This Week In Baseball: 8/4-8/10

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

The Rays are 68-45. It will only take them three more wins to post their best record in franchise history.

[Guest Cal Moriarty]

I like that geniusmoment described his girlfriend's outfit as "not quite as slutty." I think I could probably only do the bleachers once in my life before resolving to remain in the relatively refined grandstand.

 

I also like that for the first time since 2004, I got to yell "OH GOD DAMN IT FARNSWORTH YOU USELESS FUCK" in a Chicago baseball game. How this guy was considered anything but terrible in New York boggles the mind.

[Dandy 0]

Jay Bruce might finally be shaking off that loooong slump he was in. He has a 10 game hit streak and raised his average 15 points over that span. He has also has 4 homers and 8 RBI since Junior left.

[jimmy no nose 0]

Joba has been put on the DL with the same rotator cuff injury Posada had back in May. Ian Kennedy will be back up to make a start Friday after his disappointing first stint this year.

[Guest Vitamin X]

Didn't Kennedy have a disappointing second stint as well? Dude's running out of chances.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Didn't Kennedy have a disappointing second stint as well? Dude's running out of chances.

Hardly, he's just 23. His send-down this year was the first of his career.

[Guest Cal Moriarty]

On the Bottom Line, it scrolls the line about Joba being placed on the DL twice, while it only scrolls through "Rockies claim Livan Hernandez off waivers" once! EAST COAST BIAS!

[jimmy no nose 0]

Manny just picked up another hit to make it 5 multi-hit games in a row since joining the Dodgers.

[jwest27 0]

I was actually kind of excited about seeing Manny in St. Louis, since he is one of my favorite players. A homer and an RBI single later, and I am less excited.

 

Also I had no idea we got Felipe Lopez until I heard the announcer say he got a base hit. The fact that the Nationals didn't want him doesn't fill with me hope, but I'm sure he can be better than friggin Cesar Izturis at least.

 

Edit: Grand slam Albert, woo.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

I think Lopez is more likely to play second for the Cards. Remember, the Cards have a bunch of pitchers apparently playing over their heads, and they have a very good defensive shortstop. There could be a relation there.

[Dobbs 3K 0]

As far as Cecil Cooper, I seem to remember him doing a decent job as the Astros' interim manager, so at least that was some basis for them giving him the managerial job.

 

Also, the Athletics moving out of Oakland would be stupid. It would just be a couple years later that some other team would start considering a move there. Maybe moving would force the A's management to actually try and win something again, though.

[Guest]

I hate the annual St. Louis trip so much.

[Mike wanna be 0]

As far as Cecil Cooper, I seem to remember him doing a decent job as the Astros' interim manager, so at least that was some basis for them giving him the managerial job.

 

Also, the Athletics moving out of Oakland would be stupid. It would just be a couple years later that some other team would start considering a move there. Maybe moving would force the A's management to actually try and win something again, though.

The Los Angeles Angels of Oaklaheim!

[The Man in Blak 0]

I think Lopez is more likely to play second for the Cards. Remember, the Cards have a bunch of pitchers apparently playing over their heads, and they have a very good defensive shortstop. There could be a relation there.

 

I don't think second base is within reach either, since Aaron Miles is actually resembling a major league hitter this year. It looks like the sole purpose of his existence is to star in the next Judd Apatow feature on the Cardinals bench while TLR carries 14 pitchers on the roster. Possibly Unforeseen Consequences: Brendan Ryan gets to further refine his shoulder-licking mechanics with everyday PT in AAA.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Kris Benson has reeled off four straight quality starts in Lehigh Valley. He could be an option in the near future.

 

JD Durbin meanwhile is now 0-7 with an 11.03 ERA in AAA. AA numbers are better, but there's no sugarcoating that.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

Buster Olney reporting that the Red Sox put in a waiver claim on Brian Giles and are in active trade discussions to acquire the veteran outfielder.

 

One can only hope that the plan is to shift Drew to center, put Giles in right and send Jacoby back to AAA. However, I fear that this may have something to do with Papi's creaky wrist or Lowell's bad hip.

 

In other news, the Tampa Bay Rays acquired Chad Bradford for a PTBNL. Bradford strengthens an already awesome bullpen for TB.

