Play ball! 2019 MLB season thread

[Brad]

Looks like the Yankees caught the Mets disease. 

[Dan Gould]

At this rate we may see something new:

Boos during a game when the home team receives its Championship rings. Or does Boston hold its fire because its a big exciting celebration and just boo them the rest of the time.  So glad I didn't pay for Extra Innings yet.

[Brad]

Mets are off to a good start but after last year, I’m guarding my optimism. Diaz, who they picked up from Seattle, has been as advertised but the bullpen has been spotty — they had a 6-0 lead going into the 9th inning, with hopes to give Diaz a night off l, but the pen gave up 4 runs, turning it into a dicey affair, and Diaz had to be called in to get the final out.

The mgr continues to make questionable decisions. So far, the good start has papered over some of his incompetence but eventually he will cost them games. 

[ghost of miles]

Brad, my neighbor Sam (Jazz Loft Project author) is a huge Mets fan, so I’m getting much more up to speed on their ups and downs. He also just texted me this interesting article about the Rays, whose future as an AL East contender may already be arriving this year—especially if Boston and New York continue to struggle and don’t hit 100 wins this year.

[ghost of miles]

Yankees now with 11 players on the IL:

1) Jordan Montgomery
2) Didi Gregorius
3) Aaron Hicks
4) Troy Tulowitzki
5) Luis Severino
6) Dellin Betances
7) CC Sabathia
8) Giancarlo Stanton
9) Miguel Andujar
10) Jacoby Ellsbury
11) Ben Heller

 

[Matthew]

4 hours ago, ghost of miles said:

Yankees now with 11 players on the IL:

1) Jordan Montgomery
2) Didi Gregorius
3) Aaron Hicks
4) Troy Tulowitzki
5) Luis Severino
6) Dellin Betances
7) CC Sabathia
8) Giancarlo Stanton
9) Miguel Andujar
10) Jacoby Ellsbury
11) Ben Heller

 

[Dave James]

Yankee batters struck out 18 times yesterday and the Mariners are 7-1.  I feel like I'm living in some sort of alternate universe.  

[JSngry]

5 hours ago, ghost of miles said:

Yankees now with 11 players on the IL:

1) Jordan Montgomery
2) Didi Gregorius
3) Aaron Hicks
4) Troy Tulowitzki
5) Luis Severino
6) Dellin Betances
7) CC Sabathia
8) Giancarlo Stanton
9) Miguel Andujar
10) Jacoby Ellsbury
11) Ben Heller

 

I think those yanquis need to eat better foods and beverages, and get to bed before dark. maybe buy these books for their personal betterments.

yujicy, there's a reason our frendly neibors to the north can afford to has them that good socialistized medicals. that does not happen by accident.

[Brad]

On 4/4/2019 at 4:58 PM, JSngry said:

I think those yanquis need to eat better foods and beverages, and get to bed before dark. maybe buy these books for their personal betterments.

 

If it was only that simple. 

[JSngry]

Good health IS simple. And as always, simple popular songs properly point us to the proper path.

 

[Brad]

If it was that simple, there wouldn't be a health crisis in this country, but, hey, you must know best.  

[JSngry]

Not me, dawg, Ruth Etting.

 

[jlhoots]

Brewers 13 - Cubs 10

[Dan Gould]

How soon do they say Severino goes under the knife? Latest news is not exactly encouraging.

Although, if it doesn't require surgery and Severino comes back sometime around June that's a helluva mid-season addition, assuming the Yankees are still in it which is hard not to believe even with their injury troubles to date.

[Brad]

Chris Davis of the Os set an ignominious record last night: 0-48, stretching from last season. 

[JSngry]

Chris Davis has been reverting to Ranger Mode for several years now. Glad he got that money when he did.

[ghost of miles]

3 hours ago, Dan Gould said:

How soon do they say Severino goes under the knife? Latest news is not exactly encouraging.

Although, if it doesn't require surgery and Severino comes back sometime around June that's a helluva mid-season addition, assuming the Yankees are still in it which is hard not to believe even with their injury troubles to date.

If the "Uber-Pen" keeps performing as it did last night, it won't make much difference. 

[jazztrain]

It's Red Sox v. Yankees tonight, in NY.  Red Sox not playing well.  Generally bad starting pitching and not much hitting, with a few exceptions.

There's a report that Blake Swihart was just designated for assignment.  Christian Vasquez played second base yesterday.

One wonders if Sandy Leon is headed back to catch.

[Dan Gould]

18 minutes ago, jazztrain said:

It's Red Sox v. Yankees tonight, in NY.  Red Sox not playing well.  Generally bad starting pitching and not much hitting, with a few exceptions.

There's a report that Blake Swihart was just designated for assignment.  Christian Vasquez played second base yesterday.

One wonders if Sandy Leon is headed back to catch.

