This Week In Baseball: 5/12-5/18

[Dandy]

If he can keep that up and lead the Astros into the playoffs, he will probably get the MVP. I know both of those are just pipe dreams at this stage of the season, but I can't think of a player in the NL that has done more for his team as a whole.

[Bruiser Chong]

The Giants are just absolutely good for nothing. And yet I read an article this morning about ad wizard Brian Sabean stating he believed his clubs still "has a chance" in 2008.

[Brett Favre]

To be fair, it seems like he didn't say at what.

[Guest Vitamin X]

That map is a little generous to the White Sox, Marlins, Rays, and Rangers, I feel. At least vivalaultra proves the existence of Astros fans. I don't think anybody cares about the Texas Rangers. I think it must've grown out of delineating Cubs/Cardinals and/or Yankees/Red Sox, but there wasn't enough to the premise to extrapolate it across all thirty teams. The Rockies are a road team against anyone remotely popular.

 

I definitely agree with the Rangers, but I think it was fairly accurate to the Rays and Marlins, except I think the Marlins' reach doesn't go quite that far north. You'd know about the white Sox better than I would- I would just call most of that area 'disputed territory', personally.

[Guest Desensitized]

I know you're all about the vanilla fuckers like Ryan Theriot and don't want to give guys like Pie and Cedeno a shot, but don't be blind about the specifics here.

Oh God. This is another reason why I've just about had it with Deadspin and Fire Joe Morgan. Thanks to overexposing the "gritty grindy gamer" tendencies of the media more than the media itself did, everyone has this pathological aversion to white athletes, who can no longer be trusted. He's too white. He's too whiiiiiiiiiiiiiite. Isn't Theriot in like the top 10 hitters for the National League right now? I think Cedeno is going to be the better player, but if Theriot's batting average is over .310, it's hard to advocate his removal. As for Pie, he just doesn't seem to be a great hitter. The coaches see more of him than we do. Maybe they don't have faith in him and for good reason. Let's just see what Edmonds can do and hope he does well. It's not up to us. Our role is just to hope for the best. I won't do anything as silly and counterintuitive as hoping he fails.

 

EDIT: Theriot is 11th in the league at .329, but keep insinuating that I want Hispanic players to be held down

[Guest Desensitized]

Geovany Soto isn't proven enough maybe they can try Henry Bla

 

 

oh fuck

[Dandy]

Reds game was rained out, saving the team from a Matt Belisle start. That isn't being snarky, as he is currently retooling his mechanics and a skipped start would do him some good at this point. I wish they would juts bring up Homer Bailey and let him get the experience, but I guess they still don't think he has the picth count mastered.

[Bruiser Chong]

I don't have a problem with Lou playing Theriot while he's hot. I wouldn't remove him from the lineup either at this point. But when he inevitably comes crashing back to Earth, I don't trust Lou to do the right thing and let Ronny get a crack at it.

 

And it's not an ethnicity issue. It just seems like you're always taking guys like Ronny and Felix to task for being too baseball retarded and yet, there's little criticism against someone like Theriot, who despite a very nice batting average right now, has run the bases like a jackass this year.

[Danville_Wrestling]

Chuck James is throwing one stinker of a game tonight for Atlanta and this definitely won't help his 7+ ERA on the season. He's walked 5 and given up three HR's as the Braves trail early 5-0.

[Guest Desensitized]

I've been incredibly frustrated with Theriot leading the league in caught-stealing, but I've tried to limit my Cubs thoughts in baseball threads because I've been criticized for it. Rest assured I find his basepath outs quite irritating.

 

If it's not about race, what is the purpose of the phrase "vanilla fuckers"? What other connotation could it possibly have in this contxt?

[Danville_Wrestling]

Well as bad as Chuck James pitched tonight, Cole Hamels was outstanding fooling batters with a nice changeup/fastball combination and pitching a complete game shutout (only 4 hits given up total). Major problem for the Braves this evening was their inability to work the count and willingness to swing at too many first pitches from Hamels. To be quite honest, the Braves never truly threatened to score in this game and seemed demoralized by the end of it.

[Bruiser Chong]

If it's not about race, what is the purpose of the phrase "vanilla fuckers"? What other connotation could it possibly have in this contxt?

Oh, make no mistake. I was referring to race in that respect, but not to suggest you're predisposed to disliking non-white players while going all rah-rah for the Mike Fontenots of the world. It was more of an offhand description of Theriot.

[Bored]

It's like white players have names like Lenny,

 

whereas black players have names like Carl.

[Danville_Wrestling]

In everyone's opinion what is the game to watch tomorrow?

[EVIL~! alkeiper]

In everyone's opinion what is the game to watch tomorrow?

