This Week in Baseball

[therealworldschampion 0]

"the Phillies had everything going for them."

 

Until they turned to the worst collection of pinch hitters since...

 

Actually, this is the worst collection of pinch hitters ever assembled.

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What a stupid statement. The Phillies' pinch hitting OPS isn't even the worst this year (its 10th). Division leaders Atlanta and St. Louis have worse production off the bench than the Phillies.

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I don't think Ramon Martinez, Tomas Perez, or Todd Pratt are that bad coming off the bench. Now Inning-Endy Chavez on the other hand....

[Vern Gagne 0]

Or he becomes a huge cokehead.

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Lots of cokeheads have become successful major leaguers. There's a great deal of speculation that the real problem was Gooden was overuse. He pitched 276 innings in 1985 as a 20 year old, and 250 the next year.

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I was kidding. Although, how many reached their full potential? Other factors likely came into play but how much did cocaine abuse hurt Dave Parker?

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Or he becomes a huge cokehead.

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Lots of cokeheads have become successful major leaguers. There's a great deal of speculation that the real problem was Gooden was overuse. He pitched 276 innings in 1985 as a 20 year old, and 250 the next year.

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I was kidding. Although, how many reached their full potential? Other factors likely came into play but how much did cocaine abuse hurt Dave Parker?

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Parker had several productive years in the late 80s, so I doubt it did much harm. He's a borderline HOF candidate as it is. He'd be in if he had a better reputation.

[mike546 0]

How can a mans slider start to suck so quickly?

 

Every single hit tonight off a hanging slider.

 

Every one.

[Guest]

DAVID ORTIZ

[the max 0]

My man crush on David Ortiz is completely justified, right?

[Guest]

Yes.

[mike546 0]

What did I say. Did I say they'd let a crappy pitcher shut them down after killing him through two, while Randy lets the lead slip away, leading to a loss. How can they continue to DO THIS in the middle of a fucking pennate race?!?!?

 

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

 

FUCK.

[Spaceman Spiff 0]

Jimmy Rollins should be ordered 20 push-ups every time he hits the ball in the air.  There's no reason whatsoever for him to try and drive the ball.

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[Bruiser Chong 0]

That sure fell apart quickly for the Twins. One out away from an amazing comeback win, and then just as quickly, they're back down three.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Jimmy Rollins should be ordered 20 push-ups every time he hits the ball in the air.  There's no reason whatsoever for him to try and drive the ball.

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There's a difference. Jimmy Rollins at his best can line the ball into the gaps. He has some legitimate power, and the problem is plate discipline. Willy Taveras is the new Willie Wilson. When Wilson played for Whitey Herzog, he would pound the ball into the ground, run out base hits, and hit around .300 or better. When Wilson got away from Herzog, he had a manager who encouraged him to drive the ball. Wilson hit a few more homers at the expense of his batting average, and his value plummeted. Like Wilson, Taveras has no business trying to drive the ball.

[Conspiracy_Victim 0]

That's actually what concerns me about Willy. As he gets more time in the league and starts to see pitches better, he'll probably start making better contact. That means fewer of these dribblers down the line that he's been able to beat out this season.

[C Dubya 04 0]

Is there a more frustrating team to be a fan of in the history of sports than the Phillies?

 

In the 8th inning, Rollins hits one into the corner and appears to be on his way to a triple, except he stumbles and misses 1st base. Brillant. Then team clutch strikes again and fails to get the big hit.

 

Then in the 9th inning, the Astros score when Wagner walked a guy with one out, then he stole second when Pratt could not get the ball out of his glove and then he stole third when Pratt couldn't get the ball out of his glove.

 

This is after last nights game.

 

The Phils really needed to take 2 out of 3 from the Astros.

[CanadianChris 0]

In a bit of non-news, Lloyd McClendon was finally fired yesterday:

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2153470

 

Not saying that it was his fault the Pirates were so bad, but five straight losing seasons is a long time for someone to keep his job.

[Cuban Linx 0]

With Home Run #36 for the year Mark Teixeira becomes only the 5th player to hit 100 Home Runs over the first 3 seasons of his career, putting him in some pretty good company with Joe DiMaggio, Eddie Mathews, Ralph Kiner and Albert Pujols. Texas may have under-performed this season but Teixeira continues to get better and better.

[Mik 0]

Number six is on the way next year I believe. Only 26 more HRs to go.

[Mik 0]

While Ken Griffey Jr. is offically listed as day-to-day with a strained right foot, the injury could be more serious, the Dayton Daily News reported in its Wednesday edition.

 

A source said Griffey actually pulled part of a tendon off the bone, "Potentially a serious situation, potentially a season-ending injury," the source told the paper.

 

Griffey, who'd like to play again this season, will be treated with anti-inflammatories and rehab over the next three days. Griffey will then be reevaluated Friday.

