TWiB Notes week of May 9-16

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

The greatest victory in the short history of the Guardians. Down 8-2 after 8 at White Sox, 6 run 9th, 1-run 10th, 3-run 11th, 12-9 win. Josh Naylor 8 RBIs... all 8th inning on

[Edgy MD]

The entire NL West — including those Diamondbacks we've already finished with — is above .500.



The Cubs have lost eight of their last ten (worse than the Reds) and may be making an early slide toward Palookaville.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

Johnny Lunchbucket wrote: The greatest victory in the short history of the Guardians. Down 8-2 after 8 at White Sox, 6 run 9th, 1-run 10th, 3-run 11th, 12-9 win. Josh Naylor 8 RBIs... all 8th inning on

He was kind of excited

[vtmet7]

if that is him happy, I don't want to see him pissed off

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

Naylor is like a Canadian sasquash

[Edgy MD]

He's bringing the Rusty Staub bodyshaping technique back into vogue.



Really, though, down four in the ninth with two outs and the bases loaded? Every child plus Billy Joel imagines themselves in that situation. To actually meet it and utterly conquer it in a major league game, I'd have trouble touching the ground.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

I like that you can see Rosario and Gimenez among the revelers

[Edgy MD]

I like as well that you can see the outfielders who had garbage thrown at them at Yankee Stadium.

[seawolf17]

It reads like one of those old Jayson Stark columns.



"Did you know that the last time a visiting team came down from six runs in the ninth to win the game before the Mets did it last week was in eighteen-dickety-seven when the St. Louis Browns did it... and then Josh Naylor and the Cleveland Guardians did it AGAIN, just six days later?"

[vtmet7]

It reads like one of those old Jayson Stark columns. "Did you know that the last time a visiting team came down from six runs in the ninth to win the game before the Mets did it last week was in eighteen-dickety-seven when the St. Louis Browns did it... and then Josh Naylor and the Cleveland Guardians did it AGAIN, just six days later?"

MLB must be saving the "juiced" balls just for these late inning hail mary types of situations to add drama to the game (borrowing from Eric Chavez's dead ball vs juiced ball theories)



Speaking of conspiracy theories...does anyone other than myself find it odd(s) that after MLB has had a storied history of being against gambling, that they seem to be fully embracing Draft Kings as one of their biggest sponsors? Every time that I see the ticker tape at the bottom of MLB Network's screen, they seem to show more betting information than they give game details this season

[Edgy MD]

I find it more than odd.



Not really a conspiracy when it's that open.

[vtmet7]

Edgy MD wrote: I find it more than odd. Not really a conspiracy when it's that open.

in the same realm of "should I believe it's a coincidence":



Prior to the 1997 playoffs & World Series being televised by FOX Sports, I don't remember many pitchers that could throw 98+ MPH strikes, other than Nolan Ryan and Sid Finch...



Fox had a speed gun on Dennis Cook during the playoffs, and it seemed like almost everyone of the fastballs that Cook threw that playoffs was 98+ MPH...I don't even remember Cook being that good of a pitcher prior to then...



Nowadays, it seems like everyone throws in the 96+ mph range...did they really elevate the speed? or is the radar gun that was in Nolan Ryan's era, different than today's radar guns?

[MFS62]

Nowadays, it seems like everyone throws in the 96+ mph range...did they really elevate the speed? or is the radar gun that was in Nolan Ryan's era, different than today's radar guns?

Radar guns have changed over the years. I read an article that said one of the early guns was used to track a test pitch thrown by MFY shortstop Mark Koenig at 137 MPH!!!. No pitch has been measured within 30 MPH of that on later radar guns, and I'm guessing the newer guns are more accurate.

As for the overall increase in speed, current throwing motions are being analyzed electronically by experts who can raise a pitcher's velocity by up to 5 MPH by tweaking their motion. And then there's the old "today's players are bigger and stronger because of better nutrition" we have heard about in all sports.

Minor inconsistencies ( 2- 4 MPH), can vary brand to brand of gun. And the placement of the gun and angle and distance to the pitch (varies from stadium to stadium) could also contribute to the differences.





Later

[Frayed Knot]

That Naylor/Guardians game was wild:

* they got one in the 8th -- on a Naylor two-out double

* six in the 9th, capped by the Naylor two-out/1st pitch Grand Slam, an inning which started with an Andres Ginenez HR

* one more in the 10th, this time on an Andres Gimenez double (the old leadoff RBI Double thx to the Manfred Man rule)

* and finally three in the 11th to win it on ... wait for it, a two out Naylor 3R HR





Gimenez, btw, slashing .351/.363/571 for the Guardians so far this year.

