This Week In Baseball

[iggymcfly 0]

Just watching this Braves/Mets game today, it seems obvious that Piazza needs to be moved down in the order, if not out of the lineup altogether. He just looks lost up there, and isn't even close to getting good contact. It seems silly to have him hitting right afte Beltran, because he's just a rally killer whenever their good bats get something going.

 

And yes, Glavine looks bad. He doesn't have anywhere near enough velocity on his fastball to get away with being a two-pitch pitcher. I couldn't help laughing today, because first the announcers go through a big speech about how Glavine's been making good pitches, and he's just been getting hit anyway. Then one guy hits a homer, and they talk about how he hadn't hit one since early last September, and the next guy comes up and hits the first HR of his career. Glavine was just tossing beach balls up there, and everyone was knocking the shit out of them.

[Guest Smues]

Glavine gives up back to back home runs to Eddie Perez and Wilson Betemit. (Who?)

Betemit has been in the Braves farm system forever now (at least it seems that way). Every spring he trys to make the major league roster then gets sent back down. I think (but I could be wrong) that he's the guy that Atlanta got fined for some years ago because they signed him or tried to sign him when he was too young.

[Bruiser Chong 0]

Ryan Dempster really has no business in the starting rotation. He's got great stuff, but his lack of command has put the Cubs in a 6-2 hole. The worst part was that he had the bases loaded, two outs, and a full count on Dunn. Struck him out, but then walked Kearns on a full count and gave up a grand slam to the next batter. It should also be noted that half of the Reds' runs were from walks.

[MikeJordan23 0]

Carp. 12 K

[Bruiser Chong 0]

Cubs get two on in the 7th in a 7-4 game. Instead of putting Lee on and bringing in Mercker to face Burny, they go right after him and he homers to tie it up. This is reminescent to Alou last April.

[Bruiser Chong 0]

Coooorrrrreeyyy! //Anglesault

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Crazy game in Oakland right now. Due to a shortage, Jermaine Dye is now playing short.

[mike546 0]

Has he played that position before?

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Has he played that position before?

Nope. He's never played in the infield as a major leaguer.

[strummer 0]

The wildest thing I ever saw like that was when Lasorda moved Fernando Valenzuela to 1st base during a wild extra inning game in Houston

[mike546 0]

ESPN is absolutley ridiculous right now.

 

Sure A-Rod didn't have a monster year last year, and sure he hasn't come up big, but there acting like last night was the end of a career slump.

[Guest Mosaicv2]

It's ESPN. What do you expect?

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

The wildest thing I ever saw like that was when Lasorda moved Fernando Valenzuela to 1st base during a wild extra inning game in Houston

This game trumps all.

 

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/VNYN01986.htm

 

Jesse Orosco and Roger McDowell were both pressed into the lineup in extra innings, and actually took turns pitching and playing the outfield. Gary Carter played third base.

[strummer 0]

Jesus Al, I forgot about that and I'm a Mets fan!

[ISportsFan 0]

I haven't seen a player who was hit by a pitch called back to the plate (i.e. the umpire only calling it a ball) in the Major Leagues in forever. Crede did go into the pitch, but almost any major leaguer worth their weight in any substance more valuable than coal does so as well. As a result, Guillen and Crede ended up being ejected, which caused the shortage (as well as three injuries to infielders over the course of the series in Oakland). Along with the balk called last night that didn't look like much of a balk and a blown call at the plate, the White Sox lost two games they could have won. They definitely didn't deserve to win last night and it's debatable whether or not they should have won today, but it is two games in a row with an umpire (Wendelstedt) and his crew that we've been at odds at since last season making some questionable, at the least, calls.

 

But, they didn't deserve to win yesterday and, with all the double plays we hit into today, we probably didn't deserve to win today.

