MLB

[StoutAndAle]

Probably a giant swing and a miss here but...

Any fans of baseball on the board?

Today is opening day for the new season.

I'm a Chicago Cubs fan so I have very little delusions of grandeur but they have a strong roster this year. Seiya Suzuki, Ian Happ, Nico Hoerner, Patrick Wisdom, Kyle Hendricks, Yan Gomes and new signing Dansby Swanson could click and run riot.

I was excited by the prospect of Seiya Suzuki coming to the majors from Japan last year. He had a dream start, then a stumble but now has had a year to settle in and a lot of time to shake off the minor injury - needs to start earning that massive paycheck.

Swanson has a World Series ring to his name already but the Cubs are a far different organisation than the Atlanta Braves (possibly one of the best run ball clubs in the game). He looks quality in Spring Training though so I hope he hits the ground running.

I feel that the Cubs will miss Willson Contreras though. A power-house, don't fuck with me, war machine. I went to see the Cubs at Wrigley Field a few times last year and he was always fun to watch. Like Charlie Sheen's character Rich "Wild Thing" Vaughn in "Major League" - except Contreras is a catcher.

Outside of personal hopes - I reckon that it's going to be hard to look beyond the Houston Astros and the San Diego Padres to get to the World Series - the Padres to edge it.

The Seattle Mariners may give the Astros some competition in the AL West but I can't see a miracle happening there.

The Padres may feel some heat from the LA Dodgers who spend money like a Fianna Fáil TD ordering rounds in the Dáil bar but, again, I think this is the Padres' year in the NL West.

In NL Central - the St. Louis Cardinals will probably do the same as last year - win the division and get battered in post season. I hope the Cardinals make shit of their year because obviously I want the Cubs make a good showing of themselves in the division.

The New York Yankees and Tornto Blue Jays will slug it out in the AL East - I'm going to say the Blue Jays will take the division.

Probably the NY Mets in NL East. Can't see the Atlanta Braves keeping pace although they'll start and finish strong.

AL Central... who the fuck knows? It's like a shoot-out in the old West there.

Come back in November to see how wrong I was... 

[StoutAndAle]

The introduction of the pitch clock will also amp up games. It may even help to bring in some more casual followers.

A lot of (non-US) people that I talk to feel that the games take forever.

The new timing rules will take, on average, 30 minutes off each game. Less time for pitchers to kick up dust on the mound, scratch their bollocks or re-adjust their hat/glove 15 times before each pitch.

[Eoin McLove]

I know absolutely nothing about the sport but I work with a guy who went over to the States and played, I am fairly sure it was at a pro level, I'm guessing 20 years ago or so. Fucked if I know how to spell his second name. Matty Goulet/Gouley/Gulet/Gully??? Goo-lay is the pronunciation anyway and he's an Aussie.

I'll leave you to it now 

[mickO)))]

I use to always go to Bluejays games when I lived in Canada it was only $8 for a ticket and was always a good night but I haven't really kept up with the MLB since I moved back home same with the NBA the times the games are on at for the most part is just too awkward.

[StoutAndAle]

I know absolutely nothing about the sport but I work with a guy who went over to the States and played, I am fairly sure it was at a pro level, I'm guessing 20 years ago or so. Fucked if I know how to spell his second name. Matty Goulet/Gouley/Gulet/Gully??? Goo-lay is the pronunciation anyway and he's an Aussie.

I'll leave you to it now 

Not a name that I'm familiar with - but modern rosters are so big, with players that only get one season to prove themselves before being consigned to the rubbish heap if they're not good enough, that it's impossible to remember every name.

The minor league is also pro/semi-pro so he might have played there.

[StoutAndAle]

I use to always go to Bluejays games when I lived in Canada it was only $8 for a ticket and was always a good night but I haven't really kept up with the MLB since I moved back home same with the NBA the times the games are on at for the most part is just too awkward.

I hear that. When I worked in pubs back in the day - I could watch more games, could even have a few pints in an empty bar room and watch them after closing up.

These days I can just about manage the early games - the ones that start at 1300/1400hrs (EST/CT). Marcus Stroman is the first pitcher up for the Cubs tonight and that starts at 1920hrs Irish time so I can watch it.

Other than that I have to go old school - avoid the result and watch the MLB highlights package. Same with the NFL/NBA/NHL.

The West coast games are a total write off due to time differnce - highlights package only for me on those.

[mickO)))]

I hear that. When I worked in pubs back in the day - I could watch more games, could even have a few pints in an empty bar room and watch them after closing up.

These days I can just about manage the early games - the ones that start at 1300/1400hrs (EST/CT). Marcus Stroman is the first pitcher up for the Cubs tonight and that starts at 1920hrs Irish time so I can watch it.

Other than that I have to go old school - avoid the result and watch the MLB highlights package. Same with the NFL/NBA/NHL.

The West coast games are a total write off due to time differnce - highlights package only for me on those.

Boxing and MMA are my main sports I already have to stay up late to watch most of those so I can't manage anymore. Use to love the NBA and i was living Toronto the night the Raptors won the Championship it was mental. It took almost 2 hours on the night just to find a pub that had space to watch the game then after the game the entire city was packed and the streets were just insane it was like the footage you usually see in capital city of a country that is just after winning the World Cup.

