2019 MLB Season

[ramicackle]

Some bright spots for our Astros hitters tonight:

Alex Bregman broke it open tonight with a grand slam in the 7th while going 3 for 5 with 5 RBI on the night. Bregman was cold for the beginning of this series, but is now heating up.

Jake Marisnick went 2 for 4 with a walk and a stolen base. I'm glad Marisnick got a couple of hits in a World Series game. At age 28 Marisnick has proven he can hit for power and steal bases in the big leagues, but he has failed to hit for average as he's only a career .227 hitter.

22 year old Kyle Tucker drew a walk in one of his two plate appearances tonight. Tucker has potential to be a solid big leaguer - I'm glad he's being used as a pinch hitter frequently in this series. Tucker was the AAA player of the year in 2018 and the High School Player of the Year in 2015.

On the other side, the Nationals actually started 5 whites tonight with Brazilian Yan Gomes going 1 for 4 at the plate.

 

[BeyondFedUp]

A little surprised this thread is so lean for the World Series, even with teams like the Dodgers not even making it.

It all comes down to Game 7 tomorrow night. This is the first time in World Series history that the first six games have been won by the road team. That is an absolute shock considering how long professional baseball has existed! Anyway, I was originally pulling for the Nationals and then I was reading some of the crap and looking at some of the crap their fans pulled by hoisting up banners in the stadium in bold professionally made signs of "Impeach Trump" and booing him during game five while he was there in one of the boxes, and the owner or GM saying before the series even started that Trump would not be throwing out the game ball. It's almost like I'd like to see the Astros win just so these miserable liberal, Leftist pukes who are "fans" in DC can cry in their beers tomorrow night. But I will say there's been some great pitching by our guys from both teams.

EDIT: Not only is this the first time in World Series championship history that the road team has won the first six games but also it has never happened in the NBA Finals nor the NHL finals.

 

[Bucky]

Great performance by Strasburg for The Nats last night. 8 innings and 7ks and The Nats tie it up to to force a Game 7 tonight!

 

[FootballDad]

I'll probably tune into the game tonight. I'll make sure that I have my flags ready to wave for the players that the media will celebrate...




Of course this is in jest, after all, compared to your average NFL or NBA roster both of these teams might as well trigger white supremacy nightmares in "woke" people.

Kinda leaning towards Houston, just to tweak all of the communists rooting for the Nationals.

 

[Flint]

Amazing that Verlander could not close out the series. He’s winless in 6 WS starts. So strange that a sure fire hall of famer can come up empty. And he hasn’t really pitched that bad.

As a long suffering Tiger fan I still cheer for their former aces. Tonight it’s Mad Max Sherzer.

 

[ramicackle]

Stephen Strasburg MVP!! 2-0, 2.51 ERA, 14.1 IP, 14 K in World Series.

Adam Eaton, .320 for the series with 2 HR, 5 R, 6 RBI, 1 SB

The Nationals started 5 whites tonight and both relievers were white (Corbin and Hudson)...could have been worse. And the Astros lost.

 

[Johnny Tightlips]

Stephen Strasburg MVP!! 2-0, 2.51 ERA, 14.1 IP, 14 K in World Series.

Adam Eaton, .320 for the series with 2 HR, 5 R, 6 RBI, 1 SB

The Nationals started 5 whites tonight and both relievers were white (Corbin and Hudson)...could have been worse. And the Astros lost.

Side note, Anthony Rendon is a Tejano, not exactly white, but if they where the bulk of Hispanics in this country, America would be in better shape! I dont have a problem rooting for him

 

[Shadowlight]

For me it isn't necessarily about how many white bodies fill up a roster. The reason I was rooting for the Nationals was quite simple. SS Trea Turner. A true blue caste buster. Turner is one of the fastest white athletes in pro sports.

I introduced Trea Turner here at CF in March of 2014 prior to the MLB draft. Then another Trea Turner thread started in 2016 the year he was second for ROY and batted .342 with 33 stolen bases in just 324 at bats!

Keep in mind he led the NL in stolen bases last season with 46 and was second this year with 43 despite missing time with a broken finger which lingered through the World Series. He scored an impressive 96 runs this year despite only playing 122 games and he was an important lead off cog that helped turn the Nationals season around. They floundered with Turner out of the lineup early in the season. Turner is widely considered one of the fastest players in MLB. Perhaps the second or third fastest. He is also a quality SS with outstanding range.

