compensatory draft picks, but those don't have nearly the same significance they do in the nba (it also depends on how many years the player has been in the league...i fancy myself an mlb expert but i dont even know wtf the stips are; if it's an arb-eligible player i think it applies. something to do with the arbitration status. it's weird and confusing. dunno wtf i'm talking about honestly. or is it just a roster spot thing? cuz i've also read about teams shipping guys [e.g. the jays just signed francisco cordero, but if they flip him at the deadline they get a draft pick? i dont know wtf this is all about. these rules are weird])
http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/dispatch_article/yes-we-actually-classified-every-pitch/ This is p cool stuff.
My body is ready, for an MLB thread without a typo in it god dammit Wes you can't even type a sentence without fucking it up I hate you
Can someone with MLB.tv explain the blackouts? I just spent 20 minutes on their site and didn't find any clear information on local blackouts. I live in Lansing, which is in the Tigers' blackout area. Does this mean that I won't see games that don't sell out? I got the whole national broadcast deal, I understand that part. But Comerica only runs at capacity once every five starts and I'm not gonna pay $100 just for Verlander Day. Having exposure to all the other games would be nice and I'd probably never stop watching baseball at that point, but again, that alone isn't worth it to me.
Pretty sure you don't see anything in the blackout area. Not sure about sellouts, but I'd wager there'll be more sellouts this year. They signed Prince, bro.
they are paying a guy $8m/yr for a position they already have 4-5 guys for, not even counting the up-and-comers in their farm system. good move, billy!
Pretty sure I'm going to Padres opening day vs the Dodgers. Haven't been to opening day in over a decade. Pumped.
Now that there are two wildcard teams, the Red Sox missing out on the playoffs will be even more hilarious.
It was good the way it was, BUT: playoff expansion was inevitable and the one-game playin is by far the most painless way to do it. I'm not happy about the move but I don't really dislike it.
I honestly like it. It makes winning the division much more important. I hate the reasons it was implemented (to have a better chance to get both NY and Boston into the playoffs) but I think it will work out well.
It doesn't make it any more important than it already was. It's only one game, which I don't mind. I do hate the travel structure though. Division champs potentially only play one game at home in the AL/NLDS. Doesn't make sense. Prince Fielder outhit the Atlanta Braves today.
How so? You win the division, you are guaranteed a playoff spot. Win the wildcard, and you have to play one game to determine whether you get in or not. A team that wins 94 games and is 1st in the Wildcard standings may not even make the playoffs.
Under the old system: win the division, make the playoffs. Under the new system: win the division, make the playoffs. It doesn't make it any more advantageous to division winners now that weaker teams play one extra game. I could mayyyybe see a fatigue/travel argument, but with they way they structured it now, it actually swings in the road team's favor with the 2-3 format. It really only benefits one team, and that's either the Angels or the Rangers.
The 2-3 format in the Divisional Round is only supposed to be for 2012; it will go back to 2-2-1 in 2-13, supposedly. And I like this change. Even though my Cardinals benefited greatly last October by the old way, this new way gives more of an advantage to the division winners, which is the way it should be, and makes it harder for the wild card teams, which is also the way it should be. Now the two wild card teams will have to use one of their best pitchers in the one-game playoff, while the division winners will have an extra day off to get their rotation set up nicely, giving them more of an advantage. Plus, it could also give an advantage if you are a wild card team that clinches early, while other teams are fighting for that other spot. The team that has clinched can save their best pitcher for that one-game playoff, while the other teams might have to use their best pitchers on the final day of the season just to get that other wild card spot. Also, it being a one-game playoff is the way to go. Giving the division winners a week off while the wild card teams play a 3 or 5 game series is actually hurting them, as teams do not fare well if they have too many days off in a row after six months of playing almost every day.
Tigers have dingers from Jackson, Raburn, Boesch, Fielder, Young, Peralta, and Avila. It's the third inning.
I think you're misunderstanding what I am trying to say. It's not that the division winners have an advantage, it's that the wildcard winners have a disadvantage. If you win the wildcard, you are not necessarily guaranteed a playoff spot as you will now have to play a 1-game playoff. Which is why you should win the division and not have to worry about that.
Yeah but now there are two wildcard spots. The best non-division-winner still has a chance, AS DOES the NEXT best non-division-winner. Yes, the pitching matchups probably get skewed towards the division winners, but overall you're giving MORE teams a chance. Even though only one team wins the 1-game playoff (obviously), you are doubling the chances of a streaky team that didn't win their division spoiling the playoffs. (IMO)
projections have him between 19 and 29 hr (and between a wOBA of .351 and .376, which is quite good) personally, i think he's due for a big year. i base that off of nothing.
I'm concerned because during last year's spring training, A-Rod killed it and people were saying he was gonna put up monster numbers. Feels bad man.
The Angels actually hit the ball and took walks today, made me excite. Then I remembered it's just spring training and I was like
I really, really hope the cardinals do well this season so I can still be posting in this thread in october
That would never happen but it won't stop me from praying that it does. Fuck the Red Sox. Fucking faggots.
I think it's a toss up in the A.L. East. Either the Yanks or Rays can take the division, win over 95 games, while the Sox battle it out for 3rd with the Jays. As much as I hate Jose Bautista, I hate the Red Sox more. This would be incredible.
