Verlander makes claim to ESPN of ball juicing

[Deleted]

www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/27149029/verlander-mlb-juicing-balls-more-offense


Not saying JV is wrong, but it's juiced too for the other 290+ MLB pitchers.

Not really the right kind of attention we need, considering the history and hostility our team has had with the COB office.

[ɮօʀȶǟʐ]

Justin Verlander has allowed a league-high 26 home runs thus far in 2019, which is just 4 shy of his career-high for a season and he seems pissed about it.

The Houston Astros ace delivered a fiery rant about MLB having juiced balls.

“It’s a f—— joke,” Verlander told ESPN. “Major League Baseball’s turning this game into a joke. They own Rawlings, and you’ve got Manfred up here saying it might be the way they center the pill. They own the f—— company. If any other $40 billion company bought out a $400 million company and the product changed dramatically, it’s not a guess as to what happened. We all know what happened.

“Manfred the first time he came in, what’d he say? He said we want more offense. All of a sudden he comes in, the balls are juiced? It’s not coincidence. We’re not idiots.”

If he thought those comments would go on without a reply, he was sadly mistaken. Just before the 2019 all-star game, Verlander was summoned by Joe Torre, Jim Leyland and at least one other MLB official that proceeded to give him a stern talking to about his comments.

Fellow Houston Astros starting pitcher Gerritt Cole had this to say about what he heard:

“I may actually have facilitated that meeting,” Cole said. “I saw Jim and Joe were in (manager Alex Cora’s) office. And they said hi. Then Jim, in not a profanity-laden way, said, ‘Get Justin in here right now.’ So I came out and said, ‘Hey, Skip wants to see you.’ And he said, ‘OK.’ Then he comes back and he goes, ‘Man, I just got chewed out.’”

[unionstation82]

🤔

[batman007]

Stop juicing Verlander's balls!

[Deleted]

Jul 10, 2019 20:40:01 GMT -6 batman007 said:

Stop juicing Verlander's balls!

Damn right.  Hers's Mrs. Verlander showing her ball handling techniques......

[Saint]

The balls might be juiced a little, but there are plenty of pitchers that aren't having a problem. JV has gotten too comfortable pumping his fastball up high and some of the batters are sitting on it. No big story there.

The increase in HRs is also due to a number of other reasons. Hitters are being taught to elevate more and more, and pitchers are throwing harder than ever before.

In the end, the good pitchers are still good pitchers, and the good hitters are still good hitters.

[sempersmom]

Why do some guys have to be so gross!!!

[ɮօʀȶǟʐ]

Jul 11, 2019 8:30:19 GMT -6 sempersmom said:

Why do some guys have to be so gross!!!

Who, specifically, are you talking about?

[thomasj13]

Jul 11, 2019 8:30:19 GMT -6 sempersmom said:

Why do some guys have to be so gross!!!

They are so immature.

[sempersmom]

Jul 11, 2019 9:18:27 GMT -6 ɮօʀȶǟʐ said:

Jul 11, 2019 8:30:19 GMT -6 sempersmom said:

Why do some guys have to be so gross!!!

Who, specifically, are you talking about?

Just scroll up a little bit and you'll see one of them. 

[Saint]

Jul 11, 2019 11:25:54 GMT -6 sempersmom said:

Jul 11, 2019 9:18:27 GMT -6 ɮօʀȶǟʐ said:

Who, specifically, are you talking about?

Just scroll up a little bit and you'll see one of them. 

It's not a great picture of her, but I don't think she looks gross. 

[Deleted]

Jul 11, 2019 11:25:54 GMT -6 sempersmom said:

Jul 11, 2019 9:18:27 GMT -6 ɮօʀȶǟʐ said:

Who, specifically, are you talking about?

Just scroll up a little bit and you'll see one of them. 

Dog gone right SM....   who cares about Verlander's balls!!!!!!!

[Saint]

So MLB already set another season total record for HRs and there is still a little over two weeks to go.