Off the top of my head the last super speedster at a premium "athletic" position to start for a winning World Series team was White Sox CF Scott Podsednik in 2005. Pod, who was a winning high school sprinter in Texas, stole 59 bases that season. But Pod got off to a late start and was 29 at that time. Turner is still only 26 and just entering his prime.

While Turner didn't hit that well in this WS he hit fairly well in the playoffs and provided steady play at SS throughout.

Also worth mentioning RF Adam Eaton, (30) came into the league with some speed and led the AL in triples in 2014 and 2016. Eaton tore his ACL though and lost some of his speed. As mentioned above he had an outstanding WS.

Kind of strange the Nationals finally win the big one the first year star Bryce Harper exited but anytime you have a champion that features a true starting burner who is an integral part of the team like Trea Turner it is a good day.

As for the Astros they probably lose stud pitcher Cole but they do have young star and possible AL MVP in 3B Alex Bregman and I have to think talented prospect RF Kyle Tucker will emerge next season. Two other players that stick out in my mind are CF Jake Marisnick (28) and OF/SS Myles Straw (23). Jake is mentioned above and is a top flight defensive player and all around stud athlete with speed but he has had trouble with consistent contact throughout his career.

Straw, who has been discussed here at CF before, has premium speed and is mainly an outfielder but he filled in at SS at times this season. He batted a solid .269 in 108 at bats with 8 stolen bases. He was left off of the WS roster I believe but the best case scenario for Straw is for him to follow in the footsteps of fellow speedster Brett Gardner and sooner rather than later becomes a full time player. But not sure that will happen especially with the Astros. I would hate to see him spend most of next season at Triple A.

But all in all I am very pleased the Nationals won.

 

[Truthteller]

I also hate the Commie Nat's fans. But what do you expect from World Series games played in The Swamp, in front of tens of thousands of government employees and media elitists? For a few moments Sunday night I also wanted the Nat's to lose the W.S. due to their fans, then I looked at the As$blows lineup (check post #255) and said no way, I will never root for them -- Go Nat's! At least the Nat's GM has been very fair to whites this decade; meanwhile the A$sblows GM has been outright hostile to white position players over the years.

Speaking of the A$sblows GM, his name is Jeff Luhnow. He has absolutely no baseball background as a player. He was basically an account/DWF until the Cardinals hired him last decade to build academies in Latin America and recruit players from these $hithole countries. Houston made him their GM back in 2011 and they've been basically posted all Latin lineups since. Even mulatto George Springer has a Puerto Rican mother from Connecticut. Upon closer inspection, Luhnow appears to be a Jewish Beto O'Rourke.

Luhnow was born and raised in Mexico, as his wealthy parents from New York $hitty relocated to Mexico for "business". He's fluent in Spanish and clearly prefers Latin players in his every day lineups. He's very similar to dorky Shabbos Goy Brian Cashman (Yankees GM) who will always screw over white players, if they are competing with non-whites. Like the Yankees, don't expect Houston to field majority white lineups until these GM's are gone. They pretty much only use their top white prospects as "equity" for trades to acquire top white starting pitchers or Dominican position players.

The reason the As$blows have been so good is the great starting pitchers Luhnow has brought in. Hopefully that changes real soon, as Cole will leave via free agency. Grienke and Verlander are still amazing, but by next season they will not be that far removed from 40, so how long can they keep up this incredible pace? They do have Lance McCuller's Jr. returning from elbow surgery, who I like watching. He seemed like a rising star until he got hurt. And like a lot of young pitching stars (Buehler, Flaherty and others) and ace veterans (Scherzer, Hammels, Keuchel, ect.) he has that classic, old-school overhead delivery that unfortunately has become less common, as most basically pitch from the "stretch" 100% of the time -- i.e. Noah Syndergaard. Not sure how pitching from the "stretch" 100% of the time helps confuse hitters, but that is being taught in several organizations? (S.F. Giants, for example, forbade top pitching prospect Tyler Beede from using the "Whitey Ford overhead delivery" and he's stunk since.)

