IGT 3/26/2020: WAS @ NYM -- Let's Get This Decade Started

[G-Fafif]

Brrr, it's probably cold out there. There must be Metsies in the atmosphere.



Or it'll be because they're playing baseball in the Northeast on March Bleeping Twenty-Sixth.



But when they do, figure Jake and Max bundled up and ready to heat things up again.



Let's get going. We're on a three-game winning streak.

[Fman99]

I'm erect with anticipation. Going to be a long, hard winter.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

Can't wait for them to release those balls

[Edgy MD]

Next year's Nats are going to be a big mystery, as a big chunk of the lineup, plus several part-timers, are hitting free agency this off-season. Strasburg, too.

[TABLE][TR][/TR][TR][/TR][/TABLE]

[TD][FIMG=250]https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/gvkAAOSwT~9WlXNW/s-l640.jpg[/FIMG][/TD]	[TD][FIMG=250]https://media.kohlsimg.com/is/image/kohls/2761033?wid=500&hei=500&op_sharpen=1[/FIMG][/TD]
[TD] Trea Turner, ss Michael Taylor, rf Juan Soto, lf Victor Robles, cf Kurt Suzuki, c Matt Adams, 1b Wilmer Difo, 3b Adrián Sanchez, 2b Max Scherzer, p [/TD]	[TD] Brandon Nimmo, cf Pete Alonso, 1b Jeff McNeil, 3b Yoenis Céspedés, lf Michael Conforto, rf Wilson Ramos, c Robinson Canó, 2b Amed Rosario, ss Jacob deGrom, p [/TD]

[G-Fafif]

Now to instigate the World Series hangover...

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

We've really been too hard on Nats fans
https://twitter.com/The_UnSilent_/status/1189784349677424640

[Lefty Specialist]

Lol. Good fun. Love how quick the reporter pivots.

[MFS62]

That dude has his priorities straight!

Later

[Centerfield]

Someday when I'm king, I'm going to re-vamp the off-season. When the World Series ends, everyone goes home and rests. Every team has 30 days to rest, celebrate individual awards and focus on their respective Tabloid Cover Derbies. Winter Meetings are held the first weekend of December. Free agency/trades have to be wrapped up by December 20, so that new jerseys can be under the tree by Christmas.



Pitchers and catchers report the first week of January. Full Squads by January 15. Spring training games start February 1. Opening day March 1.



I know there is the small problem of weather for the month of March, but I'm figuring if the Republicans stay in power, the cold weather will be just a temporary problem.

[Edgy MD]

Nats fans have really stepped up their game in this run. Maybe losing Harper made them realize the heel turn never suited them. Philly and he belonged together.

[Ceetar]

Someday when I'm king, I'm going to re-vamp the off-season. When the World Series ends, everyone goes home and rests. Every team has 30 days to rest, celebrate individual awards and focus on their respective Tabloid Cover Derbies. Winter Meetings are held the first weekend of December. Free agency/trades have to be wrapped up by December 20, so that new jerseys can be under the tree by Christmas. Pitchers and catchers report the first week of January. Full Squads by January 15. Spring training games start February 1. Opening day March 1. I know there is the small problem of weather for the month of March, but I'm figuring if the Republicans stay in power, the cold weather will be just a temporary problem.

I could get behind this. Well, maybe not the Tabloid covers because well the NY ones are all trash papers anyway and many of these cities don't have competing papers?



Shorten up the free agency period. You probably have to work on the exclusivity window. here's a thought, let the "7 days to negotiate with Wheeler" happen after the _Mets_ season ends. helll, give them the entire month. You get the playoffs to negotiate with your own departing players, and then it's fair game. Baseball media can handle a little extra news during the playoffs, if anything it might keep eliminated teams engaged in the sport and therefore the playoffs.



You've lengthened ST though, I think pitchers/catchers mid-January is fine. get 'em stretched out.



You've lengthened the season a month, but I probably wouldn't add games. Add teams maybe, but work in those extra off days. Maybe end the season a week earlier just so it's not TOO many days off, but with the extra days you could set up the schedule so that march is mostly warm weather teams hosting first. Or hell, Neutral Parks to try to grow the game/try out new places? a 3-game series in San Antonio? Mexico City? etc. Or Japan, Spain, etc. The extra off days would work to your advantage this way.



Plus with your team playing 5-6 times a week instead of 6-7, you might have a shot at Nationalizing the game again, at least a little bit. You'll still be assuming the team is on every night, but there will be more nights that they _won't_ be, so watch a different game. It'd help if MLB smashed the damn blackout nonsense, or networks worked together. Mets and Rays for example, made a deal so that SNY would show a lot of Rays games on Mets off days, or something.

[seawolf17]

I love the longer season/same number of games idea. Build in community builders on the off days, especially when teams are home. Have them spend a day at local elementary schools or whatever.

[Lefty Specialist]

March baseball, especially early Match baseball, is basically not doable for 16 MLB teams.



BOS

NYY

NYM

PHL

WAS

BAL

PIT

CLE

CIN

CHC

CHW

MIN

KCR

STL

COL

DET



Not to say you won't get a 70 degree day in Washington on March 15th, but odds are just as good you'll get 10 inches of snow in Minneapolis or Cleveland or Chicago on March 15th.

[G-Fafif]

If health isn't a hindrance, the last four NL Cy Youngs figure to be on the mound in the top and bottom of the first.

[G-Fafif]

Five weeks out. Crazy!

[Edgy MD]

My mental opening day lineup.



1. Nimmo, cf

2. Canó, 2b

3. McNeil, 3b

4. Alonso, 1b

5. Conforto, rf

6. Céspedes/Smith/Davis, lf

7. Ramos, c

8. Rosario, ss

9. deGrom, sp



I still like the effect of contact hitters in the three-hole and bashers batting cleanup, as outmoded as that may be. I also anticipate Rosario moving up as the season progresses, and maybe displacing Canó.

