TWIBsies! June 23 - June 29

[nl5xsk1 0]

Youkilis hit in the eye with a practice throw from Mike Lowell. Immediate shiner, removed from the game. Sean Casey dropped his appeal and began his suspension for whatever he did in the brawl against the Rays on june 5. Your Red Sox first baseman...Brendan Moss. A backup outfielder with very limited first base experience.

 

Baseball is a funny game sometimes II.

 

Maybe al - or someone else - can answer this for me ... why does it seem that an appeal in MLB takes weeks & weeks to be heard? The brawl with the Rays was June 5th, and their appeals were going to be heard just this week?

 

Can't they use videoconferencing and get that shit done within just a few days of the suspension?

[jimmy no nose 0]

After all the Hank Steinbrenner pitchers hitting talk last week I'd like to think it was intentional that the Pirates have walked the Yankee starters in 3 straight plate appearances, but I'm pretty sure it's just they can't pitch.

[naiwf 0]

David Wright gets a day off and comes back with 2 HRs in 2 ABs. Who knew that resting a guy once in a while might actually stop a prolonged slump?

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

Its another pretty day at Wrigley.

 

Matt Albers is pitching? Wha?

 

Burres scratched with food poisoning..

 

heh

[Bruiser Chong 0]

And Albers leaves after a third of an inning with an injury. I don't expect a plethora of Marvin update posts tonight.

[Guest !!!]

Well, if he had planned to post a plethora of in-game updates, I was going to change his plans.

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

I didnt really do it last night.

 

Its looking like it could end up being a back and forth game..

 

or not

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

WTF

 

Payton with another 2 run HR! Holy crap man...

[Precious Roy 0]

Joba has been pretty awesome his last two starts. Granted it's been against the Padres and Pirates, but he's handled an awkward transition exceptionally well. He just needs to work on getting his pitch count down and getting some easier outs off of contact rather than trying to strike every batter out and he's going to be in ace territory sooner than expected.

 

I was pretty strongly against the move, but in hindsight, with Wang getting hurt, it's probably worked out for the best. Still not entirely comfortable with the bullpen situation though.

[Montresor 0]

I was pretty strongly against the move

 

What? Why?

[Bruiser Chong 0]

I'm ready to eat crow Re: Jim Edmonds. He looked awful at first, but he's become a real cog in this offense. Even if he goes in the tank again, he's already made Hendry's investment look wise.

[Bored 0]

There's been almost no All-Star discussion (and maybe with good reason?) but it's a couple of weeks away so might as well look at how the voting is going.

 

A.L. All-Star Voting Update

 

Locked Up

3B: Alex Rodriguez

SS: Derek Jeter

DH: David Ortiz

OF: Manny Ramirez, Josh Hamilton

 

Comfortable Leads

1B: Kevin Youkilis over Justin Morneau

2B: Dustin Pedroia over Ian Kinsler

OF: Ichiro Suzuki over Vladimir Guerrero

 

Tight Race

C: Joe Mauer over Jason Varitek

 

N.L. All-Star Voting Update

 

Locked Up

C: Geovany Soto

1B: Lance Berkman

2B: Chase Utley

3B: Chipper Jones

OF: Alfonso Soriano

 

Comfortable Leads

OF: Kosuke Fukudome and Ken Griffey Jr. over Ryan Braun

 

Tight Race

SS: Hanley Ramirez over Miguel Tejada

[Guest !!!]

Here's a real cookie of a headline from mlb.com:

 

• Chacon asks Astros for trade

I can only hope that the response was "Fuck you. You're Shawn Chacon."

 

 

Seven of the AL's nine could conceivably be Red Sox or Yankees. Viva la American League.

[Bruiser Chong 0]

Here's a real cookie of a headline from mlb.com:

 

• Chacon asks Astros for trade

I can only hope that the response was "Fuck you. You're Shawn Chacon."

 

 

Seven of the AL's nine could conceivably be Red Sox or Yankees. Viva la American League.

Might be a tough, but necessary move. Let's hope he gets traded to a team with a GM who has good self-defense skills.

[Precious Roy 0]

I was pretty strongly against the move

 

What? Why?

 

Because the bullpen is generally ass aside from Rivera. As I, and many others, argued, a late inning combo of Joba-Rivera was an invaluable commodity. We don't have that now, we now have a total crapshoot until we get Mo in the game, if we get Mo in the game, and though Girardi hasn't done it yet, there's the risk of him overusing Mo to make up for the lack of a reliable setup man like Torre did all too often.

 

Don't get me wrong, I love Joba as a starter longterm, and so far shorterm based on how well he's acclimated himself, but the move created a ton of bullpen questions that have yet to really be answered. I'm not at all comfortable with an unsettled pen, I've seen the Yankees lose too many games, and put themselves in a position where they can't even get Rivera into the game over the last several years due to that.

 

Having a "lights out" bridge to the closer who you can bring in in the 7th or 8th inning is apparently underrated, but I think it's an absolute necessity for a winning club.

 

[Bruiser Chong 0]

Orioles bullpen isn't that good.

[jimmy no nose 0]

As if anyone needed a reminder of how awful the Pirates have been for the past decade-plus, if you have a minute I suggest checking out this link. The Altoona Curve have been the Pirates Double A affiliate for 10 years now, during which the Pirates have had tons of high draft picks, trades of stars for prospects, etc. and just try to find a recognizable name who has ever played for the team:

 

http://www.altoonacurve.com/fanzone/annivpoll/

 

Bronson Arroyo looks like the most successful product to come through the system.

[MFer 0]

There's Jack Wilson I suppose.

[Montresor 0]

I was pretty strongly against the move

 

What? Why?

