#gregor (bat) mode

[marksman-ofthe-mist]

limbus oc dump of sorts ?

[quohotos]

Unprompted ideas for Underland Chronicles video games

Well, if the god damn hunger games never got a video game adaptation then underland chronicles never will either, but I can daydream about this.

First: The ones that actually engage with the themes of the story, the faithful adaptations:

The Underland Chronciles: a Telltale series:

Like it says on the tin, a classic Telltale games style story driven narrative adventure game with light slight branching based around your choices. Play as Gregor in a retelling of the five books' events, but with some choices thrown in. In the jungle do you give the shrimp and creamsauce to the kids, or do you give it to Ripred? Ripred will remember that. "Why do you walk two blocks to the laundromat, it's the same price, I checked"

[|||||||||||||| ]

Y) ...

X) the washers are bigger there?

B) Mind your own business!

A) I dunno, it's just what mom says to do

And of course, the final decision:

[||||||||||||||||||||| ]

Y) ...

X) Side with Luxa

B) Side with Ripred

A) Refuse to chose, "kill" the warrior

Disco Underland:

Disco Elysium, but set in the underland instead. A narrative RPG where your skills are not combat, but rhetoric and empathy and intellect and stuff. Navigate the tense cyclical trauma of an underland in between wars. Someone in regalia died, and it's your job to figure out who was responsible. All evidence points to a ganwer doing it, and that's what everone wants to believe. Do you tell them the truth, or tell them what they want to hear. If you prove the gnawers innocence will it matter? Perhaps a gnawer did do it, and that's the truth, but telling the truth will lead to a war. Is it worth it to lie and deny justice and closure to the family if it averts something worse? idk, there's legs there

The Underland Trail:

You and your band of diverse underland inhabitants need to get from point a to point b. Encounter random events and manage dwindling resources in an endlessly replayable Oregon Trail style game. Half way to the deadlands and oh no, your only human falls and cuts himself badly. No one else in the group has opposable thumbs. Maybe the spinners can treat him but do you want to take that risk?

Next, we have the neutral adaptations, the ones that make good use of the source material but don't really do anything with the themes

Batball Online:

A sports game where you can play whatever game they were in the middle of before Gregor shows up. Play as either a human or flyer to play different roles, party up with your bond and work together to score goals and climb the ranks against other players in ranked online lobbies. Obviously it's gonna have a detailed character creator and battle pass so you can deck out your human and bat with all manner of (tasteful) cosmetics.

[This would also work as just a mini game side mode in a different game]

Uncharted (lands):

An uncharted style modern 3rd person action adventure game. You could go full playstation exclusive and make it a blue tinted third person action game with themes of fatherhood where you can contextually climb on things. You and your bond are lost in the uncharted land and need to work together to survive. Gameplay is split between on the ground traversal/ exploration, puzzle solving, and tense flying sections. It'd be really cool if you could even play co-op with one player being the human and one player being the bat

Okay, now we've got to the unfaithful adaptations. These ones sure are underland games, and I bet they'd be super fun as well, but they definitely would be in poor taste for what is an anti-violence anti-war story. Suzanne would probably not approve...

Uncharted (Lands)... But you kill people in it:

Basically the idea from above, but with fighting mechanics and lots of combat encounters. Lots of in depth mechanics that utilize both bond's unique abilities and fighting styles. Utilize cool named combo moves like "the coiler". Stealth is interesting too, flying is fast but climbing on walls is quieter. Echo location tells you about the environment but reveals your location.... there's cool game design options there

Underland: Total War:

A 4x-ish grand strategy game in the vein of the total war series. Multiple different factions all with their own play-style, macro objectives, and available units. Engage in diplomacy, try to get unaligned factions to join your cause, and when war breaks out zoom in to intense RTS battles with hundreds of units that you can micro manage in massive subterranean three dimensional environments. Humans are great damage dealers but need light, Gnawers are deadly and easy to micro but have little in the way of tech and specialization, Flyers are mobile and great scouts but are fragile in a fight, Crawlers don't deal great damage but can hold a choke point like no one else... you get the picture. Don't even get me started on Rager Hero Units and prophecies. Play as Solovet and unlock new technology like "Fire arrows" and "The curse of the warmbloods", play as Gorger be sure to keep your overland prisoners healthy while they work on inventing guns for you, or play as Ripred and play both sides until the time is right to betray them both!

Dynasty Ragers:

Ripred tends to crack at 400 to 1? Wanna put that to the test? Play as everyone's favorite war criminal hearthrob and/or father figure as you slaughter hoards uppon hoards of enemies with his trademark spin attack in mindless hack-and-slash dynasty warriors style gameplay. Oh and of course we have to give him a dedicated emote/quip wheel. Is this what the Underland chronicles is about? Not at all! Would it be awesome? I mean yeah probably, but I'd feel really guilty playing it.

Yeah those were my ideas, thought I'd write them down. Feel free to add your own in the reblogs and the comments.

[overandunderland]

WindWings

An Underland invention.

"Try saying that three times fast .😒" - Gregor, Probably.

Overall concept: an aerodynamic symbiotic sail system for fliers and their riders. Currently in testing mode.

WindWings is a revolutionary sail system designed by an Underland inventor, to harness the power of wind currents in the vast caverns of the Underland. The system aims to reduce the energy expenditure of bats during flight, thereby enhancing their endurance and efficiency. This innovation not only aids in transportation but also in military and scouting operations where prolonged flight is critical.

Design:

The WindWings system consists of lightweight, flexible sails made from durable, breathable fabric sourced from Overland parachute materials. These materials are known for their strength and lightness, ideal for creating minimal drag while maximizing wind capture.

Attachment mechanism:

1. Harness System: Each bat wears a specially designed harness that fits snugly around its body without restricting movement. This harness is made from soft yet sturdy materials to ensure comfort and durability. The harness features attachment points along the spine and sides of the bat.

2. Sail Attachment: The sails are attached to the harness via quick-release clips that allow easy deployment and retraction of the sails. These clips are positioned strategically to distribute the force evenly across the bat's body and prevent discomfort or injury.

3. Control Lines: Thin, strong control lines connect the edges of the sails to the rider’s hands through a lightweight pulley system attached to the harness. This setup allows the rider to adjust the sail's angle and tension in response to changing wind conditions and desired speed or direction.

Functionality: When deployed, the WindWings catch and utilize the wind currents in the Underland's cavernous spaces, aiding the bats in maintaining lift and propelling forward with less flapping, conserving their energy.

The sails can be quickly retracted into a folded position along the harness when not in use or when maneuvering through tighter spaces where wind assistance is impractical.

The system is designed to be aerodynamic, ensuring that even when the sails are not in use, they do not hinder the bat’s natural flying capabilities.

It will require a further intense coordination of training between fliers and humans.

