# MLB: August 2016 **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [August 1, 2016, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-august-2016/761496 "2016-08-01T21:00:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**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:** [August 10, 2016, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-august-2016/761496/81 "2016-08-10T16:41:55Z")
I think that linked article, or another article I saw, had some quotes from him about how he doesn’t want baseball to define his life or something like that. So yeah, he’s not entirely dedicated or the grind was wearing him down. ---
**Author:** ![Tully\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7ab992/32.png) [@Tully\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tully_Mars)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2016, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-august-2016/761496/82 "2016-08-11T01:03:11Z")
Well, darn it. When the Rangers traded for Fielder, I figured it was a mistake. Turns out I was right and it makes me sad. He’s been a stand-up guy, a team leader, and a pleasure to watch until this season. I wish for him a speedy recovery and a happy retirement. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2016, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-august-2016/761496/83 "2016-08-11T14:14:51Z")
One of my favourite baseball facts of all time is that Prince Fielder hit TWO inside the park home runs. He was fat as hell, but he hustled. Interestingly enough I looked at his career numbers today and according to both Fangraphs and B-Ref, Prince was pretty much the worst defensive first baseman who ever lived. They rate his as being as bad or worse than Frank Thomas, which if you ever saw Frank playing first base is really saying something. I saw Fielder play first base, obviously, and I’m surprised at that. He wasn’t exactly Mr. Range but my perception was always that he seemed to know what he was doing there. In honor of his illustrious career, the best stories about him: > **[Prince Fielder Explains Complexities Of Salary Arbitration Using Cheeseburgers](https://www.theonion.com/prince-fielder-explains-complexities-of-salary-arbitrat-1819572081)** > > MILWAUKEE—In an effort to clarify complicated financial negotiation procedures, Brewers first baseman Prince Fielder enthusiastically explained the intricacies of salary arbitration to reporters Wednesday by representing important elements of the... > **[C.C. Sabathia, Prince Fielder Keep Imagining Each Other As Giant Talking Hot...](https://www.theonion.com/c-c-sabathia-prince-fielder-keep-imagining-each-other-1819569949)** > > MILWAUKEE—The Brewers' playoff push has run afoul of an unusual distraction, as sources close to the organization confirm that newly acquired husky starting pitcher C.C. Sabathia and sizable power-hitting first baseman Prince Fielder continue to... > **[Recovering Prince Fielder Sick Of Pounds And Pounds Of Hospital Food](https://www.theonion.com/recovering-prince-fielder-sick-of-pounds-and-pounds-of-1819576539)** > > DALLAS—While under observation following season-ending neck surgery, Texas Rangers slugger Prince Fielder lamented to reporters Wednesday about the dismal quality of the hospital food that he has been consuming by the pound. “I’m not sure how they... ---
**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:** [August 11, 2016, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-august-2016/761496/84 "2016-08-11T14:23:21Z")
> [@Tully\_Mars](#): > > Well, darn it. When the Rangers traded for Fielder, I figured it was a mistake. Turns out I was right and it makes me sad. He’s been a stand-up guy, a team leader, and a pleasure to watch until this season. I wish for him a speedy recovery and a happy retirement. He sure as hell wasn’t a team leader in Detroit. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2016, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-august-2016/761496/85 "2016-08-11T15:26:10Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > If the Giants are going to get shut out (and they are) they should do it on Samardzjia’s turn in the rotation when they’re going to lose anyway. The baseball gods heard my prayer, but it got garbled in transmission, and they gave me a Samardzjia shutout. I’ll take it. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2016, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-august-2016/761496/86 "2016-08-11T15:51:45Z")
Last November I was disgusted that the Blue Jays cheaped out on David Price and I expressed comtempt at the signing of J.A. Happ. Well, as of today Happ is the only MLB pitcher with sixteen wins. He’s fifth in the AL in ERA, and two of the guys ahead of him are his teammates. He is the best pitcher on a first place team. Boy, was I wrong. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2016, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-august-2016/761496/87 "2016-08-11T16:51:34Z")
[Carlos Gomez DFA’ed.](https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2016/08/astros-designate-carlos-gomez-for-assignment.html) You remember last year, the Mets had a trade all in place for him, leading to Wilmer Flores crying in the infield when he got the news during the game. Then, at the last minute, the Mets backed out of the deal, citing Gomez’s medical report. They went for Yoenis Cespedes and the rest is history. Gomez has been terrible since then, and the Astros have given up on him. This may be the best deal the team has never made. ---
