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MLB 2016-2017 Offseason |OT| At Least Next Year is an Odd Numbered Year.

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S

Silver Arrows

Banned
r186520_608x342_16-9.jpg


The secret to Team Israel's long-shot WBC chances? Its bench. That's where you'll find the Mensch on the Bench. If you aren't familiar with MOB, he's essentially the Jewish answer to Elf on the Shelf. This particular Mensch is a life-size version that utility man Cody Decker bought online prior to the September qualifier because, well, something was missing.

"Every team needs their Jobu," Decker said. "He was ours. He had his own locker, and we even gave him offerings: Manischewitz, gelt and gefilte fish."

Given all the good karma in Brooklyn -- this year marks the first time that Israel has survived the qualifier and crashed the actual WBC tournament -- it's no surprise that the Mensch made the cut for the trip to Korea.

"I tried getting him a first-class ticket," Decker said. "But that didn't fly, so he was put in a duffle bag and checked."

As for seating in Seoul, that's a nonissue: "He has his allotted space on the bench. He sits on his bench, on the bench."

Outside the lines, the Mensch maintains a much lower profile, according to those within his inner circle.

"He is everywhere and nowhere all at once," Decker said. "His actual location is irrelevant because he exists in higher metaphysical planes. But he's always near."

The best part about the Mensch? Unlike a real mascot, which would be portrayed by a sweaty human trapped inside a furry costume, this one comes with no stench on the bench.
Click to expand...

http://www.espn.in/mlb/story/_/id/18805572/team-israel-wbc-biggest-underdog-ever
 
C

CosmicQueso

Member
This thread is kinda slow right now.

Your favorite team sucks.

Japanese baseball is like low A minors.

If you like the WBC it sucks. If you don't like the WBC then it's great.

They should replace the green monster with green muenster.

Mascots are fat.

There's no real strategy in the NL. It's the worst.

The DH is an abomination. The AL is the worst.

ARod is the devil.

Your favorite gif secretly hates you.

Bam Bam Muelens is the games greatest nickname.
 
C

Chris R

Member
So my hat I ordered from Lids in the middle of Feburary might be in my hands before the season starts.... Ugh, last time I deal with this shitty company
 
Z

zulux21

Member
CosmicQueso said:
This thread is kinda slow right now.

Your favorite team sucks.
Click to expand...

it does :(

though quite frankly through the trades of sale and eaton the white sox might have a better team this year than last as the rotation depth is strong, and they have a number of young players that are ready.

they could all be busts, but despite how this off season started I can't completely write off the white sox lol.
 
J

JoseDFrog

Banned
CosmicQueso said:
This thread is kinda slow right now.

Your favorite team sucks.

Japanese baseball is like low A minors.

If you like the WBC it sucks. If you don't like the WBC then it's great.

They should replace the green monster with green muenster.

Mascots are fat.

There's no real strategy in the NL. It's the worst.

The DH is an abomination. The AL is the worst.

ARod is the devil.

Your favorite gif secretly hates you.

Bam Bam Muelens is the games greatest nickname.
Click to expand...

no lies detected
 
D

Dmncnby2k9

Banned
zulux21 said:
it does :(

though quite frankly through the trades of sale and eaton the white sox might have a better team this year than last as the rotation depth is strong, and they have a number of young players that are ready.

they could all be busts, but despite how this off season started I can't completely write off the white sox lol.
Click to expand...
That farm system looking nice though.
 
S

Silver Arrows

Banned
Israel's offensive attack looks legit after 2nd straight upset in WBC

When Israel claimed the last spot in the World Baseball Classic this past September, it appeared the squad consisting of relatively unknowns would be an easy out in the first round of the event, but that hasn't been the case thus far.

After shocking Korea in the opening game of the event, Israel dominated Chinese Taipei 15-7 late Monday.

With the victory, the Israeli squad appears to have a very good chance of advancing to the second round of the event at the legendary Tokyo Dome in Japan from Mar. 12-16 and it's thanks to a balanced attack headlined by Ike Davis, Ryan Lavarnway, and Nate Freiman.
Click to expand...

Israel managed to secure at least one run off of every pitcher Chinese Taipei put on the hill, with the exception of Chen-Hua Lin, including two earned off former Detroit Tigers reliever Fu-Te Ni, who was once an effective big-league arm in 2009 when he posted a 2.61 ERA.

The Israelis have one game left in the event's first round when they met the Netherlands on Wednesday, in what is expected to be the best game in Seoul. The Dutch shut out Korea 5-0 on Tuesday, and feature a roster consisting of big-leaguers Andrelton Simmons, Jurickson Profar, Xander Bogaerts, and Jonathan Schoop.
Click to expand...
 
