This Week in Baseball 7/30 - 8/5

[Dobbs 3K 0]

The Brewers re-take first place in the NL Central by beating the Phillies 2-1, while the Cubs lost to the Mets earlier today. Let the speculation about that dugout argument igniting the Crew begin.

 

On a side note, I don't think it was mentioned earlier in this thread, that Ryan Braun was named the July NL Rookie of the Month and Player of the Month...the first time ever that the same person has won both awards in a month. I told you all this guy was good.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

I can't believe Lincecum's name came up in this thread for 300 wins.

 

A lot of scouts, Keith Law most vocally, think he's going to end up in the bullpen.

 

 

I don't trust Keith Law as a scout at all, but Lincecum has one of the scariest deliveries I've seen. He's a longshot for staying healty as a starting pitcher.

[Guest •]

The Brewers re-take first place in the NL Central by beating the Phillies 2-1, while the Cubs lost to the Mets earlier today. Let the speculation about that dugout argument igniting the Crew begin.

I'd speculate that Yovani Gallardo is good at baseball. I'd like to think that nobody is going to seriously argue that some little flare-up in the dugout will have any causal relationship in how the Brewers play. Everybody attributes the Cubs' renaissance to the Barrett fight and Lou's ejection (but not Lou's erection), which is sort of a well-yes-and-no deal: it gave the team a spark insofar as the former led to the departure of a really shitty baseball player, and not the ejection, but rather the subsequent suspension, led Lou to evaluate the team from a distance and consolidate his power within the organization, rebuilding the team in his vision, not Hendry's. The fallacy that your average douchebag Cub fan or meathead from Carpentersville embraces is that these turns of events, in and of themselves, gave the team some boost of f&p, while in reality, most of the players in the dugout just pointed and laughed at the aging fat white guy throwing a temper tantrum. Anyway, I'm guessing that you suggested the benefits of this Yost-Estrada thing with tongue firmly in cheek, but I said the same thing to myself when you suggested that the government should forcibly sterilize stupid people, so I'm just trying to cover all the bases, as it were.

[vivalaultra 0]

I'm watching highlights of the Brewers/Phillies game and I just saw the 2nd coolest play I've seen in a while (It would've been the first if not for Melky Cabrera's ground-rule double); Corey Hart was rounding third. Chris Coste had the ball and was preparing to tag Hart out, but Hart totally karate kicked the ball out of his hand. First time I've ever seen someone kick the ball out of a catcher's hand. Smart play, that.

[Guest •]

Why would Johnny Estrada tag his own teammate out?

[Vern Gagne 0]

The Twins let down the entire state of Minnesota, and lost to Cleveland.

[vivalaultra 0]

Why would Johnny Estrada tag his own teammate out?

 

I have no idea what you're talking about, as I have conveniently edited my post to say that zee man behind zee dish was Chris Coste. Thus, I have hidden my flub and, in the process, made your retort look nonsensical. MUWHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

[devo 0]

I'm watching highlights of the Brewers/Phillies game and I just saw the 2nd coolest play I've seen in a while (It would've been the first if not for Melky Cabrera's ground-rule double); Corey Hart was rounding third. Chris Coste had the ball and was preparing to tag Hart out, but Hart totally karate kicked the ball out of his hand. First time I've ever seen someone kick the ball out of a catcher's hand. Smart play, that.

 

The flying kick was pretty impressive, but yeah, Melky's double is one of the strangest things I've seen in a baseball game in a good long while. I doubt that's the scenario the rulebook writers had in mind when they came up with that statute.

 

Nice to see the Mets gain a little ground on Atlanta and Philadelphia today, even with Kyle Kendrick throwing a terrific game and Texiera continuing to play out of his mind.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

The flying kick was pretty impressive, but yeah, Melky's double is one of the strangest things I've seen in a baseball game in a good long while. I doubt that's the scenario the rulebook writers had in mind when they came up with that statute.

Probably not specifically, but the only quirk is the scoring. Generally a ball in play that goes into the stands is a base, maybe two. So awarding the extra base in this situation is sensible.

[mike546 0]

A-Rod with 500.

[treble 0]

I don't think the Jays have lost a game yet that's been on CBC. Jesse Barfield is good luck.

[strummer 0]

The Cubs are slaughtering John Maine

[Bruiser Chong 0]

I couldn't believe how quickly he unraveled. He threw less than 20 pitches through the first two innings and by most accounts, looked untouchable. Then he crashed and burned in Jason Marquis-like fashion.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Alex Rodriguez needs just 256 home runs to break the record. Sound easy? It's no easy feat in itself.

 

CAREER
AGE >= 32

HOMERUNS                        HR     
1    Barry Bonds                 400   
2    Babe Ruth                   358   
3    Hank Aaron                  357   
4    Rafael Palmeiro             336   
5    Mark McGwire                306   
6    Willie Mays                 292   
7    Andres Galarraga            283

[Smartly Pretty 0]

Most of that John Maine blow up goes back to the first base ump seemingly blowing the call on that Ryan Theriot play at first, but what are you gonna do.

