Here we go!

[EVille3]

Yeah, those 4.2 innings must have been just brutal. I don't know how any of those guys made it out of that tournament with their arms still attached.

Look at his spring numbers before the WBC and after then tell me it didn't have an effect on him. Also check into how hard he was throwing in the WBC and try to explain that smyly didn't over throw compared to normal spring training prep.

 

[cezero]

no way of knowing for sure whether pushing too hard too early could've put smyly out of action for the first 2-3 months of the mlb season.

i will say that there's a reason spring training lasts as long as it does before playing games that count. t's one of many things that make the timing of the wbc a headscratcher for me....though i guess there's really no other better time for it.

 

[dude82]

Yeah Shitty time for the Zags to go cold in shooting......

As for the M's game one of 163, ain't gonna lose sleep over it.......

Though I would like to bring up the mission statement from the skipper last season, "let's draw the at bat's out a little longer work the counts, lay off the first swing pitch..

Between the two teams, I don't think I've ever seen that many airballs in one championship game, let alone one half of a championship game. That and the officiating really made the second half hard to watch.

 

[NWinAZ]

Look at his spring numbers before the WBC and after then tell me it didn't have an effect on him. Also check into how hard he was throwing in the WBC and try to explain that smyly didn't over throw compared to normal spring training prep.

Agree 100%

 

[Cloud]

Between the two teams, I don't think I've ever seen that many airballs in one championship game, let alone one half of a championship game. That and the officiating really made the second half hard to watch.

They f'ed up the game for me for sure. Feel bad for those spending money to have to swamp thru that garbage last night in the second half.

 

[JMR]

Look at his spring numbers before the WBC and after then tell me it didn't have an effect on him. Also check into how hard he was throwing in the WBC and try to explain that smyly didn't over throw compared to normal spring training prep.

There's no way to definitively tie to the 4.2 innings in the WBC or prove that it wouldn't have happened otherwise. WBC is just a scapegoat here.

 

[EVille3]

There's no way to definitively tie to the 4.2 innings in the WBC or prove that it wouldn't have happened otherwise. WBC is just a scapegoat here.

fine, can't "definitively" correlate it. it's just one huge coincidence then. either way, I don't believe amping up in the middle of spring training is wise for any pitcher.

 

[EVille3]

There's no way to definitively tie to the 4.2 innings in the WBC or prove that it wouldn't have happened otherwise. WBC is just a scapegoat here.

a little excerpt from Larry Stone column:

"One has to wonder, of course, whether the World Baseball Classic has had an adverse effect on Smyly, as all ballclubs fear. It’s not necessary optimal or natural to be throwing 94 mph (harder than his normal velocity) with big-game adrenaline, in mid-March, as Smyly did for Team USA against Venezuela."

btw, throwing 93-94 is 3 mph above his fastball career average...

 

[mcnabb7542]

Between the two teams, I don't think I've ever seen that many airballs in one championship game, let alone one half of a championship game. That and the officiating really made the second half hard to watch.

Both sides of the ball, I wanted to see the big men go at it, this tickie Tack crap was for the birds...

 

[JMR]

a little excerpt from Larry Stone column:

"One has to wonder, of course, whether the World Baseball Classic has had an adverse effect on Smyly, as all ballclubs fear. It’s not necessary optimal or natural to be throwing 94 mph (harder than his normal velocity) with big-game adrenaline, in mid-March, as Smyly did for Team USA against Venezuela."

btw, throwing 93-94 is 3 mph above his fastball career average...

One has to wonder? Yeah, I guess.

 

[EVille3]

One has to wonder? Yeah, I guess.

you picked that part instead of facts with mph? got it. i'm done here.

The M's are perfect. WS here we come!

 

[JMR]

you picked that part instead of facts with mph? got it. i'm done here.

it just summed it up for me, that's all.

The M's are perfect. WS here we come!

Yep, that's exactly where I am. Sheesh.

 

[kcden]

If you look at these first two games from the right perspective, the M's are on pace to score 161 runs in the last game of the year...

 

[dude82]

I missed guessing the first home run guy by one spot in the order. Nice to see Segura go deep.

 

[JMR]

If you look at these first two games from the right perspective, the M's are on pace to score 161 runs in the last game of the year...

heh, that's the same thing I thought of. But I would even be ok if it just leveled off around the break. 80+ runs a game gets you a pretty good record and most likely a playoff spot.

 

[kcden]

heh, that's the same thing I thought of. But I would even be ok if it just leveled off around the break. 80+ runs a game gets you a pretty good record and most likely a playoff spot.

They messed up the pattern in game 3, but only because they went extra innings

 

[kcden]

And also: FUCK!!! Since when does bases loaded with no outs just equate to one run? ... two straight games. Fuckin' Mariners...

 

[dude82]

Finally got a win and some hits with RISP, but needless to say the sheer number of strikeouts in this series was brutal. They're not going to average nearly 10 K's a game for the whole season, but you can't look at that number and not have some concerns. They did the opposite of their stated hitting philosophy in this series (CTZ).

On the bright side, the pitching staff came out of the gate looking better than anticipated. That might not last either, but if it lasts long enough for the offense to get it's crap together I think we're going to be in pretty good shape going forward. The offense needs to find its groove in Anaheim. They can't come home still trying to find it.

 

[NWinAZ]

Finally got a win and some hits with RISP, but needless to say the sheer number of strikeouts in this series was brutal. They're not going to average nearly 10 K's a game for the whole season, but you can't look at that number and not have some concerns. They did the opposite of their stated hitting philosophy in this series (CTZ).

On the bright side, the pitching staff came out of the gate looking better than anticipated. That might not last either, but if it lasts long enough for the offense to get it's crap together I think we're going to be in pretty good shape going forward. The offense needs to find its groove in Anaheim. They can't come home still trying to find it.

Agreed and the bullpen has looked lights out for the most part. Cruz and Cano need to come through. I think the WBC just killed us...ug!

 

[mcnabb7542]

Sit down and relax we got 163 of these kid.....