2019 MLB Season

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There is a White Renaissance in the game going on. I just checked the leader boards and about 15 of the 20 players with the top batting averages and HR leaders are white. That seems like something that hasn't been the case since the 1950's.

Why are the pale faces taking over despite the rush to add as many Hispanics and blacks to the game as possible?

These guys are young too. So this should not be a temporary thing.
Yea at this point it is irrefutable! We are witnessing the phenomena of teams getting better as they go whiter. There are a handful of teams that I have no doubt are following this philosophy (Dodgers, Braves, Rockies) We are witnessing the Philies starting to white wash their lineup too.The Giants are the only outlier as they have been one of the worst teams in baseball for some reason, I dont know what the issue is
 

Shadowlight

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Since the draft is behind us and the 2020 high school players are entering the heart of their camp season why not take a stroll down memory lane. Might bore the hell out of many but that has never stopped me before. Besides history is sometimes instructive.

Keep in mind in every baseball draft there are many ( dozen or so) speedsters who are essentially track types who never get above High A ball. They are way under the radar.

But there are also speedsters, white and black etc. who have a chance. And then there are the premium player/speedsters who are generally chosen in the first few rounds. Even on the top end only a handful of players make it big.

The 2000 draft was a joyous occasion for me but ultimately like so many others ended up as frustrating years later when all the dust had settled. This is something that often has happened. And still does to this day.

Five notable white speedsters stick out for me in the 2000 draft.

Tommy Murphy was a 6.51 runner who stalled after a few years in the minors.

OF Chris Morris was from Citadel and was drafted by the Cardinals. He stole 84 bases out of 94 attempts his senior year. That is not a typo.

There is more. In 2001 he stole 111 bases at single A. Again not a typo. In high A he stole 67 bases in 2003. But white speedsters are avoided like the plague in general and Morris basically didn't have an MLB career. They just let him run himself into the ground.

OF Rich Thompson ditto. A similar flash runner, Thompson ended up stealing 486 bases in his long minor league career. One year he stole 58 bases and was caught just 8 times despite just batting .247.

As he slowly moved up the ladder his BA improved but by the time he had a cup of coffee in the big leagues he was "too old" to be considered a prospect and like so many other white speedsters he was tossed aside.

But the two players I was most excited about were first round picks.

Before that I should point out 2B Chase Utley was drafted that year in the first round as was former Stanford QB Joe Bourchard. Utley became a star. Bouchard couldn't hit a lick and fell off in short order. Another two sport white player who mistakenly thought they were a better baseball player than football player.

Universally considered the best athlete in the draft among viable prospects, Rocco Baldelli was a four sport star in high school. Long, lean lithe and fast as a whistle he was a star basketball and volleyball player. I think he could leap 40 inches. He was also a sprint star on his track and field team. There are excellent athletes and there are guys like Rocco who are exceedingly rare. Super duper athletic! But baseball was where he settled and he had the blinding speed (6,38 in the 60) and overall hitting and fielding skills that had many scouts excited.

After a superb rookie outing for the Bucs in 2003 people were predicting big things from this speedster who a few thought might turn into a modern day Joe D. He was brought up here at CF back then. Sports Illustrated had a big feature. Then the trouble started. He eventually tore his ACL before the 2005 season but he had another rare medical disorder that truly hampered him and in the blink of an eye a few years later the promising Rocco was out of baseball. He is now the manager of the red hot Twins and has a brother playing for BC.

Below I have added an SI article on him while his star was still on the rise.

https://www.si.com/vault/2003/05/26...hittable-pitch--or-his-shot-at-stardom--go-by

Then there was CF David Krynzel. Considered the fastest player in the draft, Krynzel ripped a scorching 6.31 60 at the biggest showcase of the year. It was by far the fastest time there. Drafted in the first round by the Brewers I was looking forward to seeing this speedster at the big league level. He modeled his game after Steve Finley and nothing gets my attention more than a swift white CF with a lot of promise.

What happened? Not much. He slogged through the minors to no avail. He was briefly called up several years after being drafted but left no discernable mark. After that he was gone in a flash. To the nameless baseball graveyard where so many mostly unknown white speedsters are laid to rest.
 
