TWiB #7: 5/15 - 5/21

[CanadianChris 0]

The Yankees have signed Terrence Long to a MLC.

Hey, I had him in a fantasy league 6 years ago. I had no idea he was even still around.

[Guest Felonies!]

Hey, tomorrow is Greg Maddux vs. Mark Buerhle, who repeatedly accuses Maddux of throwing a spitter. I hope he gets a start in at Wrigley for the other crosstown series if it means that some Cub pitcher decides to throw at his head.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Brewers sweep the Phillies today. What's funny is, in the preview for the first game of the series, ESPN said that the Phillies winning "was a virtual lock" or some such non-sense. F-U, ESPN.

That's pretty foolish considering the Phils' weakness is left handed pitchers and Capuano was starting.

[TheDevilAndGodAreRagingInsideMe 0]

The Yankees have signed Terrence Long to a MLC.

 

Blah.

[TheDevilAndGodAreRagingInsideMe 0]

ESPN for the life of them cannot get off of Kerry Wood. The guy goes 5 innings, and gives up 5 runs and 3 homers, and they are praising him like crazy on Baseball Tonight. Then, they start saying how he has never won 15 games in a season, and the injury bug, and blah blah blah. They (Brantley and Kurkjian) start talking about how the Cubs need to start making plans without him and Prior in them, and whatnot. Well, then why does ESPN feel it's necessary to lead off BBTN, ESPNews, and SportsCenter ALL with Kerry Wood's awesome day? Make up your minds already.

[Bruiser Chong 0]

Hey, tomorrow is Greg Maddux vs. Mark Buerhle, who repeatedly accuses Maddux of throwing a spitter. I hope he gets a start in at Wrigley for the other crosstown series if it means that some Cub pitcher decides to throw at his head.

This series is going to be ugly. It's bad enough they suck, but these cross-town series tend to be just humiliating some years.

 

It was also pointed out that with the Womack signing and inevitable promotion, the Cubs would be housing seven second-basemen on their roster. SEVEN. It kills me how this organization has completely turned on power, as if that was the cause of their offensive woes these last several years. Pitiful OBP and a bunch of powerless guys (I'm looking at you, Neifi) swinging for the warning track are the causes. But naturally, these things are not viewed as problems by Hendry & Co. We just need more speed.

[Bruiser Chong 0]

ESPN for the life of them cannot get off of Kerry Wood. The guy goes 5 innings, and gives up 5 runs and 3 homers, and they are praising him like crazy on Baseball Tonight. Then, they start saying how he has never won 15 games in a season, and the injury bug, and blah blah blah. They (Brantley and Kurkjian) start talking about how the Cubs need to start making plans without him and Prior in them, and whatnot. Well, then why does ESPN feel it's necessary to lead off BBTN, ESPNews, and SportsCenter ALL with Kerry Wood's awesome day? Make up your minds already.

Well, if it makes you feel any better, he'll probably be back on the DL before shorts weather is in full swing.

[Bored 0]

 

Tries to fake getting hit by a pitch and then gets ejected. Great stuff.

[Guest Princess Leena]

Hehe... that was cute.

 

Could have done better with the acting job... especially when the trainer smiled when he was seeing him.

[treble 0]

The Jays have 9 lives in this game. They probably should have lost it at least twice now, but keep pulling it out. This is with bringing a reliever (Jason Frasor) who was in AAA a few weeks ago with the winning run on 3rd and 1 out when BJ Ryan is just sitting in the bullpen. Apparently, you don't want to use your best reliever when it's a tie game on the road, wouldn't want to win or anything.

[Vern Gagne 0]

The Twins have three rookies scheduled to start this weekend against Milwaukee.

[naiwf 0]

I don't know about you but if I was the Ole Miss manager, I would have told my pitcher to drill that pussy right in his back.

[Guest Princess Leena]

But, then he would have got to first, and he would have got what he wanted.

[Guest Felonies!]

