# MLB: April **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [March 31, 2014, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april/684986 "2014-03-31T14:13:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![leftfield6](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leftfield6/32/18780_2.png) [@leftfield6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leftfield6)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2014, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april/684986/181 "2014-04-15T16:57:41Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > Deadspin has a great [video](http://deadspin.com/phillies-fans-reactions-to-dan-ugglas-grand-slam-are-am-1563288296) of a bunch of Phillies fans jeering and taunting Uggla as he came up to bat, followed by ultra-slow motion footage of their reactions as the grand slam sails through the air. It’s excellent. That is just pure gold right there, pure gold. I highly recommend everyone stop what they are doing, and watch this video many times. So many layers, so much rich content. It’s really a commentary on human existence, is what it is. Better than anything in the cinemas today. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2014, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april/684986/182 "2014-04-15T21:44:15Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Along with high strikeout counts and frequent no-hitters, this may be just another sign that the post-steroid era is one of pitching and defense and base-to-base hitting tactics, not Home Run Derby anymore. There’s now a real penalty for being unable, or refusing, to hit to the opposite field or bunt. ISTM that’s good for the game. Agreed. I love “small ball”. ---
**Author:** ![lisiate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f05b48/32.png) [@lisiate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisiate)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2014, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april/684986/183 "2014-04-15T21:50:45Z")
> [@leftfield6](#): > > That is just pure gold right there, pure gold. I highly recommend everyone stop what they are doing, and watch this video many times. So many layers, so much rich content. It’s really a commentary on human existence, is what it is. > > Better than anything in the cinemas today. Hell I’m not even a baseball fan but thought this was brilliant. They should have used “Instant Karma” as the song though. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2014, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april/684986/184 "2014-04-16T01:04:52Z")
It ain’t your father’s small ball, though. Last year, even in what was perceived as being a low scoring year, the average AL team hit a home run a game. (Actually a little better, 166 per team.) That’s still a lot of home runs, historically speaking. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2014, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april/684986/185 "2014-04-16T04:18:52Z")
Out of curiosity, do they teams that got rained out today wear No. 42 tomorrow, or do they just miss out altogether on participating? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2014, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april/684986/186 "2014-04-16T14:40:33Z")
I repeat my previous: Brandon League Must Die. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2014, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april/684986/187 "2014-04-16T16:37:21Z")
What’s with all the injuries in Boston? We’ve now lost the starters at 1B, 2B, 3B, RF, and closer, even though none “appear serious at this time”. PS: I didn’t really need to see the close-ups of Napoli’s dislocated finger. Really. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2014, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april/684986/188 "2014-04-17T04:13:24Z")
Anyone taking bets on Hanley’s hand being broken? Gonna be a long season. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2014, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april/684986/189 "2014-04-17T04:41:55Z")
> [@Asimovian](#): > > Anyone taking bets on Hanley’s hand being broken? Gonna be a long season. X-rays are negative. Whew. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2014, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april/684986/190 "2014-04-17T05:05:50Z")
Dear God, Felix pitched a gem for the Mariners for 8 innings, and then closer Fernando Rodney blew it in the 9th, and the Rangers won 3-2. Great moment on the radio post-game show, when the host blew up at an ignorant caller. I only half-heard the caller’s comments, but he started rattling off generic accusations about management and the same old players, blah, blah, blah. Host angrily cut him off, and basically told him to never call in again if he didn’t even know the names of the players on the team. The host was so pissed off that he actually had to stop talking and temporarily hand over his duties to his cohost. And cohost was just as pissed off at the caller. ---
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2014, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april/684986/191 "2014-04-17T05:56:45Z")
White Sox used up the whole bullpen and brought in the backup 2nd baseman to pitch in the 14th inning Fun game ---
**Author:** ![Uncle\_Jocko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uncle_jocko/32/2932_2.png) [@Uncle\_Jocko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncle_Jocko)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2014, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april/684986/192 "2014-04-17T16:11:41Z")
> [@PSXer](#): > > White Sox used up the whole bullpen and brought in the backup 2nd baseman to pitch in the 14th inning > > Fun game I just happened to watch a bit of this game last night before I went to bed. Glad I didn’t try to make the end … would have made my 6 am shift today rather dicey. Anyway, I thought the 8th-inning combination of Ventura’s “one pitcher per batter” strategy plus said pitchers’ inability to throw strikes spelled trouble for the White Sox bullpen. When Ventura made his fourth trip out to the mound to change pitchers in that inning, I had to turn the TV off and go to sleep. ---