Feel free to add or extrapolate or anything to it. 😅

[haveihitanerve]

here are some vines turned gregor the overlander for your enjoyment Gregor: it is wenzday my duides  Ares: *unholy wail* The bonds vibin Gregor: bop it Ares: uclck Gregor: twist it Ares: chcscsshhhhh Gregor: pull it Ares: eenegggeh Ripred: no off topic questions.  Ripred: Because I no.  Ripred: That’s an off topic question.  Ripred: Permission denied.  Ripred: Next.  Ripred: You have been stopped.  Ripred: I said whoever threw that paper, your moms a hoe.  Ripred: alright let’s tell each other a secret about ourselves. Imma go first. Alright; I hate you.  Gregor: hi my name is Gregor with a b and I’ve been deathly afraid of insects- Ripred: stop stop stop. Where’s the b? Gregor: there’s A BEE?!?!? Gregor and ares: *waddle away* Ripred: *sigh of disappointment* Henry: oh sorry I fell asleep while I was waiting on you to make me a sandwich Gregor: go back to sleep and starve.  Ares: *mixes together every drink* fuck you Gregor: *starts playing piano*  Ares: *dances like he’s in hell* Gregor: crawler rave. *starts beatboxing* Crawlers: *vibin* Twitchtip: what the FUCK is up Kyle. No what the FUCK Kyle. Step the FUCK up.  Luxa: bring the beat in Gregor: *sprinting across the castle holding a plate with a beet on it* anything for you Beyoncé Gregor: *making Mac n cheese* Ripred: *leans close. Intently* that’s what good pussy sounds like Ripred: hey Gregor, say ‘who want lasagne?’ Gregor: who- *trips falls, breaks head* Gregor: *falls elegantly from ares back* good evening.  Gregor: *falls from roof and lands on floor. Lays there a while* Howard: *walks in. Stares at him a second* h-hey Gregor Gregor: *without missing a beat, lifts hand* hey Howard.  Ares: *scares ripred* wah! Ripred: ahh! Stop. I coulda dropped my croissant Gregor: first let me hop out the Ares: *hits piano keys* Gregor: I don’t wanna hit the Ares: *hits piano keys* Ripred: shut the Aurora: *hits piano keys* Ripred: up.  Gregor: I’m on ares flying away. Brum brum Ripred: *screaming from the ground, sprinting* GET OFF THE BAT Gregor: aw.  Gregor: a potato flew around my room before you came.  Ares: let’s do the fork in the garbage disposal Gregor: DING DING DING DA DING DA DING DING Gregor: *goes into rager mode* Aurora: what the fuck Richard Gregor: Fuck this shit I’m out *jumps out window and onto ares back* Luxa: *does an array of flips* Gregor: weow  Gregor: *hits all the bloodballs* Luxa: yeah! That was legitness  Aurora: yeah it was.  Grace: let me see what you have? Gregor: a knife! Grace: no!!! Ripred: yeah! Boots: I smell like pee Boots: I smell like pee Boots: I SMELL LIKE PEEEEEEEE

[hippomanblog]

My Fire Emblem Rankings

I’ve had a few questions about my legitimate Fire Emblem opinions and thoughts, so I figured I’d write this up while I’m waiting for some things to process. This is all just personal opinion, no shade is meant to be being thrown, and this probably won’t interest you too much.  But, hey, here it is.  I’ll list the Fire Emblems going from favorite to least favorite, and explain a little bit about why I feel that way. Note that I won’t be including 1-5.  I’m considering the remakes the “definitive” versions of 1/2/3, and I haven’t actually played the Jugdral games.  I’m also not counting Heroes because it’s kinda hard to “judge”, but I do like it a lot and play on a pretty regular basis. THIS POST WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR EACH GAME!

#1. Awakening

Awakening is a game that gets a few things wrong but most things right.  What don’t I like about it?  I preferred the art style of the Tellius games.  The maps aren’t very creative.  Pair Up is a thematically cool mechanic that really doesn’t hold up to scrutiny and trivializes many encounters.  The story is simple, with the exception of a couple twists, and Validar is a dull villain. I like pretty much everything else.  Awakening managed to be accessible to new fans and still provide a nice challenge for series veterans.  There’s a diverse selection of characters who are all pretty viable, meaning you can use your favorites.  Most characters have a lot of personality and depth to their lines, like with how they turned Frederick from a typical stoic Jagen-type into this goofy obsessive pyromaniac without making him a complete joke character.   The SpotPass characters are also a lovely addition if you adore the series like I do, and there’s just so much to do in this game, so it feels like a celebration of the franchise as a whole.  If I’m trying to get someone into Fire Emblem, I will tell them to play Awakening. Favorite Character: Gregor or Owain. Least Favorite Character: Yarne #2. New Mystery Of The Emblem

This is bias, yes, but I love New Mystery.  I was really excited for this game, because I was pretty new to the fanbase when it was announced, and couldn’t wait for an English release.  I waited, and waited, and waited, and... Once I finished playing my JP copy I just lamented that we didn’t get to play this game here.  I think that while Awakening reinvents Fire Emblem, New Mystery is sort of the pinnacle of “classic” FE.  The game is just fun, the maps are diverse and challenging, and the combination of reclass and the sheer amount of playable characters gives it immense replay value. The plot is nothing to really write home about, but after the vast wasteland of Shadow Dragon Plot, I really liked what was there.  It’s nothing that’ll blow your mind, but there are some nice moments.  I know a lot of people hate Kris, but I don’t mind them.  I won’t go to bat for them being any kind of great character or vital addition to the story, but as a sounding board to give other Archanea characters a little personality, and a way to customize your own unit and give them all sorts of terrible hats, they work just fine.  I also like the idea of Marth as a bit of a shell-shocked, reluctant king who relies on his friends to rise to greatness.  It prevents him from being “too perfect”, like RD Ike.  But I can see where people have problems with this. I wish this were a more accessible entry in the series, because I think it has a little bit of something for every Fire Emblem fan. Favorite Character: Honestly?  I like Caeda and Ogma, they’re cool people. Least Favorite Character: matthis is creepy and I hate him 3. Blazing Sword

Like a lot of people, Blazing Sword was my first exposure to the series (through an LP on Youtube for me), and it does a great job.  You could honestly probably swap these first three around in any order, to be frank. The balance in this one is a little wonky, and it goes on a little too long.  But I like what it does with its extra time.  You get some clever gaidens that mix up the formula, have room to use lots of units, and the sprite animations are just wonderful to watch.  The three lords all bring something to the table, even though you’re honestly probably just going to play Hector Mode once you’ve unlocked it.  Lyn has a story about claiming your birthright and using nobility to help people, Hector’s brash and boorish nature is offset as he learns how to be a better person on his journey (That scene with Matthew on the Dread Isle is great.), and Eliwood...exists. With maps ranging from cramped and objective based to sprawling battlefields, there’s a lot of variety in gameplay and room for different units to shine.  It’s also got some of the best supports in the series.  It’s a must-play for any Fire Emblem fan. Favorite: Hector is a good boy and a friend.  Legault is also a surprisingly involved side-character with some great lines and dialogue with almost every Morph in the final map! Least Favorite: Jaffar, because it’s hard to tell if I hate him more for killing Leila or ramming his face into the paladin in Battle Before Dawn and getting slaughtered so many times.

4. Path Of Radiance

I guess only the top 3 are getting thumbnails, sorry.  PoR sticks with me because it tries a lot of new things and most of them work out.  The bonus experience is a good system, I think this game does support unlocks better than any other, Laguz units are fun to use, and the conversion to pseudo-3D maps feels smooth and never gets in the way of gameplay. There are issues, though.  I’m not a fan of the way the full-body portraits look in the cutscenes of this game, biorhythm is silly, and that Bridge Map sure does Exist.  The reason this isn’t breaking Top 3, though, is that I just never really got attached to the cast.  Characters are a big part of Fire Emblem for me, and while there are some great ones in PoR, there are also several that feel very forgettable.  The plot is also a little...iffy, because it’s all FANTASY RACISM and it feels like it’s trying to punch above its pay grade sometimes.  Like, be honest, did you give a shit that you had to kill Jill’s dad?  That character who showed up maybe once?  The maps also tend to blend together, with a few notable exceptions (because they’re annoying, mostly).   In Minor Nitpick Town, the 3D cutscenes are hilariously goofy and the Trial characters have really awful unlock conditions. Still, PoR is a very solid entry and I’d give it a hearty recommendation. Favorite: Ranulf, probably. Least Favorite: makalov shouldn’t have been recruitable

