ARGH [or, Jordan is Pissed About the Giants Right Now]

 

ARGHARGHARGHARGHARGHARGH.

The Giants...were hurtling downward. That was what they were doing. They were coming off a 7 game losing streak, had completely eliminated themselves from the playoff race, had injuries to Brandon Belt and Alex Wood, and had erased a great deal of the goodwill the team has in 2021. 

So doing a series against the Phillies, who were doing really well and had a good playoff position...well, it was a no-brainer, right? The Giants would continue their descent downward and the Phillies would actually do what they're fricking supposed to, right?

...I'm so damned tired of this, guys. 

Look, I knew we were gonna have to fight for one of the three, whichever one Carlos Rodon started, but that one was actually looking pretty decent until David Robertson blew a save, which...he wasn't doing that in Chicago, and I genuinely think this bullpen is cursed. But getting ANNIHILATED in that first game, with only 1 run to show for ourselves? Against a team that couldn't even muster wins against the Diamondbacks earlier? 

Now, going more in depth on the Giants, you'll find that most of the big losses the team has taken recently have come at the expense of division rivals. They've dropped some to the D-Backs, yes, but 13 of their losses since the All-Star break have come at the hands of the Dodgers or Padres. The fact of the matter is that the Giants are still the third-best team in the division, and they just can't get past their two rivals for the division. 

But this Phillies series is confirming that the Giants can do alright against most other teams. Rodon and Cobb were their biggest weapons, shutting down the Phils for the most part. Wilmer Flores, who's had a nice season as an offensive piece, struck the fatal blow yesterday in the ninth. Joc Pederson has 21 homers and is going for a 25 season. Evan Longoria is actually healthy and doing well. There are plusses, and this isn't a terrible team. But their inability to get past the Dodgers or Padres have made them unfit for postseason play, and have made them the less favorable team in battles like these, even if they can win them.

As salty as I am about the Giants sweeping the Phils, I fear not. The Giants have to play the Dodgers next. 

Coming Tonight: One of the best defensive players in baseball, on the hunt for a playoff spot.

Argh

 

And I was just saying 'you know, it's been forever since there was a no-hitter' as well.

Congrats to Cristian Javier for proving his worth, Ryan Pressly for proving he's past the injury watch, and Hector Neris for doing the one thing he couldn't do in Philadelphia [keep down runs]. Heck of an achievement. Sort of puts a dent in the Yankees' indestructibility, but...you do you, Houston.

AL Wild Card: So Much For That

 Well I'm glad we got the heartbreak out of the way on literally the first day of the playoffs. 

I wanna go back and examine the science of how the Red Sox got that higher seed, and therefore home field advantage last night. Because we had the same record, and the Yankees won their game first, and that means it probably went down to who had more wins over the other, and...look man, maybe a lot of those wins were in May or June, back when the script was kind of flipped for both of those teams.

Am I saying that the 6-2 loss wouldn't have happened if we were in Yankee Stadium, and maybe had competent umps? Yeah, I am. Somebody pulled up a stat last night that two of Giancarlo Stanton's singles in Fenway would have been homers in Yankee Stadium. Also, Cole getting beat up is probably the result of him facing a bloodthirsty away crowd. So the smallest of stats dulled our best hitter and best pitcher, and gave the win to the Red Sox. 

...What I'm saying is that if somebody sifts through all the close Yanks-Sox games that the Sox won and all of them were down to an Angel Hernandez call, I wouldn't be surprised. 

I'm whining. Of course I'm whining. The Red Sox, at the end of the day, are the better team, and also the luckier team. The Yankees were very okay this whole season and had spurts of greatness. The Sox were a good team this season that had spurts of terribleness. Clearly, the actual good team is gonna win in a one-game playoff, unless something goes terribly wrong. And what can I say? Nate Eovaldi showed up, the offense got the best of even some Yankee titans, and it wasn't much of a contest. I can't really say we were robbed, at least not in the circumstances we were left with last night.

