# MLB: June 2019 **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [June 3, 2019, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-june-2019/834932 "2019-06-03T00:10:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**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:** [June 17, 2019, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-june-2019/834932/41 "2019-06-17T12:21:54Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > The Yankees reportedly acquire Edwin Encarnación from the Mariners. Apparently the strategy is to corner the market on right-handed sluggers. With Stanton and Judge beginning minor-league rehab games, I have no idea how this is supposed to work. Hopefully it’s part one of some greater plan being hatched by Brian Cashman. I see the Yankee Vice President In Charge Of Demoting Clint Frazier has been busy again. Sure, Clint seems to be a streaky hitter and had defensive lapses in right. But he’s been one of the better bats this year and I think adequate in left. Encarnacion looks like a rental considering his age but Jesus, the need isn’t in sluggers, it’s in starting pitching. Too many people in the bullpen who’d be closers on a lot of teams, too many people in the bullpen period. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2019, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-june-2019/834932/42 "2019-06-17T14:10:30Z")
Frazier is a TERRIBLE outfielder. His hitting has been okay; he doesn’t get on base as much as you’d like, but you could sure do worse. I don’t really understand why he needed to be sent down. There are worse players, that’s for sure. All things considered he hasn’t helped the Yankees much this year, but he’s not killing them either, they’re in first place and you’d think there would be value in letting the kid get MLB at bats. Until Stanton and Judge get back, Frazier is arguably the team’s best-hitting outfielder. It’s not like Mike Tauchmann is tearing up the league, and they had options on him. ---
**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:** [June 17, 2019, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-june-2019/834932/43 "2019-06-17T14:59:43Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Frazier is a TERRIBLE outfielder. His hitting has been okay; he doesn’t get on base as much as you’d like, but you could sure do worse. > > I don’t really understand why he needed to be sent down. There are worse players, that’s for sure. All things considered he hasn’t helped the Yankees much this year, but he’s not killing them either, they’re in first place and you’d think there would be value in letting the kid get MLB at bats. > > Until Stanton and Judge get back, Frazier is arguably the team’s best-hitting outfielder. It’s not like Mike Tauchmann is tearing up the league, and they had options on him. I believe they want him to work on his fielding and of course to play every day. Easier at AAA. I don’t love the trade or see much need for it, but that is the impression I had about Frazier going back to Scranton. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2019, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-june-2019/834932/44 "2019-06-17T23:29:03Z")
Only Yankees fans could complain about acquiring the AL’s leading home run hitter. ---
**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:** [June 18, 2019, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-june-2019/834932/45 "2019-06-18T12:50:18Z")
> [@Tom\_Scud](#): > > Only Yankees fans could complain about acquiring the AL’s leading home run hitter. I don’t mind getting Encarnacion, I mind that they insist on having so many bullpen pitchers that they can’t carry enough reserves. What is it about MLB managers that they act like a flock of birds- they all fly en masse in the same direction by some unseen force. They all carry too many relief pitchers, they all go to the shift, they all stop playing little ball and play a bloop and a blast. Even their uniforms- they all eschew dressing like the players and instead wear a sweatshirt with their uniform pants. Why even bother changing managers? They’re all interchangeable now, it really doesn’t matter which one you have. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2019, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-june-2019/834932/46 "2019-06-18T23:19:31Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > I don’t mind getting Encarnacion, I mind that they insist on having so many bullpen pitchers that they can’t carry enough reserves. What is it about MLB managers that they act like a flock of birds- they all fly en masse in the same direction by some unseen force. They all carry too many relief pitchers… MLB managers have no say over roster composition anymore. They have never has less actual power over real decisions. If they don’t like how the GM runs things, they’re hiring in other industries. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2019, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-june-2019/834932/47 "2019-06-18T23:20:31Z")
The Phillies and Nationals have had horrible weather this week. Can they schedule a makeup game on July 11 and sacrifice one day of the All Star Break? Or, is that against the collective bargaining agreement? DC looks tonhave rain for the next two days as well, and making up multiple games after the ASG is a pain. Thankfully Philadelphia is close to DC, so it’s not like this is a Padres series. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2019, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-june-2019/834932/48 "2019-06-19T01:40:10Z")
