We had a combined no hitter in the World Series as four Astros combined to keep the Fightin’ Phils out of the hit column on Wednesday night. Pretty amazing accomplishment.
Don Larsen’s perfect game in the 1956 will stand as the greatest pitching performance in Fall Classic history, and deservedly so. But to have four guys be that lights out in one game is no small feat. Here is some fun trivial on WS no hitters.
Want some incredible baseball history? Here’s Vin Scully calling that legendary Larsen perfecto.
In Angels land, the operative word here is also no. As in no, the Angels are not actively pursuing Shohei Ohtani trades.
Instead of focusing on losing a Japanese sensation, perhaps we should be trying to add one to the team, Kodai Senga has filed the required paperwork to enter free agency and will officially be a free agent next week. Take a look at a scouting report on him.
Further speaking of no, we’ve had some great fanposts about how the Angels would get down to Cleveland level payroll.
Gitcho went even further and got us down to Pirates level payroll. That’s your longform piece in case you haven’t read it yet. Put on a full pot of coffee.
As we gear up for our off season pieces, remember the talent pool will have some additions as teams non tender arbitration eligible players. I’d gladly take several of the names on this list of non tender candidates.
Keep in mind trades for non tender guys are fairly common and usually pretty inexpensive. If a team is about to lose a guy for nothing, they’ll generally take something.
Another batch of players will enter the free agency pool after all the option decisions are made. Here’s a handy list of players with options, the cost of the options, and who holds them.
I’m sure Trevor Bauer has his email to opt in already typed and is just waiting to hit send. However, there are some interesting cases in Justin Turner, Chris Basset, Taijuan Walker, and others.
It has been an interesting week for Houston gambler/furniture magnate Mattress Mack. First he had to defend miniature cheater Jose Altuve’s honor and nearly got into a fight with Philly fans. He’s trying to make up for that incident by inviting Eagles fans to his suite at the Texans game.
If he thinks Phillies fans are nice, just wait until he meets Eagles fan that has been tailgating all morning.
MLB announced the winners of the Gold Glove awards this week including 14 first time winners. Fangraphs took a dive into the numbers behind the awards and what the voters told us and didn’t.
Sorry there’s not a ton more to link. MLB does a great job of keeping the World Series in the spotlight.
Enjoy your weekend and link what I missed below.
Suzuki, Duffy, Lorenzen and Bradley all elected free agency.
Thought Suzuki retired?
About the only thing I care about in the WS is Dusty finally getting a ring. Always liked him, all the way back to his Dodger days. Don’t get me wrong, he seriously pissed me off giving the game ball away early in Game 6, but he paid for that etiquette gaffe. His HOF ticket is all set. No disagreement here.
Won a ring as a player in 1981 but great to see him get one as a manager. The right guy for the Astros at the time. Always felt he got a raw deal as the skipper in Cincinnati and Washington. Imagine, getting fired after winning 97 and 95 games in his only two seasons with the Nationals.
I believe The Phillies fleeting moment in the spotlight has now come to an end. I predict the Phils will not get remotely close to a WS ring in this decade and that the knightly Dombrowski will eventually be terminated in order to shepherd the Nashville expansion franchise.
Quite a Frosty take … did Jack hijack your account?
🤣
No but if you look at the difficulty for teams to repeat in the current era , especially teams that are not very deep in roster construction, as well as Dombrowski’s history in building up a team and then quickly crashing down to earth when the system becomes fallow (See 2015 Tigers & 2019 Red Sox) predicting the Phillies demise is not an irresponsible bet.
Ah … bet. So you’re that Mattress dude.
You’re killing me Downing.
so it’s Dombrowski’s fault that the tigers still suck 7 yrs after the fact?
This is one of yer garden variety 80%er grudges.
Really dude? you really want to take up this issue considering all of you other non sensical ramblings you espouse on a daily basis?
Ok I will help educate your feeble brain but it will take some effort on your part to research the facts.
