OT: Home Run Derby inequality
Am I the only one who thinks the pitcher makes a huge difference in the home run derby results? J Rod had the best pitcher by far. Not that he wasn't also the best hitter, but it seems like the pitcher-batter team is the winner, not just the batter. Some of the pitchers seemed to meditate between tosses.
Don’t the batters provide their own pitchers!?
Yes, op must be having a bad night
Yes, obviously the batters choose the pitcher. That doesn't make all pitchers equal.
Then choose a better pitcher.
J-Rod did have the best and quickest pitcher.
The bigger issue for me is the format of pitting 2 players against each other and winner moves on. They should just have the 8 guys go in whatever order they come up with and the top 4 move on and so forth. Seager had the 2nd or 3rd most HR's in the first round and got hosed by the format.
The bigger issue to me is a post about the HR derby to begin with. 🤣🤣 I honestly didn't think anyone cared about this. I guess I was wrong.
LOL! I didn't even realize it was All-Star week! Mid-season baseball is a snooze-fest - wake me in September...
Officially in the sports dead zone until September.
I strongly encourage watching the Tour de France. I’m not a cyclist but love watching. It’s very interesting and exciting (there are some dull stages). Fills the summer sports desert nicely.
Anyone who is a Detroit Tiger's fan knows this season is a train wreck. The GM needs to go. They are cellar bound again and might have yet another 100 loss season. Am gearing up for Michigan football and more football talk. Go Blue!
In my defense, I clearly affixed an "OT" prefix...
It's not like there was much else on the board that I kicked off in the middle of July.
We watched last night and I recall Rodriguez saying (or a reporter saying) that he practiced with his pitcher over the weekend. I think timing is a lot of it, and maybe they all practiced with their pitchers, but Rodriguez and his pitcher had their timing down. Not just faster delivery of pitches but they were in sync.
Hey, I wasn't ripping you, I hope you didn't take it that way, but I haven't watched the HR derby since Barry Bonds played and I honestly didn't think it would make people happy, mad or sad, I was really surprised people cared one way or another. I'm amazed the MLB has decided to make it a tie breaker in a meaningless game.
I honestly didn't care all that much. If I hadn't been sitting at the bar while it was on, I wouldn't have watched it. But with a distinct lack of sports going on, and this being the only sports blog I follow...
I used to listen to Ernie and Paul on the radio after bedtime as a kid, like a suspect many did in the 70s. But I haven't followed baseball since Verlander went to Houston.
Slow, slow news day....
This is not a new thought. Pitchers are huge. They pick their own. It doesn't always work. Seagars Dad was terrible. So slow
Yeah, Seagar was the most obvious. Nice to have the father-son team, but it was sad to watch. And of course Soto wins to make my OP look even more idiotic. But I don't ever expect to get to 10k MGoPoints and get that OMG shirtless poster of Brian.
J Rod was amazing.
100k gets you a pant less poster.
I've been sworn to silence about my point gifts.
you guys are getting gifts?
I got a Rolex the day I hit 30k. Stephen King Jr got a fucking Ferrari for hitting 2 billion. MGoPoints are real SO TAKE THEM SERIOUSLY!
LOL. Where the fuck is my Rolex?
I got MGo cryptocurrency.
That would be Delithium, no doubt.
Bolivium
Your Rolex got sent to me "accidentally". Now I have one on both wrists. DM me if you want to know the time.
Nice work. I legit spit-laughed out a bite of soup reading your comment.
Mantle-worthy bust of a pontificating Brian in solid dilithium.
Not gold-pressed latinum?
I'm sorry, but that is not worthy of The Mick.
Brian owes me three and a third shirts.
Seagar's dad was a little too tall, could have used a few pounds.
I call it a win if the same man that pitched to you when you were six was on the mound pitching to you at the All Star HRD. Maybe pops pitched slow because he was taking in the moment and junior didn't mind at all.
Anyone notice the catcher’s helmets? Nice design! They are cooler with mesh, but the protective plastic looks like the winged helmet from the camera angle.
They choose their own pitchers, but you're not wrong. Ramirez and Schwarber had awful pitches that cost them their first round matchups. A lesson not to choose your dad no matter what lol.
Harper won with his dad
Hence the "no matter what" qualifier. Almost everyone uses their dad, some shouldn't. In retrospect my meaning might not have been clear, I meant don't use your dad if it's not the right choice, not to never use your dad.
Confusion over language on the internet. Can't be...! :)
I get what you meant now. But I dont know that he's the exception. That said, its quite possible that the players value the bonding with their dad's who probably played a huge part in where they are, over finding the best pitching coach. I know I would (in both directions - my dad and my son).
The one that always sticks out to me - not a dad - was .. and its fuzzy now.. i think Mark Mcguire about 20 years ago. The guy had a hitch to the throw and kept throwing early before Mcguire seemed ready. very bizarre. they didnt adjust and he lost badly.
"no matter what" means "in every situation," "absolutely." It doesn't mean "possibly" or "sometimes" or "just joking."
I respect your opinion and you might respect mine but neither of us would write "respect your opinion no matter what."
Somebody should use their mom. Take her deep. Over and over again.
The Jets QB room approves of this message
If I was in the HR derby, I’d choose to have my dad pitch over winning.
Winner gets a million bucks, though.
I'd take my dad and a hug in this case. As a MLB player, I already have a million bucks.
I'd donate the million bucks to my dad's favorite cause, and then go get a beer with my dad.
how long have they been choosing their own pitchers? I mean.... how the hell didn't Jose Valverde, Todd Jones or Fernando Rodney never make an appearance?
LOL. They wouldn't know how not to walk someone. I bet you they will throw enough wild pitches like Sheen from Major League.
Next year derby contestants should be required to have their dad pitch
I can't believe that anybody would waste their time watching home run derbies to begin with. It's the athletic equivalent of watching Mike Tyson punch cardboard cutouts.
Also, interleague play is an abomination, and has made the All-Star game meaningless. American and National league teams should play each other only in All-Star games and the World Series. Get off my lawn.
HR Derby hasnt been exciting to me, but since Alonso has been raking, its been a little more fun. i think Alonso vs. Judge would have been great theater. I do think the volume of homeruns is a little ridiculous.. and the time. Its a war of attrition. They have played with the format over the years, but I do think limiting the swings makes more sense than what they have now.
As for interleague - I like limited x-over games. Mets vs. Yanks is always fun for me (as a mets fan). But, I know very little about most AL teams because I'm an NL fan. So, despite interleague happening for the past 25 years or so, it hasn't broadened my interest in the AL. I hated the yankees before - still do. So, i see it as no big deal.
While we're at it, lets get back to leather helmets!
i watch every year with my two boys...something we all look forward to. I don't consider it a waste of time at all.