This Week in Baseball 7/23 - 7/29

[Bored]

ESPN & FOX Games to Poison Our Youth

 

MONDAY

Red Sox (Jon Lester) at Indians (Jake Westbrook), 7:00/4:00 PM, ESPN2

Braves (John Smoltz) at Giants (Matt Cain), 10:00/7:00 PM, ESPN2

 

WEDNESDAY

Cubs (Ted Lilly) at Cardinals (Adam Wainwright), 8:00/5:00 PM, ESPN2

 

SATURDAY

Padres at Astros, 3:55/12:55 PM, FOX

Braves at Diamondbacks, 3:55/12:55 PM, FOX

Tigers at Angels, 3:55/12:55 PM, FOX

 

SUNDAY

Tigers at Angels, 8:00/5:00 PM, ESPN

[tominator89]

Hank Aaron is not dead.

[Bruiser Chong]

Is too.

[Cheech Tremendous]

Gotta love that Yogi Berra.

 

And it should read "If Hank Aaron were alive, he'd be rolling over in his grave."

[vivalaultra]

So, among other rumors, there's a rumor that Jim Bowden and the Washington Nationals are discussing trading for Adam Dunn. The reasoning given for the trade is to either attempt to keep Dunn as the future cornerstone of the team or to simply trade for him and let him walk after this season and get draft picks for 2008.

[devo]

http://www.nypost.com/seven/07232007/sport...n_terranova.htm

 

Moises Alou might return to the Mets' lineup as soon as tomorrow after being out for nearly two and a half months. Which makes me curious, what's the longest time between roster appearances in a season? I guess the obvious answer would be 161 games, but I dunno.

[Cheech Tremendous]

So, among other rumors, there's a rumor that Jim Bowden and the Washington Nationals are discussing trading for Adam Dunn. The reasoning given for the trade is to either attempt to keep Dunn as the future cornerstone of the team or to simply trade for him and let him walk after this season and get draft picks for 2008.

 

1. They won't be able to re-sign him

 

2. The players they'd likely have to give up to acquire him would be worth more than the draft picks they'd get in return

 

For those Cinci fans, just how bad is Dunn at 1B? I know that he's horrible, but is it Manny in LF sorta passable horrible or Wily Mo in RF cover your eyes and puke on the floor horrible? Could I stomach him at 1B next year for the Red Sox?

[Guest •]

So, among other rumors, there's a rumor that Jim Bowden and the Washington Nationals are discussing trading for Adam Dunn. The reasoning given for the trade is to either attempt to keep Dunn as the future cornerstone of the team or to simply trade for him and let him walk after this season and get draft picks for 2008.

 

1. They won't be able to re-sign him

 

2. The players they'd likely have to give up to acquire him would be worth more than the draft picks they'd get in return

3. Jim Bowden

 

[vivalaultra]

Doing a rough calculation on Adam Dunn at 1B, he would make approx. 23 errors over the course of a season given his career line of 12 errors in 76 innings there. I don't think he would be THAT bad at first, but, then again, I don't think he's as bad in LF as his reputation describes him being.

[Dandy]

He's gotten tremendously better over the years in LF> He is now an average fielder. In the earlier years, he was exciting in the outfield for all the wrong reasons. I wanted to see him at first years ago because of his terrible defense, but Sean Casey was a good hitter and the most popular man in the city. Dunn probably has to go to a team that can afford him next year, and most would prefer him as a DH. Yankees or Sox it looks like.

[vivalaultra]

I wouldn't discount the Rangers or the Angels. Not that I think either of those teams can outbid Boston or New York either.

[Hawk 34]

After last year's mess, I would hope Cincinnati wouldn't dare deal with Bowden again. We don't need more undisclosed injuries in the bullpen.

 

Here's a sign that you don't trust your bullpen, when you have the starter go into extra innings.

[treble]

My favourite team hit 4 home runs off of Johan Santana and won 6-4.

 

Also, when will this favourite team stuff get old?

[EVIL~! alkeiper]

Last week sometime.

[Brett Favre]

I really doubt the Yankees are interested in Dunn. We already have two DHs. Damon and Giambi.

[Hawk 34]

The Reds-Brewers game was all kinds of awesome. Harrang, the most underlooked pitcher in the game today went all out and Valentin steps up with the liner to score the winning run in the 12th.

[Guest •]

Yeah, that was hot shit.

 

Oh, and since I'm responsible for the "my favorite team won" meme, you guys have my permission to stop. I appreciate that it got over, but I don't think everyone using it realizes why I brought it about in the first place.

[Dobbs 3K]

My favorite team lost.

 

12 innings, and they only score one run. They had bases loaded with no outs at one point, and couldn't score a dang run. Just a frustrating night. Worst part is that they wasted a GREAT start by Chris Capuano.