Hey, tomorrow is Greg Maddux vs. Mark Buerhle, who repeatedly accuses Maddux of throwing a spitter. I hope he gets a start in at Wrigley for the other crosstown series if it means that some Cub pitcher decides to throw at his head.

This series is going to be ugly. It's bad enough they suck, but these cross-town series tend to be just humiliating some years.

 

It was also pointed out that with the Womack signing and inevitable promotion, the Cubs would be housing seven second-basemen on their roster. SEVEN. It kills me how this organization has completely turned on power, as if that was the cause of their offensive woes these last several years. Pitiful OBP and a bunch of powerless guys (I'm looking at you, Neifi) swinging for the warning track are the causes. But naturally, these things are not viewed as problems by Hendry & Co. We just need more speed.

Walker, Hairston, the N-Word, Bynum, The Riot, Womack, who am I forgetting? Cedeno? He's not a 2B, but I guess he could be, if we want to really make a point. Even six is too many, though.

 

If they MUST promote Womack, I assume that means they'll DFA the horrific Freddie Bynum, right? Seriously though, what were they thinking? He's been awful.

 

Oh, hey, on the 27th out bunt: Neifi says since he's not a power hitter, it makes sense for him to bunt, and if the situation came up again, he'd do it again. Dusty Baker added that it was a smart move. I just don't know anymore.

[CanadianChris 0]

The Jays have 9 lives in this game. They probably should have lost it at least twice now, but keep pulling it out. This is with bringing a reliever (Jason Frasor) who was in AAA a few weeks ago with the winning run on 3rd and 1 out when BJ Ryan is just sitting in the bullpen. Apparently, you don't want to use your best reliever when it's a tie game on the road, wouldn't want to win or anything.

The funny thing was that the Jays scored 4 runs in the 10th, so Ryan didn't even come in the ball game, not being a save situation and all.

 

It's all Tony La Russa's fault.

[vivalaultra 0]

Apparently, Russ Springer, he who hit Bonds the other nite, has been suspended for four games and fined an undisclosed sum. Phil Garner has been suspended for one game and fined. I find this whole situation ridiculous. How many games did Jose Mesa get suspended for hitting Omar Vizquel the other week? How many games did Pedro Martinez get suspended for hitting 16 Washington Nationals in one game? Yeesh, just because it's Bonds there has to be a suspension and a fine and all kinds of national media coverage. San Fran sportswriters and Rev. Jesse Jackson are making it out like the whole Houston fanbase is a bunch of racists that only cheered because Russ Springer, a white guy, hit Barry Bonds, a black guy...and not because Russ Springer, a Houston Astros pitcher, hit Barry Bonds, a smug ass that leans over the plate and wears layers of armor. If I recall, I saw people of all races in the crowd standing and cheering when Bonds got hit. I find this situation to be ridiculous.

[sfaJack 0]

Dude, relax. Springer got suspended because:

 

1) yes, he hit Bonds

2) it was intentional (regardless of whatever Garner and Springer say, major league pitchers don't miss the strike zone by that much five pitches in a row).

 

I think Pedro has been suspended in the past for plunking guys. And I think Kevin Millwood got suspended last year for hitting somebody too. It's not unprecedented and these days, honestly, it has to be expected. Especially if you've been warned as Springer had.

 

Besides, it's just Russ Springer. It's not like you're losing Roy Oswalt for a week or something. Just be glad Morgan Ensberg or Lance Berkman didn't take one in the earhole in retaliation.

[vivalaultra 0]

I'm not upset that Springer got suspended (even though he's been one of our better bullpen pitchers this season...yeesh). I'm upset at the amount of attention and villianizing going on because he hit Bonds, and, yes it was probably intentional, although there could be a flimsy case made that it wasn't intentional. I'm upset at the situation because if Springer had hit say...Randy Winn or Steve Finley, there wouldn't be this amount of attention being paid, but...because it's BONDS, it has to be made a huge deal. Even a couple weeks ago when Jose Mesa obviously intentionally hit Omar Vizquel and came right out and never denied that it was intentional and alluded to the fact that he would hit Vizquel every time he had the opportunity, there wasn't any suspensions or such. Seriously, when Russ freakin' Springer becomes a topic of debate on Donny Deustch with Jesse Jackson analyzing the situation, that's just going a little bit too far.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

I didn't see the game, but didn't Springer throw at him repeatedly until he finally plunked him, even after being warned?

