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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
Ten years from now, we may look back at Game 5 of the 2015 ALDS as a watershed moment for baseball. When Jose Bautista hit that decisive three-run home run and flung his bat into the air, he effectively opened the door for baseball players to be themselves.

Unfortunately, not everyone feels that way about the “bat flip”. There are still baseball traditionalists who are banging the drum for “respecting the game” and “playing the game the right way”. In their eyes, Jose Bautista committed the cardinal sin of baseball.

In fact, he did nothing wrong. He displayed emotion when – as Harold Reynolds noted – emotions were at the all-time high. What exactly did anyone expect Jose Bautista to do in that moment? And if he wasn’t allowed to who emotion in the biggest moment of his career, when else was he supposed to?
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The irony of it all? Odor was held to a single on that play. A single! He spent so much time admiring the ball that he failed to get extra bases. At the very least, Odor should’ve picked up a double on that play.

Ultimately, it didn’t cost Team Venezuela the victory, but it very well could have. Odor hot-dogged his way around the bases when it wasn’t even warranted, and that was the true injustice from last night’s WBC game.

Rougned Odor is a talented second baseman. but he still has a lot to learn and a lot of growing up to do. He has a penchant for flipping his bat, although he acts like he’s above it when someone else flips theirs.

Pot, meet kettle.
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The Hypocrisy of Odor’s Bat Flip (And Why Bautista Was Validated For His)
 
S

Silver Arrows

Banned
cashman said:
Lol at Jays fans still being caught up over Odor.
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More people should be bitching about the fact that bat flips and their criticisms seem to be only coming from crotchety old white writers, and mostly directed towards Latin American ballplayers. Hmmm, no racism here, no siree.
 
C

Crimson_Gold

Member
Silver Arrows said:
More people should be bitching about the fact that bat flips and their criticisms seem to be only coming from crotchety old white writers, and mostly directed towards Latin American ballplayers. Hmmm, no racism here, no siree.
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You're not playing the game the right way Arrows. You're not embracing what baseball is all about
 
S

Silver Arrows

Banned
Crimson_Gold said:
You're not playing the game the right way Arrows. You're not embracing what baseball is all about
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If I was getting paid what these guys are making, then I'd hot dog to the bases every time I hit a ball that went past the infield.

Yet nobody ever seems to complain about the Mike Trouts of the world who do bat flips...
 
J

jello44

Chie is the worst waifu
No one was complaining about Correa's bat flip the other day, were they?

correa_bat_flip_med_67q2fs89.gif


That's some gooooood shit
 
C

Crimson_Gold

Member
Silver Arrows said:
If I was getting paid what these guys are making, then I'd hot dog to the bases every time I hit a ball that went past the infield.

Yet nobody ever seems to complain about the Mike Trouts of the world who do bat flips...
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He's just a jersey boy that loves baseball. His celebration is of the game, not of himself. You have to look at the heart of the player. When he gets the barrel of the Batman on the ball, he's doing it for the team. He's not concerned with stats. His bat flips are for jet propulsion. This is a known fact.
 
S

Silver Arrows

Banned
My opinions on the Bautista - Odor beef, and by extension the 'rivalry' of the Jays - Rangers are well known. The only reason I posted that article was indeed, it is hypocritical for Odor to bat flip and hot dog for a fucking single while Jose was villified for flipping a bat on a series winning home run.

But the fact of the matter is: there should be more focus not on the hypocrisy, but rather, the racist elements of people who bag on bat flips.

Crimson_Gold said:
He's just a jersey boy that loves baseball. His celebration is of the game, not of himself. You have to look at the heart of the player. When he gets the barrel of the Batman on the ball, he's doing it for the team. He's not concerned with stats. His bat flips are for jet propulsion. This is a known fact.
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No wonder nobody criticizes Mike Trout! He's actually Bruce Wayne!
 
J

JoseDFrog

Banned
Crimson_Gold said:
He's just a jersey boy that loves baseball. His celebration is of the game, not of himself. You have to look at the heart of the player. When he gets the barrel of the Batman on the ball, he's doing it for the team. He's not concerned with stats. His bat flips are for jet propulsion. This is a known fact.
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Amen.

Latino players should keep their heads down and appreciate that they are in a country that pays them millions to play baseball.
 
C

CosmicQueso

Member
Need a Mike Trout bat flip gif. Does one exist?

In the case of Joey Bats' flip... I ain't saying the blowback isn't somewhat racism, but I gotta think that some of the response was also because he was just such a dick about that particular flip.

Long live bat flips.
 
The Elite

The Elite

BOSS
CosmicQueso said:
Need a Mike Trout bat flip gif. Does one exist?

In the case of Joey Bats' flip... I ain't saying the blowback isn't somewhat racism, but I gotta think that some of the response was also because he was just such a dick about that particular flip.

Long live bat flips.
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Was he? I mean, Bautista can be a big dick. I like him but he says eye-rolling shit sometimes. I don't remember him being a dick about that bat flip though. I think all he said was that it was in the heat of the moment and it just happened.
 
S

Silver Arrows

Banned
CosmicQueso said:
Need a Mike Trout bat flip gif. Does one exist?

In the case of Joey Bats' flip... I ain't saying the blowback isn't somewhat racism, but I gotta think that some of the response was also because he was just such a dick about that particular flip.

Long live bat flips.
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Sure, that's valid. But lets be honest, if it was Mike Trout doing the same thing, in the exact same scenario, no one would bat an eyelash. Most people would be cheering it, likely. I mean, the guy launched a home run that pretty much changed the hopes and dreams of a franchise long circling the shitter. Isn't that cause for a cathartic celebration?

