2023 MLB Season Thread

[Strange Brew]

Can someone tell Smoltz that there is actually more to the game of baseball than what pitch is coming next. Just goes on and on about this.

Never seems to notice anything about what is happening on the basepaths, defensive positioning, pinch hitting possibilities, hitters that will be due up and their history.

But the location of the next pitch. Gotta spend 15 seconds on that each and every time.

[GirlySports]

There's no way Moreno should be bunting, even if it was a surprise.

[bluejays]

Pretty big mistake to have Longoria in your starting lineup heading into the playoffs. The guy isn't that good anymore (hasn't been for years). Shows the importance of not having a black hole in the lineup.

[You Need a Thneed]

Announcer calling Moreno - “Montero”

[Senator Clay Davis]

Congrats to Maritime and all the Rangers fans, lot of suffering over the years so it'll probably feel just a little bit sweeter than most fan bases.

[Mathgod]

It's ovah

[Maritime Q-Scout]

I have no words. It doesn't seem real.

I got my 6 year old out of bed to watch the bottom of the 9th.

The only thing more unbelievable than the Rangers FINALLY winning, is the price of the championship merchandise ($105 for a hoodie?!)

[KelVarnsen]

So this means the Jays won the Varsho trade - Ross Atkins (probably)

[Strange Brew]

Least watched World Series in recorded history.

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/...sic-tv-history

There were some great teams in MLB this year (more so on the NL side) but we ended up with kind of a dud. Fans often say they want parity and upsets. But big name teams, teams you love to hate, drive ratings.

Congrats to Rangers though. I had them written off more than once this year.

[Cappy]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

Least watched World Series in recorded history.

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/...sic-tv-history

There were some great teams in MLB this year (more so on the NL side) but we ended up with kind of a dud. Fans often say they want parity and upsets. But big name teams, teams you love to hate, drive ratings.

Congrats to Rangers though. I had them written off more than once this year.

I just hate the playoff format.

162 regular season game slog only to be booted after 1 game, 2 games, 3 games? makes no sense and allows for mediocre teams to get lucky. Sure, upsets are great, but they are best when they feel earned.

[Senator Clay Davis]

But as we know playoffs will never contract, and I'll be shocked if they don't expand again at least once more. The thing is while we complain, and ratings are garbage, the money is the highest it's ever been. In the long term baseball is still in massive trouble, but for now it's doing financially well and that is all that matters to the owners and Manfred.

[GirlySports]

That is the problem, we want parity until we don't.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

But as we know playoffs will never contract, and I'll be shocked if they don't expand again at least once more. The thing is while we complain, and ratings are garbage, the money is the highest it's ever been. In the long term baseball is still in massive trouble, but for now it's doing financially well and that is all that matters to the owners and Manfred.

Baseball is thriving regionally, 162 games. But nationally, people don't care when their team is out.

[Senator Clay Davis]

I've said it before, I'll say it again, but if MLB wants to be nationally relevant then bringing steroids back is the easiest way there. Steroid era was the last time baseball was truly nationally relevant. Besides, I wanna see 102 MPH curveballs and guys turning around on 112 MPH fastballs with 640 foot homers. If the three outcome era is here to stay, at least make it fun.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

Baseball is thriving regionally, 162 games. But nationally, people don't care when their team is out.

Which is an argument for keeping as many teams in the hunt as possible.

I’d prefer 4 teams in the playoffs from each league, all best of 7. But they won’t go that direction and honestly there is evidence that great teams still advance every year. Can’t llet one dud WS dictate too much.

[Maritime Q-Scout]

Rangers had what 33 blown saves this year? Give them a third of those and they're a 100 win team.

It's not like they snuck into the playoffs. The old format they'd have played game 163 vs Houston and who knows what would have happened?

[Mathgod]

A simple fix is to return the wild card round to a 1 game elimination. That way the teams with the bye aren't waiting for 4-5 days for their playoffs to start.

And change the bracketing so that the team with the #1 seed plays the team with the worst record among surviving teams, regardless of whether or not said team won their division.

The division series should be a best of 7 just like the championship series.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by Maritime Q-Scout

Rangers had what 33 blown saves this year? Give them a third of those and they're a 100 win team.

It's not like they snuck into the playoffs. The old format they'd have played game 163 vs Houston and who knows what would have happened?

They didn’t sneak in? They made it by half a game. Mariners almost took them out, just needed one more win in the last series of the year.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by Mathgod

A simple fix is to return the wild card round to a 1 game elimination. That way the teams with the bye aren't waiting for 4-5 days for their playoffs to start.

And change the bracketing so that the team with the #1 seed plays the team with the worst record among surviving teams, regardless of whether or not said team won their division.

The division series should be a best of 7 just like the championship series.

I do like this, although I would keep the 3 game playoff for the wildcard. In the 2nd round, give the team that had a bye a 1-0 lead in the best of 5 to offset the rustiness.

[Mathgod]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

I do like this, although I would keep the 3 game playoff for the wildcard. In the 2nd round, give the team that had a bye a 1-0 lead in the best of 5 to offset the rustiness.

The rustiness makes for ugly games and quick exits for teams that won 100+ games in the regular season. Giving them a 1-0 lead doesn't do anything to rectify the problem IMO.

The do-or-die 1 game playoff for the wildcard round makes for an exciting night of baseball. You didn't get a top-2 seed in your league, so here's a one game playoff for a chance to get into the final 8. I like it.