 

Ah well...still in first place.

[Boon]

Jon Lester came back and had a good outing in a winning effort. Take that, cancer!

[Hawk 34]

My favorite team lost.

 

12 innings, and they only score one run. They had bases loaded with no outs at one point, and couldn't score a dang run. Just a frustrating night. Worst part is that they wasted a GREAT start by Chris Capuano.

 

Ah well...still in first place.

 

The fact they couldn't score with no outs and loaded bases against Cincinnati doesn't bode well for their chances to hold onto that first place lead. Granted, it's just a single game but it shows like all season, they can't score with RISP.

[vivalaultra]

My favorite team isn't as bad as the Washington Nationals, but they're getting close! (I would have compared them to the D-Rays or the Royals, but the fact that the D-Rays and the Royals have several young players either in the majors or in the minors that will probably become future All-Stars disqualifies my team from being compared to them.)

[Dobbs 3K]

My favorite team lost.

 

12 innings, and they only score one run. They had bases loaded with no outs at one point, and couldn't score a dang run. Just a frustrating night. Worst part is that they wasted a GREAT start by Chris Capuano.

 

Ah well...still in first place.

 

The fact they couldn't score with no outs and loaded bases against Cincinnati doesn't bode well for their chances to hold onto that first place lead. Granted, it's just a single game but it shows like all season, they can't score with RISP.

 

Yeah, I know. It's been an issue all season, but especially lately, if they don't hit home runs, they don't score runs. Getting kind of old at this point.

[Cheech Tremendous]

My favorite team isn't as bad as the Washington Nationals, but they're getting close! (I would have compared them to the D-Rays or the Royals, but the fact that the D-Rays and the Royals have several young players either in the majors or in the minors that will probably become future All-Stars disqualifies my team from being compared to them.)

 

 

On the plus side, those guys will end up being All-Stars for other teams.

[Guest •]

Two years after their World Series meeting, the White Sox and Astros are in their respective leagues' cellars. The Cardinals are treading water in their title defense year. And who says we need a salary cap to achieve parity.

 

Granted, it's just a single game but it shows like all season, they can't score with RISP.

I wouldn't complain about Milwaukee's offense one bit, nor Yost's use of it (namely refraining from the sacrifice bunt). Their middle relief is what seems to be their weakest spot, and Grant Balfour has been a less than stellar addition to what's already an average bunch (Turnbow/Shouse/Wise, with Turnbow getting the ire of seemingly every Brewers fan, partly because he's shaky in the setup role, partly because he resembles the squeaky-voiced teen from The Simpsons.) But yeah, I haven't noticed any failure to score runs by the Brewers. They've gotta be top 5 in the majors in runs scored.

[Dandy]

Reds/Brewers was indeed awesome. Good pitching. I looked at the game as the pitchers working out of tough jams late in the game rather than the offenses not being able to capitalize. The bases loaded no outs play by Conine was routine, but still a great play by a veteran. He didn't hesitate with the throw home, and did it very smoothly. You almost expect the first baseman to think about stepping on the bag first when they are that close, but Conine throws a casual throw home, retreats to the bag, and Ross takes his time to move outside of the runner's path for his throw.

 

On a side note, Pedro Lopez would not be used by me for a while after tonight's game. I'm not sure he was "hotdogging" with the basket catch attempt, but you simply don't miss that routine play in extra innings. To top that, he misses a bunt sign before being bailed out by a wild Grant "Ball Four" Balfour.

[Cheech Tremendous]

yeah, I haven't noticed any failure to score runs by the Brewers. They've gotta be top 5 in the majors in runs scored.

 

 

4th in the NL, 11th in the majors

[vivalaultra]

One of my favorite players on my favorite team is out 4-6 weeks with a wrist injury. Jason '40 Homer Potential? Ha!' Lane has been recalled from AAA while Hunter Pence is on the DL. So, not only is my favorite team going to lose 100 games this season, but they won't even have the ROTY.

[Cheech Tremendous]

Hey Al, Joba Chamberlain and Ian Kennedy were called up to Scranton. You'll have to give us some scouting reports.

[EVIL~! alkeiper]

Hey Al, Joba Chamberlain and Ian Kennedy were called up to Scranton. You'll have to give us some scouting reports.

Kennedy I've already seen and was impressed by in a game in Reading. Chamberlain seems an elite talent based on his performance this year. Hopefully I'll get a chance to see Chamberlain in action. Tonight I've got Louisville/Scranton with Phil Hughes on rehab. Also curious to see the Reds' next big thing, Jay Bruce.

[sfaJack]

Craig Biggio will announce his retirement at 3 pm today, effective Sept. 30.