President Trump was asked to throw out the first pitch in Washington, but declined for "security reasons". Claimed he would be forced to wear so much body Armour, he would not even be able to use his arm to throw a decent pitch. Nat's 94 year old Jewish owner did, however, refuse to meet with him, even though (regrettably) he's been very pro-Israel as a President.

Also, excellent point regarding Rendon. One quick glance at his thick goatee and filled in beard, tells you he probably has a lot of Spanish (European) in his lineage, similar to Cuban-American star J.D. Martinez -- who I mostly consider white. And yes, if America had more Tony Rendon's and J.D. Martinez types, California and other states would not be Communist sewage plant's, rapidly heading toward's 3rd wold status! Nat's Brazilian born catcher Yan Gomes is someone I consider to be 100% white (Portuguese like Mark Texiera), even though most clueless DWF's see him as Latino.

 

[Shadowlight]

The Gold Gloves were announced Sunday. Among the winners were center fielder Kevin Kiermaier. KK is an unbelievable athlete. Hopefully he improves his hitting. Nick Ahmed was the NL pick for SS. Also Matt Chapman is a smooth operator at 3B for Oakland.

Cody Bellinger won RF for the NL. Consider this. He has the easy ability to win a Gold Glove at 1B. He played 1B, CF and RF this past season. When asked about it he rightfully pointed out the adjustments and in my opinion all that jostling around negatively affects his hitting. Hopefully next season he sticks to one position preferably Right Field.

I'll cut to the chase. I don't give a flying crap what sport an athlete plays, Bellinger is one of the greatest pure athletes I have ever seen. Good luck Cody next season. I'll be rooting hard for ya.

Another player I root hard for is the Yankees Brett Gardner. We can talk about white athletes until we are blue in the face but I have a special fondness for the tough gritty white guys and Brett fills that role to a tee. I have watched his entire career unfold and he represents everything I admire in an athlete. Sure he isn't a superstar but this speedster has carved a nice little career for himself. In time he will be a manager at the big league level and you can put that in the bank. Meanwhile though I do hope the Yankees bring him back. Still performing and setting a personal record in home runs and providing speed and defense bring him back Yankees. Nothing like hearing the "Gardy goes Yardy" call on Yankees radio.

 

[Shadowlight]

The Modern Day Hall Of Fame Ballot has been released. What a fascinating list of names. Nine players total.

As discussed a while back Dale Murphy should be a slam dunk. Still there are other very intriguing names on the list. Makes for great bar room talk. I need to weed through the players a little longer but safe to say Murphy is not the only deserving candidate here. More later. See below full list.

https://baseballhall.org/modern-baseball-era-ballot-2020

 

[Shadowlight]

I am still contemplating the Modern Day HOF list.

Steve Garvey

Dwight Evans

Tommy John

Don Mattingly

Marvin Miller

Thurman Munson

Dale Murphy

Dave Parker

Ted Simmons

Lou Whitaker

Still need time to digest these names. I decided a while back Dale Murphy is very deserving. And for years my instincts have told me Don Mattingly is deserving as well but I want to go over everything with a fine tooth comb again.

Without question Harold Baines seemed like a stretch and there are other players black and white who have been elected that are questionable to say the least.

I prefer quality over quantity but I know that longevity can't be entirely ignored either. Both Paul Molitor and Harold Baines had long extended careers helped out by the DH rule but to me Paul Molitor was a shoe in and Baines is a just miss/borderline at best player. I would not have selected Baines, a good solid player but not Hall Of Fame caliber.

Molitor dealt with injuries early in his career but still ended up having a long career and remarkably seemed to improve with age. He was an outstanding athlete who manned 3B for those exciting Brewers teams which featured SS Robin Yount. Molitor in addition to being a terrific bat on ball hitter had blazing speed. I was a huge fan and he was a main cog when Toronto won the World Series where he was named MVP. Opponents could not get him out.







Keep in mind MLB hands out their big awards next week which include Rookie of the Year, Cy Young and MVP. To me Bellinger is the clear NL MVP winner. Rendon is a solid second. The AL is tight. Trout or Bregman.