5. Sacred Stones I balked a little at putting this one this low, like “Really?  This is FIFTH?”  But I guess that’s just a testament to how much I enjoy all these games.  Like with the top three, you could probably swap this with PoR. Sacred Stones gets a lot of shit for being “too easy”, and I don’t think that’s necessarily wrong, but I also don’t think it’s that big a deal.  This game takes risks, but they’re good risks that frequently pay off.  This was the ideal game for the Trainee classes to come in, because you can actually feasibly use them!  The monsters add variation to the types of enemies you encounter!  Split promotions are interesting tactical decisions that give the player more control over their personal experience! There’s just...not a ton of substance to SS, though.  The monsters, at heart, aren’t really interesting to fight.  The game’s plot often feels like it’s on fast forward, and it ends before any real tension builds.  The villains are, with the exception of Lyon, who’s great, mostly just cardboard cutouts of bad guy stereotypes.  The postgame is mostly just grindy and once you’ve beaten the Tower or Ruins once, you’ll probably say “okay, I’m done!”  Well, you aren’t, not if you want 100%!  Get back in there and kill more Dracozombies to unlock your underleveled Druid! If you really crave that “challenge” as an essential part of your FE experience, although I think SS is often made out to be easier than it really is, you can probably skip it.  But for most fans, it’s not to be passed up. Favorite: L’Arachel, of course. Least Favorite: I usually forget Syrene is in the game until she appears. 6. Fates: Conquest Yes, I’m dividing Fates into three games.  Sue me.  Conquest feels like the best of the Fates routes, because it’s creative.  In... a lot of ways.  The maps are creative.  While some just amount to gimmicks, several are, in my opinion, series standouts.  Chapter 9 is a Defense map that actually feels like a Defense map.  You’ve got anti-siege weapons, you’re scrambling to keep the Hoshidans from flooding in, and when Takumi drains the water the whole dynamic of the map suddenly changes.  It rules.  To me, that map encompasses all the best parts of Conquest. It’s too bad it’s still in Fates, though.  Let’s get it out of the way: Plot Bad.  But, unique to Conquest, I think, is a plot so utterly ridiculous and convoluted that it actually becomes actively enjoyable.  This is a story where your cousin puts on a different colored costume to COMPLETELY FOOL your adoptive dad, who she reveals is actually a jelly monster, but cannot tell anyone else because of a terrible curse inflicted by the King Of The Jelly Monsters, so you organize an invasion of an entire country to unmask Jelly Dad by making him sit on the Super Special Chair that will reveal his gelatinous form.  I love it, to be honest. Otherwise my issues are mostly just the standard Fates Problems.  The game tries to take what worked in Awakening and amp it up to 11, which ruins most of it.  The child characters are unmemorable and the plot explanation is bafflingly nonsensical (BABY DIMENSIONS), the characters often feel like they’re just gimmicks that smash into eachother and then get married for some reason, and the game tries to be so many things at once that most of them feel half-assed or over-complicated. Jelly King Dad though. Favorite: Arthur cracks me up. Least Favorite: Peri Peri Peri peri peri p e r i   p  e  r  i 7. Echoes: Shadows Of Valentia

Confession time.  I still haven’t finished this one all the way.  I’ve seen the ending, though. Let’s get the problems out of the way first.  The gameplay is not very fun.  The map design delights in sticking you in poisonous swamps, slow and dreary deserts, or Nuibaba’s Abode, which I would personally say is the worst map in the series.  While some of Awakening and Birthright’s maps feel lazy, most maps in this game feel like they were designed either just to frustrate you or with a series of random dice rolls that somehow plant a single Cavalier at the ass-end of nowhere and extend the map for three turns with zero rhyme or reason.  Class balance is all over the place and you basically just want all the Dread Fighters possible, with a Cleric to summon more Dread Fighters.  The dungeon crawling doesn’t add much, most of the game mechanics go woefully underexplained, and the voiced supports feel minimalist and shallow. But when Echoes works?  It really, really works.  I don’t like playing it, but watching someone play Echoes is a treat.  The game is bursting with personality thanks to some phenomenal voice acting, which leaves the story with some unforgettable moments, both comic (the boey scream) and dramatic (Berkut Loses His Shit).  Even though the characters don’t have a lot of explicit backstory, their voices and conversations are so expressive that it’s easy to sort of form your own ideas about their personalities and lives.  The art is some of the best in the series, and each portrait is expressive and well done.  It’s clear that this remake had a lot of care put into it, and it produced some of the series best lords and a wonderful new villain in the sinister Berkut. 8. Radiant Dawn

A lot of good things from Path Of Radiance carry over to Radiant Dawn.  Namely, the stuff I mentioned earlier, I won’t go into it all again.  All of that is good, but the new additions and changes often don’t work. The multiple viewpoints has a few cool moments, like facing down Ike and friends in 3-13 (with the greatest faceless NPC of all time on your side), but often just contributes to making the game way too long and making the characters often appear outright stupid or contradictory for the sake of moving the plot along.  Remember when Micaiah, who spared one of the most vile people in FE history in Part 1, dumped flaming oil on a 13 year old girl and her guards in Part 3?  Remember when Ranulf just walks up and tells you who the Black Knight is, ending a mystery that had been developed since the previous game with the dialogue equivalent of showing you a spoiler on the internet?  Remember blood pacts? The massive split in characters also makes some of them completely worthless.  Never forget the sad case of Vika, who suddenly disappears and doesn’t return until almost the final chapter, still at her Part 1 level.  Yikes. I do enjoy the Finale maps a lot, however, and the final boss encounter is fairly memorable, though it does carry its own problem with Ike being basically hero worshipped by the entire cast, to the point where only he can strike down Ashera.  I like Ike, but RD kind of feels like it’s forcing him down your throat sometimes. Favorite: Out of the new characters, Nolan, probably? Least Favorite: surprise it’s still makalov 9. Shadow Dragon I’m sure this is bottoming out a lot of people’s lists, but let me make my case. 1. Reclass is cool and they introduced it in this.

2. Hardin’s turban.

3. The Prologue, where IS got to make new stuff, is a lot of fun and has personality.

4.

Okay, so Shadow Dragon is disappointing.  It’s a remake that did not change enough, and if the FE games were yogurt flavors, Shadow Dragon would be the batch they just forgot to put flavoring in.  Everything, down to the graphics, is covered in this thin veneer of blandness, and it’s sort of a muddy march to the finale, so you can finally take down a villain who literally gets about four lines in the whole game. The Gaiden chapters also feel like a rude prank.  If you want to get at the fun maps with the interesting characters with good dialogue, you have to slaughter all of your friends on purpose!  At least it’s in Shadow Dragon so you probably won’t like most of them anyway! Favorite: The guy who calls Gordin “Gaggles”. Least Favorite: surprise it’s still makalovmatthis 10. Binding Blade I admit that this is bizarre placement.  I just...don’t like Binding Blade.  It’s mostly due to stat distribution in gameplay, honestly.  The skill/luck formula in this one results in a lot of boss fights that are just two 40% characters whiffing on eachother for ages.  Several of the maps are giant slogs, especially 14, but I don’t remember any in particular that I really enjoyed.  The plot is okay, but not memorable.  Idunn is a bit of a letdown encounter.  Hector deserved better.  To summarize, I guess I just don’t think this is a game that does anything that Blazing Sword didn’t do better.  So I’m gonna play that one instead. Favorite: Bors because of a terrible stupid inside joke I have with a friend. Least Favorite: I don’t remember anyone I cared enough to dislike, really.  Let’s go with Cath for having the worst recruitment for a Worse Chad. 11. Fates: Birthright Remember all those cool things Conquest did?  What if they didn’t? Birthright! While the story is still bad, it’s not nearly as funny-bad, although I do have to give props to the scene where Flora sets herself on fire and Jakob spends about a solid minute screaming out how pointless this is, echoing the player’s thoughts perfectly.  The maps are mostly just stat-checks and open fields, and the answer to your problems often isn’t “make a better plan”, it’s “go grind a bit and then just roll through it”, especially on some late-game maps.  Iago’s comes to mind, with the whole Entrap into Berzerker combo?  Screw that. Favorite: Azama is a treasure.  On the NPC (in this route) side, Elise is a beacon of rationality and kindness.  I sure hope nothing happens to h-Oh. Least Favorite: I remember literally nothing about the personalities of Hana and Hinata so them, I guess.