Does anybody still think the balls AREN'T juiced?

[ɮօʀȶǟʐ]

Nearly every hitter on the Astros team set personal records for number of HR this season. Everyone except the COB knows the balls are juiced.

[marshall]

Jul 11, 2019 8:30:19 GMT -6 sempersmom said:

Why do some guys have to be so gross!!!

Some guys never mature.

[unionstation82]

Sept 12, 2019 7:37:15 GMT -6 Saint said:

So MLB already set another season total record for HRs and there is still a little over two weeks to go.

Does anybody still think the balls AREN'T juiced?

No, man. Launch angles.

[Saint]

Sept 16, 2019 13:47:49 GMT -6 unionstation82 said:

Sept 12, 2019 7:37:15 GMT -6 Saint said:

So MLB already set another season total record for HRs and there is still a little over two weeks to go.

Does anybody still think the balls AREN'T juiced?

No, man. Launch angles.

It's a factor.  As is average pitch velocities going up.  But still, Altuve is likely going to have the least amount of Hits and Doubles of his career for the year, but has already exceeded his HR max by 4 despite missing probably 40 games this year. Altuve is an elite hitter and is very strong for his size...but he ain't that strong.

[blcoach8]

Sept 16, 2019 14:41:24 GMT -6 Saint said:

Sept 16, 2019 13:47:49 GMT -6 unionstation82 said:

No, man. Launch angles.

It's a factor.  As is average pitch velocities going up.  But still, Altuve is likely going to have the least amount of Hits and Doubles of his career for the year, but has already exceeded his HR max by 4 despite missing probably 40 games this year. Altuve is an elite hitter and is very strong for his size...but he ain't that strong.

He would be a much better hitter if he didn't try to pull every pitch.  That keeps him from being elite in my opinion. Elite hitters hit to all fields.

[Saint]

Sept 16, 2019 15:25:42 GMT -6 blcoach8 said:

Sept 16, 2019 14:41:24 GMT -6 Saint said:

It's a factor.  As is average pitch velocities going up.  But still, Altuve is likely going to have the least amount of Hits and Doubles of his career for the year, but has already exceeded his HR max by 4 despite missing probably 40 games this year. Altuve is an elite hitter and is very strong for his size...but he ain't that strong.

He would be a much better hitter if he didn't try to pull every pitch.  That keeps him from being elite in my opinion. Elite hitters hit to all fields.

I guess if you don't consider being arguably the best hitter at your position as elite, as well as the active leader in AVG for all of MLB...

[unionstation82]

Sept 16, 2019 15:50:19 GMT -6 Saint said:

Sept 16, 2019 15:25:42 GMT -6 blcoach8 said:

He would be a much better hitter if he didn't try to pull every pitch.  That keeps him from being elite in my opinion. Elite hitters hit to all fields.

I guess if you don't consider being arguably the best hitter at your position as elite, as well as the active leader in AVG for all of MLB...

Altuve is an elite hitter but could be more elite if he kept the 1B, 2B, and RF more on their toes.

[Saint]

Sept 16, 2019 15:57:29 GMT -6 unionstation82 said:

Sept 16, 2019 15:50:19 GMT -6 Saint said:

I guess if you don't consider being arguably the best hitter at your position as elite, as well as the active leader in AVG for all of MLB...

Altuve is an elite hitter but could be more elite if he kept the 1B, 2B, and RF more on their toes.

Whatever approach gets him a .300+ AVG and a .900+ OPS is okay by me. I'd personally prefer a higher OBP and lower SLG for a player like him, but it's hard to be mad about a possible 30 HR-hitting 2B who also hits .300.

[blcoach8]

Sept 16, 2019 15:50:19 GMT -6 Saint said:

Sept 16, 2019 15:25:42 GMT -6 blcoach8 said:

He would be a much better hitter if he didn't try to pull every pitch.  That keeps him from being elite in my opinion. Elite hitters hit to all fields.

