Octopus Overlords

I don't know. They won the World Series. He was excited and did something dumb. I have a hard time being super upset about it.

I'm other news the Mets changed ownership today and promptly fired everyone under the sun. Should be an interesting season.

El Guapo wrote: ↑Fri Nov 06, 2020 1:39 pm

noxiousdog wrote: ↑Fri Nov 06, 2020 1:08 pm

stessier wrote: ↑Fri Nov 06, 2020 1:02 pm

noxiousdog wrote: ↑Fri Nov 06, 2020 12:26 pm Can someone explain why anyone would hire cheaters like Hinch and Cora?

Because many teams were doing it and those two just had the misfortune of getting caught - so front offices view them much differently than fan.

No, no. I was assured this was the worst scandal in the history of modern baseball. Even the players were outraged, so I'm sure they'll boycott instead of playing for the cheaters.

This is one thing that I have been wondering about. My understanding prior to the Astros scandal was that sign stealing was something that every team did to some degree, and that there was some vague grey line that one was not supposed to cross. The reaction seems like the Astros scandal is well across that line. I also assume that if the Astros had a good "everyone is doing it" type argument that they would have made that argument?

As best I can tell, the Yankees and Red Sox were doing it. The Commish said stop or we're going to punish you. Beltran brought the scheme to Houston and they kept doing it.

It's just the old unwritten rules thing. When "we" do it it's fine. When "they" do it, it's not. Whether it's sign stealing, or bunting during a no hitter, or throwing brushbacks, doctoring the baseball, or using a corked bat. And the media will fuel a controversy - like deflategate for instance.

It's pretty irrational when everyone loves them some Charlie Morton.... even though he was on the '17 Astros.

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/30 ... -docs-show

La Russa was charged with a DUI in February. Wonder if he mentioned it during the interview.

Lorini wrote: ↑Tue Nov 10, 2020 12:26 am https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/30 ... -docs-show

La Russa was charged with a DUI in February. Wonder if he mentioned it during the interview.

Watching the local news in Chicago right now. He was pulled over for the DUI in February, but wasn't actually charged until mere hours before he got the White Sox job. No idea what was going on there with that delay, but apparently the Sox knew about it. LaRussa had a DUI back in 2007, too. Someone really should have talked some sense into Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf (who has always loved LaRussa and calls firing him back in the 1980s his biggest regret).

Mets are in the drivers seat to get some big name players from FA. While all the other teams are reeling from the 60 game season the Mets are now cash rich. I have no delusions that we'll suddenly be amazing, but I certainly think we'll be a target for big name free agents now. We're no longer the mid market team in a big market area.

I think the biggest thing is that the Mets were famous for not fully embracing analytics. There is a big push to get them modernized from the cold war era of the Wilpons.

And then I looked at the FA list for this year and cringed. I'm pretty sure J.T. Said he had no interest in playing for the Mets but man they could use him badly.

Octavious wrote: ↑Wed Nov 11, 2020 4:42 pm And then I looked at the FA list for this year and cringed. I'm pretty sure J.T. Said he had no interest in playing for the Mets but man they could use him badly.

I think JT should reconsider since a different ownership team dumped him. At the same time, I'd like him to be a Dodger next year

Why does everyone (seem to) hate La Russa? I get the DUI, though it also seems like it's broader than just that.

El Guapo wrote: ↑Wed Nov 11, 2020 7:24 pm Why does everyone (seem to) hate La Russa? I get the DUI, though it also seems like it's broader than just that.

I don't hate him, but I do wonder why they would hire an old alcoholic white guy instead of a minority manager with coaching experience like George Lombard of the Dodgers.

Lorini wrote:

Octavious wrote: ↑Wed Nov 11, 2020 4:42 pm And then I looked at the FA list for this year and cringed. I'm pretty sure J.T. Said he had no interest in playing for the Mets but man they could use him badly.

I think JT should reconsider since a different ownership team dumped him. At the same time, I'd like him to be a Dodger next year

Well he had said he had no interest in the Yankees or Mets. For the Mets that was before the ownership change. We just resigned Stroman for the year because he was excited by the new ownership.

Lorini wrote: ↑Wed Nov 11, 2020 8:34 pm

El Guapo wrote: ↑Wed Nov 11, 2020 7:24 pm Why does everyone (seem to) hate La Russa? I get the DUI, though it also seems like it's broader than just that.