Sure, the Jays aren’t all that swell right now, but cool seeing young’un Cavan Biggio (who didn’t have the greatest of starts since coming up to the Bigs) hitting .421, 4 HR and 1.658 OPS in his last five games. A powerful hitter, I hope he has a fine career. ETA: hitting clean-up for the first time tonight. ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2019, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-june-2019/834932/49 "2019-06-19T01:56:43Z")
so will the Dodgers have the NL sewn up by the all-star game and everyone else just paying for crumbs the rest of the season? ---
**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:** [June 19, 2019, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-june-2019/834932/50 "2019-06-19T14:59:57Z")
Hold up, the Twins’ manager is Rocco Baldelli? How did I miss this? ---
**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:** [June 19, 2019, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-june-2019/834932/51 "2019-06-19T15:00:27Z")
Here are some pictures of [London Stadium being configured for baseball.](https://www.thesun.ie/sport/4226175/london-stadium-in-stunning-revamp-as-baseball-pitch-is-installed-ahead-of-mlb-yankees-vs-red-sox-series/). Hard to tell without seeing the dimensions, but it does seem a little cozy and homer-friendly. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2019, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-june-2019/834932/52 "2019-06-19T15:43:09Z")
Gonna be a lot of foul pop-outs. ---
**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:** [June 19, 2019, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-june-2019/834932/53 "2019-06-19T15:57:40Z")
There is a caption under the picture: > [@](#): > > The London Stadium has been transformed into a baseball pitch Yeah, pitch means something different in baseball, so, pretty confusing line there. Also, yes, foul territory is crazy big. Looks bigger than Oakland’s. Why not put temporary seating there? ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2019, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-june-2019/834932/54 "2019-06-19T16:05:08Z")
The Cardinals lent all their sports energy to the Blues (whose home is just six blocks away) for six weeks so the Blues could win the Stanley Cup. Now that the Blues have accomplished that feat and St. Louis fandom has exhausted itself in celebration, it’s time for the Cards to burst out of their mediocrity and blow past the Cubs and Brewers. Right? Right? Right? ---
**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:** [June 19, 2019, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-june-2019/834932/55 "2019-06-19T17:20:19Z")
> [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](#): > > Yeah, pitch means something different in baseball, so, pretty confusing line there. Well, to us in the U.S., perhaps. To the readers of the Irish paper in which that story ran, it likely makes perfect sense. ---
**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:** [June 19, 2019, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-june-2019/834932/56 "2019-06-19T19:21:42Z")
> [@](#): > > Meanwhile, Sadiq Khan - the mayor of London - added: “Since I became mayor, I have been determined to bring baseball to our city. Really? That seems odd. I can’t imagine the mayor of a major American city saying something similar about cricket or rugby. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2019, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-june-2019/834932/57 "2019-06-19T19:29:47Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > Really? That seems odd. I can’t imagine the mayor of a major American city saying something similar about cricket or rugby. If a $10 billion European sports league offered to hold a couple of games in Yankee Stadium, the mayor of New York would say something about how he’d always tried to make it happen. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2019, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-june-2019/834932/58 "2019-06-19T19:32:09Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > Here are some pictures of [London Stadium being configured for baseball.](https://www.thesun.ie/sport/4226175/london-stadium-in-stunning-revamp-as-baseball-pitch-is-installed-ahead-of-mlb-yankees-vs-red-sox-series/). Hard to tell without seeing the dimensions, but it does seem a little cozy and homer-friendly. It’s only going to be 385 to center, and a standard 330 down the lines. That said, the foul ground is a cavern and London is at sea level, which work against hitters. ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2019, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-june-2019/834932/59 "2019-06-19T23:19:24Z")
330 feet to the foul poles and 385 feet to straight center. The former is a bit longer than average, the latter doesn’t meet MLB’s minimum requirement of 400 feet. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2019, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-june-2019/834932/60 "2019-06-20T12:30:41Z")
At their current pace, the Blue Jays would lose 105 games. They haven’t lost 100 games in a season since 1979, the third year after expansion. There is serious talk about them trading such good players as they have, even Marcus Stroman, so this could be quite a disaster. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-june-2019/834932.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-june-2019/834932.md?page=4)