2024 MLB season

[jaylach]

I agree 100%. They've done a great job filling the gaps. I just meant it gives another young player an opportunity to take advantage of and get some work he otherwise woukdnt have. That's speeds up the development process when you have to face the best and figure out how to beat them.

Oh, of course.but I have to question what was done with Shane Bieber. Of course this is not likely to ever happen but let's say that you go through a season with zero pitching injuries. In such a situation your ace pitcher is going to have a bit over 35 starts in a five man rotation allowing for days the team does not play increasing the 'rest time' between games. Bieber started having tendon issues in his throwing elbow in 2022 and missed some games but not a lot yet his effectiveness was lessened. In 2023 he only had 21 starts and, when he did start, he was even less effective than in 2022. Now, in 2024, he is out for the season after two starts needing surgery. What I question is that such an elbow tendon is just about always going to result in surgery so why not do it when the problem started in 2022? Eventually it is going to be surgery anyway.

Once again Cleveland refuses to lose today. Oh wait, they got rained out... does that count as to not losing?

 

[Ceez]

Oh, of course.but I have to question what was done with Shane Bieber. Of course this is not likely to ever happen but let's say that you go through a season with zero pitching injuries. In such a situation your ace pitcher is going to have a bit over 35 starts in a five man rotation allowing for days the team does not play increasing the 'rest time' between games. Bieber started having tendon issues in his throwing elbow in 2022 and missed some games but not a lot yet his effectiveness was lessened. In 2023 he only had 21 starts and, when he did start, he was even less effective than in 2022. Now, in 2024, he is out for the season after two starts needing surgery. What I question is that such an elbow tendon is just about always going to result in surgery so why not do it when the problem started in 2022? Eventually it is going to be surgery anyway.

Once again Cleveland refuses to lose today. Oh wait, they got rained out... does that count as to not losing?

The fans that bought tickets lost

 

[jaylach]

The fans that bought tickets lost

I hear that but.... I don't know how the Twins handle such things but, in Cleveland, unless things have changed, the ticket for the postponed game is still valid for the makeup game later in the season. At least when I left the Cleveland area a fan had the choice to either get a refund or apply the ticket to the makeup game.

 

[jaylach]

Here is one for any that have gone to MLB games... or watch on the tube Today is the home opener for Cleveland. They are ahead 4-0 in the 6th BTW. Anyway I started to think about the best opener I was ever at and can't think of any that beat the 1975 season. In September of the previous year they acquired Frank Robinson from the Angels for a $20,000 USD waiver price. In the off season he was named player/manager for 1975. Before the start of the 1975 season Cleveland traded with the Dodgers for Boog Powell. In the 1975 home opener both Powell and Robinson hit home runs. I can't think of a better opener.

Anyone else have a favorite opener?

LOL! As a side note the Cleveland area is pretty big on baseball and football. I remember when I was in grade school you were excused from school if you could show a ticket for the home opener for baseball without it even counting as an absence. Nothing like that for football as, at that time, all football games were on Sunday.

Yea, game over and Cleveland is now 8-2 winning 4-0. Great start especially since this was their first home game. In 10 games Cleveland's left fielder Kwan (already with gold gloves in both his first 2 seasons) has 5-6 multi hit games and Cleveland pitching already has at least 3 shutouts. Of course this play won't last all season but, right now, it is fun.

 

[Fishmanic]

Red sox beat angels yesterday 12 to 2. Red sox are 7 wins 3 losses. Maybe there’s hope for them this year after a dismal season last year. Home opener is tomorrow at 2 pm vs Orioles.

 

[Ceez]

Ohtani is starting to hit. 3-4 today with 2 doubles and a homer his 2nd of the season. Mookie is finally coming back to earth but his on base % is still sky high. Outmans been hitting line drives everywhere there's a glove this first part of the season and today he finally connected and went deep.

Defense looks suspect, dodgers already have 10 errors on the season. 2nd, short and 3rd base are all minus positions unless Rojas gets the start at short. They're gonna give up crucial runs that will lose them games this season. I'd put Betts at 2nd base so he can stay in the infield and Rojas as starting shortstop. Lux can't hit the broad side of a barn with a beach ball, I think Johnny Damon had a better arm and more accurate.

On a brighter note Buehler comes back this weekend for his 1st start and that should shore up some innings for the starting staff. The bullpen has been great so far. Hudson is throwing darts. Dustin May is supposed to return middle of the season-ish so hopefully godwilling the starting staff will be good heading into the postseason

 

[jaylach]

Red sox beat angels yesterday 12 to 2. Red sox are 7 wins 3 losses. Maybe there’s hope for them this year after a dismal season last year. Home opener is tomorrow at 2 pm vs Orioles.