I don't hate him, but I do wonder why they would hire an old alcoholic white guy instead of a minority manager with coaching experience like George Lombard of the Dodgers.

All I know is if they waste this crop of talent under La Russa so Reinsdorf can have a drinking buddy I may threaten not to buy season tickets I wasn't going to buy anyway.

Lorini wrote: ↑Wed Nov 11, 2020 8:34 pm

El Guapo wrote: ↑Wed Nov 11, 2020 7:24 pm Why does everyone (seem to) hate La Russa? I get the DUI, though it also seems like it's broader than just that.

I don't hate him, but I do wonder why they would hire an old alcoholic white guy instead of a minority manager with coaching experience like George Lombard of the Dodgers.

They even could have kept the minority manager they already had!

pr0ner wrote: ↑Thu Nov 12, 2020 11:17 am

Lorini wrote: ↑Wed Nov 11, 2020 8:34 pm

El Guapo wrote: ↑Wed Nov 11, 2020 7:24 pm Why does everyone (seem to) hate La Russa? I get the DUI, though it also seems like it's broader than just that.

I don't hate him, but I do wonder why they would hire an old alcoholic white guy instead of a minority manager with coaching experience like George Lombard of the Dodgers.

They even could have kept the minority manager they already had!

Really! His brand of baseball isn't played anymore. They might as well have asked Phil Jackson to manage the team.

I dislike LaRussa because he was manager of the Cardinals for so long, and he's always come off as overly arrogant. He's also widely credited with being one of the OGs when it comes to frequent pitching changes for matchups, so if you dislike that part of the game, there's another reason there.

He also has a reputation as being . . . let's say . . . a bit old school when it comes to player expressionism. He has since taken it back and now says he supports it, but he originally came out against players kneeling for the anthem. He's also been vocal previously about things like bat flips. Given that one of the White Sox's stars is bat flip artisan Tim Anderson, there's been questions about how he'll mesh with the team given how much baseball has evolved in that respect since LaRussa last managed. I think he's said he won't interfere with stuff like that (and Anderson has said he's not going to change - good for him, since the game could use more fun players like him), but there are still some concerns there.

Plus, and I cannot stress this enough, he was manager of the Cardinals for a long time.

He'd probably lose most Sox fans if he tried to muzzle TA. I'm pretty damned old school when it comes to baseball and complain about player antics as much as anyone, but I love TA.

I haven't put a name on the back of my jerseys since Lou Whittaker but that will probably change next year when I pick up a 7 Anderson.

LawBeefaroni wrote: ↑Thu Nov 12, 2020 1:54 pm I haven't put a name on the back of my jerseys since Lou Whittaker but that will probably change next year when I pick up a 7 Anderson.

Oh cmon....you know you want this one

:

Cano banned for the 2021 season for performance enhancing drugs. So the Mets keep on being the Mets. You 100% could see this as a positive and it frees up 26 million dollars to spend somewhere else. What a freaking idiot.

It was recently revealed that Rogers Communications, the owner of the Blue Jays and the Rogers Centre SkyDome have been working on plans to replace the SkyDome for some time. Plans don't seem very far along and were derailed by Covid, but I couldn't be happier with this news. Like many, I have a sentimental attachment to the dome, but it's aged horribly for a 31-year-old mixed use facility and it would be exciting to have a retro-modern baseball-first home for the team.

The SkyDome still uses artificial turf, and while today's is much better than what they had 30 years ago, it continues to come up as a factor when free agents mull signing in Toronto. And the Jays have always had a big enough issue attracting free agents due to lengthy border crossings and more complicated taxation. They've seriously looked into installing real grass in the past, but I believe drainage was a roadblock due to the facility needing to convert to different formats for other events.

If you look at retractable-roof ballparks opened just ten years after the SkyDome like Seattle's T-Mobile Park Safeco Field, there's just so much more natural light, even when the roof is closed. The SkyDome is a utiliarian, brutalist, concrete behemoth bathed in shadows even when the dome is open. And I'll always love it. It's where my dad took me to my first ballgame when I was six. It's where the Jays won in '92 and '93. But it doesn't inspire feelings of baseball magic like many of the other MLB stadiums.

Artificial turf ought to be banned throughout sports in my opinion. But I'm only one person.

The San Diego Padres have to be the best team in the NL after their moves today to acquire Snell and Darvish without having to give up Mackenzie Gore.

That might be a trifle optimistic, but I definitely like where they are headed. I was pleasantly surprised by their performance last year - especially Hosmer.

