Baseball 2025
- Thread starter FinLuver
- Start date
... And was the NL starting pitcher for the Allstar Game
- He started in 23 games, with an 11-3 record and a 1.96 ERA
- He struck out 170 batters and walked 32 in 133 innings
- He was the first pitcher in MLB history to have an ERA under 2.20 and over 150 strikeouts through 21 starts
Go Royals
Plus he won a NCAA Championship with LSU, College World Series MVP and national pitcher of the year award in 2023.
Yet some people can’t figure out why Topps would put out a 1 of 1 card of him.
Good for the kid. As @Canuck from Kansas mentioned, if he continues on this career path, that card will be even worth more in the future.
SF
The tendency to assign Hall of Fame status to a rookie for an exceptional year has been around for decades now and the proliferation of talking heads in the media have really accelerated that tendency. Just slow down and wait to see what this kid can do. He may well be the new Tom Seaver or Greg Maddox but on the other hand he could be the next Bo Belinsky.
Most of you are too young to remember the saga of Bo who won his first 4 games for the Angels back in the 60's including a no-hitter. He became the darling of LA and started dating a lot of the prominent young starlets of the day. He was a cocky womanizing playboy but not a very good pitcher and was soon out of the league. You may however still remember Johnny Manziel who had a similar career path in football. Early success is not always a good indicator of long term achievement. Fortunately early failure is not always an indicator of long term failure either.
Most of you are too young to remember the saga of Bo who won his first 4 games for the Angels back in the 60's including a no-hitter. He became the darling of LA and started dating a lot of the prominent young starlets of the day. He was a cocky womanizing playboy but not a very good pitcher and was soon out of the league. You may however still remember Johnny Manziel who had a similar career path in football. Early success is not always a good indicator of long term achievement. Fortunately early failure is not always an indicator of long term failure either.
It will be interesting to see how the hall of fame treats pitchers moving forward. I think Verlander might be the last one to ever reach 300 wins again if he can stay healthy.
Pitchers make too much money now so teams won’t use them like workhorse Bob Gibson pitched back in the day. Just way more situational now.
Hope Skenes has a great career but doesn’t end up like Felix and never getting to pitch in the playoffs.
SF
Pitchers make too much money now so teams won’t use them like workhorse Bob Gibson pitched back in the day. Just way more situational now.
Hope Skenes has a great career but doesn’t end up like Felix and never getting to pitch in the playoffs.
SF
Go M’s!
SF
www.espn.com
SF
Source: Polanco to stay with M's on 1-year deal
The Mariners will keep third baseman Jorge Polanco on a one-year, $7.75 million deal, a source confirmed to ESPN.
Find it fascinating that he spent two years at the Air Force Academy where his ability was recognized immediately, even prior in HS, and then transferred to LSU. I know one needs to be appointed to the academies, or did, and how transferring went down with everyone.
Big dude, but then again most pitchers in the Majors look like football players from the 80s. One concern having tried to watch him when I can is the fact his delivery is so violent in the upper torso prior to the ball release I wonder how long it will be before issues crop up. I’m not just speaking about T/J surgery I’m thinking full bore rotator cuff blow out. Think I read somewhere he throws a 94 mph change up.
Knee breaker.
Starting to feel like spring, well, not here in the Poconos, but pitchers and catchers starting to report this week second date is first full squad workout):
Cactus League (Arizona)
Grapefruit League (Florida)
Play Ball!!!
Go Royal
Cactus League (Arizona)
- Arizona Diamondbacks: Feb. 12, Feb. 17
- Athletics: Feb. 12, Feb. 17
- Chicago Cubs: Feb. 9, Feb. 14
- Chicago White Sox: Feb. 12, Feb. 17
- Cincinnati Reds: Feb. 12, Feb. 17
- Cleveland Guardians: Feb. 13, Feb. 18
- Colorado Rockies: Feb. 13, Feb. 18
- Kansas City Royals: Feb. 12, Feb. 17
- Los Angeles Dodgers: Feb. 11, Feb. 15
- Los Angeles Angels: Feb. 12, Feb. 17
- Milwaukee Brewers: Feb. 13, Feb. 18
- San Diego Padres: Feb. 12, Feb. 17
- San Francisco Giants: Feb. 12, Feb. 17
- Seattle Mariners: Feb. 13, Feb. 18
- Texas Rangers: Feb. 12, Feb. 17
Grapefruit League (Florida)
- Atlanta Braves: Feb. 12, Feb. 18
- Baltimore Orioles: Feb. 13, Feb. 18
- Boston Red Sox: Feb. 12, Feb. 17
- Detroit Tigers: Feb. 12, Feb. 17
- Houston Astros: Feb. 13, Feb. 18
- Miami Marlins: Feb. 12, Feb. 17
- Minnesota Twins: Feb. 13, Feb. 17
- New York Mets: Feb. 12, Feb. 17
- New York Yankees: Feb. 12, Feb. 17
- Philadelphia Phillies: Feb. 12, Feb. 17
- Pittsburgh Pirates: Feb. 12, Feb. 17
- St. Louis Cardinals: Feb. 12, Feb. 17
- Tampa Bay Rays: Feb. 11, Feb. 16
- Toronto Blue Jays: Feb. 13, Feb. 18
- Washington Nationals: Feb. 12, Feb. 18
Play Ball!!!
Go Royal
ESPN, MLB to end broadcast deal after 2025
ESPN's coverage of Major League Baseball games will conclude at the end of the 2025 season, it was announced on Thursday.
Interesting 'speriment going on in spring training with the ball/stike challenges, pitcher/catcher or hitter - 2 challenges only unless you win the challenge, then you don't lose it; implemented in the minors already. Just hope it does not bog down the recently sped up game, don't think it will.
Interesting challenge in the Royals - Dodgers game yesterday. Dodgers catcher, Hunter Feduccia challenges a strike call on a 1:1 count (Minors typically challenges are strike 3 or ball; 4): Wins the challenge so makes the count 2-0, next pitch ball 3, Feduccia subsequently sends the next pitch out of the park - was it strategery to get ahead in the count? Will be interesting to see how this goes and how often an early count challenge used?
@iveofione, know you mentioned in another thread about watching spring ball, know you've been critical of the umps, did you see this and what say you, big deal, little deal, or no deal?
Go Royals
Interesting challenge in the Royals - Dodgers game yesterday. Dodgers catcher, Hunter Feduccia challenges a strike call on a 1:1 count (Minors typically challenges are strike 3 or ball; 4): Wins the challenge so makes the count 2-0, next pitch ball 3, Feduccia subsequently sends the next pitch out of the park - was it strategery to get ahead in the count? Will be interesting to see how this goes and how often an early count challenge used?
@iveofione, know you mentioned in another thread about watching spring ball, know you've been critical of the umps, did you see this and what say you, big deal, little deal, or no deal?
Go Royals
I saw that strike zone review added less than a minute to game time in the minors, so I'm not worried about it bogging down the game. I think the system is a win overall.