I hate to say it, but the Mets/Yankees game with Johan Santana probably has the most appeal. The Dodgers/Angels game is on the opposite coast so a fan with the means could make a doubleheader out of it.

 

Oddly, the game with the most combined wins is the TB/StL matchup.

[Danville_Wrestling]

Oddly, the game with the most combined wins is the TB/StL matchup.

 

Yea, I noticed that. The Rays have surprised me thus far this season but it's about time they've gotten a lengthy run of some sort. I still don't believe it will last past the All-Star break but it's good to see someone different in the hunt at the moment.

 

Edit: On another note, let me say that I'm just not a fan of the Arizona commentary team.

[Guest Desensitized]

Daron Sutton is a league-average announcer, generally indistinct from his Brewers predecessor Matt Vasgersian and successor Brian Anderson. I have no thoughts on any of those three other than "there's a guy." Thom Brennaman is in that tier with a hint of obnoxiousness. Say what you will about the Hawkeroo--and I do--but at least he's not generic.

 

As for closing the book on this Theriot kerfluffle, I still maintain that Mose Schrute and the chubby Dave Foley need to cram it with the grit thing. It's thoroughly played out.

[Spaceman Spiff]

Danville or Al - was Coste really out at home on that play late in the game? I was at the game, and he sure looked like he was safe from my seat in right field.

[Danville_Wrestling]

It was a tough call, almost a tie. I think either out/safe was a fair call in that situation. Initially I thought that Coste was safe but on a closer replay I believe that he slid into the bottom part of the plate and his foot only graced the tip of it after the tag had been applied. So basically in the real time that the play happened I thought he was safe but on closer inspection I think he was out.

[Dobbs 3K]

Daron Sutton is a league-average announcer, generally indistinct from his Brewers predecessor Matt Vasgersian and successor Brian Anderson. I have no thoughts on any of those three other than "there's a guy."

 

Most in the industry consider Vasgersian an excellent announcer.

[Danville_Wrestling]

Although I may not be a fan of the Arizona commentary, I got a good chuckle out of Sutton saying "right back at ya Colorado Rockies" when BJ Upton knocked in two runs off a triple shortly after he avoided being hit by a pitch earlier in the at-bat.

[Bruiser Chong]

I can't stand Sutton. It's weird listening to him be such a DBacks homer after all those years of cheerleading for the Brewers. But then, I guess it's his job. His style just smacks of arrogance and while I appreciated his frank take on many subjects, said arrogance is overbearing when the team that's signing his checks is doing well.

[EVIL~! alkeiper]

Danville or Al - was Coste really out at home on that play late in the game? I was at the game, and he sure looked like he was safe from my seat in right field.

Coste appeared to miss the plate with his front foot.

[Guest Desensitized]

Daron Sutton is a league-average announcer, generally indistinct from his Brewers predecessor Matt Vasgersian and successor Brian Anderson. I have no thoughts on any of those three other than "there's a guy."

 

Most in the industry consider Vasgersian an excellent announcer.

MATTY. whaddyasilldoonsannyaygo man? nononono matty. everyone's been tryin to steal you.

[Danville_Wrestling]

Alfonso Soriano is playing out of his mind right now with 2 HR in the first two innings of the game, knocking in 4 runs. His first home run was just sick with him taking the first pitch of the game, a fastball low and inside, over the left field wall.

[Guest Desensitized]

He couldn't have stayed that bad much longer. Gorzelanny is absolutely horrid against the Cubs, too. Still, this is one scary offense. Imagine if Edmonds gets it back on track. Even if he's just hitting singles, he's getting on base for Soriano, Lee, Ramirez, and Soto. This team is going to score wheelbarrows of runs. They just need the 3-4-5 pitchers to start allowing fewer runs than they score and we'll be in business.

[Danville_Wrestling]

I'd agree with that assessment. The one thing that I have liked out of the Cubs today is that they have been moving along the basepaths very well and moving runners over/knocking them in when they get in scoring position [but granted 3 HR's will help you in any game].

 

Edit: And yikes, Lance Briggs singing of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" (if you want to call it singing) was atrocious.

[Guest Desensitized]

I liked the rushed unmodulated yell. Ditka would be pleased.

 

Cubs broke 1 million in attendance at game #25. A new record! Too bad Howry is blowing a 6-run lead.

 

EDIT: disaster averted. 10 over .500. In an unrelated story, Jason Isringhausen is on the DL: he cut his hand while slapping a television.

 

slapping a television.

[Danville_Wrestling]

I always find that Cubs victory song a little catchy. What is it with the Pirates that they just can't beat the Cubs? This makes them like 0 for 7 on the year vs. Chicago.

[Bruiser Chong]

I think the cut hand thing is just a front. They just needed to get him on the DL and away from meaningful games.