2025 Major League Baseball Thread

[Dustin44]

Originally Posted by Samus Aran

New story out claiming that Carlos Beltran was the top dog in the sign-stealing stuff, and that players such as Brian McCann tried to get him to stop but he ignored them.

Not surprising at all, considering Beltran was the only player named in the report.

And what's funny is Beltran's numbers were awful that year. So he really sucked at trying to cheat.

I also agree with Clark Kent, Beltran will probably will never work in the MLB again.

[Hatter]

Originally Posted by Dustin44

Not surprising at all, considering Beltran was the only player named in the report.

And what's funny is Beltran's numbers were awful that year. So he really sucked at trying to cheat.

Him organizing this cheating campaign was likely the only reason he kept his roster spot all year. Why go out like that? A solid career thrown away for a -0.8 WAR year and a fraudulent title.

[BizCat]

Just ordered up 4 tickets to a Reds game today (tickets went on sale at 9AM). It'll be the first MLB game ever (and first PRO game) for both of my kids. They've been to a few minor league games. Stoked. We'll make a weekend trip out of it and hit up the Cincinnati Zoo for the first time as well.

[BagheeraMcGee]

The Astros' attempt at a contrition press conference basically serves as a primer on what not to do in the face of scandal. The owner is saying that their cheating 'didn't affect games', and their players all basically saying the equivalent of 'sure, we're sorry...that we got caught'.

That entire organization from the top down can f*ck right off.

[BizCat]

Originally Posted by BagheeraMcGee

The Astros' attempt at a contrition press conference basically serves as a primer on what not to do in the face of scandal. The owner is saying that their cheating 'didn't affect games', and their players all basically saying the equivalent of 'sure, we're sorry...that we got caught'.

That entire organization from the top down can f*ck right off.

Agreed.

I only wish Verlander were not on the team as I do like him.

[BagheeraMcGee]

Originally Posted by BizCat

Agreed.

I only wish Verlander were not on the team as I do like him.

I used to like him, but...he called out the Indians for 'stealing his signs' any time they lit him up in the past (before he got traded to HOU), he speaks out against domestic abuse but then zips it after the Astros trade for Roberto Osuna fresh off of his 75-game suspension, and the speech he gave during his Cy Young acceptance was remarkable in its tone-deafness (basically joking about the cheating).

In short, he's as big a hypocrite as there is in the game. F*ck that guy, too.

[Lacit170]

a lot of unnecessary changes being made....to speed up the game....why does it need to be sped up?

Major League Baseball has made official a rule change that many purists were dreading: Pitchers will have to face a minimum of three hitters before their team can make a pitching change.

[bruceames]

Originally Posted by Lacit170

a lot of unnecessary changes being made....to speed up the game....why does it need to be sped up?

Major League Baseball has made official a rule change that many purists were dreading: Pitchers will have to face a minimum of three hitters before their team can make a pitching change.

I like this change. Too many pitching changes and something needs to be done.

On the other hand I do not like the proposed 14 team playoffs.

[BizCat]

Playoffs are fine the way they are, except wildcard should be best of 3.

[Clark Kent]

Originally Posted by BizCat

Just ordered up 4 tickets to a Reds game today (tickets went on sale at 9AM). It'll be the first MLB game ever (and first PRO game) for both of my kids. They've been to a few minor league games. Stoked. We'll make a weekend trip out of it and hit up the Cincinnati Zoo for the first time as well.

The Reds might actually win the division this season.

[R3P0]

Originally Posted by BagheeraMcGee

I used to like him, but...he called out the Indians for 'stealing his signs' any time they lit him up in the past (before he got traded to HOU), he speaks out against domestic abuse but then zips it after the Astros trade for Roberto Osuna fresh off of his 75-game suspension, and the speech he gave during his Cy Young acceptance was remarkable in its tone-deafness (basically joking about the cheating).

In short, he's as big a hypocrite as there is in the game. F*ck that guy, too.

Most likely he was told to keep his mouth shut. In Detroit he was the leader the voice look at his comments on PEDS as well as post comments in Detroit when Peralta got that 50 games for PEDS. Verlander did not back down then I am guessing he was told to tote the line in Houston.

[Bigdog]

Originally Posted by Lacit170

a lot of unnecessary changes being made....to speed up the game....why does it need to be sped up?

Major League Baseball has made official a rule change that many purists were dreading: Pitchers will have to face a minimum of three hitters before their team can make a pitching change.

Honestly I don't mind it, being a fan of the red sox who like to make it a habit of 4+ hour games something needs to be done IMO. It just changes strategy which is not a bad thing, of course unless that is your a career specialty one batter bullpen guy .

I would still like to see a pitch clock added and also and a balls and strike umpiring system which works absolutely flawless. I guess MLB wants umpires to dictate the game with their strike zones and bad calls, not sure why using a system with 100% accuracy would be bad for the sport! No one ever says remember that call the umpire made unless they made an egregious mistake, I would rather they not have the ability to dictate the outcome of games with their wrong calls.

[BagheeraMcGee]

Originally Posted by Bigdog

Honestly I don't mind it, being a fan of the red sox who like to make it a habit of 4+ hour games something needs to be done IMO. It just changes strategy which is not a bad thing, of course unless that is your a career specialty one batter bullpen guy .