**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:** [August 11, 2016, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-august-2016/761496/88 "2016-08-11T18:39:25Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Last November I was disgusted that the Blue Jays cheaped out on David Price and I expressed comtempt at the signing of J.A. Happ. > > Well, as of today Happ is the only MLB pitcher with sixteen wins. He’s fifth in the AL in ERA, and two of the guys ahead of him are his teammates. He is the best pitcher on a first place team. > > Boy, was I wrong. I will admit to a certain schadenfreude in situations like this. Nothing against David Price, I’ve always liked him and it’s not as though he’s having an awful year, and he could easily pitch better than Happ the rest of the season (and next year, and the year after that…)–and of course he is entitled to every cent he can squeeze out of whoever wants him. But some teams seem to have nearly infinite resources and others just don’t, and when a team hands out a contract like the one given to Price, a contract that few other teams can realistically match, there’s a part of me that wants the departing free agent to be mediocre and the replacement to become a star. You know, to make it _fair_. Not admirable, I recognize. But a reality. On a different note, anybody see Jankowski’s steal of home for San Diego–his second of the season? The catcher tossed the ball back to the pitcher, who wasn’t paying attention, and Jankowski just took off. He should’ve been out–much like the Hosmer’s mad dash in Game 5 of the World Series–but the throw home was off target. I love it when they take the risk and do the unexpected. Reminds me of when I was a kid playing ball. Enjoyed fielding, liked pitching, loved hitting–but what I REALLY loved, more than anything else, was running the bases. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2016, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-august-2016/761496/89 "2016-08-11T18:58:32Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > [Carlos Gomez DFA’ed.](https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2016/08/astros-designate-carlos-gomez-for-assignment.html) > > You remember last year, the Mets had a trade all in place for him, leading to Wilmer Flores crying in the infield when he got the news during the game. Then, at the last minute, the Mets backed out of the deal, citing Gomez’s medical report. They went for Yoenis Cespedes and the rest is history. > > Gomez has been terrible since then, and the Astros have given up on him. > > This may be the best deal the team has never made. If only they could say that about Jay Bruce. Which could turn out OK, but I expect Bruce to trend back toward the mean of his most recent mediocre years, while Dilson Herrera has a long and productive career with the Reds. ---
**Author:** ![Hawkeyeop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/958977/32.png) [@Hawkeyeop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hawkeyeop)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2016, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-august-2016/761496/90 "2016-08-11T19:09:42Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > If only they could say that about Jay Bruce. > > Which could turn out OK, but I expect Bruce to trend back toward the mean of his most recent mediocre years, while Dilson Herrera has a long and productive career with the Reds. The Bruce trade was just weird. It was as if the lesson the Mets took from last year’s success is that the key to winning is to trade for a corner outfielder when you already have a glut at the position. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2016, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-august-2016/761496/91 "2016-08-11T19:46:46Z")
It turns out that some in the Reds camp are [bitching about the trade](http://redsminorleagues.com/2016/08/11/dilson-herrera-still-mia-notes/) as well. Since being traded, Herrera has sat out games with the triple-A Louisville Bats with a sore shoulder, which supposedly he’s had trouble with for quite awhile. Maybe both parties to this trade will wind up with regrets. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2016, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-august-2016/761496/92 "2016-08-11T21:49:07Z")
> [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](#): > > But some teams seem to have nearly infinite resources and others just don’t …You know, to make it _fair_. > > Not admirable, I recognize. But a reality. It isn’t a reality for the other sports leagues, who have \*real \*revenue sharing and salary cap systems in place. Only in baseball is a team’s athletic competitiveness limited by its market size. It isn’t good for the game or for the business, but unfortunately it would take some actual leadership for them to catch up. ---