And noticed who were the ones complaining after Jose did it. Mostly old white writers, and a relief pitcher who had sour grapes that he hung a ball up high, and got punished for it.
 
C

CosmicQueso

Member
If Mike Trout did a bat flip, the first reaction would be shock, and there would probably be players and writers saying they were disappointed with it, but sure, the reaction would be very different. Hell, MLB might even post a gif around it (but then again they also tweeted gifs of the Bats flip). And it would instantly change how flips were accepted in the game.

Rickey did a bunch of bat flips, no one said anything that I've seen.

So two respected HOF players would likely get a muted or positive reaction.

Now Bats didn't get a muted reaction.

So, what about a white player who isn't respected/liked as much as Trout or Rickey? Say Brett Lawrie flipped his bat like Bats did. He would get shat upon from a great height.

Racist overtones exist in the criticism, sure, but there's probably more at play than just racism?
 
C

clav

Member
Dominican Power said:
Questioning Turner? lolwut. And I don't see why Blackmon can't replicate what he did last year. Betts, Blackmon, Turner is a solid OF.
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jello44 said:
Bregman.

But I'm extremely biased. ;)

He's due for a breakout.

Hopefully he doesn't get that sophomore slump.
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Well, at the last minute, I ended up dropping Gary Sanchez and kept Mookie Betts, Charlie Blackmon, Alex Bregman, and Trea Turner.

People are not really expecting power from Trea Turner, but he does have wheels.

As for Gary Sanchez, I think his sample size is too small to value a thin position. I'd rather see who is going to take the bait, so I can get a better mid round pick.
 
Z

zulux21

Member
so looking at fangraphs there are only 7 teams with a less than 1% chance to make it to a division series game. (listing percent and in () their spring training records)

Twins .7% (10-6)
White sox .1% (11-8)
Phillies .1% (9-9)
Braves .3% (6-12)
Brewers .1% (10-9)
Reds 0% (9-12)
Padres 0% (6-11)

Of those teams, which do you guys think will surprise people and actually make it to the playoffs?

I personally think the Braves have the best chance of doing that if things click for them.
 
D

Dmncnby2k9

Banned
zulux21 said:
so looking at fangraphs there are only 7 teams with a less than 1% chance to make it to a division series game. (listing percent and in () their spring training records)

Twins .7% (10-6)
White sox .1% (11-8)
Phillies .1% (9-9)
Braves .3% (6-12)
Brewers .1% (10-9)
Reds 0% (9-12)
Padres 0% (6-11)

Of those teams, which do you guys think will surprise people and actually make it to the playoffs?

I personally think the Braves have the best chance of doing that if things click for them.
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I cant say the Braves man. You have the Nats and Mets. Maybe your White Sox or Twins.
 
M

Mortemis

Banned
I'd say White Sox or Twins too. If Cleveland collapses/underperforms you'd have four rebuilding (or whatever the tigers are doing) teams hunting a division title.
 
Z

zulux21

Member
Dmncnby2k9 said:
I cant say the Braves man. You have the Nats and Mets. Maybe your White Sox or Twins.
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I just like the look of the good young talent on the braves.

I suppose the AL central isn't a bad bet for one of them surprising either.

the indians could falter and if they do it could be anyones division.

plus while the white sox likely seem a lot worse with the subtraction of eaton and Sale... I really don't think the rotation will be worse. Quintana will fall into the Ace role with no issue, and the young talent is just starting to come around. Rodan looked like he figured out something at the end of last season, and most of the pitching talent the white sox traded for should be in the majors sooner rather than later.

the loss of Eaton will be harder to fill, but again I think the overall upgrades to talent around the field can get close to making up for it. (white sox hovered around .500 after their great start and huge fall last season)

aka as things stand it actually wouldn't be that surprising if the white sox ended up being around .500 at the start of june. If some players had good years though and another team runs with the division though I have to imagine they will still lean towards just selling high on people.

Windu said:
thats a lot of clicks.
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they sure looked like they were figuring things out the second half of last year. weren't they a .500 team the last two months or so?
 
D

Dmncnby2k9

Banned
Tebow da Gawd is here from the football heavens to bring salvation to the sport America once considered its pasttime. Praise be our baseball gods!!
 
S

Silver Arrows

Banned
Scott Boras is pissed at the Jays for how they handled Aaron Sanchez.

The Toronto Blue Jays have renewed the 2017 contract of all-star right-hander Aaron Sanchez for the major-league minimum of $535,000, a decision influential agent Scott Boras described as the "harshest treatment any team could provide a player."

The renewal took place after Sanchez, who led the American League with an earned-run average of 3.00 during a spectacular 2016 season, declined to accept a modest increase on the minimum based on the club’s formula for calculating its pre-arbitration raises.

Under a policy in place for the past 10 years, the Blue Jays renew contracts at the major-league minimum if players don’t accept the raises offered to them.

"They offered him a very small raise above the minimum, which is not commensurate to his performance peers," Boras said in an interview with Sportsnet. "Some teams have very low payment standards but they say if you renew we understand, but you still keep the money we’re giving you. Toronto is so rigid, they not only have a very antiquated or substandard policy compared to the other teams for extraordinary performance, but if you don’t accept what that low standard is, they then have the poison pill of saying, you get paid the minimum. It’s the harshest treatment in baseball that any club could provide for a player. That’s why few teams have such a policy."
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Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins disagreed with Boras’ depiction of the policy as a punitive one "because it’s their choice, they could have accepted that number."

"This is a policy that was put in place 10 years ago," he added. "I don’t see it as punitive, we don’t see it as punitive because it’s your choice to not accept the higher number."
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