I guess if you don't consider being arguably the best hitter at your position as elite, as well as the active leader in AVG for all of MLB...

I consider all of the factors.  But, surely you don't think Altuve has room to improve when it comes to pitch selection and hitting to all fields.

[blcoach8]

Sept 16, 2019 15:57:29 GMT -6 unionstation82 said:

Sept 16, 2019 15:50:19 GMT -6 Saint said:

I guess if you don't consider being arguably the best hitter at your position as elite, as well as the active leader in AVG for all of MLB...

Altuve is an elite hitter but could be more elite if he kept the 1B, 2B, and RF more on their toes.

*****
Pitchers have also started to never throw him a strike on the first pitch because he has a tendency to swing at anything.  Elite hitters don't do this. 

[blcoach8]

Sept 16, 2019 15:59:38 GMT -6 Saint said:

Sept 16, 2019 15:57:29 GMT -6 unionstation82 said:

Altuve is an elite hitter but could be more elite if he kept the 1B, 2B, and RF more on their toes.

Whatever approach gets him a .300+ AVG and a .900+ OPS is okay by me. I'd personally prefer a higher OBP and lower SLG for a player like him, but it's hard to be mad about a possible 30 HR-hitting 2B who also hits .300.

Avoiding swinging at first pitches after the man in front of him has walked on four pitches would be nice, too. I haven't checked to see how many DP's he has grounded into, but, it has to be a high number and many of them are due to swinging at pitches he should take or trying to pull instead of using all fields.           

[unionstation82]

Sept 16, 2019 16:21:21 GMT -6 blcoach8 said:

Sept 16, 2019 15:57:29 GMT -6 unionstation82 said:

Altuve is an elite hitter but could be more elite if he kept the 1B, 2B, and RF more on their toes.

*****
Pitchers have also started to never throw him a strike on the first pitch because he has a tendency to swing at anything.  Elite hitters don't do this. 

Altuve hits like he has to use the restroom.

[ɮօʀȶǟʐ]

LOL, not elite.

The Astros have so many stars that there aren't enough headlines to go around. Alex Bregman is going to be an American League MVP Award finalist. Yordan Alvarez is a shoo-in for the AL Rookie of the Year Award. Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole are 1-2, in some order, in the AL Cy Young Award race.

But what about their original superstar? What about José Altuve?

Altuve was always the headliner through his 2017 AL MVP Award-winning season, until knee and hamstring injuries and the meteoric rise of the Astros around him got in the way. But it's high time to pay attention again, as Houston rolls toward the playoffs.

Do you know just how good Altuve has been since he came back from the injured list? He's doing it all.

Altuve is mashing

Altuve has been great from the day he got back to the Astros, June 19. But he really took off in July. Over the last 2 1/2 months, he's been a top 10 hitter in baseball.

Altuve is batting .336/.385/.619 with 18 home runs and a 1.004 OPS in 64 games since the start of July. He has a 165 wRC+ -- that means he's been 65% better than league average at the plate.


Look at Altuve's 2019 stats now: a .302/.360/.552 slash line, a .912 OPS, a 141 wRC+ as a second baseman. He's among the top five qualified infielders in terms of offensive value this season, and it's a bunch of MVP Award contenders.

Infielders with the highest wRC+ in 2019
1) Alex Bregman (HOU): 164
2) Anthony Rendon (WSH): 161
3) Ketel Marte (ARI): 149
4) Pete Alonso (NYM): 142
5-T) Jose Altuve (HOU): 141
5-T) Freddie Freeman (ATL): 141

Altuve's 18 homers since July are just as many as his teammate Alvarez, who's been slugging since his first day in the big leagues. The 5-foot-6 Altuve has 28 on the year, a career high and a record for an Astros second baseman. Altuve has taken advantage of the Crawford Boxes in Houston, but he's also gone deep to all fields.


Altuve is flying

But Altuve's real value comes from all the different ways he can get on base. For him, anything can be a hit, because he can turn on the jets at any time.

