This Week in Baseball 8/6 - 8/12

[Guest Soriano's Torn Quad]

Baseball sucks right now. Just across the board, it fucking sucks. Bonds broke the record, the Yankees are winning, the Dodgers are losing, the Cubs and the Brewers are sucking up the joint and making the whole National League look bad again, and there's a very real possibility that the cracker-ass Diamondbacks are going to win the NL West. It's hard to get excited about it now. On Tuesday, I put channel 9 on to watch the Cubs, but they must have been on Comcast or 26 because Gilmore Girls was on instead, and I ended up just watching Gilmore Girls that night.

[Boon 0]

So Jon Lester beat cancer and made his big comeback to the big leagues... can we send him back down now since it's obvious that he isn't ready to pitch at this level yet? Clay Buchholz is the better pitcher and has actually proven himself in AAA. Time to make the switch.

They won't send Lester down at least until after he starts at home, and then we're only two weeks away from roster expansion anyway. They've got the luxury of not having to panic just yet. Once Buccholz actually commands his fastball, he'll be ready. Until then, they'll let Lester try to figure it out.

[Guest A.BUTCHER'S HOUSE OF RIBS]

Baseball sucks right now. Just across the board, it fucking sucks. Bonds broke the record, the Yankees are winning, the Dodgers are losing, the Cubs and the Brewers are sucking up the joint and making the whole National League look bad again, and there's a very real possibility that the cracker-ass Diamondbacks are going to win the NL West. It's hard to get excited about it now. On Tuesday, I put channel 9 on to watch the Cubs, but they must have been on Comcast or 26 because Gilmore Girls was on instead, and I ended up just watching Gilmore Girls that night.

 

Too bad you didn't watch the Red Sox and Angels series it was phenomenal. I really hope they play in the playoffs. The top of the Angels lineup is insane.

 

[TheDevilAndGodAreRagingInsideMe 0]

12 of the 25 current Yankees on the roster are from the farm system. Times they are a changin' and every baffoon here that thinks that Cashman should be fired is out of their minds.

[Brett Favre 0]

It was a nice site two games ago seeing Hughes, Chamberlain, and Duncan talking on the bench after playing together in Scranton for part of the year. Next year should include even more if Kennedy comes up.

[TheDevilAndGodAreRagingInsideMe 0]

Last night during the game on the radio, the reporter they were talking to in the "Daily News 5th Inning" said he expected to see Edwar Ramirez up again soon, possibly this week. I know he's not originally from the Yankee farm system, but neither is Jim Brower. And I've already had my fill of Jim Brower.

[Boon 0]

12 of the 25 current Yankees on the roster are from the farm system.

How many of those are pitchers?

 

[Brett Favre 0]

Hughes, Wang, Chamberlain, Rivera, Pettitte, and Karstens.

[bob_barron 0]

I (along with another reporter) conducted an interview with Jeff Pearlman (who wrote the book Love Me Hate Me about Bonds) about Barry hitting 756. I'll let you guys know what he says when it comes out

[mike546 0]

Hughes, Wang, Chamberlain, Rivera, Pettitte, and Karstens.

 

I've had enough of Karstens.

 

 

Ian Kennedy is being underated I think. No one really talks about him compared to Hughes and Chamberlin,and I know he doesn't throw as hard as the other two, but the guy can pitch. His stats match up with anyone pitching the minors this year. last night 6 IP, 9 Ks, 0R.

[Brett Favre 0]

He's the third untouchable when it came to trades. If they said no to Hughes, and Chamberlain, they asked for Kennedy. He'll probably be up next year.

[The Man in Blak 0]

Rick Ankiel has been called up by the Cardinals today and will be playing right field tonight, batting second. Holy crap.

[Guest Soriano's Torn Quad]

Aramis Ramirez is probably going on the DL. What a lineup we'll have.

[Open the Muggy Gate 0]

Rick Ankiel has been called up by the Cardinals today and will be playing right field tonight, batting second. Holy crap.

 

Amazing. Just amazing.

[Fartsauce 0]

Apparently ESPN has some "sad news" that will reported later on from the Yankees clubhouse. Take that with a grain of salt.

[Boon 0]

Rick Ankiel has been called up by the Cardinals today and will be playing right field tonight, batting second. Holy crap.

