Johnny Lunchbucket

What's your favorite Angels look? I grew up with the Gil Flores look so that's what I think of first: http://img.comc.com/original/e11bff34-c662-4984-9b0e-b20357505a64.jpg> But the Torborg look with the floating halo is probably more distinctive: https://img.comc.com/i/Baseball/1973/O-Pee-Chee---Base/154/Jeff-Torborg.jpg?id=a7c736cd-5121-4320-a1d2-99d03bfd2870&size=original> I've already said the Collins look is the worst ever in baseball. Today they lean so hard into red it's admirable but also a little much. I also think they went too extreme on the number font but its not unhandsome.

Edgy MD wrote: I know Mo Vaughn wore it and stuff, but that uni Terry Collins is rocking didn't really do it for anybody, did it? Agreed. I hate those unis. They're from when Disney owned the Angels for about five or six years. They did win their only WS, though, under Disney. IMO maybe the worst MLB baseball uni ever

Similar with Berenyi, I don't see Ike Davis --a guy whose career trajectory was so obviously impacted by injuries-- as a "thought he would do better guy." He had a rookie season that was as good as a mid-career year for a "pretty solid major leaguer" much older than him; how much better could he have been? Sure he never really improved on that but--that was injuries, then a disease that robbed him of his energy and strength. Who could have thought he *should* have better given that? Should have been luckier? Sure.

Edgy MD wrote: What you might have missed. Manaea wasn't that good. The Mets bats just seemed out of their depth. Between being banged up and missing key parts, they seemed to be on their heels. They never seemed to know what was coming, but what came wasn't that deadly. The Padres were successfully hitting against the shift most of the night. They certainly got devastating extra base hits to clear the bases, but only after packing them with baserunners via opposite field singles and walks. Not having an "Oh, shit, this is the guy you don't want coming up" guy in the lineup really seemed to give the other hitters an identity crisis. Cahna doesn't have the arm for right. There may have been a slight identity crisis on defense as well. Thanks... Well the longer-term health questions remain, but the Mets have had 1 or 2 other "flat games" this season and bounced back from 'em. This is the the first time they've had 2 in a row. Won't freak out till after this series in Anaheim. Something's gotta give there.

Fun game! 2022: 12 2012: 10 2002: 9 1992: 10 1982: 10 1972: 12 1962: 9 __________________________________________________________ Spoiler Alert below: If you haven't played this fun game yet, don't read ____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ Notes: 12- Guessed Parnell was Davis, then saw Davis. Forgot about Gee's bearded period even though at one time it was quote distinctive 02- Shocked that G Roberts ever made a top-10 war list, way off the radar. 92- Wouldn't know Scofield if he moved next door 82- ashamed to have whiffed on Neil Allen--not surprised I missed Holman 72- cake 62-had I studied his hat would have gotten CC; but was trying to read left to right and at first glance

=Gwreck post_id=95397 time=1654743719 user_id=56] This is a real craptastic outing from Bassitt. 4 of his last 5 starts have been subpar or worse. We should be worried, right?

I feel like, it's really tough to break in a starting catcher, so rushing Alvarez to fill an immediate need seems like a bad idea unless he has nothing left to prove in AAA, which I don't believe is the current narrative on him. September seems like a better plan for him and us

I think Contreras would make sense. Not as Nidos replacement but Mazeikas

That was an incredible play by Gitmo

Hey J D Davis is playing

Maddon was basically bulletproof at one point. A name his destination type of skipper Just goes to show ya.

I like to think everyone the Mets get could be awesome so 90% of ballplayers miss my unreasonable best hopes but I'm also realistic. I think some of the guys in the first list did well with what they had (Berenyi for example. Any pitcher would be better if they were injury free but I wouldn't consider getting injured an engine driving disappointment) With all that said the Mets didn't do Josh Thole many favors but coulda sworn he was a better hitter irl than he ever showed on the field. Rosario.... Gene Clines ... Mickey Calloway ... and as harebrained a scheme as the Victor Zambrano Trade was, I believe that the scout who wanted him must have seen something.

I was on it.

What's automatic is declaring a hitter out when the ball has been put into play and nobody yet has fielded it. Almost--but not quite--as automatic, is the rate at which professional MLB athletes catch pop flies. Especially when you limit them to an area where there are 6 professional MLB athletes. Forget about the baserunners--Is any play made successfully at a greater rate in the game than a hit ball that would qualify in a professional's judgment of the IFR? The rate at which infield popups of that description are made successfully in MLB must be 99% or greater. I get that sneaky advantages are a long tradition in baseball, and I CELEBRATE them, but this to me just seems too exploitable under normal circumstances--iow, legal deception wouldn't be a clever way to take advantage but the "right" play. We still get thrills from time to time of the clever infielder with the presence of mind to "drop" a line drive. It's a harder play generally, it calls for quick reaction, it often surprises the runner and teammates and it could go wrong--ball bounces away, etc. That's the kinda risky sneaky deception that adds to the game

I turned in shortly after the Stroke Out biz. Agreed, that was weird.

I like the look of that Angel's set--very much evocative of that 60s surf culture they are trying to emulate-- I just feel it's a stretch to suggest Anaheim is a surfing town

Fun Fake Fact: Steven Wilson was the least known of the Beach Boys but credited for backing vocals on "Be True to Your School" and percussion on The Beach Boys Love You LP. Was kicked out of the group when John Stamos joined

Padres look defeated already. Like they can't contemplate winning this game.

We could end Snell right now. JDD is hot

Well that's certainly possible too but I'm just glad to see some action being taken when mcneil's head gets stuck up his ass

Some of us may have missed this but late night Saturday McNeil whiffed for, I think, the 3rd time on the night and exhibited McNeil-like behavior-- demonstrably slamming his bat on the ground and stalking back to the dugout, no doubt saying a lot of Bad Words as he went. But what happened next is more interesting: nothing, as in, didn't come out for the next inning on the field, and not in the lineup yesterday and batting... 8th tonight. Neither Mickey nor Luis ever showed the juice to pull this off. No matter how many times--to my eyes, McNiel needed a little tough love. I love it, if this is Buck. I didn't see yesterday's game on TV or read much Twitter since Saturday so curious if there's been a fan narrative developing on this

btw, I'm having lunch with Big Important People from MLB this week, will bring this convo up to them

I'm with Batmags and CF and Seawolf on this

=Marshmallowmilkshake post_id=95007 time=1654540352 user_id=119] ESPN's Karl Ravitch has been clamoring to shorten all games to seven innings to speed things along. Don't like it.

=Gwreck post_id=94974 time=1654533764 user_id=56] Yeah, but how does the extra inning runner solve that? Speeding up the game in innings 1-9, sure. The occasional extra inning game? It's a dumb rule change that doesn't solve anything important.