OK that walk-rate suxx and it's only 80 PAs so he's not quite playing full time (mostly as a 2B) ... but still.



The other half of the Lindor ransom, Amed Rosario OTOH, .220/.278/.260 (22 hits w/2 2Bs & 1 3B) on 100 PAs

so more or less full-time including two starts in LF (where he looked awful).

[Frayed Knot]

Struggling last place BoSox (yes, behind Baltimore) up 6-0 early in Atlanta courtesy of a 3rd inning Rafael Devers Grand Slam

[Frayed Knot]

Justin Verlander, 39 y/o with just one start under his belt over two seasons, (2020-21) has a no-hitter thru 7 in Minnesota.

It would be his 4th if he gets it tying him with Koufax for second mist ever.

[Edgy MD]

Yeah, but we got Phil Humber with the next pick, BITCHES!

[Frayed Knot]

Verlander didn't get it



Braves lose to BOS 9-4



Phils (SEA) & Marlins (ARZ) on the west coast



Yanx score 3 in bottom 9 to beat Jays (Judge 3R HR)

[Frayed Knot]

Frayed Knot wrote: Verlander didn't get it

But Reid Detmers did.

Who? 2nd year lefty for Anaheim (10th overall draft pick out of U Louisville in 2020) no-hit the Rays last night on the left coast

A 6th inning walk (erased on a GiDP) and a 7th inning error prevented the perfecto.

1 walk; only 2 Ks; 108 pitches; 2:19

[Edgy MD]

I wonder when the last no-hitter with only two strikeouts occurred.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

Amazinly, the Angels were ahead in that game 10-0 late and had position player Brent Phillips pitching, so Anthony Rendon sportingly batted left-handed for the first time in his career--and hit a 2-run homer.

[Fman99]

Frayed Knot wrote: Frayed Knot wrote: Verlander didn't get it But Reid Detmers did. Who? 2nd year lefty for Anaheim (10th overall draft pick out of U Louisville in 2020) no-hit the Rays last night on the left coast A 6th inning walk (erased on a GiDP) and a 7th inning error prevented the perfecto. 1 walk; only 2 Ks; 108 pitches; 2:19

And then Syndergaard puts some dumb ass thing on social media about this being a "real no hitter," as opposed to the Mets combined one.



Hey Thor - here's a thought. Go eat a bag of dicks.

[Marshmallowmilkshake]

Frayed Knot wrote: Frayed Knot wrote: Verlander didn't get it But Reid Detmers did. Who? 2nd year lefty for Anaheim (10th overall draft pick out of U Louisville in 2020) no-hit the Rays last night on the left coast A 6th inning walk (erased on a GiDP) and a 7th inning error prevented the perfecto. 1 walk; only 2 Ks; 108 pitches; 2:19 And then Syndergaard puts some dumb ass thing on social media about this being a "real no hitter," as opposed to the Mets combined one. Hey Thor - here's a thought. Go eat a bag of dicks.

Good call. Why is Noah being a dick about this? The Mets treated him fairly -- offering nearly $20 million to stay despite pitching just two innings in two years. I don't understand why he had to say those things. I also suspect that had he been part of a combined no-hitter, he'd be happy about it. I don't really miss him.



https://www.sny.tv/articles/noah-syndergaard-takes-shot-metshttps://www.sny.tv/articles/noah-syndergaard-takes-shot-mets

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

He's just being a tool because he knows the Mets fans and the NYC media will get up in arms over it. Good World Series storyline too, should it get to that point

[Frayed Knot]

Bryce Harper has a "small" tear in his UCL

Will continue to DH only until more/better info

Is introduced.

[Frayed Knot]

Clayton Kershaw to the IL (Pelvic Joint Inflammation ... which is painful just to read)

He's spent a lot of time there in recent years.

Edited May 13, 2022 by Guest

[Frayed Knot]

This weekend sees the rest of the NL East facing so.e challenging opponents:

* Marlins hosting Milwaukee

* Nats hosting Houston

* Braves hosting San Diego

* Phils at LAD



So this is a big opportunity to throw up a 2-of-3 or a sweep and see if any of the others can match the challenge.

We'll certainly be on the tougher side of the ledger on several occasions as the season progresses.

[Frayed Knot]

According to their BB-Ref bios, tonight's NYY starting OF (Stanton in RF, Judge in CF, Gallo in LF) total 19-1/2 ft tall and weigh a combined 777 pounds.



They're also currently losing to the ChiSox 2-0 thru 7

[Frayed Knot]

Yanx tie up the game at 2-2

ChiSox walk it off in bottom 9 off Chapman

[Willets Point]

Possible positive story for the sadsack Reds in progress right now.