Frayed Knot

Potentially they are, sure. But they were two years ago too when they sandwiched an 86 win season in between a 98 and a 96. And right now they're on pace for 83

Ceetar wrote: it's not hacking. using passwords to access data on databases is not hacking. Do I hack the CPF every time I log in? The CPF is not part of "special databases the team had built [to house] internal discussions about trades, proprietary statistics and scouting reports" Even if I'm dumb enough to leave my keys on the front seat of my car with the windows open that doesn't mean you're free to go around joy-riding in it simply because it wasn't properly protected.

Anyway, it's still not hacking. That word is overused and doesn't really mean "Grab an advantage, often by illegal means" You're kidding, right? Yes of course it needs to be proven first, but the investigation is looking at: "front-office personnel for the Cardinals ... hacked into internal networks of a rival team to steal closely guarded information about player personnel. Investigators have uncovered evidence that Cardinals officials broke into a network of the Houston Astros that housed special databases the team had built, according to law enforcement officials. Internal discussions about trades, proprietary statistics and scouting reports were compromised, the officials said." Let's not pretend that, **IF TRUE**, this isn't hacking, it wasn't to grab an advantage, and it wasn't illegal.

Niese - 2.8 Goeddel - 0.5 Familia - 0.5 Cuddyer - 2.5 Granderson - 1.2 d'Arnaud - 1.4 Ceciliani - 1.1

I'm on a Roll!!! (Hey, with my history and IGTs, 2 in a row counts as a roll) 7:10 Harvey vs Scott Copeland Copeland is a RH rookie who'll be making his 4th ML appearance and 2nd start tonight. He first start was just last week when he held Miami to 1 run over 6 innings for a win. Certainly nothing in his background to suggest he's a stud in the making: already 27 y/o, he was a 2010 21st round draft pick by the O's and has a nothing special minor league record. But things seem to have clicked for him starting last year when he finally reached the higher minors (sub-2.00 ERA over 11 starts at AAA Buffalo) and has given up only 1 run in 10 ML innings so he's the guy they're turning to to replace injured starter Aaron Sanchez. I'm guessing that we're going to be Familia-less tonight but will have ATorres and Gilmartin tanned, rested, and ready - although with the Jays being heavily RH-hitting maybe those two shouldn't be the Terry's first choices. So, Akeel Morris, Com'on Down!! Or, better still, just throw a CG Harvey.

And not just 'go statue' but then made the 2B chase him for a sec in order to kill any chance at a DP. Makes one wonder what Murph would have done in that kind of situation (either as the fielder OR runner): Run into the fielder? Run backwards? Call a time out? Throw to 3rd? Fake a punt?

Edgy MD wrote: My problem with the Grandy ph was wanting wanted to save the lefties Granderson and Ceciliani for when the lefty was out of the game. If you can't use Campbell there, he probably shouldn't be on the team. But that's a bigger issue. It's certainly understandable why they'd roll the dice with Grandy there with two on. Especially since the Jays' closer is a lefty so saving Grandy (or Ceciliani) for later probably just puts him in against a different LHR

Thoughts on the Game - this one would have sucked to lose - shifts giveth and shifts taketh away - not often you give up runs in the 9th & 11th innings and still win - Until Tejada's walk w/1 out in the 11th, the Jays pen had gone 10-up/10-down - the only way Bautista can be hitting those pitches is that he's guessing and cheating for them. But give him credit, he does it very well and then doesn't miss them - I liked that we got Encarnacion out of game but then it looked for a while that his running replacement was going to have the winning run scored and his defensive replacement have the game saving defensive play - I would have scored Duda's hit a double; there was never a throw home - Gutsy and great call by Tuefel to send Cuddyer and nice read by Duda to go to 2nd. Both decisions made all the difference. - I had no problem with the Grandy PH. Buehrle's not a classic lefty killer and the alternatives were the spare catcher and the worst hitter on the team

Mets win Nats lose in Tampa 6-1 w/Bryce Harper lining into a DP w/bases loaded to end the game - NYM increase their lead to 1-1/2 games Braves beat BoSox (but so does everyone these days) Marlins over Yanx 2-1 Phillies lose in Baltimore

Nothing like winning a game via Duda's legs. P.S. - I would have scored Duda's hit a double

Stick that in your shift and smoke it! Gutsy call by Tuefel.