[vivalaultra 0]

...pretty much. However, there is flimsy evidence to suggest that it wasn't intentional:

 

1.) Springer's wife was scheduled to have surgery the next morning, so his head might not have been in the right place to pitch

2.)The 'Stros were already down about 9 runs, so why put another guy on base?

3.) Before the inning, pretty much all of Springer's warm-up pitches missed inside, hard inside.

4.) Bonds leans over the plate to an absurd degree

5.) Springer didn't throw him fastballs. He was throwing his slider.

6.) It didn't come anywhere near his head. It hit him in the arm.

7.) Bonds didn't really attempt to get out of the way.

8.) All the previous pitches to Bonds had been away and he was pretty much hammering everything. That goes back to him crowding the plate. Gotta try to establish the inside.

 

But, then again, Springer's faced Bonds three times in his career. In 2001, Bonds got a homerun off of him. In 2004, Springer hit Bonds in the shin and Bonds got pissed. And then the other nite, Bonds got hit again.

 

I don't argue the intentionality of the pitch. I just argue with the villianizing of everyone but Bonds and the making it out to be a race thing instead of a Barry Bonds is a jerk thing.

[sfaJack 0]

Springer wasn't throwing sliders. His slider doesn't travel 92 mph. He hit him with a fastball, but either way I don't see why it's a big deal.

 

I agree that it is absurd how much attention it's getting, but that's just the way it is with anything remotely relating to Bonds these days.

 

The bright side is that this has given Jesse Jackson one more chance to look like a fucking retard in public.

[vivalaultra 0]

The first pitch that he got the warning on was a slider. At least, according to Ausmus, Garner, Munson, Springer, the Astros announcers, etc. I wasn't sure what he hit him with. I was in the stands and too busy standing and cheering to check the board.

[naiwf 0]

The first pitch that he got the warning on was a slider. At least, according to Ausmus, Garner, Munson, Springer, the Astros announcers, etc. I wasn't sure what he hit him with. I was in the stands and too busy standing and cheering to check the board.

 

C'mon. Any MLB pitcher who throws at a guy four or five STRAIGHT pitches should be fortunate to only get suspended for 4 games. He was throwing nothing but high cheese after the ball that went behind Bonds' back. Even Clemens didn't go after Piazza that hard.

 

Any about the Arkansas guy, I fall back to the parenting device when a kid is crying, "You want to cry eh? I'll give you something to cry about!". I would have drilled that guy like Springer did to Bonds just to prove a point.

[Vern Gagne 0]

Twinkies should have a deal to start building an outdoor ballpark by Sunday.

[Guest Princess Leena]

Is Metropolitan Stadium still standing?

 

I love using that park in video games.

[Vampiro69 0]

Wow, I haven't thought of the Met in ages. I can't wait for the new stadium to be built, as the Metrodome is uncomfortable to view a game at. However, I will be going to the Twin Cities to watch the Twins-Indians series in July.

[naiwf 0]

Maddux is getting lit up again, 6-1 Sox bottom 5.

[Vern Gagne 0]

Is Metropolitan Stadium still standing?

 

I love using that park in video games.

 

 

It's long gone.

 

How are your HR totals? The Twins hit alot of HR's back in the 60's. I think it was a hitters park, but maybe it guys like "Killer" and Allison.

[naiwf 0]

I meant to put this up earlier but Bubba Crosby is now on the 15 day DL, so the Yanks are now down to their # 6 option in the outfield.

[Vern Gagne 0]

You want Shannon Stewart?