12. Fates: Revelations Do you remember when I said Shadow Dragon was like unflavored yogurt?  What if all the flavorings got mixed into one batch?  And then you add chocolate and cherries and sprinkles and nuts and caramel and parsley and cinnamon and more cherries and shaved ice and spaghetti and then you tell it to explain the plot of Fates.  That’ll be 20 dollars. Revelations actively harms the other two routes of the game by being the obvious “true route”, where nobody has to get hurt (except the best characters, r.i.p. Scarlet and Izana) and everything turns out just fine, negating any sort of moral ambiguity present!  Anankos is a non-entity and a dull villain, and to add insult to injury, you don’t get to learn shit about him unless you buy the other DLC for this DLC that also decides to crib from Awakening and mess with some of the characters from that one.  Almost every map has a bizarre gimmick that’s just weirdly cumbersome, and the amount of plot twists the game shoves at you in an attempt to explain EVERYTHING is just exhausting.  You can play as any character in the Fates package (almost, double r.i.p. Izana) but the balance is tossed out the window to the point where once Niles and Odin come crawling in, they’re nigh-unusable in their joining chapter. It doesn’t feel like any part of it really comes together. Favorite: not this Least Favorite: Thinking about what else I could have bought with those 20 dollars. Well, that took about two hours, but this is my list.  If you have any questions, I’m open.  Sorry if I dissed your favorite, but if it helps, know that I can see why someone would enjoy any game in the series, even my least favorites.  Also, know that I’m an idiot on the internet and that my opinion doesn’t have to impact what you enjoy!  Just love the games you love, I’ll stick with mine, and we’re cool! I’m going to stop typing now.

[juspeczyk]

tagged by: @anxious-bisexualll​ :***

💫 name: katie 💫 nickname: piri 💫 gender: cis lady 💫 height: 5′0″ 💫 ethnicity: ambiguously west european 💫 favorite fictional character: harley quinn, jonathan crane, becky albright, clarice starling, freddy krueger, elvira 💫 favorite fruits: peaches, bananas, watermelon, cantaloupe, green apples 💫 favorite season: fall and winter 💫 favorite book series: hannibal lecter series, gregor the overlander, a series of unfortunate events....... can i say harley quinn (2000)? i’m saying harley quinn (2000) and also gotham city sirens 💫 favorite flower: all of them but especially roses, daisies, sunflowers, and bleeding hearts 💫 favorite scent: pumpkin spice if it actually smells like pumpkin and spice, orange/orange spice, rose, coconut... idk honestly i like just about any smell as long as it doesn’t smell Fake(TM) ya feel 💫 favorite color: yellow 💫 favorite animal: dogs, cats, sharks, octopuses, pigs, bats 💫 coffee/tea/cocoa: coffee or tea 💫 cat or dog person: both to the extreme but i’m allergic to cats :(((( 💫 number of blankets: a sheet and my comforter, if it’s hot i’ll kick my comforter off and if it’s cold i might put a quilt or something on top of my comforter 💫 dream trip: the catacombs of paris, aztec and maya sites, honestly if it’s old as balls and has to do with death i’m probably hyped to be there 💫 star sign: libra 💫 time: 11:44 pm 💫 birthday: october 14 💫 favorite bands: panic! at the disco, fall out boy, my chemical romance, bastille, walk the moon, muse, maroon 5, alt-j, depeche mode 💫 favorite solo artists: marina and the diamonds, kesha, lana del rey, hayley kiyoko, sia 💫 the song stuck in my head: shockingly, nothing, i’m just listening to the rain fall outside 💫 last movie i watched: it (1990) :o) 💫 last show i watched: good......... question i don’t remember dhfjsdk 💫 when did i create my blog: too soon. i never should have joined this hellsite 💫 what do i post: fuck if i know fam 💫 do you have any other blogs: hOOOOOOOOOOBOY 💫 do you get asks: sometimes about comic stuff yeah 💫 why did you choose your url: because i, like laurie juspeczyk before me, am an angry feminist with daddy issues and a very un-american looking name who would love to brutally kick the asses of entitled white men and but also has an embarrassing crush on dan dreiberg 💫 following: 379 💫 followers: 928 💫 average hours of sleep: 8 💫 lucky number: ain’t got one 💫 instruments: i played viola in middle and high school but now all i play is myself (kneeslap) 💫 what am i wearing: a bvs nightshirt and pizza undies 💫 dream job: sitting around yelling about comics and getting paid by the hour to do so 💫 favorite food: mac and cheese? obviously? but also pizza 💫 nationality: american 💫 favorite song right now: probably a tie between “cherry” and “13 beaches” by lana del rey

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tagging: whoever wants to, idk who’s done this and who hasn’t. steal it and say i tagged u. go wild. be free my comrades

[creamronald71-blog]

Each team's lineup if season started today

We're less than a month away from Spring Training, so it's a good time to project what each club's Opening Day lineup will look like, or at least what it would look like if the season started today. With the help of all 30 MLB.com beat writers, here's a roundup of how they might shake out.

AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST

Blue Jays Initially, the Jays will be looking for a healthy, bounce-back year from second baseman Devon Travis and continued growth from shortstop Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and left fielder Teoscar Hernandez to support a lineup anchored by first baseman Justin Smoak, right fielder Randal Grichuk and designated hitter Kendrys Morales. But at some point soon, the real fun begins when the next wave of Jays stars reach Toronto -- outfielder Vladimir Guerrero Jr., infielder Bo Bichette and catcher Danny Jansen are all expected to arrive in 2019. Jansen likely will start the season with the Jays, and the other two won't be far behind. -- Gregor Chisholm

LINEUP IF SEASON STARTED TODAY

1. Devon Travis, 2B 2. Justin Smoak, 1B 3. Kendrys Morales, DH 4. Randal Grichuk, RF 5. Teoscar Hernandez, LF 6. Kevin Pillar, CF 7. Brandon Drury, 3B 8. Danny Jansen, C 9. Lourdes Gurriel Jr., SS

Video: Bo Bichette discusses his goals for 2019, Vlad Jr.

Orioles For years, the Orioles were anchored by a core group of positions players who Buck Showalter would regularly arrange into one of baseball's most powerful offensive units. Now with the O's fully in rebuilding mode, the only guarantee about new manager Brandon Hyde's first lineup is that it will look very different.

Seven of the nine members of last year's Opening Day lineup are out of the organization, but the fact that dozens of free agents remain on the market gives the Orioles ample time to bolster a roster that, as of now, projects to be only a fraction as productive as it was a year ago. The current group could receive a boost if Mark Trumbo recovers from offseason knee surgery in time for late March. Top prospects Yusniel Diaz or Ryan Mountcastle could also play their way into the mix, should they impress enough in camp to crack the club's Opening Day roster. -- Joe Trezza

LINEUP IF SEASON STARTED TODAY

1. Cedric Mullins, CF 2. Jonathan Villar, 2B 3. Trey Mancini, DH 4. Chris Davis, 1B 5. DJ Stewart, RF 6. Renato Nunez, 3B 7. Joey Rickard, LF 8. Richie Martin, SS 9. Chance Sisco, C

Rays Due to the team's versatility, manager Kevin Cash will have a lot of quality options with his lineup card. Mallex Smith, who had a .357 on-base percentage in the leadoff spot in 2018, was traded to Seattle in November, which creates a hole at the top of the lineup for the Rays. With Smith gone, outfielder Kevin Kiermaier could be the first in line to get a crack at the leadoff spot. Kiermaier struggled at the plate to begin last season and then was sidelined for two months with a torn ligament in his right thumb. The 28-year-old outfielder finished the season with a .217 batting average, but had an encouraging end to his season, posting a .306/.371/.597 slash line in September.

