MLB had a 21st-century Harvey Haddix game last night:  http://www.espn.com/mlb/playbyplay?gameId=370823123

 

37-year-old journeyman pitcher Rich Hill pitched for the L.A. Dodgers last night against the Pittsburgh Pirates.  The game was tied 0-0 going into the ninth inning.  Hill was pitching a perfect game thru 8.  After the Dodgers failed to score in the top of the 9th, Hill came out to face the Pirates in the bottom of the 9th.  The first Pirate batter grounds hard to third, the ball bounces off the Dodger third baseman and the batter reached first.  The play is ruled a fielding error.  Hill loses the perfect game but retains a no-hitter.  Hill then gets the next three batters out.

 

So the game goes into extra innings with Rich Hill pitching a no-hitter thru nine innings.

 

The Dodgers failed to score in the top of the tenth.  Rich Hill comes out to pitch in the bottom of the tenth (his pitch count was still only 95 pitches).  On the fourth pitch to the lead-off hitter Josh Harrison, Harrison hits it down the left field line and the ball barely clears the fence for a game-winning home run!

 

So the game was lost, along with Rich Hill's no-hitter!  Hill pitched a nine-inning no-hitter, which is normally enough to put it in the record books - but not this time.

http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/20468435/philadelphia-phillies-outfielder-rhys-hoskins-becomes-fastest-player-hit-10-home-runs

 

The next Jeff Francouer?

http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/20468435/philadelphia-phillies-outfielder-rhys-hoskins-becomes-fastest-player-hit-10-home-runs

 

The next Jeff Francouer?

 

In recent years Joc Pederson and Trevor Story have both started out on HR tears as well and the jury is still out on both.

Sunday night's world series game was ridiculous:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/tv-ratings-world-series-climbs-trouncing-sunday-night-football-1052876

 

I stopped by a bar after getting off work Sunday night at 2am and couldn't believe the thing was still on TV. 

fact: the ball is juiced this year.

 

discuss.

 

 

Not the first time MLB has juiced the ball, they know what gets people to tune in.

^^^ What was really nuts is that it was the same two starting pitchers as game one, which was a pitcher's duel that lasted only 2:28, making it the fastest world series game since 1992.

 

Above is an SI cover from three years ago that half-jokingly touted the Houston Astros as "Your 2017 World Series Champs".  What made that claim a joke in 2014 was that the Astros had just finished three straight 100-loss seasons!

 

But as the cover story article pointed out, the Astros were in the midst of a rebuild unlike any other in MLB history.  Some were calling it Moneyball 2.0 or The Modern Analytics Rebuild.  But whatever it was, 2013 did mark the bottoming-out season for the Astros.  They finished with "only" 92 losses in 2014.  Then got 86 wins and an AL wild card berth in 2015, and took a small step back in 2016 with 84 wins and no playoff berth.

 

But for 2017, the Houston Astros are off to a rocket-hot start.  As of this posting, Houston is 42-17.  They have the best record in baseball - 10 wins up on the AL-best Yankees and 5 wins up on NL-best Nationals.  They've got a run diff of +104, which is better than the Yanks at +69 and the Nats at +73.

 

So the SI cover that was widely mocked in 2014, looks pretty smart in 2017.

 

 

SI TOLD YOU!!!

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2769847-report-974-fans-attended-rays-vs-white-sox-game-at-guaranteed-rate-field?utm_source=cnn.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=editorial

 

974 fans attended a White Sox game.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2769847-report-974-fans-attended-rays-vs-white-sox-game-at-guaranteed-rate-field?utm_source=cnn.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=editorial

 

974 fans attended a White Sox game.

 

It was freezing cold for that game, but WOW!  And I thought MLS had an attendance problem!

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2769847-report-974-fans-attended-rays-vs-white-sox-game-at-guaranteed-rate-field?utm_source=cnn.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=editorial

 

974 fans attended a White Sox game.

 

The weather actually looked okay in those pictures.  The weather has been terrible for baseball so far in the Midwest. 

 

 

I was living in Miami in 2004 and went to a midweek, daytime Marlins/ Expos double-header in the Sept/ Oct. The Marlins drew poorly anyway, it was the last season of the Expos and nobody cared about them, plus Hurricane Francis(?) had just blown through and people were still tidying up. My office was closed which was why I had a free day to go to baseball.

