2013 Major League Baseball (MLB)

Well into the next few seasons until the McGwire/Sosa homerun chase sparked interest again. That 1994 season was going to be one for the ages. Tony Gwynn chasing .400, Matt Williams chasing Roger Maris' record, the Montreal Expos were on pace for well over 100 wins (as were the Braves), and the resurgence of the New York Yankees and Cleveland Indians. The NL west was going to come down to the wire between LA and SF, a classic rivalry, while the AL west was poised to produce the first sub .500 division winner in league history (at the time of the strike, Texas was 10 games under .500 and Oakland was around 12 under).

It's also worth noting that the NL MVP probably does not go to Jeff Bagwell as he had suffered a season ending injury just prior to the strike, and minus his hitting the Astros would have fallen apart. I figure either Barry Bonds or Williams would have won the MVP over a full season; Bonds was on his usual post-All Star break run and was on pace for 50+ homeruns. The likes of Moises Alou and Larry Walker (Expos), Kevin Mitchell (Reds), Fred McGriff (Braves) and Mike Piazza (Dodgers) would have garnered votes and arguably a better choice.

Back in the mid-90s I was an avid baseball fanatic and did a statistical forecast of 1994. If memory serves, I had the following clubs in the postseason: AL- Yankees (100-62), White Sox (95-67), Athletics (78-84), Indians (93-69, Wild Card); NL- Expos (104-58), Reds (92-70), Giants (84-78), Braves (98-64, Wild Card). The awards stay the same except I chose Matt Williams, SF, as NL MVP.

In the ALDS I had the Yankees over Indians 3-1, White Sox over Athletics 3-0; ALCS- White Sox over Yanks 4-2, MVP- Jack McDowell.
In the NLDS I had the Expos over Giants 3-1, Braves over Reds 3-1; NLCS- Braves over Expos 4-2; MVP-Tom Glavine.
World Series- Braves over White Sox 4-1, MVP-John Smoltz
 
If memory serves you correct?!? That was 19 years ago and you remember that?

Is there much of that prediction stuff for baseball? Is it just a gambling thing? I read something about Strat-O-Matic or Stat-O-Matic that seemed to pique interest during one of the strikes in the 70s or the 80s.
 
I'm probably off on win-loss totals but I did take a peak at baseballreference.com which helped my memory process. I remember quite a bit about that season as I did a school report on it back in 96 or 97. Just like I can rattle off the Dallas Cowboys roster/roster moves from 1994-1999.
 
MrMarcello said:
Tony Gwynn chasing .400
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Questions:
If Gwynn had achieved Williams' mark of .400 by the time the strike was called, would that have be noted as achieving it full stop?
If anyone gets .400 in the regular season, but it drops below the mark in the playoffs, does that count?
 
Batting .400 just seems an incredible achievement, I've been watching baseball since 2001 and since then only Ichiro's 2004 season has come close and I remember him being ridiculously good yet he was still 30 points shy.

I know a lot of factors have changed since the last .400 season but you gotta imagine someday someone will hit .400 again, It would probably take some silly BABIP numbers for a whole season though.
 
My two cents: watered down pitching due to over-expansion (granted a heavier emphasis on specialist pitchers in latter innings), hitters parks (especially AL), "juiced" baseballs (if you buy into the theory), and possibly more to support my wager if I were to delve further into it.

Boggs was a disciplined hitter and had a crazed superstitious personality. Gwynn studied every pitcher.
 
Today's era isn't really a thing though. There was the steroid era, and there is now. Let's take a look at runs per game (per team) in the American League to get a better picture of what has gone on.

