batmagadanleadoff

Mark Vientos is a rock star.

And now the no-hitter. And the shutout. And the lead.

Typewriter Chewing Gum 2024 Total+ Mets set - Code Name: Bratwurst [FIMG=333]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53938832805_6de7511e23_h.jpg[/FIMG]

Frayed Knot wrote: The game ending on a caller third strike is only too fitting. But at least Taylor also took the first pitch for a called strike. That helped. Because the Mets were trailing. So don't swing at the first pitch.

It's hard to second-guess a player in that situation. Nobody's in a better position to decide whether to swing or not than the player himself. Especially when that decision is made in the micro-second that the pitch is already en route. And perhaps, Alvarez was leaning towards taking the 3-0 pitch before it was ever thrown anyways, but when the pitch came in, suddenly decided that it was a meatball that he could crush. And of course, Mendoza agreed. Otherwise, he would've sent Alvarez the "take" sign. (Unless he did, and Alvarez ignored it). According to today's Athletic piece on the Mets, Alvarez was given the green light on that fateful 3-0 pitch. https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5711178/2024/08/20/mets-francisco-alvarez-walk-off/https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5711178/2024/08/20/mets-francisco-alvarez-walk-off/ Also, Alvarez's health is apparently not the issue causing his current slump. According to hitting coach Eric Chavez, Alvarez had developed the bad habit of trying to pull most everything for Home Runs.

It's hard to second-guess a player in that situation. Nobody's in a better position to decide whether to swing or not than the player himself. Especially when that decision is made in the micro-second that the pitch is already en route. And perhaps, Alvarez was leaning towards taking the 3-0 pitch before it was ever thrown anyways, but when the pitch came in, suddenly decided that it was a meatball that he could crush. And of course, Mendoza agreed. Otherwise, he would've sent Alvarez the "take" sign. (Unless he did, and Alvarez ignored it).

It's hard to second-guess a player in that situation. Nobody's in a better position to decide whether to swing or not than the player himself. Especially when that decision is made in the micro-second that the pitch is already en route. And perhaps, Alvarez was leaning towards taking the 3-0 pitch before it was ever thrown anyways, but when the pitch came in, suddenly decided that it was a meatball that he could crush.

=metirish post_id=166993 time=1724117137 user_id=72] =batmagadanleadoff post_id=166989 time=1724116109 user_id=68] =metirish post_id=166984 time=1724115592 user_id=72] Alvarez is lost

=metirish post_id=166984 time=1724115592 user_id=72] Alvarez is lost

=Cowtipper post_id=166949 time=1724105897 user_id=166] Between them, the Severino, Manaea, Quintana and Peterson have the following combined line: 30-20 W-L, 472 2/3 IP, 405 K, 3.75 ERA. Solid, very solid.

But that smile.

I like that the Orioles kept this logo. [FIMG=255]https://content.sportslogos.net/logos/53/52/full/baltimore_orioles_logo_primary_20195398.png[/FIMG] I'm glad that the O's didn't "angry up" the logo, as is the modern trend. I like those old 50s and 60s friendlyish less-threatening looking logos. I miss these, too: [FIMG=255]https://content.sportslogos.net/logos/54/71/full/7xkp9hnp9jq11e1zia4tdcqjh.png[/FIMG] [FIMG=255]https://content.sportslogos.net/logos/53/65/full/minnesota_twins_logo_primary_19618162.png[/FIMG] [FIMG=255]https://content.sportslogos.net/logos/54/70/full/philadelphia_phillies_logo_primary_dark_1976_sportslogosnet-1814.png [/FIMG] [FIMG=255]https://content.sportslogos.net/logos/54/73/full/x5qgaefxmvbsmrkzw3k8qggwr.png[/FIMG] [FIMG=255]https://content.sportslogos.net/logos/53/57/full/4674_cleveland_indians-primary-1979.png [/FIMG]

=whippoorwill post_id=166804 time=1724003074 user_id=79] Tonight's MLB players are arriving. Tigers were mobbed; Yankees damn near starting a riot Lolol

I think the Mets have gotten very respectable output from the top of the rotation. By the end of last season, the rotation was a house of cards and pretty much had to have been rebuilt from scratch. There wasn't gonna be any immediate help from the farm. The only starters the Mets had developed over the last few years that stuck in the majors, Peterson and Megill, were inconsistent throughout their careers and thus, unreliable. The Mets thought they'd be in play for Ohtani and Yamamoto but after the team imploded last season and threw in the towel by the trade deadline, it was obvious that they'd blown whatever chances they ever had of acquiring either of those two. And in any event, Ohtani would sustain an injury that would prevent him from pitching for at least all of this season. Not that his talents couldn't be used anyways. He's probably the NL's best hitter this season. The Mets also lost the services of their best pitcher, Senga, for what will likely be this entire season, minus one start. They did a terrific job building a starting rotation given what they had to work with.

Also with two outs in the bottom of the ninth and the Mets trailing with the tying and winning runs on base, Mendoza let Vientos hit instead of pinch-hitting for him. Bad move. Vientos struck out. Why didn't Mendoza know that Vientos would strike out? At least Vientos didn't swing at the first pitch, taking it for a called strike instead. That helped. Always take the first pitch when trailing in the late innings.

Benjamin Grimm wrote: =MFS62 post_id=166626 time=1723842347 user_id=60] August 16, the day Babe Ruth died. Later Elvis too, I believe.

=Cowtipper post_id=166569 time=1723759797 user_id=166] The team is 6th in BA, 6th in OBP, 5th in SLG and 5th in OPS. And 6th in R. 6th in H. 2nd in 2B. 3rd in HR. 7th in BB. 5th in TB. The offense is really solid.

Looks like Mark Vientos is gonna have to hit another homer.

Chicken or egg? It looks like rosters were expanded because pitchers were already pitching less innings, leading to larger bullpens ... and smaller position-player benches.

Mark Vientos is a great god.

Benjamin Grimm wrote: ... unless there's an injury that puts the pitcher on the IL? And what if there's not a full blown injury that requires putting the pitcher on the IL, but instead, a developing medical issue that's not enough to IL the pitcher but that could worsen and lead to a serious injury unless the pitcher is removed? Or what if the pitcher is developing a blister and if he's not removed immediately, the developing blister could morph into a serious finger injury that would cause the pitcher to miss one or even several starts?

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I just caught the tail end of what Gelbs is saying... They're considering a rule that starting pitchers have to go 6 innings or 100 pitches, whatever comes first, unless there's an injury that puts the pitcher on the IL? Don't like it. Just let the teams strategize and let the game evolve naturally to counter every new move. What happens when a pitcher simply doesn't have it on that day and gives up six runs in the 1st inning? Does he have to stay in the game? And give up 20 more runs? And the only way out is to feign an injury that would reqiure that he then miss at least his next start, maybe two starts?

=Fman99 post_id=166502 time=1723746759 user_id=86] =batmagadanleadoff post_id=166499 time=1723746254 user_id=68] The switcheroo from the absolutely dreadful Brett Baty to Mark Vientos, MVP-caliber rate-wise, is probably the biggest upgrade in all of baseball this season.

The switcheroo from the absolutely dreadful Brett Baty to Mark Vientos, MVP-caliber rate-wise, is probably the biggest upgrade in all of baseball this season.

Edgy MD wrote: But first-pitch swinging from your best on-base guy isn't going to get it done. Unless he hits a home run on that first pitch. Or even a single. That would've gotten it done. Again with the don't swing on the first pitch.