MLB News & Notes - 2024 Season

[julio]

Minnesota Twins to be put up for sale by Pohlad family

I’m in, if the price is right!

[dcsman]

Can we get a pool going?

[Philsmania]

Minnesota Twins to be put up for sale by Pohlad family

Senators-Nationals/Twins franchise has had only two ownerships in 105 years, the Griffiths from 1919-83, the Pohlads from 1984-present.

[zambonir]

Braves hitting coach Kevin Seitzer opens up about getting fired: ‘I don’t blame...

Seitzer was more known for patience, command of the strike zone and an ability to put the ball in play consistently, moving runners over or getting them in. If there was a major criticism of his recent Braves teams, it was their lack of situational hitting, though that emphasis on slugging was not his doing as much as a reflection of how the team was built.

Throughout the season and even after he was fired, Seitzer never made excuses, never threw players under the proverbial bus and never criticized their effort. To the contrary.

“It was the hardest season of my life, because guys were trying so hard and couldn’t get going, and I couldn’t get them to (not press),” Seitzer said. “If they can find somebody to get these guys to not try so hard, that needs to be the guy they hire. You can talk about mechanics until the cows come home, but this (struggles this season) was all between the ears.”

[DurhamBull]

Sounds like a classy guy!

[BostonRoss]

Seitzer's first coaching gig lasted only half a season in Arizona, when he was replaced by Rick Schu.

[bkox]

So Seltzer and Mike Schmidt have something in common.

[BostonRoss]

Something else they had in common was switching between 3B and 1B (though in opposite directions). Seitzer swapped positions with George Brett as Brett aged. Of course, Brett never moved back to 3B.

[zambonir]

The Dodgers seemed to enjoy being the so-called underdog in this series. And they did it without a starting pitcher in Game 4, while turning the Padres into an even worse offense than we saw from the Phillies.

Dodgers defy 'experts,' quiet Padres to reach NLCS

[Philsmania]

The Mets team of destiny aura is going to be put to a bigger test here. The Dodgers have smarter hitters than either the Brewers or the Phillies do.

In my heart of hearts, I am pulling for the Guardians to get Cleveland off the 3/4 century schnied. Unfortunately, I probably just cursed them to defeat this afternoon. [Update: no curse, Cleveland prevails; Phillies the only higher NLDS seed to lose in 2024]

[Philsmania]

Dominating win for the Dodgers in game 1, 9-0, their third straight shutout.

[DurhamBull]

That will take a bit of the wind out of the Mets’ sails.

[Philsmania]

That will take a bit of the wind out of the Mets’ sails.

Game 2 is now a must-win for them. If the Dodgers score runs off Manea, you may seem blow a gasket. Suddenly, the Dodgers pitching is rounding into shape. For all the buzz surrounding the Mets about them being hot, the Dodgers had a .646 winning percentage in the second half and won 12 of their last 15 regular season games and now have won 16 of their last 21 games.

[andyb]

This is 2023 revenues. We were 6th. Imagine we surpassed the Braves this year. No idea where their real estate money is counted though.

https://www.visualcapitalist.com/which-mlb-teams-take-home-the-most-revenue/

[zambonir]

While the Dodgers have had to run a bullpen game twice already, and will again before the NLCS is over, now this from Cleveland:

Guardians' Cobb has back strain, done for season

Lively led the Guardians in wins during the regular season, going 13-10 with a 3.81 ERA in 29 starts.

Cobb...made just five starts for Cleveland this season after being acquired from the San Francisco Giants at the trade deadline -- three during the regular season and two in the playoffs.

The 2023 All-Star didn't make his season debut until Aug. 9 after undergoing hip surgery last October. He landed on the injured list again two more times before the end of the regular season with a fractured fingernail on his right hand and a blister on his right middle finger.

Cobb went 0-2 with a 7.94 ERA in his two postseason appearances for the Guardians.

Lively, 32, didn't make the Guardians' ALDS roster and hasn't pitched since the next-to-last day of the regular season on Sept. 28.

[bkox]

The lack of starting pitching in the major leagues is just amazing... but yet, by the lack of offense league wide, seems to be working

[andyb]

There are a whole lot of relievers throwing 99 though. That is probably the big difference. We taught pitchers to throw harder because velocity is effective. More innings to relievers means more high velocity pitches. Thus less offense. It may not be sustainable, but it is today's baseball.

[zambonir]

Well, for real, that's probably because of the relief pitching. Both the level of talent and depth compared to what we remember from the '90s or early aughts (imagine Roger Mason or Clay Condrey pitching for the current Phillies) and the way they are deployed.

[RolenRules]

Rooting for ex Phil Ben Lively.

[dcsman]

Was curious about this list but the link doesn't seem to be working.