1992casey

The Dodgers have decided that Clayton Kershaw will pitch on short rest today, bumping Julio Urías. The Nats have settled on Joe Ross.

I think fans sometimes get too thin-skinned when players are candid in response to questions. I think Luc bumbled it a bit, but that's all. His refusal to go to Cleveland was very similar to Milwaukee being on K-Rod's no-trade list at one point. Luc potentially had another catcher ahead of him in Cleveland, and at the time K-Rod's no-trade list was created, Trevor Hoffman was here. On another note, there's a problem when games end as late as last night's game did. Fans in the east watching the end were up after 2:30[space][/space]AM, and Cubs fans in the Midwest were up after 1:30. Had the game lasted 20 or more innings, sure; there isn't much that can be done. But 13 innings isn't that long. During the regular season, fans in the park are the prime consideration. In the postseason, fans of both teams watching on TV need to be considered. Once the TV games are taken into account, the game time for fans in the park will fall into place.

Lineups, Cubs vs. Giants, Game 3 Cubs CF Dexter Fowler (S) 3B Kris Bryant ® 1B Anthony Rizzo (L) LF Jorge Soler ® RF Ben Zobrist (S) SS Addison Russell ® 2B Javier Báez ® C Miguel Montero (L) RHP Jake Arrieta ® Giants CF Denard Span (L) 1B Brandon Belt (L) C Buster Posey ® RF Hunter Pence ® 3B Conor Gillaspie (L) SS Brandon Crawford (L) 2B Joe Panik (L) LF Gregor Blanco (L) LHP Madison Bumgarner ®

Lineups, Nationals vs. Dodgers, Game 3 Nationals CF Trea Turner ® LF Jayson Werth ® 2B Daniel Murphy (L) RF Bryce Harper (L) 3B Anthony Rendon ® 1B Ryan Zimmerman ® SS Danny Espinosa (S) C José Lobatón (S) LHP Gio Gonzalez (L) Dodgers LF Howie Kendrick ® 3B Justin Turner ® SS Corey Seager (L) RF Yasiel Puig ® 1B Adrian González (L) C Yasmani Grandal (S) 2B Charlie Culberson ® CF Joc Pederson (L) RHP Kenta Maeda ® [hr=30][/hr] Lineups, Indians vs. Red Sox, Game 3 (Same lineups as yesterday’s rainout) Indians DH Carlos Santana (S) 2B Jason Kipnis (L) SS Francisco Lindor (S) 1B Mike Napoli ® 3B José Ramírez (S) RF Lonnie Chisenhall (L) LF Coco Crisp (S) CF Tyler Naquin (L) C Roberto Pérez ® Red Sox 2B Dustin Pedroia ® 3B Brock Holt (L) RF Mookie Betts ® DH David Ortiz (L) 1B Hanley Ramírez ® SS Xander Bogaerts ® LF Andrew Benintendi (L) C Sandy Leon (S) CF Jackie Bradley (L)

63,908,300 is the Opening Day 25-man number. At some point, Cots will give us the end-of-the-year 40-man number. It'll be interesting to see where the Brewers ended up. I think that if there's any "news" involved in the Brewers' low payroll number, it's the fact that they didn't put any great effort into achieving it.

Lineups, Rangers vs. Blue Jays, Game 3 Rangers LF Carlos Gómez ® CF Ian Desmond ® DH Carlos Beltrán (S) 3B Adrián Beltré ® 2B Rougned Odor (L) C Jonathan Lucroy ® 1B Mitch Moreland (L) SS Elvis Andrus ® RF Nomar Mazara (L) Blue Jays LF Ezequiel Carrera (L) 3B Josh Donaldson ® 1B Edwin Encarnacion ® RF José Bautista ® C Russell Martin ® SS Troy Tulowitzki ® DH Michael Saunders (L) CF Kevin Pillar ® 2B Darwin Barney ®

Today's Indians-Red Sox game has been postponed until Monday at 5[space][/space]PM[space][/space]CDT.

There’s an excellent chance that this game will be postponed, but here goes… Lineups, Indians vs. Red Sox, Game 3 Indians DH Carlos Santana (S) 2B Jason Kipnis (L) SS Francisco Lindor (S) 1B Mike Napoli ® 3B José Ramírez (S) RF Lonnie Chisenhall (L) LF Coco Crisp (S) CF Tyler Naquin (L) C Roberto Pérez ® Red Sox 2B Dustin Pedroia ® 3B Brock Holt (L) RF Mookie Betts ® DH David Ortiz (L) 1B Hanley Ramírez ® SS Xander Bogaerts ® LF Andrew Benintendi (L) C Sandy León (S) CF Jackie Bradley (L) Currently listed game times for tomorrow could change, depending on whether there are two, three, or four games played.

