Rays-Rangers ALWC series

[Malike]

10 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

These managers go away from their starters so fast. 

Not Bochy, lol. He's riding his starters to stay out of the pen.

[Billy F-Face3]

The Rangers offense concerns me. Their entire lineup is built with power and contact and they can change the game in an instant with 1 stroke of the bat. 

Garcia had the 2nd most home runs in the entire American League. 

[scarey1999]

8 minutes ago, Billy F-Face3 said:

The Rangers offense concerns me. Their entire lineup is built with power and contact and they can change the game in an instant with 1 stroke of the bat. 

Garcia had the 2nd most home runs in the entire American League. 

I realize he had a HR today, but Garcia was awful in the 2nd half. Rangers fans down here were ready to get rid of him. 

But you’re right, scary offense when they are on. So is ours. 

[Moose Milligan]

3 hours ago, Sports Guy said:

 

Good. 

[Just Regular]

Both Jose Berrios and Yusei Kikuchi had very fine seasons, but today's events are a tough note to end on.

Zooming out, more waves from the Alek Manoah pool splash.

Its possible we'll do some of the same mad science with Means-Kremer-Gibson down in Texas if Bradish-Grayson go 1/2, and are both available for 5 if necessary.

[Billy F-Face3]

23 minutes ago, Just Regular said:

Its possible we'll do some of the same mad science with Means-Kremer-Gibson down in Texas if Bradish-Grayson go 1/2, and are both available for 5 if necessary.

I don't know what the analytics say, but a surface level glance suggests that Means starting in Camden Yards for game 2 might the better play. For several reasons:

1. Grayson had 1 start in Texas and 1 start in Oriole Park vs the Rangers. He was good in Texas, but struggled/failed to contain Home Runs in Camden Yards.

2. John Means is Left Handed, a fly ball pitcher, and he has a better chance of taking advantage of the left field wall in Baltimore.

But like I said, this is only at a glance.

I'm sure the Sigbot team will be able to determine the best strategy.

[Billy F-Face3]

I'm honestly more concerned about the Bullpen holding up than I am our starters.

[forphase1]

2 hours ago, Can_of_corn said:

 

I'd rather even a player like Odor gets a check over the owner just pocketing another 20M.

I do respect that some folks are in favor of the owners increasing their profits, even if I don't understand it.

I care about the game of baseball,  and not about which side pockets an extra $20M.  Fair or not,  we know what the players make while the actual profit or income of the owners is unknown or uncertain.  Plus,  for the most part, the players are who the fans know and see,  not really the owners.   I have never heard anyone say they quit following baseball because some nameless suit owner made an extra $20M, but I have heard frustrations and anger over a guy hitting under .200 while cashing a giant paycheck.  I do know folks who got so turned off at the huge money guaranteed to guys who don't perform that it has soured them on the MLB.  

Yes,  if a floor were used right,  to extend young talent and bring in good players, then it would help,  maybe.   But I'm afraid too often the tanking teams would simply overpay some mediocre vet on an absurd 1 year deal just to satisfy a number.   That does no good for anyone,  except the overpaid vet.   And could do more harm than good if it turns more folks off to baseball.   

If I had to choose between an owner pocketing that $20M or a Odor type getting it,  yes,  I'd rather it stay with the owner.   Not because they deserve it,  but because I think it's less damaging to the health of the sport overall.   

[Uli2001]

2 hours ago, Billy F-Face3 said:

The Rangers offense concerns me. Their entire lineup is built with power and contact and they can change the game in an instant with 1 stroke of the bat. 

Garcia had the 2nd most home runs in the entire American League. 

Good pitching and defense shuts down good hitting. Orioles have good SP. Do they have good defense and do they have good RP. Those are the questions.

[drjohnnyfever1]

The one team I really didn't want to see was the Rangers.  Alas, time to take a deep breath and lay some smack down.  I hope they leave their bats in Tampa.

[dystopia]

LOL this board is something else. A few days ago everyone almost unanimously said they’d rather face Texas than TB. 
 

 

[DrungoHazewood]

11 hours ago, Malike said:

I don't agree with the Scrooge thing either, but I've never been a fan of the Yankee way of buying championships, it rarely works, so we have that going for us I guess, which is nice.

 

 

11 hours ago, Can_of_corn said:

Sure, it rarely works.

Let 'em spend.

It rarely "works" because they crown the champion based on a small handful of short series between relatively closely matched teams, so that the odds of even a 110-win team ending up on top are far less than 50-50.

While there are exceptions like the Rays and the Mets, if you did a correlation between wins and payroll over multiple years it would be pretty high. I'm pretty sure over the last 25 years the Yanks have both the highest payroll and the most wins in the sport, and if not it's close. The Dodgers' recent regular season performances are dynastic, and that coincides with them surpassing the Yanks' payroll several times.

The issue I have with spending is that it papers over any number of shortcomings. You can win without a high payroll, but only if you're run extremely efficiently and you take full advantage of things like the discounts in young player salaries. But it's really hard to beat a well-run team that's flush with cash. Imagine if Angelos told Elias he could acquire anyone he wanted in July? The O's might have approached the late 60s, early 70s teams' win totals.

[drjohnnyfever1]

17 minutes ago, dystopia said:

LOL this board is something else. A few days ago everyone almost unanimously said they’d rather face Texas than TB. 
 

 

...I responded not wanting Texas.  Maybe I was the only one.

Edited October 5, 2023 by drjohnnyfever1

[Orange]

12 hours ago, Moose Milligan said:

Happy to see the Jays fold like the losers they are. 

Cito sucks.

[wildcard]

So it's probably the Rangers #3 Dunnning,  #4 Heaney, and #1 Montgomery  vs O's #1 Bradish,  #2 Means and #3 GRod.   GRod maybe pitching in his home state of Texas.