2025 MLB Playoffs!

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by Balticfox

I kind of wonder why Shohei Ohtani ended up swinging himself out of his batting helmet in the fifth. He must have been trying to kill the ball by swinging through his power alley. Perhaps a reminder from an old school coach (John McGraw?) might be in order "Hey, superstar, don't just swing for the fences. Hit the ball where it's pitched!"

The analytics may not support the old school approach.

[Snapolit1]

I feel sorry for a large % of board members who seemingly can't enjoy how great modern baseball is.

[Balticfox]

Some of us though prefer more of the kind of on-base action that enabled the game to explode in popularity in the first two decades of the 20th century.

[irv]

https://x.com/TalkinBaseball_/status...31350629933171

https://x.com/ECUJungle/status/19837...30680308572409

[frankbmd]

The battle of the 8 letter "Y" pitchers

I'll concede game 6 to Yamamoto.

In game 7 Yesavage pitches the last 11 innings of the game no matter how long it is and the Jays win

MVP Yesavage

Unlikely perhaps, but so was Game 3

[BRoberts]

Originally Posted by Balticfox

Some of us though prefer more of the kind of on-base action that enabled the game to explode in popularity in the first two decades of the 20th century.

Lol.OK.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Man not sure I would start Scherzer for this game.

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

Originally Posted by bk400

Also, I think that for the Cy Young and perhaps also for the MVP, they should take the post season into account. Yamamoto is a big game hunter, while Skenes has never pitched a meaningful game. It should matter.

Especially for Cy young I couldn't disagree more. You're punishing a guy because his team sucks. It makes no sense.

[BioCRN]

ohtani over glassnow...not shocking, but interesting.

glassnow only threw 3 pitches (for 3 outs) last night, so TOR has to deal with ohtani and glassnow. ooof.

spending a brazillion dollars on your team has perks.

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

Originally Posted by BioCRN

ohtani over glassnow...not shocking, but interesting.

glassnow only threw 3 pitches (for 3 outs) last night, so TOR has to deal with ohtani and glassnow. ooof.

spending a brazillion dollars on your team has perks.

Because if they use Ohtani to relieve his DH spot isn't protected, once they pull him as a reliever he has to leave the game as a hitter also. If he starts he can stay in the game as DH after they pull him. Likely try and get through the lineup twice and the bring in Glasnow.

[nolemmings]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

Man not sure I would start Scherzer for this game.

Maybe Roberts will surprise everybody and start your favorite flavor Kershaw.

[BioCRN]

Originally Posted by Aquarian Sports Cards

Because if they use Ohtani to relieve his DH spot isn't protected, once they pull him as a reliever he has to leave the game as a hitter also. If he starts he can stay in the game as DH after they pull him. Likely try and get through the lineup twice and the bring in Glasnow.

Now it's no longer interesting...it just makes sense.

It would help if more guys than Ohtani used the "Ohtani rule"...or Ohtani managed to pitch enough the past few seasons to remember it.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by nolemmings

Maybe Roberts will surprise everybody and start your favorite flavor Kershaw.

LOL that would be epic and would dwarf all of Roberts' weird, contrarian, and irrational moves to date.

[bk400]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

LOL that would be epic and would dwarf all of Roberts' weird, contrarian, and irrational moves to date.

Did you guys see Kike Hernandez's postgame interview about his game ending double play? He said that his scouting card had him playing the batter deeper, but he remembered from watching Gimenez that he didn't hit hard to the opposite field. So he played more shallow. The advanced stats had that ball having a 70 percent chance of landing for a hit, but Kike caught it at shoulder level.

[bk400]

Originally Posted by Aquarian Sports Cards

Especially for Cy young I couldn't disagree more. You're punishing a guy because his team sucks. It makes no sense.

I look at it as rewarding a guy who pitches in big moments. How many of Skenes's regular season innings are worth one of Yamamoto's postseason innings? I'd say it's 20 to 1 in terms of degree of difficulty.

[tiger8mush]

Originally Posted by bk400

I look at it as rewarding a guy who pitches in big moments. How many of Skenes's regular season innings are worth one of Yamamoto's postseason innings? I'd say it's 20 to 1 in terms of degree of difficulty.

The best players win MVP/Cy Young awards.
The best teams win championships.

ETA - Yamamoto can win WS MVP

[pawpawdiv9]

Rooting for the dodgers to win big!!!

[jayshum]

I'm surprised the Blue Jays didn't complain about Ohtani being given extra time to warm up in the first inning. The same rules should apply to everyone.

[Peter_Spaeth]

The outlook wasn't brilliant for the Dodger nine that day
The score stood 4 to 2 with two innings left to play

[bk400]

Originally Posted by bk400

I look at it as rewarding a guy who pitches in big moments. How many of Skenes's regular season innings are worth one of Yamamoto's postseason innings? I'd say it's 20 to 1 in terms of degree of difficulty.

That last inning for Yamamoto? Worth 100 of Skenes's.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Epic pitching performance.

[CollectingAmericasPastime]

Baseball can heal now since this solidifies the need for changes to the structure of the MLB. Salary cap and true revenue sharing incoming.

[jb217676]

Tough loss but the better team won. Jays stunk for the last two games, too many mistakes and missed opportunities. Jays relievers were shaky at best...

