Frayed Knot

Crawford in but Posey not starting. Also wasn't expecting Pence back this early. They were talking about maybe by the end of the week but I guess 7 game losing streaks have a habit of changing plans.

BA does their mid-season 'Top-50' list - essentially kicking out everyone who 'graduated' since the beginning of the season and then factors in how the first half went for the remainder. #14 Michael Conforto (#80 pre-season) -- Conforto and [Cubs catching prospect Kyle] Schwarber (#6 on list) are having a fun duel to see who is the best college bat from last year�s draft #48 Brandon Nimmo (#45) -- Nimmo isn�t a sexy prospect, but he plays center field, gets on base and shows occasional pop Full list Would have been interesting to see where Matz fell on the list if not for the promotion just a week earlier.

Gwreck wrote: Balks (called properly or not) are not reviewable plays. Not reviewable but it would be a rules interpretation which is certainly arguable and maybe even protest-able. Gary and I both had the immediate conclusion that it was a balk. That the result was the same as a balk renders it moot (or 'mute' as some used to say at the MoFo) but I'm curious as the call if the bounce and outcome were different.

Why can't the Mets use this guy? It's not that they couldn't use him, he'd probably be better than Mayberry whose role he'd essentially take. But I wouldn't give up Niese for him and I certainly wouldn't give up Niese plus pay part of the freight. Besides, Van Slyke's a limited player - almost totally the opposite set of skills from his father. He doesn't run well, he doesn't field well, he doesn't hit RHP particularly well, he K's a lot, he's no longer young as you've already said. Plus for a high-K/low-BA slugger he's not that much of a slugger: a 17-HR over a 162-game average and of course he would be a poor bet to actually get 17 HRs if given a full season because then he's not just facing the pitchers he has the best shot at. Useful piece? - Sure. Worth a solid starting pitcher? - Not even close IMO. I'd give them Gee if they want.

So then the remaining questions: - was the throw itself a balk based on there being no fielder at the bag giving Granderson a free pass to 2nd base? - if so did the umps miss it, or is it something they only would have called if/when Grandy was either tagged out at 2nd or failed to even try to advance?

A pitcher is to step directly toward a base before throwing to that base but does not require him to throw (except to first base only) because he steps. So that implies that it WOULD have been a balk had Heston NOT thrown it after stepping that way and realizing where Belt was.

8.05 (d): If there is a runner, or runners, it is a balk when ... [t]he pitcher, while touching his plate, throws, or feints a throw to an unoccupied base, except for the purpose of making a play; I understand "unoccupied base" in that context to mean a base not currently occupied by a runner. Not a base not covered by a fielder. Else, any time you throw to second, you are throwing to an unoccupied base, because those plays are generally one where the fielder sweeps in while the ball is coming. Pickoffs to 2nd though are always done after breaking contact with the rubber. Now I suppose you could argue that, with a right-hander, a pickoff to 1st only comes after breaking contact also but I always understood the balk rule to treat 1st base somewhat differently than either 2nd or 3rd to the point where any step by the pitcher towards 1st required a throw to 1st just as any movement towards the plate obligates him to go through with the pitch*. Maybe I'm wrong there which, if so, would negate the idea that it would be a balk even had Heston held onto the ball once realizing where Belt was (he should never be on the mound without knowing where his Belt is) but i know I've seen balks called because the 1st baseman was off the bag and in situations where he was a lot closer to it than was Belt. And it was something that Gary picked up on immediately also. * ye olde fake-to-3rd then fake(or throw)-to-1st play was legal (until recently) specifically because the step to 3rd did NOT require the pitcher to throw there and thus allowed him freelance his next move at will. By contrast a pitcher never could fake to 1st first and then throw to 3rd

In Chicago: White Sox 4 - Blue Jays 2 Chris Sale (CHI): CG, 2 Runs, 6 Hits, 0 BBs, 6 Ks (breaks his streak of 8 games with 10 or more) Mark Buehrle: CG (8 inn), 4 Runs (0 earned), 9 Hits, 0 BBs, 2 Ks ChiSox win on 3 unearned runs in bottom 8 Time of Game: 1:54 On the other side of the ledger, how'd ya like to be a Philly phan last night? (or any night for that matter - but that's a whole 'nother story) Halfway through a slog of a season where you're on pace for 109 losses, a 10:10 start out on the west coast goes 4:13 in a 7-5 loss to the Dodgers

Ashie62 wrote: Nice to wake up to. Well done.! 3 runs in the 9th, got to both the set-up man and the closer, other team makes more mistakes than us. I'd say this was both well done and rare at the same time.

