Did the League Already Fix the Juiced Ball for the Postseason? More Dodgers Heartache, and Other Cubs Bullets

I’m still thinking about how the Braves gave up 10 RUNS in the FIRST INNING of a DO-OR-DIE playoff game. Credit to the Cardinals and all that, but good lord. That’s something you just won’t see again any time soon.

The Dodgers’ extra-innings loss to the Nationals was all the more painful because, for a brief moment in the bottom of the 9th, they thought they’d walked it off:

That’s a Will Smith deep fly out to right, and this was the Dodgers bench:

When you see the three typing dots from your crush…and then they disappear pic.twitter.com/OGOs3Arqci

— Chris Williams (@slimceeVA) October 10, 2019

Ouch. Even as I don’t feel bad that the Dodgers wasted another prime year, I certainly can see how brutal that is.

I also found it fascinating that Smith’s ball didn’t go out when considering this new info by Rob Arthur (and also a couple really deep fly outs in some other series this postseason):

Air resistance in the playoffs has shot up to the highest level since 2016, causing fewer homers. Multiple lines of evidence suggest that the postseason baseball is totally different than the one used in the regular season. https://t.co/U4NBMd05k9 pic.twitter.com/bdIl09blQF

— Rob Arthur (@No_Little_Plans) October 10, 2019

That includes a few no-doubters, including a couple in the Dodgers-Nats series. Drag has a much more significant effect on the marginal home run cases, though–the balls between 20-70%ish home run probability. These just aren't carrying like they used to.

— Rob Arthur (@No_Little_Plans) October 10, 2019

The speed and magnitude of the change and the timing of it aligning so perfectly with the playoffs makes it much harder to believe this was a random manufacturing accident. In the past, drag has drifted around slowly during the course of the season, but this was massive & abrupt.

— Rob Arthur (@No_Little_Plans) October 10, 2019

The playoff balls are freshly made every year, so it wouldn’t be crazy to learn that MLB tweaked the process with these impacts in mind. Remember, the Commissioner has already said the league wants to do something about the juiced ball. So … have we already seen it? Definitely going to be EYES ON for the rest of the playoffs.

The flip side of this is why would MLB do this, secretly, in the freaking postseason when everyone knows this is an issue? If you were going to make a change – first of all, make it at the start of next season – you’ve gotta announce it. Otherwise, you’re just making this whole thing unnecessarily suspicious (after years of denying there was even an issue). I just wonder if there have been changes to the process – ongoing – and no one quite knows what the impact is going to be until it’s out there on the field.

Separately, while Dave Roberts has clearly been a great manager for the Dodgers, you always do wonder in these situations where a great team repeatedly disappoints in the biggest spots, when will the “FIRE HIMMMMMM” calls begin (despite the fact that he was just extended last year)? This game probably isn’t going to help:

Dave Roberts said the decision for Clayton Kershaw to start the 8th was not an “analytic question.” Kershaw, he said, “is a guy I believe in.” Roberts indicated plan was for Kershaw to face Rendon and Soto, before bringing in Maeda for #Nats right-handers.

— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) October 10, 2019

I don't understand sticking with Kelly for a second inning.

I don't understand IBB-ing Soto when Kolarek exists.

I don't understand letting Kelly face Kendrick.

I just don't understand.

— Andy McCullough (@ByMcCullough) October 10, 2019

I think this is a perfectly fair question. I can at least *fathom* of some people saying Dodgers, if – for example – they were especially pessimistic about the Cubs’ near-term future. But for 95% of Cubs fans, I reckon the answer is really easy:

Which fanbase is in a better spot currently – Cubs or Dodgers?

Cubs didn't make playoffs this year and have had back-to-back disappointing ends to seasons. But they have 2016…

Dodgers have a bright future + amazing roster, made it to back-to-back WS, but no ring since 1988.

— Tony Andracki (@TonyAndracki23) October 10, 2019

Electric shavers, Halloween costumes, and more are your Deals of the Day at Amazon.

This isn’t really new information if you’ve been following along, but since it’s coming from a national guy, I want to share it as further underscoring:

Cubs are weighing a couple big job changes — possible reassignments, not firings — on the draft/player development side.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) October 10, 2019

Basically, this doesn’t come out unless those big changes are happening. We already know about one – Jason McLeod moving from the top scouting/player development spot over to the big league side – and we already know the Cubs want to hire Directors of Pitching and Hitting. I expect the changes to run deep, and I hope we see fruits as soon as next year, though it might take a little longer to fully shake out (drafts, IFA signings, and development take years – hopefully some of the turnaround on that front actually started a year or two ago).

A little Arizona Fall League updating from Bryan:

Busy day for Cubs in AFL. Here’s the list:

Miguel Amaya: 1-for-5, sac fly
Zack Short: 2-for-3, 3 walks
Keegan Thompson: 4 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 3 K
Scott Effross: 1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 0 K
Jordan Minch: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K.

Short’s OBP is up to .377, Minch 12 K’s in 7 IP.

— Cubs Prospects – Bryan Smith (@cubprospects) October 10, 2019

Man, I sure hope he opts out just to keep things interesting:

This postseason, hitters are batting .000/.000/.000 (0-for-16) against Stephen Strasburg’s curveball.

He’s induced 17 swings and misses and 8 strikeouts on the pitch, which both lead all of baseball. https://t.co/zfSSLlcFwH

— Max's Sporting Studio (@MaxSportsStudio) October 10, 2019

Credit to the Nationals for winning their first ever postseason series, by the way:

This is the Nationals' fifth NLDS appearance.

Here's a look at how the previous four ended, featuring @PostSports covers from 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2017: pic.twitter.com/It11BN9UgY

— Post Sports (@PostSports) October 10, 2019

Back to the Cardinals and Braves … get a grip, ya turd:

Here’s what Jack Flaherty had to say about the pitch that hit Ronald Acuña Jr. in the bottom of the fifth: #stlcards pic.twitter.com/lw6C0i3JIw

— Jeff Jones (@jmjones) October 10, 2019

Get in early:

Cubs fans! Nico SZN has arrived.

New shirt: https://t.co/qmWzRKnwET pic.twitter.com/cuIQOwmpaG

— OBVIOUS SHIRTS® (@obvious_shirts) October 10, 2019