And so here we are. We have an AL bracket where three of the teams are ones I would rather not win anything, and also the White Sox. My best case scenario for all of this is a White Sox-Rays ALCS. Just flush out the Astros and Red Sox, take the pain away. I'm not gonna love it if the Rays repeat, but it's better than a lot of the other outcomes here. All of the fun options are in the NL, at least as long as the Dodgers win tonight. 

I no longer have a horse in this playoff race. So, uh...go White Sox, I suppose. And the Brewers, I dunno, a friend of mine started working for the Brewers this year and I want him to enjoy himself. 

NLDS Update: UGHHHH Edition

[loud grumbling]

This was the thing that you weren't supposed to let happen, Atlanta. This is why we start Julio Teheran from the getgo instead of Mike Foltynewicz.

Oh, god, this was tough to watch. Folty and Fried got obliterated by the Cardinals lineup, scoring 10 runs in the first inning. It was one of the hardest-to-watch baseball innings of all time, because I still don't think this team was good enough in the regular season to warrant this kind of run. And the Braves...were. THEY deserved a chance.

But anyway. Cardinals won, it wasn't close, everybody had RBIs including Harrison Bader, and Jack Flaherty was untouchable. Argh.

And the Braves just deserved better. Their lineup was dynamite, and their bench was impressive as hell. This looked like the year they'd get far into the playoffs...and then the pitching staff ruined it for them. Looking back, you had guys like Dallas Keuchel and Mike Foltynewicz letting them down, to the point where it doesn't look like this pitching staff had any high points to begin with. Brian McCann just retired, and it happened literally the day of this loss, so that just says it all.

Meanwhile, this happened.

This, uh...kinda shocked me.

The Dodgers during the regular season didn't have any opportunities to look human. They just cruised. And the guys that finish them off are the NL Wild Cards, and a team that looked dead in May. This is what takes out Dave Roberts' Dodgers.

Now...the Nats DID break their streak of playoff series' without a win, and are finally looking like they've gotten a fine team together, ironically the year after Bryce Harper leaves, but...they are still the underdog in every subsequent race. Especially the upcoming NLCS, where the favorites are now the goddamned St. Louis Cardinals. So now...I must root for the Washington Nationals to make the World Series.

It sounds ridiculous, but with Anthony Rendon, and with this pitching staff...it could happen.

And there goes my World Series pick.

I really enjoyed this Dodgers team. They had so many good players, and so much good momentum, and...I really wish they'd been able to get past this. Because this was tough, but they've been much tougher. This has got to be heartbreaking, especially for Clayton Kershaw who made the comeback happen. I really hope these guys can finally put together a winning team next year, because this is just getting depressing.

Today...we have Rays-Astros. If the Rays win, the Yankees have an easy time. If the Astros win, it's better for baseball, and it's better for the AL's shot to win the World Series. So I don't know.

Tigers Update: There's No Point Edition

The Tigers lost their two best players last week: Shane Greene and Nick Castellanos are now playing for competitors, and working towards rings they had no chance of getting in Detroit.

So, where does that leave the worst team in baseball? Arguably in the right direction.

In the past week, the Tigers have called up two top prospects: catcher Jake Rogers, and right fielder Travis Demeritte. They're both 24, they've both cooked in the minors for a while, and they both have spots, finally, on the 40-man. Rogers' is really because their catching options are so dire right now, but Demeritte is up because Castellanos, their previous right-field option, is gone, and...any others can't hit after a while.

Rogers and Demeritte will hopefully break the trend of great prospects coming up and hitting like hell for a week only to hit .170 the rest of their time up. Because Christin Stewart, Greyson Greiner and Ronny Rodriguez have been big disappointments for their farm system, which needs to cough up ready players before the inevitable playoff run caused by the call-ups of Casey Mize, Isaac Paredes and Riley Greene. In like 2023.

