This Week in Baseball 7/9 - 7/15

[Dobbs 3K 0]

Yeah, it's not going to happen, but there's been talk about Griffey possibly being traded to Milwaukee. Peter Gammons mentioned the rumors yesterday on ESPN. Supposedly, though, the Reds already told Griffey they hadn't been talking with the Brewers.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

If I were the Sox, I'd want Ortiz to have the surgery now. I doubt 3-4 weeks would be sufficient healing time for a man of his size, but I'd rather deal with it now and have a 100% Papi in October than a 50% one.

 

Besides they could just give those at-bats to Wily Mo to either showcase him for a trade or decide once and for all if he's ever going to be a productive member of this team. They could even trade for someone like Dan Johnson, if he is really available, and alternate him with Youks, Lowell and Ramirez in the DH role to get those guys some rest down the stretch.

 

I just don't think a 10-game lead will wilt away because Ortiz takes the time to have surgery now.

[vivalaultra 0]

I agree about Papi. He should go ahead and get the surgery so that he can be back 100% for the playoffs. The Sox have built a comfortable enough lead where they can afford to give the ABs to Willy Mo or somebody else. Seeing him foul that ball of his knee last nite shows what obvious pain he's in and there's no sense in risking him hurting himself further when the Sox are so far ahead, especially when he's having a 'down' year (only on pace to hit 28 HRs and drive in 100?!?!). There's gotta be a trade or a minor leaguer that the Sox can use for a month or so that won't hurt the team dramatically.

 

Also, it's now official that Marc Cuban has applied to buy the Chicago Cubs. If he's successful, that could cause some serious inflation on the FA market.

[Dobbs 3K 0]

I doubt the other owners would allow it, frankly. I think I also remember Selig saying something about them not considering Cuban for ownership a while ago.

[vivalaultra 0]

I hope he doesn't get approved. I find Cuban's antics amusing from a distance, but if they invaded baseball, my chosen sport, they would just get annoying.

 

HeyLookAtThis!It'sHilarious!!!!!!

[Guest •]

Cuban would be a good owner. He wants to win. The Wrigleys ran the Cubs like a toy, and the Tribune ran it like a cash cow. Mark Cuban would finally run the Cubs like a baseball team. That said, he won't be approved, because Jerry Reinsdorf will block the sale by colluding* with fellow owners, his impetus being that he doesn't want that sort of challenge in town with him. Reinsdorf is friends with Selig, Selig is friends with his hand-picked choice for the new owner, HPCFNO is a minority owner of the Brewers, and we're just balls-deep in conflicts of interest already.

 

*the legality of this is questionable!

[Danville_Wrestling 0]

Cubs leading the Astros 3-0 after the fourth thanks good baserunning and to a pair of errors by the Astros on one play.

 

With the Cubs leading 1-0 after a sac fly by Jones that scored Cliff Floyd, Lamb threw a ball past Berkman at first which advanced DeRosa to third and got Soto to first and then Berkman threw a ball back to Lamb thinking that DeRosa was way off the bag (although DeRosa was clearly holding up) and the ball went way over Lamb's head and into the stands. This scored DeRosa and advanced Soto to third where he was subsequently knocked in by a Zambrano single to left field.

 

Heading into the bottom of the fifth now and the Astros have only one hit.

[Guest •]

Yes, that happened. I was listening to it, but I wanted to get out of the habit of

 

This Week In Baseball x/y x/z, Bored's witty subtitle

Post 1: Nationally televised games.

Post 2: My favorite team won a baseball game.

Post 3: My favorite team won a baseball game.

Post 4: My favorite team did something in a baseball game.

Post 5: Trade rumors I made up.

Post 6: My favorite team won a baseball game.

Post 7: My favorite team did something in a baseball game.

Post 8: My favorite team won a baseball game.

 

 

 

 

[Slayer 0]

Post 9: Yankees something-or-other

Post 10: "Statistics Prove Everything You Believe is Wrong" by Alan Keiper

[Guest •]

I consider myself pretty far to the left on the statistics-----intangibles continuum of baseball analysis, but you'll never convince me that VORP isn't a bunch of hooey.

[Danville_Wrestling 0]

Yeah, it's not going to happen, but there's been talk about Griffey possibly being traded to Milwaukee. Peter Gammons mentioned the rumors yesterday on ESPN. Supposedly, though, the Reds already told Griffey they hadn't been talking with the Brewers.

 

Yea, definitely not going to happen since the last thing the Reds want is Griffey in the division. However, although I'm a Reds & Griffey fan I think he needs to get the hell out of Cincinnati. He's never been the same since he's arrived and a change of scenery would probably be good for him.

 

I see Griffey being traded this year and maybe Adam Dunn too which would not bother me since I see Dunn as a "swing for the fences or nothing" type hitter.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Joe Posnanski pontificates.

