MLB 2021 Season

[achilles]

https://sports.yahoo.com/cat-mvp-cha...034823022.html

Gotta love baseball fans!

[InfamousBG]

I am a very sad Red Sox fan right now.

[MRP]

Dodgers sign Cole Hamels to a pro-rated contract for the rest of the season.

Meanwhile, the Angels are still losing stars. Rendon is out for the season with surgery now, and the timeline for Trout' return keeps getting pushed back, he's still supposed to return some time this season...maybe.

-M

[Deathstroke]

I am a very sad Red Sox fan right now.

The way they are playing right now, you aren't exactly alone in the particular club.

[MRP]

I am a very sad Red Sox fan right now.

I've been a Sox fan since '73. The fact they are still in contention in August is well beyond any reasonable expectation I had for the team coming in to the season, so despite the recent malaise and slump, I'll take what this season has offered so far for the Sox. I've been expecting a "market correction" in their play all season, and some of their deficiencies are starting to show as the season has dragged on. Hopefully Houck of the return of Sale can bolster the rotation, and hopefully Barnes isn't out long on the COVID list, but it's going to be a tough run as a lot of guys who over-achieved in the first half are playing to bring them back to their career norms now, but it is what it is. If they are still competing for a wildcard in September, it will be a vastly better season than anyone gave them a hope for in March.

-M

[InfamousBG]

I've been a Sox fan since '73. The fact they are still in contention in August is well beyond any reasonable expectation I had for the team coming in to the season, so despite the recent malaise and slump, I'll take what this season has offered so far for the Sox. I've been expecting a "market correction" in their play all season, and some of their deficiencies are starting to show as the season has dragged on. Hopefully Houck of the return of Sale can bolster the rotation, and hopefully Barnes isn't out long on the COVID list, but it's going to be a tough run as a lot of guys who over-achieved in the first half are playing to bring them back to their career norms now, but it is what it is. If they are still competing for a wildcard in September, it will be a vastly better season than anyone gave them a hope for in March.

-M

Yes I agree with most of what you said. I was not expecting much from the Sox this season at all. The problem is every team in the AL East just got better and the Sox owners and GM just sat there and let it happen. All they have to back up the decision to do nothing at the trade deadline is pick up a "ok" bat who is not a first baseman and keep pushing Sale (who has not pitched in 2 years) down our throats. I really love Sale. I hope the best for him. The Sox are special this year...there is just something special. It was just sad last week to watch our ownership and management do nothing to back them all up.

[achilles]

Sorry for you guys, but let's face it, the RS are better than the Angels. Especially now. The Rendon thing has got to be demoralizing, as is Trout's recovery.

[MRP]

Yes I agree with most of what you said. I was not expecting much from the Sox this season at all. The problem is every team in the AL East just got better and the Sox owners and GM just sat there and let it happen. All they have to back up the decision to do nothing at the trade deadline is pick up a "ok" bat who is not a first baseman and keep pushing Sale (who has not pitched in 2 years) down our throats. I really love Sale. I hope the best for him. The Sox are special this year...there is just something special. It was just sad last week to watch our ownership and management do nothing to back them all up.

I'd rather see them do what they did than risk trading the next Jeff Bagwell for a Larry Anderson type trade to try to get a one year run and lose out in the long term. The cupboards are still really bare in the minors after Dombroski traded away everything to extend their last window, so the only thing they have to offer is blue chip prospects because they don't have anything else teams would want, and aside from one or two players who were out there but would not fit under the luxury tax, expressed a lack off desire to be in Boston, and would be gone at the end of the season as free agents, there was nothing out there worth those blue chip prospects. Everyone else in the division has prospects to burn for expensive rentals, the Sox don't, and the Yanks were willing to take on expensive rentals because jobs were at stake due to them under-achieving. Cashman took the brunt of the blame because he failed at building a line up (too many right-handed hitters) and his gambles didn't pan out, and his job was on the line-there's no reason to keep prospects for the new GM to benefit from if he didn't do something to spark the under-achieving Bomber team he built, so Cashman HAD to make those moves and take the big risks in the prospect for rental game. Bloom didn't. The Jays and Rays had room to burn under the luxury tax to add rentals, the Sox didn't because they are still paying for Dombroski's sins (bad signings that were backloaded and now coming due long after he is gone), and Bloom has a mandate to fix those sins and make the team viable for a long term window, not this season.

So I understand why they did what they did and for the most part agree with it. And for what it's worth, I don't see this as a special team, I see it as a lot of career average guys who are streaky, they were above average early on hot streaks, which led me to guess they would be below-average late to get back to their career averages, not that they were having breakthrough seasons that would redefine their career averages. They could have traded prospects for rentals, but the core of cast-offs from other teams that rounded out the roster was never going to maintain what they did in the first half for those additions to really matter.

-M

[LoganAlpha30X33]

I've been a Sox fan since '73. The fact they are still in contention in August is well beyond any reasonable expectation I had for the team coming in to the season, so despite the recent malaise and slump, I'll take what this season has offered so far for the Sox. I've been expecting a "market correction" in their play all season, and some of their deficiencies are starting to show as the season has dragged on. Hopefully Houck of the return of Sale can bolster the rotation, and hopefully Barnes isn't out long on the COVID list, but it's going to be a tough run as a lot of guys who over-achieved in the first half are playing to bring them back to their career norms now, but it is what it is. If they are still competing for a wildcard in September, it will be a vastly better season than anyone gave them a hope for in March.

-M

I wasn't even born yet in 73, my older brother either, it was actually the year that my older sister was born so I didn't really get into baseball until the whole McGwire and Sosa HR thing along with the Marlins winning the world series...and so far the Cardinals seem to just be trying to get to the end of the year, hoping that the injured members of the team come back healthy...

[achilles]

The day before yesterday was the first appearance by the Astros at Dodger Stadium with fans since....well, you know. And it was LOUD! The fans were shouting "CHEATERS" over and over, while a fair number of inflatable trash cans were tossed onto the field. Dodgers lost though. Last night Max Scherzer showed just what a great deal he was, striking out ten, and getting enough support to win.

[Hiromi]

The Braves MLB record for longest streak of no two games won or loss in a row finally(mercifully) comes to an end at 18 games as they finally win two in a row

[Deathstroke]

Former Houston Astros pitcher J.R. Richard, who was a dominant force on the mound until a stroke ended his career in 1980, has passed away.

I remember seeing a little of Richard during his playing days. Not much because I was just getting into sports fandom as his career came to an end but I do remember seeing him pitch on TV. I remember having at least one baseball card of his back in the day as well. He was a monster on the mound.

AAAA1st20.jpg

[WestPhillyPunisher]

My Phillies completed a four game sweep of the Nats with a 7-6 come from behind win today and are now just half a game behind the first place Mets who come to Philly for a weekend series. #RingTheBell

[cable guy]

My Phillies completed a four game sweep of the Nats with a 7-6 come from behind win today and are now just half a game behind the first place Mets who come to Philly for a weekend series. #RingTheBell

That was an exciting finish!

Now bring on the Mets!

[Hiromi]

With the bases loaded the Cardinals just walked four consecutive batters edit: Oh yeah and it was in a tied game