MLB - 2019 Season Thread
 

The 2019 baseball season kicked off today in Japan with Seattle (and Ichiro) beating the A's 9-7. Pre-season is still on going for the other teams.

What team are you rooting for this year? - Go Red Sox!
What players? I'll be following how Bryce Harper does with his new mega contract after switching teams.

Go Cardinals! Should be fun watching the newly-added Paul Goldschmidt at first.

Go Blue Jays!!!

I'm ready for some baseball. Brewers should have a good team again this year.

I’m not rooting for anybody. Baseball is a crooked business.

Name a sport that isn't.

Well, Dru,
I’m pulling for the Redsox. I’ve been listening to Spring Training games, and Cora has been holding back the veterans. Looks like Pedroia begins on the DL. Not sure which 2 catchers will be there on opening day.

Closer? Maybe it ain’t gonna be set in stone.

True, Dru, but it gets tiresome when your team is never in the race because they can't spend the same as the bigger franchises. I'm so tired of seeing the same 8 teams in it year after year and "small markets" trying to justify working on their farm systems and producing prospects that either fail to fully develop or move on for that big ridiculous contract in a different time zone out west.

I'd love to support the Pirates but the ownership simply has no passion for the game and make excuses year after year. Yes, I feel the players are spoiled but from a different perspective I think they get jaded by being treated like living breathing trading cards every July or off season.

As much as it pains me, I may have to root for the Phillies this year. I'm originally from northeastern PA so I used to root for either them or the Yankees when Reggie Jackson and Pete Rose were still playing. This time it would only be because ex-Pirate Andrew McCutchen is signed to the Phillies for 3 years - even though he's past his prime.

I can't in good conscience spend any more money on the cartel at PNC Park though. They've squandered what little good faith they amassed in 2013. Their payroll has dropped to $59M but ticket prices are still up. It's sickening.

Hmmmmmm.....
 

It ain't just baseball.....;)

Here's a winner
 

Out my way(Ca Bay Area) a league has opened up based on the rules from the 1860's. No gloves, large softer ball, big ol' thick bats, and fun to watch. That's who I'm rooting for.:D

*sigh* I know. Football is just about as bad, and the players are either complicit or feel entitled out of years of being enabled - or are just plain ignorant to how *normal* people have to scrape by.

As a Steelers fan I'm trying to understand the rationalizations of Antonio Brown and LeVeon Bell. They were compensated fairly and had excellent stats as players, but even the slightest adversity caused them to completely turn into entitled clowns.

Anyway, with regards to baseball I feel like it lost its way a LONG time ago. The NHL may have its flaws with regards to player injuries and discipline but it gets a lot of things right that both the NHL and NFL could take notes on.

All about my Nationals! Yes Bryce moved on, so now we can really work on the post season with Soto, Turner and Rendon! And Mad Max of course!

Grew up a Yankees fan. ARod was the end of that for me. I'll follow the Rockies if they're in it come September. We always watch the World Series.

Hey Jim, we should have a very good season and be playoff bound. I'm concerned about not having a dedicated closer. Don't want to see another closure by committee like the Sox had a few years ago. I think that was the season before Kimbrel was signed?

On the other hand, they do have one of the better uniforms in the game.

https://shop.baseballhall.org/mens-m...ey-283800.html