MLB Opening Day

[VictorG]

I certainly wouldn't want to be the wild card team that has to face them in a one-game playoff.
Sucks when you're in the same division as the Angels/Athletics, and you still wouldn't even be guaranteed to make the playoffs if the Tigers can recover a bit or if the Royals keep up their anal tear.

Troof. They have a couple series left against both Oakland and LA, along with a bunch of mediocre teams, so their fate is in their hands.

Angles opened 1 1/2 game lead on Oakland but lost their best pitcher to injury....figures....

[Grizalltheway]

Troof. They have a couple series left against both Oakland and LA, along with a bunch of mediocre teams, so their fate is in their hands.

Angles opened 1 1/2 game lead on Oakland but lost their best pitcher to injury....figures....

I never cheer injuries, even when it's a Boobcat, but....

[VictorG]

I never cheer injuries, even when it's a Boobcat, but....

I never "openly" cheer injuries even when it was a bobcat...

I was at the Bobcat game (in bozo) 2 years ago when EW beat them at the end of the game...everyone was "ah shucking" and I leaned over and very quietly whispered in my wife's ear..."Yeah"

[clenz]

Hey, Z


Joe Mauer has now reached base in 25 straight games - the longest active streak in baseball.

[clenz]

The last time Joe didn't get on base was June 18th...

Since that day Joe is hitting .349, with 19 RBI's, 9 runs scored, an OBP of .430, and a slugging % of nearly .550


I might be a little off on HR, but if he keeps this up through the last month I'll be pretty damn close to my predictions

[JayJ79]

unusual play in the StL/Philly game. long fly ball bounces off the wall, then off the fielder's foot, and over the wall (not sure if it ever made contact with the ground).

Umps ruled it a ground rule double (the runner would have easily made it to third had the ball stayed in play), though I'm not sure that is correct, given that it was deflected by the defensive player (albeit unintentionally)

[AZGrizFan]

Hey, Z


Joe Mauer has now reached base in 25 straight games - the longest active streak in baseball.

With a 34 game DL stint smack dab in the middle of that 'streak'.

Oh, and a .741 OPS, 4 HR's, .359 OBP and a .383 SLG

Hey, but on a positive note, he's raised his average from .258 all the way up to .280 during the streak.

[bandl]

Hey, Z


Joe Mauer has now reached base in 25 straight games - the longest active streak in baseball.

With a 34 game DL stint smack dab in the middle of that 'streak'.

Oh, and a .741 OPS, 4 HR's, .359 OBP and a .383 SLG

Hey, but on a positive note, he's raised his average from .258 all the way up to .280 during the streak.

Let him be Z. The twins are poop on a stick this year, he's gotta grasp onto something other than poop on a stick

[VictorG]

Angels up by 4....used 8 pitchers in a 9 inning game yesterday (2 - 0 win)...by plan.

[VictorG]

Make that 5 after today.....4 game sweep...where the hell did this come from????

Not complaining...just enjoying!!!!

[93henfan]

Wait. The Angels have fans?

[bandl]

Wait. The Angels have fans?

Only when they win...only when they win

Just like Yankees fans up here in NY!

[93henfan]

Wait. The Angels have fans?

Only when they win...only when they win

Just like Yankees fans up here in NY!

Yankees fans in 2014 were Mets fans from 86-96 or so.

[bandl]

Only when they win...only when they win

Just like Yankees fans up here in NY!

Yankees fans in 2014 were Mets fans from 86-96 or so.

Don't speak

[93henfan]

Yankees fans in 2014 were Mets fans from 86-96 or so.

Don't speak

[93henfan]

Cole Hamels plus three relievers combine to no-hit the Braves.

[Grizalltheway]

Wait. The Angels have fans?

Only when they win...only when they win

Just like Yankees fans up here in NY!

You can say that about all but a handful of MLB teams at this point.

[VictorG]

Only when they win...only when they win

Just like Yankees fans up here in NY!

You can say that about all but a handful of MLB teams at this point.

Been an Angels fan ever since Rod Carew went to them from the Twins.....Twins fan prior to that.....

[89Hen]

I've been a Nats fan since their inception.

[93henfan]

I've been a Nats fan since their inception.

Did you ever catch any games in Montreal?

[89Hen]

I've been a Nats fan since their inception.

Did you ever catch any games in Montreal?

Their inception, not franchise inception.

[Gil Dobie]

Did you ever catch any games in Montreal?

Their inception, not franchise inception.

Were you ever a Washington Senator fan?

[89Hen]

Their inception, not franchise inception.

Were you ever a Washington Senator fan?

No, to be honest, I don't even remember them being a team. They moved in '71? I was four.

[DSUrocks07]

#StantonMVP

Giancarlo Stanton still has shot at MVP

Giancarlo Stanton leads the National League in both home runs and RBIs, both by sizable margins -- five more homers than Anthony Rizzo, who is currently out with a back injury (and nine more than the No. 3 guys, Justin Upton and Lucas Duda ), and nine more RBIs than Adrian Gonzalez.

Here's an interesting nugget from ESPN Stats & Info ... players who led the NL in home runs, RBIs and slugging percentage the past 40 years and whether they won the MVP Award:

2014: Giancarlo Stanton (?)
1995: Dante Bichette (no)
1993: Barry Bonds (yes)
1989: Kevin Mitchell (yes)
1986: Mike Schmidt (yes)
1981: Mike Schmidt (yes)
1980: Mike Schmidt (yes)
1977: George Foster (yes)

Bichette played in Colorado and finished second in the voting to Barry Larkin.

Does this mean there's a good chance for Stanton to win, even though momentum seems to be swinging in favor of Clayton Kershaw? Keep in mind that a pitcher hasn't won NL MVP honors since Bob Gibson in 1968.

Let's see if the same precedent holds true in the American League. AL leaders in home runs, RBIs and slugging, past 40 years:

2012: Miguel Cabrera (yes)
2007: Alex Rodriguez (yes)
1997: Ken Griffey Jr. (yes)
1995: Albert Belle (no)
1990: Cecil Fielder (no)
1988: Jose Canseco (yes)
1978: Jim Rice (yes)

Belle finished second to Mo Vaughn in a close vote (eight points) and Fielder finished second to Rickey Henderson in another fairly close vote (31 points).

I would say, based on this history, Stanton still has a chance at MVP honors. His biggest detriment, however, may not be Kershaw but the bias against players from non-playoff teams.

His best chance would seem to be to finish with a flourish, lap the field in homers and RBIs, have Kershaw throw a mediocre start or two and hope that a couple voters who are anti-pitcher leave Kershaw off or down the ballot (like with Pedro Martinez in 1999). If the two essentially split the first-place votes but Stanton is first or second on all the ballots, he could win the vote.

[89Hen]

Here's an interesting nugget from ESPN Stats & Info ... players who led the NL in home runs, RBIs and slugging percentage the past 40 years and whether they won the MVP Award:

2014: Giancarlo Stanton (?)
1995: Dante Bichette (no)
1993: Barry Bonds (yes)
1989: Kevin Mitchell (yes)
1986: Mike Schmidt (yes)
1981: Mike Schmidt (yes)
1980: Mike Schmidt (yes)
1977: George Foster (yes)

Bichette played in Colorado and finished second in the voting to Barry Larkin.

Big problem for Stanton is the Marlins are sub 500. Everyone listed above played for either a playoff team or at least one that was VERY close with the exception of Foster in '77 (Reds were 88-74 and 10 games back in second place).