 

http://thesoulofbaseball.blogspot.com/2007...vs-closers.html

 

Well, now we need to add a Type D manager’s move to the list. Because Tuesday night, All Star Game, ninth inning, Tony La Russa made a move (or didn’t make a move) so staggeringly bad, so ludicrously stupid, so utterly self defeating that it might actually, in the long run, get him fired or force him to resign his real job. It also may not blow up at all, but it’s worth mentioning that only La Russa could screw up an All-Star Game so monumentally that he comes out with a loss and a pissed-off superstar.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

When you absolutely have to avoid your 10,000th loss, call up Kip Wells.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Tony LaRussa made a major mistake tonight. He started Albert Pujols. Now if the Cardinals score nine runs and send this to extra innings, they're screwed.

[Guest •]

Well, at least the Phillies fans aren't alienated by him pulling Fire & Passion from the game for his guy.

[devo 0]

I'm really glad the Mets pulled out a victory tonight, not only because it would have been really annoying to see them get ten hits and only have one run to show for it but also because they would have wasted Glavine's best start of the year (8 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 5 K, 0 BB).

 

298. Looks like it's going to happen after all.

[Danville_Wrestling 0]

Matsuzaka picks up an ugly win, his eleventh of the season, tonight against Toronto where he surrendered three runs in the top of the 6th to blow a 4-1 lead. However, thanks to a Jason Varitek two run home run accompanied by three more runs by Julio Lugo, Coco Crisp, and Dustin Pedroia the Red Sox were able to re-establish an insurmountable lead in the bottom of that same inning.

 

The 9-4 win keeps Boston ten games clear of the Yankees.

 

Matsuzaka's line tonight: 6 IP, 4 ER, 2 K, 2 BB, 70 strikes on 110 pitches

[TheDevilAndGodAreRagingInsideMe 0]

Mo takes 3rd place on the saves list, passing John Franco with 425.

[Guest Smues]

Would I be correct in assuming the Sunday night game is earlier due to the ESPYs? ( I think those are this week?) If that's the case than I need to find my way to the ESPN sucks thread.

[Danville_Wrestling 0]

Your probably right. I thought the games would be later today than they were and nearly missed the Rangers-Angels game that I'm watching right now.

[Guest Smues]

A quick check of tvguide.com shows that the Esbys are on at 5 (9EST). So now I need to give my obligitory "Fuck you ESPN" and then hope for a 2 hour rain delay early in the game, and then an 18 inning marathon. Come on Cards and Phillies, you can do it!

 

[Guest •]

Cubs sweep the Astros. So viva, which generic white guys will be traded at the deadline, now that they're finished?

[Bruiser Chong 0]

I can't believe they came back from five down. Now if only Jason Marquis would stop trying to be 2003 Shawn Estes to this team. Cubs don't have miraculous comebacks in them every five days, so this problem needs to be addressed sooner than later if this team's for real.

 

And Lou earned big points with me by going to Marmol with two outs in the fifth in a one-run game. He hasn't been deemed the closer with Dempster out, but at the very least, he's been the lights out setup man. Lou realized the game was on the line at that point and instead of going to one of his middle relievers just because tradition dictates such a move, he went to his best arm in the pen and it paid off.

[Bored 0]

Can this season end already? Barring a miracle the A's are looking at not playing meaningful games in September for the first time in nine years.

[Guest •]

I was at Borders and Steak n Shake, so I jumped in at the top of the 5th. That was an absolutely great move by Lou to put Marmol in, yes. Depending on how this season pans out for the North Siders, I think Lou should get Manager of the Year, since he's had a very active role in retooling this team over the course of the season and sticking with productive younger players like Fontenot and Theriot over proven veterans like Jones and Izturis, which not many expected. Then there's the matter of shipping out Michael Barrett, one of Hendry's favorites, in order to shore up the fielding behind the plate. You may have noticed the Cubs have improved since then.

[TheDevilAndGodAreRagingInsideMe 0]

Farnsworth's gotta go. I can't say it enough.

[vivalaultra 0]

Cubs sweep the Astros. So viva, which generic white guys will be traded at the deadline, now that they're finished?

 

I'd say Loretta and maybe Lamb. I'd be sad about both. Jennings will probably be moved. I won't be sad about that one. Roy won't be moved. Lidge won't be moved. Ensberg won't be moved (much to my dismay).

[Guest •]

I figured either Chris Burke, Mike Lamb, Luke Scott, Andy Cornell, Eric Bruntlett, Kevin Thomas, Morgan Ensberg, or Taylor Elmsworth.

[mike546 0]

Can this season end already? Barring a miracle the A's are looking at not playing meaningful games in September for the first time in nine years.

 

I think I see a variation of this post every year from Bored, and then the A's go on some insane run and make the playoffs.

[Bored 0]

Obviously you underestimate my genius then.

 

But no, really, its over this year.