OFFICIAL MLB 2022 THREAD

[alias_rice]

I saw a cool stat today, Tony Gwynn had a lifetime 2 strike batting average of .302!

[ex-powderbroker]

69 war for his career.

[Supermoon]

Nice

[ex-powderbroker]

[ex-powderbroker]

Does anyone feel other than that the Twins fleeced the Marlins?

Arraez is a nice player (even if he sits against lefties for the batting title which made sense because his splits suck (.685 / .825) but the Marlins gave up a real good pitcher, a top prospect SS, and a throw-in.

The Marlins ask from the Yanks was Gleyber and the top 2 in the farm and then they just gave him away + talent for a very comparable player? What a weird organization.

Twins should be a pretty hot pick in the central next year, they were in first for a lot of last season before they completely faded into oblivion.

[BmillsSkier]

Ahem, before the Guards absolutely buried them in head to head matchups and a run of divisional wins.

Demoralized is the word most used after a late season 4 game set iirc.

[BmillsSkier]

Scott Rolen, welcome to Cooperstown.

And joined by... no one else.

[irul&ublo]

Ok….time to start 2023

[ex-powderbroker]

Ahem, before the Guards absolutely buried them in head to head matchups and a run of divisional wins.

Demoralized is the word most used after a late season 4 game set iirc.

idk, they were 5-5 before dropping 8 of 9. weird shit happens sometimes. i wouldn't be surprised if minnesota closed the gap at least a little this winter.

A lot of people are somewhat enraged about Jones not getting in to the HOF. I think I had previously supported his candidacy, but after looking at some more numbers I guess you have to put Kenny Lofton in first. He didn't get all the meaningless gold gloves (only 4) because Griffey stole them with a couple of flashy grabs (Lofton trounced him on dWAR for his career). Lofton also got on base at a much higher clip than Jones, stole bases, and played an elite defense too.

So I'm not against putting Jones in, but the process is flawed if Kenny doesn't get in as well.

[BmillsSkier]

idk, they were 5-5 before dropping 8 of 9. weird shit happens sometimes. i wouldn't be surprised if minnesota closed the gap at least a little this winter.

No doubt weird shit happens. If it didn't we wouldn't be enjoying the start of our second decade of Tito at the helm. But I gotta just highlight exactly where the Guardos buried the Twins last year; I remember that run like someone just stomped on the gas pedal to the finish. That series sweep in MIN when they were tied or a game apart and CLE didn't look back all year. Same with the ChiSox.

[ex-powderbroker]

Cleveland had arms and went 13-6 in one run games and Minnesota was near the bottom at 5-10. Minnesota clearly fell apart in the second half, was that their true talent level? i have no clue. I can see why people in Cleveland would be confident but Minnesota got some more pitching, Buxton will play a few more games hopefully, and maybe it's closer this season.

Sounds like the white sox are gonna be missing a pitcher soon too.

[BmillsSkier]

Don't think I'm not looking over their shoulders (it's second nature for a CLE fan) at MIN and CHI, but yeah really disappointing news about Cleavinger today; didn't figure that guy for an abuser but you never know what someone does when they're not in the public (or non-public) eye.

I'm hopeful though. Tito, strong arms led by Cy Bieber and Closer of the Year Clase, Jose, 3 gold gloves, and a couple nice offseason additions that should upgrade spots of need. They do what the Guards (Tribe) have always done; spend wisely, grow talent, spend big when the window is open. I think 90+ wins with 17 rookies tells me the window has just reopened.

Baseball has a way of telling though...

[BmillsSkier]

If Scott Rolen is a hall of famer then Jose Ramirez is well on his way to Cooperstown.

[Woodsy]

Scott Rolen, welcome to Cooperstown.

And joined by... no one else.

The hall of pretty good needed more

[Brock Landers]

The hall of pretty good needed more

Dont get me started.

[ex-powderbroker]

The hall of pretty good needed more

https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.as...date=&enddate=

Really? He seems pretty in the mix to me.

Ramirez is definitely on the way.

[Brock Landers]

Definition of very good. Decent stretch 98-04. Outside that, dime a dozen. Solid starter. He was so good he landed 4th in the MVP race once and top 20 2 other times.

He DID have a fuckin cannon right arm.

[Supermoon]

Definition of very good. Decent stretch 98-04. Outside that, dime a dozen. Solid starter. He was so good he landed 4th in the MVP race once and top 20 2 other times.

He DID have a fuckin cannon right arm.

We shouldn’t let him in until he throws a ball over that them there mountain.

[ex-powderbroker]

Definition of very good. Decent stretch 98-04. Outside that, dime a dozen. Solid starter. He was so good he landed 4th in the MVP race once and top 20 2 other times.

He DID have a fuckin cannon right arm.

So he was elite for a peak of time and pretty good for a long time. There just aren't a lot of 3b that meet that qualification.

the voting is just something to bicker about anyway. Kenny Lofton getting bounced year 1 and Andruw Jones going in, for instance.

I guess the arguing could be stemmed if we approach it like you do and just make an insanely high bar and get rid of Ortiz, Rice, and the future guys that will easily surpass their careers by just enough and definitely the Morris / Schilling types.

Not Moose because he was pretty much the best pitcher ever.

[Brock Landers]

NOT elite. Pretty decent. One year placed 4th.

Im a YES on Jim RIce. Too many years as the most feared slugger in the AL. Actually won an MVP with a ridiculous season. And a number of other seasons close to that. The antithesis of a counting stats guy. Thats what I value. If you go a decent amount of time as the best among peers, or in that conversation routinely...I'm into it.

The Morris/Schilling types have decent enough stats to get into a conversation and then the question is, does their playoff stuff put them over the edge...the lore of baseball. Less about stats and more about titles, big games, great performances. Way more subjective.

[BmillsSkier]

The Lofton argument got brought up this morning. Maybe the old folks committee or whatever its called will let him in the backdoor.

[ex-powderbroker]

Most feared, lol. The notion that only people that won a mvp should be eligible for the hall is laughable. That was also an extremely weak year and his "ridiculous" season wasn't even an average one for Judge despite playing in that little park. Rice is textbook "G/VG", no better.

Anyone building a team would take Evans over him, but sure, Rice was more "famous".

[Brock Landers]

You don’t have to have won mvp to be eligible to me. But throwing up 10th best pitcher in the league or 20th best player a couple times doesn’t do it.

Always being in the conversation as one of the best in an era, to me, does it. That’s it. From 1975-1985 was Jim Rice in the conversation as one of the best players? MVP voting from then says yes.

[ex-powderbroker]

Mike Mussina got cy young votes in 8/18 seasons. In 2001, at least, he should have won the award

https://www.baseball-reference.com/a..._AL_CYA_voting

[Danno]

Scott Rolen, welcome to Cooperstown.

And joined by... no one else.

Fred McGriff would like a word.

And the notion that Jim Rice is a worthy hall of famer but Scott Rolen degrades the hall into the hall of very good is some funny shit.