Comments
The last twenty comments in true blog fasion, with the links to their authors and the player commented upon.
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“It was a content feeling, just like: The job is done, we won, we won our race, and it’s over.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/28/sports/baseball/dodgers-win-world-series.html
“It’s a team, man. We all want that moment, but Julio was throwing the ball really well. It’s awesome. I feel like I’m a true Dodger now.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/28/sports/baseball/dodgers-win-world-series.html
"Refreshing candor" is offered by Nick Anderson.
But let's say Anderson was feeling at the top of his game and had been pitching that way? Kevin Keirmaier has the rebuttal to that.
“I don’t really care what the numbers say, third time through the order or whatever, there weren’t many guys making contact in general, and no hard contact whatsoever."
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/28/sports/baseball/kevin-cash-blake-snell-world-series-game-6.html
It's not a horror film. Yet. All depends on what happens.
https://nypost.com/2020/10/28/justin-turner-recklessly-defied-mlb-security-after-dodgers-win/
Snell's somewhat resurgent season was built at least partly on the quick hook. It seemed to me that's what led to Cash's decision. Craig Edwards has evidence, two pitches, that indicate there was evidence.
https://blogs.fangraphs.com/a-defense-of-kevin-cash-pulling-blake-snell-in-the-world-series/
I read this after sending Alex a trade offer I thought we had to consider in the XFL, a mixed dynasty-sort-of league we've been playing in the last 17 years. Maybe 18.
We've had a first division team for the past six or seven years, but haven't put together a year where both the hitting and pitching clicked. Some of our stars, Trout and Freeman, are getting older with prices that are now fine but not great.
The question: Should we trade No. 1 Yankee prospect Jasson Dominguez, who probably won't show for 2 or 3 years, for decently priced Arenado and okay priced Mike Clevinger.
I'm more sanguine about Arenado, but Clevinger's season ending with elbow discomfort makes me say, nah.
Still, I wonder if there will be enough in the auction on Nov 14 to fill out our team.
Kolten Wong (2B) - Oct. 28
https://www.rotowire.com/baseball/player.php?id=761320
President John Mozeliak announced Wednesday the Cardinals declined Wong's $12.5 million club option for 2021, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.
ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The 30-year-old has spent the entirety of his career with the Cardinals since being selected during the first round of the 2011 draft, but he'll head to free agency with the team deciding to pay the $1 million buyout rather than pick up the 2021 option. Wong had a career-worst .676 OPS with only seven extra-base hits in 208 plate appearances during the shortened season, though he continues to be a plus-defender at second base after winning the Gold Glove in 2019. Mozeliak indicated the door is open for Wong to return to St. Louis, but for now he'll hit the open market.
Daniel Murphy (1B) - Oct. 28
https://www.rotowire.com/baseball/player.php?id=761307
Murphy became a free agent Wednesday after the Rockies declined his $12 million team option for 2020.
ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Murphy will receive a $6 million buyout, meaning the contract he signed with Colorado after the 2018 season was effectively a two-year, $30 million deal. As the Rockies' decision to decline the 2021 option suggests, Murphy failed to meet expectations during his time in Colorado, providing a .269/.316/.426 slash line (77 wRC+) over 610 plate appearances. Since he's viewed primarily as a first baseman at this stage in his career and is set to turn 36 years old in April, Murphy might have to settle for a minor-league deal this winter if he wants to continue playing.
Junior Guerra (P) AZ - Oct. 28
https://www.rotowire.com/baseball/player.php?id=761309
General manager Mike Hazen said Wednesday that the Diamondbacks won't exercise Guerra's $3.5 million team option for 2021, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.
ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Though his option was declined, Guerra is arbitration-eligible, so he'll tentatively remain under club control. The Diamondbacks will have until Dec. 2 to decide whether to tender Guerra a contract for the 2021 season or to remove him from the 40-man roster. The 35-year-old was one of the few reliable arms in a porous Arizona bullpen this season.
