batmagadanleadoff

Eight would be the nicest.

Edgy MD wrote: I'm not sure I agree with that. If all that's going on is that hitters are better and pitchers are better, then we wouldn't have such a grossly detectable change. It'd be largely a standoff. I don't think it's a standoff and I don't that's all that's going on. I don't think that pitchers and hitters have improved equally. I think that there are biological and genetic constraints on just how much a baseball player can improve and I believe that those restraints limit pitchers more so than hitters. Pitchers who overthrow end up in hospitals. It's much safer for a hitter to swing from his heels. But beyond the genetic or evolutionary argument, hitting is also up because there has been a stadium revolution in baseball over the last 30 years, where, during that time, practically every existing stadium was torn down and replaced. And those new stadiums, collectively, are more hitter friendly than the stadiums they replaced. They have smaller dimensions. And they all have less foul territory, this to make the stadiums more intimate and provide seats closer to the action. Also, the DH has been universal since the shortened COVID season, so pitchers don't bat anymore. Finally, there have been two major philosophical shifts in the way the game is played. The first one stems from the realization that all starting pitchers are less effective each successive turn through the lineup. All pitchers. From fringe pitchers to the very best elite starters. And no matter what they throw. Junkball pitchers to fast ball pitchers and everything in between. So as a result, on top of everything else that was discussed, pitchers are now pitching less innings by design. The second shift is for batters to try and hit more HRs. This has led to, obviously, more HR's. But also, more strikeouts. The analysts have determined that the extra strikeouts are worth the increased runs scored from swinging for the fences.

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 151 9/9: Rarity: 7 IMMACULATE! 🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩 Play at: https://immaculategrid.comhttps://immaculategrid.com @immaculategrid x @baseball_ref [FIMG=555]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53155418833_55af77f833_c.jpg[/FIMG]

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One of the factors at play here putting stress on pitchers, (among many others) is that today's hitters are simply better than their predecessors. They have access to more and better information and foods and vitamins, and so they can train better. And they're motivated to train better and longer and to start earlier because a player today who can establish himself as a regular everyday playing player will likely earn anywhere from 20 or 30 million dollars to hundreds of millions of dollars over the course of his baseball career. They just know more stuff today. Just like your typical 10 year old today probably knows way more about sex than we did when we were 20. I remember watching Reggie Jackson play live and in real-time and thinking to myself that he was some kind of a behemoth. But he doesn't look much bigger, if at all, than today's typical second basemen.

There's talk of lowering the IP threshold to qualify for the ERA title and other rate stat titles, recognizing that starters' IP's are down and continuing to trend in that direction.

Edgy MD wrote: I understand that. I know. Just wanted to get that out, though. It's a good point. Ryan was obviously special in that he could throw his high heat all game long. And for decades. I don't think he ever sustained a major injury. Remarkable. If I remember, I think the worst "injury" problems he suffered were over his recurring blisters in the late 60s as a Met.

Edgy MD wrote: Yeah, I know they are throwing way harder and more often. Remember how much Nolan Ryan stood out with his 100MPH fastball? There are at least 20, maybe 30 pitchers today who can throw as hard if not harder than Ryan did.

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I got my first eight guesses correct, but couldn't come up with an Oriole/Giant Same here. Eight out of nine. Can't believe that the Orioles/Giants cell stumped me being that both of those teams have been around for more than 100 years. Maybe somebody'll come to me later. [FIMG=555]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53152617386_2664699e68_b.jpg[/FIMG]

Edgy MD wrote: But ... maybe they should. With no data to cite (currently at hand, anyhow), my strong impression is that all the conservation of usage isn't sparing these guys the injuries. That's a quantity v. quality issue. They're conserving innings pitched but throwing way harder and more often. Hence, the injuries.Theyre like cars. You drive a car at an average speed of 80MPH, it'll be in the shop more often than if you drove it more but slower. I wouldn't harbor expectations of what pitchers today should or could do based on how they pitched 45 or 50 or 60 years ago. That game is gone. As gone as the dead-ball era.

Johnny Lunchbucket wrote: They didn't throw 98 mph fastballs and 90+ mph sliders in the 1950s. Thank you. Its a different ballgame. Like totally. And its not just the velocity, but that pitcher's go all out all game long. There's no coasting and no soft spots in the lineup because everybody can hit it out and the Bud Harrelson-like hitters are obsolete. So pitchers are throwing harder all game long. Those old timers who think they can throw their 300 innings and net 15 or 20 complete games in today's game are delusional. Sam McDowell and Sandy Koufax's k/9ip records have been passed dozens of times .Pitchrers aren't saving their best fastballs for Hank Aaron anymore. Everybody gets the pitcher's best stuff.