The pitching prospects have done...a little better? Tyler Alexander and Spencer Turnbull have made the most of their call-ups, while Ryan Carpenter...has not. At least I can say with certainty that once Fulmer returns next year, and once Matt Moore figures out how to stay healthy, we could run with a Boyd-Fulmer-Moore-Turnbull-Norris/Alexander rotation. Which...in the grand scheme of things, is not bad.

The lineup is what needs the most overhaul work. Jeimer Candelario is probably their best offensive asset, and even HE'S batting .201. At least Brandon Dixon has FINALLY figured how to hit for average, with a .260 along with his [sigh] CLUB-LEADING 14-home runs. At least Miguel Cabrera's batting .283, despite his...general inefficiency. But even if the kids are coming, a LOT of this lineup needs to be thrown out, because none of it is working.

I don't know how many crappy Tigers teams I'll be forced to cover. At least the White Sox after a while picked a strategy and ran with it. And...interestingly enough, I'll be seeing how well they fare against my hometown team later today.

Coming Tonight: It's his birthday today! He's a hard-hitting rookie in a plummeting NL Central team, but at least he's a trusted asset by the time he's turned 26.

Everything You Know is Wong

[A new music pun streak begins, because...I forgot about the one we had going when I wrote the earlier post]

Game of Thrones ended this year. You all know that.

The reason why people didn't like the end of this show is because when David Benioff and D.B. Weiss took over the writing responsibilities from George R.R. Martin, they had a vague idea about where to take the plot, which differed from what Martin had in mind. They had to take a story that had a beginning and middle that were so well crafted...and making an ending. So when the ending wasn't cohesive with what people wanted, people got mad because it seemed to lose the plot.

...what does this have to do with baseball, you might ask? Nothing, I just wanted to talk about TV for sec

...no, it does, it just...I don't wanna write this frigging post again

[Loud, exhausted sigh]

Once again, the Cardinals have wound up in first place. Why, when there are competent teams like Milwaukee and Chicago in the mix? Because life is cruel. And because baseball, like Game of Thrones, can occasionally lose the narrative and piss everybody off. It doesn't matter if the season started with the Brewers and Cubs being the stars. The Cardinals have the momentum in July, so I guess that means they're gonna run with it, and we're gonna get another goddamned Red Sox-Cardinals series, and...aughhh

Look...it's not that the Cardinals are bad this year. They're not. But the Cubs have 7 players over 2.0 WAR, the Brewers have 4. Cards have 3. DeJong, Wong and Goldy. With the exception of Goldy, they're not...carrying the team. They're not the big stars that make you go to games. They're just a pair of infielders who make good contact. If you're in first place, and you just have that, PLUS a 112-strikeout Paul Goldschmidt performance, you shouldn't be in first. I don't care who you are.

The Cards have lost 4 games since the ASG break, and with the exception of their most recent loss, they've all come at the hands of non-competitive teams, Arizona, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. Their starters have progressed so that only Michael Wacha has an ERA over 5, but no one has an ERA under 3.50, and only Jack Flaherty has over 100 strikeouts. With the injury to Jordan Hicks, their only choices in the ninth are Andrew Miller and John Gant, who've given varying degrees of progress.

This is also a team without Matt Carpenter, Marcell Ozuna and Yadier Molina. So I doubt they'll be in first for long.

I don't know if this team is for real, but...with all the flaws, it's only a matter of time before the Cubs overtake them again.

Coming Tomorrow- So what if he's not pitching this year. He's still hitting like hell.

Heartbreak City

I kind of wanted to title this post 'Angel Hernandez can go lick a dingus', but I feel as though that would have come off as juvenile and crass. So this is what we've got.

So...that was a tough loss.

