Baseball is BACK!!

[legOFwhat?]

Congratulations Larry! The Dodgers have to be commended for scratching and clawing their way back! And the Braves.....well that's just the Braves! Great year, but I don't care, same ole same ole! :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

I coach baseball & fastpitch. MS boys baseball, mainly as a favor but it's a chance to mold these young boys and to help prepare them for High School Baseball.

But my main love is girls fastpitch, hands down! I coached a NC State Championship team in 2018 and I'm an assistant coach right now for a 18U National travel team, my daughter plays college ball. I'm used to very high level play, this ain't rec ball!

What I saw last night in the 4th inning on the bases was flat out 12U rec / church baseball, terrible!! Couldn't actually believe I saw what I saw! Runners on 2nd & 3rd with no (zero) outs, cleats on the back of their necks, just a stupid momentum Killer!! They never recovered, and it doesn't help that the Dodgers are just a better team, you can't waste opportunity's like they had in the 4th and run bases with your head up your a$$!

That play reminded me of a few years ago, when Puig made the boneheaded baserunning blunders( say that 3 times real fast).
I'm all for being aggressive, but with zero out and no force play, I would have waited for a deep popup, so some of that is also on Ron Washington the 3rd base coach. Swanson knew better and Riley just froze and it fell apart in a blink of the eye and once blood was in the water the sharks frenzied.

Corey grew up probably 25 / 30 miles from me. I've heard my dad say Sandy Koufax was the best pitcher in his lifetime many many times, he was a huge Koufax fan!

Walker Buehler and Will Smith are both from Kentucky (Lex,Lou) :) There is a story about Koufax that, when a particular game he was dealing, a batter came up to bat with a chair or piano leg since bats weren't working :p

Edit: maybe the piano leg story isn't correct, I couldn't find it... someone said "his curve ball drops like a chair whose legs collapse". Maybe that's what I heard. I'd love to have seen him pitch though.

[MacLaren]

Man, is Seager living the dream or what?
Gets to play on the West Coast and wear that Dodger Blue.....NLCS MVP

[legOFwhat?]

Man, is Seager living the dream or what?
Gets to play on the West Coast and wear that Dodger Blue.....NLCS MVP

As weird as this may sound, I've had him in my keeper league(fantasy baseball) since before he got his 1st callup. He is always undervalued as a SS, because of Lindor, Trevor Story Baez. etc.. He finished 3rd in MVP voting in 2016 and was the ROY as well. Injury bug is a big part of the reason and just how good of the class of shortstops have been the past few years.

[Doc Dan]

What is wrong with the Braves?! Year after year they get right up to the WS and fall apart. No one beats them. They beat themselves.

Well, I rooting for the Rays in the WS.

[MacLaren]

What is wrong with the Braves?! Year after year they get right up to the WS and fall apart. No one beats them. They beat themselves.

Well, I rooting for the Rays in the WS.

I hear ya Doc.
I've saw little league players run the bases better than Atlanta did in game 7.
And, that wasn't the only game they screwed up running the bases.
They really do beat themselves it seems.
Lol, my Uncle feels the way you do, he is for the Devil Ray's as well.
Imo, Atlanta beat themselves, and I'm gonna root for the Dodgers. They got crapped outta one World Series already by the cheating Astros.
Plus, Seager is from North Carolina.

[benben]

I absolutely won a NC 3A State Championship being a 1B coach in 2018 with aggressive and smart base running! We beat a far better team than us, no way were we to win! Wonder if the Braves would hire me as a base coach? And Doc, you're exactly right!!

[MacLaren]

I absolutely won a NC 3A State Championship being a 1B coach in 2018 with aggressive and smart base running! We beat a far better team than us, no way were we to win! Wonder if the Braves would hire me as a base coach? And Doc, you're exactly right!!

What County do you live in benben?

[benben]

I absolutely won a NC 3A State Championship being a 1B coach in 2018 with aggressive and smart base running! We beat a far better team than us, no way were we to win! Wonder if the Braves would hire me as a base coach? And Doc, you're exactly right!!

