And now it's officially baseball season...ummm, guys?
Notes:
- North Allegheny HS's Cole Young made Baseball America's first-team high school All-America list (behind a paywall). The SS has committed to Duke University.
- The sheen had tarnished on OF Austin Meadows, part of the infamous Chris Archer trade. The Rays are looking to move him once MLB resumes.
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| Austin Meadows - 2018 Topps Living Set |
- A couple of days before a meeting with the MLBPA, Rob Manfred announced that they will not delay the start of spring training yet and that both sides have met with Labor Secretary Marty Walsh. He noted that the universal DH is in and draft pick compensation for FAs is out per agreement with the union. Manfred was optimistic in closing, saying that "You're always one breakthrough away from making an agreement." It didn't happen Saturday, though, as the MLB inched a little higher with some offers and altered the arb/draft rules a bit, but still no true cap/floor talk. MLB admitted the proposals weren't made to end the impasse, but were meant to "...spark talk and and trigger more give-and-take" per a release. The union is preparing their response.
- Meanwhile, MLB is in federal court fighting the minor league compensation case. Although minor league players not on the 40-man roster will go to spring training, MLB told the court they shouldn't be paid (they get allowances, meals and dorms for some now). Why? Because they consider them trainees, not employees, until the season opens.
I truly hate to see the universal DH, particularly given the Pirates' rich history of heavy-hitting hurlers, but: it does seem to me that fewer and fewer pitchers in recent years have really worked at that part of the game. Some still do, certainly, but not as many as once did. So it's almost as though the players and teams themselves more or less brought this on the National League through their action or inaction. I really hate overspecialization and truly loved the "all arounder" aspect of true National League players.
ReplyDeleteRe: Austin Meadows, he does seem to be a player who has some significant weaknesses, but: he is a legitimate major league hitter and the Chris Archer trade is still one of the all time worst in Pirates and major league history.
I'm not a DH fan myself, but the MLBPA is and and extra hitter is prob in the MLB's interest as a PR boost, so...
ReplyDeleteMeadows' bat & power will let him stick, Will, but his splits and fielding peripherals don't scream star. And yah, it was a kinda inexplicable deal for a team that should have been building; the old FO rolled the dice and took a snake eye on that swap.
Well, Ron, I thought I should let you know that I don't think I will be watching baseball much anymore. I could tolerate the designated hitter as long as the pure, original version of the sport was still being played in the National League---though I would much rather have gotten rid of the DH altogether.
ReplyDeleteBut now that the NL is going to play beer league softball, I've had enough. I haven't liked many of the changes made in recent years. Interleague play wasn't horrible, but still too much of a gimmick for me in the end. Sabremetrics, IMO, has utterly ruined the sport. Or at least, the extremes to which it has been taken has caused enormous damage. Nobody runs the bases aggressively or steals bases anymore because "analytics prove" it doesn't help you. Uh huh. Everybody is a roided-up fatso swinging from their heels. Nobody cares if you strike out 250 times as long as every hit you get is a home run. Pitchers don't complete games anymore and now they won't hit or bunt or hit and run or do any of the other little strategies that were so interesting.
And now they're talking about having robots for umpires. ROBOTS.
Sorry, but I've had enough. I want you to know how much I have enjoyed meeting you and reading your excellent blog and also your other writing, and thanks again for including me in this worthy enterprise. Maybe I'll change my mind at some point, but I doubt it. Take care of yourself, Ron. (Numbers 6:24-26)
Sorry to see you go, Will my friend...you might want to see how it shakes out first, but yah, old time NL ball is dead. I miss the action of the 70's & 80's myself, agree that Moneyball/video game envy has dragged down the quality of ball, and think that you're right MLB plays around too much with the game. Anyway, you know how to reach me if you need a vent or a chat.
ReplyDelete