In this lineup, Tommy Pham would hit third with designated hitter Ji-Man Choi hitting cleanup. In just 25 at-bats in the cleanup role last season, Choi posted a .450/.520/.850 slash line. Willy Adames and Yandy Diaz provide a good combination of contact and power in the fifth and sixth spots, while Meadows, who hit .250 in 10 games with the Rays last season, provides some power from the left-hand side in the seventh slot. Mike Zunino and Joey Wendle (or Daniel Robertson, depending on the pitcher) would round out the team's lineup. -- Juan Toribio

LINEUP IF SEASON STARTED TODAY

1. Kevin Kiermaier, CF 2. Matt Duffy, 3B 3. Tommy Pham, LF 4. Ji-Man Choi, DH 5. Willy Adames, SS 6. Yandy Diaz, 1B 7. Austin Meadows, RF 8. Mike Zunino, C 9. Joey Wendle, 2B

Red Sox The World Series champs are in the enviable position of returning their entire allotment of position players, except for Ian Kinsler. But there's good news on that front also, as the hope is that second baseman and veteran leader Dustin Pedroia can return to the lineup after missing all but three games last season due to a left knee injury.

This lineup is deep and balanced, with power and speed, and has the ability to put the ball in play consistently. Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez should again present major headaches to the opposition on a near nightly basis. Andrew Benintendi and Betts will be flip-flopped from their spots from a year ago, with the hope it will create more RBI opportunities for the latter. This could be a big growth year for the 22-year-old Rafael Devers. -- Ian Browne

LINEUP IF SEASON STARTED TODAY

1. Andrew Benintendi, LF 2. Mookie Betts, RF 3. J.D. Martinez, DH 4. Xander Bogaerts, SS 5. Mitch Moreland, 1B 6. Dustin Pedroia, 2B 7. Rafael Devers, 3B 8. Jackie Bradley Jr., CF 9. Christian Vazquez, C

Yankees One year after the Yankees became the first team to have a dozen players reach double digits in the home run department, the Bronx Bombers again appear primed to boast impressive power, even without adding a megastar like Manny Machado or Bryce Harper. The projected order skews heavily toward right-handed bats, which is odd considering Yankee Stadium's configuration, but most have the ability to power the ball to right-center field. Troy Tulowitzki will have first crack at shortstop, but DJ LeMahieu provides a capable option at second base, shortstop and third base. -- Bryan Hoch

LINEUP IF SEASON STARTED TODAY

1. Brett Gardner, LF 2. Aaron Judge, RF 3. Aaron Hicks, CF 4. Giancarlo Stanton, DH 5. Gary Sanchez, C 6. Miguel Andujar, 3B 7. Gleyber Torres, 2B 8. Luke Voit, 1B 9. Troy Tulowitzki, SS

Video: MLB Tonight on how LeMahieu fits in with Yankees

AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL

Indians The Indians' lineup will feature plenty of new names in 2019, but one familiar face will be back with the Tribe. After spending last season with the Phillies, Carlos Santana was traded to the Mariners briefly before coming back home to Cleveland in exchange for Edwin Encarnacion.

Despite the team's high turnover rate, Francisco Lindor and Jose Ramirez will return to the Indians' infield, providing leadership to the young roster. Both Ramirez and Lindor are coming off standout seasons, placing third and sixth in American League MVP voting, respectively. -- Mandy Bell

LINEUP IF SEASON STARTED TODAY

1. Francisco Lindor, SS 2. Jason Kipnis, 2B 3. Jose Ramirez, 3B 4. Carlos Santana, DH 5. Jake Bauers, 1B 6. Tyler Naquin, RF 7. Leonys Martin, CF 8. Jordan Luplow, LF 9. Roberto Perez, C

Video: Jose Ramirez is the No. 1 third baseman right now

Royals Of course, the big question regarding the batting order is where manager Ned Yost will fit in speedster Billy Hamilton, who primarily hit toward the bottom of the order while with the Reds. Yost could go for the speed trifecta at 9-1-2 with Hamilton hitting ninth, and then Whit Merrifield and Adalberto Mondesi at the top. -- Jeffrey Flanagan

LINEUP IF SEASON STARTED TODAY

1. Whit Merrifield, 2B 2. Adalberto Mondesi, SS 3. Alex Gordon, LF 4. Jorge Soler, DH 5. Salvador Perez, C 6. Ryan O'Hearn,1B 7. Hunter Dozier, 3B 8. Jorge Bonifacio, RF 9. Billy Hamilton, CF

Tigers The Tigers have work to do before they can put together a lineup of young talent to go with their promising pitching prospects. But their 2019 lineup shows some promise. With Jeimer Candelario at third base and Christin Stewart likely in left field, Detroit has a pair of young run producers. On the flip side, the Tigers get veteran Miguel Cabrera back after he missed most of last season due to biceps surgery. If Nicholas Castellanos isn't traded, Detroit has a decent core to the batting order if it can identify another run producer for the fifth spot. -- Jason Beck

LINEUP IF SEASON STARTED TODAY

1. Jeimer Candelario, 3B 2. Christin Stewart, LF 3. Nick Castellanos, RF 4. Miguel Cabrera, 1B 5. Niko Goodrum, 2B 6. John Hicks, DH 7. Grayson Greiner, C 8. JaCoby Jones, CF 9. Jordy Mercer, SS

Twins: Minnesota finished 23rd in the Majors with 166 homers in 2018, but added a trio of right-handed sluggers with 30-homer power -- C.J. Cron, Jonathan Schoop and Nelson Cruz -- to address the power concerns and fill the needs at first base, second base and designated hitter on manager Rocco Baldelli's first Twins roster. -- Do-Hyoung Park

LINEUP IF SEASON STARTED TODAY

1. Jorge Polanco, SS 2. Eddie Rosario, LF 3. Miguel Sano, 3B 4. Nelson Cruz, DH 5. C.J. Cron, 1B 6. Max Kepler, RF 7. Jonathan Schoop, 2B 8. Jason Castro, C 9. Byron Buxton, CF

White Sox This lineup on Jan. 15 could change by the end of the month or the end of the week or even the end of the day, as the White Sox continue their strong pursuit of premium free agent infielder Machado and possibly even premium free agent outfielder Harper. If they get one, let alone fulfill the long shot of reaching a deal with both, their lineup immediately looks quite different. Even if they miss out on both, the White Sox still have made significant changes to balance their lineup with the additions of left-handed hitting Yonder Alonso and Jon Jay. They also brought in catcher James McCann, who probably won't split time with Welington Castillo, but will get more than backup playing time. -- Scott Merkin

LINEUP IF SEASON STARTED TODAY

1. Jon Jay, RF 2. Yoan Moncada, 2B 3. Jose Abreu, 1B 4. Yonder Alonso, DH 5. Welington Castillo, C 6. Daniel Palka, LF 7. Tim Anderson, SS 8. Yolmer Sanchez, 3B 9. Adam Engel, CF

AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST

Angels The Angels are expected to be without designated hitter Shohei Ohtani to begin the season, as he recovers from Tommy John surgery, which means Albert Pujols will open the year as DH. Manager Brad Ausmus said he'd like to see Mike Trout hit No. 2 in the lineup, while Zack Cozart served as leadoff hitter early last season until suffering a season-ending labrum tear in his left shoulder. There remains a competition in the infield among David Fletcher, Taylor Ward and Tommy La Stella and it'll be determined in Spring Training. -- Rhett Bollinger

LINEUP IF SEASON STARTED TODAY

1. Zack Cozart, 3B 2. Mike Trout, CF 3. Justin Upton, LF 4. Justin Bour, 1B 5. Albert Pujols, DH 6. Andrelton Simmons, SS 7. Kole Calhoun, RF 8. David Fletcher, 2B 9. Jonathan Lucroy, C

Astros The Astros made a huge addition to their lineup last month when they signed free agent outfielder Michael Brantley, who brings a much-needed presence from the left side of the plate while being difficult to strike out. The core of Houston's powerful lineup is all right-handed --Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, Alex Bregman and George Springer -- and the addition of Brantley gives them a top five in the lineup that's perhaps the deepest in baseball, when healthy. -- Brian McTaggart

