The 2019 M. L. B. Season Thread

[Channel98]

The Tripod website has a page of statistics on passed balls. One catcher had five passed balls in a single inning. Another had 12 in his first major league appearance – and, not surprisingly, he never played another game in the majors. On average – I did the math – each team has 331 passed balls per season.

Encyclopedia of Baseball Catchers - Passed Balls

members.tripod.com

 

[semipenguin]

Someone has already stolen 1st base before.

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

Someone has already stolen 1st base before.

Either by a bad umpire call or strikeout (strikeouts are not really stealing).

 

[Channel98]

Umpire? Did somebody mention an umpire?

Yankees' Boone ejected, directs profane rant at rookie umpire

 

[semipenguin]

Angels Pitcher Tyler Skaggs Died of ‘Alcohol, Fentanyl and Oxycodone Intoxication,’ Choked on His Vomit

 

[Channel98]

Attention, Baltimore Orioles manager Brandon Hyde: Keep your cellphone close by.

Chicago Cubs fire Joe Maddon after 5 seasons, World Series title

The Chicago Cubs on Sunday announced manager Joe Maddon will not be returning to the team, making the announcement prior to the team's final game of the year, a loss against the St. Louis Cardinals.

www.foxnews.com

Pittsburgh Pirates fire manager Clint Hurdle, keep GM Neal Huntington - UPI.com

The Pittsburgh Pirates fired manager Clint Hurdle and retained general manager Neal Huntington.

www.upi.com

Angels fire manager Brad Ausmus; Joe Maddon expresses interest in job

The Angels fired manager Brad Ausmus after one season. Joe Maddon, a longtime Angels coach who took the Cubs to a World Series title, is interested.

www.latimes.com

 

[semipenguin]

We need a 2019-2020 Hot Stove thread.

 

[semipenguin]

Postseason Bracket Challenge

 

[hwkn]

I picked the Brewers to win the world series in the bracket challenge[Milwaukee hasn't won since 1957 when they were the Braves so they're due]

 

[Channel98]

The Orioles haven't – yet – fired their manager as I expected but they would. The Mets, however.......

Mets fire manager Mickey Callaway after two disappointing seasons

 

[Channel98]

Despite his poor management of pitchers in do-or-die playoff games – Yu Darvish vs. Houston in 2017, Rich Hill vs. Boston in 2018, Clayton Kershaw vs. Washington in 2019 – Dave Roberts will return as Dodgers manager in 2020. The Phillies' manager, however.......

Gabe Kapler fired as Phillies manager under weight of losses and leadership issues

Less than two years after pulling on a crisp, red Phillies cap and proclaiming that he was here to “bring that effing trophy back to John Middleton,” Gabe Kapler is out as Phillies manager. The hard-working but polarizing skipper was fired Thursday, 11 days after his second season ended. He...

www.nbcsports.com

 

[semipenguin]

Angels reps aware of Skaggs' drug use, DEA told

Kay told DEA investigators that hours before Skaggs' death in July, Skaggs was in his Southlake Hilton hotel room and texted Kay to visit him, according to a source familiar with what Kay told the DEA. Kay also told investigators that Skaggs snorted three lines of crushed opioids in front of him, the sources said. Kay recognized that two of the lines could have been crushed oxycodone, but the third was not a substance he recognized, the sources said. Kay said he did not take any drugs despite being offered them by Skaggs, the sources said, because he was on a medication that would have negated the effects.

 

[semipenguin]

I hope Arte Moreno loses the team.

I bet other teams have players hooked on opioids. They just haven't been caught yet.

Josh Hamilton was doing cocaine for years. Even after he came forward the first time.

 

[Channel98]

Last month, MLB announced plans to get rid of minor league teams in Erie, Ogden, Billings, Missoula, Chattanooga, Staten Island and 36 other cities and move several teams to other leagues. Thousands of people would lose their jobs. Yesterday, MLB released a list of the teams slated for elimination:

More Details Emerge on MLB’s Assault on Hometown Baseball | Ballpark Digest

We’re seeing more information about MLB League Baseball’s plan on contracting 42 MiLB teams and overhauling player development.

ballparkdigest.com

Today, 104 members of Congress are urging Commissioner Rob Manfred to call a halt to the majorly mean, massively malevolent minor-league massacre.

Congress urges MLB to scrap minor league overhaul in bipartisan letter

 

[HecticArt]

Aw man. I would have liked to get a few T-Shirts before those teams went away. Florida Fire Frogs? Vermont Lake Monsters?