MLB Opening Day Thread

[Vern Gagne 0]

Tom Glavine has won over 260 games and has only used 2 pitches his entire career, fastball and change up. I don't think Rivera is going to start using new pitches after he has had a dominating career using the cutter.

But once Rivera's cutter becomes hittable, and overall it probably hasn't, doesn't that end his run has an effective pitcher?

[Vern Gagne 0]

Tom Glavine has won over 260 games and has only used 2 pitches his entire career, fastball and change up.  I don't think Rivera is going to start using new pitches after he has had a dominating career using the cutter.

Glavine throws a fastball, circle change, curveball, slider, and added a cut fastball in 2000.

 

And Rivera has always thrown two pitches. A regular fastball, and a cut fastball. Many, many relievers throw mainly two pitches. Billy Wagner does, as does Francisco Rodriguez.

Relievers only go 1-2 innings tops, so they can throw 1-2 pitches. Starters need a wider variety, since they see each batter 3-4 times a night.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Tom Glavine has won over 260 games and has only used 2 pitches his entire career, fastball and change up.  I don't think Rivera is going to start using new pitches after he has had a dominating career using the cutter.

But once Rivera's cutter becomes hittable, and overall it probably hasn't, doesn't that end his run has an effective pitcher?

Of course. But that's not because he's a one pitch pitcher. It is because he is aging, and he is only human.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Tom Glavine has won over 260 games and has only used 2 pitches his entire career, fastball and change up.  I don't think Rivera is going to start using new pitches after he has had a dominating career using the cutter.

Glavine throws a fastball, circle change, curveball, slider, and added a cut fastball in 2000.

 

And Rivera has always thrown two pitches. A regular fastball, and a cut fastball. Many, many relievers throw mainly two pitches. Billy Wagner does, as does Francisco Rodriguez.

Relievers only go 1-2 innings tops, so they can throw 1-2 pitches. Starters need a wider variety, since they see each batter 3-4 times a night.

That's true, and I certainly won't dispute that.

[Vern Gagne 0]

What kind of fastball does Rivera have?

[Big McLargeHuge 0]

The Giants look like they're intent on hitting into more DPs than they did last year. With Marquis Grissom and Pedro Feliz constantly trying to pull outside pitches and the overall lack of speed on this team, I think they can make it.

 

Brett Tomko's getting no run support whatsoever. These guys are completely lost without Bonds. This seasons (and next probably) is going to be ugly.

[Fuzzy Dunlop 0]

Dubois might actually start tomorrow for the Cubs. I can't wait.

[strummer 0]

Tom Glavine has won over 260 games and has only used 2 pitches his entire career, fastball and change up.  I don't think Rivera is going to start using new pitches after he has had a dominating career using the cutter.

Glavine throws a fastball, circle change, curveball, slider, and added a cut fastball in 2000.

 

And Rivera has always thrown two pitches. A regular fastball, and a cut fastball. Many, many relievers throw mainly two pitches. Billy Wagner does, as does Francisco Rodriguez.

I should have said he relies primarily on 2 pitches, he very rarely throws a curve ball or slider, he's almost always fastball, change. I've seen him throw a few curves, but honestly I've never seen Tom Glavine throw a slider. Maybe I'm not picking it up as lefties throw sliders that go down and in on right handed hitters and Glavine works away, away

[strummer 0]

as for example of starters that only had 2 real pitches, Hideo Nomo was almost always fastball, splitter. I think he threw a few curves once and a while, but he was primarily a 2 pitch pitcher. Jae Seo of the Mets is fastball, change, and that's it.

[Big McLargeHuge 0]

Jason Schmidt would be another example of a pitcher who relies almost exclusively on 2 pitches. He'll occasionally throw a curve, but it's almost always fastball & change-up.

[NoCalMike 0]

A's win 5-1 by breaking a 1-1 tie going into the 8th inning........wanna know how.........well follow this link..

 

 

http://oakland.athletics.mlb.com/NASApp/ml...ex.jsp?c_id=oak

 

P.S. I was wondering why Byrnes wasn't playing yesterday.

[mike546 0]

The difference is, Mariano's two pitches are fastballs, both basically at the same speed.

 

Wagner and Schmit and Glavines two pitches are at two different speeds.

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

Sorry, bad typing on my part as I meant Thome has become one of the worst clutch hitters.

[Slayer 0]

The Reds are going to taunt me with another great start before falling apart yet again this year.

 

It is early to say the Mets signings are busts but they should be able to take 1 game from the Reds.

The last time they started the season this good though was 1990

Yes, but in the last two years, Cincy has surged to a lead in the NL Central in April/May, only to go crashing into the basement come June when their bad pitching overwhelms the good hitting

 

Though it has been fun to watch them so far

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Sorry, bad typing on my part as I meant Thome has become one of the worst clutch hitters.