I would still like to see a pitch clock added and also and a balls and strike umpiring system which works absolutely flawless. I guess MLB wants umpires to dictate the game with their strike zones and bad calls, not sure why using a system with 100% accuracy would be bad for the sport! No one ever says remember that call the umpire made unless they made an egregious mistake, I would rather they not have the ability to dictate the outcome of games with their wrong calls.

So much this. This is where 'robot umps' are needed. I'm so sick of watching a game one day where the ump has a strike zone the size of a license plate, and the game the next day has an ump who's calling pitches 4-6" off the black for strikes. Then add some of the umpires' attention-whoring tendencies (I'm looking at you Joe West and Angel Hernandez), where some of them are one gyration from looking like Leslie Nielsen at the end of "Naked Gun", and it's a borderline disaster.

Uniformity in calling balls and strikes shouldn't be so damn hard to get right, but these guys find a way to screw it up night in and night out.

[Bigdog]

Originally Posted by BagheeraMcGee

So much this. This is where 'robot umps' are needed. I'm so sick of watching a game one day where the ump has a strike zone the size of a license plate, and the game the next day has an ump who's calling pitches 4-6" off the black for strikes. Then add some of the umpires' attention-whoring tendencies (I'm looking at you Joe West and Angel Hernandez), where some of them are one gyration from looking like Leslie Nielsen at the end of "Naked Gun", and it's a borderline disaster.

Uniformity in calling balls and strikes shouldn't be so damn hard to get right, but these guys find a way to screw it up night in and night out.

[Bigdog]

I have to laugh at Cashman's comments, really if there is a single team in all of baseball that has absolutely no business discussing other teams and cheating it is the New York Yankees! I liken this to as if the Patriots wagged their finger at another team for getting caught doing something.


A team that by the way hired Beltran and now putting together Cora's comments after the London game and yeah you have no business being in this fight Brian. That doesn't even go into all the steroid abusers your championship teams had on them, do you think that gave your team a significant advantage?

Nothing worse then a Hypocrite!!!

[BagheeraMcGee]

Dusty Baker is now coming out asking for the league to intervene in pitchers retaliating by putting a fastball in Bregman's or Altuve's or Correa's or Gurriel's ribs/back/ass. "I'm depending on the league to try to put a stop to this seemingly premeditated retaliation that I'm hearing about," Baker said Saturday morning. "And in most instances in life, you get kind of reprimanded when you have premeditated anything. I'm just hoping that the league puts a stop to this before somebody gets hurt."

And there's that sanctimonious prick Justin Verlander piping in again, too: "The game has changed. I think the commissioner has made it very clear in the past few seasons that throwing a baseball at somebody isn't an appropriate form of retaliation in the game anymore. The problem is knowing if it's on purpose or not. But I guess when you come out and say I'm going to do it on purpose, you know."

To which my response is: (1) Dusty, you're from the old school. You should've realized this was going to happen the moment you took the job. Just sit back and try to enjoy maneuvering the additional men on base. (2) JV, just shut up and be grateful the Astros aren't still in the National League or you would be joining the Sore Ribs/Back/Ass Club after stepping in the box, too.

These cheating whiners and crybabies deserve every last bit of misery that opposing pitchers, hitters and fans can heap on them. I live about 2 1/2 hours down I-5 from Seattle and I might get up there for a Mariners-Astros game just so I can boo the f*ck out of these douchebags.

[DanTheMan]

Melissa McCarthy‘s character in Bridesmaids said it best:

“They’re gonna tear his ass apart.”

Astros are gonna have a very long season, from both the opposing players and the fans across the entire league. And that’s not even including the media coverage. They’re about to get humbled and there’s nothing the MLB can do about it because even they haven’t been perfect with their investigation rulings.

The potential punishment could’ve been avoided slightly had MLB either taken the 2017 trophy back OR leave them with the trophy/banners but officially made that year’s title “vacant” in the record books forever, in addition to potential lengthy suspensions for the batters on that championship team that clearly benefitted though regular and post-season. Finally, had the organization executed a proper apology and owned up to their wrongdoings, and agreed to vacating the title victory in the record books, perhaps they could’ve gone by a little more unscathed this upcoming season.

[BagheeraMcGee]

Never thought I'd say someone would make Bud Selig look good at the job, but now Rob Manfred says there's a memo going to be sent to all clubs concerning throwing at hitters. He says that "it's not just based on the Astros" (yeah, nice try, Rob).

The question I have is this: if we use what I'll call "Astro Logic", and the memo never makes it to the players, can they be punished for this if they never see it?

It's entirely possible that there could be a suspension for a pitcher who beans an Astro, and any suspension for throwing at an Astro would be bigger than what any Astros player got for cheating the game. Incredible. Hey Rob, if you would've properly punished the cheaters in the first place, maybe there wouldn't be anyone getting beaned and no reason to discipline those guys, huh?

[Samus Aran]

Tony Fernandez has died at the age of 57. He suffered a stroke and had been struggling with kidney issues.

[ThePreacher]

Trevor Bauer of the Reds is exactly right...what a great vid this is...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpDau0Xvtjk