Go look at the roster of your holy namesake season. The Angels were primarily a homegrown team so go research how many years prior each player joined the organization prior to that magical year. Also for extra credit go look up how many years most of today’s WS champions have been in the Houston Organization. Seven years in the development of a successful player feeder system is to expected even if the front office people that initially drafted and developed the players are long gone.
This is why I feel that Dipoto did this organization ( and by extension ou fans) such a disservice by building this turd and then running out the door.
exhibit 1A…….2015 NY Mets.
Then GM Sandy Alderson, yes that Sandford Alderson of the Oakland A’s 30+ years ago, and successfully rebuilt a late 2000’s old and very injury prone overpaid team left by Omar Minaya beginning in 2010. 5 yrs to get the Mets back into the WS…….
And how many of Sandford’s vaunted starting pitchers were inherited from Minaya? And how many Championships did Sanford ultimately bring home to Gotham City?
I rest my case.
80%er…. still not a think man.
go gnaw on one.
💪 💪 💪
So our model should be the Astros whose model was us? https://twitter.com/MLBNetwork/status/1589286988783312896
So quickly we forget the past.
Oh, this is an interesting stat! Thanks for linking. So true.
Thanks Arte for letting the Astros win.
Thanks, but they’re a way better light years ahead better than us, I’m pretty sure they didn’t need our help!
Is 76 yr old Tony La Russa gonna be our interim GM/POBO now? Kool thatt waye hee can sell all R tawp 2023 MLB draft picks and international pool money to all the teems who won 100 games. Fire half the work force like that guy who owns Spacex at Twitter
Phoenix is over there————>>>>>>>>>
💪 💪 💪 😜 😜
I thought that once again the umping was a problem. The strike zone was impressionistic at best and that foul ball looked fair to my eyes.
Now that the post-season is finally I would hope we can make some moves while waiting for Arturo to leave the building. I continue to wonder how we can proceed with one arm tied behind our back.
This is the question. Will the team make any meaningful moves while the uncertainty over the new owner(s) exists? I personally think that the answer is no – but that is based on my own experience in transactional litigation. Typically a company that is for sale doesn’t like to change for fear that change will affect the sale price.
Adding payroll commitments is a liability on the balance sheets which arguably lowers the value of the franchise.
Trading away popular players will potentially raise concerns about future revenue generation (ticket and merchandise sales) which can lower the value of the franchise.
Staying pat is arguably the best financial move as the buyers know what they are buying. People hate uncertainty particularly in business transactions.
My guess is a few lower tier free agents on 1 year deals is the best we can hope for.
I agree, and small moves around the edges is moving backwards as true contending teams will improve to a far greater extent.
That is actually a good point.
Prepare for a few chairs on the deck getting shuffled, nothing too big. No big names until the new ownership and new GM arrive onto the scene.
Sounds like we’re waiting for George S Patton to relieve Lloyd Fredendall?
Steve Jobs to relieve John Scully III. I hate Alex Anthopoulos’s Concierge already after just 2 yrs, yes he sucks. Go to Starbucks and Staples and get some Frappuccino’s and toner Perry!!
Actually we’re waiting for you to stop soiling yourself on every post.
So here we go with after the World Series announcements from GPB;
The envelopes please,
American League MVP Aaron Judge NYFY
American League Cy Young Award Justin Verlander Houston Asstros
American League Rookie of the Year Rodrieguez Seattle Mariners
American League Manager of the Year Dusty Baker Houston Asstros
Sounds accurate to me. How about the National?
Congratulations to the Asstros. You won a World Series against a Wild Card Team without any apparent cheating. Throw in a combined No-Hitter and the fact you get to play in a weak division is not blowing me away too much. Happy for Dusty, that’s for sure. But here is one person who is not impressed as much as others are.
Verlander is impressive and a Hall of Famer, but what a season for a guy to have at 39 years old. CY for sure.
Don’t forget. Maldy used that illegal Pujols bat in game 1.