 

Because the bullpen is generally ass aside from Rivera.

And the rotation is generally ass aside from Chamberlain.

 

Then: A mediocre-to-bad starting pitcher and a mediocre-to-bad middle reliever for 7 innings, Chamberlain for 1, Rivera for 1.

 

Now: At least one very good starting pitcher for 6-8 innings, a lousy reliever for 1 or 2, Rivera for 1.

 

Having a "lights out" bridge to the closer who you can bring in in the 7th or 8th inning is apparently underrated, but I think it's an absolute necessity for a winning club.

Mike Mussina (whom I love) is their ace. Three of their four outfielders can't field. Jeter (GIDP machine), Abreu, Cano, and Cabrera: .259/.316/.381. But by all means, continue to obsess over 2 innings of a 9-inning baseball game.

[MFer 0]

Thank God the Tigers pulled that one out. Ugly ass game (20 Detroit LOB's, WTF?) but a great ending. Sheff's bounced back pretty nicely from that injury.

[Precious Roy 0]

Having a "lights out" bridge to the closer who you can bring in in the 7th or 8th inning is apparently underrated, but I think it's an absolute necessity for a winning club.

Mike Mussina (whom I love) is their ace. Three of their four outfielders can't field. Jeter (GIDP machine), Abreu, Cano, and Cabrera: .259/.316/.381. But by all means, continue to obsess over 2 innings of a 9-inning baseball game.

 

Don't really see what that has to with the bullpen,. Jeter, Abreu and Cano are proven hitters who will start performing to expectations at some point barring some sort of ridiculous wasted season type slumping. I'd put money on all 3 of them heating up over the summer. Cabrera, who knows, he started off hot and then shit the bed, but he's basically the #9 hitter, it's not like this season hinges on his performace at the plate.

 

[CanadianChris 0]

Here's a real cookie of a headline from mlb.com:

 

• Chacon asks Astros for trade

I can only hope that the response was "Fuck you. You're Shawn Chacon."

I think it was going to be something like that until Chacon tried to beat up Ed Wade.

[sfaJack 0]

You all probably wouldn't believe the number of people defending Chacon and villifying Ed Wade in this town this morning. "Ed Wade had it coming to him for assembling this shitty team!" is the most common argument.

[CanadianChris 0]

You all probably wouldn't believe the number of people defending Chacon and villifying Ed Wade in this town this morning. "Ed Wade had it coming to him for assembling this shitty team!" is the most common argument.

I've seen a lot of Phillie fans thinking along those lines, too.

[TheDevilAndGodAreRagingInsideMe 0]

Jeter's slump directly coincided with him being drilled in the wrist by Daniel Cabrera several weeks back. He refused to come out of the line up and it hurt the team and also his numbers. Lately, he has begun to heat up again, and his SS has been passable so far.

 

Cano has been awful at the plate, showing signs of life the last few games. But his play in the field has been exempliary.

 

Melky has been flat out awful. Neither him or his buddy ever take any pitches, they make weak hacks, and they are black holes in the line up. And the past two days, Melky has been leading off with Damon limping a bit. Not good.

 

I do not want to get into the whole debate again. But Joba Chamberlain has to be a starter. He is a starter. He will be a starter. That's it.

 

Ramirez, Veras, and Ohlendorf have been fine in the pen.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

There's been almost no All-Star discussion (and maybe with good reason?) but it's a couple of weeks away so might as well look at how the voting is going.

 

A.L. All-Star Voting Update

 

Locked Up

3B: Alex Rodriguez

SS: Derek Jeter

DH: David Ortiz

OF: Manny Ramirez, Josh Hamilton

 

Comfortable Leads

1B: Kevin Youkilis over Justin Morneau

2B: Dustin Pedroia over Ian Kinsler

OF: Ichiro Suzuki over Vladimir Guerrero

 

Tight Race

C: Joe Mauer over Jason Varitek

 

N.L. All-Star Voting Update

 

Locked Up

C: Geovany Soto

1B: Lance Berkman

2B: Chase Utley

3B: Chipper Jones

OF: Alfonso Soriano

 

Comfortable Leads

OF: Kosuke Fukudome and Ken Griffey Jr. over Ryan Braun

 

Tight Race

SS: Hanley Ramirez over Miguel Tejada

 

 

Same old predictable NY/Boston/Chicago show.

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

Orioles bullpen isn't that good.

 

Lets see how good the Cubs bullpen is if they have to come in and pitch 8 2/3 innings today because Marquis gets knocked out in with 1 out in the 1st.

 

The Bullpen had the 4th best ERA in the AL, and given the situation of having to come in and pitch 7 2/3 innings I think they did well only giving up 3 runs to the Cubs, too bad the damage was done off Albers.

 

I dont have very high hopes for today with Liz in there. He only made it through 2 innings his last start vs Milwaukee and I dont see how he can be expected to get at least 6 which is what they need after yesterday.

 

 

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

Im stuck listening to the Cubs feed on XM because directv isn't passing the audio on the HD feed.

 

this is fun

 

lol send Ron Santo a FAX! What is this..1985?

 

4pm update: Boring game despite being 7-0..Liz aint gonna make it 6 either

 

4:30 I would like to know why Lou Pinella left Marquis in to bat in the bottom of the 4th only to pull him for Lieber (their supposed long reliever) in the 5th and then pull Lieber for Eyre in the 6th. Wierd, not that Im going to complain any with the Os up 8-0 and the bases loaded.

 

 

[jwest27 0]

Albert is back and he went 4-4 with a walk, yet the Cards still lose because John Parisi isn't very good. Damn it.

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

2 of 3 from the team with the best overall and home record in baseball..

 

I'll take it.