The narrative/story in which he's a player that doesn't take roids checks out when you look further into him, you guys are being a little bit ignorant.

He mashed in AAA, super mashed KBO for 3 years, and he's mashing now. His projections were extremely high and it seems like more consistent at bats has paid off for him.

His projections were so high because his KBO numbers broke projection systems

so I don't need to say anything about the baserunning tonight right?
lol manager of the year.

Free Byung Ho Park

His plate discipline is improved because he's also on adderral in addition to the roids, obv

Austin Hedges started the season something like 0-25, now has 6 homers since the 15th.

Maybe Thames just needs to hit against the Reds all season.

I mean I've been saying it for past 2 years it's just beyond belief.

idk how scrub 5th starters can get 3/30mill and miggy got 1/5.9. Hes been getting it done (outside for one year) for 5+ years

lolfip lolxfip

Preseason Steamer for Thames

Year	ISO	SLG	HR/PA
2013	.167	.416	.029
2017	.240	.512	.053

That does not at all tell the story that he was always a destroyer--that's a gigantic increase in projected power for a 30-year-old. It's coming entirely from the 2014-2016 KBO data. That's the only claim that can really be made for certain.

I was just perusing the Fangraphs leader boards and noticed that the Reds have the best bullpen xFIP in MLB. How do I get back to my home universe?

Don't stay on the South side (even Hyde Park which is gorgeous is just too isolated and far away).

Anywhere from the Loop up on the Red Line all the way to Berwyn is fine (though Uptown has its less nice blocks still), though you probably want to stay no further north than about Wilson if you can. Anywhere on the blue line out to Irving Park also fine, but again probably don't want to stay further out than that just for convenience.

West Loop itself is cool now, but wouldn't stay too much further out than that on the Green or Blue (going west), just not a huge amount going on.

Depends on your budget but I'd personally try to stay in Old Town, Near North, Wicker Park, Lincoln Park type areas.

Early baseball stats are hilarious. All the woes the Cubs offense have been facing, they've now scored the second most runs in the majors behind only the D-backs.

You got J-Hey or E-Thames for MVP this year?

all early season baseball articles are garbage. team is 7-7 and "struggling to regain their playoff form" gotta write about leadership or something

Yeah and Cubs writers swooning over Heyward is quite amusing. Sure, his glove is probably the best OF glove in the majors (maybe Almora comes and takes that mantle though!), and his hitting is way up on last season so far.

I'm pretty mystified by any fan that is OK with what Barnes did. Machado's slide wasn't great, but I've seen a million slides that are worse.

Throwing at a batter's head is crazy dangerous. One of these days, someone is going to get killed in an MLB game. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if the risk of sudden death (not counting heart attacks) is greater in MLB than it is in the NFL. It probably will be a pitcher who gets hit in the head by a line drive, but it could be a hitter.

I don't even think Machado's slide was bad. His foot kicked up off the base, it clearly wasn't deliberate, and he pulls his foot back as he goes in. He immediately checked on Pedroia and was clearly not trying to hurt him.

Also, it was legal under the new slide rules, which tells you a lot.

Throwing at someone under ANY circumstances is not ok, throwing at their head is inexcusable and should result in at least a few game ban imo

In fact I ****ing hate the whole commentary on this thing, "well you should go for a knee, a knee for a knee, I don't like going for the head but I understand some retribution".

You can **** right off. It's not a blood sport. I hate it.

Retribution is going to happen sometimes in response to a dirty play, just like it does in every sport. But I certainly agree that intentionally throwing at a hitter is a ridiculous response to a non-intentional beaning, showboating, a guy hitting well off you, etc.

If your response to a dirty play is to act outside the laws of the game to try and hurt someone, then you shouldn't be playing professional sport.

I also don't think it happens in every sport. Doesn't really happen in any other sport I watch at least.

Of course it happens. Go to youtube and search for "NBA fights". You'll see numerous examples of brawls ensuing after a player gets lowbridged or elbowed in the head. Ditto for soccer or football. And hockey, forget about it.

None of those examples are equivalent to headhunting.

The laws of the game include hitting batters (below the knees) in retribution for certain acts.

That's not quite the same is it. The equivalent in soccer would be:

- Someone makes a bad challenge on someone that doesn't get punished with a red
- Opposing team then hunts this guy and deliberately tries to put studs in knee.

That doesn't happen.

Massive difference between getting involved in a brawl/ruck to defend your team mate over a play you deem dirty than in the middle of play deliberately trying to hurt the other team.

I'm not talking about brushback pitches.

You seriously think that it's fine for Barnes to throw at Machado's head (let's even pretend the slide was deliberately dirty and not just hard)?

wat.

Source?