2021 MLB Season Thread

[looooob]

Dave van Horne is hanging up his microphone


The English language voice of the Montreal Expos (and hence my childhood) for 30+ years before moving on to call for the Marlins


One of his long time partners in the Expos booth, Ken Singleton also retired at the end of the year. Dave and Duke and Dave and Ken were always in the background in our living room



from Up, up and away to El Presidente, El Perfecto ..one of the greats


https://www.mlb.com/news/dave-van-ho...m-broadcasting

[bluejays]

I thought I read Jim Van Horne. I thought he long retired. Then I clicked the link and it was a different guy.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Bonds and Clemens look like they might make it on their final HOF ballot.

Edit: Nope, just came up short. Ortiz is in with PEDs though so hey...

[bluejays]

Bonds, McGuire, Clemens and Sosa were the faces of it during their time. I completely feel their arrogance afterwards about not admitting fault has brought them to where they are today.


On the other hand, the Bonds/McGuire/Sosa era of HRs was absolutely exploited by MLB, probably so much so that it made the league IMO, the talk of everything during that HR chase. I can't remember a bigger season in modern day than that year. MLB fully knowing what was going on, now throws those guys to the garbage bin when they benefited and as an organization were to blame as much. Who's to say their PEDs didn't help with their muscle recovery? Surely each of them were very talented but HOF calibre without it? We'll never know. They do deserve to make it in the HOF for the conceited, I'll give them that much.

[calculoso]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

Bonds and Clemens look like they might make it on their final HOF ballot.

Edit: Nope, just came up short. Ortiz is in with PEDs though so hey...

IMO the difference is that Bonds and Clemens seem extremely arrogant, cocky, etc, whereas Ortiz seems very personable, friendly, etc.
Big Papi’s personality was the big difference

[Senator Clay Davis]

Originally Posted by calculoso

IMO the difference is that Bonds and Clemens seem extremely arrogant, cocky, etc, whereas Ortiz seems very personable, friendly, etc.
Big Papi’s personality was the big difference

Oh no doubt, but then change the name to the "Hall of Congeniality", because at a minimum Bonds was twice the player Ortiz was, and probably close to three times the player. Like Fleury said MLB was more than happy to exploit the juicers for ratings and money.

[nfotiu]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

Oh no doubt, but then change the name to the "Hall of Congeniality", because at a minimum Bonds was twice the player Ortiz was, and probably close to three times the player. Like Fleury said MLB was more than happy to exploit the juicers for ratings and money.

It's not MLB keeping them out of the HOF though. MLB has kept all their records, and there weren't even rules against PEDs at the time.

i don't like rewarding PED users, but there was to be several PED users in the hall, and seems kind of silly to keep the big guys out just because they got too good with the steroids? PEDs are fine, just don't use them to break any sacred records, and be a nice guy and its all fine seem to be the message the HOF voters are sending.

[looooob]

I'm nearly obsessed about the baseball HOF but I have strangely little strong feelings one way or another on Bonds and Clemens- other than to acknowledge they were elite players and inner circle talents even before what appears to be the onset (or escalation) of their PED use. I get part of the confusion is that they are flagbearers for a group of other guys with also Hall worthy eye popping stats that maybe you are trying to keep out of Cooperstown because they likely weren't all that good


I have little doubt they eventually get in via some mechanism (the other 'veteran' committees have picked up the pace in inducting recently more so that the writers) the writer group is too large to all wrangle into a single opinion and there were just too many objectors to ever win over before their windows closed

[Plett25]

Charlie Hustle also belongs in Cooperstown.



I think the solution is to induct Rose, Bonds, Clemens, McGwire and Sosa posthumously.

[REDVAN]

I've read some damning stuff about Clemens and Bonds about off-field behaviors... I'm pretty sure that's why they aren't in, and not to do with their PED use.

[sleepingmoose]

Of course it's partly about having a great career, but in the end, it all just comes down to how much the Baseball Writers like you. They like Big Papi, so he's in. They feel that Bonds and Clemons lied to them, so the writers are punishing them in return. Some don't even hide it. It's a middle school dance.

[carmenshoes]

What are the chances the MLB season is canceled?

[nfotiu]

Originally Posted by carmenshoes

What are the chances the MLB season is canceled?

It's an odd dynamic. They are not far apart on the actual negotiation points, but they hate each other and don't seem to want to talk or act like they care if they play this year. Probably a month delay and a 120ish game season is what my guess would be.

[Samonadreau]

For us cable cutters that don't hear the latest, whats going on with the CBA talks?

[KelVarnsen]

How does cutting cable prevent you from reading news?

[dirk diggler]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

Oh no doubt, but then change the name to the "Hall of Congeniality", because at a minimum Bonds was twice the player Ortiz was, and probably close to three times the player. Like Fleury said MLB was more than happy to exploit the juicers for ratings and money.

Barry Bonds was an MVP winner prior to the PED's. I believe without the PED's, he was still a hall of famer talent as was Clemens. Agree, it is their personality that truly kept them out.

[Harry Lime]

Potential movement on the new CBA.

League Baseball has agreed to the universal designated hitter, commissioner Rob Manfred announced on Thursday. The move ends the National League’s 48-year run that forced pitchers to take at-bats.

Pending official approval from the Players Association, MLB also agreed to eliminate draft-pick compensation for signing free agents who decline qualifying offers. In the previous, now expired CBA, teams would receive an extra draft pick when their free agent player, who was extended a one-year qualifying offer, walked away to another club. Conversely, the team that signed that free agent player with the qualifying offer attached would lose its second-highest draft pick, plus $500,000 in international signing pool space.

https://www.nydailynews.com/sports/b...pbi-story.html

[mrkajz44]

It's progress, but those seems like minor items. The big things still need to be figured out (revenue sharing, service time manipulation, etc) and at this point we are pretty close to being sure the season will be delayed / reduced at least somewhat. Pitchers and catchers are supposed to report next week with Spring Training gain starting in about 2 weeks. Doesn't sound like there is much time to figure it out.

[troutman]

I don’t like the DH!

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by troutman

I don’t like the DH!

You're old!


In the past yeah, but now pitchers don't go past 5 innings.


Just think of all the by-the-book intentional walks to #8 hitters, sacrifice bunts, failed sacrifice bunts leading to strikeouts, and pinch-hitting by below-average position players (who are still better at hitting than pitchers) that will get missed.

But, yeah, we'll miss out on some AL manager ####ing up a double-switch once every three years.

Starting pitchers may even pitch a little longer because they don't automatically get lifted for a pinch-hitter someone is on base.