# MLB: August 2024 **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** baseball-mlb\ **Created:** [August 1, 2024, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-august-2024/1005126 "2024-08-01T23:19:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2024, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-august-2024/1005126/61 "2024-08-20T01:28:56Z")
2019 had an unusually high rate of home runs (1.39/team/game, versus 1.13 this year), but the league batting average was only a bit higher: .252 in 2019, versus .244 this year. Over the past five seasons (2020-24), the league-wide batting average has been essentially flat, in the mid .240s. But, if you go back to the 30-year era of ~1980 to ~2010, the league-wide batting average was nearly always somewhere from .255 to .270, and it was consistently .260+ from 2000 to 2009. It hasn’t been above .257 since then. Source: [Baseball Reference](https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/majors/bat.shtml) ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2024, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-august-2024/1005126/62 "2024-08-20T02:33:20Z")
> [@Jaycat.again](#): > > Why stop there? Why not mandate that position players have to say in for six innings? Even if a guy goes 0 for 3, striking out badly and makes three errors in the field as well. What benefit would that provide? ---
**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:** [August 20, 2024, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-august-2024/1005126/63 "2024-08-20T02:42:06Z")
> [@Jaycat.again](#): > > The only thing it could lead to is more lopsided games. Hard to argue how that benefits the fan. I think kenobi and hawkeyeop both did a good job of laying out what else it could lead to, and why that would benefit the fan. I think the unfinished proposal is a little under half-baked, and it seems a little unwieldy - but it attempts to fix an actual problem. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2024, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-august-2024/1005126/64 "2024-08-20T02:42:55Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > What benefit would that provide? I suspect that @Jaycat.again was being sarcastic. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2024, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-august-2024/1005126/65 "2024-08-21T00:50:22Z")
On Monday, if the stars align, the announcer at Fenway will be making the announcement, “Now catching for the Red Sox: Danny Jansen; pinch-hitting for Danny Jansen Alejandro Kirk.” Then Jansen will become the first player in MLB history to appear in the same box score for both teams. On June 26 Jansen was the Blue Jays catcher and was batting with an 0-1 count, when the rains came and the game was suspended. It will be resumed on Monday. In the meantime, Jansen was traded to the Bosox and their catcher in that game was relegated to the minors, so has to be replaced. If the manager has any historical imagination, he will surely replace him with Jansen, while the Jays will have to use a catcher, likely Kirk, to ph for Jansen. Even better if the count had been 0-2, for then if the ph strikes out, Jansen will get charged with the K and get credit for the out! The full story is here (maybe behind a paywall): > **[Danny Jansen could make history by playing for Red Sox and Blue Jays in the...](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5705168/2024/08/19/danny-jansen-blue-jays-red-sox-same-game-catcher/)** > > Toronto and Boston, who completed a trade for Jansen at the deadline, will resume a suspended game from June on Aug. 26. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2024, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-august-2024/1005126/66 "2024-08-21T19:16:25Z")
Yesterday, on August 20, 2024, the Blue Jays beat the Reds 10-3. They hit five home runs; oddly, all of them were off the starting pitcher. Exactly one year prior to that, on August 20, 2023, the Blue Jays beat the Reds 10-3. They hit five home runs; oddly, all of them were off the starting pitcher. ---
**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:** [August 21, 2024, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-august-2024/1005126/67 "2024-08-21T19:34:57Z")
Oh yeah? Well… Yesterday on August 20 in a game featuring Alex Faedo on the mound against Javier Assad, Spencer Torkelson had a 4-hit game. Last year on August 21 in a game featuring Alex Faedo on the mound against Javier Assad, Spencer Torkelson had a 4-hit game! ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2024, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-august-2024/1005126/68 "2024-08-22T03:46:20Z")
Ohtani is virtually guaranteed to get a 40-40 season, and there’s a slim chance he might even reach 50-50. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2024, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-august-2024/1005126/69 "2024-08-22T13:47:17Z")