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Shadowlight

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I have mentioned him before but MISS ST CF Jake Mangum and his team have advanced another step in the college world series. The speedy Mangum comes from an athletic family as his father was a CB at Alabama and with the Bears. His Uncle Kris was a ten year TE in the NFL.

Mangum was chosen in the 4th round by the Mets. He passed up the draft last year because he was drafted too low to get that nice bonus money. But at 23 he is not considered a premium prospect and at best hopes to make an MLB team as a 4th or 5th outfielder.

But he has been raking it all season and making spectacular catches in the OF. Here is hoping Jake does manage to make it. See below.

https://nypost.com/2019/06/09/mets-...ade-for-them-chicken-sacrifice-superstitions/
 

Freethinker

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There is a White Renaissance in the game going on. I just checked the leader boards and about 15 of the 20 players with the top batting averages and HR leaders are white. That seems like something that hasn't been the case since the 1950's.

Why are the pale faces taking over despite the rush to add as many Hispanics and blacks to the game as possible?

These guys are young too. So this should not be a temporary thing.
I’m not sure but maybe Truthteller is onto something with the steroid use among the Latino players. If MLB is using stricter testing and enforcement, than these guys have regressed to their natural place in the talent totem pole.

I’m rooting for the Dodgers to win it all this year with hopefully a fully White lineup. However I have been a Yankees fan my entire life so I still follow the team closely. Their 2019 campaign has been an interesting one so far. They’ve been playing 1st place ball with all their diverse stars injured: Stanton, Judge, Gregorious, Andujar and Hicks (for awhile). In their stead, the afterthought White players have stepped up and lead the way. Maybe this will be an eye opening experience for manager Aaron Boone, who I consider fairly anti-White due to his Caste-tainted maneuvers / favoritism last year coupled with the fact he adopted 2 Haitian boys to terrorize his biological children.

On opening day, DJ LeMahieu was not even starting. He was brought on as a super utility player who’d get “regular at bats”. Injuries threw him into a regular role almost immediately and he hasn’t stopped hitting since. He’s currently batting.321 with 41 runs, 14 doubles, 7 home runs and 41 RBI. The 41 RBI is absurd when you factor he’s hit lead off most of the year. He’s also an extremely tough out with a low strikeout rate. A real throwback player that I love watching.

The other 2 guys who have helped carry the offense have been 1st baseman Luke Voit and corner outfielder Clint Frazier. Voit has been a consistent power threat hitting 3rd or 4th. Luke’s hitting .263 with 41 runs, 15 homers and 41 RBI. Pretty good for a guy who’s basically a rookie still (doesn’t even have a full season under his belt). Frazier has hit .283 with 11 homers and 32 RBI. Pretty good as he also spent a short stint of the IL. Only 24 years old so lots of room to improve still and has lightning quick wrists. Can turn on virtually any pitch.
 

Flint

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I have another example of bias against white speedsters. The Tigers center fielder Jacoby Jones is the fastest player the Tigers have had in years. He was one of the best outfielders in the game last year. He did not hit well though and has been constantly under the gun, with management, media and fans. The threat of benching, demotion to AAA, or release had been held over his head like a sword.

Contrast that with Byron Bruxton of the Twins. Almost the exact same player (although Jones has more power). Bruxton has stayed for 5 years and never hit a lick. Everytime the Twins come to town everyone raves about Bruxtons endless potential. While at the same time predicting the demise of Jones.

Why isn't it expected that the white guy is going to someday realize the potential of his athleticism?

Fortunately Jones has been hot the last month which has eased the pressure on him. The kid really is exciting to watch.
 

Shadowlight

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I saw Mantle play on TV many times. Did you? Have you ever read a biography of Mantle?

To answer your question no I never saw Mantle play live on TV. I have watched a lot of Mantle TV footage on the Yankees network which I have been getting for years. The YES network has had documentaries about Mantle and other Yankee greats over the years.

I read a Mantle biography a long time ago and more recently started but didn't finish a newer biography. There have been two new Mantle biographies that have been published within the last ten years or so. That doesn't even count the one about both Mays and Mantle.

I have read a lot of articles on him and find his story intriguing. In the 1990's I read David Halberstam's interesting"October 1964" which mentioned Mickey extensively as well as cataloging the rise of the black stars such as Bob Gibson and Lou Brock. The Yankees of course lost that world series which pretty much ended their run. Halberstam was an interesting sports writer but he passed away a while back.