As usual after a hurricane, the weather was glorious and with little to no humidity. At first pitch of the first game I counted 60-80 people in the stadium. One that held around 80,000. IIRC it was in the Herald the day after that someone on one of the teams commented that there were more people on the field and in the dugouts than in the stands.

Edit: Worth remembering that this Marlins team were also reigning WS Champions at the time!

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2769847-report-974-fans-attended-rays-vs-white-sox-game-at-guaranteed-rate-field?utm_source=cnn.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=editorial

 

974 fans attended a White Sox game.

 

The weather actually looked okay in those pictures.  The weather has been terrible for baseball so far in the Midwest. 

 

 

 

Jesus we've sold a ton of video games so far this spring.

The MLB season needs to be shortened by 2 weeks in the spring late winter and 2 weeks in the fall early winter.  Opening Day should be around April 15 and the regular season should wrap up around September 15 with the last game of the World Series played no later than October 15. 

 

Also, get ride of interleague play while you're at it.  The intra-state rivalries like Reds-Indians aren't drawing any more than regular games anymore.  I remember when it started at Riverfront Stadium in the late 90s and was nearly sold out for all three games. 

 

Interleague play destroyed part of the mystique of the game.  You only got to see the other half of baseball at the All-Star Game and at the World Series. 

 

The MLB season needs to be shortened by 2 weeks in the spring late winter and 2 weeks in the fall early winter.  Opening Day should be around April 15 and the regular season should wrap up around September 15 with the last game of the World Series played no later than October 15. 

 

Also, get ride of interleague play while you're at it.  The intra-state rivalries like Reds-Indians aren't drawing any more than regular games anymore.  I remember when it started at Riverfront Stadium in the late 90s and was nearly sold out for all three games. 

 

Interleague play destroyed part of the mystique of the game.  You only got to see the other half of baseball at the All-Star Game and at the World Series. 

 

 

The way things stand now Election Day completely overshadows the World Series.

it cant get any more dog days of summer for the mets than this:

 

 

https://nypost.com/2018/07/31/mets-pounded-25-4-for-worst-loss-in-franchise-history/

it cant get any more dog days of summer for the mets than this:

 

https://nypost.com/2018/07/31/mets-pounded-25-4-for-worst-loss-in-franchise-history/

 

Yeesh.  This has been a disastrous season for the Mets.  Going into today's games, the Mets are only 0.5 games ahead of the Miami Marlins - a team that traded away their best players before the 2018 season began!

 

Last month, the Mets had this pair of bizarre injuries:  SP Syndergaard on the 10-DL with hand foot and mouth disease; OF Céspedes out for the season with heel calcifications

 

In June, their 70-year-old GM had to step down to fight cancer: http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/23916234/sandy-alderson-new-york-mets-gm-takes-leave-absence-cancer-treatment

 

This season can't get finished quickly enough for the Mets.

SP Syndergaard on the 10-DL with hand foot and mouth disease;

 

 

While googling "hand foot and mouth disease" for my previous post, I found this: (!)

 

http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/24247119/ja-happ-new-york-yankees-diagnosed-hand-foot-mouth-disease

If anyone wants to chuckle, try to find a link to the NL Central Standings on www.cincinnatireds.com. 

 

 

 

If anyone wants to chuckle, try to find a link to the NL Central Standings on www.cincinnatireds.com. 

 

 

 

 

It's on there--under "Stats".  Cinci is in last place. 

 

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/standings/index.jsp?tcid=mm_mlb_standings&c_id=cin

^Yes, well hidden.  I recall the standings being a permanent part of the front page back in 2012-13. 

SP Syndergaard on the 10-DL with hand foot and mouth disease;

 

 

While googling "hand foot and mouth disease" for my previous post, I found this: (!)

 

http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/24247119/ja-happ-new-york-yankees-diagnosed-hand-foot-mouth-disease

 

I heard that on the radio today. I didn't even know adults could get hand, foot, and mouth disease. The only two adults I've ever heard of having it just so happen to both be MLB players in NYC and they got it days apart. Incredibly bizarre.

^Yes, well hidden.  I recall the standings being a permanent part of the front page back in 2012-13. 

 

The standings are still on the front page along the right side right under the "Follow the Reds" section.  This appears to be the mlb.com template for the location of the standings.  Unsurprisingly the MLB apparently has complete control of the uniformity of the websites of the member teams.