Lineups, Dodgers vs. Nationals, Game 2 (Sunday's make-up game; same lineups as yesterday) Dodgers 2B Chase Utley (L) SS Corey Seager (L) 3B Justin Turner ® 1B Adrian González (L) RF Josh Reddick (L) CF Joc Pederson (L) C Yasmani Grandal (S) LF Andrew Toles (L) LHP Rich Hill (L) Nationals CF Trea Turner ® RF Bryce Harper (L) LF Jayson Werth ® 2B Daniel Murphy (L) 3B Anthony Rendon ® 1B Ryan Zimmerman ® SS Danny Espinosa (S) C José Lobatón (S) RHP Tanner Roark ®

Lineups, Giants vs. Cubs, Game 2 Giants CF Denard Span (L) 1B Brandon Belt (L) C Buster Posey ® RF Hunter Pence ® SS Brandon Crawford (L) LF Ángel Pagán (S) 3B Conor Gillaspie (L) 2B Joe Panik (L) RHP Jeff Samardzija ® Cubs CF Dexter Fowler (S) 3B Kris Bryant ® 1B Anthony Rizzo (L) LF Ben Zobrist (S) SS Addison Russell ® RF Jason Heyward (L) 2B Javier Báez ® C Willson Contreras ® RHP Kyle Hendricks ®

Postponed. Rescheduled for noon CDT Sunday.

First, I have a hunch that CC Sabathia will be signed by the Angels. It appears that CC's 2017 option vested…

Lineups, Dodgers vs. Nationals, Game 2 (Chance of rain today) Dodgers 2B Chase Utley (L) SS Corey Seager (L) 3B Justin Turner ® 1B Adrian González (L) RF Josh Reddick (L) CF Joc Pederson (L) C Yasmani Grandal (S) LF Andrew Toles (L) LHP Rich Hill (L) Nationals CF Trea Turner ® RF Bryce Harper (L) LF Jayson Werth ® 2B Daniel Murphy (L) 3B Anthony Rendon ® 1B Ryan Zimmerman ® SS Danny Espinosa (S) C José Lobatón (S) RHP Tanner Roark ®

I've lost track of the committees. I guess it isn't all that important to keep up with that as long as they make good choices. The Veterans Committee that was around during the first decade of this century failed to elect anyone, so replacing it was probably a good idea. The ad hoc Negro League committee was good as it was assigned to do extensive research in an area where previous voters were operating with too little information. I suppose the Eras idea is somewhat in the same vein, i.e. voters can be somewhat expert in the people they're covering. I don't have a problem with the Hall being fluid about this as long as the right people get in. In this case, Selig should be a slam dunk. Although I didn't particularly like him, Steinbrenner is probably a good choice. Maybe also Piniella. I'm not sure on Schuerholz; maybe he should get more consideration the next time around. McGwire is a wildcard. He obviously has Hall of Fame credentials. But I'm glad I'm not the one making this decision. Having fallen just short of 3,000 hits, Baines is definitely worthy of discussion. I think the others probably fall into the Hall of Very Good.

If a team finds itself with a surplus of players at 2B/SS/3B who can actually hit, one of them can likely be shifted to 1B.

Heyman's blurb doesn't necessarily jibe with comments by Counsell and Stearns at the end of the year news conference this week. From Todd Rosiak: At any rate, I wouldn't give up Carter for nothing when the Brewers have more than enough money to keep him. Villar at 2B makes sense; he's more advanced at that position than he is at third, and he says he's more comfortable there. But I don't see that being etched in stone just yet.

Selig on Hall of Fame ballot for 2017 Bud's on the Today's Game Era ballot, one of four Eras committees. The committee meets twice every five years. Also included on this year's ballot are John Schuerholz, George Steinbrenner, Lou Piniella, Davey Johnson, Harold Baines, Albert Belle, Will Clark, Orel Hershiser and Mark McGwire. Four of the nine former commissioners (Kenesaw Mountain Landis, Happy Chandler, Ford Frick and Bowie Kuhn) are members of the Hall. To be inducted, a candidate needs to receive 75% of the votes from the 16-member committee.