[Ceetar]

McNeil

Nimmo

Alonso

Conforto

Cespedes

Cano

Rosario

deGrom

Ramos



for me. if It's Davis instead of Cespedes I probably swap with Cano.

[Edgy MD]

Thoughts!



1. Whether or not Canó belongs in the back half of the lineup, it'd sure be nice if the manager opened the season with the clout that it was at least an option to make that move outright.



2. I can't-a resist-a Brandon Nimmo's OBP in the leadoff spot.



3. If I'm going to bump the pitcher up to eighth, it won't be to get a cement truck like Ramos up ninth.

[Ceetar]

yeah probably go with traditional pitcher 9th with McNeil first anyway. Could probably put Rosario there. I need tosee how both are looking in like, April, before I am real set on that.



I prefer McNeil 1 over Nimmo just because Nimmo has some power and you give up a scant few AB for a few extra runs when he connects.

[Edgy MD]

McNeil — for whatever you want to make out of the limited-but-not-insignificant MLB data on the two — has a similar homerun rate to Nimmo.

[TABLE][TR][/TR]
[TR][/TR]
[TR][/TR][/TABLE]

[TH]Guy[/TH]	[TH]AB[/TH]	[TH]HR[/TH]	[TH]AB/HR[/TH]
[TH]Jeff[/TH]	[TD]815[/TD]	[TD]26[/TD]	[TD]31.35[/TD]
[TH]Brandon[/TH]	[TD]882[/TD]	[TD]31[/TD]	[TD]28.45[/TD]

[Vic Sage]

lineup v RHPs Sherzer (game 1) and Strasburg (game 2):

Nimmo*, cf

McNeil*, 3b

Alonzo, 1b

Conforto*, rf

Davis, Lf

Cano*, 2b

Ramos/Rivera, C

DeGrom/Syndegaard, P

Rosario, SS



lineup v LHP Corbin (game 3):

Rosario, ss

Alonzo, 1b

Cespedes, lf

Davis, 3b

McNeil*, 2b

Ramos, C

Conforto,*rf

Stroman, P

Nimmo*, cf



These lineups start the season by platooning Cespedes and Cano (assuming Cespedes starts the season on the active roster and can play the field without falling down like Willie Mays in 73), reducing their playing time in consideration of their age and physical decline, as well as Cano's career-long (and increasing) platoon splits. If they both show they can play ever day and be productive, things can change. In the meantime, Marisnik can occasionally spot Conforto (who still has problems against LHP, unlike Nimmo and McNeil, who have less significant splits) and Smith can spot Davis against RHP, once in a while. Rivera catches Syndy, to give Ramos a regular day off. Lowrie gets replaced by Guillorme at the end of the bench.

Edited February 21, 2020 by Guest

[Ceetar]

damn. I'm clearly not giving McNeil enough credit.



They have similar OBP too though, fwiw.



Nimmo's much faster though, so I guess let's give him that leadoff nod. Plus his walk rate is much higher, probably means he sees more pitches which supposedly can help other guys after him, and means less guys on base for McNeil's ball in play method which could lead to more double plays.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

Vic Sage wrote: lineup v RHPs Sherzer (game 1) and Strasburg (game 2): Nimmo*, cf McNeil*, 3b Alonzo, 1b Conforto*, rf Davis, Lf Cano*, 2b Ramos/Rivera, C DeGrom/Syndegaard, P Rosario, SS lineup v LHP Corbin (game 3): Rosario, ss Alonzo, 1b Cespedes, lf Davis, 3b McNeil*, 2b Ramos, C Conforto,*rf Stroman, P Nimmo*, cf These lineups start the season by platooning Cespedes and Cano (assuming Cespedes starts the season on the active roster and can play the field without falling down like Willie Mays in 73), reducing their playing time in consideration of their age and physical decline, as well as Cano's career-long (and increasing) platoon splits. If they both show they can play ever day and be productive, things can change. In the meantime, Marisnik can occasionally spot Conforto (who still has problems against LHP, unlike Nimmo and McNeil, who have less significant splits) and Smith can spot Davis against RHP, once in a while. Rivera catches Syndy, to give Ramos a regular day off. Lowrie gets replaced by Guillorme at the end of the bench.

Marisnick it would seem was supposed to be the guy who could get a start against Corbin. Mickey would put Lagares there, anyway.



I still think there's gonna be some earthshaking trade before spring is out

[Ceetar]

Especially if Cespedes and/or Lowrie are in fact healthy and playing spring games. It'll be interesting to see.

[Vic Sage]

i think that, if Marisnick is going to be anything more than a late-inning defensive sub and batter/baserunner off the bench (and i don't think he should be more than that), it'll be an occasional start hitting at the bottom of the order against LHPs (and particularly if we have a flyball pitcher starting), with either Nimmo or Conforto sitting. But i don't know that they would do it in the 3rd game of the season, particularly with a groundball pitcher like Stroman on the mound.

[Fman99]

Johnny Lunchbucket wrote: lineup v LHP Corbin (game 3): Rosario, ss Alonzo, 1b Cespedes, lf Davis, 3b McNeil*, 2b Ramos, C Conforto,*rf Stroman, P Nimmo*, cf

Well, in real life, Cano won't be sitting out the 3rd game of the year unless his body breaks down in game 1 or 2.

[G-Fafif]

Four weeks to go.

[G-Fafif]

Less than three weeks to go.

[Ceetar]

and me without tickets. It feels weird to wait until the night before, but I think that's the move in 2020.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

Coronavirus scare will prolly lead to a no-show epidemic and lots of secondary market tickets. That and the fact it will be 30 degrees and damp without a doubt