 

Jason

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

I haven't seen a player who was hit by a pitch called back to the plate (i.e. the umpire only calling it a ball) in the Major Leagues in forever. Crede did go into the pitch, but almost any major leaguer worth their weight in any substance more valuable than coal does so as well. As a result, Guillen and Crede ended up being ejected, which caused the shortage (as well as three injuries to infielders over the course of the series in Oakland). Along with the balk called last night that didn't look like much of a balk and a blown call at the plate, the White Sox lost two games they could have won. They definitely didn't deserve to win last night and it's debatable whether or not they should have won today, but it is two games in a row with an umpire (Wendelstedt) and his crew that we've been at odds at since last season making some questionable, at the least, calls.

 

But, they didn't deserve to win yesterday and, with all the double plays we hit into today, we probably didn't deserve to win today.

 

Jason

Did you see the game? The Athletics' radio announcers indicated something about the ball hitting the bat and not Crede, but my girlfriend's mother called and I missed some details.

[ISportsFan 0]

I was watching. It clearly hit Crede on the arm. He did go into the pitch, but that call is never made (except for today).

 

Jason

 

Edit: To add onto this, Wendelstedt called the pitch a ball, which indicates he actually called Crede back to the plate because he thought he went into the pitch.

 

And to expand on what I said in the previous post, Froemming blew a call at the plate last night and the balk on Marte last night scored a run that otherwise would not have scored if the remainder of the inning went exactly as it did after the call. The balk was questionable, at best, as he put his foot off the rubber slightly before he moved his arm in a direction that was clearly not for either pitching or throwing to third base.

[mike546 0]

Tino is at first tonight, and Phillips is DHing, thanks to his 1-5 effort last night, and a just missed Home Run.

[Bruiser Chong 0]

I hear Hawk Harrelson was livid over the call.

[ISportsFan 0]

Yes he was, he was very upset. So was I; but, I can see why it was called. The only thing that makes me mad is that it's never called in any circumstances, except for when the White Sox have Hunter Wendelstedt as the plate umpire.

 

Jason

[mike546 0]

While I understand it took a perfect throw from Anderson, how can Sojo send Jete home with no outs, and the big guys in the order coming up?

 

Again though, that throw was insane.

[Guest LooneyTune]

What is that, 9 Yankees thrown out at the plate so far this season? Horrible...

[mike546 0]

In Sojos defense, that throw was insane.

[mike546 0]

And the Yankees go back to their usual ways of not being able to hit with RISP. Its really sad.

[Bruiser Chong 0]

Bad news for Giants fans; Benitez didn't strain his hammy, he tore it. He'll be out four months. Sure glad the Cubs didn't pursue him.

[Mik 0]

Poor Benitez.

 

Stupid rain/snow in Colorado. I finished my presentation early so I can watch the game and now there is no game to watch.

[Big McLargeHuge 0]

Bad news for Giants fans; Benitez didn't strain his hammy, he tore it. He'll be out four months. Sure glad the Cubs didn't pursue him.

I'd be real sad if his outings were dominant, but they were very frustrating to watch. Don't get me wrong, I fully expected it, but seeing an 'established dominant closer' struggle nearly everytime is really something else.

 

With Benitez gone we've reverted back into the team that played spectacularly crappy in the first month and half of the 04 season. Only this time without Bonds. It's gonna get scary bad.

Brian Sabean is the worst GM ever.

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

With the O's getting 2 days off, Im hoping that it doesn't cool them off too much, and its ashame that they couldnt go for the 3 game sweep of Boston.

On the plus side, they play TB at home this weekend, but thats not even really a good thing as they always seem to play bad vs TB.

 

The O's are off to their best start since 1997, which was also the last year they had a winning record and the last year a team not named the Yankees won the AL East..

[Vern Gagne 0]

Please let his happen.espn.com

[CanadianChris 0]

Saw this in the new ESPN.com Power Rankings:

 

"4. Los Angeles Dodgers: Jeff Kent is showing more and more that when it's all said and done he's going to be among those in Cooperstown."

 

And I said, "WTF???"

 

Then I thought about it, and said, "WTF????? The only way Kent gets into the Hall of Fame is if he buys a ticket."

 

I'd love to see a Keltner List on Kent to see if he's as far off as I think he is.