Edgy MD

That's a general attitude, certainly, but I'm not sure it holds up. National League teams are forced to field deeper benches and deeper bullpens --- which means more decently paid vets and fewer mimimum salary guys. I don't think the data necessarily shows that the National League has lower mean or median salaries. If the data suggests that more brothers are sacrificing so fewer brothers can cash in, should the union membership still support that?

I've said it before, but I don't think evidence is clear at all that the DH raises salary levels, and I think the MLBPA would be wise to study that.

Terry's calling you out, there, Juanito. Make good on it.

It's important to discover who will be MLB players of any stripe, not just "core" players, which is an intentionally ambiguous term.

Well, it's probably more standard that the high-end prospects won't see opening day, but if the Eric Campbells win a job in camp, bam! it's theirs. But lookie d'Arnaud, he got to start the season. If you get September, you get April too, I guess.

You can't kill an idea, man!

I think a notable thing is that, since 1979, the top team is not necessarily the top team. I mean division play starting in 1979 introduced the idea that a team could have a better record but not be the best team in the league due to playing in perhaps a less competitive division. But we had three absolute juggernauts in 1970s, and really only the 1996-2000 Yankees compare to any of them as far as dominance. Maybe the Braves of the mid-late 1990s (who generally lost in the playoffs). But yeah, the best team still could hit a slump during the playoffs. So, kill the playoffs. But kill the draft and kill territorial exclusivity while you're at it. KILL!!!

Yeah, I stayed the heck away. It's either a clickbait trap or questionable for general circulation. I couldn't imagine coming out of that click hole in better condition than going in.

If this is a repeated fuck-up, somebody deserves a pointed call. Kids notice the shit out of that stuff.

Tulo is out for the year, so any conversation on him starts in November, and it begins with, "I'm sure not gonna pay what I would have in July."

Everyone was phoning it in today. Even the guy who was supposed to update the Topps Starting Lineup Cards didn't bother showing up - I know that's a small thing but that's just awful. What on the slim chance it was somebody's first game? What if your kid* made it a point to see that sign updated when they came to the park? I didn't even realize till yesterday. *-like mine Mets: We don't give a shit. I'll bet they don't even pay the guy who changes that, it's some intern. It's a small thing that's a big thing.

Gwreck wrote: Edgy MD wrote: Not seeing the greatness in that lineup. They don't go that deep. Good for them for making some soup with it. I was struck by the lack of superstars (other than Donaldson, really). But they are first in the majors in walks and have the second-fewest strikeouts. There are a lot of "pretty good" players on that team and combined with some really good starting pitchers, it works. I think some mixing and matching, and we can claim to have a similar pile of assets. But we're not making it work as well, except recently, when we haven't been able to make it work at all. Of course, no matter how well the Mets play, I don't see them about to claim no "second fewest strikeouts" badge.

Fman99 wrote: I hate 10 PM start times. Sometimes it delays gratification. Sometimes it delays mortification. That June 24 thumping we gave Kazzy featured Chris Young going 2-3 with two homers, a walk, 2 RBI, and 3 runs scored. He's indisposed at the moment. Also going deep in the game were Grandy and d'Arnaud. All homers except Young's segundo were off his Kazziness. All the starters had at least one hit, including Colon, who went 1-2 with a sac bunt. It was his second hit in as many starts and second and last (to date) of the season. Kazzy still struck out four in three innings. Other lowlights included Eric Young getting picked off. Watch out for that. Mets also fed off the bullpen. They only got one run in two innings off of Jimmy Johnson, but he looked far worse than that. Unfortunately, Oakland has since realized that, and Johnson's a Detroit Tiger now. Met bats also got two runs in three innings off of Jeff Francis... and he was last seen with the Yankees, his third team of the season, before being released in early August. Here's hoping the PtBNL the Yankees are forced to give up is somebody named Yogi Mantle or something. I nonetheless go forward in the faith that hope in beating this team (to the extent that there is hope) lies in getting into their bullpen.

I'm skeptical too. It's why I want both. Of course, I wanted both Davis and Duda, too, and while the team got a more or less positive outcome out of that redundancy, it's yet to be seen whether it is so positive to have been worth the wait.

They're all turning 28, man. Except them that done it already. Isn't life awful?

Not seeing the greatness in that lineup. They don't go that deep. Good for them for making some soup with it.

They moved Grandy for the sake of Abreu. Why not for MdD? Grandy must be the most cooperative player in decades. They move him on offense, they move him defense, and he's just the sort of high-profile, highly paid vet who you'd think would feel he has the juice to push back, and he says, whatever you need, Skip! I like the notion of keeping Laggy and dD around together and maybe building a Dykstra/Wilson leadoff-hitting-centerfield-platoon-corner-outfield-sub-defensive-replacement machine. A machine!

Going .261 / .346 / .304 // .651 since his return, after hitting an unspeakable .156 / .224 / .200 // .424 in his callup earlier in the season. The performance doesn't argue for it, but I'd like to see him get a few turns batting leadoff and playing center before the year is over. Anybody?

Lefty Specialist wrote: One or two bats won't be enough. I don't think the condition of "enough" exists. Lefty Specialist wrote: This team has across the board deficiencies in situational hitting. I'm far more concerned about hitting-hitting than situational hitting. Lefty Specialist wrote: It hasn't had a real lead off hitter since 2011. Well maybe that could be one of the dudes. Lefty Specialist wrote: It has no power... Hitting-hitting! Lefty Specialist wrote: ...very little speed... If I particularly was concerned about speed, I'd point out that they have the defending stolen base titlist rotting on the bench. But speed-shmeed. They have plenty of speed. You just can't steal first. Lefty Specialist wrote: ... and poor game management. Believing there's a game-management strategy that will turn four hits into victory with any consistency is a trap. Lefty Specialist wrote: This team is only less than 20 games under .500 by virtue of its pitching. Well, everybody would be worse if not for the players who are doing better. Lefty Specialist wrote: The hitting is atrocious... Well, I'm certainly longing for more hitting. Lefty Specialist wrote: ... and won't be better next year without a Roto-rostering. I think it'll almost certainly be better next season. Gravity. It'll almost certainly be better next week, I think. The key is whether there is meaningful and intentional progress beyond gravity.

They need a dude or two.

Well, I am left to conclude that the Cubs have some of the best pitching in the league. What alternative could there be?

Three hits for Valbuena? Really?

Torres bulls up and gets Castillo with the bags juiced.

den Dekker gets with the program, keeping the ball in the infield, but deviates meaningfully by beating out a hit.

TODAY MATTERS!