Lineups, Giants vs. Cubs, Game 1 Giants CF Gorkys Hernández ® 1B Brandon Belt (L) C Buster Posey ® RF Hunter Pence ® LF Ángel Pagán (S) SS Brandon Crawford (L) 2B Kelby Tomlinson ® 3B Conor Gillaspie (L) RHP Johnny Cueto ® Cubs CF Dexter Fowler (S) 3B Kris Bryant ® 1B Anthony Rizzo (L) LF Ben Zobrist (S) SS Addison Russell ® RF Jason Heyward (L) 2B Javier Báez ® C David Ross ® LHP Jon Lester (L)

In Progressive Field, it's possible to homer off of plexiglass that's placed to protect the cameraman.

Lineups, Dodgers vs. Nationals, Game 1 Dodgers 2B Chase Utley (L) SS Corey Seager (L) 3B Justin Turner ® 1B Adrian González (L) RF Josh Reddick (L) CF Joc Pederson (L) C Yasmani Grandal (S) LF Andrew Toles (L) LHP Clayton Kershaw (L) Nationals CF Trea Turner ® RF Bryce Harper (L) LF Jayson Werth ® 2B Daniel Murphy (L) 3B Anthony Rendon ® 1B Ryan Zimmerman ® SS Danny Espinosa (S) C Pedro Severino ® RHP Max Scherzer ®

Lineups, Red Sox vs. Indians, Game 2 Red Sox 2B Dustin Pedroia ® 3B Brock Holt (L) RF Mookie Betts ® DH David Ortiz (L) 1B Hanley Ramírez ® SS Xander Bogaerts ® LF Andrew Benintendi (L) C Sandy Leon (S) CF Jackie Bradley (L) Indians CF Rajai Davis ® 2B Jason Kipnis (L) SS Francisco Lindor (S) 1B Mike Napoli ® DH Carlos Santana (S) 3B José Ramírez (S) LF Brandon Guyer ® RF Lonnie Chisenhall (L) C Roberto Pérez ®

As long as I'm only paying for myself, coughing up the cash for a medium size soft drink is fine. It's more convenient than carrying something in. If I were bringing a family, I'd carry in the drinks, partly because of the cost savings and partly to deter the inevitability of something being spilled. Bringing in something like subs from Cousins or Subway is pretty close to the cost of buying at the concession stands. That doesn't help much when I'm only paying for myself. Plus, it's boring to eat things I can eat without going to a game. With a family, it might be more convenient to carry in simply to avoid having to go to multiple stands with children in tow. But depending on what kids like to eat, I don't see cost as a big differentiator. Actually, I think I'd feed a family before going to the game. That way, I'd only be buying or carrying in snacks rather than meals. Water is definitely overpriced. Bring it in. I only buy it if I'm parched. Peanuts are a good thing to carry in. Besides the aforementioned cost, it's easy to carry in more than you need because they carry out just as easily as they carry in. Because I'm almost always driving and because I frequently sit in the family section, I don't buy beer. But I wouldn't be blown away by paying for one or two. While the prices are definitely more than the corner tavern, they're in line with restaurants and some of the nicer bars. Price comparisons aside, the cost is enough to discourage some (but not all) from drinking too much. Plus, profits from beer sales should hopefully reduce the need to charge higher prices for other menu items.

Lineups, Jays vs. Rangers, Game 2: Jays 2B Devon Travis ® 3B Josh Donaldson ® 1B Edwin Encarnación ® RF José Bautista ® C Russell Martin ® SS Troy Tulowitzki ® DH Michael Saunders (L) CF Kevin Pillar ® LF Ezequiel Carrera (L) Rangers LF Carlos Gómez ® CF Ian Desmond ® DH Carlos Beltrán (S) 3B Adrián Beltré ® 2B Rougned Odor (L) C Jonathan Lucroy ® 1B Ryan Rua ® SS Elvis Andrus ® RF Nomar Mazara (L)

When I turned on the game, TBS took a quick peek at the goings-on at the ballpark while the studio pundits were babbling. I guess I'd rather see the on-the-field pregame stuff than listen to the babbling.

Lineups, Red Sox vs. Indians, Game 1 Red Sox 2B Dustin Pedroia ® 3B Brock Holt (L) RF Mookie Betts ® DH David Ortiz (L) 1B Hanley Ramírez ® SS Xander Bogaerts ® CF Jackie Bradley (L) C Sandy León (S) LF Andrew Benintendi (L) Indians DH Carlos Santana (S) 2B Jason Kipnis (L) SS Francisco Lindor (S) 1B Mike Napoli ® 3B José Ramírez (S) RF Lonnie Chisenhall (L) LF Coco Crisp (S) CF Tyler Naquin (L) C Roberto Pérez ®