Baseball season 2007

[louieeadg]

Tigers have had far too many injuries. The starting rotation has only been together for two weeks the entire season. And they have had both of their set up men out for extended periods of time. When the starting staff was intact they were the best team in baseball, with the injuries it's going to be a dog fight to make the playoffs. Yesterday Jurgins (one of the replacements) who had been pitching excellent went down with inflammation of the shoulder. It's nice to have a healthy Zumiya back for the stretch run, with Zumiya, Rodney and Jones, were going to be tough if we get a lead late. The problem is were down to three of our original starting rotation.

Verlander and Bonderman haven't been throwing the ball that great this year either...but one can expect than when those two have the pressures of having to win every start...:scowl:

 

[burk48237]

Tigers smoked the Yankees tonight 16-0 and Verlander was the real deal. Seven shutout innings, three hits. It's going to be interesting to see how the starters respond down the stretch, especially Bonderman whose been mediocre of late. Rogers is doing some bullpen throwing, but still not ready. And sheffield just went on the DL. They need his patience at the plate. The last month is going to get interesting.

 

[jrthebassguy]

So yesterday both our Manager and GM were given the boot.


The GM firing was necessary IMO, but I'm not so sure Garner should have been given the axe so quickly. In any case, it's been an abysmal season for my 'stros.

 

[louieeadg]

I dreaded seeing this thread this AM. When the Yanks fail, they sure fail 100%...

hahaha!!

Its like I said earlier with the Rangers post...I guess hitting is contagious, I just didn't think it would travel from Baltimore to Detroit!

And I'd hate to be in the office today when Torre, Mussina, Steinbrener, Mattingly, and the pitching coach all meet to "talk about this"...

 

[dangnewt]

And I'd hate to be in the office today when Torre, Mussina, Steinbrener, Mattingly, and the pitching coach all meet to "talk about this"...

Not me, I would so love to be there.

I never like to face to Pettite when the Yanks back is to the wall. He generally delivers. And Posada usually finds a way to contribute - he is one of those guys you hate when he is playing for the opposition but you would love if he was on your team.

With Dice-K, if he gets through the first couple of innings without too much trouble, the Yanks will be in for a long night.

I will also be looking at the crowd - I don't get the sense that the Yankee fans still have that swaggering confidence. Of course, if I was a Yankee season-ticket holder, I would probably put up my tickets on StubHub or Ebay and let some "more money than brains" Sox fan finance a new bass.

I do worry about tomorrow and Clemens - if he gets rocked early, I wouldn't be surprised if he hits a few of our guys out of pure spite and/or frustration.

 

[dangnewt]

.... and I'd add Jeter to that list as well. He always seems to contribute in some way...

True enough. The second most popular Fenway chant of the early 2000's was "Nomahs Bettah" - not too many people around here still believe that.

I poked around ebay and stubhub - the ticket prices didn't look too bad. We could be looking at a strong showing from Red Sox nation in the Bronx tonight. Probably not enough to turn it into a virtual home game like Tampa Bay (all the time) or Chicago last weekend; but enough to be noticed.

 

[louieeadg]

True enough. The second most popular Fenway chant of the early 2000's was "Nomahs Bettah" - not too many people around here still believe that.

I poked around ebay and stubhub - the ticket prices didn't look too bad. We could be looking at a strong showing from Red Sox nation in the Bronx tonight. Probably not enough to turn it into a virtual home game like Tampa Bay (all the time) or Chicago last weekend; but enough to be noticed.

Nah, you'll never get a home game in the Bronx...New Yorkers are loud enough to be heard from every home and bar in the city...

 

[dangnewt]

Round 1 to the Yanks

Good performance from Petitte - not dominant but very solid.
The usual suspects - Posada and Jeter - figure in the scoring.
Damon finds his swing. I still think 4 years was too much to give to someone with that many miles, but when healthy he is worth every penny.
Rivera looked sharper than I have seen a few years.
Chamberlin looks to be the real deal. No real movement on the fastball; but who needs movement when you throw 98-99? If he gets the slider over consistently, he will be a good one.

What are the chances that Clemens hits someone tonight in retaliation for Dice-K's errant pitch to A-Rod? 90%?, 99%, 100%?

What are the chances he does it with two men on and 1 out and the number 5 hitter coming to the plate? 1%, 0%?

What are the chances that after the game he says something like "I was just trying to work inside and the pitch got away?"

This is the game that the Sox have the edge in the pitching matchup - yesterday the Yanks had the advantage and tomorrow is pretty much even as far as pitching.

 

[louieeadg]

Andy Petitte...Again...blugh...

Ha, the chances of Clemens hitting someone tonight in retaliation to the pitch at Arod will be about 99.9991%...I can't wait to watch that game tonight. Love to be there too...

 

[louieeadg]

You should check this book out...a real baseball player and a hell of a guy...