The Mets just acquired Francisco Lindor and Carlos Carrasco from the Indians.

You might think that's big, but the Cubs recently acquired Boog Sciambi (for the TV broadcast booth).

ImLawBoy wrote: ↑Thu Jan 07, 2021 1:53 pm You might think that's big, but the Cubs recently acquired Boog Sciambi (for the TV broadcast booth).

I heard it gets better once the inflammation goes down.

It's nice thinking that the owner is more worried about winning than balancing his checkbook. We'll see how long the honeymoon lasts, but he's off to a hell of a start. And he's not making deals just for the sake of making deals. For example they skipped Realmuto because they didn't think he was worth it and signed someone that likely will fit in well.

Bit bummed that Amed Rosario was in the deal even if it makes sense.

Apparently they're also getting a few more new players from the Sorting Hat.

ImLawBoy wrote: ↑Thu Jan 07, 2021 1:53 pm You might think that's big, but the Cubs recently acquired Boog Sciambi (for the TV broadcast booth).

That's about as good a replacement for Len Kasper as you can hope for, to be honest.

Yeah, I'm not unhappy with Sciambi. It's just that the Mets are making moves to improve the actual team while the Cubs are . . . not.

Well it is the Mets so Lindor could get arrested attacking someone any second now. We'll see how much it was the epically bad owners and not an actual curse pretty quickly. I can't imagine they made that trade without knowing if they could sign Lindor to a new deal. A 1 year loan and a good pitcher isn't worth what they gave up.

ImLawBoy wrote: ↑Thu Jan 07, 2021 3:37 pm Yeah, I'm not unhappy with Sciambi. It's just that the Mets are making moves to improve the actual team while the Cubs are . . . not.

I'm still bummed about the Darvish trade.

Tommy Lasorda dies @ 93
https://sports.yahoo.com/dodgers-legend ... soc_trk=ma

It's no secret I don't like the dodgers, but one has to admire what he did for the dodgers and for baseball. I couldn't stand him as a manager. I remember we went to a game when they were still playing in Candlestick and he got upset over some bogus call. You could hear him swearing out the umpire kicking dirt as he got ejected. The whole placed roared with approval.
But he was a good coach, and while I hate all things Dodgers, I won't celebrate his death One thing for sure, he was loyal to his team

naednek wrote: ↑Fri Jan 08, 2021 2:36 pm Tommy Lasorda dies @ 93
https://sports.yahoo.com/dodgers-legend ... soc_trk=ma

It's no secret I don't like the dodgers, but one has to admire what he did for the dodgers and for baseball. I couldn't stand him as a manager. I remember we went to a game when they were still playing in Candlestick and he got upset over some bogus call. You could hear him swearing out the umpire kicking dirt as he got ejected. The whole placed roared with approval.
But he was a good coach, and while I hate all things Dodgers, I won't celebrate his death One thing for sure, he was loyal to his team

It’s a sad day for the Dodgers. I appreciate all the time he was with us.

It's a sad day for the rest of baseball, too. He was a great ambassador for the sport and could make me laugh. It is amazing, though, that he put in 71 years with the same organization. If ever anyone became synonymous with a team, it was Lasorda and the Dodgers. Plus, he's been married for 70 years! To the same woman!

Growing up in L.A., Lasorda was the face of baseball. I met him and his wife at one of the games several years ago and you could feel the awe of people standing around watching him.

And the Mets are back to old form. Mets new GM is likely going to be gone before he really gets started. A reporter dropped a bombshell that he was sending her uninvited lewd texts. He admitted it and we'll I don't see the Mets wanting to start the new regime with that over their heads. And I'd bet a billion dollars there will be more reports of him doing the same thing to others.

Edit...NM they already fired him while I was reading lol.

I've had some jerk send disgusting stuff to me. Don't do it, it's super horrible for the recipient (I know you men here would never do such a thing, you men seem like people who don't feel entitled to harass, that's why I'm here).

Lorini wrote: ↑Tue Jan 19, 2021 11:16 am I've had some jerk send disgusting stuff to me. Don't do it, it's super horrible for the recipient (I know you men here would never do such a thing, you men seem like people who don't feel entitled to harass, that's why I'm here).

Nobody, I mean NOBODY, deserves to go through that. I'm sorry someone picked you to put through that.

I'm just glad it's finally being called out and organizations are swiftly moving to fire these horrible men.