 

[white is right]

On the surface IMO only Dewey Evans or Dale Murphy deserves a nod for hall consideration but according to this article Lou Whitaker and Ted Simmons have the best shot of all of the names on this list. Of course as we talked about before the Baines decision makes every name on this list look like they have a chance to get elected too....https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/28012387/which-modern-era-candidates-get-baseball-hall-fame

 

[Booth]

It s just my opinion but the only true HOF on this list is Dale Murphy. Two times MVP 399 homers and a great outfielder with a rocket arm. Plus his character was beyond reproach he was looked up to by his teammates and players on other teams. He was the reason to watch the Braves.

 

[Don Wassall]

Yes, I've been making the case for Murphy as long as CF's been around. Someone like Harold Baines gets in but an obvious choice like Murphy doesn't, not even from the so-called Veterans Committee, and Murph had weak support every year when he was originally eligible. Inexplicable, well not really when the racial dynamics of anti-White America are taken into account.

 

[Carolina Speed]

I don’t agree with Baines getting in either. I’m not sure about Murphy either. He was very good, but was he great? HOF worthy? Not convinced. However, if Baines is in and Murphy gets in, you certainly have to look closely at Dave Parker. Parker was very good, but was he great? He was a two time WS Champion. Two batting titles. Three straight gold gloves and NL MVP. Over 2700 hits and. Career .290 hitter. Better than Baines and Murphy.
All three were very good, but not great. IMO.

 

[Shadowlight]

I’m not sure about Murphy either. He was very good, but was he great? HOF worthy?

Point blank yes Dale Murphy was great and should be in the Hall of Fame and I say that without any reservations. From 1982-1985 he was generally considered the best player in baseball and won MVP awards in 1982 and 1983. He was a bit like Cody Bellinger. A rangy tall versatile athlete who came up as a catcher but transitioned to center field where he won five straight Gold Gloves from 1982-1986 and was a seven time all star. He had speed, grace and power.

Sure his career dovetailed rapidly ( and I believe this is a bone of contention for many but not me) after his last great season in 1987 where he bopped 44 home runs and drove in 105 runs but that could have been a result of his early years playing catcher. For a player of his height (6'5") catching, which is taxing enough is extra hard for such a lanky athlete. And he had to deal with a plethora of injuries the last several years of his career.

To me he was a great wonderful player. And keep in mind the Hall Of Fame takes character into consideration as well. A universally recognized great human being his character is unimpeachable.

Not beating around the bush. The saintly Murphy is a Hall of Famer in my book no questions asked.

 

[Vindicator]

Dale Murphy is one of only 40 players in MLB's elite 30/30 club, another compelling reason for his induction into the HOF.

 

[Carolina Speed]

I guess I don’t understand the criteria for being in the HOF. I don’t really consider a career.265 BA., .346 OBP with 398 HRs, 22 per season, among the all time greats. Murphy also benefitted from playing in Atlanta in a park called the "Launching Pad." The two MVPs are important.
However, as I said, I don’t consider Dave Parker a HOF, but you have to consider him as well as Dwight Evans, if Murphy’s in. Parker and Evans way better stats other than HRs. Evans 8 gold gloves, way better WAR, runs, hits, RBI’s, etc.

Here are the stats of some HOF's and NOT HOF's. Where does Murphy stack up?
Player, 1: WAR: 110.3, BA. .298, OBP. .421, SLG: .557, OPS: .997 R: 1676, HR 536. RBI 1509, H 2415, TB 4511. 18 year career. Same as Murphy.
Murphy, WAR: 46.5, BA: .265, OBP: .346, SLG: .469, OPS: .815, R: 1197, HR, 398, RBI 1266, H 2111, TB 3733. 18 years.

Player 1 is a HOF OF considered one of the best of all time, but not the best. He won the triple crown, three MVP's and 7 time WS Champion. Like Murphy player one was injured, but the numbers are not even close. There are HOF's with numbers better than player 1.

Player 2: A HOF, but not in player number 1's league.
Player 2: WAR: 77.3, BA: .285, OBP. 342, SLG: .430, OPS: .772, R: 1632, HR: 251, RBI: 1406, H: 3,142, TB: 4730. Player 2 won two MVP's. Player 2's numbers have some better than Murphy's, some not as good, but still made the HOF.