Jeff Hoffman = Mitch Williams

[Balticfox]

All the Blue Jays had to do was cash in the leadoff double in the bottom of the eleventh by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the game would have gone to twelve innings which would have tied the record for the longest game seven in World Series history. But they couldn't get it done....



Not nearly as painful though as when my beloved dearly departed Cleveland Indians lost extra inning game sevens 3-2 to the Florida Marlins in 1997 and 8-7 to the Chicago Cubs in 2016. And I'll never forget, never forgive, those who took the Indians from me.

Worse yet though was when my lifelong favourites the Edmonton Eskimos were taken from me in 2020. My resentment and anger hasn't faded even a bit.

[nolemmings]

Plenty of chances for Toronto, but I was mostly disappointed in George Springer. 6th inning man on second no outs, one run in during what will no doubt be a close game. He absolutely needs to move the runner over. An 0-1 pitch straight on the outside corner and he just needs to poke it to the right side. Instead he takes strike two and then whiffs. Next guy drives the ball to deep center, where a man on 3rd would have scored easily.
In 8th, man on second one out and Springer whiffs again. I know he had hits early, but for a team lauded for knowing the game and scoring in a variety of ways, its veteran "leader" Springer went up there looking for the HR ball when it wasn't needed. Twice. A dang shame.

[Peter_Spaeth]

And so ends the career of a generational pitcher, Clayton Kershaw, who actually had a pretty good year but could not be trusted to appear in more than one inning. It must be a bittersweet ending for him. If this was Max Scherzer's last game, he at least will have gone out on a good note, he pitched very well.

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

And so ends the career of a generational pitcher, Clayton Kershaw, who actually had a pretty good year but could not be trusted to appear in more than one inning. It must be a bittersweet ending for him. If this was Max Scherzer's last game, he at least will have gone out on a good note, he pitched very well.

He was actually the next guy in if needed, he was throwing in the pen when the game ended.

Seems like he is more than OK with how things played out. Roberts still drives me crazy but in the last couple games he did a number of things I was mentally begging him to do.

What I liked about the team was, even though the vaunted offense more or less disappeared they just adjusted and played scrappy ball instead to eke out the last two wins. You'd have thought they were the plucky underdogs and not the anointed team of billionaires

[Peter_Spaeth]

Thankfully he did not end his career getting lit up in a Game 7. One of the truly puzzling careers ever, so dominant in the regular season, so many post-season disasters. A great guy, I hope his lasting legacy is mostly positive.

[Snapolit1]

Originally Posted by CollectingAmericasPastime

Baseball can heal now since this solidifies the need for changes to the structure of the MLB. Salary cap and true revenue sharing incoming.

How about we just agree that billionaires shouldn't buy baseball teams if they arent going to spend a lot of money to keep them competitive?

(it's a really good time to be a billionaire in this country, if you haven't heard.)

[BobbyStrawberry]

Originally Posted by Snapolit1

How about we just agree that billionaires shouldn't buy baseball teams if they arent going to spend a lot of money to keep them competitive?

(it's a really good time to be a billionaire in this country, if you haven't heard.)

When is it not?

[jayshum]

Originally Posted by CollectingAmericasPastime

Baseball can heal now since this solidifies the need for changes to the structure of the MLB. Salary cap and true revenue sharing incoming.

Players union will never agree to a salary cap.

[BobbyStrawberry]

Originally Posted by jayshum

Players union will never agree to a salary cap.

That's what I'd like to think, but months and months of corporate media coverage about the "greedy" players might change their tune

[Balticfox]

Originally Posted by Snapolit1

How about we just agree that billionaires shouldn't buy baseball teams if they arent going to spend a lot of money to keep them competitive?

How about if none of the owners threw their money around foolishly? That might work to keep ticket and concession prices down. Wouldn't that be better for the fans?

[Balticfox]

Originally Posted by BobbyStrawberry

That's what I'd like to think, but months and months of corporate media coverage about the "greedy" players might change their tune

No need for additional media coverage. Most fans are already convinced of that detail.

[CollectingAmericasPastime]

Originally Posted by Snapolit1

How about we just agree that billionaires shouldn't buy baseball teams if they arent going to spend a lot of money to keep them competitive?

(it's a really good time to be a billionaire in this country, if you haven't heard.)

I don't disagree, but the league itself can't be dominated by 1/3rd of the markets - the top 10 markets - like it has been. The NFL has a garbage product on the field but a superior product off the field. The salary cap and revenue sharing is what has built their high platform. Baseball needs to shift towards the NFL off-the-field model.

Originally Posted by jayshum

Players union will never agree to a salary cap.

Oh no... a player's union crying about unfair wages and working conditions while wiping their tears with handfuls of Benjamins. Poor them.

I'm fully ok missing some baseball in 2027 if it means getting the structure within baseball resolved so that all 30 markets have a more equal opportunity shot at a World Series. I'm not on either side, owner nor player. I simply want smaller markets to be able to retain their homegrown superstars.

[rats60]

Originally Posted by jayshum

Players union will never agree to a salary cap.

Maybe after going a year without any pay they will change their minds. You know they said they would never agree to drug testing too.