EVIL~! alkeiper

And let me also add as a general comment that there is a MONTH left in this season. There is lots of time left people.

Of course Bell walked to bring the tying run to the plate in the ninth, but let's pile on our own team anyway! Jesus.

I'm guessing they do a coin flip scenario with the winning team getting to host the winner of a game between the other two teams... I.E Yankees/Indians/A's all tie....Indians win the first coin toss, they host the winner of the Yankee/A's game...whoever wins that game play Cleveland the next day to determine the wild card spot. That would appear to be the logical move, it's either that or they use win/loss records... <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I did some searching, and here is the best I have at this point. If there is a three team tie, the three teams would be seeded according to their combined record against the other two teams. So if the three teams are tied, Oakland would play a game at Cleveland, and the winner would play at Yankee Stadium for the wild card.

If the Braves keep this up Barron will need to return another hat.

As an aside, the Mariners claimed Francisco Cruceta off waivers from the Indians. Cruceta has a great deal of potential, and I'm surprised Cleveland let him away so easily.

A few interesting points here. First, Nolan Ryan. Looking over win shares, the pitcher with the most win shares in the 1980s was Dave Stieb. I think that is slightly misleading though. Stieb had less win shares for his career than many of the other candidates, and it seems he comes out ahead just from the luck of where we set the boundaries. Before I continue, here are the top ten pitchers of the 1980s, according to win shares... 1. Dave Stieb (175) 2. Jack Morris (154) 3. Dan Quisenberry (153) 4. Bert Blyleven (139) 5. Charlie Hough (134) 6. Bob Welch (134) 7. Fernando Valenzuela (132) 8. Lee Smith (125) 9. Nolan Ryan (123) 10. Frank Viola (121) Two of ESPN.com's top five aren't even on the list. The leader in career win shares on the above list is not in fact Ryan, but Bert Blyleven. Nolan Ryan had some great seasons, but he never won more than 16 games a season in the 1980s. If you only focus on the '80s, it is clearly Stieb. Stieb went to six All-Star games in the decade and led the league in Adjusted ERA+ twice. Arm injuries ended his career prematurely, or he might have had a Hall of Fame career. It is also worth noting Dan Quisenberry on the list. Quisenberry walked 1.4 batters per nine over his career. What is not often seen however is that nearly half of those walks were intentional. In over 1,000 innings Quisenberry issued 92 walks, hit 7 batters, and threw just 4 wild pitchers. He ranks among the greatest control artists in MLB history, and not many people realize it. As for Ryan, he grew an aura because of his large strikeout totals. Everyone in the game feared and respected him, and sportswriters worshipped him. Ryan was an entirely unique pitcher. What hurt Ryan is that along with the strikeouts, he walked many, many batters. Twice Ryan walked over 200 batters in a season. He led the league in walks eight times. Ryan was never creamed however because he was so damned hard to hit. The walks did hurt Ryan's ERA however, as Ryan does not rank among the top 100 pitchers in ERA or Adjusted ERA. Let me address a point about the White Sox. They play in one of the most home run friendly parks in baseball. So if they score a disproportionate number of runs via the home run, it is not necessarily reflective of their strategy.

Also, I'm surprised no one mentioned the fun pitching matchup in New York. Chacin vs. Chacon. You don't see that kind of stuff often.

Ah yes. Quite frankly, that's all you need.

It's a Marlins' decision and not one from MLB. Individual teams have much more freedom and leeway in suspending players and personnel than does the league. I'm headed up to the Pawtucket/Scranton game tonight. It will be my first opportunity to see the Greek God of Walks in person. It is also Gavin Floyd's last home start of the season.

Czech, you forgot to add a lame catchphrase.

Gracie-Severn was UFC IV and I agree wholeheartedly.

A couple of news items. There's more turmoil in the Dodgers' lockerroom, as Milton Bradley is upset that Brad Penny used white milk instead of chocolate milk to bet the Marlins' batboy. Also, Frank Robinson has come out and said the records of steroid users should be expunged from the record books. Surprisingly, Ryan Franklin has come out in support of Robinson.

MLB.com will almost certainly post the highlight at some point.

Was this something with the Dodgers? I remember hearing about that.

When the left side of your infield looks headed to the disabled list, it's justified.

Aramis Ramirez suffered a strained quadricep. No word on how long he'll be out.

I know the cost of living is higher in CA than most other states, but if I were making that much an hour I wouldn't be trying to figure out where next month's rent is coming from. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> It's an average wage, so I assume upper management drags that above what most rank and file associates make.

Joey Devine is clearly not ready for the majors. Twelve walks in 20 innings at AA should be a hint that he needs more time to develop before going straight to the show.

Sheffield's in the same boat. Would you like pitchers to start throwing at him as well to protect the integrity of the game?

From the image location, it would appear that the image host replaced your photo with that message. From time to time you will see signatures with images replaced by an image hosting logo, and apparently the image host here decided to be creative. Nothing was done by the moderation or administrative staff here.

Here's a little known fact. The Athletics lead the wild card race.

I never understood the purpose of the Outdoor Channel. I mean you can watch the outdoors....inside on television?

For the love of god Bored. Your team had a .322 winning percentage on Memorial Day. They put together one of the best runs in baseball history, and you're writing them off after one shaky week? What the hell kind of fan are you? This is Anglesault-bad.

Verne, could you repeat that in english? I think Dave really screwed the Hall with Kurt Angle. Not that Angle's in, but that he was eligible so early into his career. Triple H shouldn't be held up for election until he's well past the prime of his career. Candidacies need to be examined in retrospect, not as they happen.

Oakland just took a 3-0 lead against the KC Royals.