I remember buying the New York Times at a Barnes and Noble the day after Mantle died but at some point I tossed it after saving it for a spell. I should have kept it even though I probably could find the obit on the internet but I prefer having newspapers and magazines for historical reference points.

But just discussing him I am getting the urge to read one of the newer bios on him. Perhaps finish the one I started. Which I will probably start at the beginning again.
 
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Shadowlight

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A 24 year old athletic outfielder who is black or Latin with a quicksilver bat, just coming into his own, batting .283 with 11 dingers ( in less than 200 at bats) and an impressive .375 RISP stat line and well he is here to stay. Of course. Unless he is white.

The Yankees did a dirty by sending this young man back to Triple A. Yes OF Clint Frazier was whisked out of town to make room for all or nothing Edwin Encarnacion. EE is batting .241. Sure with 21 dingers but he is a swing and miss base clogging unreliable in the clutch old ball player.

And with another similar base clogging swing and miss type in OF Stanton returning along with RF Judge who is a decent fielder but again no speed to speak of the Yankees will now have to sit Gardner a lot. Gardner is not only a spark plug but a threat on the bases and a Gold Glove type of outfielder. Now they will feature a statue in LF in Stanton.

Nice job Yankees who by the way are currently in first place with Gardner and Frazier being main keys to the puzzle.

So now the Yankees will have a power hitting team with no speed and a lot of swing and miss at bats. A recipe for not winning a world series.

As for Frazier lets just say he is unhappy. Or to put a fine point on it he is pissed. A player works his entire life to make in into the big leagues. Finally gets there after loads of adversity. Proves he has MLB talent and at 24 should be comfortably nestling in for hopefully a long career. And what does he get for his troubles? Demoted.

Joe Girardi tried to put a positive spin on it on the MLB network with the ole keep your chin up kid stuff. But he was a ball player once and he knows the real score. It is a royal slap in the face and the Yankees front office made a caste move. Hope it comes back and bites them in the ass.

In other news Mike Trout went 2-4 with a home run, his 19th. He has been in a slump lately. I live and die with his at bats. Want to see him get hot so I can sleep easily at night.

And Cody Bellinger bopped one last night too. 23 now!! Love to see Cody win the NL MVP award.
 
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In other news Mike Trout went 2-4 with a home run, his 19th. He has been in a slump lately. I live and die with his at bats. Want to see him get hot so I can sleep easily at night.

And Cody Bellinger bopped one last night too. 23 now!! Love to see Cody win the NL MVP award.

I totally agree on Trout! I dno't follow baseball anywhere near as much as I used to, but every night i check on Trout and wait for his next AB !

Tonight he's 2-4 with 2 HR and 6 RBI!!!! I believe he now leads the AL in HRs!!!!
 

Shadowlight

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Mike Trout finished the night off going 3-6 with a career high 7 RBIs. His batting average is at .299 now and hopefully he can continue this torrid pace. His team returns home June 25 and I hope he can give his adoring fans something to cheer about.

The Angels are currently in a wild card hunt which is unusual for them. Also unusual is Tommy La Stella showing pop this season. They need pitching though and Trout has been plunked 10 times this season already. They pitch around him and at him.

Storybook player. Marries his high school sweetheart, remains a fervent Eagles fan, is immanently likeable and he showed loyalty to his fan base by signing a very long term contract. Transcendent is the word.

Keep an eye on Reds CF Nick Senzel. Will turn 24 soon and like so many other top white prospects has battled injuries. While not a true burner he is athletic enough to handle CF and is currently batting .261 with 6 dingers. Look for him to become a big time hitter.

And while Austin Meadows is currently in a deep slump and Clint Frazier was sent back to the minors, Colorado's CF/RF David Dahl is playing good baseball. Batting .338 with 7 HRs and has scored 46 runs in just 237 at bats. Another 5 tool player who has come out of the injury wilderness to showcase his all around talents.

Mentioned above a while back The Phillies athletic 25 year old utility man Scott Kingery is hitting over .340 and showing some pop too. If number one pick CF Mickey Moniak gets called up within a year it would be swell to see Kingery in LF, Moniak in CF and Harper in RF as the future OF for the Phillies.
 