What County do you live in benben?

Gaston, in Gastonia.

[benben]

I absolutely won a NC 3A State Championship being a 1B coach in 2018 with aggressive and smart base running! We beat a far better team than us, no way were we to win! Wonder if the Braves would hire me as a base coach? And Doc, you're exactly right!!

What County do you live in benben?

You having the Braves GM send me a resume?

[MacLaren]

I absolutely won a NC 3A State Championship being a 1B coach in 2018 with aggressive and smart base running! We beat a far better team than us, no way were we to win! Wonder if the Braves would hire me as a base coach? And Doc, you're exactly right!!

What County do you live in benben?

You having the Braves GM send me a resume?

Lol, you know it!!
They have good football in your area too!
Especially Cleveland County!
I'm friends with a Sergeant on the Gastonia PD.
Heck, he may a Lieutenant by now. Haven't spoken with him in a while. Gastonia what, about 30 minutes from Charlotte?

[benben]

I absolutely won a NC 3A State Championship being a 1B coach in 2018 with aggressive and smart base running! We beat a far better team than us, no way were we to win! Wonder if the Braves would hire me as a base coach? And Doc, you're exactly right!!

What County do you live in benben?

You having the Braves GM send me a resume?

Lol, you know it!!
They have good football in your area too!
Especially Cleveland County!
I'm friends with a Sergeant on the Gastonia PD.
Heck, he may a Lieutenant by now. Haven't spoken with him in a while. Gastonia what, about 30 minutes from Charlotte?

Yep, from my work here in Lowell, 12 to 15 minutes. Curious who your friend is? And yes, great football here and surrounding counties!

[MacLaren]

What County do you live in benben?

You having the Braves GM send me a resume?

Lol, you know it!!
They have good football in your area too!
Especially Cleveland County!
I'm friends with a Sergeant on the Gastonia PD.
Heck, he may a Lieutenant by now. Haven't spoken with him in a while. Gastonia what, about 30 minutes from Charlotte?

Yep, from my work here in Lowell, 12 to 15 minutes. Curious who your friend is? And yes, great football here and surrounding counties!

Sgt. Trent Conard

[benben]

You having the Braves GM send me a resume?

Lol, you know it!!
They have good football in your area too!
Especially Cleveland County!
I'm friends with a Sergeant on the Gastonia PD.
Heck, he may a Lieutenant by now. Haven't spoken with him in a while. Gastonia what, about 30 minutes from Charlotte?

Yep, from my work here in Lowell, 12 to 15 minutes. Curious who your friend is? And yes, great football here and surrounding counties!

Sgt. Trent Conard

Wow, I don’t personally know him, but I do know he’s the officer who saved a choking kid at the Olive Garden here in town not too long ago. Hope someone bought this fine gentleman a beer!

[MacLaren]

Lol, you know it!!
They have good football in your area too!
Especially Cleveland County!
I'm friends with a Sergeant on the Gastonia PD.
Heck, he may a Lieutenant by now. Haven't spoken with him in a while. Gastonia what, about 30 minutes from Charlotte?

Yep, from my work here in Lowell, 12 to 15 minutes. Curious who your friend is? And yes, great football here and surrounding counties!

Sgt. Trent Conard

Wow, I don’t personally know him, but I do know he’s the officer who saved a choking kid at the Olive Garden here in town not too long ago. Hope someone bought this fine gentleman a beer!

Lol, yup, he's a good guy!!
He likes to bear hunt up here in Avery County, up in the mountains. Really good guy

[legOFwhat?]

Hoping Kershaw thinks its June

[MacLaren]

Hoping Kershaw thinks its June

Yup!!! :D

[Doc Dan]

Remember Jim Morrison and the Rays? Cinderfella story for sure.