Not only was that a loss against a Red Sox team we should have prepared better for, but it was against a Red Sox team that played dirty. This Sox team brought it every single game, even when we didn't. They had the pitching, they had the bench support, they worked when the lineup was shuffled, and they didn't crack after Game 2. This team only has one subpar variable, and it's David Price. The Yankees have far more of those.

To be honest, this was bound to happen. It was just a matter of momentum, and the Yankees couldn't hold onto theirs. And while this is a sad ending to a great season, it's still one that makes sense.

I'm still proud of this Yankees team. I'm still happy they came as far as they did, and I'm excited to see how they bounce back in 2019.

As for the winners...

...I hope the Astros do to you what you just did to my Yankees.

I think I said earlier this year, 'oh, the Yanks-Sox matchup has never been this fun, this likable all around'. I rescind that. This one was bloodthirsty to the end, and the Sox were far from great sports about it. And they're going up against a team that, in my eyes, could get back to the World Series. So they're gonna need to really push for this one.

Obviously y'all know where my rooting interest lies on the ALCS. Especially after this series.

Could You At Least Wait Until After I've Posted The Custom to Trade the Guy?

Less than an hour after I made this custom yesterday, I hear news that the Marlins have traded him to Philadelphia.

Which...okay, not a BAD move, just...I was planning on posting this damn thing in a few weeks, when it came up in the rotation. And now I have to take it out of the rotation right after making it, and post it now so it doesn't feel belated. That's what I just had to do with the Fernando Rodney custom.

I mean...either I should stop scheduling customs so far in advance, or teams should just stop making big trades after July 31st. Because it's hard to do customs this month without hitting a minefield.

Again, I appreciate the move in terms of bringing a big hitter to Philly, but...now I've gotta make another Marlins custom, and I don't like doing that!

Marlins Update: [Exhausted, Embarrassed Sigh] Edition

On one hand, I was expecting worse from the Miami Marlins. On the other hand, UUUUNNNGHHHHHHHH...

The Marlins lineup has surprisingly rebounded over time, with Derek Dietrich becoming a starter AND a power hitter, Starlin Castro picking up where he left off in the Bronx, and Brian Anderson becoming a starter like we all thought he would. They also seem to have found their everyday shortstop in Miguel Rojas, though JT Riddle has been playing some games as a way of security.

Other than that...dear lord this team is bad.

The pitching? I have not found a silver lining here. Nobody is pitching well, and everybody who was is now injured. Kyle Barraclough is doing his best to hold up the closing pitching, but it's hard to close games for a last place team. The youth isn't really working as well as the team would like.

It's not fun to watch, it's not fun to report on, and...it's not fun to be a Miami Marlin right now. J.T. Realmuto is playing really well right now, and the Red Sox need a catcher. Put two and two together.

Coming Tonight: Reliable defensive shortstop for a second place, but by no means contending, team.

At Least the White Sox Aren't in Last Anymore

Look at that face.

LOOK AT IT.

Does that look like someone who wishes he wasn't traded for Chris Sale, and thereby still on the Red Sox, right now?

The Sox...were atrocious this year. They had a very small core, a ton of young, untested players who couldn't hit, a TON of pitchers that weren't ready, and a few players that were so good they got to leave in July. This team is a mess, as the youth isn't working as well as they would have liked, and there's not a ton in place to start next season. I'm not even sure that Rick Renteria's gonna stay around, as he managed to be even worse than Robin V, and that's saying something.

Yoan Moncada...did alright. He got injured too much, he struck out too much...he's beginning to get there. I'm a bit worried that he's never gonna reach the level that all the prospectors were talking about, but...he's okay.

If the Sox stick with the Abreu-Garcia combo, and hopefully have substantial talent to build around them, they'll be fine, but that might not be for a while, and they may lose both players before then. So it's very tricky, which is, sadly, the life of a White Sox fan.

Coming Tonight: He juiced. He sat. He came back smarter. And that's all that I really care about.