1983: 4.5
1984: 4.4
1985: 4.6
1986: 4.6
1987: 4.9
1988: 4.4
1989: 4.3
1990: 4.3
1991: 4.5
1992: 4.3
1993: 4.7
1994: 5.2
1995: 5.1
1996: 5.4
1997: 5.0
1998: 5.0
1999: 5.2
2000: 5.3
2001: 4.9
2002: 4.8
2003: 4.9
2004: 5.0
2005: 4.8
2006: 5.0
2007: 4.9
2008: 4.8
2009: 4.8
2010: 4.5
2011: 4.5
2012: 4.5
2013: 4.4

The real offensive explosion was from 1994-2000, there was a mini steroid era from 2001-2009 but since then it has been a major decline. Boggs hit between .350 and .370 five times. The worst offensive environment he did it in was in 1988 where AL teams scored 4.4 runs per game. That's actually the same amount they scored this year. AL hitters hit .259 in 1988 and they are hitting .257 this year. There is no evidence to suggest that Boggs could hit anywhere close to .400 in the current era (2010-2013). He might have an outside chance if he was hitting in his prime during the last 90s, but did actually play in the late 1990s. Sure he was well into his 30s at the point but he go nowhere close to .400. Also keep in mind that he played in a major hitters park. Boggs hit .369 at Fenway and .306 everywhere else.

Baseball-Reference has this great feature where you can adjust a players stats to any ballpark and year. I went to 2000, the highest run scoring environment in the last 30 years and put him in a neutral American League park. If all of his seasons were played in that environment, he would have hit .401 once and .394 another time. Remember, that's an extreme offensive year. So I put him in 2012 and again used a neutral American League park. The highest he would have gotten is .374.


Long version: Boggs is amazing, one of the best 3B of all time. But he really can't complain about not hitting .400. He just wasn't that good.
 
two questions again and I apologise for the low level.

1. was Boggs on steroids? Maybe was ahead of the game?
2. isn't 3B a defensive notation, as opposed to an offensive one?
 
Hitting for a high average and having an incredible batting eye doesn't really line itself to steroid rumours, putting the bat on the ball consistently is just pure talent.
 
Boggs had 20/15 or 20/10 vision which is insane. I believe he once said the baseball looks the size of a basketball to him, something along those lines.

Hadn't noticed runs per game had decreased so much.
 
MrMarcello said:
Boggs had 20/15 or 20/10 vision which is insane. I believe he once said the baseball looks the size of a basketball to him, something along those lines.

Hadn't noticed runs per game had decreased so much.
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I wear glasses like that!

How come Ted Williams reached .400? Was the pitching shit? Is there a minimum at bats or games required for a record to stand?

Looking at baseball-reference [and I agree, it's some stat website], since 1876, .400 has been reached only 18 times in the 138 years and they seemed to come in spurts. William's .406 was achieved in 143 games that season. I love that he was a one-club man too. Read a beautiful book about the Red Sox a few years ago and it really nailed how I think you Yanks feel about the game. Again, I say it, the similarities between the love of baseball and the love of hurling (GAA) in Ireland, I think, is remarkable.
 
Big Papi said:
I wear glasses like that!

How come Ted Williams reached .400? Was the pitching shit? Is there a minimum at bats or games required for a record to stand?

Looking at baseball-reference [and I agree, it's some stat website], since 1876, .400 has been reached only 18 times in the 138 years and they seemed to come in spurts. William's .406 was achieved in 143 games that season. I love that he was a one-club man too. Read a beautiful book about the Red Sox a few years ago and it really nailed how I think you Yanks feel about the game. Again, I say it, the similarities between the love of baseball and the love of hurling (GAA) in Ireland, I think, is remarkable.
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If you ever make it to New York, I recommend a trip up to Cooperstown to see the Baseball Hall of Fame (I'll be there next Friday).
 
Watched Sox/Yankees last evening. This was Mariano Rivera's last appearance at Fenway Park, so the Red Sox gave him a ceremony before the game. One thing about the Sox and the Yankees: when it comes to the big occasions and a ceremony is called for, they both do those up with style and class. Rivera is the greatest closer in the history of the game. I am sorry to see him go.
 
The Rangers have imploded yet again down the late stretch. Ron Washington is an inept manager IMO. He was outmanaged by LaRussa in the 2011 WS, and this is the second straight year his club has faltered in September.
 
Yankees are just about done after getting swept by the Red Sox. An absolutely brutal season on the injury front with a zombie GM and terrible farm system. Everytime a player went down injured the hole was plugged by a cast off and not a prospect, the one prospect we brought up was Adams and he looks like a AAAA player.

