2021 Regular Season Thread

circular flexing

(starting this as I saw a few requests for it in the Off Season Thread and it looks like Jack has closed their account).


Almost a month in and DeGrom is magic, Dodgers are mostly as advertised, Padres seem to be figuring it out, Yankees are in a hole. Did I miss anything?

Oymyakon

Late to mention this, but so chuffed Aaron Nola got his first complete game shut out, what a cool dude.

Steve_o

John Means threw a no hitter for the Orioles last night. The 3rd of the season.

Mets beginning to hit, just need to get Lindor out of this slump.

Doodah7

Cubs sweeping the Dodgers was a very pleasant surprise! A couple of scoreboard squeakers but they all count!

Oymyakon

Phillies sweep of the Brewers capped with a Zack Wheeler complete game shut out! Also, what on earth is going on with the dodgers? Just an early slump?

Steve_o

Oymyakon wrote: »

Phillies sweep of the Brewers capped with a Zack Wheeler complete game shut out! Also, what on earth is going on with the dodgers? Just an early slump?

The 3 issues I can see with the Dodgers is Betts & Seager aren't hitting well, the bullpen are having a nightmare and they've got a bunch of injuries. They'll turn it around sooner rather than later though. Too good not to.

Steve_o

Good win for the Mets last night. Walker was stellar with 8 K's. Lindor finally got a hit, but they stranded 17 base runners. 17!!!!! They'll win the NL if they can start hitting regularly with RISP.

Igotadose

Good to see another Mets fan on the board.

I think Lindor will hit. I was pessimistic as the Mets experience with all-star infielders coming over from Cleveland has been absolutely disastrous - see Carlos Baerga or sex-offender Roberto Alomar, but Lindor appears to be working through it.

As every year, it will come down to pitching. de Grom was a scratch last start but seems like he's o.k.. Walker has been a pleasant surprise, if Stroman can bottle his emotions he could be lights-out. 3 solid starters and 2 fill-ins will keep the team going through the Fall, then we'll see.

The bullpen's still an adventure, though more save opportunities and Diaz/Familia should have it together. Well, as well as they normally do so terrifying in about 90% of save opportunities.

Steve_o

Having McCann behind the plate has been a revelation as well! Finally, a catcher who can throw!!

David Peterson has been ok since his disastrous first game. I think he'll grow into the season. Syndergaard should be back in June/July as well which is a massive boost.

circular flexing

Will be interesting to see which team picks up Pujols. The only cost really is space on the 40 man roster, he's too good to be left sitting there for major league minimum. Not a nice way to get dumped either.

Doodah7

circular flexing wrote: »

Will be interesting to see which team picks up Pujols. The only cost really is space on the 40 man roster, he's too good to be left sitting there for major league minimum. Not a nice way to get dumped either.

Pujols best days are a distant memory. Guy is hitting c. .180 and is 41 years old.

Would possibly work as a DH somewhere but he will likely hang up his cleats at the end of the season if not before if no-one is willing to pay him.

circular flexing

Doodah7 wrote: »

Pujols best days are a distant memory. Guy is hitting c. .180 and is 41 years old.

Would possibly work as a DH somewhere but he will likely hang up his cleats at the end of the season if not before if no-one is willing to pay him.

Yeah his best days are behind him but he's still got power. Any interested team would only need to pay c. $400k for him for the rest of the year. It's true that DH is the only option.

Igotadose

circular flexing wrote: »

Yeah his best days are behind him but he's still got power. Any interested team would only need to pay c. $400k for him for the rest of the year. It's true that DH is the only option.

too bad the NL doesn't have it this year

Pujols in his prime was all-world, went to the Angels and you never heard from him again. A cautionary tale.

Igotadose

Watching Mets/Diamondbacks. deGrom perfect through 4. He's in their heads - leadoff guy from Arizona was at 3-1, took two straight fastballs 100 and 99 mph right down the middle. As Keith Hernandez said, "He needs to go back to that book," meaning 'what was this hitter thinking?'

Igotadose

Igotadose wrote: »

Watching Mets/Diamondbacks. deGrom perfect through 4. He's in their heads - leadoff guy from Arizona was at 3-1, took two straight fastballs 100 and 99 mph right down the middle. As Keith Hernandez said, "He needs to go back to that book," meaning 'what was this hitter thinking?'

And, 3 walks and an extra base hit in the 5th, 25/26 pitches, and it's just 2-1 Mets. Suddenly, de Grom looked mortal. I wonder if the injury that caused him to skip a start is bothering him, Az announcers said it was shoulder inflammation.

Ahh well. Still fun to watch a game in real time.

circular flexing

Top prospect (and one time Met) Jarred Kelenic is getting called up tomorrow.

boccy23

Tatis testing positive. Be interesting to see if he recovers to where he was pre his diagnosis. Guy just cannot stay on the field for whatever reason.

circular flexing

Seems like Pujols is driving up the freeway and joining Dodgers.

circular flexing

Back to back nights with a no hitter. 6th so far this season, the single season record is 7. Wonder what's going on.

boccy23

Hitters trying to score with the long ball only, not caring about K's, seems like this years ball is again different and some historically bad offenses seem are all contributing.
The Mariners were no-hit twice in a 14 day span, which is historic.

