Look at Ray Ray Run

I like Engel but similarly to mccann, I think he's benefited big time from how they've used him. Playing him daily likely exposes him. At least his defense is there and with mazara having zero power somehow, you're not losing much offensively if at all.

I want a RF as much as anyone - I think based on my George Springer thread people know that. I just don't believe the sox will allow a weird year where they succeeded with him struggling to stop them from believing he can untap something with in a normal season. I hope I'm wrong, but I don't see it.

Some likely bad news for everyone; Mazara isn't going anything. They weren't going to let a 60 game season decide whether he could figure it out or not. They'll say these were challenging circumstances and he'll be back next year. The good news is I kind of agree with that thought process - for someone trying to implement change to his swing and etc, a 60 game season with no spring was not the best way to do it. The Sox will want to see what a full season looks like in a normal structure. It's also why they haven't stopped playing him. They are trying to make changes and the changes can't hold if he doesn't play.

People really need to look up Mike Cameron's career. He is likely the most underrated player in the last 30+ years of baseball. If Robert's floor is a 50 fWAR player, he's something else. For his 12 full years of games, Cameron averaged 4.2 fWAR per SEASON. 50.6 fWAR for his career. Cameron was a monster.

I think Frank and Chuck have been great; Ozzie has gotten better and stopped talking about himself so much, but he still doesn't offer much for me.

sames

honestly just feels like his timing is off. he's missed meatballs lately; just underneath them. it'll come back to him; not really being beat by any particular pitch.

Didn't matter. Ball was hit way too high. Where it came down is where he would have needed to get his glove to higher up. Unless he suspended himself on the wall he wasn't getting that. Meaning you couldn't catch it.

That almost looked like a hit and run and somehow grandal took a pitch down the dick.

I would be shocked if the first series in baseball involved the top seeds and was 3 games. There will be a wildcard round of some sort.

Baseball's problem has to do with access; they're entire profit model revolves around local television deals. The season is so long, the national contracts just don't matter as much. Baseball blacks itself out on streaming platforms locally and those local blackouts which effects certain parts of the country significantly, prevents people from watching their product. They don't market their stars because they know they're a regional/local game because they're entire viewership model revolves around that concept. By choice.. and design, as cable has funded the boom of the sport and tv contracts have made teams so much money. That said, it has ostracized the younger viewer who has gone off cable and gone towards the net to view games. They can't even watch their local or regional teams, so why bother having a team to root for?

If they go to 16, they could do the following. Seed 7-8 play a 3 game series in the Wild Card Round. (No days off, higher seed has homefield) Winner plays in the next round, which is a best of 5 round. 2-7 3-6 4-5 1 Seed has a bye - they get roughly 9 days off, which might be a lot but I think it's better than playing and players will adjust. Divisional Round best of 7 1 v Lowest Seed 3 v 4 I think that benefits the 1 seed a lot, but some would argue the time off is bad.

No, I just don't spend one second of my day worrying about the decisions people make regarding their tastes and enjoyments. Loud music at a gas station is hurting literally no one, and if it offends you that's a personal problem that you should deal with.... personally. Me? I don't feel the need to force the way I view and enjoy the world onto others because it's none of my business and they're free to enjoy their life as they wish. What a concept! I understand context just fine, thanks for being concerned. Amazing that you can throw names around and personal insults but you want to tell everyone else what is right and wrong.

He made 3 errors last night - got credited with only 1 though. But please, continue telling us about his defensive prowess. Jimmy has been great in his role. As good as it gets.

Wait, playing music loudly in your own car is disrespectful? Guy, you got a stick so far up your ass you're growing leaves out of your head. Worry less about what other people are doing and what they enjoy and more about your own self.

This was inevitable; not even sure why people thought otherwise. Once they made the change, they were never going back. I hope they make a change to the first round obviously. It would be laughable to play 162 games and then lose to an under .500 team in a 3 game series. I think it's likely they make that change and give some kind of reward to the division winners or top seeds but I just don't know how.

This is a fair point, but being seen can save parents money. This isn't about being a professional; this is, at it's core, about being seen and getting a college opportunity somewhere for most of these kids. Getting a scholarship - which for baseball likely sucks ha - and getting a chance at a college education.

You know that's easier said than done for smaller town kids though; for the big city kids who play in large conferences they can play other sports and they'll still get recognized. For some smaller town and high school kids, travel ball is their chance to get noticed in their eyes. Northern kids are already docked too much for the lack of "competition" in regular high school ball and travel ball; if you play somewhere small you take an even bigger hit.

Yeah, Jason Kendall used to do this most recently. I think the more fascinating thing Tim does is coming up out of his crouch on high pitches. Instead of moving his hands or pulling them in or up, he instead moves his body to keep his hands and swing on the same plane. That's really unique and not something you see; that takes a stupid level of athleticism and hand eye coordination.

For the 17th pick in the draft? Alexei Ramirez would be a home run result

That's the best part to me... Tim has been trying to tell people, and almost no one listened. All people did was try to tell him how he COULD and SHOULD succeed, but he was having none of that. He tried to tell you how he was going to succeed, and how much work he put in and etc and people just kept saying that won't work. Tim has had a better 162 game stretch than 99% of baseball players will ever have in their career... instead of people telling Tim how he should do things, they should shut up and watch and learn a thing or two. On this very board people were asking for a different lead off hitter 6 weeks ago! The unknown is scary, and being original means you're not really projectible yet but as a fan who has watched him everyday, isn't this why human scouts still exist? Watch the kid grow over the last three years, watch the work, the adjustments, the development and as Harold said... you'd know Elite athlete + elite makeup + elite work ethic = Superstar I'd add you need an elite tool in baseball as well, since athleticism can't save a leaky bat, but Tim always had that elite tool. The guy had no idea how to hit, what pitchers were doing, and he was still out there holding his own against professionals who had played the game for 15-20+ years. That said more than any number or walk rate.

We were thinking about the same guy at the same moment; I almost started a Tim Anderson thread but just bumped the MVP thread and the other TA thread instead. I should have started one like you, as should everyone! This guy is playing like the best damn baseball player on the planet. It's absurd. He talked, and now he's walking that walk. I am even surprised how great Tim has been, and I'm on record here saying he has the best and quickest hands I've ever seen. People have hands as quick, but no one in the games history have had faster hands/wrists than Anderson. He gets to start his bat so late he can do whatever he wants with the baseball.

Fangraphs might want to reconsider this one. ?

Tim is now leading the AL in fWAR despite missing games. He's also catching Tatis for the MLB lead despite having played 12 fewer games so far. On a rate basis, Tim Anderson has been the best player in baseball this year. Jose has been healthy and huge and likely will get the MVP over Tim, but Tim Anderson is the best damn player in the game right now. When you break models and you break systems, you truly become one of the GOATS. So much talent; such great hands. Let's go TA74MVP

Yeah, I'm a big proponent of this. When I was growing up, kids played multiple sports. Kids feel so much pressure today to play year round because they're scared they'll miss reps or being noticed. It's awful. When I was growing up I played with Kipnis and Bowden. Both guys played football and didn't play baseball year round. I think Kip was an all-state receiver, but I could be wrong on that. That shit helps I think it helps big time as well; you use other muscles and you allow your baseball body to heal a bit while strengthening the core around it. My favorite thing about Stiever is he played two sports - really well too - and he has grown into his pitchers body. He's really exciting because his arm doesn't have the drain and his velocity could continue to grow. Look at DeGrom for another example of a guy who came into velocity as a pro. Corey Kluber another guy who grew into his stuff. Those two went to freakin' STetson for god sakes.