LINEUP IF SEASON STARTED TODAY

1. George Springer, CF 2. Alex Bregman, 3B 3. Jose Altuve, 2B 4. Carlos Correa, SS 5. Michael Brantley, LF 6. Yuli Gurriel, 1B 7. Josh Reddick, RF 8. Tyler White, DH 9. Robinson Chirinos, C

Video: AJ Hinch on Brantley's veteran approach, preparation

Athletics  One of baseball's most potent offenses will feature many of the same bats that helped the A's into the postseason last year. Homer-happy Khris Davis isn't the only power hitter residing in this lineup: Matt Olson, Stephen Piscotty, Matt Chapman and Marcus Semien also routinely hit the ball out of the park, and they're flanked by productive complementary pieces, including on-base machine Nick Martini and the dynamic Ramon Laureano. -- Jane Lee

LINEUP IF SEASON STARTED TODAY

1. Nick Martini, LF 2. Matt Chapman, 3B 3. Matt Olson, 1B 4. Khris Davis, DH 5. Stephen Piscotty, RF 6. Jurickson Profar, 2B 7. Ramon Laureano, CF 8. Marcus Semien, SS 9. Chris Herrmann, C

Mariners Only four of last season's Opening Day position starters are still on the roster, though it's likely that a fifth -- Ichiro Suzuki -- will be added before the season begins. But gone are Seattle stalwarts Robinson Cano, Cruz and Jean Segura, who batted in the 2-3-4 spots in the lineup in last year's 2-1 Opening Day win over the Indians. Also gone is 2018 Opening Day catcher Mike Marjama, who was filling in for an injured Zunino, who has also been traded.

That leaves returning starters Dee Gordon -- who is shifting from center field to second base -- along with right fielder Mitch Haniger, third baseman Kyle Seager and first baseman Ryon Healy. -- Greg Johns

LINEUP IF SEASON STARTED TODAY

1. Mallex Smith, CF 2. Dee Gordon, 2B 3. Mitch Haniger, RF 4. Edwin Encarnacion, DH 5. Kyle Seager, 3B 6. Domingo Santana, LF 7. Ryon Healy, 1B 8. Omar Narvaez, C 9. Tim Beckham, SS

Rangers The Rangers are loaded with young left-handed power with Nomar Mazara, Joey Gallo, Rougned Odor and Ronald Guzman, but are still susceptible to the strikeout. They could also use more help from the right side and depth at both catcher and third base. They also need a full and healthy season from Delino DeShields in the leadoff spot. -- T.R. Sullivan

LINEUP IF SEASON STARTED TODAY

1. Delino DeShields, CF 2. Elvis Andrus, SS 3. Shin-Soo Choo, DH 4. Nomar Mazara, RF 5. Joey Gallo, LF 6. Rougned Odor 2B 7. Ronald Guzman 1B 8. Patrick Wisdom 3B 9. Jeff Mathis C

NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST

Braves The Braves feel good about having three MVP candidates at the top of their lineup, but uncertainty about who will be the third outfielder leaves a glaring hole in the cleanup spot. If an outfielder is not acquired and Adam Duvall is given a starting spot, manager Brian Snitker could address the top-heavy nature of his lineup by moving Ender Inciarte to the leadoff spot and dropping either Ronald Acuna Jr. or Josh Donaldson to the fourth spot. The offense's success will be influenced by Ozzie Albies' adjustments against left-handers and Dansby Swanson's attempt to expand his plate coverage. -- Mark Bowman

LINEUP IF SEASON STARTED TODAY

1. Ronald Acuna Jr., LF 2. Josh Donaldson, 3B 3. Freddie Freeman, 1B 4. TBD 5. Tyler Flowers, C 6. Ozzie Albies, 2B 7. Ender Inciarte, CF 8. Dansby Swanson, SS

Marlins The Marlins continue to explore the market for a left-handed power bat to play either first base or a corner outfield spot, and there is the on-going saga of whether All-Star catcher J.T. Realmuto will be traded or not. With so much up in the air, projecting the Marlins' Opening Spring Training lineup remains highly speculative. But based on how the roster is constructed as of now, there are a number of directions the organization can go. A year ago, Lewis Brinson was the Opening Day leadoff hitter, and unless a more traditional table-setter is added, Brinson again could get a look at the top of the order, in hopes of getting him on track. -- Joe Frisaro

LINEUP IF SEASON STARTED TODAY

1. Lewis Brinson, CF 2. J.T. Realmuto, C 3. Starlin Castro, 2B 4. Brian Anderson, RF 5. Peter O'Brien, 1B 6. Martin Prado, 3B 7. Austin Dean, LF 8. JT Riddle / Miguel Rojas SS

Mets The addition of Jed Lowrie gives the Mets an obvious No. 2 hitter, though they'll skew left-handed at the top of the order for as long as Yoenis Cespedes remains sidelined. A greater issue is where Lowrie fits on defense; given his lack of experience at first base, he may push Todd Frazier to that position early in the season. -- Anthony DiComo

LINEUP IF SEASON STARTED TODAY

1. Brandon Nimmo, RF 2. Jed Lowrie, 3B 3. Robinson Cano, 2B 4. Wilson Ramos C 5. Michael Conforto, LF 6. Todd Frazier, 1B 7. Juan Lagares, CF 8. Amed Rosario, SS

Video: Jon Heyman discusses the Jed Lowrie signing for Mets

Nationals There is still so much speculation about whether Harper will ultimately wind up back in the middle of this batting order, but the Nationals feel confident in this lineup even without their homegrown star at the center. Thanks to a boost at catcher, a new second baseman and the infusion of rookie Victor Robles, this new-look Nats lineup has a chance to remain one of the most productive in the National League. -- Jamal Collier

LINEUP IF SEASON STARTED TODAY

1. Adam Eaton, RF 2. Trea Turner, SS 3. Anthony Rendon, 3B 4. Juan Soto, LF 5. Ryan Zimmerman, 1B 6. Brian Dozier, 2B 7. Victor Robles, CF 8. Yan Gomes / Kurt Suzuki, C

Phillies  The Phillies have upgraded their lineup from 2018, with the additions of outfielder Andrew McCutchen and shorstop Segura. But they hope to make one more major move before Opening Day. If the Phillies sign Harper or Machado to a multiyear contract, it changes everything. -- Todd Zolecki

LINEUP IF SEASON STARTED TODAY

1. Cesar Hernandez, 2B 2. Jean Segura, SS 3. Andrew McCutchen, LF 4. Rhys Hoskins, 1B 5. Odubel Herrera, CF 6. Maikel Franco, 3B 7. Nick Williams, RF 8. Jorge Alfaro, C

NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL

Brewers The Brewers are returning the bulk of the roster that played to within one game of the World Series in 2018, with second base representing the only real hole after the team signed catcher Yasmani Grandal. Right now, a Hernan Perez/Cory Spangenberg platoon is possible, though general manager David Stearns is likely to either sign or trade for a player to fill that position, or find a third baseman and move Travis Shaw to second. -- Adam McCalvy

LINEUP IF SEASON STARTED TODAY

1. Lorenzo Cain, CF 2. Christian Yelich, RF 3. Ryan Braun, LF 4. Travis Shaw, 3B 5. Jesus Aguilar, 1B 6. Yasmani Grandal, C 7. Hernan Perez / Cory Spangenberg, 2B 8. Orlando Arcia, SS

Video: MLB Now analyzes Grandal's deal with the Brewers

Cardinals The top of the Cardinals' order became instantly more formidable with the December acquisition of Paul Goldschmidt. He'll likely hit behind one of the best leadoff hitters in the game and ahead of the club's two biggest power threats. With an element of speed at the bottom of the order, the Cardinals' lineup is positioned to be more dynamic than it was a year ago. -- Jenifer Langosch

