall out on a such a great player, but sadly not unprecedented. Willie Mays, Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, Mickey Mantle. All of them were great until it just like one day they woke up and couldn't play baseball anymore.

Chase Utley was an all-star as recently as last year. Now he'a starring down a very uncertain future at 36 and you wonder if this is it for him.

Now he gets to be reunited with his partner in crime Jimmy Rollins to go for one last ring. It would be one of the better postseason stories to watch, especially on a great team that hasn't won in over 25 years.

All-time here's where I would put Utley amongst second baseman.

1. Rogers Hornsby

2. Eddie Collins

3. Joe Morgan

4. Nap Lajoie

5. Jackie Robinson

6. Chase Utley

7. Ryne Sandberg

8. Robinson Cano

9. Bobby Grich

10. Charlie Gehringer

11. Joe Gordon

12. Roberto Alomar

13. Lou Whitaker

14. Craig Biggio

15. Frankie Frisch

Everyone talks about Utley's bat, but this guy was criminally underated defensively.

Chase Utley was Jeff Kent with Roberto Alomar's glove.

You'll notice Ryne Sandberg just behind Utley. I thought the two were very similar players. Both were the complete package you would look for in a second basrman and would have been higher on this list had they been great for just a bit longer, but still in both cases I would say slam dunk HOFers.

Of all the players on those great late 2000's-early 2010's Phillie teams, Hamels, Halladay, Howard, Rollins, Lee, I thought he was the best.

In his defense, he's been on fire since coming off the DL. He's worn his body down so much that for the past 4 years he's been a player who shouldn't play more than 110 games.

Part of Utley's problem was that he hid injuries and ended up missing large chunks of seasons when it could have been preventable had he just taken days off or played only 100% instead of 150%.

Had he not missed so much time, he'd be in HOF discussions. He was also called up a year or two too late, so that hurt his stats too.

You're overrating his defense. He was slightly above average at best. Everyone held their breath every time he had to throw a ball in the 09 WS. He made up for it with his intelligence. There is not a player in all of sports that prepares as much as he does - not only before the game, but before every pitch.

If you're a contender and don't already have an all star 2B, you want him on your team.

[pmoehrin]

Not sure what Utley has left he was having a horrible year

Shame to see the bottom fall out on a such a great player, but sadly not unprecedented. Willie Mays, Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, Mickey Mantle. All of them were great until it just like one day they woke up and couldn't play baseball anymore.

Chase Utley was an all-star as recently as last year. Now he'a starring down a very uncertain future at 36 and you wonder if this is it for him.

Now he gets to be reunited with his partner in crime Jimmy Rollins to go for one last ring. It would be one of the better postseason stories to watch, especially on a great team that hasn't won in over 25 years.

All-time here's where I would put Utley amongst second baseman.

1. Rogers Hornsby

2. Eddie Collins

3. Joe Morgan

4. Nap Lajoie

5. Jackie Robinson

6. Chase Utley

7. Ryne Sandberg

8. Robinson Cano

9. Bobby Grich

10. Charlie Gehringer

11. Joe Gordon

12. Roberto Alomar

13. Lou Whitaker

14. Craig Biggio

15. Frankie Frisch

Everyone talks about Utley's bat, but this guy was criminally underated defensively.

Chase Utley was Jeff Kent with Roberto Alomar's glove.

You'll notice Ryne Sandberg just behind Utley. I thought the two were very similar players. Both were the complete package you would look for in a second basrman and would have been higher on this list had they been great for just a bit longer, but still in both cases I would say slam dunk HOFers.

Of all the players on those great late 2000's-early 2010's Phillie teams, Hamels, Halladay, Howard, Rollins, Lee, I thought he was the best.

In his defense, he's been on fire since coming off the DL. He's worn his body down so much that for the past 4 years he's been a player who shouldn't play more than 110 games.

Part of Utley's problem was that he hid injuries and ended up missing large chunks of seasons when it could have been preventable had he just taken days off or played only 100% instead of 150%.

Had he not missed so much time, he'd be in HOF discussions. He was also called up a year or two too late, so that hurt his stats too.

You're overrating his defense. He was slightly above average at best. Everyone held their breath every time he had to throw a ball in the 09 WS. He made up for it with his intelligence. There is not a player in all of sports that prepares as much as he does - not only before the game, but before every pitch.

If you're a contender and don't already have an all star 2B, you want him on your team.

I don't know, first in defensive WAR one year for all positions. First in total runs zones for a second baseman two years, second in three other years.

If that's slightly above average defensively, I'd like to know who's good. Was he Bill Mazeroski or Joe Gordon with the glove? No. But look at the guys around him who were defensive standouts. Mark Ellis, Orlando Hudson, Dustin Pedroia, Ian Kinsler. I'd take Utley defensively over all of them. Only reason I think Utley didn't get much love defensively is because he didn't show up too many times in the defensive highlight reels.

I just know from 2005-2009 he was far and away the best second baseman in baseball. OPS of .922 over that span and only played in less then 140 games one year in that time span. Also every year during that span he never finished lower then 3rd in the league in WAR for position players. Find another player with a run like that who's not in the Hall of Fame, or would be in the Hall of Fame if not for steroids.

His career may have been short, but at his best Chase Utley dominated the game at a level from a second baseman not seen since Joe Morgan. That's enough for me.

I can't say I would be surprised if Chase Utley doesn't get in for some time though if ever. Too many guys were getting in and the Hall of Fame has responded by overcorrecting to the point where now we need a couple ballots to get Gary Carter in, Jeff Bagwell is considered borderline and Kevin Brown is considered chop liver.

In hindsight I'm a bit upset that Pedro was on that '09 Phillie team. They could have gone down as the first team in baseball history to make the playoffs five straight years without the aid of a single HOFer.

Maybe Roy Halladay will get in one day. I think he should (although more for his years spent in Toronto then in Philly even though he was great with both), but what in world is Roy Halladay THAT much better then someone like Curt Schilling or Kevin Brown?

[monkeypower]

The Millville Meteorologist? He's really into weather it seems.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/mike-trout-s-off-field-obsession-proves-he-s-a-man-for-all-seasons-001210125.html