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- Thread starter Cackling Co Pilot Kamala
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Cackling Co Pilot Kamala
Integral Poster
In positive Oakland As news, Esteury Ruiz leads MLB with 43 stolen bases. Him and Ronald Acuna Jr (at 41) are looking to become the first MLB player with 80 stolen bases in a single season in the 21st century.
Rickey Henderson and Vince Coleman were the last to do it, both in 1988. So it hasn’t happened since the year I was born! The new rules are fun, people!
Rickey Henderson and Vince Coleman were the last to do it, both in 1988. So it hasn’t happened since the year I was born! The new rules are fun, people!
alkeiper
Welcoming our new insect overlords
Ruiz set the A's rookie record which was surprising because Rickey was a rookie there.
Cackling Co Pilot Kamala
Integral Poster
His rookie season was 1979, which was the Athletics worst season in Oakland (to date…) so I feel like there’s more than one parallel with him and Ruiz.
Rickey also didn’t get called up until late June and still managed to steal 33 bases. If Rickey is on the opening day roster, Rickey probably has more than 42 stolen bases.
Rickey also didn’t get called up until late June and still managed to steal 33 bases. If Rickey is on the opening day roster, Rickey probably has more than 42 stolen bases.
alkeiper
Welcoming our new insect overlords
Crunching some numbers here.
-In his first 162 games played Rickey Henderson stole 66 bases.
-Tim Raines stole 102 bases in his first 162.
-Vince Coleman: 114 steals
-Willie Wilson: 59 steals
-Maury Wills: 23 steals
I'd love to do a leaderboard but that looks like too much for B-Ref's server to process. The point of it is that Rickey started off more conservatively than we'd expect. In Rickey's sophomore year the A's brought in Billy Martin to manage and Martin let Rickey run.
-In his first 162 games played Rickey Henderson stole 66 bases.
-Tim Raines stole 102 bases in his first 162.
-Vince Coleman: 114 steals
-Willie Wilson: 59 steals
-Maury Wills: 23 steals
I'd love to do a leaderboard but that looks like too much for B-Ref's server to process. The point of it is that Rickey started off more conservatively than we'd expect. In Rickey's sophomore year the A's brought in Billy Martin to manage and Martin let Rickey run.
Cackling Co Pilot Kamala
Integral Poster
Report: Phils, Royals owners join relocation panel
Philadelphia CEO John Middleton and Royals CEO John Sherman reportedly will serve on MLB's relocation committee as the A's look to move to Las Vegas.
alkeiper
Welcoming our new insect overlords
maybe if it was an honest committee and not just a PR maneuver.
Cackling Co Pilot Kamala
Integral Poster
It just seems more transparently crooked though with those two involved!
Dandy
Posts: 3,237
He stole three bases on two consecutive pitches.
alkeiper
Welcoming our new insect overlords
That steal of home was tremendous.
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Manny Machado is 2 home runs away from 300 for his MLB career.
Cackling Co Pilot Kamala
Integral Poster
Hey. That’s the fourth place Boston Red Sox, buddy.
alkeiper
Welcoming our new insect overlords
Oakland A's update. It's game 95, the A's are 25-70 with a -253 run differential. It's the second worst in modern history. First place is the 1911 Boston Rustlers (Braves) who weren't even on the rader previously. The Rustlers' 95th game of the season was their 16th consecutive loss, their last four by scores of 17-2, 10-2, 8-1 and 10-2.
Cackling Co Pilot Kamala
Integral Poster
Ya love to see it.
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Juan Soto has 26 more walks (86) than the 3rd closest players - Ryan Noda & Kyle Schwarber at 60. Ian Happ is 2nd with 64.
I really feel like what Juan Soto is doing is super unappreciated in an era when most pitchers are going right at the strike zone, throwing 98+ like it's their last pitch of their career, and while most hitters are feast/famine and chase bad pitches or just plain are struggling to maintain good plate discipline on full counts or even 3-1 counts.
I really feel like what Juan Soto is doing is super unappreciated in an era when most pitchers are going right at the strike zone, throwing 98+ like it's their last pitch of their career, and while most hitters are feast/famine and chase bad pitches or just plain are struggling to maintain good plate discipline on full counts or even 3-1 counts.
TheSSNintendo
Integral Poster
And with the Orioles' win today, both teams are tied for first in the AL East, with a crucial 4 game series coming up.
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Atlanta's kind of in that same boat. They had a TORRID June going a bonkers 21-4 but went 17-9 in April, 15-14 in May, and are 7-6 thus far in July.
Cackling Co Pilot Kamala
Integral Poster
Angels GM On Ohtani Potentially Leaving: ‘We Are The Most Incompetent Franchise In The History Of Professional Sports’
ANAHEIM, CA—Asked for his thoughts on the potential departure of impending free agent star Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Angels general manager Perry Minasian told reporters Thursday that his team was “the most incompetent franchise in the history of professional sports.” “None of us know what the...
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Mickey Massuco
wipeoff
What are people’s thoughts on Pedro Martinez? Random I know, but I keep missing scheduled games and catching old school shit on YouTube. So many different kinds of breaking balls to fool batters. It’s funny that he is a power pitcher but with the amount of times he threw stuff below 80 mph, it seemed like there was lots of finesse there. Doing it in the steroid era makes it even more impressive. I am curious to hear what others think of his dominance in that era.
snuffbox
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He's one of the all time greats and, God, he was so fun to watch. It doesn't mean much to me anymore but it was cool in the moment when Boston finally won in 2004; Martinez was a big part of that. And his personality, his honesty (ie: the Daddy Remark), the whole thing, he was a big reason why I watched so much baseball during that era and, unlike a lot of others, no regrets about him looking back.
alkeiper
Welcoming our new insect overlords
During his prime you’d watch a game and hope the Sox hitters went quickly so you could watch him pitch again.
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I think his '99-'00 seasons were legitimate Top 5 seasons of all-time in baseball. He was so dominant and electric but people tend to underrate how savvy and smart his pitching was. He was a true pitcher, not just a thrower with a 97+ MPH fastball.
He really understood the ability to not just mix up his pitches but as you said, change his speeds and make them dramatically different with a very similar visual coming off the hand. His changeup was arguably his nastiest pitch and as you said, he could sit that thing almost 20 MPH slower with steep drop then zip his fastball up in the zone causing hitters to be late/chase it.
From a 2015 Boston Globe article: "MARTINEZ’S CHANGEUP was one of the best pitches of all time. He threw the pitch with the same arm speed and arm slot as his fastball and it broke down and away from lefthanded hitters. The ball would drop 8-10 inches and end up closer to the ground than the strike zone."
Cackling Co Pilot Kamala
Integral Poster
Pedro between 1998 and 2000 was insanely dominant. I always felt like he was the first domino to fall in breaking the curse. I’m glad he got to be there for the first WS ring even if he was a bit hobbled by then.
And without him, it’s hard to imagine Manny Ramirez and Big Papi signing with Boston.
And without him, it’s hard to imagine Manny Ramirez and Big Papi signing with Boston.