TWiB Notes - May 2 thru May 8

[Frayed Knot]

Semi-big series for the first week in May in the AL East

Yanx have the best record in MLB (16-7) and a 1.5 game lead over the Blue Jays courtesy of their active nine-game winning streak (and 11 Ws in their last 12).

But those dozen games came against BAL, DET, CLE, BAL again, and then KCR ... so draw your own conclusions.



Now they get those 2nd place Jays for six of the next nine games; starting tonight in Toronto then three in da Bronx next week (w/TEX in between)

With Boston off to a weak start (9-14 and just 1/2 game ahead of BAL for DFL in the ALE) and TBR floating around .500 (12-10) this could wind up

as the division tussle to watch for '22. At some point all those baby Jays are going to have to show that they're something other than just hi-light

film stars.

[Willets Point]

The Blue Jays have a lot of talent but always seem to roll over for the Yankees. Hopefully that ends tonight.

[Frayed Knot]

Jays actually won 11 of 19 last year vs NYY

Unfortunately, 91 wins only netted them 4th place in the 2021 AL East

Currently 2-2 bottom 5







Astros are wearing unis proclaiming them as SPACE CITY in their home game vs Mariners tonight

[Frayed Knot]

Yanx score once in the top of the 9th and win 3-2

Now ten straight W's

[Frayed Knot]

Haven't had one of these in, oh, at least two weeks or so.

This one is from Monday night (5/2).



[media=youtube]R7F1Nyxys1A[/media]



This one is great. First he blows the call obviously, but when you're talking about Jawn Sterling those are kind of a dime a dozen these days.

- But here you get the bonus of Suzyn saying 'No' in the background before finally being forced to flat-out correct him.

- Then he offers the semi-excuse that the fact that Stanton never throwing the ball back to the infield is what confused him, except Stanton so clearly did.

- Then, and remember that this is all on radio, he tells us what a great catch it was even though listeners would have to accept the word of a guy who didn't see the play

- and then finally adding how this great Stanton catch robbed a HR even though the ball was going to be short of the top of the fence.



Sterling blown calls are almost common. The quintuple error in one call is something special though.

[Willets Point]

Suzyn's deadpan "Because Stanton caught the ball" is hilarious.

[Frayed Knot]

Jays hang on 2-1 (after loading the bases w/no outs in the the 9th) to salvage one win in the three game series.

[duan]

Honestly someone who's 83-4 is not a great plan for a radio announcer of a game with very fast moving parts and small objects and long distances. I think the yankees should be fair to John and get him to retire gracefully.



In Ireland there was a legendary commentator - Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh - who commentated on both GAA Football and Hurling - he retired in 2010 at the age of 78. His tone was still clear, his instincts still right but he said had the fear of not enjoying it. Really I think he had the fear of not being able to do it with the magnificence that he had for the previous 40-50 years.



For those of you who've never seen hurling - spend a few minutes listening to and watching this. It was his final All-Ireland Hurling Final (80,000 people watching in Croke Park) he's the radio commentator but someone's mixed it with the TV footage and it's amazing.



https://www.youtube.com/qVRspOFudB0https://www.youtube.com/qVRspOFudB0



(can't get the YouTube to work as an embed)

[Frayed Knot]

I can only assume that the Yanx don't want to get rid of Sterling. It's not like these blown calls are something new even if they seem to more frequent lately.

Maybe they think his cutesy HR calls (whenever he manages to get them right at least) and his near perfect attendance (he went close to 30 years without missing

a single game) are worth the occasional embarrassment. And he still does p-b-p every inning; Suzyn is strictly color, and promo reader (and Sterling correcter).



Not sure what his contract status is. His age has only become public knowledge recently. Prior to that, he, with cooperation from the club I assume, had managed

to keep that under wraps for years. It's not like they'd lack for applicants to fill his slot, although the Yanx never seem to get either of their booths right. They

either have bad guys, or bad fits, or too many moving parts (TV side), or good guys who either hang around too long (Sterling, Phil) or ones who are forced out

for not toeing the company line (Barber, Kubek, Kaat).

[duan]

but more importantly - did you watch the hurling.

[duan]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVRspOFudB0https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVRspOFudB0



sorry the earlier link didn't work.... this should.

[Frayed Knot]

Hurling? I thought that's what you Irish lads did after a night of too much drinking.



Bah-dum-Ching!





I first saw a Hurling match via ABC's 'Wide World of Sports' program, probably late '60s/early '70s

Nobody was wearing helmets back then, I remember that much cuz some dude got knocked cold from a collision and they used that footage in the intro to the program for years ... just like they did with the more famous clip of the ski jumper who lost his balance partway down and went spinning off the edge.

[bmfc1]

The Reds roster now includes Albert Almora, Jr. (fresh from Sweden); Matt Reynolds; and, Brandon Drury.

[Frayed Knot]

Cincy coughs up six HRs to the Brew Crew this afternoon to lose 10-5 and fall to a stunning 3-22 on the season.

That's a .120 winning percentage kids. Double that and you still don't get to the 1962 Mets level.

[Frayed Knot]

The WWoS intro that I mentioned earlier.

The hurling clip is right around the 20 second mark, right after the famous ski jump mishap.



[media=youtube]Vv368yWOSas[/media]

[Gwreck]

After giving it some careful thought, I'm just fine with Cincinnati breaking that record.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

They should sign Conforto and Cano NOW. what's the worst that could happen

[The Hot Corner]

Frayed Knot wrote: The WWoS intro that I mentioned earlier. The hurling clip is right around the 20 second mark, right after the famous ski jump mishap. [media=youtube]Vv368yWOSas[/media]

I loved Wide World of Sports as a kid. I would watch just about anything they would broadcast.

[Frayed Knot]

Yeah, you think the popularity of that show meant that the appetite for all-sports radio and TV would have occurred to someone quicker than it did, but ESPN didn't show up until 1979 (?) and WFAN was almost a decade after that.

[Edgy MD]

And, going back to a post earlier in the week, there was always a chance Evel Kneivel might do something insane or get himself crushed trying.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

Wwos has to be the best opening sequence in TV history.



Duan I watched a little of that curling, that guy was into it even though I can barely understand him. Tipperary v Kilkenny is always a Cracker ye

[Frayed Knot]

Yeah, I needed sub-titles for some of that commentary.

[duan]

Frayed Knot wrote: Yeah, I needed sub-titles for some of that commentary.

He's from Kerry - there's no doubt it takes a bit of time to 'tune your ear' to it, but he has that lovely irish language rhythm to how he speaks too.

That particular game was when Kilkenny were trying to get '5 in a row' - and they were undone by Tipp.

Hurling's bonkers - the helmets with masks are a rather new addition - up until there were very few teeth in the average hurlers head.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

This is great.

[Edgy MD]

That's some journalism, beginning to end.

[seawolf17]

Jomboy is really good.

[Edgy MD]

I feel like Brad Pitt Billy Beane. I watch that and think, "How can you not be romantic about baseball?"

[Frayed Knot]

StL starter Adam Wainwrihht to the IL (specific reason not disclosed).

He and Yadi are within reach of the most tandem starts in history but they have to, you know, start enough games together in what is expected to be the Swan song year for each.

[Edgy MD]

Who holds that record?



Whitey Ford and Yogi Berra? Steve Carlton and Tim McCarver? Kris Benson and Jason Phillips?

[Frayed Knot]

Lolich & Freehan, 325

W & M were 20 starts behind to begin the season so they'll need stay simultaneously healthy for around 2/3 of the season.

Not hard, but also not a given considering the mileage on the tires.