Not sure I've ever seen a snow-cone of a grounder Ruben.

A successful sac bunt by one of our pitchers!!!! Is that our 2nd one this year or 3rd? oe: and it sets up a run!!

He did the first time around ... didn't do him any good.

Biggest problem right now (aside from being no-hit thru 3 innings for the 3rd time inside a week) is that Syndergaard has logged 5+ innings worth of pitches in just 4 innings. Buehrle, meanwhile, has thrown less than half as many. Now no-hit thru 4

MLB, still keeping the Black man down after all these years TEAMMANAGERSIGNED THRUSTATUSHiredMETSTerry Collins2015 + option for '1611/23/2010BRAVESFredi Gonzalez201510/13/2010PHILLIESRyne Sandberg2016 + option for '178/16/2013NATIONALSMatt Williams2015 + options for �16 + �17Option for 2016 picked up10/13/2013MARLINSMike Redmond2015Extended through 201711/1/2012CARDINALSMike Matheny201711/20/2013PIRATESClint Hurdle2017 + option for �1811/15/2010CUBSJoe Maddon201910/31/2014REDSBryan Price201610/22/2013BREWERSRon Roenicke2015 + option for �16Option for 2016 picked up - Fired 5/3/1511/4/2010DODGERSDon Mattingly20169/17/2010GIANTSBruce Bochy2016Oct 2006PADRESBud Black2015Fired 6/15 - Dave Roberts promotedNov 2006DBACKSChip Hale201610/13/2014ROCKIESWalt Weiss201611/7/2012RED SOXJohn Farrell2016Extended thru 201710/20/2012YANKEESJoe Girardi201710/30/2007ORIOLESBuck Showalter20187/28/2010BLUE JAYSJohn Gibbons2015 + option for �1611/20/2012RAYSKevin Cash201912/04/2014TIGERSBrad Ausmus2016 + option for �1711/4/2013INDIANSTerry Francona2016Extended thru 2018 w/options for '19 + �2010/8/2012ROYALSNed Yost20155/13/2010TWINSPaul Molitor201711/4/2014WHITE SOXRobin Ventura201410/6/2011ANGELSMike Scioscia201811/17/1999RANGERSJeff Banister201710/17/2014MARINERSLloyd McClendon201?11/7/2013ASTROSAJ Hinch2017 + '18 option9/29/2014ATHLETICSBob Melvin20166/9/2011

From Puma (NY Post): The Mets [u:133xpgey]have 10 days to trade or waive Gee[/u:133xpgey]. If he clears waivers, he can be released or sent down to the minors. �We will see if there is an interest from any other clubs,� Alderson said. �In the event there is not he would be optioned or outrighted to Vegas.� The Mets had Gee on the trading block all winter, with limited success. Alderson said he had one serious conversation with one team, but a swap never materialized. �It�s possible the club will express interest, and if they do, so be it. If they don�t, we still view him as an asset,� Alderson said. �We�re going to need a sixth guy here pretty soon, and it could be him.�

Sandy Eggo threw that team together this past winter with seemingly no plan, and it showed. A bunch of parts with little concern with how they'd fit (no true CF for instance) and now Bud Black gets to pay the price. But so will the next guy as they dealt away something like 12 of their top 20 prospects assembling the bunch who aren't getting it done now.