I hadnt realised there was a regular season thread, and was about to setup one up.

So far...

6 no hitters
Pujols is a Dodger
Ohtani is living up to 4 years of hype
Trout is injured
Red Sox are doing well - is their manager that good??? Verdugo and Hernandez - I love ye
3-0 pitch against a fat lad, and you're on a rookie contract? Swing to f**k
Minnesota? What ye at?
San Fran? Must be a blip?
Oakland, everyones' 2nd team. Where are ye playing next year?

osarusan

Didn't want to start a thread just for one question, thought here might be ok - when a defensive player on first base tries the hidden ball trick (pretend to throw to catcher but keep ball and hope the runner on first leaves the base), is the the first base coach allowed to alert the runner when he sees a fake throw?

I just watched some of these on a youtube 'smart moments in sports' compilation, and it seemed like the coach was looking and would have seen it, so I was wondering if he is allowed to say anything.

circular flexing

Deleted User wrote: »

Ohtani is living up to 4 years of hype

Ohtani is kind of proving that it's impossible to be a full time 2 way player these days - he's already out of gas, he had his last start pushed back a couple of days - even then was 4mph down on his fastball and he was pulled at ~70 pitches.

Igotadose

You, too, can book an AirBNB and join the Mets on July 8th to celebrate Bobby Bonilla day. Can get to throw out the first pitch, too

https://apnews.com/article/nyc-state-wire-new-york-mets-business-mlb-baseball-f22dd4b0d96e2d72cfb44d992ad016cd

Igotadose

ASG over. Get back to business, going to be a fun second half.

Amazingly, 7 teams haven't achieved the 85% threshold that MLB demands for loosening restrictions. I wonder which teams aren't fully vaccinated. Crazy to not be.

https://www.sportsnet.ca/mlb/article/mlb-says-23-teams-reached-85-per-cent-vaccine-threshold/

Igotadose

Does your team need pitching? This guy probably would sign for cheap, and can still pitch!

https://www.si.com/mlb/2021/06/14/bartolo-colon-complete-game-mexican-league

Igotadose

Trade deadline in a few days. Lots of names being floated, incl. Scherzer from the Nationals. Be awesome if he landed on the Mets for the remainder of the season and postseason. I expect the Nationals would want plenty in return, the guy'd be the difference between no playoffs and deep playoffs for a lot of teams.

Interesting year, NL west is loaded, AL east has left the Yankees in the rear-view mirror, tight races in every division except AL and NL Central. And it's just still July. August should be fun!

Quietest I've ever seen this thread.

Seems Ohtani is finally slowing down. Still looks a certainty for AL MVP

Fair play to the Giants. First team to lock in their play-off place, and still 2.5 games ahead of the Dodgers

Padres look like they'll either crawl into the Playoffs, or miss out completely. Wouldn't be surprised if the Cardinals ended up grabbing the final spot

Blue Jays look terrifying at the moment

Surely Boone needs to leave the Yankees if they miss the play-offs (Probably if they make the playoffs too)

Bauer will probably never pitch again in the MLB, and the Dodgers are going to have to pay him for another 2 seasons

Igotadose

Agreed, by far the quietest this thread has been and there's been plenty going on! Loved the weekend series Mets/Yankees. Naturally, the Mets struggling for a WC lay an egg the next day against a team they're chasing. And, who can stop the Giants and the Dodgers? Dodgers, even without Trevor Bauer have rolled most of the season. Only threat in the NL might be Giants, NL East and Central winners will be warm bodies at best in the playoffs.

Never follow the AL that much, are the White Sox legitimate? Tampa? Houston without the cheating?

Plus, next year Universal DH maybe. Not sure but I think I like it, too many pitchers getting injured making plays in the field, last year's experiment seem to work pretty well.

circular flexing

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117888326#Comment_117888326

If Bauer is suspended (as expected) then the Dodgers won't have to pay him. The MLB also has the option to backdate the suspension.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117891042#Comment_117891042

Happy to be wrong about that. Thought I had read an article which showed Dodgers being on the hook for paying his salary

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117888488#Comment_117888488

I think you're underestimating the Brewers in the NL Central. They've been on a roll for the majority of the past 6 weeks

Dont follow the AL too closely, but the Rays seem impressive (again), and Blue Jays are on a great run. Momentum is huge when the play-offs come around.

I'll never forget (2007(?)) when the Rockies rode a late season surge all the way to the World Series, via the Wild Card

circular flexing

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117895249#Comment_117895249

They are on the hook now because he hasn't been suspended, it's administrative leave which is basically a gentleman's agreement. They will move to suspension once there is a decision around whether to charge him or not.