Player 3, NOT a HOF. WAR: 72.7, BA: .313, .400, SLG: .565, OPS: .965, R: 1355, HR: 383, RBI: 1311, H: 2160, TB: 3904 in 17 years. Player 3 stats better than Murphy. Player 3 was an MVP and has a way better WAR and the classic slash line of BA: 313, OBP: .400, and SLG: .565.
ONLY 18 players in MLB history have player 3's careers batting/slash line. .300/.400/.500. Only 18, yet player 3 is not in the HOF.

I could go on and on about the numbers, but I guess the numbers don't matter. My point I guess is, how far down do we go to get to the HOF's? Player 2 has some good numbers including the 3,000 hits, but the OBP and SLG is weak. I guess the 3,000 hits was the clincher.

You could argue that Murphy was one of the best players for 3 years, but there are other players who've had two or three good years, but does that qualify a player's greatness/HOF?
Josh Hamilton was arguably the best MLB I've ever seen for two years. Maybe as good as Mike Trout, but he had drug use issues and couldn't stay on top, but two or three years of greatness doesn't qualify as an all time great/HOF.
I have nothing against Dale Murphy. He was great character guy, but the BA. of .265 and OBP: .346 hurt him as I said considering he played at the Launching Pad probably should have hit more than 371 HR's in Atlanta. An average of 24.7 per season.
.265 BA, .346 OBP and averaged only 22 HR' s a season over his career. A very good player, but not a HOF. IMO. I believe the numbers back me up.

It kind of reminds me of the everyone gets a trophy belief.

 

[Shadowlight]

Now that I am fully wound up calling Dale Murphy just a "very good player" does not cut it with me. He had five outstanding seasons and was generally considered one of the best players in the game. He had about seven or eight big seasons overall. Like many I was able to watch him on TV every night and his superb athleticism came through loud and clear. Most baseball people were in deep awe of him during his prime.

His .265 lifetime average is a function of his early years where he came up as a catcher and his final 8 seasons which were I admit were sub standard. Those years dragged down his lifetime average. I know the longevity people hold that against him but I don't.

Also only teammate Bob Horner hit home runs consistently during Murphy's big years and Horner only hit over 30 home runs once from 1982-1986. Murphy hit 36 in 1983 and 36 in 1984 and the next closest Braves those years were 20 and 17 respectively. When Murphy was hitting mid 30 home runs Horner was bopping 27. Dale slugged 44 in 1987 and the next closest Brave hit 27. For a launching pad it didn't rub off on his teammates.

But you should read an article about Murphy by a writer who is much more critical of him than I am yet even he decides at the end of it all that Dale deserves to be in the Hall Of Fame.

It is incredibly detailed and well researched. See below.

https://www.cooperstowncred.com/dale-murphy-superstar-from-1980s-still-outside-the-hall-of-fame/

 

[Don Wassall]

An important thing to remember was that Murphy was a rare five tool player. He was a premier power hitter for a long time in the pre-steroids era when power numbers were modest. In addition to his two MVPs, he won five Gold Gloves, four Silver Sluggers, was in seven All Star games, and at 6' 5" even stole 30 bases one year. He could do it all, except hit consistently for a high batting average. From 1978 through 1991 he was a premier player and his overall career last 18 seasons. Even though I was a Pirates fan, I watched the Braves a lot back in the early years of TBS when it had national reach just to watch Murphy.

A first ballot Hall of Famer? No, but certainly one who should have made it eventually, especially compared to some other players who have gotten in in recent years.

 

[Shadowlight]

We have to take into account eras. 36 boppers may not seem like a lot of home runs in this juiced ball era and the steroid era from yore but when Dale Murphy was clobbering 30 plus home runs it was significant. He did play for a long time but his career tailed off quite a bit his last 8 years. He still hit over 20 home runs for several of those down years. 20 home runs seems like chump change now but every era has to be looked at separately which is why raw overall numbers can be misleading. Dale Murphy was among the leaders in the power categories for 6 plus years and that is important. Which is why many feel Babe Ruth was the greatest athlete of all time. He was so ahead of his peers.

I think Carolina Speed, who I like a lot, didn't exactly lose me when he put up the raw numbers but to suggest he was just a very good player strikes me as wrong. To be more exact Dale was a great player for a period of time and then turned into an a solid but not so great player.