 

[dangnewt]

I listened to the whole game on the radio last night but must have missed the DiceK/ARod pitch. As is my normal stance, if DiceK beaned ARod, I am not against a little yin for yang. Still don't like that it's Clemens protecting the Yanks, but selah...


Haven't looked at who's on for tomorrow, but for sure I'd take Beckett any day over Raja. The Yanks have their work cut out for them.


.

First inning - with two on and one out. Clearly (at least to me) not intentional. It got him in the side. IMHO - not really a situation that calls for the kind of protection that Roger can deliver. My point is that such subleties are typically lost on Mr. Clemens; I hope I'm wrong in this case but I would not be surprised to see him hit someone quite intentionally with two outs and no one on. If he does - the interesting thing will be if the umps give warnings right away denying Beckett the opportunity for a true tit-for-tat or if they use their discretion and give Beckett a freebie.

Tomorrow is Schilling - Wang

 

[louieeadg]

They throw people out too quick these days...

 

[Adam Barkley]

I hadn't looked at where the Marlins are in the standing lately... Ouch.

 

[mrpackerguy]

Brewers have totally "tanked". In dire need of some late season heroics.

 

[dangnewt]

But if Clemens were to retaliate, wouldn't that be the "tit-for-tat"?

You and Louie can correct me if I'm wrong - but I thought that retaliation was generally reserved for plonkings that were done to send the proverbial message (whatever that message may be) - not a pitch that gets away that loads the bases.

If no message was sent with Dice-K's pitch then no retaliation is warranted.

 

[dangnewt]

They throw people out too quick these days...

Perhaps, but what else to you do to a guy like Clemens. He has more money than he can spend and this should be his last season. Suspension (and the letting down of his teammates) is the only form of control that the league has.

 

[louieeadg]

You and Louie can correct me if I'm wrong - but I thought that retaliation was generally reserved for plonkings that were done to send the proverbial message (whatever that message may be) - not a pitch that gets away that loads the bases.

If no message was sent with Dice-K's pitch then no retaliation is warranted.

Yeah, the usual plonk would occur after any of these offenses:
-A dirty slide, ie "Spikes Up"
-S*** talking about someone's wife/mother/aunt/daughter
-An errant pitch plonking someone and no tip of hat
-Standing up a pitcher.
-Hitting a homerun the atbat before that (old school)
-Other "treating the game bad" offenses

In my mind...he could have possibly done it on purpose, but not on purpose. Let me clear that...runners were on second and third, right? So he wants to walk arod to have the force out anywhere, but since there's 2 outs he needs to atleast try to pitch to him first to get him to chase something. That doesn't work so instead of just throwing the next few pitches horribly out of the zone, he hits him. Why not? Its arod...any MLB pitcher would hit him(not to induce harm, just to feel better)...

Its all in the hat-tip...if he tipped his hat then I don't see an issue.

 

[dangnewt]

Yeah, the usual plonk would occur after any of these offenses:
-A dirty slide, ie "Spikes Up"
-S*** talking about someone's wife/mother/aunt/daughter
-An errant pitch plonking someone and no tip of hat
-Standing up a pitcher.
-Hitting a homerun the atbat before that (old school)
-Other "treating the game bad" offenses

In my mind...he could have possibly done it on purpose, but not on purpose. Let me clear that...runners were on second and third, right? So he wants to walk arod to have the force out anywhere, but since there's 2 outs he needs to atleast try to pitch to him first to get him to chase something. That doesn't work so instead of just throwing the next few pitches horribly out of the zone, he hits him. Why not? Its arod...any MLB pitcher would hit him(not to induce harm, just to feel better)...

Its all in the hat-tip...if he tipped his hat then I don't see an issue.

I see you point about hitting a hot batter to create force in a second and third. That wasn't the case last night - it was runners on first and second (the man on first after a walk where the ump made a borderline ball call that would have wrung up Abreu). I don't remember a hat tip - from Dice-K he probably got a bow. And it wasn't like the pitcher or some nervous late-season callup up next but rather it was Matsui.

I just don't trust Clemens - if the Yankees were perturbed, Petitte could have done the deed last night.

 

[dangnewt]

If the situation was reversed and (for example) Pettite had done the same thing to Ortiz, I would certainly expect Beckett to throw a little "chin music"...

If Pettite had hit Ortiz to load the bases to pitch to Manny with one out in the first - I would have questioned his control (if not his sanity) and given him a hearty cheer.

 

[dangnewt]

Brewers have totally "tanked". In dire need of some late season heroics.

Do you think it was a case of them over-achieving earlier?
I was glad to see Milwaukee do well and there is still time - one key to the Red Sox success in '04 was that the players in '03 had started to change the "woe-is-me" "we're cursed", etc attitude of the fans and there was a more positive vibe around the team (despite the awful end to '03) Try to keep the faith - if not this year than next year, you have to like the trendline.

Plus, this year you have to take some consolation in the fact that you are chasing the Cubs, right?