FootballDad

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The Angels are currently in a wild card hunt which is unusual for them. Also unusual is Tommy La Stella showing pop this season. They need pitching though and Trout has been plunked 10 times this season already. They pitch around him and at him.
The Angels started the season VERY poorly and have just crawled above .500 for the first time this week. They've won their last three and 7-3 over their last 10. I'd love to see them keep it up and make a run for the playoffs. They are still only 10 games behind Houston in the West and it's only June.
 

Shadowlight

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Perhaps this ranks among the strangest things I have heard in the history of sports. Tampa Bay is contemplating splitting their team between Tampa Bay and Montreal. Using weather considerations many of the early games would be played in Tampa Bay thus avoiding Montreal playing in a dome.

This seems way too odd for me. Some sort of schizophrenic arrangement that I cannot begin to comprehend. Just when you think you have seen everything. See below article.

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/27016429/rays-explore-splitting-games-montreal
 
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The Angels started the season VERY poorly and have just crawled above .500 for the first time this week. They've won their last three and 7-3 over their last 10. I'd love to see them keep it up and make a run for the playoffs. They are still only 10 games behind Houston in the West and it's only June.
Angels have been doing it with smoke and mirrors all season! They desperately need another bat, I would like to see them them try and pursue Whit Merrifeild
 

Don Wassall

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Why is Montreal first in line to get a team back after baseball failed there so recently? Aren't there any other cities with a better case?

The Expos were quite popular for a long time in Montreal. Eventually they succumbed to poor management, outdated facilities, and most importantly lack of corporate and political help, which has become essential in cities keeping sports teams. Most teams that have moved to different cities in the past 30+ years have done so because a city wouldn't give in to all the goodies a team's ownership was demanding, almost always including a brand-new cost-free (to the ownership) stadium. Other times it's also a lack of corporate sponsorship, ala the Hartford Whalers, Quebec Nordiques, and Winnipeg Jets (the first time they moved). Canadian cities don't seem to have the same corporate domination as major U.S. cities. If a team is going to move, and I'm opposed to teams moving unless there's a very strong case for it, I'd love to see Montreal get a baseball team again.
 
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The Expos were quite popular for a long time in Montreal. Eventually they succumbed to poor management, outdated facilities, and most importantly lack of corporate and political help, which has become essential in cities keeping sports teams. Most teams that have moved to different cities in the past 30+ years have done so because a city wouldn't give in to all the goodies a team's ownership was demanding, almost always including a brand-new cost-free (to the ownership) stadium. Other times it's also a lack of corporate sponsorship, ala the Hartford Whalers, Quebec Nordiques, and Winnipeg Jets (the first time they moved). Canadian cities don't seem to have the same corporate domination as major U.S. cities. If a team is going to move, and I'm opposed to teams moving unless there's a very strong case for it, I'd love to see Montreal get a baseball team again.

The first thing team owners always do is demand a "new stadium" from the taxpayers every 25-30 years. "We'll move if you don't build a new stadium," is the standard line.
 

white is right

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The Expos were quite popular for a long time in Montreal. Eventually they succumbed to poor management, outdated facilities, and most importantly lack of corporate and political help, which has become essential in cities keeping sports teams. Most teams that have moved to different cities in the past 30+ years have done so because a city wouldn't give in to all the goodies a team's ownership was demanding, almost always including a brand-new cost-free (to the ownership) stadium. Other times it's also a lack of corporate sponsorship, ala the Hartford Whalers, Quebec Nordiques, and Winnipeg Jets (the first time they moved). Canadian cities don't seem to have the same corporate domination as major U.S. cities. If a team is going to move, and I'm opposed to teams moving unless there's a very strong case for it, I'd love to see Montreal get a baseball team again.
Montreal has been on an economic upswing lately, it's housing market and rental markets are getting hot by it's standard so there is more money in the city these days and it's the largest city without a team so it's market is viewed as untapped.

That said I can't see Montreal ever being very strong market as like what Don alluded to the corporate support isn't what it is in Toronto, NYC or Los Angeles and while it's booming by Montreal standards the housing market is literally half the value of Toronto, fans literally won't go if the team is like the league run teams in the early 2000's where nearly every player was signed to the league minimum and anybody who made more than that was on the trading block in August.