^Damn, I hadn't bothered to scroll down in quite awhile.  Also I think it's a bit silly that the league controls all of the websites.  I get that they are saving some money, but it would be kind of like if local radio broadcasts were all coming out of some sort of central service. 

After six months and 162 games, MLB is now down to the point where "every game matters".  Yesterday, they had a pair of Game 163's when the NL Central and NL West were decided with a tiebreak game:

 

-- Milwaukee Brewers won 3-1 over the Chicago Cubs in Wrigley to take the NL Central title.

-- LA Dodgers won 5-2 in Dodger Stadium over the Colorado Rockies for the NL West title.

 

-- Because the Rockies lost, they must travel to Wrigley for a one-game NL Wild Card against the Cubs tonight.

 

-- Because the Brewers won their "Game 163", they get to rest until Thursday to face the winner of Colorado/Chicago.

 

-- Because the Dodgers won their "Game 163", they get to rest until Thursday and face the NL East champion Atlanta Braves.

 

The AL Wild Card Game is tomorrow with the NY Yankees hosting the Oakland A's.  The Yanks/A's winner will face the Boston Red Sox on Friday.  Also on Friday, Ohio's team - the Cleveland Indians - faces the defending World Series champion Houston Astros.

^ But nevermind all that.  Dodger outfielder Yasiel Puig wants you to know who the 2018 World Series champs will be:

 

 

For those wishing for subtitles, here's what Yasiel Puig said, according to https://ftw.usatoday.com/2018/10/yasiel-puig-dodgers-world-series-guarantee-video-celebration-clubhouse-mlb-playoffs-braves:

 

“Hey, Atlanta. I’ll see you soon, baby! And the next round — Chicago, Colorado — no matter who’s going, we’re going to beat ’em. And we’re going to the World Series again. And this time, we’re going to win the World Series. 2018 — the big party is here in Los Angeles.”

Rockies top Cubs 2-1 in 13 innings in epic wild-card game:  http://www.espn.com/mlb/recap?gameId=381002116

 

Colorado Rockies finished up a wild three days that saw them plays three games over those three days in three different time zones!  They now get one day to rest before going up to Milwaukee to face the Brewers.

 

Yanks host to A's in the AL Wild-Card Game.  Because of injuries to their starting pitchers, the A's will be "bullpenning it" tonight, using all relievers for this game!

The Yankees homerunning defeated the A's bullpenning last night.  The 100-win Yanks will now face the 108-win Red Sox in the ALDS.

Baseball's Final Four (aka the League Championship Series) is underway:

 

ALCS:  Astros and Red Sox are tied 1-1 with the series going back to Houston for the next three games.

 

NLCS:  Brewers and Dodgers are tied 1-1 with the series going back to LA for the next three games

2018 World Series starts tonight:

• The Red Sox eliminated the Astros (last year's WS champ) in five.
• The Dodgers (last year's WS runner-up) eliminated the Brewers in seven.

Game 3 went to the 18th inning, ending with a Dodgers walk-off home run, three innings after that same batter almost ended it with a long ball that went foul by at most 2 feet.  The 13th inning was pretty incredible...each team scored a run, so the tie continued.  The top of the 13th saw Boston score a run, then load the bases, then suffer a third out with a terrible almost-foul tip landing right in front of home plate.  It was the sort of thing you see happen in little league but rarely in the majors. 

The team with the best regular-season record doesn't always win the World Series.

 

Not this year - Red Sox in 5.

The Red Sox have won 4 of the last 15 World Series.  I'm not sure any fan base has gone from lovable losers to hated that quickly.

 

The Dodgers become the first team since the 1936-1937 (New York) Giants to lose back-to-back World Series on their home field.

This year the Red Sox and the Yankees each had the Orioles to feast on.  Boston had 108 wins whereas The Braves won the NL East with just 90 wins. 

 

And the winner of the Manny Machado sweepstakes is ... San Diego Padres?!?

 

http://www.sportingnews.com/us/mlb/news/manny-machado-and-the-biggest-contracts-in-sports-history/171nxjon2g4ox1suy76f7u2y5f

http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/26084923/arenado-agrees-8-year-contract-rockies

 

Nolan Arenado signs an 8-year $260 million extension with the Colorado Rockies.  The $32.5 million per year value tops Machado's recent 10-year, $300 million deal.  Only Arizona Diamondbacks starter Zack Greinke has a larger AAV at $34.4 million/year.

