Avi is terrible against RHP, so ideally he should never bat against them either.

 

Avi barley has 1000 PA under his belt. I'd like to see him get a chance to see if he can improve vs RHP before relegating him to a platoon role. I know ST stats are not particularly useful, but he did hit RHP well this spring so I think that at least earns him a chance.

 

Maybe Avi and Jackson could share the playing time vs RHP. If a high-K pitcher like Sale or Rodon is pitching, then maybe you can let Avi play in the OF and sit Jackson. If you have Danks or Latos pitching, then maybe you need Jackson more in the OF and sit Avi.

MLB Trade Rumors ‏@mlbtraderumors 24m24 minutes ago

 

#Pirates have officially struck a 5-year extension with Gregory Polanco. Read all about it: http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2016/04/pira...-extension.html …

Price is mowing down some Indians today with 10K through 6IP.

Good Kluber got rocked. We better rock him Sunday.

Jon Heyman ‏@JonHeyman 37m37 minutes ago

 

Polanco: 3M sign bonus, 1M '17, 3.5M '18, 5.5M '19, 8M '20, 11M '21. 12.5M option/3M buyout '22, 13.5M option/1M buyout '22

 

Are the Rays the first ever replay reversal walk off win?

Are the Rays the first ever replay reversal walk off win?

 

Stupid move by Bautista. His slide was clean, but he hooked the 2B as he went by him.

That was pretty dumb on Bautista's part and blatantly obvious.

That was pretty dumb on Bautista's part and blatantly obvious.

 

I'm surprised they called it in real time because I didn't notice it until replay.

That was the right call. Just dumb by Bautista.

What did he say after the game, that it was embarrassing to baseball or something?

 

Get over yourself dude, you grabbed a foot.

Stupid move by Bautista. His slide was clean, but he hooked the 2B as he went by him.

The rule is stupid as far as I'm concerned and there was no injury risk. All we are doing is adding yet another thing to use replay for (which I personally hate in baseball). Unless it can be pretty much instant (like tennis does with in / out or in baseball's case fair / foul), I just find it all absurd. I'm a big believer in the fact that over 162, things will even out and I'd only have replay in the playoffs, where one call can have a much bigger impact on a series given the smaller sample size of the series.

 

Game is already slow, we shouldn't be wasting time on replay in the regular season and while I think they should minimize true take out slides, going in hard and doing what Bautista did was a totally clean play. I realize people don't like subjective rules, but the rule should have been more subjective. You do what Utley did, rule it an out, but allow guys to go hard into the bag (without really doing much to take a guy out) should be clean and it shouldn't be reviewable, imo. Every freaking close play at 2nd base will get reviewed because some minor technicality can get it overturned.

 

Its freaking awful. And yes, I still hate the rule change they did for catchers too.

The rule is stupid as far as I'm concerned and there was no injury risk. All we are doing is adding yet another thing to use replay for (which I personally hate in baseball). Unless it can be pretty much instant (like tennis does with in / out or in baseball's case fair / foul), I just find it all absurd. I'm a big believer in the fact that over 162, things will even out and I'd only have replay in the playoffs, where one call can have a much bigger impact on a series given the smaller sample size of the series.

 

Game is already slow, we shouldn't be wasting time on replay in the regular season and while I think they should minimize true take out slides, going in hard and doing what Bautista did was a totally clean play. I realize people don't like subjective rules, but the rule should have been more subjective. You do what Utley did, rule it an out, but allow guys to go hard into the bag (without really doing much to take a guy out) should be clean and it shouldn't be reviewable, imo. Every freaking close play at 2nd base will get reviewed because some minor technicality can get it overturned.

 

Its freaking awful. And yes, I still hate the rule change they did for catchers too.

 

No, no it was not. He reached out and swept his hand under the fielders leg as he was throwing. Citing the slide rule was wrong, that was interference.

No, no it was not. He reached out and swept his hand under the fielders leg as he was throwing. Citing the slide rule was wrong, that was interference.

Yeah this had nothing to do with the slide rule, baserunners have never been allowed to grab the infielders. It was a good call.

No, no it was not. He reached out and swept his hand under the fielders leg as he was throwing. Citing the slide rule was wrong, that was interference.

 

 

Exactly, which is why it's annoying to hear these national media members on MLB XM rip this call. It was textbook interference. He went out of his way to reach out to grab the ankle. Jim Duquette this morning on XM was saying that Bautista's arm just happened to be there. My gosh...

 

 

I think the slide was perfectly fine until Bautista reached out to grab the ankle.

 

No, no it was not. He reached out and swept his hand under the fielders leg as he was throwing. Citing the slide rule was wrong, that was interference.

It is consistent with how I was taught to play the game and I fully think it is a solid play. It isn't as if the Rays were up in arms in protest either about it. They just figured, what the hell, why not. I'll give you that he probably shouldn't have reached out, but I like this style of play.

It is consistent with how I was taught to play the game and I fully think it is a solid play. It isn't as if the Rays were up in arms in protest either about it. They just figured, what the hell, why not. I'll give you that he probably shouldn't have reached out, but I like this style of play.

It's against the rules, this isn't about a style of play. You can't grab a fielder while he's trying to make a throw, and if you could it would be chaos.

 

I'm sure there will be a judgment call using the new slide rule that will make us all shake our heads, but this isn't the one.

Samardzija's first three batters of the season - walk, single, single. Picking up right where he left off with his first inning troubles.

Samardzija's first three batters of the season - walk, single, single. Picking up right where he left off with his first inning troubles.

He was especially awful in the first inning last season.

Samardzija's first three batters of the season - walk, single, single. Picking up right where he left off with his first inning troubles.

 

On a side note, for all the talk about the Giants pitching in that park, I am impressed with some of the bats they have developed. Everyone knows Posey, but their infield with Panik, Duffy, Crawford is just outstanding, and Belt has got some talent too.

On a side note, for all the talk about the Giants pitching in that park, I am impressed with some of the bats they have developed. Everyone knows Posey, but their infield with Panik, Duffy, Crawford is just outstanding, and Belt has got some talent too.

 

That lineup has serious depth, especially if Pagan remembers how to hit the baseball.

Jon Tayler ‏@JATayler 4m4 minutes ago

 

Jeff Samardzija today: 60 pitches, four swings and misses.

 

Byrnes and Russo got heard about that slide on Russo's show. It was entertaining. If they were in the same room, they may have had to been pulled apart.

Edited April 6, 201610 yr by Brian

f*** Samardzija. He's terrible. Had a terrible spring and picking up where he left off.

Wonder who he will blame this year