TWiB: Week of April 16-22

[Guest NYankees]

Johnny Damon just made a fine catch off the wall, to prevent extra bases for Vernon Wells, and what would have been a 4-2 score for the Yanks.

 

EDIT: Glaus hammers it, and it's now 4-3. The Score was really hyping up the Johnson-Chacin pitcher's duel.

 

They are going to have a duel to see who can give up the most homerun's.

[naiwf 0]

Well, looks like the Mets will have to try and win the rubber game tomorrow since the real Victor Zambrano came out tonight and has given up 5 runs, and 2 monster shots back to back to Jones and LaRoche. I didn't expect to win with 3 of our regular hitters out, but it would be nice if Victor wouldn't burn up the whole fucking bullpen tonight.

[mike546 0]

Yea, its not Randy's night.

[Guest NYankees]

No kidding. After the Yankees went up 4-0 I thought for a minute that Randy would hold the lead and win.

 

 

Randy gives up another homerun to make it 6-4 Bluejays. Is Kelly Stinett going to remain Randy's personal catcher. What is sickening is that Randy gets paid almost half a million dollars per start. Shit I can go out there for 2 grand and pitch just as good.

[mike546 0]

Can Yankee fans please shut up about the RJ/personal catcher thing? its just a coincidence he sucked with Posada last year.

[KingPK 0]

Uh huh. I'm sure that major league hitters would phear the 78MPH "heat" you'd hurl at them.

 

What IS the problem with Johnson and Posada, anyway? He isn't that difficult to catch since he doesn't have a pitch like the knuckleball in his arsenal.

 

EDIT: Holy crap, Manny finally has an extra base hit this year!

[naiwf 0]

Randy's old. It's Steingrabber's fault he wants an All-Star team and overpays for guys on their last legs. I for one enjoy seeing RJ get rocked.

 

Posada is like Piazza was for the Mets in that they really suck at calling a game. With normal guys it's OK, but the diva type pitchers out there would rather sacrifice offense for the "comfort" of knowing that the guy they're throwing to is solely there for them. It's the same shit Maddux used to pull with taking Javy Lopez out of the Braves' lineup back in the day.

[Guest NYankees]

Can Yankee fans please shut up about the RJ/personal catcher thing? its just a coincidence he sucked with Posada last year.

 

 

Mike I was joking about it because of how horrible Randy has been tonight with his personal catcher. You do have to admit that the Yankees lose alot of offense when they replace Posada with Stinett.

[MikeJordan23 0]

Albert hit number 10 today. Cards getting killed by Pittsburgh though.

[Guest Sylvan Grenier]

With normal guys it's OK, but the diva type pitchers out there would rather sacrifice offense for the "comfort" of knowing that the guy they're throwing to is solely there for them. It's the same shit Maddux used to pull with taking Javy Lopez out of the Braves' lineup back in the day.

Michael Barrett is catching Maddux for the Cubs these days, and Barrett is mediocre defensively. Henry Blanco doesn't seem to be good at anything.

[Guest NYankees]

Damon is putting up a highlight reel in Toronto. He deserves a gold glove just based off of today.

[Guest Sylvan Grenier]

Joe Maddon has indie cred.

[KingPK 0]

Of course I choose TONIGHT to bench Grady Sizemore because he's been struggling a bit..

[KingPK 0]

Yeah, that's the kind of Ramirez at-bat I've been waiting for all season. Patient, waiting for the right pitch to go opposite field with.

 

Fun fact: Today is the 25th anniversary of the longest game in professional baseball history between the Pawtucket Red Sox and Rochester Red Wings on April 18, 1981. It went 32 innings and was called at 4:09 AM the next morning with the score still tied 2-2. They resumed two months later (in June) and Pawtcket won 3-2 when Dave Koza knocked in Marty Barret in the bottom of the 33rd.

[Guest Sylvan Grenier]

Would it kill the freakin' Royals to win a game? Three unearned runs? Bunch of fuckin' slobs. You've got average players out there in Sanders and Grudzielanek, you should at least post an average record. Geez.

[Guest Smues]

FUCK YES Kyle Davies complete game. Great job out there tonight by Kyle.

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

The Os are getting slaughtered 13-0.

 

Worst game of the year easily.