I'm not buying the part about him being jerked around by the Mets. He started regularly until going on the DL, then was inserted right back into the rotation when he came off. After getting hit around for 7 runs (4 earned) on 8 hits in 4 innings in that first start, he was skipped ONCE in the rotation and pitched out of the pen (where he retired 4 of the 8 batters he faced - two on line-outs and two on deep flies) before getting another start and pitching even worse than his first post-DL game [8 ER on 11 hits in 3.2 IP] It's unfortunate that he got injured around this time last year -- was out from May 10 to July 9 -- and that he really hasn't been that good since: in the 28 starts prior May 10 of '14 he had a 2.86 ERA, a 1.11 WHiP, and a 137/22 K/BB ratio. In the 22 starts since then his ERA is 5.13 with a 1.46 WHiP. Whatever happened, he ain't the same guy. The bottom line is the fact that they're DFA-ing him indicates they were having trouble trading him and hope that this will force the issue with some of the teams who are looking for pitching.

And yet for all of Toronto's offensive prowess, their current 11 game winning streak has been just enough to get them to an identical record 34-30 to ours (even if with a much better +/-). The bottom line on them is that they're winning a bunch of blowouts [15 of their 34 wins are by 5 or more runs) while losing a bunch of close ones [6-12 in one run games]. Sometimes that's bad luck but sometimes it's a bad pitching staff in general and a bullpen in particular. Their staff ERA is 23rd in MLB and their relievers have 11 losses (NYM relievers = 5 losses) and only 8 saves: 4 each for LH Brett Cecil and RH Miguel Castro who isn't even on the roster at the moment. Among their starters, only Aaron Sanchez has a sub-4.00 (and he's on the DL) while Dickey and Drew Hutchinson sit north of 5.00 You'd hate to get into a slug-fest with these guys but it's possible that this series will resemble Sunday's game more than it'll be like the low-scoring nail-biters we've become accustomed to this year.

It's an all NL East vs AL East schedule this week (in fact it's an all IL sked across the board) which gives us lots of rooting interests. - Yanx are in Miami, starting with Tanaka vs Koehler. We can root along with Seawolf on this one - Nats are at Tampa Bay where the Rays are tied w/the Yanx although I don't think anyone can figure out either squad - Braves at Fenway where the Rod Sox are finding new ways to suck every day. - Phils are in Baltimore. This one's less interesting than the rest although it would be nice to see the O's gain some ground in an AL East division which is just as crappy and even more cramped than ours.

Just waiting for me to get around to posting this, huh? Cuddyer has more career ABs vs Buehrle than against any other pitcher* and is hitting .318 with 3 HRs & 11 2Bs among his 36 hits. * by a LOT! (117) - Sabathia is next with 68

I had forgotten this IGT was on me, mainly because I a) start so few IGTs and win even fewer In fact I think yesterday's win via my IGT brings my winning total over the last two seasons to somewhere around one. 7:10 PM Syndergaard vs Mark Buehrle Buehrle is now 36 y/o in his 16th season of ML ball notable for several things: 215 wins, 14 consecutive seasons of 30 or more starts (read that one again folks), two career no-hitters (one a perfect game), and being perhaps the quickest worker in MLB This season he's 7-4 w/a 4.25 ERA. He's a soft-tosser by today's standards who tends to give up his share of hits (>1/IP) and strikes out very few (~4 per/9 IP) but compensates by keeping his walks down (usually between 1 and 2 per/9 IP).

Overall Jays offense: 1st in RS/G - [u:6o9k69g9]by nearly a full run[/u:6o9k69g9] over the teams just behind them. 5.56/G vs 4.63 for 2nd place MFYs; 4.12 for MLB Avg; or the NYM pace of 3.86/G 3rd in HRs (behind HOU & LAD) 1st in 2Bs 2nd in BA = .275 2nd in OBA 1st in SLG 1st in OPS 40 SB vs only 7 CS

Ashie62 wrote: Rookie OF Kevin Pillar. AB HR AVG RBI R SB 235 4 .251 29 38 9 Pillar (not to be confused with former Red Sock Kevin Millar) also seems to be a regular on highlight fielding videos.