[Mike wanna be 0]

Karstens was perfect through 7 2/3 and ended up with a two-hit shutout of the D-Backs. Wasn't he like, JUST traded from the Yankees in that Marte & Nady deal?

[Guest]

I hate to be one of those guys Czech hates, but Manny just hit another homer.

 

What a player. Can't wait for Nomar to come back so we can get Berroa out of the lineup.

[jimmy no nose 0]

Buster Olney reporting that the Red Sox put in a waiver claim on Brian Giles and are in active trade discussions to acquire the veteran outfielder.

 

One can only hope that the plan is to shift Drew to center, put Giles in right and send Jacoby back to AAA. However, I fear that this may have something to do with Papi's creaky wrist or Lowell's bad hip.

I think there's also a chance they aren't even that into acquiring Giles for their own needs, but rather just to block the Rays or maybe the Angels who would be in the market for another outfielder.

[Cartman 0]

I don't know what Cheech is smokin' but there NO FUCKING CHANCE that Ellsbury goes back to AAA. Guy had a slump and he's breaking out of it now and STILL leads the league in steals while playing phenomenal CF defnese. Every hitter in the Sox' lineup doesnt have to hit over .280 to be successful. He'll be back in the leadoff spot within the next week or two...Francona has already said this.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

I don't know what Cheech is smokin' but there NO FUCKING CHANCE that Ellsbury goes back to AAA. Guy had a slump and he's breaking out of it now and STILL leads the league in steals while playing phenomenal CF defnese. Every hitter in the Sox' lineup doesnt have to hit over .280 to be successful. He'll be back in the leadoff spot within the next week or two...Francona has already said this.

 

I said I hoped that it meant Ellsbury would go back to AAA, not that he would. Two nice games in a row doesn't hide the fact that he's been fucking awful this year and the bottom third of the Red Sox lineup hits worse than a Little League team. Give him a month to work out his problems and bring him back up when rosters expand. I know he's the centerfielder of the future, but he's not doing anything to help this year's team win a WS.

 

Oh, and let's no go overboard about his defense. Right now he's fast, and well, that's about it. He has some work to do before he becomes an elite outfielder.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Phillies picked up Scott Eyre for a minor leaguer. They've been looking for a second lefty for years now.

[Mik 0]

I think I first mentioned Chris Volstad on this board about 3 years ago... it never looked like he was living up to his full potential in the minors but he's looked outstanding so far. Shutout the Phils today over 6. If he works on his control a bit he'll be fine. It's not every day you see 6'7 finesse pitchers.

[garfieldsnose 0]

There is nothing that leads me to believe anyone from the NL East or West will make it past the NLDS. Sure, I hope the Phillies make the playoffs, but unless their pitching can throw 3 scoreless games, their offense will not produce.

[Bored 0]

A's losing streak reaches ten games, their longest since 1995. Really all I have left is to hope they hold off the Mariners.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

Brian Giles used his no-trade clause to block the deal to Boston. I was positively giddy about the idea of adding him to the lineup.

 

Have fun wallowing away for a team that might lose 100 games instead of competing for a championship fucker.

[jimmy no nose 0]

Giles had a pretty weird no trade clause. I think it was 7 of the worst teams in the league when he was traded plus Boston. I think it might actually have been because of the weather that he included the Red Sox.

[Guest Cal Moriarty]

Have fun wallowing away for a team that might lose 100 games instead of competing for a championship fucker.

With weather like San Diego's, he probably will!

 

The real reason is that like Barry Bonds, Brian Giles is afraid of Boston's history of racism. Haha.

[jimmy no nose 0]

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/reds..._investigation/

 

Apparently the Commissioner's Office decided to open some kind of investigation about Manny's last days in Boston. I'm not sure what the goal of this investigation is supposed to be. Especially when you consider that Sheffield a few years ago openly admitted that he was tanking it in Milwaukee so he could get off the team and they did nothing about it.

[bob_barron 0]

Brian Giles used his no-trade clause to block the deal to Boston. I was positively giddy about the idea of adding him to the lineup.

 

Have fun wallowing away for a team that might lose 100 games instead of competing for a championship fucker.

 

Yea, fuck him for enforcing something that was in his contract and not wanting to leave his family behind