DCAngelsFan

Too often, I think I've seen what you describe - where it seems the defense isn't positioned in a way that works to the way the batter is being pitched. But that ugly walk rate might suggest that it might simply being the starters failing to execute the plan b/c of lack of command. If it were down to mis-positioning, it seems that it would translate to the relievers as well - but the split in relievers isn't as bad 4.00 vs. 4.47 - I mean, still not great. I dunno - that ERA vs FIP spread *is* hilariously awful, the DRS is worse, and the BABIP is merely bad by comparison - and I don't know what to make of it all. Parenthetically - Upton's defense - whether due to positioning or in his range - or both - has been pretty poor to my eye, and I think the stats bear that out. Marsh can't get here soon enough.

Right - has that ever happened before? A guy is scratched from the lineup, but still starts? That's like the "All lawyers are liars - I am a lawyer." paradox or maybe the "... I can't operate on him, he's my son" riddle

I'm conflicted - I feel badly for May, and it's a net loss for baseball to lose someone that talented for the next 2 years. But as for the Dodgers, well, my heart isn't exactly breaking ...

Wow, another one ...

You called it Super-awesome that we're starting a guy with a double-digit ERA - that qualifies him to pitch in the all-star game ... in the home run derby.

When non-fans or people from other countries ask what I love about baseball, I tell them something similar - that the game, to me, is all about the 'moments' - transcendent, often improbable moments where someone does something unbelievable, seemingly impossible, often under immense pressure. Whether it's the iconic ones like Scott Spezio's or Kirk Gibson's World Series home runs, or a prolonged "moment" like the combined no-hitter after Skaggs' death, full of weird concidences and symbolism,or just watching someone miss a Ohtani splitter by a foot or Trout soar over the Baltimore fence to steal a homerun - it's these moments that keep me watching.

I would, but I'm saving up for this to complete the collection For $44, I'll write "2002" on a brand new ball, and even forge Alex Ochoa's signature on it.

Um, not that kind of scout ...

I thought it was just me ...

This. There are far too few TOR-type pitchers hitting free-agency in their prime - and as expensive as they are, most teams can't afford to sign 2 or 3 of them. And most are getting to FA at an age where the end is nearing ... Here's how the Dodgers built their rotation: Kershaw: Drafted by Dodgers (1st round/7th pick) Bauer: Signed as Free agent (drafted by Diamondbacks 1/3) Buehler: Drafted by Dodgers (1/24) Urias: Signed by Dodgers as international FA in 2012 May: Drafted by Dodgers (3rd round) This is how you do it

Yeah, Boston and the Yankees knowing they blew their wad, signed everyone in sight - instead, we did just about the worst possible thing. My theory is if you're gonna go to jail anyway, may as well make it worth the while. I'd have been more impressed if DiPoto just stole the money and blew it all on hookers and blow - at least got *something* out of it.

I love this overlay - I usually lol when he breaks one off like this.

Baseball's version of penalty kicks

I fear the bp and wanted him out there for at least 1 more But to me, he did look a bit gassed in the dugout, and playing the long game, I thought he should come out

I just keep telling myself Rendon and Trout are probably a bit rusty -. But Trout's last 5 games he put up a 1.484 OPS, Ohtani a .943, and Rendon a .917 - so, that's not bad Weirdly, though - I never realized how much the Rangers' new park was such a pitcher's park last year and this - did something change or just small sample size?

While the voters are a bit more analytically-minded these days, the simple uniqueness of Ohtani's game could well earn him MVP honors. But he'll need to (continue to) be superlative on one side or the other - he can't be a middle-of-the-pack DH, and a middle-of-the pack pitcher. Baseball has no clue how to value someone like him. But two league-average players won't make an MVP, even if it's the same player. Imagine if he starts playing in the field - say, 50 games in RF? - if that happens, all bets are off. (that won't happen, and I don't want it to - but he's a good enough athlete to do it.)

It's April 23rd, and we're talking about the June draft as a way to fix this team ... (sigh) It's like Groundhog Day with this team ... (whoops - it's in July)

Cancer, per his high school alumni Facebook page. Rest in Peace, Airman.

https://janellecshane.substack.com/p/gpt-3-tries-pickup-lines Oddly, I've heard weirder from actual humans ...

It's probably hoping for too much - but I'd really like to see Marsh - if he's ready - in RF this year. That has the makings of a really formidable lineup.

Yup - that was the failure - knowing he'd put us in the penalty and unable to sign Vlad the next year. I gathered at the time, every other clubs' scouts said "wtf?" We bid against ourselves. I wonder if Angels fans randomly walk up to DiPoto, like when he's in a grocery store, and just slap him in the face over this. I hope so

Showing my age - and it's way too small a sample size - but the 1979 team (at least in my memory) had this near-supernatural ability to come-from-behind - you'd just kind of wait for the 8th inning for the come-back. This team - so far has shown that same attitude and aptitude. Of course, a lot of that was due to the "meh" pitching but let's not get technical ...

I often think the reason JD found it easy to punch out (mid-season, no less), was he could read the tea leaves as well as/better than we could. I don't think most fans could look ahead and see what lie ahead for the team and not feel like a bit like a lookout on the Titanic - you could see what was coming - but there wasn't much of anything that could be done about it. A team in decline with no farm, hamstrung by bloated, unmovable contracts, but with Trout playing, never bad enough to get good draft position - it was a terrible situation for a new GM. Eppler made some mistakes, sure. But consider this - if we'd hired, say, Minasian instead of Eppler, pretty good chance we don't have Ohtani. Eppler leveraged his relationship with Ohtani to get that signing done. And a pretty fair chance that whoever was hired would've ultimately been fired, too.

Which seems kind of weird to me, in that Georgia already had voter-id laws on the books. The one talking point everyone seems to parrot is the "political operatives can't give water or food to people within 150 feet of the polling place" There was *also* already a law on the books that prevented giving gifts to people in a polling place - to include water, food, or drinks. I've voted in elections too numerous to count, and have never thought to ask someone for water or food, and have never seen anyone else ask for or offer it. This all seems a bit ginned up to me ...

His stats are really good the last couple of years - (though not many innings at all) - intriguing, to say the least.