The 4 game Cleveland/Boston series starting Monday the 15th could be interesting. Actually Cleveland and Boston will play 7 times over 11 days.

LOL! I guess I forgot to click post on the above yesterday as it was still pending being posted so I'll just add the following...

I'm not real happy with how Cleveland is playing the White Sox right now as both yesterday and today they went down 5-0 early. Yesterday they came back to tie it up but ended up losing 7-5. Right now, in the 4th, Cleveland has come back to make it 5-3 so they MAY pull it out. What I find interesting is that Cleveland has Josh Naylor at 1st base and Bo Naylor catching, ya, they are brothers. It is a bit unusual to have brothers playing on the same MLB team but, even more unusual, is having Cleveland's 3 runs coming from these brothers hitting home runs in the same inning. Even odder is that they also did this last year with homers in the same inning.

 

[jaylach]

Well it took an extra inning but, the now, 9-3 Cleveland team pulled it out and it was the same Bo Naylor that kicked in the walk-off run. This is something that I've loved about Cleveland baseball over the last several years; they just don't know how to quit. Mayhaps it is due to being such a young team or management... probably a combination of both. Tonight they were down 5-0 and came back to tie ending in a 10th inning. The thing is that the Sox took a 6-5 lead in the top of the 10th inning. Many teams would then consider it a loss but the Young Cleveland players know no quit and come back with 2 in the bottom of the 10th for the win.

A bit of a gauntlet now starts... 7 games against Boston in 11 days with a three game series with the Yankees before. A bit of a break with a 3 game series against the A's between the Boston series but then they finish the month with series against Atlanta and Houston. I'd call that a bit of a gauntlet.

 

[jaylach]

Sigh, I was so looking forward to Cleveland (9-3) against the Yankees (10-3) today but, alas, it was rained out. At least, weather permitting, I'll get a double header tomorrow.

 

[Fishmanic]

Red Sox vs LA. Sox losing 7-0 at the top of the 7th. With a record of 7 wins and six losses and another loss tonight, they are starting to look like the team of last year…where they finished last.

 

[jaylach]

Sigh, not a fun double header for Cleveland against the Yankees. Cleveland lost both games. First game was close at 3-2 but Cleveland got spanked in the second game 8-2...

 

[jaylach]

Thought the Yankees were going to sweep Cleveland today but Cleveland came back after giving up 2 in the top of the 10th scoring 3 in the bottom. An 8-7 score doesn't sound like it but the Cleveland defense won this one.

 

[jaylach]

Still looking good for Cleveland early on at 12-5. Beat Boston 6-0 Monday and won 10-7 Tuesday in 11 innings. +38 on run differential and 9-2 on the road. The defensive play has been amazing and I'm sure often shown on highlights. Actually a record of 12-5 is pretty impressive as they have only had 6 home games.

 

[jaylach]

Well Cleveland is now 14-6 with a road record of 10-3 and a run differential of +45 in their favor. Their record of 4-3 at home is a bit of a concern but then they have only played 7 home games while playing 13 on the road. The bullpen has an ERA of 2.29, This is their best start since 1999.

While I have always loved Tito as the manager, Stephen Vogt, the new manager after Tito's retirement, has seemed to bring a different offensive look as is indicated by their being +45 in run differential. I could be totally off base but I think that Tito became too offensively conservative after the 7th World Series loss to the Cubs in 2016. It just seemed that he went totally small ball disregarding batters with excellent averages with runners in scoring position and going for the bunt to move the runners instead of letting the high RBI batter to hit. I can't even remember who Cleveland was playing but José Ramírez came up with bases loaded and no outs and Tito had him bunt. Ended up with a double play at home and first and Cleveland ended up not scoring a run in the inning. I LOVE small ball but Cleveland has too much offense for it to be the normal approach, just too many players that hit extra bases often.

Don't get me wrong as, even with such a great start, I sort of feel like I'm waiting for the ball to drop. After all didn't Tampa start 13-0 last year then go nowhere? Just, right now, Cleveland baseball is REALLY fun.

 

[jaylach]

Am I posting too much about Cleveland here... now 17-6,,,? It is just like it has been 5 days since anyone else has posted here other than myself. If I'm ranting about Cleveland too much just say so and I will back off.