 

Griffey might be able to pinch hit, might be able to play, "but if the tendon tears completely off the bone his season is over," the source told the paper.

 

Griffey, however, said he hasn't received any info from the Reds medical staff on his season possibly being over and is proceeding as though he will learn more about his injury on Friday.

 

The injury is similar to one Griffey sustained on the same foot two years ago, a partial tear, and at the time the tendon was sewn back onto the bone.

 

Griffey is already expected to have arthroscopic surgery on his left knee, in addition to an operation to fix a hole in his leg left over from his hamstring surgery last year that seeps.

 

Well, so much for that.

[The Czech Republic 0]

In a bit of non-news, Lloyd McClendon was finally fired yesterday:

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2153470

 

Not saying that it was his fault the Pirates were so bad, but five straight losing seasons is a long time for someone to keep his job.

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Hopefully the fact that Littlefield had the balls to fire a black manager gives MacPhail the green light to send Dusty Baker home.

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

Another no-body is caught with steroids.

 

If you know who Mike Morse is, you have to be a Mariners fan...

[Bruiser Chong 0]

McClendon was given nothing to work with. No superstars, no payroll, and few fully-developed, talented big leaguers. Seemed like everytime a Pirate would be coming into his own, he'd be shipped off to a contender. Had the Pirates had the financial means, they could very well be a contender right now. Funny how that whole need for a new ballpark to contend thing didn't pan out.

[Guest Smues]

Another no-body is caught with steroids.

 

If you know who Mike Morse is, you have to be a Mariners fan...

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Or someone who just likes to watch baseball and M's games are all you get locally on FSN.

[mike546 0]

Yanks are never gonna beat the Rays ever again.

 

*sigh*

[Guest Rob Van Dam]

Reds not counting out Griffey's return this seasonESPN.com news services

 

 

CINCINNATI -- The Reds expect Ken Griffey Jr. to play again this season, contrary to reports suggesting his season might be over after the star center fielder strained his right foot rounding second base.

 

Griffey has been listed as day to day since Sunday, when he rolled his foot during the 12th inning of Cincinnati's 8-3 win at Atlanta. The team said Monday an MRI revealed the strain.

 

The Dayton Daily News reported in its Wednesday edition Griffey's injury could be more serious than the sprain

 

A source said Griffey actually pulled part of a tendon off the bone, "Potentially a serious situation, potentially a season-ending injury," the source told the paper.

 

Trainer Mark Mann said it would be "premature at this point" to say surgery would be necessary, and "we fully expect him to play again in the 2005 season." Two years ago, Griffey required season-ending surgery on his right ankle.

 

"The MRI showed nothing like what he had a couple of years ago with his ankle," Mann said. "It's not as if he pulled it off the bone. It does show inflammation in the area. A strain by definition does involve inflammation of the tissue, and it can be associated with a tear."

 

Griffey, whose Reds are in fifth place in the NL Central, ran in the tunnel and hit in indoor batting cages during Tuesday's night game against Milwaukee. When asked when he'd be ready to play, he said: "As soon as I feel I can do what I need to do."

 

Griffey is hitting .301 with 35 home runs and 92 RBI in 128 games, the most since he played in 145 games in 2000, his first season with the Reds. His solo home run on Sunday in Atlanta was the 536th of his career, tying him with Mickey Mantle for 12th place on the career list.

 

Griffey played in a total of 136 games over the previous two seasons, none after Aug. 16, 2004, when he underwent surgery for a torn right hamstring.

 

Not So Fast

[CanadianChris 0]

What difference does it make? The Reds are out of it; he'd be better off resting and not taking any chances.

 

Even if he doesn't come back, he's still Comeback Player of the Year.

[CanadianChris 0]

Sheffield came up lame chasing down a fly ball in the Yanks-Rays game. He left the game holding his hammy.

 

In other news, the Rays continue to make the Yankees their bitches. 4-0 TB in the fourth.

[Spaceman Spiff 0]

Another HR for Ryan Howard tonight, as the Phillies lead the Astros 3-2 in the 5th.

 

I wonder if there's any way to have Thome "disappear mysteriously" before the start of the next season

[mike546 0]

The thing I don't get is that the Rays lead the AL in errors. Why is that they play PERFECT baseball against us?

 

And why can't we hit Doug Waechter when hes given up 157 hits in 137 innings?

 

*bangs head into desk*

[UseTheSledgehammerUh 0]

Fish may have the WC share by end of the evening.

[Bored 0]

A's pulled off their greatest 9th inning comeback since moving to Oakland today, scoring five to pull out an 8-7 win. Why couldn't they do that last when I was there? Bastards!

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Bobby Abreu hits a HUGE game-tying home run. Of course, the idiots at WIP will say its just empty numbers.