Still doesn't make it true. Thome draws scads of walks, but had a low batting average. That tells me that pitchers are giving him little to hit. In addition, managers are more likely to use a left hander against Thome, especially since he hits right behind Bobby Abreu, another lefty. Thome is much worse against lefties over his career.

 

This is another complaint about the Phillies. I don't care if Pat Burrell hits .200. You can NOT bat Abreu and Thome back-to-back. Teams are able to use their situational lefties to counter-balance our two best hitters, and then using their right handed pitcher to disable Burrell's strength. Abreu's career slugging percentage drops 170 points against lefties. Thome's career slugging percentage drops 193 points. We are getting slaughtered in late inning matchups. We need Burrell to hit between those two, so at the very least he can feast on the lefties placed against Abreu and Thome.

[the max 0]

Maybe Charlie should read the Manual.

 

...

 

 

...

 

 

 

That was pretty bad.

[The Czech Republic 0]

Die.

 

 

Cubs opener starts in minutes. Wind is blowing in, so Wood has no excuses to fuck it up. He's against Chris Capuano, who is no stud. I won't accept a loss.

[Open the Muggy Gate 0]

Maybe Charlie should read the Manual.

 

...

 

 

...

 

 

 

That was pretty bad.

Oh my fucking God.

[Guest Shadow]

I don't follow the cubs but I thought Wood was still having difficulty with his elbow. Or was that Prior?

[DerangedHermit 0]

Maybe Charlie should read the Manual.

 

...

 

 

...

 

 

 

That was pretty bad.

That was realy fucking terrible.

 

Worse than the Mets.

 

 

 

...

 

 

...

 

 

...

 

 

...what?

[Bruiser Chong 0]

Considering how Carlos Lee is much like Carlos Beltran in Wrigley, I'm sorta surprised that the Cubs didn't try and make a trade for him during the offseason. But then, maybe I shouldn't be.

[The Czech Republic 0]

I don't follow the cubs but I thought Wood was still having difficulty with his elbow. Or was that Prior?

Both

 

 

Um yeah Kerry Wood still doesn't look convincing. I can't remember the last time he has, quite frankly.

 

 

FUCKING AD BOARD ON THE BACKSTOP. You dump those hefty Sosa and Alou contracts and still need more cash? Way to whore, Trib.

[2GOLD 0]

Does Len Kasper have emotions? Dr. Spock gets louder than this guy.

 

Jason Dubois has a two run single and Kerry Wood has six k's as the Cubs lead 2-1 in the bottom of the fifth.

 

Kapono (spelling) has retired 10 straight Cubs though so he is cruising as well for the Brew Crew.

[The Czech Republic 0]

I sort of feel bad for Len Kasper, because he's just trying to do his job, but man, EVERYONE is just shitting on him and openly saying how they mute him and put Pat & Ron on instead. I'm one of these people. I have no sympathy for Brenly though, because he was just brought in to suck up to Dusty. "Maddux pitched well." Maddux didn't get out of the fifth inning, jackass. You shouldn't be paid to speak into a microphone and analyze a baseball game.

 

 

Fucking Wood, walks in the tying run. Remind me why this guy is our ace?

[Bruiser Chong 0]

Wood is incapable of walking the walk. Actually, scratch that. Lots of walks today. But he's unable to silence critics who say he's too much of thrower and not so much of a pitcher.

 

The Cubs' anemic offense could pick up some of the slack, though.

[The Czech Republic 0]

Wood should look into selling cars.

 

 

WE ARE BEING OWNED BY CHRIS CAPUANO

[The Czech Republic 0]

Bob Brenly is talking about how the sacrifice bunt would be a great idea right now, so fire him.

[2GOLD 0]

Bob Brenly is talking about how the sacrifice bunt would be a great idea right now, so fire him.

 

I agreed with him. Runners on first and second with no outs? Bunt them to second and third instead of risking a young hitter hitting into a double play. Dubois struck out so now it's one out.

 

Burnitz breaks the tie with a RBI double. I'll give Jeremy credit, he actually looks like he finally got into the shape he lost when he went to NY.

 

I'd like Kasper if he showed excitement that seemed real. The guy is just too mono-tone, even on big hits. He sounds like he is constantly reading a script and not doing play by play.

[The Czech Republic 0]

Sacrifice bunts are stupid, though.

 

Yeah Kasper is Joe Buck Clone #658743B

[2GOLD 0]

Sacrifice bunts are stupid, though.

 

Yeah Kasper is Joe Buck Clone #658743B

 

Considering how many double plays the Cubs hit into, maybe it's time they did break out the god damn bunt.

 

Brenly is just....there. He doesn't really bring anything and he doesn't subtract. He's just not Steve Stone.