DODGERS 2017 NEWS/RUMORS/AROUND MLB Thread

http://m.mlb.com/news/article/254237834/where-could-shohei-ohtani-fit-in/?topicId=27118122

 

The reason he did not come was not the MiLB thing, whether that is what they are saying or not. He didn't come due to pressure from NPB. NPB told Otani that if he were drafted and refused to play, he would be banned for life from playing in Japan(so if he fizzled in MLB, he was fucked) and it also said that it would end its cooperation with MLB. It would have been viewed as incredibly self serving in Japan. Not only he, but his family as well were threatened with basically a public shaming. We can look at that and say, "so what? I'll take the money and run", but the culture there is different and nobody here could understand that. His agent and Otani himself openly requested to all Japan teams to not draft him as he would not play, but the Fighters saw through it and called his bluff. At least they were nice enough to post him when he requested.

 

Interesting...when traditional culture becomes an element, it gets very complicated.
Btw, does anyone know ( maybe you Japanese American guys) exactly what a"Ham Fighter" is?
Can't be a cured pig butt, can it?

 

I like this and I kind of want to see what would happen if they moved him up in the order. Due to him not being much of a power guy and the struggles in the back end of the lineup, I would be interested to see Taylor, Barnes, Seager, Turner, Bellinger and Puig in that order. Barnes getting more AB's is not a bad thing with the way he continually works deep counts, puts the ball in play and he is far from a base clogger as well. Let Granderson/Pederson/Hernandez and the Forsythe/Utley duo figure out things in the 7th and 8 hole with our two biggest power threats holding things down at 5th and 6th. I feel that now once you get to Puig and then he is followed by Barnes the pitcher can somewhat let up as he now has a guy who may get a hit, but is not a threat to do much more than hit a single as his last XBH was Aug 11. In that time, he has still put up a solid .302/.412 BA/OBP with an 8:5 BB:K ratio. Putting him after the power kind of sets the tone to kill the lineup, unless he has a runner in scoring position that is, but putting him at the front of it, could generate more scoring chances.

 

Nippon Ham owns the team and the clubs nickname is the Fighters. So for example Los Angeles (Nippon Ham) Dodgers (Fighters)

 

Damn. I wanted to believe they were a Kosher Japanese team.

 

It maybe just me, but I want Cleveland to lose real bad.

 

I want them to win 27 then lose

 

Jose Ramirez won't allow it.

 

Yep, just a couple of priveledged cowards. Can't stand them, but Bochy is as good as it gets when it comes to managers. Of course it's not good enough, you guys suck dick this year. Why should Bochy act like it is?

 

Yep. At the end of the day the streak is meaningless. Win the rest of the season, no big deal. In 10 years we will watch a documentary where the players admit they gassed themselves out, and that's why they lost to the Yankees in the ALDS. I've heard this story before.

Side note, the Indians are another team we have a better record than.

 

Have no idea what it all ultimately meant, but getting the SFcast every night last 3 games, there was an incident after that fucked up inning the Giants had in the field when someone with catcher's gear was screaming at the whole dugout about their defensive play. Wasn't Pussy, didn't look like Hundley, so maybe the bp catcher...but that seems like a stretch.
Anyone else catch it?
Not kumbaya stuff...nope.
I think if we had Bochy in the past 4 years or so, we would definitely have made at least one trip to the WS.
Hate him or not, he's a great manager.
He took a less than great team to 3 rings land...why should he be satisfied with their play this year?
Time to move on and get divorced from SF, perhaps...his health may be a factor also.

 

As Lima Time would say........believe it. I hate almost everything about the Giants, but I have to grudgingly admit that Bochy is as good as there is.

 

Me, too.

I don't see much to dislike about the Tribe.

I could go homo for Lindor-Ramirez. Loved Ramirez stretching a routine single into a double in the 9th last night.

Have to admit some of the crowd shots at Progressive Field look like the cantina scene in the first Star Wars. Some world class trolls.