Frayed Knot

Seems to me that goo would tend to attract dust, but clubs these days probably each have their own goo-ologist who know a helluva lot more about this stuff than I do.

those insignia things on the bak-side of the mound ... what are they made of? At first they all seemed to be mono-chromatic so I thought they were merely impressions in the dirt, as if a solid version of the Mets 'NY' or the Nationals 'Curly W' for instance had been slapped and they simply raked around it prior to the game leaving the design. Except that they never seemed to get messed up during the course of the game from feet or weather so it had to be more that just that. And more recently these logos have gained color and detail and some even look as if they got some depth to them like maybe they're a nailed-down something-or-other similar to that spike cleaning pad right near it or the pitcher rubber itself - even though if I'm the pitcher the last thing I want is something else out there that I might trip over.

WE DID IT!!!! 1st place - Mets = 7 2nd - Nationals = 6 3rd - Braves = 5 4th - Rockies = 4 T-5th - Dodgers = 3 T-5th - Phillies =3 7th - Marlins = 2 8th - Astros = 1 Games remaining = 4 vs Pittsburgh

And Ruben gets the 'sweep-off' single!! Retirement ceremonies for Fred Lewis's number will have to wait

Here's the chance for Fred Lewis to become 'a true Met'

I really hate games where we score twice in the first three batters and then not again for the next three hours. Therefore we need to end this right here - although not exactly murderer's row coming up.

T-1st place - Nationals = 6 T-1st place - Mets = 6 3rd - Braves = 5 4th - Rockies = 4 T-5th - Dodgers = 3 T-5th - Phillies =3 7th - Marlins = 2 8th - Astros = 1 Games remaining = 5: Miami 1; Pittsburgh 4 As noted in the IGT, only one more win this season and we take this "title"

The error which ended the game (Oakland's 3rd) was obviously a killer but it was just one part of a whole mess towards the end and in extra innings. But both teams blew numerous chances up to that point (NYY = 17 LOBs & 4/17 w/RiSP ... Oak = 13 LOBs & 3/16 w/RiSP) so you can play coulda/shoulda forever with this one. The best part was the Yanx using their last non-catcher on the bench, a guy making his ML debut in fact, as a pinch-runner in the 14th -- which, considering it's September and they called up like 45 guys to sit on the bench, tells you how Girardi was playing it. So this pr - Melky Mesa - was in for Eric Chavez after his lead-off single and got to 2nd via a sac bunt, and IW. ARod then smacks a one-out single up the middle and there's no doubt on either side that the winning run is going to score ... except that Mesa misses 3rd base!!. Missed it by at least 2 feet in fact which is probably the only thing that saved him. That it was so obvious he missed it meant he had to go back and touch it which killed any chance of scoring. Meanwhile ARod is standing at 1st wondering what happened and why the BB-gods keep conspiring to not allow him to be a MFY hero. Mesa was then forced at home on a bases-loaded grounder (almost an A's error on that one too) for the 2nd out, and then it was the bases-loaded grounder which followed that one that the 1st baseman kicked (had an easy unassisted play) to lose the game. The killer for the A's of course was not shutting off the bottom of the 13th after grabbing a 4-run lead via 3 consecutive HRs, and in allowing three HRs to Yanx old enough to collect AARP cards with their RBIs: one from Ichiro (38) and two from Ibanez (40). Not surprising that Ichiro already more HRs w/Yanx (5) this year than w/Seattle (4) in about 40% of the ABs. Who (besides everyone) saw that coming?

Be nice if they could avoid the WC play-in game and the risk of their run being cut-off barely 24 hours after the season ends ... but the Yanx came back in their game after giving up 4 in the top of the 13th and then won it in the 14th following a series of plays almost too ridiculous to describe. So the O's stay one back of the Yanx with Oakland, losers of two straight 1-run games in the Bronx, starting to hear footsteps.

