Monday, August 3, 2015

What if a team that quit makes the tournament?

The Detroit Tigers are 3.5 games out of a wild card tournament spot.  From baseball-reference.com

RkTmWLW-L%GBGBsumStrkRRARdiffSOSSRSpythWLLuckvEastvCentvWestInterHomeRoadExInn1RunvRHPvLHP≥.500<.500last10last20last30
1KCR6242.596------L 14.33.80.60.20.759-45310-1026-1615-1011-634-1828-246-215-943-2519-1723-2339-195-511-918-12
2NYY5945.567------W 14.94.30.60.20.858-46124-1713-616-146-830-1729-282-516-1440-3319-1225-2034-256-414-619-11
3HOU6046.566------W 24.53.70.80.21.063-43-314-139-1427-1710-238-1822-284-514-1538-2622-2023-1637-307-311-917-13
4 LAA5549.529------L 64.23.80.40.20.757-47-214-126-428-237-1032-2123-283-416-1339-4016-913-2542-241-99-1118-12
5 MIN5450.519------L 14.24.20.00.10.152-52213-623-2210-108-1234-2220-284-514-1433-3421-1617-1937-314-69-1114-16
6 BAL5351.5101.01.0L 14.43.90.50.10.657-47-426-2412-107-108-732-2021-312-214-1738-4115-1015-2838-237-310-1013-17
7 TOR5452.5091.01.0W 15.34.31.00.11.163-43-923-2111-1311-129-632-2122-314-511-2339-4115-1125-2129-316-410-1014-16
8 TBR5254.4913.07.0W 13.63.8-0.20.30.151-55124-268-1213-117-527-3025-242-715-1834-4318-1128-3024-244-69-1110-20
9 TEX5153.4903.07.0W 14.44.8-0.40.3-0.148-56316-912-1014-269-820-2931-243-418-1633-3018-2329-2322-306-410-1014-16
10 DET5154.4863.59.5W 14.54.8-0.30.2-0.149-5629-1427-178-137-1025-2726-273-817-1636-4415-1025-3126-234-67-1312-18
11 CHW5053.4853.59.5L 13.74.3-0.60.2-0.444-59611-1220-2811-48-925-2425-298-320-1743-417-1224-3226-217-311-918-12
12 CLE4856.4626.027.0L 23.84.2-0.40.2-0.247-5718-915-2815-1210-720-3228-243-310-1335-3313-2319-2529-313-78-1215-15
13 SEA4858.4537.035.0W 13.64.2-0.50.4-0.246-60212-1410-1421-215-922-3126-278-720-1936-4312-1521-3727-214-68-1214-16
14 OAK4759.4438.044.0W 24.13.80.40.20.657-49-108-1212-1721-246-623-3124-284-611-2539-408-1919-3128-283-78-1213-17
15 BOS4759.4438.044.0L 14.24.8-0.60.3-0.346-60119-287-1013-178-427-2820-314-314-1336-4211-1723-3824-215-56-1414-16
What if Detroit qualifies for the tournament and must play the one game do-or-die wild card game against the Toronto Blue Jays and Toronto starts David Price who played one year for Detroit, basically from the 2014 trading deadline to the 2015 trading deadline?


Fans in Detroit, Cincinnati, Philadelphia and Oakland could not name the players received nor pick them out of a police style lineup.  Right now those players are nobodies to those fans.  This system is a disgrace, which undermines the basic integrity of the baseball season.

The first three established players below are strictly two month rentals.  Their contracts expire after the 2015 season when they become free agents and can sign with any team.

Any fans who bought tickets for games after July 31 should get a full refund.  If they were so entitled, maybe this practice would diminish.
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David Price:
Irony abounds.  In dumping 29 year old free agent to be David Price on Toronto Detroit received 22 year old Daniel Norris who in 2014 and 2015 had pitched a total of 30 innings for Toronto.  That was the idea, right?  To get younger ... and less expensive.  So what if Price had won the 2012 AL Cy Young award ... for Tampa, his original team?  2015 pay:
Price: $19,750,000 (almost $20 million dollars)
Norris: $508,700 (about half a million dollars)
Photo of Daniel Norris
Yesterday Norris pitched his first game for Detroit:

Sunday, August 2, 2015, 1:35pm, Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Attendance: 33,381, Time of Game: 2:32
Tigers 6, Orioles 1

PitchingIPHRERBBSOHRERABFPitStrCtctStSStLGBFBLDUnkGScIRISWPAaLIRE24
Daniel Norris, W (2-1)7.14111513.23268450301010101000700.1690.722.4
Bruce Rondon0.20000007.241211001000100.0140.380.5
Alex Wilson10000001.76313108113000000.0070.090.5
Team Totals94111511.0030996139111114100070100.1900.653.4
Norris was the winning pitcher for Detroit, doubling his win total for the season.

If Detroit makes it to the finals, it might face the other significant rental player it dumped:

Yoenis Cespedes
Like Price, Cespedes has been traded at the two most recent deadlines.  Also like Price, Cespedes becomes a free agent after the 2015 season.  While Cespedes has only one single in eight at bats for the Mets, his new team just swept the Washington Nationals with whom the Mets are in a virtual tie for first place.

How about a finals between the Detroit Tigers and the New York Mets?  The Tigers could start Danial Norris who could pitch to Yoenis Cespedes.  I can only hope that someone would be embarrassed but it's doubtful.

Trades: refunds, parades, borrowing. Sunday, August 2, 2015

Quitters never win and winners never quit.

What happened to that sentiment?  Trades during the season should be banned.

Thoughts on the most recent frenzy of player movement undermining the integrity of the season.

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