PS, Tampa maybe worse as the support has been putrid for a team that looks like it's going to at least be in the one game wild card playoff. This is with free parking and cheap concessions, ticket prices that are close to AAA prices and free concerts. Montreal at it's worst was never this bad.......
 

Flint

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I think Canada may have some laws against financing stadiums with public money's. I do know the exchange rate kills them. 10-12% ads up when you are paying people millions of dollars.
 
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A lot of the appeal of baseball games are cool stadiums in hip parts of town. Especially in getting the casual fans out to multiple games per year.

I've been to both Olympic Stadium in Montreal (not for an Expos game) and a Rays game at the Trop.

Both stadiums definitely lacked in those areas, so I'm not sure it's completely fair to fully judge either market.

I'll take your word for it that Montreal was well supported in the early years of their franchise. I wasn't paying all that close attention to them in the early 90s. I just remember at the end it was the same deal as Tampa now.
 
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Trout has his BA up to .306. Leads the league in OBP, SLG, OPS, OPS+, R, IBB, HBP, BB, & TB. A couple days ago, he breiefly led the league in HR and RBI (batting in the #2 spot in the lineup)
There's a possibility of a batting title for Trout if he really heats up.

Batting Average
1. Polanco • MIN .326
2. LeMahieu • NYY .314
3. Anderson • CHW .314
4. Brantley • HOU .314
5. Devers • BOS .310
6. Trout • LAA .306
7. Mancini • BAL .304
8. Meadows • TBR .302
9. Merrifield • KCR .300
10. Bogaerts • BOS .299
 

Carolina Speed

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Trout has his BA up to .306. Leads the league in OBP, SLG, OPS, OPS+, R, IBB, HBP, BB, & TB. A couple days ago, he breiefly led the league in HR and RBI (batting in the #2 spot in the lineup)
There's a possibility of a batting title for Trout if he really heats up.

Batting Average
1. Polanco • MIN .326
2. LeMahieu • NYY .314
3. Anderson • CHW .314
4. Brantley • HOU .314
5. Devers • BOS .310
6. Trout • LAA .306
7. Mancini • BAL .304
8. Meadows • TBR .302
9. Merrifield • KCR .300
10. Bogaerts • BOS .299

Thanks ks5000. Trout will be playing live tonight on ESPN at 7:00! Looking forward to watching the game!
Trout has passed Tim Raines, Manny Ramirez, Tony Gwynn, Zack Greinke, John Smoltz, and Robinson Cano in career WAR at 69.6. He is number 101 all time already. Next week he will be inside the top 100 greatest players of all time according to WAR at age 27!
 
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Rocky B

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I watch every Pirate game. They have two rookies that are just plain raking
Bryan Reynolds and Kevin Newman.
Worth watching
 

Rocky B

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Talk about a franchise that shot themselves in the foot.....imagine that team with Meadows and Cole still on it

I look at it this way..Cole was, and is, better than Archer.
Tampa got three of our top young guys.....High ceiling guys...
We got 3 or 4 decent ball players.....
Cole should have garnered a larger bounty than Archer...
They’ll talk about contract years, etc, but it still stinks.
 

Shadowlight

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The MLB announced their complete all star teams last night. See below for the starters and reserves.

https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/...onal-league-teams-starters-pitchers-reserves/

Pleased to see two up and coming outfielders make it. Austin Meadows, who has been mired in an awful slump and David Dahl are both hopefully just getting started in what I hope are long prosperous careers. Dahl has had to deal with major injuries throughout his early career but I hope that is behind him. He has been playing some CF. His teammate Charlie Blackmon has been on a tear lately. SS Trevor Story also made the team but he is on the shelf with an injury. Should be ready soon. The first four batters in the Rockies lineup made the all star game.

Oakland 3B Matt Chapman has flown under the radar but he might be the best all around 3B trailing only Arenado of Colorado. I have him rated higher than Alex Bregman another excellent all around 3B. Chapman is a superb fielder with a lot of pop.

Lastly the big hope is Cody Bellinger and Mike Trout win their respective league MVP awards this season.
 
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