Oooooh - and then right after Jeter's non-choke Freddie Garcia gives up: Single - HR - HR on about five pitches to start the 13th No word yet on whether Johnny Gomes and Yeonis Cespedes got lucky or simply failed to let the moment overwhelm them.

Jeter flies out with the bases loaded and two outs and it's on to the 13th -- But the best part was Kay's logic prior to the at bat: He talked about how "everyone knows" that Jeter doesn't let moments like this overwhelm him and how the game doesn't speed up for him in such situations. "He might not always come through but if he doesn't it won't be because of the pressure". The perfect can't-lose argument.

If they get to the 14th inning in YSIII, do they re-do the 7th inning stretch thing and have all the ushers herd the patrons into their chairs and forbid them to move again?

They're in the 12th inning in Boston - and the O's have scored three times and are still batting. They're in the 11th inning in da Bronx tied at 5 and, yes, these were both 1:10 starts

At least we know that Rauch wouldn't have coughed up the HR to Howard the other day ... oh wait!

And everything tightens up as a result of Friday's games. - Cards hold a 4-2 lead with two outs and none on in the 9th at Wrigley ... but blow that lead and then lose walk-off style in extras - Dodgers get a 2-RBI single from Matt Kemp to win in the 10th inning in Cincy - Brewers down by one in the 9th score three times off the Nationals to win - Diamondbacks win big in Colorado - And, alas, only the Pirates lose again among the wannabes

Niese - 3.2 Parnell - 0.6 Rauch - 0.4 Davis - 1.8 Hairston - 1.8 Murphy - 0.5 Tejada - 0.5 Thole - 0.6 Baxter - 0.6

Hampsen - 0.5 Acosta - 0.4 Baxter - 1.1

Harvey - 4.6 Parnell - 0.4 Wright - 1.1 Tejada - 1.1 Murphy - 1.0 Hairston - 0.8

Mets win! And now we need a guy on the other side of the world to start Saturday's IGT and keep the winning streak (currently sitting at 1) alive.

This game, even with a three run lead, has turned into a 50/50 proposition to me.

TheOldMole wrote: Who is Fred Lewis? Why he's Mr. and Mrs. Lewis's kid of course. Actually he was a semi-regular with SF a couple years back. This year he was dropped by Cleveland at the end of spring training, was picked up by the Mets and spent the whole year in Buffalo with decent results although he's nearly 32 y/o at this point.

Nice that we have four runs and all ... but I think Ruben's double there in the 4th was our first 'legit' hit. There was the bad call on 1st for Muffy ... the Duda pop up the Marlins watch drop ... the Thole liner that the LF misplayed ... and probably a couple others I'm missing.

With 5.5 (Nationals) 10 (Giants) and 11 (Reds) game leads atop the divisions, coupled with a comfortable (except for them) 6 game lead for the Braves, the race for the 2nd WC is about the only one left in the NL And yet it's a race that none of the early September leaders seem to much want. StL, which lost to the Cubs this afternoon in extras and is now a sub-.500 September team (9-10), holds the lead but it's now down to 2.0 games Behind them is hard-charging Milwaukee - two games out and 14-4 since Sept 1 The 7-10 Dodgers sit 2.5 out thanks to the Cards afternoon loss The just-swept-the-Mets Phils (13-5) are 3.5 out And Arizona (8-8) and Pittsburgh (4-14) are sub-.500 teams clinging to 5 game deficits - but at least the Pirates have the advantage of playing the Astros this weekend and, get this, the have the freakin' Mets next week. They might win the division with that stretch ahead of them. Braves are in Philly this weekend Brewers visit Washington Dodgers at Cincy Pirates at Houston DBacks in Colorado

Vic Sage wrote: It might be shit but, heck, I'd watch Clint talk to an empty chair. Yeah, like anyone would write a script like that. And my wife finds Amy Adams to be way too squeaky The brief reviews I've heard so far involve Amy Adams - who's arguably been at least decent in several other roles - maybe not having enough 'grit' for this part.