Corey Kluber (P) - Oct. 28
https://www.rotowire.com/baseball/player.php?id=761305
The Rangers don't intend to exercise Kluber's (shoulder) $18 million team option for 2021, making him a free agent, T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com reports.
ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Kluber will receive a $1 million buyout as he heads to the open market. After missing nearly all of his final season in Cleveland in 2019 with a broken arm and an oblique injury, Kluber was dealt to Texas last December with the expectation that he would solidify the top of the Rangers' rotation. Instead, he endured another injury-ruined season, as he was diagnosed with a Grade 2 right shoulder strain in late July after what ended up being his only appearance of 2020. Since he avoided shoulder surgery, the 34-year-old should be fully healthy in advance of spring training, but he'll likely have to settle for a low-cost, prove-it deal this winter on the heels of back-to-back lost years.
Howie Kendrick (2B) - Oct. 28
https://www.rotowire.com/baseball/player.php?id=761314
The Nationals declined Kendrick's $6.5 million team option for 2021 on Wednesday, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Kendrick and the Nationals came to terms last winter on a one-year contract that included a mutual option for 2021, but Washington elected not to renew their side of the deal. The 37-year-old will pocket $2.25 million in a buyout, and he could end up re-signing with Washington this winter if the team views him an ideal right-handed option off the bench. He appeared in only 25 games during the abbreviated 2020 campaign due to back and hamstring injuries, slashing .275/.320/.385 over 100 plate appearances.
Robinson Chirinos (C) - Oct. 28
https://www.rotowire.com/baseball/player.php?id=761315
The Mets will decline Chirinos' $6.5 million team option for 2021, making him a free agent, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.
ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: New York heads into the offseason without either of its top two catchers from 2020 on the 40-man roster, as Wilson Ramos also had his $10 million team option declined. After coming over in a Aug. 31 trade with the Rangers, Chirinos and Ramos essentially split work behind the plate over the final month of the season.
Thx for the link! During the summer of 1974, my Dad (Navy @ Pentagon) got orders to "Stockton, California" ... where's that? "It's near Oakland" ... "Yea! I'm going to run on the field when the A's win their 3rd World Series in a row!!!" ... and I did! ... and I wasn't alone! :-)
Joel Sherman today:
For the Dodgers the symbols of their last two championships are Kirk Gibson limping around the bases and Kevin Cash walking out of a dugout.
https://nypost.com/2020/10/28/kevin-cashs-mind-boggling-blake-snell-move-gave-dodgers-title/
Mookie was great but Julio was the key.
Great World Series. Great, great season, truly.
I remember the riot on the field when the Mets won the first time, and the dogs coming out for the Phillies in 1980. This excellent story fills in a lot of blanks between and before, not so much after.
https://slate.com/culture/2020/10/world-series-fans-rush-field-baseball-tradition-lost.html?via=section_features
He had a 2.29 FIP and 3.80 xFIP.
Translation: if he keeps the ball in the park, he'll do just fine.
re: the Giants have the best park in baseball ... here's a fun fact about Oracle Park that I didn't know until this morning ...
The Curse of Coogan's Bluff is said to have been ended in 2008, when the Eddie Grant plaque was installed on the tower in right field at Oracle Part ... who knew? :-)
It's almost unanimous: the Giants have the best park in baseball.
https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/30173736/our-impressions-globe-life-field
I agree.
Not that I've ever set foot in Globe Life, here's where I most strenuously disagree.
What's your favorite thing about the ballpark? Your least favorite thing?
Gonzalez: My favorite part is the fence height: 8 feet is perfect.
I hate low fences! Too many hits bounce over them. High fences, in addition to keeping the ball in play, force the outfielder to make a tough decision: Do I go to the wall and jump, with a big penalty when I miss?
And the fence height should change as you go around. The more extreme the better. Fenway Park is not too extreme.
Again, I've never been there, but I suspect I would agree with Passan's answer to the second part of the question.
Passan: Least favorite: I mean, from above, the place looks like what would happen if a Costco and a barn had a baby.
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The NL won two more games than the AL this season.