And the winner of the Bryce Harper sweepstakes is ... the Philadelphia Phillies:  http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/26105394/sources-phillies-land-harper-13-years-330m

 

Scott Boras got his wish to set a new MLB record with Byrce Harper's contract, barely.  The 13-year, $330-million deal he signed with the Phillies barely beats Giancarlo Stanton's 13-year, $325 million extension signed in 2015 with the Miami Marlins.  But Harper's $25.4-million annual salary pales in comparison the recent $32.5-million AAV deal for Arenado/Rockies (8-years) and Machado's $30-million AAV deal (10-years) with San Diego.

 

So that means super-agent Scott Boras probably had a conversation with his client Bryce Harper that went something like this "Sports Whisperer" bit from today's Dan LeBatard radio show (if this embedded youtube video doesn't autostart at the correct time, just scroll to 1:41:34)

 

Super-agent Scott Boras and Byrce Harper criss-cross the nation for the entire MLB off-season to get a "record" 13-year, $330-million deal.

 

Mike Trout says "hold my beer" and signs a 12-year, $430-million extension with the Angels:

 

http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/26306935/sources-angels-trout-new-430m-deal

https://www.foxnews.com/sports/los-angeles-angels-star-mike-trout-agrees-to-12-year-contract

 

That's pretty wild because the Angels have another Mike Trout coming up, his name is Jo Adell.

Harper returned to Washington for the first time as a Philly last night - got booed by Nats fans - then hits an upper-deck HR and flips his bat:

 

boston shows how to put the i in team:

 

https://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/ny-boston-red-sox-trump-champion-white-house-protest-20190509-vgdkk3ki5zazvay2lln3nkifly-story.html

Return of the Expos.  An idea to split the Tampa Bay franchise between two cities...Tampa Bay & Montreal:

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2842019-rays-reportedly-exploring-splitting-home-games-between-tampa-bay-and-montreal?utm_source=cnn.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=editorial

 

Plus, TWO new stadiums.  What?

Good to see them exploring Mexico city and even talking about expansion.  Mexico's market could really give the MLB the shot in the arm it has needed since.. well, players were regularly getting shots in the arm.

congrats to cc sabathia for getting to 250 wins!

 

https://www.sbnation.com/mlb/2019/6/19/18692174/cc-sabathia-250-wins-mlb-milestone-yankees

Pro sports is a brutal what-have-you-done-for-me business.  So the Red Sox fired their GM, because what has he done for them lately?

 

Besides winning last year's World Series?

 

https://www.si.com/mlb/2019/09/09/boston-red-sox-fire-dave-dombrowski

The 2019 MLB regular season ended on Sunday.  And on Monday, the ax fell on some managers.  One somewhat surprising managerial change was at the Chicago Cubs.

 

Joe Maddon is out, after probably the most stellar five-year run in Cubs history.  Maddon started in 2015 with a 97-win playoff team; followed in 2016 with a 103-win season and broke the historic 108-year World Series drought for the Cubs(!); followed by 92 wins in 2017 and 95 wins in 2018.  His teams reached the playoffs in his first four seasons until the 84-win team this season.

 

This wasn't necessarily Maddon "getting the ax" because his contract was up and it looks like he and the Cubs front office mutually agreed to part ways.  Maddon is now the front runner for the vacant L.A. Angels job - as first-year manager Brad Ausmus was let go after a disappointing 72-90 season.

As for the 2019 teams that did reach the playoffs:

 

NL:

-- Milwaukee Brewers at Washington Nationals in the wild-card tonight.  The winner plays the L.A. Dodgers on Thursday.

-- St. Louis Cardinals at Atlanta Braves on Thursday.

 

AL:

-- Tampa Bay Rays at Oakland A's in the wild-card Wednesday.  The winner plays the Houston Astros on Friday.

-- Minnesota Twins at New York Yankees on Friday.

WAIT-A-MINUTE... Wait-A-Minute... wait-a-minute

How are people who "read" braille supposed to "see" this?

Very entertaining NL Wild-Card game last night between the Milwaukee Brewers and Washington Nationals.

 

I love this one-game wild-card format that acts as a de facto play-in game to the "full" playoffs.  It gives winning the regular-season division more weight - and it sets up this win-or-go-home matchup.  Which gives this wild-card game also something that MLB sorely lacks during the regular-season: Urgency.