This Week in Baseball 5/19 - 5/25

[Slayer 0]

Je pense vous le dites "est-ce que je suis correct?!"

[Slayer 0]

Amazingly, this is not the first time I've posted French in a baseball thread

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

The Seattle Mariners have been absolutely decimated the last five games. They have allowed 9+ runs in each game, including another 12 today.

[Smartly Pretty 0]

So tell me about Nick Evans.

[devo 0]

What's to say? He's a twenty-two year old from Binghamton who has mostly played first but, as seen today, can fill an outfield spot in a pinch. Decent defender. He rakes against lefties (.349/.414/.683 this season) but not so much against pitchers of the right-handed variety (.259/.322/.454 this season).

 

I guess the best one could hope for is that he's a flipped version of Mike Jacobs.

[Bruiser Chong 0]

The Seattle Mariners have been absolutely decimated the last five games. They have allowed 9+ runs in each game, including another 12 today.

They're the worst kind of bad team, too. They're the type of team that's made expensive signings the last several off-seasons. They've got some decent players, but just about all of them are making far more than their worth.

[Bruiser Chong 0]

Lou double-switching out Derrek Lee, leaving Henry Blanco to man first and pick Ryan Theriot's pathetic throws was just one of the many boneheaded moves the Cubbies made tonight.

[Guest Desensitized]

And apparently, the Pittsburgh Pirates have won the World Series. What a bunch of asshats.

 

Putting Henry Blanco at first base is the dumbest thing ever. Maybe they deserve to be knocked out of first place tonight.

[Bruiser Chong 0]

It's about time that move bit Lou in the ass, though, because he's done it a few other times. Given the indescribable downgrade that comes with replacing Lee with Blanco at first base, it's a move that shouldn't even be considered. But again, Theriot learns to throw a baseball and we aren't having this discussion. Theriot may be hitting well, but his shortcomings are popping up an awful lot this year. Little range defensively and an absolutely rancid base-stealer.

[Guest Desensitized]

As an opponent of misusing/abusing the hit-and-run/stolen base, I won't defend the basepath outs one bit, but the throw looked fine to me; it was Blanco that botched his part of the deal. Maybe it's because I'm used to Derrek Lee making Theriot and Ramirez look like gold, but I don't think the blame goes on Theriot. Lou's in-game strategy is becoming increasingly befuddling to me. Senility, I reckon. I cannot ever justify voluntarily removing Derrek Lee's bat and glove from a close-and-late situation.

[Bruiser Chong 0]

Trust me, it was a shitty throw. It was a routine groundball and he had plenty of time to get off a throw that didn't bounce in the dirt. Granted, a seasoned first baseman makes that pick, but a good throw erases the need for one. Theriot just has no range.

 

On the other side of town, the White Sox are hot over K-Rod's celebration on Friday after he closed down the game with the tying runs on base. Do they complain about everything?

[Guest Desensitized]

Yes. They think the weather is out to get them too. I'm not making this up.

 

It's funny that the White Sox can be angry about being shown up in a game, because one of the local ticket ads that runs here features in-game footage of Nick Swisher making a routine catch in left, and then engaging in some strange dance where he double-points at people to his left, right, and then kinda hops and goes YEAAAAAAAAAH. Not only do the White Sox partake in hot dog antics, they actively market them. This might be the worst organization in sports.

[Bruiser Chong 0]

Good thing we don't have instant replay. Otherwise that ball that hit off the top of the wall in Pittsburgh might not have been called a homerun.

[Guest Desensitized]

Is this the Year Of Instant Replay Bitching or what? It's as if this is the first time since 1876 that there have been close calls. It's possible that the ball broke the plane. I'm not gonna pull my hair out over it. It is a good thing we don't have instant replay, since everyone's concept of what it ought to be in a baseball context is thoroughly retarded.

[Bruiser Chong 0]

Alfonso Soriano's an $18-million-a-year piece of shit. Use the fucking sunglasses, idiot.

[strummer 0]

The Mariners can do absolutely nothing right. Thanks for getting the Yankees hot again you pricks

[Bruiser Chong 0]

Theriot's lack of range once again leads to a runner, who eventually scores the winning run. Can't we just shoot him and Soriano and at least get some glue out of this mess?

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Fantastic debut so far for Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers. 6 innings, 2 runs allowed, one walk and seven strikeouts.

[geniusMoment 0]

Alfonso Soriano's an $18-million-a-year piece of shit. Use the fucking sunglasses, idiot.

Just about 2 weeks ago you were singing his praises when he was hot as hell. Now he's a piece of shit? Will he transform again next week to appease you?

[devo 0]

Yessir, that Cordero signing was what the Reds needed to get themselves over the hump.

[NYU 0]

So with losing six of seven this week -- getting swept in a four game series with the Braves and dropping two of three to the Rockies -- and the Wilpons still furious with Willie Randolph over his comments about purported racism in SNY coverage, what happens in the meeting tomorrow between Randolph and Mets management?

 

I still think there's zero possibility of Willie getting fired before the end of the season, so I imagine this all will amount to little more than a verbal tongue lashing and an implied threat that Randolph could lose his job if the Mets do not make the playoffs this year. But hey, stranger things have happened.

[geniusMoment 0]

Yessir, that Cordero signing was what the Reds needed to get themselves over the hump.

So one blown save makes it not worth it? He's been damn good all year, has an era around 2.25, and has been the reason why the reds led the league in save perc. before today. But way to make a stupid comment.

[Dandy 0]

Yeah, Cordero's the least of the Reds' worries. If you look at how many blown leads and saves they had last year, it shows they needed a closer. For the first time in a long time (barring the Eric Milton debacle), the organization threw some money at a free agent and totally upgraded the bullpen in the process. Is the bullpen excellent now? No. But they only have a couple of bad spots in the pen that they are trying to work out. Cordero has done a fine job this year.

[devo 0]

You're right, that was a foolish comment, made out of frustration that the Reds were letting a hard-fought victory slip away.

 

But don't tell me you're not even a touch concerned that he alone consists of about 12% of the Reds' payroll, with that percentage almost certainly rising next year as his salary balloons from eight and a half to twelve million.

[Bruiser Chong 0]

Just about 2 weeks ago you were singing his praises when he was hot as hell. Now he's a piece of shit? Will he transform again next week to appease you?

 

I acknowledged an undeniable fact. Doesn't mean I should overlook him looking lost at the plate the majority of the time, retarded and gimpy on the bases, and lax on defense. No one besides Jim Hendry thought he was worth $18 million a year, but it's looking like the team is going to regret the decision sooner than later.

[Dandy 0]

I see the Reds starting to spend money, actually. You have to start somewhere. They have some younger guys that are putting up great numbers for bargain prices. Cordero won't have 12% of the payroll for long when they start locking these guys in.

[DMann2003 0]

I am amazed at this Reds/Padres game- Harrang could get more innings than Belisle.

[Dandy 0]

If he gets two more outs, he will. Dude has 9 K's in 4 innings of relief.

 

Edit---And they had to pinch hit for him because of two straight IBB's to get him to the plate. Bako K's and it looks like Cueto will have to go from here.

 

Edit 2---Volquez!

[DMann2003 0]

And we get a double header in one game

[Precious Roy 0]

Corey Patterson went 0-9. Who needs Jay Bruce when you've got Corey Patterson?