2019-2020 MLB Non-Phillies News/Notes Discussion

California_Dreamin 2019-09-17 17:02:19 UTC #401

Dodgers are probably quite relieved that they didn't get Felipe Vasquez in a deal this past trading deadline. They wanted him badly. Very troubling if true.

Lawman 2019-09-17 17:03:51 UTC #402

Patchmk88 2019-09-17 19:38:32 UTC #403

Just disgusting behavior if true

Philsmania 2019-09-19 16:55:57 UTC #404

Checking out the latest reverse standings. It must stink to be a Royals fan. Most likely, they will have to suffer through a 100 loss season but only get the #4 pick in next June's draft for all their suffering. And, the Tigers have already lost 106 games with 11 still to go.

zambonir 2019-09-21 18:22:23 UTC #405

Rod Barajas interim manager

Philsmania 2019-09-22 14:24:02 UTC #406

The two Joes (Girardi and Maddon) who would presumably top the Phillies' list if they decide to move on from Kapler are listed as candidates, among others.

zambonir 2019-09-22 15:48:44 UTC #407

But are they really? Green made $1 million. Maddon makes $6 million (and thinks he's underpaid) and Girardi would probably expect the same.

I can see the Phillies paying the big bucks if their owner decides to make the move (because clearly the GM is not going to) but I still think both the Phillies and Padres' next manager will be more of an AJ Hinch type.

mdougherty12 2019-09-26 18:04:20 UTC #408

538.com on Cubs vs. Cardinals & developing pitchers:

zambonir 2019-09-29 20:40:09 UTC #409

Kind of funny that Maddon thumbed his nose at the idea that he had to consider the NL Central race when determining his line-up after the Cubs were eliminated and now his team didn't show up on the day he got fired. And Cubs fans hate the Cards a lot more than the Brewers.

Assuming all holds, still hope the Brewers can knock off the Nats.

el-pietro 2019-09-29 22:41:27 UTC #410

So the playoffs are set.

NL Wild Card will be Washington vs Milwaukee on Tuesday Night.
AL Wild Card will be Oakland vs Tampa Bay on Wednesday Night.

The NL Divisional Series will be Atlanta vs St. Louis beginning and Los Angeles vs the NL Wild Card winner beginning on Thursday.
The AL Divisional Series will be Houston vs the AL Wild Card winner and New York vs Minnesota beginning on Friday.

I'm a fairly bitter and petty individual when it comes to sports and there are not many teams left in the playoffs I don't dislike for some perceived slight or another. There is no team left in the NL I want to see win, though I will be hoping to see Milwaukee progress as the only reason I dislike them is Ryan Braun and I have much stronger reasons for disliking the other teams. If not Milwaukee then I'd be ok with the Dodgers, because if they reach the WS the only outcomes are a third straight loss which would be quite funny, or a win which would be nice for their fans after those two straight losses.

In the AL there are several teams I'd like to see do well, starting with the A's. They have a tie to Philadelphia, they are natural underdogs, I quite like their colours and I like Khris Davis among other players on their roster. Next up is the Twins. I'd love to see Willians Astudillio win a ring! After those two its Tampa Bay. A very well run team embarrasing richer teams would be good.

Of the super teams (New York, Hoston, Los Angeles) I'd prefer to see Houston win it all. I should probably include Minnesota in there two with their 101 wins.

Philsmania 2019-09-30 00:27:33 UTC #411

League pride makes me root for the NL. It would be about time to see the Dodgers win it and it would be karmic if the Nationals did.

zambonir 2019-09-30 00:58:24 UTC #412

I could root for the Dodgers against the Red Sox and would pull for them against the Yankees but no one else (I also actually like the Astros, used to have season tix to their farm team). For some reason I also didn't mind rooting for the Mets in past postseasons but would not root for the Nats under any circumstance. Even though they got rid of my least favorite player

Can't really root for the Cards either, and surely not the Braves, so I guess I really am an AL fan this year.

schillingfan 2019-09-30 03:32:10 UTC #413

This. Only NL team I could root for would be Brewers, unless it was Yankees, then I could root for Dodgers.

zambonir 2019-09-30 05:43:14 UTC #414

I was a big fan of the Harvey's Wallbangers era Brewers. Of course they weren't in the NL then.

tbh I didn't even think of them - despite their excellent performance last year and current hot streak - because I'm just assuming the Dodgers will be in the NLCS. i'll root for the Brewers against them but would root for the Dodgers against Washington.

allentown 2019-09-30 12:46:04 UTC #415

Non me. Between Selig and his daughter mini-Bud in the ownership and Braun and his rather awful escape on his first time caught drug-cheating, I see Brewers as one of most corrupt teams in league. Selig reminds me so much of Trump -- didn't actually sell his team when he became commissioner, used his office to benefit teams... exactly like the Brewers.

zambonir 2019-09-30 17:11:51 UTC #416

The Seligs haven't owned the team for 15 years and I think I like their current owner and GM better than ours, but that's still a pretty good reason.

zambonir 2019-09-30 19:35:41 UTC #417

zambonir 2019-10-01 03:37:35 UTC #418

Already sad we're not gonna get him

zambonir 2019-10-01 17:58:29 UTC #419

There is obviously a big difference between the playoffs and the regular season but I do wonder what the Phillies might have accomplished with their bullpen if things had gone as planned.

Meanwhile the Nats are going with a short pen tonight, so should be a fun game.

In their 10 playoff games, the Brewers averaged less than three and one-third innings from their starters, usually by design.

The Yankees may be able to boast the deepest bullpen in the postseason field, and they have not lost this season when Tommy Kahnle, Adam Ottavino, Zach Britton and Aroldis Chapman all appear in the same game. They are also 11-4 when using Chad Green as an opener.

Philsmania 2019-10-01 19:52:07 UTC #420

zambonir:

There is obviously a big difference between the playoffs and the regular season but I do wonder what the Phillies might have accomplished with their bullpen if things had gone as planned.

Meanwhile the Nats are going with a short pen tonight, so should be a fun game.

nytimes.com

Creative Playoff Pitching Isn’t Just for M.L.B.’s Minnows Anymore

Abandoning traditional starter-reliever pitching roles helped teams like Milwaukee and Tampa Bay, but the Yankees, Dodgers and Astros are adopting the practice as well.

In their 10 playoff games, the Brewers averaged less than three and one-third innings from their starters, usually by design.

The Yankees may be able to boast the deepest bullpen in the postseason field, and they have not lost this season when Tommy Kahnle, Adam Ottavino, Zach Britton and Aroldis Chapman all appear in the same game. They are also 11-4 when using Chad Green as an opener.

Welcome to October baseball, time for four-plus hour nine inning games that start at after 8:00, constant pitching changes and managers constantly over-managing. Ugh. An exciting time but, man, the games are hideous to watch.