[JD Spydo]

Hey MAC I've got something to ask you about the sport of MLB? First off I know I'm an old codger compared to most of you all ( 66). But I remember a time when baseball seemed to be really exciting. First off do any of you remember "The Big Red Machine"? That was back in the day when the Cincinnati Reds had the likes of Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan, George Foster, Tony Perez ect. They truly were a "winning machine" for the lack of a better description. You had them and Tommy LaSorda's LA Dodgers along with the old Pittsburgh Pirates>> and all of them were truly a thrill to watch.

Pete Rose would slide into third base like his life depended on it. Joe Morgan took his base stealing seriously. The Reds under Sparky Anderson had an awesome pitching staff as well. It was truly a time before these guys made almost a million dollar a game and when winning actually meant something.

And here in KC we had guys like George Brett, Frank White, Willie Wilson, Paul Splitorff and the KC Royals darn near had an "All Star" team at one point. Those were the days when I could get excited about baseball and I found it thrilling to watch. But I just don't see the intensity that these guys had in that era of the 1970s-1980s had.

[MacLaren]

Hey MAC I've got something to ask you about the sport of MLB? First off I know I'm an old codger compared to most of you all ( 66). But I remember a time when baseball seemed to be really exciting. First off do any of you remember "The Big Red Machine"? That was back in the day when the Cincinnati Reds had the likes of Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan, George Foster, Tony Perez ect. They truly were a "winning machine" for the lack of a better description. You had them and Tommy LaSorda's LA Dodgers along with the old Pittsburgh Pirates>> and all of them were truly a thrill to watch.

Pete Rose would slide into third base like his life depended on it. Joe Morgan took his base stealing seriously. The Reds under Sparky Anderson had an awesome pitching staff as well. It was truly a time before these guys made almost a million dollar a game and when winning actually meant something.

And here in KC we had guys like George Brett, Frank White, Willie Wilson, Paul Splitorff and the KC Royals darn near had an "All Star" team at one point. Those were the days when I could get excited about baseball and I found it thrilling to watch. But I just don't see the intensity that these guys had in that era of the 1970s-1980s had.

Gosh, thats tough. And, all just opinion on my part.
I just dont go back far enough to remember the Reds of the 70's. But, Ive saw highlights and heard how good they were.
But, one thing I do know, is that pitching has just become better and better imo.
I mean you have guys now throwing 99mph curveballs for goodness sake!
And, there's quite a few out there that can reach 100mph+
That's gotta be tremendous hard to hit.
I often wander how our older great hitters would fare against today's pitching.
I always wandered how Mickey Mantle wouldve fared against Greg Maddux or Madison Baumgartner
Or Pete Rose vs Clayton Kershaw ( regular season of course, sorry Larry :p )
It's just hard to tell man.
*Edit* I'm gonna amend this to say that I think either Mickey Mantle or Pete Rose could hit anyone.
But, those two are truly exceptional

[legOFwhat?]

Joe, I can only go back to the early 80's and I was quite fond of that era, it's when I 1st started collecting baseball cards and learning who players were. Gwynn, Carew, Brett, Ryan, Garvey and the like were huge, especially to a 10 yr old kid that ran around the house with a baseball glove on his hand!

I remember seeing Darryl Strawberry playing for the Tidewater Mets when they came to play The Toledo Mudhens :D His name really stood out when announced, then to me it was cool when I got his rookie card! It seemed back then the players where more gritty, salt of the earth types with a steady stream of chew running down their chins :D

IMO, of course comparing what players might do now versus then would be impossible, but fun to imagine. Those "days of old" you would have pitchers who would throw 150 or more pitches a game, end up with 27 wins, 24 complete games and start 50! I think now the game is just too different with training, diet, matchups, metrics etc,...too much protection of arms, too many radar guns and high end contracts. I understand it all, it's just so different to what we grew up with. I do think that hitters back then would catch up and adapt to the pitching but I do wonder what the big stars would have done with all the SHIFTS!
I do think the ball is still "juiced" and the bats are just harder...

Poor Kershaw Paul! :p