Johnny Lunchbucket wrote: I also guessed Williams wrong. Todd Zeile would have been good for at least 2 squares today Williams missed too much time due to his military commitments. And he walked a heck of a lot. Still, with all that working against hm, he only missed by less than two seasons worth of hits. Rickey Henderson and Eddie Murray are good answers. Henderson also played for the Dodgers, so 3,000 hits in the LA box, too.

Edgy MD wrote: It's suddenly time to put Rafael Ortega's face on the tickets. That'd be nice. It's be nice if they put anybody's face on the tickets. It'd be nice if they even had those old style paper tickets anymore.

=MFS62 post_id=136104 time=1693228877 user_id=60] And, if this is just players, Gil Hodges never played for Washington. He managed just them.

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Benjamin Grimm wrote: Did something happen to Wheeler? Yeah. What happened is that I forgot about him. Never mind.

Who woulda thunk that Matz would be the last man standing? [fIMG=411]https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/07/mets_rotation.jpg?quality=75&strip=all[/fIMG]

Johnny Lunchbucket wrote: My Met-White Sock = Jack Egbert Holy Moley! What was the rarity % on that guy?

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 147 9/9: Rarity: 18 IMMACULATE! 🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩 Play at: https://immaculategrid.comhttps://immaculategrid.com @immaculategrid x @baseball_ref [FIMG=555]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53146072280_5873478e53_b.jpg[/FIMG]

This criteria that a player ought to be in Cooperstown to have his number retired by a team never resonated with me. In my fantasy world where I own the Mets and get to pick and choose and decide which Mets get to have their uniform numbers retired, if any, I don't think I'd ever consider that as a factor. Simply put, a player is or isn't enshrined in Cooperstown based on his baseball accomplishments over his entire baseball career. Why would I care about what he did with teams other than the Mets when deciding whether or not to retire his Mets uniform number?

An all Mets solution. Never did that before and never tried. Matz was the first answer I entered today. Bake McBride came to me immediately as the Card ROY. But while I was typing in Matz, I remembered Vince Coleman and it was then that I thought I'd try and see if an all Mets grid was possible, already knowing in the back of my head that Alonso and Torre and the other Mets/Blue Jays were also answers. The player that took me the longest was Keith Hernandez for 200 hit/All-Star, ironically, perhaps my all-time favorite Met. IG stud and one-time Met Tommy Davis was another 200 hit/All-Star, I remembered after completing today's puzzle. ⚾️ Immaculate Grid 146 9/9: Rarity: 60 IMMACULATE! 🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩 Play at: https://immaculategrid.comhttps://immaculategrid.com @immaculategrid x @baseball_ref [FIMG=555]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53143310506_5e8c6ec83d_c.jpg[/FIMG]

In Pittsburgh, ex-Met and current Pirate Colin Holderman is Superman. And they're selling a t-shirt to prove it. [FIMG=333]https://img.limotees.com/photos/2023/08/Superman-Colin-Holderman-Pittsburgh-Pirates-Shirt0.jpg[/FIMG] [FIMG=333]https://img.teeclover.com/wp-content/uploads/Superman-Colin-Holderman-Pittsburgh-Pirates-Shirt0.jpg[/FIMG]

=smg58 post_id=135890 time=1692973733 user_id=62] In terms of WAR as a Met (going by Baseball Reference), Gooden is second among pitchers and Strawberry is second among hitters. And they contributed to a world champion. They're both quite a bit higher than Carter or Hernandez, and Piazza as well. So you can disagree on where the line should be drawn, but I would argue the line has already been drawn below them.

A Boy Named Seo wrote: Frayed Knot wrote: Now batting for your 2032 New York Mets, number @ ... There's an argument to made (I shall make it now) that coaches and managers don't need numbers anyway. So many managers just wear windbreakers or whatever. Just give them all a numberless uni or a windbreaker with the Mets logo on one side and their initials on the others side (soccer style) and boom, the Mets instantly have 12 more available numbers. And Buck and BS would be perfect. https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/b13d61de4c4aad289648e686203d34d01e08eb0a/0_63_2463_1478/master/2463.jpg?width=620&dpr=1&s=none> Suits are nice, too. [FIMG=333]https://i.ytimg.com/vi/b4Wfr5v6wX8/hqdefault.jpg[/FIMG]

=MFS62 post_id=135904 time=1692979484 user_id=60] Is it wishful thinking putting Ohtani in there? Did I miss Leroy Stanton?