[Naraka]

The Mets v Marlins game is on at 9:10pm tonight so hopefully I'll get to watch it when the kids are gone to bed. I've a passing interest in mlb, mostly down to the game times. The amount of money involved in baseball has become crazy!

[Mower Liberation Front]

Yankees fan here. Expecting them to make it to the postseason, but not much else. Still far too reliant on the long ball.
Watching the game this evening, the pitch clock seems to be working quite well.

[StoutAndAle]

Yankees fan here. Expecting them to make it to the postseason, but not much else. Still far too reliant on the long ball.
Watching the game this evening, the pitch clock seems to be working quite well.

I agree. The pitch clock definitely livens it up from a TV spectator stand point. Watching the Cubs game last night - I noted that the pitch clock was almost directly off to the pitcher's right hand side - just next to the backstop at home plate. It's fucking huge - I suppose it has to be but talk about adding extra pressure!

The other pitching clock rule - if you don't get a base-stealing runner out from a pre-pitch throw over after three attempts - you concede a walk to the batter on base - will make things livelier as well. I watched a but of the Mets Vs Marlins game last night and Jean Segura (who is definitely NOT a runner) was 2 metres off his plate at 1st every time Max Scherzer was setting up a pitch.

The commentator made a point about the clock not only dialling up the stress on the pitcher but also on the at bat. Something along the lines of "The batter only has a few seconds to pick their grip for the next pitch." Is he saying that a player on a $177M contract isn't honed enough to pick a grip in the time it takes for the opposing pitcher/catcher to decide on a ball?

Stroman had a great 6 innings for the Cubs - a shut out. He also took a pitch clock penalty - interesting to see it in action. Their relief pitchers looked nervous but carried out the job.

[StoutAndAle]

The Brewers have handed the Mets' asses to them two nights in a row. 10 - 0 and 9 - 0.

Scherzer's pitching for the Mets was all over the shop in the second game of the series. He allowed back to back home runs.

[StoutAndAle]

Cubs @ Reds game last night was a barn-burner.

Top of the 7th the Cubbies trailed 3 - 2. By the top of the 9th they were leading 12 - 3. Finished up 12 - 5.

[Naraka]

Looks like the Mets have turned up tonight! I didn't see last night's game but Monday's game was really poor. The Mets seem to be having issues with the clock both pitching and batting.

[Mower Liberation Front]

Manfred doing his best to be as bad a commissioner as Bettman is for the NHL once again. This business with the A's moving to Vegas: "We have shown an unbelievable commitment to the fans in Oakland by exhausting every possible opportunity to try to get something done in Oakland,"
Yeah, by allowing an owner to jack up ticket prices, gut the roster, and then cry "See? I have to move this team to Vegas because the fans suck, the city won't do anything and we're not making enough money!"

[StoutAndAle]

The Cubs shit the bed in the last month of the regular season. They were absolutely flying for months after a stuttered start. They ripped up beyond .500 early and kept the Reds at bay but, by Christ, the curse of the Billy Goat came back. September rolled around and they fell apart - blowing leads, bad calls, misfortune. I feel terrible for Seiya Suzuki who made a bad error (after a mighty season) and now seems to be shouldering the blame for the whole Cubs teams who all made bad plays in a long, long season. 

Let's look at my regular season calls and see why I have rarely gambled in my life.   

It's going to be hard to look beyond the Houston Astros and the San Diego Padres to get to the World Series - the Padres to edge it.

WRONG: Padres didn't even get the Wildcard in their division. Astros had the same Win % as the Rangers. Both go to the play-offs with the Astros taking top spot. 

The Seattle Mariners may give the Astros some competition in the AL West but I can't see a miracle happening there.

WRONG(ish): Mariners finished 3rd in AL West. Miles about the Angels and the Oakland A's but not good enough. Shame. Seattle deserved a play-off run.

The Padres may feel some heat from the LA Dodgers who spend money like a Fianna Fáil TD ordering rounds in the Dáil bar but, again, I think this is the Padres' year in the NL West.

WRONG: The Dodgers romped the NL West with the Diamondbacks ultimately getting the Wildcard over the Padres.

In NL Central - the St. Louis Cardinals will probably do the same as last year - win the division and get battered in post season. I hope the Cardinals make shit of their year because obviously I want the Cubs make a good showing of themselves in the division.

ABSOLUTELY WRONG! : The Cards finished bottom of NL Central.

The New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays will slug it out in the AL East - I'm going to say the Blue Jays will take the division.

WRONG: Blue Jays finished 3rd but got a lucky wildcard. Yankees and Red Sox both sucked in the AL East.

Probably the NY Mets in NL East. Can't see the Atlanta Braves keeping pace although they'll start and finish strong.

WRONG: Braves were the best team in the regular season this year. Winning 104 games. Only the Braves, the Orioles in AL East and the LA Dodgers in NL West broke a century.

AL Central... who the fuck knows? It's like a shoot-out in the old West there.

CORRECT (sort of): A division of mad bastards and another crazy regular season in the AL Central. Only one team broke .500 - the Minnesota Twins - so obviously they're in the play-offs with no wildcard offered to the division given the low win percentages. This is fucking nuts - it's as if the other teams were actively trying to lose.