S

Sanjuro

Member
CosmicQueso said:
This thread is kinda slow right now.

Your favorite team sucks.

Japanese baseball is like low A minors.

If you like the WBC it sucks. If you don't like the WBC then it's great.

They should replace the green monster with green muenster.

Mascots are fat.

There's no real strategy in the NL. It's the worst.

The DH is an abomination. The AL is the worst.

ARod is the devil.

Your favorite gif secretly hates you.

Bam Bam Muelens is the games greatest nickname.
Click to expand...

IWLh2wZ.png
 
S

Silver Arrows

Banned
Hits somewhat close for me being an autistic Jays fan as well, but I'm posting this anyway for anybody that might care:

Being on the autism spectrum doesn’t stop Matt Harvey from being a baseball fan. The St. Catharines resident says that if anything, his condition allows him to learn and retain reams of information about his favourite team, the Toronto Blue Jays.

“When I was young, I just loved watching baseball. I loved stats,” Harvey said before a recent Blue Jays spring training game in Dunedin, Florida.

“I have autism, so with that, stats are something I’m really good at. I kinda got addicted to it.”

Harvey is better known to his many Twitter followers as @halladayfan32, a handle chosen in honour of former Blue Jays ace pitcher Roy Halladay.

These days his Twitter feed is full of photos of the superfan with Blue Jays players and executives taken at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium, as well as a steady stream of birthday greetings to major and minor league players, comments on the Jays, and praise for players, fellow fans, and members of the sports media.

Like any passionate fan, Harvey is sometimes critical of his beloved Blue Jays. But more often than not, he takes a positive approach to his commentary, calming down despairing supporters while offering encouragement directly to players via their Twitter accounts.

“It’s so important,” the 35-year-old said of adding a positive voice to the social media landscape. “Mostly ‘cause there is so much negativity out there and I feel a positive voice is so much better.”

Harvey is a familiar presence in Dunedin, having made seven trips to the Blue Jays spring training facility. He finds it thrilling to meet minor-league prospects and star players like Jose Bautista, Marcus Stroman and Jason Grilli, while catching up with fellow fans he has befriended over the years.

“It’s amazing. I’ve been very fortunate,” Harvey said. “Who the heck expects that? It’s crazy how things change.”

Things were not always so rosy for Harvey, who was bullied as a child and teenager due to his autism, which wasn’t diagnosed until adulthood.

“When I was in high school, I just didn’t understand what was going on,” he said of his condition, which he treats through medication. “I’ve been through some rough times when I was younger, with the whole unawareness of myself. I feel a lot better (now).”

In 2013, then-Blue Jays catcher J.P. Arencibia learned of the bullying Harvey had endured, and his dedication to the team. Arencibia reached out on social media and gave Harvey two tickets to the team’s home opener, and the story was picked up by the CBC.

“Twitter has some negatives, but the benefits are a lot better,” Harvey said with a smile.

For the past decade, Harvey has worked pushing carts at Real Canadian Superstore in St Catharines, a job he said he enjoys for the exercise. He has noticed more awareness and acceptance of people with autism in recent years.

“You can overcome obstacles – you’ve just got to think positive,” he said.

Looking ahead to the season – he expects to get to four or five games at Rogers Centre – Harvey is his usual optimistic self.

“I think they have a really good team. I like that they improved their bullpen a lot. The depth they got with Joe Smith and J.P. Howell, it’s really important,” he said.

“Bautista’s my buddy. I met him a few times, he’s a good guy, and I’m happy to have him back. Kendrys Morales is underrated. He got 30 home runs in Kansas City, which is impressive.”

Reflecting on what lessons he takes from the game of baseball, Harvey talked about recognizing the value of each player.

“It’s a team game. You can be the best player of all, but you have to have other guys helping you out,” he said.

“It’s a 25-man roster. Whether it’s the first starter or the fifth starter, everybody has to do something. The first starter very well might fall apart and have a bad game, but that’s why you have your teammates to pick you up.”

That’s a lesson Harvey would apply to life as well.
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https://www.canadianbaseballnetwork.com/canadian-baseball-network-articles/autism-cant-hold-back-superfan-harveys-love-of-blue-jays
 
M

Malo

Banned
Eric Fisher

And there it is. After a couple of successful postseasons, Fox Sports hires Arod as a full-time analyst for MLB coverage.

More A-Rod is always good.
 
P

Parch

Member
That was a fun game. Team Canada is like a beer league team. Bunch of old guys having some fun and kicking young butt.
 