**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:** [August 11, 2016, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-august-2016/761496/93 "2016-08-11T23:20:31Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > It isn’t a reality for the other sports leagues, who have \*real \*revenue sharing and salary cap systems in place. Only in baseball is a team’s athletic competitiveness limited by its market size. It isn’t good for the game or for the business, but unfortunately it would take some actual leadership for them to catch up. I know how the other ones work (though there are sometimes ways around salary caps, aren’t there?). But baseball is the only one of the big four team sports I follow, so it’s the reality for me:D ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2016, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-august-2016/761496/94 "2016-08-12T03:29:23Z")
I’ve wondered before about whether MLB should institute a salary floor. In 2010, the last time the Yankees won the World Series, their payroll was over $201mil. That was higher than the bottom four teams combined (Texas, Oakland, San Diego and Pittsburgh). With the revenue sharing administered properly, there’s no reason for such a disparity. If memory serves. I think that the Florida Marlins got in trouble for not using their portion of the revenue sharing on improving the team. Of course, events like last year’s Kansas City World Series championship seems to render that point moot. ---
**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:** [August 12, 2016, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-august-2016/761496/95 "2016-08-12T18:23:59Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Last November I was disgusted that the Blue Jays cheaped out on David Price and I expressed comtempt at the signing of J.A. Happ. > > Well, as of today Happ is the only MLB pitcher with sixteen wins. He’s fifth in the AL in ERA, and two of the guys ahead of him are his teammates. He is the best pitcher on a first place team. > > Boy, was I wrong. As much as it might satisfy me, I don’t feel like doing the legwork of going back and finding the post where I expressed how unimpressed I was with the Price signing for the Red Sox. Never thought much of Happ, either, but at less than half the salary of Price, Toronto looks brilliant. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2016, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-august-2016/761496/96 "2016-08-12T18:32:45Z")
> [@Superdude](#): > > I’ve wondered before about whether MLB should institute a salary floor. In 2010, the last time the Yankees won the World Series, their payroll was over $201mil. That was higher than the bottom four teams combined (Texas, Oakland, San Diego and Pittsburgh). Gotta nitpick ya on this one; the Yankees won the World Series in 2009. The Giants won it in 2010. It’s an interesting observation all the same, but consider the idea of instituting a salary floor. As you point out, that’s more than four other teams combined, Texas, Oakland, San Diego, and Pittsburgh. But Texas then won the next two AL pennants. Oakland was back in the playoffs within three years. It took the Pirates four years and while San Diego hasn’t made it since, they missed the playoffs by one game in 2010. Had there been a salary floor, would that have screwed up their plans? Forced Texas to alter its direction in a way that they wouldn’t have won in 2010 and 2011? I don’t necessarily think it’s a bad idea, mind you, to have salary control and revenue sharing. Just pointing out that it needs to be thought through. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2016, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-august-2016/761496/97 "2016-08-12T19:46:12Z")
Oh, I don’t claim to have all the answers regarding a salary floor. It would have to pass muster with the owners and the lawyers. And, as I mentioned, the Royals last year kinda blew the salary floor idea out of the water. Thanks for the correction on the Yankees. I knew it was 2009, but switching between windows on my phone threw me off. ---
**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:** [August 12, 2016, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-august-2016/761496/98 "2016-08-12T20:26:27Z")
I know it’s not MLB, but please enjoy this awesome [minor league double play](https://twitter.com/DragonsBaseball/status/763898972557631488?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw). ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2016, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-august-2016/761496/99 "2016-08-13T13:53:05Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > I know it’s not MLB, but please enjoy this awesome [minor league double play](https://twitter.com/DragonsBaseball/status/763898972557631488?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw). Thanks, that was terrific, and another example of how you can attend many games and still have a chance every time of seeing something unique. In other minor league news, Indians prospect Francisco Mejia has [a 48-game hitting streak](http://www.wiscnews.com/bdc/sports/baseball/professional/article_a2cabe26-eba3-5dbd-920a-d3fa34e6935f.html) for the Lynchburg Hillcats going into the weekend. Still a ways to go to catch all-time leader Joe Wilhoit, who hit in 69 straight games for the Wichita Jobbers in 1919. ---
**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:** [August 13, 2016, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-august-2016/761496/100 "2016-08-13T18:02:19Z")
Tyler Austin and Aaron Judge, both just called up by the Yankees, hit back to back homers in their first major league at bats this afternoon. not something you see every day (he says with massive understatement) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-august-2016/761496.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-august-2016/761496.md?page=6)