Things to do in Denver When You're Dead

(And now, the ceremonial 'Augh' at Jordan's realization that the Cardinals are, indeed, back in the playoff race)

AAAUUUUUUGHHH.

I understand that pretty much anyone left in the Wild Race is essentially competing to be Arizona's bitch, but...the St. Louis Cardinals, after lapping the Brewers, despite ignoring EVERY SINGLE SIGN that they're not really supposed to be competing this season, are scooching up on the Rockies for that last spot. And...I...no. Just no. This shouldn't be a thing we have to talk about in September. The Cardinals aren't a playoff team, they were just selling pitchers. We don't need to go through another year of this.

Besides, the Rockies have had a better all-around season, always volleying for some piece of the NL West hierarchy, and having a consistently solid year, with great pitching and a solid lineup. Plus, the Rockies used the deadline to strengthen the team, picking up Jonathan Lucroy as a solid catching option, replacing the inefficient Tony Wolters. Plus, with the seasons that Nolan Arenado, Charlie Blackmon and DJ LeMaiheu are having, they have every right to be there.

What the Brewers need to do in this last stretch of the season is cement their status as a playoff team, and defend their spot from anyone who's trying to take it away from them, even those pesky Cardinals.

Coming Tomorrow- Stealing? What stealing? Let's instead talk about their newly-acquired and streaking infielder.

Ranger Danger

(Anguished Sigh)

Okay.

If you've been reading the blog for a while, you probably can tell that I'm not a big fan of teams that have no right being competitors trying to sneak into the playoffs. In my eyes, you can't get far into the playoffs without a reason to be there. You have to earn it. I think about the 2016 Cubs, or the 2009 Yankees. They earned it. They deserved to be there. I think about the Dodgers and Astros, how much they deserve their shots.

And then I think about how awful it would be if someone who didn't deserve to be there, like the Texas Rangers, took it all away from them and stole their glory.

There's an argument that baseball complements the underdog, but the real underdog is some team that's been fighting the whole time, up against the best, and sneaks in after getting robbed from 1st. The Rangers were circling last for most of the season. Their lineup is scattered, they've given away some pretty big guns to competitive teams. Despite the fact that they have a pretty solid rotation, and a few good bats, they have no reason to even be anywhere near the conversation for the Wild Card spots. They haven't had the season for it.

The Angels I can kind of get, because while they've not been fantastic, they've been circling second, and they've been building off of nothing, and they just got Justin Upton, and they could theoretically make it past the Twins. But the Rangers were a bad team for most of the season. What's the use of them getting good now and jumping into the playoffs with the best teams of the year?

I don't think this will escalate to the point of a playoff spot, but if it does...I will not be happy.

Coming Tonight: The Padres suck. I only have to do one or two more of their players until December. Here's one of them.

The 2017 All Star Game Rosters: Where There's Smoak, There's Fire

Okay, so before we get to the usual, yearly, 'let's have Jordan go ballistic over the ASG rosters because it's a weak month' coverage, I've got a little mini-rant to get over with.

So I was watching the Yankees-Astros game today, because I'm a glutton for punishment. And I'm listening to the atonal announcers going over how overhyped the Yankees are, and blah blah blah. And they're talking about a mid-year meeting AJ Hinch held today, where he brought the whole roster over and talked about finishing the half strong.

At which point the announcer mentions that Hinch also took the opportunity to celebrate the umpteen finalists for the All-Star Game.

So...let's back the hell up for a second.

AJ Hinch knows the All Star rosters, pre-game today. So that means...at like 11 AM today, AJ Hinch knows the ASG rosters. He's also meeting with a room of Houston Astros, who ALSO know the ASG rosters. Hell, throughout the game, Carlos Correa and Jose Altuve were excited running the basepaths, as THEY knew the ASG rosters. So all of the Astros know the ASG rosters. And if you wanna play if and only if, then ALL OF THE MLB KNOWS THE ASG ROSTERS.

