Pancake Bear

Throw Laz Diaz in there too.

His glove was closed because it came in contact with fans hands, so no.

Joe West is bad, but that play is not on West, not even a little bit. There were enough camera angles to make the right call using replay.  This is a rule problem.   If a fan reaches into the field of play that’s interference.  If a player makes a play on a ball IN the stands there should be no interference.  

It may have been a HR, but this take is 100% wrong. The reason he missed it is his glove hit a fan just before the ball hit the glove making the glove shut. Did you even watch the replay? Now, that aside, the rule is that if the ball is over the wall, the fans aren’t interfering. That’s where the play gets tricky. And that’s why the call was ‘stands’ instead of ‘confirmed’ - too close to overturn. There’s a legitimate debate on whether it was interference or not, but saying Betts wouldn’t have caught it? You can clearly see on the replay he had it timed perfectly till his glove was bumped which made it shut. 

Angel Hernandez is about 100000X worse. 
 

I'd rather see the Dodgers or Red Sox win the World Series than the Astros. 

I never understood the manager arguing with the umpires. I can't remember a single time it changed the outcome of a call. You would watch it for 5 minutes or so and then either the manager would get tossed along with a player or two, or the manager would be all heated and just walk back to the dugout. It didn't do anything for me. 

They provide the best rationale for having such a screening instrument.  Good thinking, Eppler. 

Stick-up-the-ass baseball culture is dumb and deserves to die, imo. Makes the game more boring, and doesn't really serve any purpose. As far as I'm concerned, its in the same stupid camp as unwritten rules (I guess it is one of those unwritten rules, along with "if you're winning by too much, you need to stop trying" and "don't try all of your options and bunt to stop a perfect game - bend over and spread for the pitcher").

I think we can all agree on one thing.   That the next manager should be solid with building a solid clubhouse AND with analytics.
Say a combination of Scioscia and AJ Hinch?   Sounds like Joe Espada?   He and Eppler both worked for the Skanks in 2015.

I think I'd rather have first- timer than some crustiness like Dusty Baker, Buck Showalter, or Joe Girardi.  Obviously, there is a predictability in those hires but it doesn't appear that is what Eppler is going for.  

Question 1
In your own words please explain how you would create an atmosphere in which Albert Pujols would retire?
Question 2
Explain in detail the differences between Tommy John and dehydration?
Question 3
Theory crafting: turning the page and one game at a time have been sore subjects with the fans. Explain in detail the different uses of your mantras to the media and catch phrases. 
Question 4
Are you in the best shape of your life? Explain in detail and compare and contrast 

That is a lot of "Turning the page".

I like Segura, obviously, but just don't see 2B as a huge need with Cozart, Fletcher, Rengifo, and eventually Jones all capable of providing at least league average results, potentially more - and for much cheaper.
Eppler has bigger fish to fry with 1B, 3B, RF, and C all being weak spots in the lineup, not to mention pitching. I think we'll see an upgrade at C and at one of 1B/3B/RF, but he'll fill 2B from within. 

No, he doesn't agree with you. But if you keep changing your argument it may help. 

Aren't you supposed to be doing some research? 

You will never convince that thick head of that. 

There are a fair amount of pre-existing financial commitments that they aren't likely to find replacements for.   Pujols is going to get a crack at playing a decent number of games at 1b.  maybe half a seasons worth.  So they aren't going to make a long term commitment to another player unless it's to platoon which they probably will do but it's not going to be for a moto bat.  Cozart is going to occupy one of 2b or 3b.  They're not going to make him a $12.67mil utility player.  Calhoun is owed $10.5m for 2019 and a 1m buyout for 2020. After his awful 2018, he's got very little trade value.  They've also got uber prospect Adell less than a year away to take his place.  
Could they sign Machado and trade for Realmuto?  Sure, but that Machado money pretty much negates any opportunity to extend Simmons or Realmuto beyond 2020 and may even make a Trout extension less likely.  It also means fewer resources to take care of a somewhat sub par rotation.  
Do you think it's an acceptable plan to have a rotation that is about league average? 
We don't have unlimited financial and prospect resources to turn a team that won 80 games  into one with a top 5 offense, bullpen and rotation.  
Even with many of the holes in our lineup, the team still managed to be 12th in WAR and a about half a win from being 9th.  If Kole rebounds some, Ohtani DH's almost everyday, Cozart is better, and we get some better options for 2b/3b, C as well as off the bench, we could easily be in the 5-7 range.  So twins/royals comp is unfair and frankly, it's not even close.  At worst, they'll end up in the top 10 health permitting.  
You want more bang for your buck?  Our starters were 19th and would need a 60% increase in production to get into the top 10 and 100% increase in production to hit the top 5.  
Our pen was ranked 20th and would need to double their production to get into the top 10.  A much more doable feat however, considering the improvement we saw in September. 
So by all means, let's improve the lineup but even marginal improvement still makes it very good. 
But the focus should absolutely be on the rotation.  
This team is still in recovery from being horribly mismanaged through 2015.  Yet they still rolled out the 7th highest payroll and are likely to do he same next year.  The appropriate goal for the large market Halos is to continue to develop a strong core of young players from their farm system and supplement that with free agency.  They're finally on the right track again.  How you derail that is by going all in too soon when those prospects aren't ready and you still have holes you can't do anything about because of financial commitments ie, trying to force it.  

It would be hilarious if the JeDi made a profile on AW and called himself “mr. clutch”

If we have to choose between the two ...Anybody saying hitting after watching this last season is a moron.

Will Leitch sucks. Seriously. 

I get what you are trying to get at.
I’m also partly agreeing with you.   The talent is the main thing.  
But, the right manager who creates a good clubhouse and maximizes analytics knowledge on top of the talent level can’t be discounted either.
How did TB win 90 games with that roster, while playing the Skanks and Red Sux a total of 38 times?

It shocks me that a company who makes money off of viewership would put the most popular teams in the prime spots.  

I can say with 100% certainty I would 100% understand with a scheduling of Yankees/Red Sox in prime time over the Angels postseason game.