Chris Sale aiming to return
- Thread starter edoug
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I believe that you are precisely right - they can’t impose rules being “tested” in the minors on players who are down for a rehab assignment but otherwise covered by the CBA.
Pitchers on rehab assignments also use MLB balls, which are different than the minor league balls that normally get used.
I never realized that, but it makes complete sense and now has me wondering why the ball isn't the same in both the majors and the minors. Every team calls up and sends down players as needed with many of these guy getting multiple call ups during the season.
If he successfully pitches 5 or 6 innings and throws 75 pitches, they should have his next start be in the majors. Hill might need a break spraining his knee has them possibly down 3 starters in a big week. If he stays on every 5th day, he'd start once against TB and once against NYY.
Maybe because baseball is quirky? Bet basketballs and footballs are made to the same specs for D-League and NBA and college and NFL, respectively.
Historically--and this is the way back machine--the pro ball has been fatter, as that has the reputation of making it a better throwing ball, as long as you have bigger hands. And the majority of NFL quarterbacks have bigger hands than the average college or HS quarterback. The college/HS balls also have half stripes on them, again originally, for better visibility in night games where a lot of stadiums don't have NFL stadium quality lighting.
I may be wrong, but I believe that this fatter NFL ball is part of the reason that some QBs preferred the ball to be slightly less inflated
Ultimately the choice to use different balls was the simplest reason in the world: money. Link
I couldn’t find a link, but AA and A might still be using a different ball and only AAA made the switch.
I am so tired of this guy's whole act. I hope he had the decency to heartily tip the janitors and clubbies who had to clean up after his tantrum.
The coup de grace was the little shake of his left arm toward the end of the video. I can't wait for the report that he's "experienced a setback in his rehab" that fails to mention that he hurt himself acting like a two year-old.
The coup de grace was the little shake of his left arm toward the end of the video. I can't wait for the report that he's "experienced a setback in his rehab" that fails to mention that he hurt himself acting like a two year-old.
Why is this any different than when Ortiz smashed up a phone with a baseball bat? He went from being one of the best pitchers in baseball to being hurt most of the last 2-3 years, it should be a good thing that he cares as much as he obviously does about his pitching.
Idk, there are ways to deal with personal failure and setbacks that don't involve smashing up a clubhouse.
It's not. They are/were both great at baseball and occasionally act/ed like idiots.
This is the most “he’s back” thing I’ve seen Sale do in 3 years. The dude has always been a little bit of a nut job.
I’d rather see this than him chomping on some gum in the dugout and yukking it up with the boys. My takeaway here is Sale still wants it bad and he isn’t just on the roster to collect a pay check.
Kind of my take as well. I can see the baby argument but for me this is someone who has been really frustrated about signing that contract and being "less useful than a sack of potatoes". He cares. The light is at the end of the tunnel for him to return to the bigs and he doesn't want to be mediocre, he wants to be Chris Sale. His stuff has looked pretty good, just needs to tighten up the mechanics a bit.
I was at the game Last night. He generally sat around 95 but with poor control of his fastball. Touched 97 and more encouragingly kept his velocity throughout his Outing. His slider was nasty and change looked much improved. Yes he walked 5 but there was some squeezing by the home plate ump who decided to be a bit of a hero last night
Yeah, I watched the game on tv and I was actually encouraged by the outing. His last walk was on a borderline call. His slider looked like vintage Sale and the FB velocity touched 95-96 at the end of his outing. Even a couple of the hits were of the cheap variety. All in all, an encouraging sign. These outbursts are part of the Sale package, a part that I don't particularly like, but he looks ready to return.
Biggest issue with that fit- he did it in the minors. Bad example.
But we already know he sets a bad example
But we already know he sets a bad example
Athletes shouldn't be people's heros in any sort of significant ratio compared to other professions.
I think the "bad example" was directed to the other minor leaguers. Which I think is fair. The Sox probably dont want Bello, et al. to break shit "because Chris Sale does that."
Not “hero”, just veteran role model. I know I look at people in my company who are more experienced and/or higher up the food chain than me and try to learn and model what works for them. Certainly for young ballplayers, across all sports, there’s been much talk about the value of veteran leadership.
I find it hard to give Sale the benefit of the doubt. That said, I’m sure 3 straight wins in Boston will provide a healthy dose of amnesia.
Sale is an insanely competitive guy. As long as no one gets hurt I think it’s just funny and entertaining when athletes throw shit around and punch stuff
I took SLT to mean bad example for the other mLers. (Or what Mugsy just said.)
Not a really functional clubhouse/dugout if everyone starts throwing tantrums whenever something bad happens.
Also, Ortiz nearly killed Pedroia smashing that phone. Woulda really hurt his HoF chances…
The Rays giving Ortiz the phone was one of the best gifts on his retirement tour
All hits were fluky. A bloop to right center. Bird got jammed and tapped one down towards third where the third baseman was swung towards short. Then you had the grounder up the middle that Downs couldnt corral because we all know Jeter cant go to his left.
This is the only part that bothers me about this. He's exactly the type to hurt himself doing something out of aggravation.
Yup. That Jeter play was such a "welcome to the minor leagues" moment. From the moment it was hit I went from, "oh, nice DP to...ok, just get the lead runner to...I can't believe this was the prized prospect we got for Mookie".
Well, not badly enough to pitch against Toronto, but sure, I guess it’s sorta nice to see him throw a tantrum we can attribute the best. . .nay, the noblest of motives to.
Ya just gotta wonder, based on his established track record what will happen if he needs to change his pitching style at some point in the future to compensate for diminished stuff. Will he go for the thing that actually helps the club win, or speeches plus virtue signaling freak-outs? And I say this as someone who wasn’t, and isn’t, anti-Sale-extension.
Not to quibble too much but wasn't it the Orioles?
And the best gift ever made to a retiring athlete was the chair made up of broken bats by the Twins to Mo
Back on topic, I hope he is ready because the Sox need pitching badly.
I would imagine that the Sox would think about moving Sale to the pen before they ask him to start changing things significantly.
Sale has always been an anomaly. You look at his build, you look at his mechanics, there’s no way it should all work or last as long as it has.
At this point, it is what it is. I think we’d all like to see Sale return as a plus starter at some point for the Sox, but I’d also be fine with him transitioning to a closer role if that’s how we can extract some value from his contract at this point.
I can agree with this only if he's the one who cleans up his own mess. If it's down to the clubhouse workers to pick up even one piece of broken whatever, fuck that string bean man-child.
The difference is Ortiz is likable and Sale is not. Being likable allows you to do all kinds of stuff without ruffling feathers. This is how the world works.