MLB thread

Salacious Crumb

I will withhold judgment until I’ve lived through a season of it.

But I want Pete Rose in the Hall of Fame.

“It’s Time.”

Cyclops

I know nothing about MLB. Why are pitchers workloads so carefully managed? I only know cricket where bowlers seemingly have a much higher workload without the same management as pitchers seem to have.

Is it because they don't operate in overs so they never get a break? Is the pitching action more strenuous than bowling? Is it not as common to have relief pitchers as it seems to someone who only glances as MLB news from time to time?

Salacious Crumb

@Cyclops said in MLB thread:

I know nothing about MLB. Why are pitchers workloads so carefully managed?

Money. The game has fundamentally not changed much in over a century, they’ve played over 200,000 official recorded games and kept individual statistics on every single one of them. There is so much money involved in guaranteed salary (you sign a seven-year $300-million dollar contract and blow your elbow three games into the life of that contract and never play ball again, you get to keep ALL that money) and they have to protect their investments. With the use of computers and super-slo-mo video they’ve gotten down to what they believe is a science. They know how many innings an arm on a style of a pitcher at a certain age can play and pitch counts and days between starts and innings, etc., whether the mechanics of a pitcher can handle a long season; whether that pitcher is best suited to a starter role (long games and usually on a five-man rotation) or specialist middle-relievers and closers (usually you’ll carry a 5 man starter rotation, ideally include at least one lefty, a couple who throw smoke, and maybe a junkball pitcher or curveball specialist to mix up 3-4 game series’ and get batters off balance; and then specialist short relievers). The best starters and closers are now routinely topping out over 100 MPH, even some middle-relievers which was unheard of a decade ago. Nolan Ryan was a freak in the 1970s. Now there are a number who throw with his heat, consistently like we’ve never seen before. So they probably do have a lot of it down to science, the physics, the mechanics, the biology and kinesiology. It’s huge business.

They’ve pretty muchI only know cricket where bowlers seemingly have a much higher workload without the same management as pitchers seem to have.

Is it because they don't operate in overs so they never get a break? Is the pitching action more strenuous than bowling? Is it not as common to have relief pitchers as it seems to someone who only glances as MLB news from time to time?

Watch the elbows, and see some money evaporate:

Cyclops

@Salacious-Crumb

Thanks! Really interesting to know.

KiwiMurph

MLB season begins on Friday (NZT).

60 game regular season. 40 games are within division - 20 games are with corresponding division in opposite league (e.g. NL West plays AL West).

All teams will use their home stadiums (no fans) except for Toronto who will most likely play out of Buffalo.

Regular season finished end Sept so it's effectively a 2 month sprint to the playoffs.

Should be fun!

mariner4life

@KiwiMurph 60 games? Isn't that effectively a third of the normal season? completely change the way it's approached

KiwiMurph

@mariner4life pretty much. 162 games in a normal regular season.

canefan

Canada has banned the Blue Jays from playing in Toronto, or anywhere in Canada because only essential workers are allowed in and they won't be able to undergo a 14 day quarantine

ACT Crusader

Anyone else watching the World Series? The game 4 was epic. Final inning run that had everything to give the Rays the win. Awesome finish and series tied at 2.

canefan

@ACT-Crusader said in MLB thread:

Anyone else watching the World Series? The game 4 was epic. Final inning run that had everything to give the Rays the win. Awesome finish and series tied at 2.

Defining game 5 coming up for Clayton Kershaw. Another opportunity to dispel his reputation as a playoff big game choker