Frayed Knot

Considering that the Nats had no extra-base hits in game 1, made 2 errors, walked 7, and now haven't gotten good pitching in either game, they're lucky not to be down 2-0 at this point.

From Crains: The tunes, they are a-changin. Radio station New Rock 101.9, which only three months ago was changed from talk radio to alternative rock, is going into sports. CBS Radio announced Monday that it has signed on to purchase 101.9 FM from Chicago-based Merlin Media for $75 million. By late fall, the station will launch a simulcast of Sports Radio 66 WFAN. Its call letters will be changed accordingly. "Sports is a very popular format and a huge growth category for our business," said Dan Mason, CEO and president of CBS Radio, which is owned by CBS Corp., in a statement. "As a result of this new asset, we look forward to The FAN building on its position as the leading sports radio franchise in the country." The purchase, which is subject to regulatory approval, will allow WFAN more reach, as it moves to include an FM dial. 101.9 will be the 127th station operated by CBS in 28 markets nationwide. The all-sports channel, which houses radio personalities including Mike Francesa, Boomer Esiason and Steve Somers, first launched in 1987. It is the flagship station for local teams the New York Giants, New York Mets, Brooklyn Nets and the New Jersey Devils. You wouldn't think they'd go out and spend $75 mil on a radio station (even though that's probably under the couch cushion money for CBS) just for simulcast purposes and it seems to me that they'd opt to keep the sports talk on AM and maybe just simulcast while they search for something more long-term for their new FM property, but what do I know?

Game 2 is 2-1/2 hours old and they're already in the 7th inning!!!! They've got to do something about the pace of these games. 8-3 Cards following a LONG HR by Beltran - although the Nats are threatening. And now 8-4, but the threat is diminished by a dumb base-running move by Harper. Possibly he was weighed down by all that eye-black.

That's shocking. Not sure what they think is better about FM for a talk format or what they think they can do with 660 that'll make them more cash than now. And, yeah, FM signals travel a fraction of the distance of AM.

The stupid fucking opponents have lost the first game to the Yanx and then eliminated them anyway in like 5 of the last 6 series ... so there's that.

Oh waiter, now that I'm done with my HR, I'll have a set of three really shitty hits for my appetizer.

I've had quite enough of Russell Martin HRs this season. Fuckin' guy hit barely .200 this year and yet nearly 1/4 of his hits were over the fence.

And while we in the east here are paying attention to what's going on in Baltimore, Bronson Arroyo has a 1-hit shutout going on in SF in the 7th 4-0 Cincinnati

Sabathia has gotten every single borderline call tonight - and certainly every one on 2-strike counts.

O'(happy)Day !!

Man Weiters is a good catcher. I don't think anyone we've had here in the last three seasons (or more) makes that play.

I would prefer it if they simply treated the WC play-in game and the first round as if all part of the same round for roster purposes. It would be like Round 1 is a 3-of-5 for the division winner but a 4-of-6 for the WC team.

Yeah, I'm betting that Espinosa bunted on his own there. Dude had, what, 25 HRs this year? That game moved at the pace of plate tectonics. Having both pitchers up around 100 pitches by the 5th inning had a lot to do with that, but still. One more mound conference and I was going to start peaking under catcher's masks to see if one of the backstops was Jorge Posada in disguise. I was finding myself pulling for the Cardinals during the game. That kind of surprised me.

That why we do these charts even when it looks like there'll be little activity. There are always unexpected developments. Did Tracy have some health or personal problems in the last year or so? I don't recall any specifics but something is in the back of my mind. TEAMMANAGERSTATUSUPDATESBRAVESFredi GonzalezSigned thru 2013 + 2014 optionMARLINSOzzie GuillenSigned thru 2015 METSTerry CollinsSigned thru 2012 + 2013 optionOption picked up for 2013PHILLIESCharlie ManuelSigned thru 2013NATIONALSDavey JohnsonSigned thru 2013CUBSDale SveumSigned thru 2014REDSDusty BakerSigned thru 2012BREWERSRon RoenickeSigned thru 2014 + 2015 optionPIRATESClint HurdleSigned thru 2013CARDINALSMike MathenySigned thru 2013 + 2014 optionDIAMONDBACKSKirk GibsonSigned thru 2014 + �15 & �16 optionsROCKIESJim TracySigned thru 2013 - Resigned 10/7DODGERSDon MattinglySigned thru 2013PADRESBud BlackSigned thru 2013 + options for �14 + �15GIANTSBruce BochySigned thru 2013 + option for �14ORIOLESBuck ShowalterSigned thru 2013RED SOXBobby ValentineSigned thru 2013 - Fired Oct 2012YANKEESJoe GirardiSigned thru 2013RAYSJoe MaddonSigned thru 2015BLUE JAYSJohn FarrellSigned thru 2013WHITE SOXRobin VenturaSigned thru 2014INDIANSManny Acta=#FF0000]Fired Sept 2012Hired Terry Francona - reportedly for 4 yearsTIGERSJim LeylandSigned thru 2012ROYALSNed YostClub option for 2013TWINSRon GardernhireSigned thru 2013ANGELSMike SciosciaSigned thru 2018ATHLETICSBob MelvinSigned thru 2014MARINERSEric WedgeSigned thru 2013RANGERSRon WashingtonSigned thru 2014ASTROSBrad Mills=#FF0000]Fired in AugustBo Porter hired for 2013 - ??