So let's back up even FURTHER. Every single active member of all 30 teams knows who is going to be named to the All Star Teams. HOWEVER, the baseball fans, the viewing public, the common folk who voted for the All Star Game, and who the All Star Game is DIRECTLY FOR...DON'T GET TO KNOW THE ROSTERS UNTIL ESPN ANNOUNCES THEM (WITH COMMERCIALS) AT 7 PM.

So the fans essentially have to wait 8 or 9 hours to find out the rosters that are basically FOR THEM, during a telecast made FOR PROFIT by ESPN and Tim Kurkjian's summer home fund. And I'll remind you all yet again: about 7 or 8 years ago, everyone would find out the All Star Rosters when the managers simply posted them online, middle of the afternoon. It still BAFFLES me that the roster announcements have become needlessly bastardized, and needlessly dragged out.

Right. Mini-rant over. Onto the actual ASG rosters. We'll start with the American League.

1B: Justin Smoak, Blue Jays.

Okay, hold on, hold on. We're literally one name into the ASG rosters and I have to go on another rant. Because Justin Smoak is having a very lucky, very fluke-y season for a last place team, and he's only a starting 1st Baseman for the All Star Team because the Blue Jays fans WILLED IT SO. By definition, if we're going for an ALL STAR pick, I'd say Eric Hosmer deserved it more. I don't think Smoak deserves this spot.

Let's keep going.

2B: Jose Altuve, Astros. Would have gone with Castro or Cano, but can't necessarily be unhappy with Altuve. Which means...
SS: Carlos Correa, Astros. Yes, this is definitely a thing that makes sense.
3B: Jose Ramirez, Indians. Yeah, this season he's outdoing that whole lineup, and I'm glad he got this spot. Again, I'd partially question Ramirez' 'star power', but he's proven himself a TON more than someone like Smoak. Also, I kinda would have gone with Miguel Sano.
C: Salvador Perez, Royals. Again, this is kind of a no-brainer.
OF: AARON JUDGE. THERE WE FRIGGING GO. This is so well-deserved, and I'm so happy to see it realized.
OF: Mike Trout. Well, duh.
OF: George Springer, Astros. Happy for him, though I would have gone with either Brett Gardner or Mookie Betts.
DH: Corey Dickerson, Rays. Like Smoak, a really odd choice for an ALL STAR GAME, even if he is hitting pretty well. Should have been Nelson Cruz,...fine, or Matt Holliday.

Pitchers:
Chris Sale, Red Sox. Yeah, if he didn't make it, there'd be riots. Chances are he's starting, too.
Dallas Keuchel, Astros. I think he's healthy now, but I sincerely hope he gets to pitch in this.
Ervin Santana, Twins. Yeah, with his season it'd be hard to ignore him.
Jason Vargas, Royals. Of frigging course. He's having a tour de force season.
LUIS SEVERINO, Yankees. LOVE THIS PICK. Glad it's happening.
Yu Darvish, Rangers. ONLY RANGERS REP. WOWWW...
Michael Fulmer, Tigers. Insanely well deserved.
Corey Kluber, Indians. Yes, with his dominance, it's a deserved nod, but I would have also added Carlos Carrasco.
Lance McCullers, Astros. I feel like he's still injured, and there might be a hastily-pegged replacement coming here.
Craig Kimbrel, Red Sox. Yeah, he's kinda the best closer in the AL.
Dellin Betances, Yankees. This makes his 4th or 5th ASG nod, which is awesome.
Andrew Miller, Indians. Another DESERVING reliever. It's a breath of fresh air that we don't get a manager that adds 7 or 8 unnecessary relievers.