[Guest •]

I heard no indication from Pat and Ron about the ump blowing the call on the Theriot play, and they'll usually be pretty honest about that sort of thing. Maybe the Cardinal announcers on Fox had a different take on it.

[World's Worst Man 0]

Bonds, Palmeiro and McGuire, heh. If ARod was on the same stuff as those guys, he'd finish with about 900 home runs.

 

I'd really be surprised if Rodriguez doesn't break the record a good year or two before he turns 40.

[treble 0]

I heard no indication from Pat and Ron about the ump blowing the call on the Theriot play, and they'll usually be pretty honest about that sort of thing. Maybe the Cardinal announcers on Fox had a different take on it.

It was pretty close. It looked like he was out, but it could have been called either way.

[Smartly Pretty 0]

Maybe "blowing" it isn't the right word. maybe he missed it. Maybe he didn't, who knows, those freeze frames are blurry.

[Dobbs 3K 0]

BREWERS beat the Phillies 6-5 in a HUGE comeback win. Prince Fielder hit a big two run bomb to give the Brewers the lead, and Corey Hart made a leaping catch to deny a homer in the bottom of the 9th that would have tied the game.

 

Nice win.

[Spaceman Spiff 0]

Welcome back, Tom Gordon! Picking right up where he left off

[treble 0]

There's 755. How long do we have to wait for 756 now?

[strummer 0]

With the way Tom Glavine has pitched against the Cubs as a Met I don't think ESPN is going to get to brag about airing his 300th win tomorrow.

 

If the Mets don't get to Marquis early on this one will be over pretty fast.

 

And replays showed that Theriot was just out at first. It was real close, so it wasn't really a blown call but he was out.

[Mik 0]

They have a ranking of sluggers on SportsNation and I seriously sometimes think that the "citizens" of SportsNation are fucking retarded.

 

They have:

1. Ruth

2. Aaron

3. Mays

4. Bonds

 

Having Aaron above Mays is just insane, in my eyes, and I'd put Hank 4th behind Barry, personally.

[Bruiser Chong 0]

With the way Tom Glavine has pitched against the Cubs as a Met I don't think ESPN is going to get to brag about airing his 300th win tomorrow.

 

If the Mets don't get to Marquis early on this one will be over pretty fast.

 

And replays showed that Theriot was just out at first. It was real close, so it wasn't really a blown call but he was out.

Marquis has a habit of looking decent-good the first couple of innings and then just completely falling apart before Lou has a chance to warm anyone else up.

 

The replays indicate Theriot was just out, but again, we have the benefit of replays and freeze frames. Besides, that only made it 1-0 with two outs at that point. It wasn't like the Cubs unloaded the hit parade after that. He walked/hit the next three and then gave up two hits. He has no one to blame but himself for the runs that followed after the play at first.

[vivalaultra 0]

The last inning of the 'Stros/Marlins was about the oddest thing I've ever seen. It was tied at 5-5 in the 11th. Stephen Randolph (the Japanese black lefty) got two quick outs and IW Miguel Cabrera. So, Cabrera's at 1st with 2 outs. Randolph bounces a curveball that comes up and hits catcher Eric Munson in the throat. Munson goes down, nobody calls time, and Cabrera sneaks to 2nd base. Then, on the next pitch, Randolph throws ANOTHER wild pitch that Munson runs after. Cabrera gets to third. Munson continues to chase the ball until it rolls into the Marlins dugout out of play. Cabrera's awarded home and the Fish win 6-5 without getting a hit. And Cabrera elbowed Hanley Ramirez in the eye in the after-game celebration.

[Bored 0]

So much for Bonds being booed, which pleases the side of me that hates the holier than thou baseball writers who were convinced fans outside of San Francisco would rise up and slay him if he dared tie/break the record in their park. On the other hand it displeases the side of me that hates that prick.

 

If he doesn't break it tonight though no way he plays tommorrow as its getaway day and he's due for a day off as it is.

[Spaceman Spiff 0]

From Friday's Mets/Cubs game, here'e Eddie Vedder:

singing "Take Me Out To The Ballgame"

[Vern Gagne 0]

I would guess Bonds sits out tomorrow's game.

[Guest •]

So much for Bonds being booed, which pleases the side of me that hates the holier than thou baseball writers who were convinced fans outside of San Francisco would rise up and slay him if he dared tie/break the record in their park. On the other hand it displeases the side of me that hates that prick.

 

If he doesn't break it tonight though no way he plays tommorrow as its getaway day and he's due for a day off as it is.

It's San Diego. They're not exactly known for their man-eating spectators. If it was Dodger Stadium, it'd be a different story. Personally, I'm really disappointed in the Padres "fans" applauding the pumpkin-headed roid monkey. Way to go.