B

Beckx

Member
Arod is monster high school slugger Kotaro Kiyomiya's favorite player, it turns out. Maybe we can get Alex to do play by play for Spring Koshien.

harSon said:
Are you enjoying our depth as much as I am? There's a lot to like in the upper echelons of our farm system.
Click to expand...

eh, I'm taking it all with a grain of salt but I guess Meadows has been looking good? everyone's talking about Taillon picking up a change up too. but honestly i haven't been focused too much on the team.

------------------------

Do not pitch Tsutsugoh inside, WBC teams.

Also Match putting on a clinic

And Sho-time stealing a base lol

-----------------------------

Oh my heck

Kodansha is releasing Ace of the Diamond in North America digitally: http://kodanshacomics.com/series/ace-of-the-diamond/
 
D

Dmncnby2k9

Banned
Pretty cool for the kids.
realgm.com said:
The Pittsburgh Pirates will host the St. Louis Cardinals on Aug. 20, but the game will reportedly be played in Williamsport, Pennsylvania during the Little League World Series.

The game will be televised on ESPN, which has the rights to the LLWS.

There is a full-sized field in Williamsport, BB&T Ballpark at Historic Bowman Field
Click to expand...
 
C

Carpe Libertatem

Member
David Kaplan‏
@thekapman

Arrieta on a player bat flipping him after a HR. "If he's a vet + earned it no prob. If he's a young guy he might wear next one in the ribs"
Click to expand...

what kind of culture do they have in the Cubs clubhouse?

also pretty sure they earned it by hitting the HR off you, arrieta :lol
 
B

Beckx

Member
chicagocubsfan said:
Matsuda from Japan seems like a pretty good hitter.
Click to expand...

he's solid, yeah. his 2016 season was a little off but he still hit 27 HRs. He tried to make the jump to MLB prior to the 2016 season, but didn't get any good offers.

He's not the best hitter on the team, though, that's a toss up between Yamada and Tsutsugoh. Yamada is probably the better all around hitter, but Tsutsugoh is no slouch. And then there's my personal favorite baseball player, Sho Nakata of the Fighters. Shogo Akiyama is great, too (set the NPB record for hits in a season in 2015). Unfortunately the guy who is often named with Yamada and Ohtani when people talk about the most talented hitters in NPB, Yuki Yanagita, is hurt so ya'll don't get to see him.

Yamada almost went yard twice this morning so if he and Match and Tsutsugoh all are hot at the same time that will be fun.

Yamada fun fact: three consecutive seasons with .300+ BA, 30+ HR, 30+ SB. He's 24.

Samurai Japan won't hurt for good hitters, but man the pitching staff isn't so deep, and the weak spot is Manager. Kokubo makes *weird* decisions.

Oh, keep an eye on second baseman Ryosuke Kikuchi because he's a wizard. Seriously one of the most entertaining fielders I've seen in years.
 
S

Silver Arrows

Banned
The Braves' road show of swindling various Southern communities continues:

http://www.ajc.com/sports/baseball/north-port-approves-braves-spring-training-deal/pZynyF9SiV6234EEHX1TwL/

The Braves' planned move of their spring training home to southwest Florida cleared another governmental hurdle Tuesday.

City commissioners in North Port – the Sarasota County city where the new Braves complex is to be built — voted 4-0 to approve an agreement outlining the key terms of a deal.

The same term sheet/letter of intent was approved last week by the Sarasota County board of commissioners.

A series of more definitive final contracts still must be negotiated and approved.

In a statement posted on its official social media accounts Tuesday night, North Port said the city commissioners will be ”looking for additional details" about a number of items in the subsequent agreements.

Those items include using North Port's name in advertising for the facility, protecting the city from liability, giving preference to local contractors in construction and allowing more public use of parts of the facility.

”Additional details will be brought back in subsequent agreements, but the City commits to its part to bring Spring Training to North Port," the statement said.

The agreement calls for the Braves complex to cost $75.4 million and to be funded by Sarasota County, the state of Florida, North Port, the Braves and a private developer. The deal includes more than $40 million in taxpayer money.

North Port's portion is $300,000 per year over 30 years.

The Braves, who have held spring training at Disney's ESPN Wide World of Sports near Orlando since 1998, hope to move to the new facility in 2019.
Click to expand...

How much longer before they start to realize how the Braves do things?
 
P

Parch

Member
Marz said:
He looked good his first year but last year you could tell he'll never develop into an everyday player.
Click to expand...
He's not that old. Refsnyder could be an everyday player but with the Yankees additions this year he'll get next to zero at bats. He could be a nice pickup for somebody as long as it's not some top prospect given in return.
 
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