Last night in Kansas City, Johnny Cueto started the game for the Angels for his first start since almost a year ago. He pitched pretty well, allowing 8 hits and 3 runs in 6.1 innings, with 2 walks and 1 strikeout. He took the loss, as KC won the game 3-0. Cueto, if you recall, was picked up by the Royals in the 2015 season. While his numbers during the year weren’t great (4-7), he won a couple of important games during the Royals playoff run, including the last complete game pitched in a World Series, Game 2 against the Mets. When he was removed from the game in the 7th inning last night, KC fans gave him a standing ovation. It was a pretty cool moment. ---
**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 22, 2024, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-august-2024/1005126/70 "2024-08-22T21:31:01Z")
Scott Servais is [out as manager of the Mariners.](https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/40955377/source-mariners-fire-manager-scott-servais-amid-al-west-slide) ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2024, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-august-2024/1005126/71 "2024-08-22T21:39:29Z")
I understand that’s how baseball works, but Servais wasn’t the problem. At least the way he managed the games. He did all the right things. Perhaps you can say he could have done _something_ about the lack of hitting. But I don’t know about that. The team is tanking hard, even by Mariner standards. It’s painful to watch (I have actually stopped watching) ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2024, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-august-2024/1005126/72 "2024-08-22T22:47:10Z")
I knew Judge was killing it, but I just saw this stat line from his last 99 games (since April 27th.) .380/.507/.836, 44 HRs, 105 RBIs That’s just nuts. ---
**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:** [August 22, 2024, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-august-2024/1005126/73 "2024-08-22T22:48:45Z")
He is actually having his best season, which is nuts when you consider how good his '22 season was and how poor his April was. Just please stay healthy. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2024, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-august-2024/1005126/74 "2024-08-22T23:32:40Z")
It’s too bad Judge started his career late and has been hurt. He’d have had a shot at 800 homers. He’s working from way behind now. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2024, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-august-2024/1005126/75 "2024-08-22T23:46:32Z")
In what can only be described as bizarre news, the Angels have given an extension to GM Perry Minasian. Precisely what Minasian has done to deserve continued employment in Major League Baseball is not clear. ---
**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:** [August 23, 2024, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-august-2024/1005126/76 "2024-08-23T00:21:02Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Precisely what Minasian has done to deserve continued employment in Major League Baseball is not clear. He kept Mike Trout in LA. And hasn’t (as far as any of us know) actually killed someone. That’s all I’ve got, although it is not beyond the realm of possibility that he has REALLY, REALLY compromising photos of his team owner. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2024, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-august-2024/1005126/77 "2024-08-23T00:23:33Z")
> [@Zakalwe](#): > > That’s all I’ve got, although it is not beyond the realm of possibility that he has REALLY, REALLY compromising photos of his team owner. Or, he’s Matt Millen in disguise. ---
**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 23, 2024, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-august-2024/1005126/78 "2024-08-23T19:26:04Z")
The Dodgers have designated [Jason Heyward](https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/40954421/veteran-jason-heyward-dfad-dodgers-amid-roster-crunch) for assignment. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2024, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-august-2024/1005126/79 "2024-08-23T23:04:41Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > Then Jansen will become the first player in MLB history to appear in the same box score for both teams. It looks like it’s going to happen! > [@](#): > > On Friday, Boston manager Alex Cora confirmed that Jansen will be in the lineup when the June 26 game resumes Monday afternoon at Fenway. > > “Yeah, he’s catching,” Cora told reporters. “Let’s make history.” > **[Let's play for two! Traded Jansen to make history](https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/40967750/danny-jansen-play-blue-jays-red-sox-same-game)** > > Boston manager Alex Cora confirmed that Danny Jansen will be in the lineup when the Red Sox take on the Blue Jays in the resumption of a suspended game from June 26 -- one in which the veteran catcher had appeared for Toronto. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2024, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-august-2024/1005126/80 "2024-08-24T06:11:34Z")
Ohtani hit a walkoff grand slam to join the 40-40 club. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-august-2024/1005126.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-august-2024/1005126.md?page=5)