 

Amazing. Just amazing.

Is this the dude that threw like 10 wild pitches in the playoffs?

[Cartman 0]

Yes. Which lead to a total pitching meltdown. I guess he ended up going to the Outfield and hitting only and did well at it.

[Bruiser Chong 0]

I'm going to attempt to bury my head in the sand for a while to avoid panicking over the rumblings that Aramis Ramirez has torn ligaments in his wrist. If that's the case, "wait 'till next year."

[mike546 0]

Apparently ESPN has some "sad news" that will reported later on from the Yankees clubhouse. Take that with a grain of salt.

 

 

Its Clemens suspension I think. He got 5 games and Torre got 1.

[Steve J. Rogers 0]

Apparently ESPN has some "sad news" that will reported later on from the Yankees clubhouse. Take that with a grain of salt.

 

 

Its Clemens suspension I think. He got 5 games and Torre got 1.

 

How is that "sad?"

[mike546 0]

Well I've looked everywhere on the web for anything that would be considered "sad", and there's nothing on the Yankees site or ESPN or anywhere else.

[Steve J. Rogers 0]

Well I've looked everywhere on the web for anything that would be considered "sad", and there's nothing on the Yankees site or ESPN or anywhere else.

 

Same here, nothing labeled "sad" on the national ESPN Radio 6pm update.

 

corpse could have meant "Mets" because the Mets did play a game while the Yanks are off and Marlon Anderson was put on the breavment list this evening.

[Guest]

Rick Ankiel has been called up by the Cardinals today and will be playing right field tonight, batting second. Holy crap.

Watch him hit out produce the entire Dodger lineup this weekend. Still great news, hope he does well.

[vivalaultra 0]

Scott Spiezio went to rehab and Mark Sweeny went to LA.

[mike546 0]

Rick Ankiel has been called up by the Cardinals today and will be playing right field tonight, batting second. Holy crap.

Watch him hit out produce the entire Dodger lineup this weekend. Still great news, hope he does well.

 

 

Well he's 2 RBI's short right now, he just hit a 3 run HRer.

 

edit: for tonight, anyway.

[Bruiser Chong 0]

The Rockies' defense has been positively frightful tonight. That in part is why the Cubs have scored more runs through the first four innings (10) than they did in the entire Houston series.

[Guest Soriano's Torn Quad]

Scott Spiezio went to rehab

for injuries or booze?

[A Happy Medium 0]

So it turns out that Ankiel hit 32 home runs in the Minors this season. I guess that would be Smash Davis territory.

 

Even as a Cubs fan, I hope this turns out well for him, and he continues to improve into a good rightfielder. With a good knowledge of pitching, and a good knowledge of pitching, he may do quite well for himself. I've always thought that someone who would know what a pitcher is likely to throw next, based on the relationship between pitcher and catcher, doubled with the ability to handle a bat, would wreak havoc on pitching.

 

...And maybe the Cubs can get him in free agency if all works well.

[vivalaultra 0]

Scott Spiezio went to rehab

for injuries or booze?

 

An 'undisclosed substance'. He got put on the restricted list, so it's either booze or dope.

[geniusMoment 0]

I recently emailed Keith Law on his comment that Aaron Harang is a fourth starter. This is what he had to say

 

"Thanks for your note. I've seen Harang pitch a few times, and I think those stats are largely the product of the awful competition he faces. The NL Central is terrible, easily the worst division in baseball, and he gets to face those lineups four or five times a year. He's made 23 starts this year, 13 within the division. If he was in the American League, he'd be a fourth starter."

 

This guy clearly does not have a clue. The Reds have a terrible record but somehow when this guy starts they are 18 and 6. He plays in a hitters ballpark, with lousy defense and a horrible bullpen and yet he still puts up great numbers.

 

I then emailed Law this,

 

Your point was that by being in the weak NL Central, his stats are inflated. That might be valid if it was true.

Harang is 4-2 with 3.01 ERA against teams outside the division, and he's had quality starts against,

 

Mets

Indians

Diamondbacks

Dodgers

Mariners

Padres

 

 

He emailed me back this,

 

"I don't see the point you're trying to prove or make. Those are limited appearances against clubs, and not a pattern of success. Harang is over-hyped in your market, and on any quality team is a fourth starter at best."