# MLB: April 2017 **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [April 2, 2017, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april-2017/783594 "2017-04-02T17:24:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2017, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april-2017/783594/162 "2017-04-26T17:05:58Z")
> [@Gordon\_Urquhart](#): > > I appreciate the way that he’s [addressing those accusations](http://www.sbnation.com/lookit/2017/4/26/15434422/eric-thames-mlb-record-ped-plenty-of-blood-and-urine-brewers): “So if people keep thinking I’m on stuff I’ll be here every day — I have lots of blood and urine.” Just heard on the radio he’s already been tested 3 times this season, counting once in spring training. He’s got as many home runs as the whole Red Sox team, which was my fear about them this year. With no Papi, could Betts and company match their offensive production from last year? ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2017, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april-2017/783594/163 "2017-04-26T18:36:30Z")
Well, the obvious answer is that they won’t. Boston scored WAY more runs than anyone else in the league in 2016; they dominated offensively, 155 runs more than the average team and 101 runs more than second place. Even if they had the best offense in the AL in 2017 they probably wouldn’t be that much better than anyone else. The likelihood of that happening again was always basically zero. The year before the Blue Jays were even more dominant, so of course they slipped back to “still pretty good but not stupid good.” It’s just never likely a team that has everything go right offensively will have it happen again. ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2017, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april-2017/783594/164 "2017-04-26T19:56:47Z")
I agree, which is why I was a little surprised so many were so high on Boston in the preseason. Everyone was picking them or Cleveland to win the AL. Adding Sale is huge, obviously, but you had to know that the offense wouldn’t be as good as 2016. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2017, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april-2017/783594/165 "2017-04-26T20:39:19Z")
> [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](#): > > Adding Sale is huge, obviously, but you had to know that the offense wouldn’t be as good as 2016. That 2016 offense was absurd. Losing Papi hurts, but there’s a big gap to cushion the fall. No reason to think that the Sox would take a giant hit in the win column for just one guy while picking up one of the best pitchers in the league. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2017, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april-2017/783594/166 "2017-04-26T20:45:57Z")
> [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](#): > > Marlins fans rejoice, as it appears they’ll be rid of owner Jeffrey Loria. He’s agreed to sell the team to Derek Jeter and Jeb Bush (and I’m sure a handful of other investors). After the report about Jeb and Jeter came out, the Commissioner said that no bid had been accepted yet. ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2017, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april-2017/783594/167 "2017-04-27T05:40:12Z")
Michael Morse is really, really good at hitting 8th inning, game tying home runs. ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2017, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april-2017/783594/168 "2017-04-27T05:45:14Z")
Also, Gift Ngoepe today became the first African-born player to play Major League Baseball…[and got a hit in hist first at-bat](http://m.mlb.com/news/article/226702184/bucs-gift-ngoepe-makes-history-in-mlb-debut/?game_pk=490406)! ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2017, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april-2017/783594/169 "2017-04-27T11:24:24Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > After the report about Jeb and Jeter came out, the Commissioner said that no bid had been accepted yet. But it will be. Jeter ‘owning’ the Marlins might actually put some asses in seats down there. Plus, MLB wants to show that even poor-performing, small-market teams are worth 10 figures+. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2017, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april-2017/783594/170 "2017-04-27T15:20:53Z")
Ryan Zimmerman has 21 RBIs on the year, there are only two players with more RBIs so far in the season, Daniel Murphy and Bryce Harper, each with 22. This line up is insane right now. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2017, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april-2017/783594/171 "2017-04-27T18:25:33Z")
> [@Zakalwe](#): > > But it will be. Jeter ‘owning’ the Marlins might actually put some asses in seats down there. Plus, MLB wants to show that even poor-performing, small-market teams are worth 10 figures+. I agree with the latter. I doubt the former would work for long. Nobody goes to a baseball game to see the owner. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2017, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april-2017/783594/172 "2017-04-27T19:15:00Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > I agree with the latter. I doubt the former would work for long. Nobody goes to a baseball game to see the owner. Agreed. Maybe i don’t have much imagination, but i literally cannot envision a scenario where a person might say, “I didn’t care enough about the Marlins to go to any of their games before, but now that I know Derek Jeter has a stake in the team and might be in one of the corporate boxes, i’ll make the effort to go to a few games.” ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2017, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april-2017/783594/173 "2017-04-27T19:50:49Z")