Reserves:
C: Gary Sanchez. Well, yeah. Of frigging course.
1B: Yonder Alonso, A's. A slight bit skeptical of this being a fluke, but as the A's only nod, it's a bit more understandable than a Sean Manaea appearance.
2B: STARLIN CASTRO, YANKEES. Only thing is he's been on the DL as of late, and they'd probably need to replace him. To which I might suggest...ROBINSON CANO. I actually would have suggested Jonathan Schoop, but:
2B: Jonathan Schoop, Orioles. Y'see? They're one step ahead of me. Sad that Schoop's the only Baltimore rep.
3B: Miguel Sano, Twins. Should be starting, but good.
SS: Francisco Lindor, Indians. Not as good as last year, but he still deserves the nod.
OF: Mookie Betts, Red Sox. Should be starting.
OF: Avisail Garcia, White Sox. Only Southsider on the roster, and a foregone conclusion.
OF: Michael Brantley, Indians. Deserves it. Hopefully he'll be off the DL by that point.
DH: Nelson Cruz, Mariners. Should be starting.

NL ROSTERS:

1B: Ryan Zimmerman, Nationals. Jeez, he's been around this long and this is his FIRST starting role? Wow. Good for him.
2B: Daniel Murphy, Nationals. Another well-deserved Nat starter.
SS: Zack Cozart. WOW. Did not expect this one. To be honest, the NL SS crowd was pretty weak, so as much as I voted for Corey Seager, this is a nice enough choice.
3B: Nolan Arenado, Rockies. As much as I'm pissed that this isn't Kris Bryant, he's still a good pick.
C: Buster Posey, Giants. Yeah, another obvious one.
OF: Bryce Harper, Nationals. YEAH, NO DUH.
OF: Charlie Blackmon, Rockies. With the season he's having, it's well-deserved.
OF: Marcell Ozuna, starting in the outfield for the SECOND YEAR IN A ROW. Good for him.

Pitchers:
Clayton Kershaw, obviously.
Max Scherzer, also pretty obviously.
Robbie Ray AND Zack Greinke. So far so good.
Carlos Martinez, Cardinals. Don't exactly agree, but alright.
Stephen Strasburg, Nationals. YES INDEED.
Kenley Jansen, Dodgers. Of course, one of the best closers in baseball.
Greg Holland, Rockies, having an AMAZING season.
Wade Davis, Cubs. Surprisingly the ONLY Cubs addition, after a WS season. This is a problem.
Brad Hand, Corey Knebel, Pat Neshek- Yeah, Joe Maddon was a bit more Yost-like in picking this staff, and while Hand and Neshek aren't exactly ASG caliber, they're the only reps, and they're the only ones doing any positive progress. Knebel should NOT be the Brewers' only rep, as somebody like Eric Thames should be there.

Reserves:
C: Yadier Molina. Honestly, I fear like they're doing this for the legend, and not for his 2017 season. Though there aren't many better options for catcher in the NL.
1B: Paul Goldschmidt. Arguably should be starting. Man, this guy's just had terrible luck.
1B: Joey Votto. Uh, yeah.
2B: DJ LaMahieu, Rockies. Again, deserved, but feels slightly obligatory.
2B: Josh Harrison. Only Pirate, which sucks for Nova and Cutch.
3B: Jake Lamb, Diamondbacks. Yeah, makes sense.
SS: Corey Seager, Dodgers. Of course.
OF: Cody Bellinger Dodgers. Yeah, the NL needs their own version of Judge to fight.
OF: Giancarlo Stanton, Marlins. Arguably should be starting over Ozuna.
OF: Michael Conforto, Mets. Only Met, and a nice one.
OF: Ender Inciarte, the only Brave, because...apparently Joe Maddon forgot that Freddie Freeman exists?

So, those are some rosters. Neither are perfect. A few picks infuriated me.

And THESE:

Are the final man nods.

...crosses fingers for Didi and Bryant.

Uncustomed Heroes of 2016: Padres

Ugh.

Just...not fun. Not pretty. Not good.

There's not much optimism about the Padres, even for 2017, as they've successfully shot their organization in the foot, as they have completed trading nearly everyone they acquired in 2015 away, and now they have an even worse team than they had when they started...which takes SKILL. You need to be SKILLED to be that bad.

