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The 2018 Major Leage Baseball Thread

I wasn't thinking. But there has been some pretty good darn hitting pitchers in the past, pre-DH. Earl Wilson, Warren Spahn and Bob Lemon come to mind. I seen all three play especially Spahn. He would give you 250-300 plus innings every year and hit. He even hit .333 one year and had several years of 4 homers and 9 seasons of double digits RBI's. Not bad for a pitcher.

I always been a Braves fan even when they were in Boston and Milwaukee. Atlanta had a AA Southern League team, the Crackers where were owned and operated by the Braves.

The "Crackers", very nice. The Mets have some good hitting pitchers, DeGromm I think is the best. Had a couple of pinch hits last year. Just think if the NL had the DH I never would have seen Bart hit a HR of Shields. Screwed Shields up for the rest of the season. LOL!
 
He's going to be strictly a dh/pitcher. That's a bit too much to expect him to pitch, hit and field.

Probably before your time but I remember Boston and Detroit using Earl Wilson, a pitcher as a pinch hitter and in the outfield at times. Cleveland did the same with Bob Lemon. But those were the days when a pitcher went every four days and batted for themselves. Pre-DH. It's probably too much for today's players or perhaps it is only the mindset of today.
 
But if you were Otani, would you rather play in a world class city like New York or Toronto (or even Boston)??

I don't know. Again referring to the MLB network, they seem to think a big Japanese community would be a big plus in whatever city he chooses. That and how the team will use him.
 
The "Crackers", very nice. The Mets have some good hitting pitchers, DeGromm I think is the best. Had a couple of pinch hits last year. Just think if the NL had the DH I never would have seen Bart hit a HR of Shields. Screwed Shields up for the rest of the season. LOL!

LOL. The NL in my opinion still plays baseball. The use of the DH always reminded me of a girls slow pitch softball team. I've been a baseball fan since the mid 1950's so I am probably very biased on that.
 
Does anyone else feel that the Yankees could perhaps offer Otani serious money under the table that few other teams couldnt?? Just plop $20 million in a Swiss bank account, and who would ever know??

I'm not saying thats whats happening, I'm just putting the question out there.
How many checks and balances are there to prevent this type of stuff??
(remember, Swiss banks dont have to disclose sh_t to anyone!!!)
 
Does anyone else feel that the Yankees could perhaps offer Otani serious money under the table that few other teams couldnt?? Just plop $20 million in a Swiss bank account, and who would ever know??

I'm not saying thats whats happening, I'm just putting the question out there.
How many checks and balances are there to prevent this type of stuff??
(remember, Swiss banks dont have to disclose sh_t to anyone!!!)

The problem would be that any team that made such a payment would thereby give the player very significant leverage.
 
The problem would be that any team that made such a payment would thereby give the player very significant leverage
I dont understand what you mean by "leverage"?? Please explain.


Just FTR there have been famous soccer players linked with Swiss bank accounts:
Celebrity names in HSBC's Swiss bank leak - Business Insider

Again, I'm not saying this happening in MLB, I'm just asking which checks and balances have been put in place to prvent this type of stuff??
 
He will not be a DH and pitcher in MLB. When someone pays him multi-millions, they will expect him to excel at one position. No MLB team is going to pay big money for a “jack of all trades” player.

Tell me 1 pitcher in MLB right now that can actually be considered an everyday hitter? The answer is 0.

The best hitting pitcher right now is Bumgarner and he's not even a career .200 hitter.

If Otani can hit, a smart team will put him in for at-bats.
 
I dont understand what you mean by "leverage"?? Please explain.


Just FTR there have been famous soccer players linked with Swiss bank accounts:
Celebrity names in HSBC's Swiss bank leak - Business Insider

Again, I'm not saying this happening in MLB, I'm just asking which checks and balances have been put in place to prvent this type of stuff??

If you put $20M in a Swiss bank account for me then I have the money and the option to expose you whenever I wish.
 
Does anyone else feel that the Yankees could perhaps offer Otani serious money under the table that few other teams couldnt?? Just plop $20 million in a Swiss bank account, and who would ever know??

I'm not saying thats whats happening, I'm just putting the question out there.
How many checks and balances are there to prevent this type of stuff??
(remember, Swiss banks dont have to disclose sh_t to anyone!!!)

If Otani was in it for the money, he would wait two years.
 
Tell me 1 pitcher in MLB right now that can actually be considered an everyday hitter? The answer is 0.

The best hitting pitcher right now is Bumgarner and he's not even a career .200 hitter.

If Otani can hit, a smart team will put him in for at-bats.

Jake Arrietta, easily. Probably many more.
 
If you put $20M in a Swiss bank account for me then I have the money and the option to expose you whenever I wish
Not really, the Swiss guard their bank account secrets like crazy. There's a reason the Nazi's hid their loot there, it took decades before Swiss banks had to finally admit they had their Nazi stash hidden there
 
Good point, but they weren’t jack of all trades in one sport, they were multi-sport pro athletes
Very true, but there are still similarities

I suspect the days of that happening again are over
I totally disagree with that. Otani would be a MASSIVE PR stunt if he came to the US and tried both pitcher/batter positions. I know I'd be watching for sure!!! (just as I watched Bo Jackson and Neion Deion).

That doesnt mean Otani would succeed, but who cares if he does or doesnt, its the TV ratings that matter
 
Very true


I totally disagree with that. Otani would be a MASSIVE PR stunt if he came to the US and tried both pitcher/batter positions. I know I'd be watching for sure!!! (just as I watched Bo Jackson and Neion Deion).

That doesnt mean Otani would succeed, but who cares if he does or doesnt, its the TV ratings that matter

No I meant the days of multi-sport pro athletes are over, at least in the major U.S. pro sports.
 
Not really, the Swiss guard their bank account secrets like crazy. There's a reason the Nazi's hid their loot there, it took decades before Swiss banks had to finally admit they had their Nazi stash hidden there

If you give the money to me then I control the account. If I am the account owner and I choose to expose where the money came from then that is that.
 
If you give the money to me then I control the account. If I am the account owner and I choose to expose where the money came from then that is that
Right Jack, which is exactly what Swiss bank account holders do, they control the accounts and they choose who to tell how much money is in the account
 
Why 2 years?? Is there some type of free agency availbility??

Yes, he can enter MLB as a free agent then. Now, it’s international money, which is variable between teams, with some (like the Cubs) that can only pay him the MŁB minimum.
 
Right Jack, which is exactly what Swiss bank account holders do, they control the accounts and they choose who to tell how much money is in the account

Yes. So if you give me the money in an account I own, I can then expose you as the donor if I wish.
 
Very true, but there are still similarities


I totally disagree with that. Otani would be a MASSIVE PR stunt if he came to the US and tried both pitcher/batter positions. I know I'd be watching for sure!!! (just as I watched Bo Jackson and Neion Deion).

That doesnt mean Otani would succeed, but who cares if he does or doesnt, its the TV ratings that matter

FYI- the guy throws 100 MPH and has hit 500 ft HR.
 
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