LINEUP IF SEASON STARTED TODAY

1. Matt Carpenter, 3B 2. Paul Goldschmidt, 1B 3. Paul DeJong, SS 4. Marcell Ozuna, LF 5. Dexter Fowler, RF 6. Yadier Molina, C 7. Kolten Wong, 2B 8. Harrison Bader, CF

Cubs Cubs manager Joe Maddon cycled through 152 lineup variations in 2018, so this alignment is definitely written in pencil. At least 10 players appeared in each lineup spot for Chicago, which featured one of MLB's top offenses until a two-month slump to end last season. The Cubs are banking on a return to health from slugger Kris Bryant, among other things, to help this group get back on track in '19. -- Jordan Bastian

LINEUP IF SEASON STARTED TODAY

1. Ben Zobrist, 2B 2. Kris Bryant, 3B 3. Anthony Rizzo, 1B 4. Javier Baez, SS 5. Kyle Schwarber, LF 6. Willson Contreras, C 7. Jason Heyward, RF 8. Albert Almora Jr., CF

Pirates The Pirates haven't officially settled on a shortstop, and it's unclear how they'll use Colin Moran and Jung Ho Kang at third base. The look of their lineup will also change when right fielder Gregory Polanco, their most productive hitter last season, comes off the disabled list. Manager Clint Hurdle will look for the right configuration, but it's fair to assume that Adam Frazier, Starling Marte and Corey Dickerson will be involved atop the order with Josh Bell getting another shot in the cleanup spot. -- Adam Berry

LINEUP IF SEASON STARTED TODAY

1. Adam Frazier, 2B 2. Starling Marte, CF 3. Corey Dickerson, LF 4. Josh Bell, 1B 5. Francisco Cervelli, C 6. Colin Moran/Jung Ho Kang, 3B 7. Lonnie Chisenhall, RF 8. Erik Gonzalez / Kevin Newman, SS

Reds The front office has signaled more improvements to the club are coming in the final month before Spring Training. There is still a need for a regular center fielder and the team has an overload of corner outfielders that will need to be sorted out. A fluid situation, it does not account for how the Reds will utilize another acquisition in corner outfielder Matt Kemp. And then there is Nick Senzel. The organization's No. 1 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, will be competing for the opening in center field but could also be a lineup regular in a utility role, playing up to five positions. -- Mark Sheldon

LINEUP IF SEASON STARTED TODAY

1. Jesse Winker, LF 2. Jose Peraza, SS 3. Joey Votto, 1B 4. Eugenio Suarez, 3B 5. Scooter Gennett, 2B 6. Yasiel Puig, RF 7. Scott Schebler, CF 8. Tucker Barnhart, C

NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST

D-backs The D-backs still have work to do in order to complete their lineup for Opening Day with one big piece still unknown. They are looking to either move Ketel Marte to center and acquire a second baseman or acquire a center fielder and leave Marte at second. How that plays out could will reshape this lineup. One thing to note about the catching spot: while Carson Kelly figures to get a lot of time behind the plate, the D-backs also like to rotate their catchers, so Alex Avila and John Ryan Murphy will also play. -- Steve Gilbert

LINEUP IF SEASON STARTED TODAY

1. Ketel Marte, 2B 2. Eduardo Escobar, 3B 3. David Peralta, LF 4. Steven Souza Jr., RF 5. Jake Lamb, 1B 6. Nick Ahmed, SS 7. Alex Avila, C 8. Jarrod Dyson, CF

Dodgers There's plenty of time left for trades and free-agent signings and a host of mutations depending on matchups and platoons. Russell Martin figures to challenge Austin Barnes for the starting catching job. All that aside, what does the Dodgers' starting lineup for 2019 look like today? Some variation of this. -- Ken Gurnick

LINEUP IF SEASON STARTED TODAY

1. Chris Taylor, 2B 2. Corey Seager, SS 3. Justin Turner, 3B 4. Cody Bellinger, CF 5. Max Muncy, 1B 6. Enrique Hernandez, RF 7. Joc Pederson, LF 8. Austin Barnes, C

Giants The Giants' current projected lineup is comprised of holdovers from 2018, but they are hoping to add a couple of new faces to the starting outfield by Opening Day to help boost an offense that struggled to consistently score runs last year. -- Maria Guardado

LINEUP IF SEASON STARTED TODAY

1. Steven Duggar, CF 2. Joe Panik, 2B 3. Buster Posey, C 4. Brandon Belt, 1B 5. Evan Longoria, 3B 6. Brandon Crawford, SS 7. Mac Williamson, RF 8. Chris Shaw, LF

Padres Franmil Reyes, Wil Myers and Hunter Renfroe are currently fighting for two corner outfield spots (and, presumably, the No. 4 and 5 spots in the lineup). The Padres have a clear logjam in their outfield, and it's possible one of those three big boppers is dealt before the season. Meanwhile, it seems unlikely that Ty France actually starts on Opening Day. General manager A.J. Preller remains in search of third-base help, and it's a near certainty he adds someone before the start of camp. -- AJ Cassavell

LINEUP IF SEASON STARTED TODAY

1. Manuel Margot, CF 2. Luis Urias, SS 3. Eric Hosmer, 1B 4. Franmil Reyes, RF 5. Wil Myers, LF 6. Ian Kinsler, 2B 7. Austin Hedges, C 8. Ty France, 3B

Rockies The addition of Daniel Murphy puts some left-handed pop in the lineup behind home run threats Nolan Arenado and Trevor Story. The lineup still could use one more right-handed threat. Another idea could be to lead off with David Dahl, followed by Story, Charlie Blackmon and Arenado to separate the left- and right-handed hitters through the early portion. -- Thomas Harding

LINEUP IF SEASON STARTED TODAY

1. Charlie Blackmon, LF 2. David Dahl, RF 3. Nolan Arenado, 3B 4. Trevor Story, SS 5. Daniel Murphy, 1B 6. Ian Desmond, CF 7. Ryan McMahon, 2B 8. Chris Iannetta, C

Video: Blackmon on adding Murphy, Arenado's importance

Source: https://www.mlb.com/news/each-mlb-teams-projected-opening-day-lineup/c-302718516

[thegloober]

Yankees 3, Red Sox 2: Yanks avoid disaster in the ninth after Walker’s clutch homer

Game 150: Judge Returns

LOL good grief. It’s never easy. At least we can laugh about it now. The Yankees tried their best to give the Red Sox the AL East title Tuesday night, but eventually the 27th out was recorded, and the Yankees picked up a 3-2 win. No division clincher for Boston on this night. As of this writing, the Yankees remain two games up on the Athletics in the loss column for homefield advantage in the Wild Card Game. Three when you include the tiebreaker. Twelve games to go.

(Jim McIsaac/Getty)

They Call Him Neil Dinger We’re going to start in the seventh inning, because that’s the best part. The Yankees were down 1-0 heading into that seventh inning and they’d just blown a golden opportunity in the sixth. You’ll read about that in a bit. With Nathan Eovaldi out of the game, Red Sox manager Alex Cora went to his sketchy middle relief crew, and the first man out of the bullpen was righty Brandon Workman.

Workman gifted the Yankees a rally. Aaron Hicks worked a five-pitch leadoff walk, Miguel Andujar popped up on what might’ve been ball four in a 3-1 count for the first out, and then Gary Sanchez drew a six-pitch walk. Workman got ahead in the count 1-2 on Sanchez, then lost him. With runners on first and second with one out, Cora yanked Workman and went to rookie righty Ryan Brasier, who’s been really good this year (1.53 ERA and 2.37 FIP in 29.1 innings).

I thought Aaron Boone was going to go to the bench there, both to pinch-run for Sanchez and pinch-hit for Walker. I figured you’d want the go-ahead run to be able to score from first base on a double. And Walker, well, he’s been bad lately. Went into this game in a 6-for-46 (.130) skid. Luke Voit? Greg Bird? No, Boone stuck with Walker (and Sanchez), and was rewarded with a go-ahead three-run home run into the second deck. To the action footage:

Cement mixer right out over the plate. Walker knew it was gone off the bat — everyone knew it was gone off the bat — he watched it, and then he pointed to the dugout. That is the good stuff. As big a hit as the Yankees have had all season, I’d say. Between this dinger and his two walk-off hits, Walker’s had some pretty big moments in pinstripes despite an overall disappointing year. The three-run blast turned the 1-0 deficit into a 3-1 lead.