Clearly Leon is on his way back. I know the pitchers like him, I thought they also liked Vasquez. The team commitment to Swihart seemed misplaced, but with no options left a year ago they kept him on the roster the whole season. I am sure someone chooses him off the waiver wire now.

Its a terrible start and after the Yankees they go to Tampa, not the team a struggling club wants to see.

OTOH Yankees place Greg Bird on the DL, (sorry, IL) with a left plantar fascia tear. Haven't heard of that before but it sounds like a month in a walking boot before he even starts rehab or baseball activities. The hits really keep on coming for the Yanks.

[jazztrain]

21 minutes ago, Dan Gould said:

Clearly Leon is on his way back. I know the pitchers like him, I thought they also liked Vasquez. The team commitment to Swihart seemed misplaced, but with no options left a year ago they kept him on the roster the whole season. I am sure someone chooses him off the waiver wire now.

Its a terrible start and after the Yankees they go to Tampa, not the team a struggling club wants to see.

OTOH Yankees place Greg Bird on the DL, (sorry, IL) with a left plantar fascia tear. Haven't heard of that before but it sounds like a month in a walking boot before he even starts rehab or baseball activities. The hits really keep on coming for the Yanks.

The return of Leon appears to be confirmed.  I was surprised that he wasn't at Fenway for the ring ceremony last Tuesday.  The Red Sox should be able to hide his bat in the lineup if the rest start hitting.  

One wonders how much Pedroia has left.  He's not off to a good start.

Tampa Bay could take the division, quite a feat given payroll considerations.

[jlhoots]

Yelich - 3 home runs yesterday, another great catch by Cain, Hader strikes out the side in the 9th (although he did allow a home run).

[Brad]

Yanks have dumped Kate Smith’s singing of God Bless America during the 7th stretch because she may have sung racist songs, https://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/ny-kate-smith-god-bless-america-20190418-wfkyednrvrherh57sfmb4h7s5y-story.html

[JSngry]

I remember when Kate Smith was alive. She always creeped me out then but then she died and kinda went away.

Then 9/11 happened and POOF! there she was again, another trauma to the American soul attempting to be soothed by nostalgia at any cost.

And now she's gone from at least one place. Good riddance, imo. Plenty of other songs, plenty of other singers.

15 minutes ago, Brad said:

Yanks have dumped Kate Smith’s singing of God Bless America during the 7th stretch because she may have sung racist songs, https://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/ny-kate-smith-god-bless-america-20190418-wfkyednrvrherh57sfmb4h7s5y-story.html

May have?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mq0HH9d_lHk

[duaneiac]

52 minutes ago, Brad said:

Yanks have dumped Kate Smith’s singing of God Bless America during the 7th stretch because she may have sung racist songs, https://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/ny-kate-smith-god-bless-america-20190418-wfkyednrvrherh57sfmb4h7s5y-story.html

This is just silly.  Kate Smith would never make my list of Top 500 favorite singers, but come on.  If you were a pop singer in the 1930's, there's a huge likelihood that you recorded some racist material because racist stereotypes and imagery permeated pop culture in that era.  To the best of my knowledge, Kate Smith did not make a career out of recording racist material, nor was she some leader in a white supremacist movement.  She sang songs, some of which are blatantly offensive by today's standards.  Do we also ban Louis Armstrong for singing "Shine"?  You know, this --

Do we also go beyond the realm of pop music?  Do we ban the Little Rascals for that one film with the cannibal and his "Yum, yum!  Eat 'em up!" catch phrase?  Do we ban "Gone With The Wind" or all movies in which Stepin Fetchit or Mantan Moreland appeared?  Should all known recordings of the "Amos & Andy" radio show be destroyed?  These things existed.  They reflected the American consciousness (or lack thereof) of the era.  It's unfair to judge the performers or the material based on the social standards of today.

[Brad]

11 minutes ago, duaneiac said:

This is just silly.  Kate Smith would never make my list of Top 500 favorite singers, but come on.  If you were a pop singer in the 1930's, there's a huge likelihood that you recorded some racist material because racist stereotypes and imagery permeated pop culture in that era.  To the best of my knowledge, Kate Smith did not make a career out of recording racist material, nor was she some leader in a white supremacist movement.  She sang songs, some of which are blatantly offensive by today's standards.  Do we also ban Louis Armstrong for singing "Shine"?  You know, this --

Do we also go beyond the realm of pop music?  Do we ban the Little Rascals for that one film with the cannibal and his "Yum, yum!  Eat 'em up!" catch phrase?  Do we ban "Gone With The Wind" or all movies in which Stepin Fetchit or Mantan Moreland appeared?  Should all known recordings of the "Amos & Andy" radio show be destroyed?  These things existed.  They reflected the American consciousness (or lack thereof) of the era.  It's unfair to judge the performers or the material based on the social standards of today.

This is what is generally happening today, right or wrong. Companies are fearful of offending anybody at the cost of sales so they take no chances.