TWiB Notes - Sept 23 - 29

[Frayed Knot]

Six games left for all the NL WC contenders.
The only difference is that Arizona plays Monday and has Thursday off while SDP, ATL, NYM all have Monday off before playing six straight ... barring rain outs.
(imagine the turmoil a rain out would have this coming week for anyone!)

ARZ: Home to SFG Mon, Tue, Wed. Then home for SDP Fri, Sat, Sun, at which point we might all become real big Sandy Eggo fans.

SDP: @LAD (Tue, Wed, Thu) then @ ARZ for the closing weekend.
And the Pads are only 3.0 G in back of LAD who needed three in the 7th today then b-t-b 9th inning HRs from Ohtani and Mookie (walk-off) to come back on Rox
so that might become another factor in this whole deal.

ATL: home to Mets, then home to Royals
Be nice of KCR finds themselves still in the thick of the AL WC chase by the final weekend.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Be nice of KCR finds themselves still in the thick of the AL WC chase by the final weekend.

It will be even nicer if those games don't matter!

[Gwreck]

Lots of interesting developments:

1. Giants opened up a 4-0 lead on Arizona.

2. Dodgers with an early 1-0 lead on San Diego.

3. Baltimore clinches a playoff berth

[Frayed Knot]

7 - 0 Giants in the top of the 3rd in Phoenix

[Gwreck]

10-0 Giants after 5. Thanks, fellas.

[Frayed Knot]

11 - 0

[Frayed Knot]

Most innings pitched this year: 204-2/3 - Seth Lugo
Whoda thunk it?

[Frayed Knot]

Padres clinch at least a WC spot and draw a game closer to the Dodgers by beating LAD 4-2 thanks mainly to a game-ending 5-4-3 triple play!!

[Edgy MD]

Pirates release Rowdy Tellez, four plate appearances short of triggering a $200K contract bonus.

The lawsuits that ensue will undoubtedly cost both sides more than $200K in legal fees.

[Gwreck]

The lawsuits that ensue will undoubtedly cost both sides more than $200K in legal fees.

This is not legal advice, but it’s extremely unlikely there would be a lawsuit. He would file a grievance under the CBA procedures and maybe there would be a hearing but the chances of going to court are very slim.

[Edgy MD]

Yeah, you're undoubtedly right, and I'm undoubtedly exaggerating. If the complaint comes to a hearing, it'll likely be be litigated by lawyers already on retainer and adjudicated by an independent arbitrator. While the niggling amount of money may or may not be less than the expense, it's largely an expense that's already been paid anyhow.

And I'll guess that either by agreement or arbitrator's decision, the Pirates will end up paying half.

[Centerfield]

Yeah, you're undoubtedly right, and I'm undoubtedly exaggerating. If the complaint comes to a hearing, it'll likely be be litigated by lawyers already on retainer and adjudicated by an independent arbitrator. While the niggling amount of money may or may not be less than the expense, it's largely an expense that's already been paid anyhow.

And I'll guess that either by agreement or arbitrator's decision, the Pirates will end up paying half.

It would also be good to bring to light the very shitty bad faith conduct of the organization. I wonder if there's no way to write that contract so that the bonus kicks in if the club releases a healthy player that is reasonably projected to hit that milestone.

[Gwreck]

And I'll guess that either by agreement or arbitrator's decision, the Pirates will end up paying half

I bet that’s right, and while they may never admit it, the Pirates may well have priced that in when making the decision.

[Gwreck]

It would also be good to bring to light the very shitty bad faith conduct of the organization. I wonder if there's no way to write that contract so that the bonus kicks in if the club releases a healthy player that is reasonably projected to hit that milestone.

I saw one take about the decision that suggested this was going to hurt their chances of signing FAs in the future.

I recall the Mets released Alex Cora in 2010 when they were facing the possibility of another year on his contract vesting if he appeared in 80 games. The Mets released Cora (who was at -0.6 WAR at the time) after he played in 62 games.

[Edgy MD]

I also remember Pedro Astacio having a great first half and falling apart in the second half. Despite start after start being of the three-innings-six-runs variety, Bobby Valentine kept sending him out there until he reached enough innings to trigger the vesting clause that would guarantee him a second season under contract with the team, shortly after which, he finally admitted he was hurt.

[batmagadanleadoff]

The way I see it, a team should be given tremendous leeway in making roster decisions and always, the benefit of the doubt. Who the hell is an arbitrator to question how a team manages its roster or why a team cuts a player? Maybe he sucks. Maybe the team wants to save money. If the team cuts a player, he's expendable, isn't he? What next? The team is taken to court or an arbitration because it pinch-hit Winker instead of Torrens?

I remember this issue coming up with the Mets and K-Rod. I think it had to do with the number of saves KRod accumulated. What? The Mets were obligated to save all of the save opportunities for K-Rod? What nonsense.

[Edgy MD]

You're knocking down an argument nobody is making.

I doubt salary bonuses or vesting options can even be fixed to the number of saves a player gets.

[Frayed Knot]

Arizona up on SFG 4-1 in the 3rd, still batting.
Zach Gallen and Mason Black (whoever he is) on the mound.
Mason just pulled.

[Edgy MD]

Earlier in the week, Colton Cowser, in hot pursuit of a fly ball down the line, in the heat of a playoff chase, went smashing into the protective netting, and then checked to make sure he didn't wake the baby.

[Benjamin Grimm]

That's really nice.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Luis Arraez goes 1 for 3 to finish the season with a .314 batting average, good enough for his third straight batting title and in the process, denies Shohei Ohtani his bid for the NL triple crown. Ohtani ended this season with a .310 batting average.