Game 1: Gio Gonzalez vs Adam Wainwright Nats jump out to a 1-0 lead but Gonzalez, suddenly showing some of the wildness that tainted his career in earlier seasons, walks 5 of the first 9 batters he faced including 3 in a row at one point, and it's 2-1 Cards heading for the 3rd.

Zvon wrote: This game is not on a regular old TV station?? MLBN exclusively. They're doing one more on Wednesday also. Matt Vasgersian & the always good Jim Kaat on the call. Now if they'd only get rid of the constant crawl on the bottom which tells you nothing you didn't already know and does so over and over again - we'd be in perfect shape here. Some day stations are going to realize that just because ESPN does something doesn't make it a good idea.

Dreadlock whiplash perhaps?

Sandy Jr. has been offered a job on Francona's staff - most likely as bench coach - but hasn't said yet whether he'll take it. Formal announcement on all this isn't until Monday so as to not interfere with weekend games.

Well that didn't take long TEAMMANAGERSTATUSUPDATESBRAVESFredi GonzalezSigned thru 2013 + 2014 optionMARLINSOzzie GuillenSigned thru 2015 METSTerry CollinsSigned thru 2012 + 2013 optionOption picked up for 2013PHILLIESCharlie ManuelSigned thru 2013NATIONALSDavey JohnsonSigned thru 2013CUBSDale SveumSigned thru 2014REDSDusty BakerSigned thru 2012BREWERSRon RoenickeSigned thru 2014 + 2015 optionPIRATESClint HurdleSigned thru 2013CARDINALSMike MathenySigned thru 2013 + 2014 optionDIAMONDBACKSKirk GibsonSigned thru 2014 + �15 & �16 optionsROCKIESJim TracySigned thru 2013DODGERSDon MattinglySigned thru 2013PADRESBud BlackSigned thru 2013 + options for �14 + �15GIANTSBruce BochySigned thru 2013 + option for �14ORIOLESBuck ShowalterSigned thru 2013RED SOXBobby ValentineSigned thru 2013 - Fired Oct 2012YANKEESJoe GirardiSigned thru 2013RAYSJoe MaddonSigned thru 2015BLUE JAYSJohn FarrellSigned thru 2013WHITE SOXRobin VenturaSigned thru 2014INDIANSManny Acta=#FF0000]Fired Sept 2012Hired Terry Francona - reportedly for 4 yearsTIGERSJim LeylandSigned thru 2012ROYALSNed YostClub option for 2013TWINSRon GardernhireSigned thru 2013ANGELSMike SciosciaSigned thru 2018ATHLETICSBob MelvinSigned thru 2014MARINERSEric WedgeSigned thru 2013RANGERSRon WashingtonSigned thru 2014ASTROSBrad Mills=#FF0000]Fired in AugustBo Porter hired for 2013 - ??

Cueto [19-9; 2.78] vs Cain [16-5; 2.79] get the starts for game 1 in the city by the bay. We can call this the George Foster series if even Cincy does have a slight edge in GF HRs: 244 to 4 SF drafted George in the 3rd round of the supplemental (January) draft in 1968, then dealt him 3-1/2 years and 129 ML ABs later to Cincy in exchange for Frank Duffy and Vern Geishert

Game 1 -- Jarrod Parker [13-8; 3.47] vs Justin Verlander [17-8; 2.64] I look at the Oakland roster and think of Butch and Sundance saying to each other: "Who are those guys?" Parker, in particular, is one of numerous rookies on the pitching staff, starting 29 of the 100+ games started by 1st-year players for the A's this year. The 23 y/o was originally drafted 9th overall by the DBacks in 2007 and was acquired last December as part of a package for Trevor Cahill, Craig Breslow, and, get this, cash (cash coming from Oakland?!?). The other guy who cracks me up on that staff is reliever Sean Doolittle. He just turned 26 a couple weeks ago and pitched in 44 games this year to a 3.04 ERA & 1.08 WHiP after turning to pitching just this year. He played 1B and the OF (plus one inning on the mound) from 2007 when the A's took him 41st overall through last season. This year he started as a pitcher in A-ball and went through AA & AAA before landing in the majors all by the 1st week in June!

Maybe, when the series starts in Baltimore, they can get Jim Biden to throw out the first ball.

In other news: the contest for the world's worst sideburns has been concluded.

Yes it was, but I also think some are over-reading the word "immediately". The way I read it, immediately doesn't mean the moment the ball is in the air but rather as soon as the umpire determines that all conditions exist to make it fit the description. In this case, with the ball and SS being as deep as they were and the fact that he was still back-pedaling until the last moment, that moment came rather late. If it's that late I think the better move is simply not to call it but I don't read the rules as meaning he can't call it at that point.

Amazing how often the extra umpires in post-season seem to screw things up more often than they help. Almost as amazing as how often an Atlanta strength turns into a weakness in October. As far as the rule, with no specific time limit on the call I don't see that one being over-turned even with a rule change that would allow that play to be replay reviewed. It's the judgement part of the play that I found more objectionable but, even there, a case can be made that the StL SS intentionally letting the ball fall could have been used to turn a DP. Obviously that wasn't what happened but the ump seemed to make that call as soon as he saw the SS stop backpedaling with that in mind. The protest, of course, has zero chance of succeeding.