Jon Jay had a decent enough season, but he's going to Chicago, so they're not even gonna have him.

So, what do the Padres have? They have Hunter Renfroe, who came in with a month left to go in the season and hit like a pro. Will this translate to 2017 success? Who knows!? But it's all Padres fans have to cling onto. They have no pitching, barely any hitting, and only Wil Myers to hold the team down. It's pathetic. It disgusts me.

Coming Tomorrow- Isn't it funny that it's a slightly better subject, and it's the Phillies?

ALDS Update: GAAAHHHH Edition

Well, one half of the ALCS spots has been filled with someone I'd really, really rather not be there.

Thanks to a legitimate nail biter tonight, fueled by the batting on both sides coming alive and the Texas Rangers having some fantastic performances...the Blue Jays still won, with Josh Donaldson having an extras-homer that ended the series, and the Rangers' season.

This is something I feared from the moment the Blue Jays snuck into the playoffs, because, like the Giants, they're dangerous when they have the right momentum. You can't stop them. And I'm fearing that they're gonna keep rolling until the World Series. I'd rather like it if the Indians or Red Sox were strong enough to take them out and prevent an unwatchable series.

And elsewhere...

The good news is this is an excuse to show off one of my favorite customs of the year, but sadly, it comes as a eulogy segment in one of these posts.

The Rangers had a great season, and were ahead of the AL for a grand portion of it. The only problem is they lost power, and struggled with some injuries towards the back half, culminating in the series we got, where the Blue Jays easily overpowered them.

Again, very sad day, but...this is how baseball goes. Tomorrow, we get three games. Two are in clinching position. One's...kind of locked up.

The Toronto Conundrum

Always nice when things I didn't want to happen end up happening worse than I thought.

I didn't want the Blue Jays in the playoffs at all. It was great that the Cardinals were out, but the Jays were even peskier, and...it would have been a lot easier if the Orioles took them out when they had the chance. They...they didn't.

Now, thanks to Kevin Pillar, Troy Tulowitzki, and John Gibbons figuring out how the Rangers' rotation ticks, the Jays are up two on the best team in the AL, and are in position to advance to the ALCS and terrorize the Indians or Red Sox for 7 games and flirt with getting a World Series.

I...did not...want this.

Worst part is the odds are against the Rangers to win 3 now, because...stats are a thing. They COULD, but...again, the Blue Jays have momentum, which is the most powerful weapon to have in the postseason. I fear the Giants could have a shit-ton of momentum too, but that's for another post. If the Blue Jays are building out momentum NOW, not only does it not reflect what they did during the regular season (which...is the whole point of BEING in the playoffs), but it's incredibly dangerous going through the rest of the playoffs, where most teams usually have trouble keeping momentum going.

Look...I'm fearing that the Blue Jays might win the World Series. I just hope that the ALCS will be a little tougher on the Jays- I've been waiting all season for someone to smack these guys.

Food for thought. On with the playoffs.

Jeez, Dee...

Way to wait your turn for me to post your custom, man.

I make the custom, I slide it in to go up in a week or so, and then you go and get busted for PEDs like an idiot, so I can't save this until the entire 80 games are off. I have to get it out of the way now, and give you a whole walk of shame thing like on Game of Thrones. This is what you're making me do, Dee.

Damn...I had so much respect for you, and then you pull something like this. Phenomenal, man...

Argh

This would have been so fun if it all had gone according to plan. An A's-Red Sox ALCS would have been so fun to watch, even if the Sox would have probably won anyway.

But nope. You had to ruin it.

Nothing against the Tigers, I just loved the story of the A's. A Tigers-Sox series is so...predictable. And I hate predictability.

Still shooting for a Dodgers-Red Sox series. If Mike Matheny screws that up for me, I will have lost total respect for him.