MLB 2021 Season Thread

[DoctorWhom]

You had 1 job Yankees. 

All you had to do was lose to a team that is a World Series favorite, yet you couldn't even do that right. 

[DEAD!]

So much for chaos

[Digby]

20 hours ago, Magnus said:

The Blue Jays and Yankees (91-70) could find themselves in a four-way tie with the Boston Red Sox (91-70) and Seattle Mariners (89-71) at the end of the regular season.

That would mean two tie-breaker games on Monday, with the winners gaining the two American League wild-card slots and playing on Tuesday.

That's nuts.

and instead we got the worst possible outcome, and I say that as a nominal Sox fan. Baseball, so close to being fun and interesting again!

[The_Admiral]

Really wanted to see the Blue Jays make it in. Sucks! Oh well. Go...Braves?

[Cujo]

WE'RE GETTING GAMES 163 AND 164 CHAOS!!!!

 

 

/ reality

 

[DEAD!]

19 minutes ago, Digby said:

and instead we got the worst possible outcome, and I say that as a nominal Sox fan. Baseball, so close to being fun and interesting again!

Yeah, the outcome sucks  (saying that as a Jays fan), but this past week was enjoyable as a neutral. 

Is Bucky Dent available?

[ninersdd]

Can't believe the Giants actually held off the Dodgers for the division. I remember 5 years ago when they collapsed against a much weaker and injured LA team, and thought they would be taken over for sure this year. Hopefully magic in the playoffs can happen again!

[Dynasty]

I bet ESPN is thrilled to host their two favorite teams.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

Heartbreaking to be at T-Mobile Park today. Not only because the Angels came to rip out the Mariners' hearts, but then also to scoreboard watch and see the Red Sox come from four down to win and suck the life out of the stadium.

 

The Mariners have really great fans and owe them a winner. MLB also needs to expand the playoff field; five is too few from each league. Just make it six or eight and give the fans something to root for longer.

[SFGiants58]

2 minutes ago, DG_ThenNowForever said:

The Mariners have really great fans and owe them a winner. MLB also needs to expand the playoff field; five is too few from each league. Just make it six or eight and give the fans something to root for longer.

Agreed. Go 1-8 and you’ll increase interest in markets like Seattle and Anaheim. Heck, maybe Mike Trout will play in Games That Matter (who am I kidding, he misses over 50% of his years now to injuries and I can foresee his numbers falling off a cliff). 

[DG_ThenNowForever]

2 minutes ago, SFGiants58 said:

Agreed. Go 1-8 and you’ll increase interest in markets like Seattle and Anaheim. Heck, maybe Mike Trout will play in Games That Matter (who am I kidding, he misses over 50% of his years now to injuries and I can foresee his numbers falling off a cliff). 

 

The other thing is baseball has blown up so much of its tradition over the past few years. Playoff expansion would annoy the purists who are dying off anyway, and would bring plenty of new fans to the game. I don't see why it hasn't been a real consideration as of yet.

[SFGiants58]

4 minutes ago, DG_ThenNowForever said:

 

The other thing is baseball has blown up so much of its tradition over the past few years. Playoff expansion would annoy the purists who are dying off anyway, and would bring plenty of new fans to the game. I don't see why it hasn't been a real consideration as of yet.

Seattle and Toronto should’ve demanded it during the last CBA. Heck, you might even get San Diego and Cincinnati on board. 
 

There should’ve been 1-4 playoffs (four teams per league) pre-expansion and 1-8 playoffs staring in 1969. Maybe baseball would’ve mattered more in places outside of the five boroughs and St. Louis pre-1969. If the NHL had playoffs from the start, so should MLB. Going 1-8 would be righting a wrong and would benefit teams that had tough divisions (I.e., winners of weak divisions get lower seeds).

[Seadragon76]

*see Anaheim defeating Seattle*

 

You nimrods.. you nincompoops.. You blundering dunderheads!!

 

This was the best chance in ages to break the skid and what do you do? You lay the single biggest egg in Seattle sporting history since the ill-fated pass in the Super Bowl.

 

The first game the M's meet the Angels next season, I say plunk 'em... PLUNK 'EM ALL!

[CaliforniaGlowin]

Damn Giants well, couldn't keep up that streak forever. Now I'm shook.

[JerseyJimmy]

the Angels really exist for no reason except to ruin anything they come in contact with, whether it be generational talents that end up on their roster or other teams trying to actually accomplish something. vile franchise.

[SFGiants58]

1 hour ago, JerseyJimmy said:

the Angels really exist for no reason except to ruin anything they come in contact with, whether it be generational talents that end up on their roster or other teams trying to actually accomplish something. vile franchise.

Arte, I will argue, is the worst owner in the majors. He spends, but always on bad decisions. Their minor-leaguers treated even worse than the poor standards of the league. They’ve got no real scouting department, all GM decisions need Arte’s approval, and the whole “Los Angeles Angels” thing (despite how some here defend it) alienated Anaheim folk. He won’t even let them tank to fill up on prospects.

 

Their only title happened because Dusty Baker is an awful playoff manager (maybe I shouldn’t be so harsh, as that 2002 Angels team was pretty top-notch). They’ve never come close to winning an ALCS since. Honestly, Mike Trout is kind of a coward for wanting to stay and never play any Games That Matter. I’m kind of glad he’s no longer the “face of baseball” (thanks to injuries), because he’s so boring and afraid of confrontation. 
 

Of course, this was a vile franchise even in the Autry/Disney days. Are we forgetting Donnie Moore’s implosion, severely underpaying Nolan Ryan, and the run of pure mediocrity throughout much of their existence? 
 

[DoctorWhom]

I hope Ohtani has the courage Trout lacked and leaves when he gets the chance.

That is if the Angles haven't ruined him by then.

 

Angles truly don't deserve either of them. 

[DEAD!]

Maybe the most notable thing ever associated with the Angels is Reggie Jackson trying to kill the Queen.

[McCall]

10 hours ago, DG_ThenNowForever said:

Heartbreaking to be at T-Mobile Park today. Not only because the Angels came to rip out the Mariners' hearts, but then also to scoreboard watch and see the Red Sox come from four down to win and suck the life out of the stadium.

 

The Mariners have really great fans and owe them a winner. MLB also needs to expand the playoff field; five is too few from each league. Just make it six or eight and give the fans something to root for longer.

Nope. Don't need half the league getting in like the NBA and NHL. Completely waters it down when you have sub-.500 teams in the playoffs, like last year. Teams have 162 games to get into the field. That's plenty to justify keeping it at 10. I'd be on board with maybe making the Wild Card a 3 game series all played at the top seed, but they do not need to keep adding teams.

[OnWis97]

The 16-win difference between the Cardinals and Dodgers must be the most unjust pairing we’ve had in the short history of this format.  To be honest, I didn’t pay a ton of attention this weekend even with the Twins avoiding 90 losses. But I see that the Dodgers lost the division by one game so I’m not sure whether they have to trot out a fifth starter or something in their playoff. But if so it’s a perfect illustration of why this format is nonsense.

 

And it’s the Cardinals. So that makes it even more frustrating because we know they are going to win.