Gameday Thread: Angels vs. White Sox (4-3-2021)

[Inside Pitch]

1 minute ago, greginpsca said:

We would be 0-3 if the Sox could catch a ball.

We would be 3-0 if not for Mercedes.

[eligrba4ever]

5 minutes ago, tdawg87 said:

Maddon.

Maddon knows best.

[Blarg]

1 minute ago, Taylor said:

That was a phenomenal game. The Angels are fun again.

This is what I was hoping for. Entertaining baseball. The way they are playing is more fun to watch with more action on the field. Fuck station to station metrics baseball. 

[Angel Oracle]

Retire Watson’s jersey for getting Mercedes out.

Edited April 4, 2021 by Angel Oracle

[Inside Pitch]

Just now, Blarg said:

This is what I was hoping for. Entertaining baseball. The way they are playing is more fun to watch with more action on the field. Fuck station to station metrics baseball. 

As much as I love analytics I hate that boring ass shit with a passion.   I understand not stealing, but the station to station BS is awful.

[bloodbrother]

Just now, Angel Oracle said:

Retire Guerra’s jersey for getting Mercedes out.

Watson*

[sammyscioscia]

Man, splitting with the WS is good enough for me.  But we can win this series and we'll be off to the races!  Good shit!

[Blarg]

Just now, Angel Oracle said:

Retire Guerra’s jersey for getting Mercedes out.

Really, that guy was just wearing the Angels out. Maybe that's the last he punishes the Angels and goes 0-4 tomorrow. 

[eligrba4ever]

Weird highlight from Twins game. Foul ricochet whacks umpire's head. Brewers' trainer comes out to help and then appears to collapse himself. He walked off with help and the umpire umped oh. But that guy collapsed. Can't be good.

[tdawg87]

6 minutes ago, bloodbrother said:

 

[fan_since79]

Mercedes is the first player since 1900 to start a season 8-for-8 at the plate.

[Vlad27Trout27]

Guerra has an ERA of 0! much lower than Hendriks ERA!

I trust Guerra!

[tdawg87]

1 minute ago, fan_since79 said:

Mercedes is the first player since 1900 to start a season 8-for-8 at the plate.

And his team went 1-2 during that stretch.

Edge: Lowell

[ten ocho recon scout]

First game Ive been able to sit and watch wince maybe 2019.... and only caught the last of it, with the win

My old man caught a bit of it too.... well needed distraction....

Baseball can make you feel good for sure...

[Stradling]

9 minutes ago, Inside Pitch said:

As much as I love analytics I hate that boring ass shit with a passion.   I understand not stealing, but the station to station BS is awful.

This is exactly how I feel.  Analytics have made baseball ugly.

[Duren, Duren]

What a scrappy team! 

So Pujols and Upton have homered so far. Nice to get some production for the money. Great that Walsh looks like he'll smoothly claim a starting role as the transition gets closer.

Such solid pitching tonight. And encouraging that they can win when Trout has a rare poor game.

[Blarg]

Just now, Inside Pitch said:

As much as I love analytics I hate that boring ass shit with a passion.   I understand not stealing, but the station to station BS is awful.

I understand stealing when you have a guy that is good at it. A Wills, Brock, Henderson, or Raines. You green light them and wreck havoc on the defense as they have to always play out of position to try and prevent the inevitable. Pitchers change their mechanics and focus, all sorts of offensive opportunities arise.

The problem with modern baseball is those good running guys are hobbled from the minors leagues up, told not to run because when you use metrics that includes every creaky knee catcher and sore footed 1st baseman the numbers say it doesn't pay off.

Instead of that use the numbers for the top 100 best runners in the game and see if your guy fits in that category and if he does turn him loose. Teach him how to read a pitcher, when to go in a count and enjoy the benefit of every time he makes it to first base it's like a delayed double. 

[Blarg]

6 minutes ago, fan_since79 said:

Mercedes is the first player since 1900 to start a season 8-for-8 at the plate.

I'll take the win. 

[Bronson]

20 minutes ago, tdawg87 said:

The Angels are 2-0 in games that they win.

[Bronson]

5 minutes ago, Duren, Duren said:

What a scrappy team! 

So Pujols and Upton have homered so far. Nice to get some production for the money. Great that Walsh looks like he'll smoothly claim a starting role as the transition gets closer.

Such solid pitching tonight. And encouraging that they can win when Trout has a rare poor game.

That to me is the big takeaway from this game. Usually if Trout is slumping the team slumps but we have real hitters now to back Trout up when he does slump and today was a prime example of that.

[Docwaukee]

Fowler sucks

 

 

[daygloman]

23 minutes ago, eligrba4ever said:

Maddon knows best.

LOL! I'm glad the young people got to experience Ausmus.

So they can relate when we bitch about Collins.

[Lou]

We are on pace to go 108-54 in games Fowler starts.

[Blarg]

5 minutes ago, Dochalo said:

Fowler sucks

 

 

When you dissect the team it appears he is the one weak link on the fielding and offense roster. That is a huge leap from the previous 7 years. It is also probably the easiest to remedy since he isn't a payroll burden and can be released without concern. 

[Duren, Duren]

12 hours ago, Blarg said:

I understand stealing when you have a guy that is good at it. A Wills, Brock, Henderson, or Raines. You green light them and wreck havoc on the defense as they have to always play out of position to try and prevent the inevitable. Pitchers change their mechanics and focus, all sorts of offensive opportunities arise.

The problem with modern baseball is those good running guys are hobbled from the minors leagues up, told not to run because when you use metrics that includes every creaky knee catcher and sore footed 1st baseman the numbers say it doesn't pay off.

Instead of that use the numbers for the top 100 best runners in the game and see if your guy fits in that category and if he does turn him loose. Teach him how to read a pitcher, when to go in a count and enjoy the benefit of every time he makes it to first base it's like a delayed double. 

Speed on the base paths used to be a legitimate team philosophy going way back. 

It can intimidate pitchers, mess up infielders focus, and put pressure on outfielders to get to balls quickly and make perfect relay or throws to a base/ home plate.

There were even fringe roster players like Ron Washington whose only role basically was to pinch run. The seventies and eighties featured a bunch of tremendously fast players. Catchers like Bench, Carter, Fisk and others were worth so much more than their conventional stats just by their ability to limit the stolen base.  

It was a fun style for fans. If your team had speed you couldn't wait to see a speedster get on base. Fans even clamored for pinch runners! And if you faced a fast team you were scared of a walk or hbp to a fast but lousy hitting player. 

It also made managing different, and relief selection was sometimes influenced by how well a pitcher held runners on first. 

I miss that facet of the game.