Third Time’s A Charm On their third attempt in the ninth inning, the Yankees finally turned the game-ending double play. Holy cow what a mess. Zach Britton entered for the save, struck out Brandon Phillips, then walked Brock Holt with one out. Annoying. That brought the tying run to the plate. Britton was very wild when he first joined the Yankees, but, going into this game, he’d walked one batter in his last 13 appearances and 14 innings. That covers 52 batters faced (1.9 BB%).

After the one-out walk, Britton got the double play ball. He’s a ground ball machine and Christian Vazquez hit a chopper to Third Base Defensive Replacement Adeiny Hechavarria. Third Base Defensive Replacement Adeiny Hechavarria threw wide of second base, Gleyber Torres couldn’t reel it in, and the ball sailed into center field. Everyone was safe. Torres got the error but it could’ve easy gone to Third Base Defensive Replacement Adeiny Hechavarria. Not a good throw at all when the second baseman has to reach as far across his body as Torres did.

Okay. Fine. The Red Sox had runners at the corners and the Yankees were still a ground ball away from ending the game. Britton got that ground ball, right back to himself, and he … threw it into center field. I literally facepalmed when it happened. Britton threw a sinker to second base and Torres couldn’t make the grab. It didn’t help that Tzu-Wei Lin was bearing down on him. Lin slid right into Torres, in fact. (He’s fine.) A run scored and the Red Sox had runners on first and second with one out.

As ugly as that inning was, Britton had his sinker going. The two botched double play balls registered at 73.5 mph and 86.4 mph, so they weren’t hard hit. Britton got back after it, and he got yet another potential double play grounder. This one the Yankees turned. Britton fielded it himself, he made a clean throw to second, and Torres made the throw to first to end the game. Nice stretch by Walker at first. He had a few of them Tuesday night. Game over. Exhale.

That’s What Happ-ening What a gutsy outing for J.A. Happ. He was in bend but don’t break mode in the early innings before finding it and settling down in the middle innings. His first inning pitch locations tell the story:

Happ always pitches up in the zone with his fastball. That’s what he does. But he was really up in the first inning. He was up in the zone in the second and third innings too, though not as much. Happ had to pitch around a one-out walk in the first inning and a two-out single and walk in the second inning. He needed 36 pitches to get his first six outs.

The Red Sox scored their lone run against Happ in the third inning and Sanchez’s latest passed ball was a big factor. Ian Kinsler singled to left, Happ balked him up to second — I have no idea what the balk was, I didn’t see it on the replays at all — and Steve Pearce drew his second walk of the game. That’s when the passed ball moved the runners to second and third with no outs. It was bad. Pitch didn’t even hit the ground.

Happ did well to limit the Red Sox to one run in that spot considering the 3-4-5 hitters were due up. J.D. Martinez got the run in with a sacrifice fly to right field. Aaron Judge made a good on-line throw, but it didn’t have enough on it, so Walker cut it off. Two more fly balls and Hicks’ arm — Hicks held Pearce at third on a Xander Bogaerts fly ball — allowed Happ to strand the runner at third and limit the damage.

The final line: 6 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 6 K on 102 pitches. Happ allowed a one-double to Bogaerts and a one-out single to Eduardo Nunez in the sixth and I thought he should’ve been out of there. Boone stuck with Happ, who stranded the runners at the corners with a pop-up and a strikeout. It wasn’t easy in the first three innings, but Happ was able to avoid the big inning, and he turned in a dandy of a start.

(Jim McIsaac/Getty)

Blown Chances Early In two starts against the Yankees since being traded to the Red Sox, Nathan Eovaldi has put eight men on base in 14 scoreless innings. In the seven games between starts against the Yankees, Eovaldi had a 6.58 ERA (4.27 FIP) in 26 innings and opponents hit .361/.405/.529 against him. Every team other than the Yankees has lit Eovaldi up since the trade deadline. How so very frustrating.

The Yankees had two quality opportunities to score against Eovaldi. First, in the third inning, Walker drew a leadoff walk and Andrew McCutchen drew a one-out walk. Judge then banged into a tailor-made 6-4-3 double play on the first pitch. (More on Judge’s night in a sec.) Then, in the sixth, Torres doubled to right field and scampered over to third on Judge’s fly ball into the right field corner. (Again, more on Judge’s night in a bit.)

With Torres at third and two outs, Eovaldi flung a 95 mph cutter way inside and to the backstop. Gleyber ran home and crossed the plate, but the run did not count. The pitch hit — and by hit I mean grazed — Didi Gregorius in the shin. Hit-by-pitch and a dead ball. Torres went back to third and Didi went to first. If the Yankees didn’t have bad luck, they’d have no luck at all. Eovaldi blew Giancarlo Stanton away with an elevated 97 mph fastball to end the sixth inning and that was that.

(Jim McIsaac/Getty)

Return of the Judge In his first at-bat back Judge did exactly what I was hoping to see him do. Well, no. I was hoping he’d put a ball into orbit. That didn’t happen. Instead, Judge handled premium velocity and ripped a hard-hit line drive. Eovaldi gave him a 99 mph heater out over the plate and Judge hammered it to right field on a line. The exit velocity: 112.1 mph. Unfortunately the ball was right at J.D. Martinez for an out, but still. Great velocity and great contact. An encouraging sign in the first at-bat following a two-month layoff.

Judge’s second at-bat was a letdown. Two one, one out in the third inning, and he hit into an inning-ending double play on the first pitch. Swung at a good pitch — it was a fastball right down the middle — but bad result. In his third at-bat, Judge nearly hit a ball out of the ballpark. He skied a high fly ball to right field and Martinez caught it here:

So close! A first game back dinger would’ve been cool. Judge struck out on a borderline check swing in his fourth at-bat and finished the game 0-for-4. If you’re curious, the exit velocities on his three batted balls, in order: 112.1 mph, 93.9 mph, 94.9 mph. Considering the long layoff, I am really pleased he was able to catch up to Eovaldi’s fastball, even though the results weren’t there. It’s all about timing right now. Judge’s looked pretty good Tuesday night, all things considered.

Leftovers Walker’s homer was his tenth of the season, giving the Yankees eleven (!) players with double-digit home runs. They join the 2004 Tigers, 2015 Astros, 2016 Twins, and 2017 Astros as the only teams in baseball history to do that. Voit is sitting on seven home runs, so if he gets hot and goes on a tear these last 12 games, the Yankees could finish the season with 12 players with double-digit homers.

David Robertson totally bailed Hicks out in the eighth. Martinez dunked a double to center, Hicks took a weird route and let it get by him, then he took his sweet time retrieving the ball. That allowed Martinez to get to third with one out. Pretty terrible, Hicksie. Robertson got a popup and a fly out to strand the runner. Chad Green went three up, three down in the seventh.

Only three hits for the Yankees. Hicks blooped a single in the second, Torres doubled in the sixth, and Walker went deep in the seventh. McCutchen, Hicks, Sanchez, and Walker drew one walk each, and Gregorius was plunked twice. Eighth time in 15 September games the Yankees had no more than six hits. Thank goodness for dingers.

Box Score, WPA Graph & Standings ESPN has the box score and updated standings. MLB has the video highlights and FanGraphs has the postseason odds. Here’s our Bullpen Workload page and here’s the win probability graph:

Source: FanGraphs

Up Next The fifth-to-last home game of the 2018 regular season. The season isn’t over yet but I already miss baseball. Anyway, Luis Severino and David Price are the scheduled starters for Tuesday night’s game. Hope that one goes as well as the last time Severino and Price squared off.

Game 150: Judge Returns

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