Almost no one can get down the line like Altuve, and his speed has been a huge part of the surge he's on.

Statcast's Sprint Speed measures a player's top speed on the bases. MLB average sprint speed is 27 feet per second, and anything 30 feet per second or faster is elite. Altuve has 17 base hits this season on which he's reached that elite 30-plus territory. That leads the Major Leagues.

Most base hits with elite 30-plus feet per second sprint speed in 2019
1) Jose Altuve (HOU): 17
2) Delino DeShields (TEX): 15
3-T) Victor Robles (WSH): 14
3-T) Tim Locastro (ARI): 14
5-T) Starling Marte (PIT): 13
5-T) Mallex Smith (SEA): 13
MLB average sprint speed: 27 feet per second

Statcast tracks batters' home-to-first times, too. If you can go home to first in under four seconds -- especially if you're a right-handed hitter -- you've got top-tier speed. Well, Altuve also leads the Majors in hits with a sub-4 home-to-first.

Most base hits with home-to-first under 4 seconds in 2019
1) Jose Altuve (HOU): 11
2) Kolten Wong (STL): 10
3-T) Delino DeShields (TEX): 8
3-T) Adam Eaton (WSH): 8
3-T) Hanser Alberto (BAL): 8

Fourteen of Altuve's 17 hits with 30-plus feet per second sprint speed have come since he returned from injury; the next closest over that timespan is Smith, with 11. Ten of his 11 hits with a sub-4-second home-to-first time have come since his return. That's twice as many as anyone else -- Jarrod Dyson and Dee Gordon have five each.



Jose Altuve has 10 base hits with sub-4-second home-to-1st times since he came back from his hamstring strain. No one else has more than 5.


This is even more noteworthy when you consider that Altuve's injury this year was to his hamstring, and last year was to his knee. It hasn't stopped his ability to fly.

Altuve is raking

Of course, what really makes Altuve Altuve is that he hits everything. Well … he's been hitting everything.

That's true for pitch types.

Altuve since July
vs. fastballs: .335 BA (52-for-155)
vs. breaking/offspeed: .315 BA (34-for-108)

And it's true for pitch locations.

One of Altuve's trademarks is that he's a "bad-ball hitter" -- he can and does hit the ball no matter where you throw it. No one's gotten more hits off pitches out of the strike zone than Altuve the past 2 1/2 months.


Most hits vs. out-of-zone pitches since July
1) Jose Altuve (HOU): 28
2) Hanser Alberto (BAL): 25
3) Trea Turner (WSH): 24
4-T) Nicholas Castellanos (CHC): 22
4-T) Corey Dickerson (PHI): 22
4-T) Victor Reyes (DET): 22


That hit-it-all skill set is how you get a Major League-leading 90 hits and AL-best 166 total bases since the start of July. Altuve looks like classic Altuve again. The Astros need all the superstars they can get if they're going to get through fellow juggernauts like the Yankees and Dodgers in October. Add the original back to the bunch.

David Adler is a reporter for MLB.com based in New York. Follow him on Twitter at @_dadler.

[koolade2]

^^^^ You beat me to it Green Man. I see you let Beta (fake Spanish man just another Irish Man ashamed of who he is) Confisgate you arsenal

[Saint]

Sept 16, 2019 16:19:09 GMT -6 blcoach8 said:

Sept 16, 2019 15:50:19 GMT -6 Saint said:

I guess if you don't consider being arguably the best hitter at your position as elite, as well as the active leader in AVG for all of MLB...

I consider all of the factors.  But, surely you don't think Altuve has room to improve when it comes to pitch selection and hitting to all fields.

Everybody can always be better, but at some point it is what it is. Changing his approach might make him worse.

[batman007]

I think Saint is about to be off the hook for his overrated comment about Altuve. New contenders have emerged regarding Altuve and his status.

[Saint]

I stick by my sentiment that he was overrated his first couple seasons. But now, the guy's a beast.