[the max 0]

I'm thankful that I have XM since I'm blacked out of the Tampa v. Red Sox game for some reason. FSN Florida was playing the meaningless Thrashers v. Panthers game.

[KingPK 0]

See, this is why I'd like to see the Sox offense start to get going more; the bullpen isn't going to be lights out every night and you won't win a 1-run game every time.

[the max 0]

The offense will come around though. Crisp looked comfortable before he got hurt, Manny isn't going to be in a slump all season and Lowell will eventually figure it all out. If anything, the beginning of this season has made me happy that they're able to pitch this well, since that always bodes well for the playoffs.

[KingPK 0]

Damn, Beckett's starting Friday instead of the Thursday game I'm going to. Wake/Kazmir should be an interesting matchup though.

 

Geez, Yook's a hoss w/RISP this year.

[KingPK 0]

Wait a minute, wait a minute......is that the Ultimate Warrior's theme music I just heard when Papelbon was warming up on the mound?

 

He is now the greatest player ever.

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

15-1! Ugh. The Os need to win tomorrow, and Im fairly confident with Bedard pitching on Thursday they can at least salvage the series win out of this.

[Guest Sylvan Grenier]

If Carlos Zambrano had any less control, he'd be shitting his pants. Guy's really Rick Vaughn-ing it up lately.

[vivalaultra 0]

Hey, Alke...or somebody. This came up tonight during the 'Stros game. Do you know of any major league players that have played every single position including pitcher in a single game? Apparently there's been alot, but damned if I can think of any. 'Stros are hitting good again tonite, but are on the verge of blowing it because after getting up 11-2, Phil Garner thought it would be funny to play Brad Ausmus at first base. Oh well. Go 'Stros.

[Guest Sylvan Grenier]

I think it's funny to play Brad Ausmus at all.

 

Hey, before we get too excited about Houston's hot start, let's bear in mind that of their 10-4 record, 7 of those 10 wins are at home in their goofy-ass ballpark, and 9 of their 14 games have been at home.

 

 

EDIT: Oh, I guess that means it's time for the first one of the 2006 season:

Aw, dang. I forgot that little-leaguers could tie this game when it's 300 feet to left.

[vivalaultra 0]

I think it's funny to play Brad Ausmus at all.

 

Hey, before we get too excited about Houston's hot start, let's bear in mind that of their 10-4 record, 7 of those 10 wins are at home in their goofy-ass ballpark, and 9 of their 14 games have been at home.

 

 

Hey now, B-Rod's clutch. He's lost a step, but he's still one of the top 5 defensive catchers in the NL, and the last half of last season he hit like.... .325 or so. And he calls a good game. Clemens said that the only catcher he wants to work with is Ausmus. And with as many rookies as we have in the rotation, we need a veteran behind the plate. And Garner's said that having Brad is like having an additional bench coach with his encyclopedic knowledge of the hitters and what-not. The ball park's not that goofy. I don't understand how people say that the only reason the Astros play so well at home is because they have the Crawford Boxes where it's 325 and gone. I mean, it's not like when the opposing team comes up to bat the boxes move back 50 feet or anything. The other hitters have the exact same odds of hitting a ball out to left as the Astros do. And still, it's pretty deep out to left field and center fields one of, if not the deepest, in the National League. I mean, sure there's the hill and all, but not many people hit it that deep anyway. And what about all the other teams that didn't play well at home? What about their homefield advantage? Does the assumed "goofiness" of Minute Maid Park add 6 Astro runs every game? Honestly, the 'Stros have scored more than 8 runs in 5 of their last 6 games-three of em on the road. You can't say that ALL of that's attributed to MMP goofiness.

[vivalaultra 0]

EDIT: Oh, I guess that means it's time for the first one of the 2006 season:

Aw, dang. I forgot that little-leaguers could tie this game when it's 300 feet to left.

 

Come on...haven't you ever put the wrong player in when you were making a double switch and had to go back and fix your lineup card?

[Guest Sylvan Grenier]

I think there's a distinct HFA for the Astros. It's not like they're the first team to exploit an irregular ballpark. They're definitely a talented team contending for the NL Central, at any rate.

[vivalaultra 0]

Meh, I'm not so sure if it's a homeFIELD advantage as much as a homeTOWN advantage. Even back in the days of the Astrodome, the Astros always played much better at home, for whatever reason. And as long as you're not a Cubs fan, I wish your team luck as well.