Getting back to that ESPN article posted by H. Solo (are you related to Hope by any chance?) it's amazing how many things went right for the Nationals over the last half-dozen years (and in some cases more) and all of them seemed to bear fruit just in time for this season. I don't want to just dismiss it as luck because obviously it's more than that, but a team does need more than a little luck to go their way in addition to all the right decisions and developmental successes that have to go right to get to where they're at now. At the same time and for much the same reasons it's also tough to just say 'well why don't we just copy what they did?' because their current team is the product not only of three different cities (remember San Juan?) and four different stadiums, but also was guided by several club presidents, three different GMs (the respected Mike Rizzon, the much-derided Jim Bowman, and, yes, some of these players - Ian Desmond for instance - even go back to Omar Minaya), four different field managers, plus, I'm sure, numerous other behind the scene changes. Obviously the back-to-back #1 overall picks was the biggest stroke of good fortune. Not only do you have to suck enough to "earn" the #1 overall two years running (something that used to be impossible as that pick alternated between leagues with each draft) but it happens to coincide with years when two once in a generation type players are at the top of those drafts. The rest of the major players: Adam LaRoche - Signed as FA in 2011 Had a lost season in 2011, then bounced back at age 32 (just when Alomar, Bay and others seemed to fall apart) to have as good a season as any in his career. Was a gamble to give up on Adam Dunn but it's paid off in at least equal offense and much better defense. Danny Espinosa - 3rd round pick 2008 (age 25) Probably the only player in the lineup not having his best or break-out season, and still has 55 XBHs as a middle infielder Ian Desmond - 3rd round pick 2004 (by Omar Minaya) 26 y/o 22 HRs in ~1,100 ML ABs coming in to this year - now has 23 in less than 500 this season while BA & OBA are up 30-40 pts each. Defense improved as well. Ryan Zimmerman - 4th overall pick 2005 Seemed to be slipping a bit but then, in mid-year, had what must be one of the most effective cortisone shots in the history of mankind. Not a break-out year for him, but right in line with his career norms Bryce Harper - 1st overall Jayson Werth - FA 2011 Bounced back (at age 33) from both bust year and a major early season injury to be as good or better than ever Michael Morse - Trade 2007 This one kills me. Was traded from Seattle (for Ryan Langerhans) as a 27 y/o with 3 ML HRs (over ~300 ABs) and less than 20 minor league ones -- and since is close to a .300/.350/.500 player with 65 HRs in one full season plus parts of 3 others. Did they know what they were getting before hand? I doubt it - but this is exactly the kind of move that allows you to pass on expensive FA signings like Jason Bay (acquired just months later) if you can somehow see it. Steven Strasburg - 1st overall Bounced back from major injury almost immediately and as good as ever Jordan Zimmermann - 2nd round pick (67th overall pick from Cubs in return for signing Alfonso Soriano) in 2007 (age 26) Also bounced back from major injury quickly and is probably better than before Ross Detwiler - 6th overall pick in 2007 Also missed a year due to injury - then suddenly this season dropped his last year's 4.50 ERA in the minors to 3.10 in the majors That's 40% of your rotation from consecutive rounds of one draft. Edwin Jackson - One year FA signing Always talented although somehow on his 7th ML team at age 28 - ERA in 2012 sits at about 1/2 run/gm below his career norm Gio Gonzalez - Per-2012 season trade involving 4 minor leaguers Took a big package to get him but, again, he's worked out as well if not better than expected. Biggest problem coming in was too many walks but this season that, as well as his H/9 and HR/9, are all at career lows. And, except for Jackson, that entire rotation is under 27 y/o and under club control for at least the next 3-4 years Tyler Clippard - Acquired in winter 2007 swap with Yanx for reliever Jonathan Abaladejo (pitched 3 innings for Arizona this year) Drew Storen - Now set-up man after losing his closer job due to injury - was the 10th overall pick only as a compensation pick when the previous year's 9th overall - Aaron Crow, a guy who has since been pretty much mediocre in two partial season in KC - refused to sign