Honestly unless they overhaul everything I don't see a great future for the next 3-5 years, not enough talent anywhere near major league ready, old players on long contracts, injury ravaged system and a GM who just doesn't do anything anymore. Personally I'd clean house, take a couple of barren years on the chin and re-tool, anything other than that and they simply won't progress for the long term.

Get the payroll down and under the luxury tax threshold, find a new hungry GM, keep the owners out of baseball decisions, find new medical staff, overhaul player development, be aggressive with International Free Agents. It's the only way.
 
They're going to blow it. Up what 3/4 games on the A's last month and now dangling onto a wild card spot up a half-game on the Indians, 2 on the Orioles, and 2.5 on the Royals and Yanks. feck off, Ron.

A sidenote, Yu Darvis has lost four 1-0 decisions this season, the first pitche since Orel Hershiser in 1989 (the year after his amazing season, one of the best ever). He's 12-9 this season with an ERA of 2.79, 256 Ks to 68 BB, .190 BAA, and could easily be 16-5 or better. Shame that a club with such solid hitting 1-through-9 sometimes gets shuts down when their best pitcher is on the mound.



Chalk Cano up there in the athletes that say stupid shit category. As if a supreme being existed it would care about baseball.

As for Robinson Cano, he's putting his faith in a higher power and is confident the Yankees will make it to the postseason.

"We will," Cano told Newsday's Anthony Rieber. "I think God has a plan for Mo."
 
Cano is an idiot. But no one ever said you had to be smart to be a jock.

I do not recall the Ron Washington cocaine incident. He should have been thrown out of the game at that point. BTW he's not the sharpest knife in the drawer: the last thing he needs are mind-clouding substances.
 
I was wondering how many players have won the WS with both an NL and an AL team? Would it be many?

Two managers, apparently, have done it.
1) Sparky Anderson - Cincinnati Reds in 1975 and 1976 and Detroit Tigers in 1984.
2) Tony LaRussa - Oakland Athletics in 1989 and St. Louis Cardinals in 2006.

Another question: is the DH rule the only difference between AL & NL?
 
Big Papi said:
I was wondering how many players have won the WS with both an NL and an AL team? Would it be many?

Two managers, apparently, have done it.
1) Sparky Anderson - Cincinnati Reds in 1975 and 1976 and Detroit Tigers in 1984.
2) Tony LaRussa - Oakland Athletics in 1989 and St. Louis Cardinals in 2006.

Another question: is the DH rule the only difference between AL & NL?
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The DH is the only difference yes but this does effect teams styles of play and how their rosters are constructed. For example because the NL teams have to use the pitcher to bat in the order you get a lot of "small ball" to generate runs, bunting, sacrifices etc. Use of the DH allows AL teams to generate more offense over a season and some teams will carry an exclusive DH player just for hitting and not fielding, Travis Hafner for the Yankees this year never set foot on the field to actually field a ball.

Generally I quite like the DH rule, plenty don't but I much prefer seeing a professional at bat up there than a pitcher who would rather be sat in the dugout waiting to pitch again. It still annoys me to this day Chien Ming Wang injured himself running the bases in an interleague game and was never the same again.
 
Red Sox on 94 wins now. They need to win 6 of the last 7 to close a 67 year gap since they lst won 100 matches.

Q: How is the regular schedule structured? Does each team play a certain number of interdivisional matches and inter-league matches each year?
Q: Has it ever happened that every team in a division has had a winning season?
 
I absolutely detest pitchers batting. I once despised the DH but today I would much prefer to see an actual hitter bat and not a pitcher that either hacks or bunts. However, I do believe NL managers are more adapt at various situational hitting strategies than their AL counterparts. On the flip side of that coin, AL managers must manager their bullpens differently with that extra hitter in the lineup.

And I fecking hate seeing pitchers bat in all-star games, granted I've grown tired of the all-star game too and haven't watched in years.
 
Down to the wire for Tampa, Cleveland, and Texas.

Atlanta and St Louis battling for homefield which is massively crucial to Atlanta (best home record, sub .500 road record). That said, St Louis can win a home or road series but I see the Braves choking per usual. I think the Dodgers had their great run and have since been fairly average IMO.

I figure it's Boston vs Detroit in ALCS.

If I were a betting man I'd have Detroit vs St Louis.
 