I watched the Braves closely for two decades. They were on national TV at night and I watched most of their games. There were two eras for me. The Dale Murphy ( 80's) and Chipper Jones (90's) eras for me. Chipper unlike Dale, had a strong consistent career that finished up strong. Dale of course tailed off badly. Murphy was my favorite player for several years and Chipper was my favorite Brave when he played. Having watched them for years, new Hall of Famer Chipper, who tore his ACL in his rookie season, was a terrific all around player and won an MVP. But let me say this. In their primes if you asked who was better I would go with Dale Murphy.

Murphy was a majestic presence in center field and was the big bopper focus point of the Braves lineup for years.

Want a player comp from today? Cody Bellinger. In fact Dale was a little bigger and broader but both changed positions and are premium 5 tool athletes. Ultra exciting. Sure both of them are free swingers which is going to add up to a lot of whiffs but that isn't out of the ordinary for great power guys ranging from Reggie Jackson to Mickey Mantle. The ferocious swings are part of the fun.

Anyway I am predicting Murphy will be selected into the Hall Of Fame this go around. Anyone want to bet otherwise?

I am leaning against Dwight Evans one of the best right fielders I have ever seen who had a laser beam arm. Funnily enough Dave Parker practically fits that same profile. Both had surprisingly excellent seasons late in their career. Anyone here want to convince me otherwise?

It's strange,. Evans came up with CF Fred Lynn and Evans was but a footnote for several years. Jim Rice overshadowed him as well. In his rookie year in 1975 when they played the Reds in one of the all time World Series, Lynn won both Rookie of the Year and MVP. I thought he was the second coming of Joe DiMaggio. My dad used to tell me Joe D was the perfect ball player. In my research I have pretty much come to that conclusion myself and being Italian why not? Ha.

But for a while Lynn was as magical as it gets. A natural. He would float in the OF. He was so graceful it was beyond comprehension. He was a WR at USC by the way but chose baseball.

Other HOF candidates?

Tommy John. Leaning against. Not enough overall but very close. Would have been a slam dunk except for his now famous injury.

Lou Whitaker is a big no. Give me a break. Nice player but HOF?

Steve Garvey? Weird dude but some one will have to convince me. I am at least open to persuasion.

Don Mattingly. I am sure I will start another fist fight here but I am leaning towards a yes.

More later on this stuff but I hear the Yankees might bring Brett Gardner back. God I hope so. Gardner is in his late 30's and they said he changed his "launch angle" from 8.4 to 13.6 and that accounted for his career high 28 home runs. And even at his age he is still among the fastest players in MLB based on sprint speed measurements where he is among the top 91 per cent or better speedsters in MLB. Go Brett. And he is till a terrific defensive player.

No I won't push Brett for the Hall Of Fame. But he makes my "Hall Of Fame." Ha.

 

[Booth]

Shadowlight, there is one player I wished that could have made the HOF. Darrell Evans who had a long career and one of the first Braves players I really enjoy watching. 400hrs, over 2000 hits, over 1300 RBIs and 1600 walks. He also hit 40 hrs when he was 40 yrs old.

 

[Shadowlight]

I remember Evans. He had some pop. Early in his career he was obviously overshadowed by Hank Aaron and they made quite a power duo for a few years there. Aaron was in his last several seasons when Evans played.

A good player but I don't think he is Hall Of Fame caliber. He was not an high average hitter but he was pretty darn good.

Going back to the Braves and Dale Murphy. Just think in 1983 it was the second year in a row Dale won the MVP with a stellar .302 36-121 stat line to go along with 30 SBs and only being caught 4 times. His teammates included big bopper 3B Bob Horner (.303 20-68) and speedster CF Brett Butler who got pushed over from CF to make room for Dale, had his first breakout season with a .281 average and leading the NL in triples with 13. Also stole 39 bases. I was royally pissed when the Braves ditched him and he landed in Cleveland the next season.

They were such a young budding team and then they got rid of young Butler. I'll have to research the details of all that.

 

[Booth]

Butler was traded for Len Barker a pitcher. Just one more comment on the Braves and I'll stop reliving the past, Davy Johnston also hit 40 hrs the same year as Evans and Aaron.