[snackdaddy]

And now Carlos Beltran. This cheating thing ain't going away. If the cheating really did help the Astros, especially in that wild game 5, that is really disappointing. Dodgers woulda gone back to LA leading 3-2. They won game 6. But its not like they'll turn around and give it to the Dodgers. And who would want it like that anyway? Not me. Feels like SB36 all over again. Not to mention the Redsox mighta been cheating too the next year. Dodgers really got screwed.

[moklerman]

Betts and Price to Dodgers for Vedugo? Pederson to Angels?

[PARAM]

If as some believe, the Yankees acquiring Cole makes them the AL favorite, the Dodgers acquiring Betts and Price surely make them the NL favorite. Could the early 2020's resemble the late 70's and early 80's or mid 50's when we see a Dodgers-Yankees World Series multiple times?

[snackdaddy]

If as some believe, the Yankees acquiring Cole makes them the AL favorite, the Dodgers acquiring Betts and Price surely make them the NL favorite. Could the early 2020's resemble the late 70's and early 80's or mid 50's when we see a Dodgers-Yankees World Series multiple times?

I wouldn't mind that one bit.

Betts certainly makes them better. At 34, I'm not sure how much Price has left in the tank. His ERA was over 4 last season. Although he's probably at least a little bit of an upgrade to Maeda. And I always felt its a little tougher pitching in the American league with the DH. So maybe he's still got enough left. We'll see.

Overall the Dodgers certainly improved themselves. They play in a division they should win. But the only pitcher with the capability of being a dominant post season pitcher is Buehler.

Kershaw is no longer the pitcher he was with that fastball between 89-92. They really Dustin May so maybe he can contribute? Never know with a guy so young though. We will see how the season progresses if guys like him and Gavin Lux really have what it takes.

[PARAM]

I wouldn't mind that one bit.

Betts certainly makes them better. At 34, I'm not sure how much Price has left in the tank. His ERA was over 4 last season. Although he's probably at least a little bit of an upgrade to Maeda. And I always felt its a little tougher pitching in the American league with the DH. So maybe he's still got enough left. We'll see.

Overall the Dodgers certainly improved themselves. They play in a division they should win. But the only pitcher with the capability of being a dominant post season pitcher is Buehler.

Kershaw is no longer the pitcher he was with that fastball between 89-92. They really Dustin May so maybe he can contribute? Never know with a guy so young though. We will see how the season progresses if guys like him and Gavin Lux really have what it takes.

Just picked up Street & Smith's MLB Preview.....they pick a Dodgers/Yankees World Series. (And that was before the Betts trade ) That is THE matchup for the ages. Not just the history between those two.....two NYC boroughs for 55 years......11 different times matched up in the World Series......but crazy NYC vs laid back LA. I would think, as a fan of the game, the only other matchup nearly as attractive would be the Red Sox vs. the Cubs. It's 8 months away. A lot can happen to derail those wishes.

[PARAM]

If the cheating really did help the Astros, especially in that wild game 5, that is really disappointing.

Just finished an article from T. Verducci's interview with AJ Hinch and I find it laughable that he's still tying to deny the magnitude of the scheme. One question to him was the lack of contrition the Asstros players have shown and he stated 'each guy has to deal with it in his own way'. It's funny but the article has been edited to delete a section that stated, Manfred's office said that the scheme was in place in 2017 but then abandoned because the players found it unreliable. BULLSHIT. What was abandoned was the trash can banging when they went to buzzers, which were much more reliable.

This is on the same plane as Barry Bonds and the steroid issue. He was already one of the greatest ballplayers in history but he wanted more, so enter BALCO. The Asstros were a collection of extremely talented players but they wanted more, so enter the electronic sign stealing scheme. It's amazing and I guess, human nature. It's not unlike an extremely rich person owning a few luxury yachts and then buying a couple more. The more money you have, the more you want.

[aeneas1]

karshaw / 2020 salary - $31.0m
betts / 2020 salary - $27.0m
------------------------------------------
combined - $58.0m

pittsburgh pirates / total 2020 payroll - $41.9m

fuck mlb's capless structure.

[dieterbrock]

So what happens when a hitter knows what’s coming?
A free steak is part of it.....

[snackdaddy]

Just finished an article from T. Verducci's interview with AJ Hinch and I find it laughable that he's still tying to deny the magnitude of the scheme. One question to him was the lack of contrition the Asstros players have shown and he stated 'each guy has to deal with it in his own way'. It's funny but the article has been edited to delete a section that stated, Manfred's office said that the scheme was in place in 2017 but then abandoned because the players found it unreliable. BULLSHIT. What was abandoned was the trash can banging when they went to buzzers, which were much more reliable.

This is on the same plane as Barry Bonds and the steroid issue. He was already one of the greatest ballplayers in history but he wanted more, so enter BALCO. The Asstros were a collection of extremely talented players but they wanted more, so enter the electronic sign stealing scheme. It's amazing and I guess, human nature. It's not unlike an extremely rich person owning a few luxury yachts and then buying a couple more. The more money you have, the more you want.

You know, I thought the buzzer thing was just an exaggeration. Maybe just piling on with internet rumors. But when Verducci asked Hinch about it, he never denied it. Plus, the recent WSJ journal article laid out how sophisticated it really was. The "Dark Arts" in the budget spreadsheet. "Codebreaker" program being used in live games.

Now I have to wonder how these guys numbers woulda been without the cheating. I will be watching their stats closely this year. If the numbers are down, that would be very damning.

[PARAM]

In new news, Bregman and Altuve have apologized for the 2017 season.....perhaps a designed distraction so prevalent in our country these days.

"I am really sorry about the choices that were made by my team, by the organization and by me. I have learned from this and I hope to regain the trust of baseball fans," Bregman said.

Altuve said the Astros had a "great team meeting" on Wednesday night and said the "whole Astros organization feels bad for what happened in 2017."

What the report left out was afterwards they both looked at each other and said, "but DAMN, ain't that trophy pretty????"

Now that they've turned apologetic, here's hoping something comes out about the buzzers, which I believe more and more as each day passes.