Big Papi said:
Questions:
If Gwynn had achieved Williams' mark of .400 by the time the strike was called, would that have be noted as achieving it full stop?
If anyone gets .400 in the regular season, but it drops below the mark in the playoffs, does that count?
Click to expand...

Yes it counts the batting average title is decided upon regular season stats alone. So if a every day player hits .400 during the regular season he would be given credit for hitting .400 regardless of what he did in the post season.
 
Big Papi said:
I was wondering how many players have won the WS with both an NL and an AL team? Would it be many?

Two managers, apparently, have done it.
1) Sparky Anderson - Cincinnati Reds in 1975 and 1976 and Detroit Tigers in 1984.
2) Tony LaRussa - Oakland Athletics in 1989 and St. Louis Cardinals in 2006.

Another question: is the DH rule the only difference between AL & NL?
Click to expand...

Lots of players have done so, probably too many to name.
 
Leg-End said:
Yankees are just about done after getting swept by the Red Sox. An absolutely brutal season on the injury front with a zombie GM and terrible farm system. Everytime a player went down injured the hole was plugged by a cast off and not a prospect, the one prospect we brought up was Adams and he looks like a AAAA player.

Honestly unless they overhaul everything I don't see a great future for the next 3-5 years, not enough talent anywhere near major league ready, old players on long contracts, injury ravaged system and a GM who just doesn't do anything anymore. Personally I'd clean house, take a couple of barren years on the chin and re-tool, anything other than that and they simply won't progress for the long term.

Get the payroll down and under the luxury tax threshold, find a new hungry GM, keep the owners out of baseball decisions, find new medical staff, overhaul player development, be aggressive with International Free Agents. It's the only way.
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Yankees are not spending wisely the last 5 years or so it seems. They spend big but not necessarily on the right type of players. When they had a resurgence in the 90's it was based on a few players that came up via farm system, a few players acquired young, and signing the right kind of big name players. For a good number of years they spent poorly not signing the right kind of players (IE ARod never, ever should have been signed despite his gaudy numbers). The failure of Hughers, Chamberlain and Kennedy to develop hurt them for sure.

But I do not mind, never liked the bastards anyways.
 
MrMarcello said:
Down to the wire for Tampa, Cleveland, and Texas.

Atlanta and St Louis battling for homefield which is massively crucial to Atlanta (best home record, sub .500 road record). That said, St Louis can win a home or road series but I see the Braves choking per usual. I think the Dodgers had their great run and have since been fairly average IMO.

I figure it's Boston vs Detroit in ALCS.

If I were a betting man I'd have Detroit vs St Louis.
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It will be Boston v. whoever and you can kiss my arse with your Detroit Marcello.
 
The one problem I find with current era league leading totals is that since interleague play began, the league leader in various statistical categories may have weighted his totals against the other league (negatively or positively). In the prior era, the league leader earned those statistics against his league, i.e. a true league leader. Therefore, I find the current league homerun, batting average, ERA leaders et al, a bit misleading and quite tarnished.

Case in point when Willie McGee won the NL batting title in 1990 despite finishing the season in the AL, his statistics did not crossover, and therefore did not affect his NL stats after his departure. In actuality, his batting average was much lower in the AL and his overall statistics, if combined, would have seen him win neither batting title. However, in 1990 there was no interleague play, thus his statistics should remain separate for each league. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willie_McGee#1990_to_1995.

In today's era, MLB should combine the statistics much like NFL, NBA, and NHL that do not differentiate for conferences - they award a single league leader for each category as the teams play interconference (spare me the "they always have" argument). Yes, there are references to "AFC rushing leader," but the actual award goes to the NFL rushing leader. NBA & NHL scoring champ is not given to each conference leader. Also, those awards have a single/universal MVP, defensive player of the year, rookie of the year, etc. Only MLB still splits awards for leagues although I'm perfectly content with these awards, and find them quite valuable to the sport.

I suppose MLB could differentiate statistics accumulated against the opposing league and place a category strictly for AL/NL intraleague leaders, and AL/NL interleague leaders (they do this but it's a minor category) but oh well, we'll just live with the misnomar of "league hitting/pitching leader." In an era with increased stat geeks and whatnot, surely this is an easy fix.
 
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