I’m happy for former Angel Martin Maldonaldo since CTPG was rooting for Thor Syndergaard who was a original NY Met and only with us for 4 mths while making a way overpaid $21M. I hope if the new owners are willing to spend money and if he’s available that we get Dave Dombrowski.
The Braves and the Dodgers should’ve played better in the playoffs. They swept a 100 win team (Yankees) BTW in the ALCS.
Since when did this group join the Bryce Harper fan club? That’s all I’ve been hearing how Trout sucks, Ohtani is whatever and Harper is the face of baseball. I could care less about the Phillies. Plus I don’t get this romanticism over Marsh. I miss Maldonado way more as he actually handled a pitching staff here. Marsh was a K machine.
You know how shitty the Dodgers are? Booing Dusty Baker at the ASG. Look I’m not an Astros fan, but geez not crying over the Phillies.
“That’s all I’ve been hearing how Trout sucks, Ohtani is whatever and Harper is the face of baseball.“
Just curious- who said these words you are quoting as being all you have been hearing? I’m in here all the time and haven’t heard anything like that.
I think the rooting for the Phils is actually rooting against the cheaters and that is all.
Not there but social media and the national radio shows. My morning drive. I’m tired of it. Philly winning is yet another poop on our Angels. What did someone write “Harper getting the moment that Trout was supposed to have” when he hit that HR against SD as Joe Davis slobbered over him.
Do you have proof that they cheated this time?
Time to let that shit go and move on, most of the main characters are long gone (Jeff Luhnow, AJ Hinch, Alex Cora,). The main reason is because we aren’t very good and they’re the top team in MLB now that they won their second WS so no comparisons to the NFL Buffalo Bills either.
Yeah, watching Marsh in the playoffs made me more comfortable with him being gone.
It looks like he will be a platoon bat going forward.
Barf. Sigh.
Well it’s been fun guys.
Let’s do it again for the WBC, eh?
Have to say if Pena was an Angel we would all be in love
Shit, i’m smitten with just that quick interview lol
I hope one of our SS prospects turns out half as good. Let’s go Soto (or Jackson, or Paris).
Zach Neto is the top one.
A guy I would want even more is Bryan Aubreu.
Talk about an immediate upgrade to our bullpen! Imagine being able to bring him into games in the 7th inning!!
Whole lot of excitement over a piece of metal…
The commish won’t punish you for cheating, but he’ll present you with the WS trophy.
Lmao.
I feel like that little kid
Should’ve kept the lockout going.
💯
I saw Alex on the field. Long time no see.
They’ve got her cohosting a podcast. What a waste.
Was cool to see her!
Agree -wasted talent.
Now let’s get the Angels sold and look to the future.
It will take a thousand years to get better than the Ass’tros.
They have their flaws moving forward – less depth in the rotation and bullpen (might lost both Will Smith and Verlander). They should/need to improve in OF and 1B. Can McCullers, James, Whitley stay healthy enough to man the rotation? Do they trust Garcia, Urquidy, and Javier not to regress, with only a couple of years of service time under their belt?
Sorry, but their front office has proven themselves at being able to re-load effectively. Our front office, uh…not so much.
Well, my bet is just that we best them in fewer than 1000 years. Too optimistic?
Astros came off season with 39 year old having statistically one of the best seasons ever. A five foot eleven pitcher who no one wanted throwing 97 with a vicious curve. And a bunch of position guys that are suddenly terrific plus bullpen guys who have increased their velocity and become studs later in their careers.
It’s easy to “reload” when that can happen. I’m surprised Eric Gagne isn’t their closer.
Congrats to the non-cheating ‘(this year) stros.
Except for the leaning into pitches
Yeah, saw that but the rule needs to be tightened up.
Am I wrong for being happy for Dusty Baker even if the Ass’tros won?
I mean, that’s the narrative and I guess
I think they should send his latex gloves to the HOF.
Yes.
as Chairman Mao once said, “that sucked”