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The last twenty comments in true blog fasion, with the links to their authors and the player commented upon.
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New owner James running away with PCL.
The real action will be 3rd through 5th. I should probably tank the rest of the week and take 5th and the #1 pick in the draft, but I'm not very good at tanking.
Stars and Scrubs for James and he hasn't touched his reserve roster (still carrying 10 minor leaguers):
So where does the league and MLBPA stand on a new contract?
Are we exiting Armageddon (i.e. 2020) just to enter Hell (new contract needed in the offseason) or is there one more year left?
I wonder if finally "coming together" in July and having to work out kinks for the bubble will make it easier to get to the next deal or not.
Thoughts?
One thing I learned this year is if you're going to staff a bullpen to cover your closer, the proper move is this:
Roster closer.
Reserve roster set up guy.
Roster 7th inning guy.
Generally if the closer is resting so is the setup guy and then the 7th inning guy (Vincent in this case) gets the save not Boxberger.
Sorry, this is a shameless report of self-promotion of a very small success, that of course could be temporary.
In the Great Fantasy Baseball Invitational, which has about 350 teams competing in 15 team mixed 5x5 leagues and in a 350 team free for all, my season started slow. I was in the bottom third of the small league for most of the season and graduated into the middle third a couple of weeks ago. When I checked in today, to do waiver claims, I looked for my name and couldn't find it because I was in second place.
What made the difference? I can't tell. The hitting came around, as it should. I made some useful waiver buys. I'm still 20 odd points behind Pierre Camus and would need the rest of a real season to have a chance to catch him.
That isn't happening. But with a week left better to be in second than eighth. Good luck to all.
A great Met trade, but then again. D'Arnaud spent a lot of his Met time on the DL. And Syndergard is a romance novel: Teasing Thor.
And then head outside... I see what you mean.
Always dangerous to comment mid-game.
Perfect through four.
Hot tip from the Monkey:
September 20, 2020
Chicago Cubs – The Cubs bullpen suffered a big blow as Rowan Wick has been placed on the IL. Wick has been the most versatile member of the Cubs’ bullpen this season. Jason Adam, who hasn’t allowed an earned run yet in September, should see more time at the back-end of the Cubs’ bullpen.
Hierarchy remains: Jeffress | Kimbrel | Adam.
The Red Sox radio announcer in the second inning today: "I don't recall ever seeing a pitcher this small on a major league mound."
I'm not sure who he is but he's obviously young. Joe Castiglione, sitting next to him (where? probably not in Fenway), remembers Bobby Shantz.
A few pitches later, Chavis launches one over the Green Monster with a runner on.
Is the Yankees' ten-game winning streak in jeopardy? It could be with Houck on the mound.
The Monkey:
September 20, 2020
Tampa Bay Rays — The Rays have already clinched a playoff spot so maybe now they are trying to see if they can get each one of their relievers a save? It was Ryan Thompson’s turn on Saturday as he got the last two outs for the save. Thompson became the 12th Rays’ reliever to pick up a save this season. Aaron Loup and Sean Gilmartin are the only active relievers who haven’t recorded a save yet this season, but there is a week left to change that.
Hierarchy remains: *Anderson | Castillo | Drake.
* = closer-by-committee
D'Arnaud and Syndergaard for Dickey. Who says the Mets only make terrible transactions?*
They did release D'Arnaud several years later.
A catcher could win the batting title. This catcher.
The batting race in the NL comes down to Freddie Freeman (.359) and late-arriving Juan Soto (.349). Trea Turner (.338), Michael Conforto (.337), Travis d'Arnaud (.336) all have a shot as they round the final turn.
Freddy and Juan are also neck-and-neck in the OPS race (1.129, 1.172), but I would argue, even for young studs like these, the batting crown has more luster. Still.
With a week to go, there's a great battle between LeMahieu (.367) and defending champ Tim Anderson (.365) for the batting crown.
But I had no idea, until I sorted by AL qualifiers, who was third.
For future reference: Verdugo is batting .328 with a .390 BABIP.
I panicked when I saw he got hurt, but. I'm one save behind and several saves up. The guy in front of me has Rogers, Pressly, and Castillo. I have Hendricks, Dolis, and Pena (pulled from a save op after a clean 11 pitch 8th inning).....was I going to catch him anyway?
Likely not.
I don't want to be mean but his swing was just as ugly when he was 12.
New York Mets — Trade deadline acquisition and World Series-winning reliever Todd Frazier came through, again, with a spotless ninth inning for the Mets Friday night, including this filthy strikeout of Adam Duvall.
Hierarchy remains: Diaz | Wilson | Familia.
The trouble with this particular prediction by the Monkey is the Red Sox have to beat the Yankees.
VULTURE SAVE WATCH
Today:
1. Rowan Wick/Craig Kimbrel — Jeremy Jeffress has pitched in three out of four (64 total pitches).
2. Phillips Valdez — Ryan Brasier and Matt Barnes have each gone in four of six.
3. Hector Rondon/Travis Bergen — Stefan Crichton and Junior Guerra haven’t thrown a lot of pitches, but they’ve each appeared in three of four. The choice between Rondon and Bergen will likely hinge on whether righties or lefties are due up.
4, Zack Britton — Aroldis Chapman won’t pitch in three straight.
5. Brandon Workman — Hector Neris has appeared in four of five games.
6. Diego Castillo — Nick Anderson has pitched in three of four.
The Monkey one-ups me:
Tampa Bay Rays — If you somehow started Ryan Sherriff on your fantasy team yesterday — perhaps because your league makes you start four lefty relievers and also counts pitcher strikeouts against you — you’re a winner in Rays Save Roulette! The lefty Sherriff had the platoon advantage over two hitters, both of whom were pinch-hit for.
Hierarchy remains: *Anderson | Castillo | Drake.
* = closer-by-committee
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It does seem JD's twitch muscles are slowing down a bit.
Came to the plate yesterday sporting an 0-for-4, a batting average barely above the Mendoza Line. Watched Erc Kratz's fastball zip by at 75 mph for a strike. Ducked away from an errant 61 mph knuckled ball. Watched an unreachable 80 mph fastball for ball two. Fouled off an 82 mph heater up and in. Laid off a 64 mph knuckler down and away. Lofted the 3-2 pitch, an 82 mph four-seamer (Kratz might say it was a two-seamer) just over the Monster.
In the last 14 days, JD is slashing .136/.204/.273.