The set-up for those not watching or forget the details: 2-out, top-3rd, Granderson on 1st base following a walk. With a 2-2 count on Tejada, 1B Brandon Belt decides to play behind Granderson (thought it was a full count???). Pitcher Heston tries to pick Grandy off without realizing where Belt is -- the throw was right at the base and had Grandy diving back in head-first but Belt was at least 10 feet away so the ball skitters into foul territory, Curtis gets up and takes 2nd on the error. Now here's the thing (briefly mentioned by Gary but not really pursued): - it's illegal for a pitcher to throw to an unoccupied base from the mound, specifically it's a balk. I've even seen a balk called for "deceiving the runner" when a 1B is only slightly off the base as the pitcher turns and throws because the 1B is faking a bunt-charge or a drop-back. It's the same 'unoccupied base' logic based on the 1B being off the base even as the pitcher is just starting to turn and throw. - it would have (or at least SHOULD have) also have been a balk had Heston not thrown to 1st once stepping that way (i.e.. had he held the ball upon realizing that Belt was out to lunch) But no balk was called (at least none that I saw) and if the throw had bounced off the wall slightly differently there could easily have been a play on Grandy at 2nd. My question is: Is this a case where Granderson is granted 2nd base free and clear but had to right to try and take more if he could get it? -- IOW, an ump could indicate the balk but not stop the play (like a fielder obstruction call) and then rule Granderson safe even if the Giants retrieved and threw to 2nd in time? Same kind of deal had he not got up and run at all: because he didn't see the throw go wild, because he didn't think he could make it, because he got hurt on the dive back, etc. It should be his base without risk as far as I can tell. I assume Granderson IS at his own risk past 2nd and therefore could be called out if tagged trying for 3rd - his 'immunity', so to speak, runs out once past 2B. Or is there something else I'm missing here?

WHEEE!!!!

3 GOs and a FO for Posey tonight, including the key GO w/2-outs/bases loaded.

Hey Machi, one pitcher on the mound at a time, dude!

2015 Met Position Players with Fewer RBI than Steven Matz Matz - 5 RBI, 6 ABs Dilson Herrera: 4 RBI, 82 ABs Johnny Monell: 4, 37 David Wright: 4, 33 Darrell Ceciliani: 3, 68 Anthony Recker: 3, 49 (and he has 2 HRs!!) Kirk Nieuwenhuis: 2, 38 Daniel Muno: 0, 24

Both runs charged to Romo who never comes through in a big spot ... or at least that's what they say in Dallas.

Proper move to hold Cuddyer there at 3rd ... but I was thinking about it the whole time.

Instead of bunting why don't we just request that the batter start with an 0-2 count? It would save a lot of time.

I think I may have mentioned this during the last SF/NYM series, but Sergio Romo looks like Carmen Ghia from 'THE PRODUCERS' [fimg=300:148nqp3d]http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IztNg14BO2c/TA8de9ghbVI/AAAAAAAABFI/fnrrYvmLVMc/s1600/s_andreas.png[/fimg:148nqp3d] [fimg=300:148nqp3d]http://www.nbcsports.com/files/nbcsports/styles/hero-image-full/public/migrated_images/spt-121024-sergio-romo.jpg?itok=K4h3znni[/fimg:148nqp3d]

1st base coaches have so few duties - getting Lagares off the base there is one of them.

Look at it this way vis-a-vis the late start: that's 6-1/2 innings in <1 hour + 25 m Yesterday the BoSox & Astros played a 5-to-4, 8-1/2 game in 4:01 If tonight was being played at that pace we wouldn't be at this point in the game until about 1:20 AM

Pretty sure that the suspended player remains on the 40-man

Sheesh - an infield pop-up (maybe broken bat) on a 2-0 count for Cuddyer.

2015 Met Position Players with Fewer RBI than Steven Matz Matz - 5 RBI, 6 ABs Dilson Herrera: 4 RBI, 82 ABs David Wright: 4, 33 Darrell Ceciliani: 3, 68 Anthony Recker: 3, 49 (and he has 2 HRs!!) Kirk Nieuwenhuis: 2, 38 Johnny Monell: 2, 33 Daniel Muno: 0, 24

Ceetar wrote: Who says "No"?: Scott Van Slyke for Niese, (Mets eat half this year's remaining dollars and 2-3 mil next year.) The Mets. Even if one were given toward trading for SVS (and I'm not) there's no reason why the Mets should need to eat money on a Niese trade. His deal of $9 + $10, + $11/0.5 buyout for 2016-2018 is perfectly reasonable for a mid-rotation starter.

Not surprising that they added Grohl to the roster ... y'know, cuz he comes to them pre-injured. What I can't figure out is how they got Grohl to agree to a publicity shot. He's usually so camera-shy.