Of course not. But Jeb Bush, on the other hand… ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2017, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april-2017/783594/174 "2017-04-27T21:49:07Z")
God the Jays suck. The only way they could have gotten worse is to lose two games a day instead of one. They’re working on that. ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2017, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april-2017/783594/175 "2017-04-28T01:03:24Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > I agree with the latter. I doubt the former would work for long. Nobody goes to a baseball game to see the owner. It’ll cause some initial interest and I have little doubt that this group will put a better product on the field than Longoria. Look, Miami is never going to be a baseball town in the sense of sold-out stadiums. But it’s nice to have a warm-weather team in a big tv market. ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2017, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april-2017/783594/176 "2017-04-28T03:00:52Z")
2:21 for a Yankee-Red Sox game. Amazing. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2017, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april-2017/783594/177 "2017-04-28T11:41:18Z")
I thought the Yankees would be in trouble when Sanchez went on the DL but I’m not so sure he has a job waiting for him. I think Romine calls a great game behind the plate and knows how to handle his pitchers. The Yankees have played better since he took over, plain and simple. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2017, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april-2017/783594/178 "2017-04-29T11:27:41Z")
Yanks just won a pitching duel 2 nights ago and then beat Baltimore to grab a share of 1st place in the best slugfest and comeback game probably since the Giambi Grandslam in the 14th to beat the Twins on 5-17-2002. I can’t believe that was 15 years ago already. The Yanks are trying to make me believers, I thought if things went well they could snag a wild card, now I am wondering if they can actually win the division this year. There is some good depth of **starters** in AA & AAA to help out. Severino is off to a great start, living up to the promise he showed 2 years ago. Tanaka of course keeps looking better with each game this season. The staff should give the Yanks a chance to win most nights. The \*\*bullpen \*\*is great of course. Plenty of live arms in the minors to help out during the long season. The \*\*hitting \*\*has been excellent early and as some of the batters cool off that are playing over their heads, some others should probably start hitting like Gardner & Bird. Also Sanchez is on his way back and despite what \*\*BobLibDem \*\*just posted, Romine is already cooling off and Sanchez has great power and a great arm for throwing out runners and calls a good game and is getting better. The \*\*defense \*\*looks outstanding with the only real weakness being Castro. The \*\*bench \*\*is a net positive with the likes of Ronald Torreyes, Aaron Hicks (who is pushing Gardner for the starting LF job), Austin Romine who has been a great fill-in and does call a great game. Chris Carter is not hitting much, but plays adequate 1st base and is a scary bat off the bench at least, he won 1 game for the Yanks so far. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2017, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april-2017/783594/179 "2017-04-29T14:49:47Z")
Fun moment from last night’s Cards-Reds game: [A pickoff turns a bases-loading walk into an inning-ending out.](http://m.mlb.com/news/article/227141800/cards-yadier-molina-pulls-off-amazing-pickoff/) ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2017, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april-2017/783594/180 "2017-04-29T14:55:15Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Fun moment from last night’s Cards-Reds game: > [A pickoff turns a bases-loading walk into an inning-ending out.](http://m.mlb.com/news/article/227141800/cards-yadier-molina-pulls-off-amazing-pickoff/) Holy crap that’s embarrassing. ---
**Author:** ![Covfefe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ee7513/32.png) [@Covfefe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covfefe)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2017, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april-2017/783594/181 "2017-04-30T15:30:17Z")
First time playing fantasy baseball in 5 years. I had Bumgarner, Felix, Bedrosian, and Manaea all go down within the span of 6 days. (Noting now since Manaea just hit the DL) Which is kind of why I lost interest in baseball to begin with that being all the shoulder woes. Not that I’ve ever before had a fantasy team get blasted like this by the injury bug, so this is new. The Bumgarner debacle alone probably was to me what it was to SF’s season anyway, as he was the only top 25ish starter I drafted. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april-2017/783594.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april-2017/783594.md?page=10)