The MLB Thread

Remember how Astros let go of manager Cora and general manger Luhrow?

Dusty Baker is now their manager, and they recently hired James Click, former VP of Rays baseball operation as their GM.

As a Rays fan, I'm pissed. They in essence circumvented their penalty, and now a different ballclub has to suffer literal weeks before Spring Training. I don't even think the draft picks and whatever will hurt all that much. The Astros organization is basically in the same condition after getting caught.

Way to go, Manfred...

Edited by erazor0707 on Feb 3rd 2020 at 9:41:41 AM

Yep and in an interview he said that the firings were enough of a punishment... [1]

Such complete bullshit, they can still call themselves champions and kept all that money they made cheating.

I hope this turns out worse for the MLB than the Steroids scandal because ffs this is bad. It’s basically open season for owners to cheat.

Edited by Memers on Feb 17th 2020 at 2:22:55 AM

Aren't bench staff likely to try and step in or blow the whistle, given that there is precedent for them suffering stiff penalties now?

I don't think revoking their championship would be good for sports. Championship flags are supposed to fly forever, and it seems to me like the idea that a championship could be taken away might lessen the excitement of future championships. There's only so much you can justify in the name of sending a message.

>Championship flags are supposed to fly forever, and it seems to me like the idea that a championship could be taken away might lessen the excitement of future championships

laughs in NCAA

If you win a championship by cheating and get to keep the championship when the cheating is discovered later, then the incentive is "just don't get caught until after you win". If you can be stripped of a championship retroactively, then the standard becomes "don't get caught ever", which is a much taller order. And if you want championships without running the constant risk of having them stripped, then the only answer is "don't cheat" — which is the goal.

I think there's a lot about the NCAA that we shouldn't emulate.

What about the fans? I don't think we can think solely in terms of the teams themselves. Do the fans deserve to have their title taken from them?

^And it figures, seeing the many conflicted reactions from Astros fans. Hell, there are even Astros filing lawsuits against the team.

If the team cheated to get it? Yes.

It would certainly shut up the diehards who continue to justify or downplay the cheating.

Congratulations to the Los Angeles Dodgers, your 2020 WS Champs.

There was a World Series?

And congrats to Kevin Cash, for only making the second most stupid move of the night. Snell was doing fantastic, and damn the stats.

Real dunce of the night was Justin Turner, who went out to celebrate despite having tested positive for COVID.

Hats off to the Rays for playing a fantastic season with such a low payroll. And for stepping up and knocking out the damned Asterisks.

As a Rays fan, I drank myself to sleep last night... lol

OK, statistical question: do postseason stats count towards career totals? I'm asking because for the longest time I've had it in my head that Roberto Clemente had exactly 3000 career hits before he died in the 1972 plane crash, with the 3000th hit coming in his last at-bat of the season (against the Mets) — big celebration at Three Rivers and stuff. Then I saw that the Pirates were in the 1972 NLCS, where Clemente had another 4 hits over the course of the series. Doesn't that mean Clemente should have 3004? Or, if none of the postseason hits at Baseball Reference are included in the season-by-season totals, 3034?

Playoff stats don't count towards career totals; he had exactly 3000 regular season hits.

Yeah, postseason stats aren't counted. I assume this is done to avoid statistically penalizing players who play for the Seattle Mariners.

Oof.

Funny thing about that is that the Mariners' all-time hits leader(Ichiro) has 2,542 career hits with them, whereas the all-time hits leader for the Blue Jays(Tony Fernandez), who were created the same year as the Mariners and have won 2 World Series, has only 1,583 with them.

Edited by MFLuder on Nov 24th 2020 at 8:01:14 AM

RIP Henry "Hammerin' Hank" Aaron.

After three years battling a nagging knee injury, Red Sox 2nd Baseman Dustin Pedroia has retired.

Best moment of his career is probably his leadoff homer in Game 1 of the 2007 World Series. Absolutely legendary game, Red Sox thumped Rockies 13-1.

Yeah, it's sad but we saw this coming since he hasn't been able to play much in recent years at all due to injury. Enjoy retirement, Pedey.

The Mariners just proved that they can still be the laughingstock of the league even in the offseason. The team president spoke at a Rotary breakfast club, and the short version is that he's now the ex-president. The slightly longer version is that he messed up in every conceivable way. He made a few racist remarks. He insulted just about every important player on the team. He bragged about being cheap. He said the quiet parts out loud in regards to service time manipulation and other sketchy things that every team does.

And, it's not like this was a random, off-the-cuff remark that happened to be caught on camera. This was a planned talk, given to members of the public that he knew was going to be recorded and posted to the internet. Things like this show you exactly why the team hasn't made the playoffs in almost 20 years.

And months before the current CBA expires too.

Whoopsies.

Anyone here think that the Braves will move out of Atlanta? With the crap that's going on in Georgia, I think they'll just leave Georgia altogether, move to another place, & claim that they were never in Atlanta in the 1st place to avoid the toxic connections of that state.

Edited by electricbean on Apr 4th 2021 at 7:09:26 AM