**Author:** ![Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2014, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april/684986/193 "2014-04-17T17:15:57Z")
> [@Mister\_Rik](#): > > Dear God, Felix pitched a gem for the Mariners for 8 innings, and then closer Fernando Rodney blew it in the 9th, and the Rangers won 3-2. Wasn’t there a two-out error? Not to exonerate Rodney, who obviously put the runners on that eventually managed to score, but I’m pretty sure the runs were unearned and that a halfway decent throw by the shortstop (?) with two out (?) in the inning would’ve ended the game in the Mariners’ favor. Tough break in any case for Hernandez and for the M’s. ---
**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 17, 2014, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april/684986/194 "2014-04-17T17:33:37Z")
I have Yu Darvish in my Fantasy team this year. In his three games so far, Darvish has pitched 22 innings, struck out 23 batters, and given up a total of two runs. During those same 22 innings, the Rangers have managed to score a total of two runs for Darvish, both in his first game of the year. Darvish has pitched 15 innings over his last two games without a single bit of run support, although the Rangers have managed to win both games. ---
**Author:** ![Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jimmy_Chitwood)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2014, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april/684986/195 "2014-04-17T17:54:32Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > You don’t even have to bunt. If you’re a left handed pull hitter, just take an easy swing, swing a bit late, and slap that ball down toward third base. Do that a few times and they’ll stop shifting on you. I hear this a bunch but I’m not so sure it’s true. It’s a complicated analysis and I think just assuming it’s a free base hit oversimplifies it. With these mostly-older, mostly-fat guys they’re shifting against, the power upside is massive - maybe it’s been a while, but these are largely guys who were slugging .600 at some point. I think you have to do some figuring to determine just how much of a guaranteed single it is before you can say for certain that this is as obvious as people say it is. And I don’t think it’s as much of a guaranteed single as others do. It’s easy to say that if they could just get a bunt down the line, they’d force the defense out of the shift, but what if they could only get down a decent bunt/grounder half the time? If you leave the defense with even a crappy chance at making an out, you change the equation kind of a lot. Assume you can get an infield single and bat .500. It’s not like with practice Adam Dunn is going to become Omar Vizquel, so I don’t think that’s crazy, that half the time you’d strike out or foul out or pop it up or leave a play for the catcher, pitcher or third baseman. Is that still a win for the offense if you’re giving up almost 100% of the chance of extra bases, to say nothing of a home run? Plus, if the pitcher comes off the mound or the ball is generally in the direction of the third baseman, you’re going to have to run it out, so now you’re running the risk of a(nother) blown Achilles or something. The DL shift! For better hitters, I think it’s a clear win for the defense if you concede everything but the (even very large) possibility of a single. If Barry Bonds tried that kind of lazy swinging bunt approach against me when I was pitching, I wouldn’t care if he got on base nine out of ten times; I’d consider it a win (hell, it would only barely improve his slugging percentage anyway). Of course I’d probably be walking him to begin with, so there you go. But the closer to Barry Bonds a hitter is, the more and more likely it is that I’d actually prefer him to take his chances at the “sure thing” of an infield hit. > [@mhendo](#): > > I have Yu Darvish in my Fantasy team this year. > > In his three games so far, Darvish has pitched 22 innings, struck out 23 batters, and given up a total of two runs. > > During those same 22 innings, the Rangers have managed to score a total of two runs for Darvish, both in his first game of the year. Darvish has pitched 15 innings over his last two games without a single bit of run support, although the Rangers have managed to win both games. He’s not a winner. Trade him for Luis Avilan! ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2014, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april/684986/196 "2014-04-17T18:47:26Z")
> [@Jimmy\_Chitwood](#): > > He’s not a winner. Trade him for Luis Avilan! He’s not hungry. He doesn’t truly want to win. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2014, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april/684986/197 "2014-04-18T02:34:39Z")
Is anybody watching the Blue Jays-Twins game? This is about the most absurd inning I’ve ever seen. The Twins have scored six runs in the inning on a single hit. The first four runs were courtesy of walks and wild pitches. The only out thus far came on a sac bunt. ETA: Eight walks this inning. ---
**Author:** ![Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2014, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april/684986/198 "2014-04-18T02:50:59Z")
> [@Asimovian](#): > > Is anybody watching the Blue Jays-Twins game? This is about the most absurd inning I’ve ever seen. The Twins have scored six runs in the inning on a single hit. The first four runs were courtesy of walks and wild pitches. The only out thus far came on a sac bunt. > > ETA: Eight walks this inning. Not watching but followed the inning on gamecast after it was under way. What gets me is that after EIGHT batters in the inning the Twins were officially 0 for 0 at the plate–7 walks and a sac bunt. Can’t have happened very often. ---
**Author:** ![Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2014, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april/684986/199 "2014-04-18T02:57:32Z")
Btw I think the white sox once scored eleven runs in an inning on just one hit. Sometime in the early fifties if I am remembering the story right. So the Twins had some distance to go before equaling that. ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2014, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april/684986/200 "2014-04-18T15:11:42Z")
It was 1959, when the ever-woeful Kansas City Athletics coughed up 10 walks, a hit batsman, and three errors in a single inning. Thursday night the shoe was on the other foot as the White Sox pitching staff save up 15 walks and two hit batsmen in a 14-inning game. Big surprise, they lost. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april/684986.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april/684986.md?page=11)