Frayed Knot

metsguyinmichigan wrote: I didn't know Valde played center. When your nominal CFers hit like they're hitting, he becomes one rather quickly.

If Bay's return keeps Nieuwenhuis off the field against LHPs [.167/.275/.217], sits Duda every once in a while vs the same [.217/.270/.311], and reduces Terry's once-a-week or so temptation to put Turner on 1B, then maybe it's not such a bad thing.

Dickey - 0.7 Parnell - 1.0 Wright - 2.8 Hairston - 1.5 Murphy - 1.6 Davis - 1.1 Tejada - 0.6 Valdespin - 0.4 Beato - 0.3

Young 2.3 Hairston - 1.5 Wright - 1.0 Tejada - 1.0 Duda - 0.5

Problem is that Boston is virtually unrecognizable these days (they had five guys playing today with numbers over 50) with Pedroia, Crawford, Matsuzaka, Ellsbury (and who the hell knows who else) injured, Youkilis gone, Varitek gone, etc. Tampa's offense was questionable even before Longoria went out. Toronto has about four different starting pitchers injured. And Baltimore is, well, Baltimore. Meanwhile half the senior citizens in the Bronx are playing like they're 25 (three HRs for Andruw today). The Sox did come back to win the 2nd game today and has a chance at a split tomorrow but that may not be enough.

Boston fans can bitch about Bobby all they want (I don't actually know if they still are) but when their starting pitchers give up 5, 4, & 3 runs in the 1st inning to the Yanx in the first three games of their series, what's he supposed to do about it? Then tack on the fact that I don't even recognize the names of half their starting players and it doesn't say much for them on the offensive side of things either.

And now Harper replaces Stanton on the NL AS Squad. At least Stanton has an excuse. But the Nats - at least Davey anyway - publicly stated that they preferred Harper skip the ASG so the Desmond pull out is probably more on the player than the team.

Ashie62 wrote: Edgy DC wrote: Rose and Lewin having a great time with the relationship between Murphy and Duda. Are nuptials in the plans? Hey, it's legal now. Tejada gets at least half that save.

Ashie62 wrote: #48 Thornburg has started some games for the Brewers. Harvey might be ready 2013. Mid-season lists like this toss out those who have already surpassed the ML minimum for rookie status (Harper, Trout, Montero, etc.) but not necessarily those who have just been called up but would still qualify as prospects if they happen to get returned. Also, the order is supposed to measure who is likely to have the best career not just who's closest to MLB. A guy currently sitting in the low minors could rank higher than someone on the verge of being called up if the rankers think he has the higher ceiling and a reasonable probability of reaching it. Hence Wheeler as higher on the list even though Harvey may be closer. I suspect Harvey is a September call-up this season depending of course on how things go.

Baseball America's Mid-Season Top 50 1. Dylan Bundy, rhp, Orioles 2. Jurickson Profar, ss, Rangers 3. Wil Myers, of, Royals 4. Taijuan Walker, rhp, Mariners 5. Danny Hultzen, lhp, Mariners 6. Gerrit Cole, rhp, Pirates 7. Tyler Skaggs, lhp, Diamondbacks 8. Jose Fernandez, rhp, Marlins 9. Manny Machado, ss, Orioles 10. Zack Wheeler, rhp, Mets 11. Mike Olt, 3b, Rangers 12. Nick Castellanos, 3B, Tigers 13. Matt Barnes, rhp, Red Sox 14. Francisco Lindor, ss, Indians 15. Jameson Taillon, rhp, Pirates 16. Archie Bradley, rhp, Diamondbacks 17. Nolan Arenado, 3b, Rockies 18. Oscar Taveras, of, Cardinals 19. Travis D'Arnaud, c, Blue Jays 20. Shelby Miller, rhp, Cardinals 21. Christian Yelich, of, Marlins 22. Miguel Sano, 3b, Twins 23. Jonathan Singleton, 1b, Astros 24. Julio Teheran, rhp, Braves 25. Javier Baez, ss, Cubs 26. Carlos Martinez, rhp, Cardinals 27. Billy Hamilton, ss, Reds 28. Mason Williams, of, Yankees 29. Jake Odorizzi, rhp, Royals 30. Gary Sanchez, c, Yankees 31. Xander Bogaerts, ss, Red Sox 32. Jackie Bradley, of, Red Sox 33. Matt Davidson, 3b, Diamondbacks 34. Matt Harvey, rhp, Mets 35. Nick Franklin, ss, Mariners 36. Starling Marte, cf, Pirates 37. Jake Marisnick, cf, Blue Jays 38. Anthony Gose, cf, Blue Jays 39. Tyler Austin, of, Yankees 40. Alen Hanson, ss, Pirates 41. Cody Buckel, rhp, Rangers 42. James Paxton, lhp, Mariners 43. Jean Segura, 2b/ss, Angels 44. Kolten Wong, 2b, Cardinals 45. George Springer, of, Astros 46. Bubba Starling, of, Royals 47. Hak-Ju Lee, ss, Rays 48. Tyler Thornburg, rhp, Brewers 49. Zach Lee, rhp, Dodgers 50. Jedd Gyorko, 3b, Padres

Edgy DC wrote: Walk number three. And Marmol stays in. Wow!. No one is warming. This is his to sink or swim.

Lady Marmol-ade in to try and close it out. Voulez vous suck ce soir?

Ceetar wrote: Swan Swan H wrote: Valdespin kabooms. Nooey looks cooked, but with Torres hurt he has to play CF. When is Baxter due back? not soon. And also not soon enough. But if there's one thing you can count on from Marmol it's a bushel full of walks.

Lady Marmol-ade in to try and close it out.

Nats go quietly after that and lose 5-1 - so at least we can't lose any ground to 1st place today. 10-8 Yanx, Sox batting in bottom 7

I would have preferred the Phils win this one. Rockies trying their hardest to blow their previous 5-0 lead in Washington. Still 5-1 bottom 9 but Nats have 2-on w/none-out.

Drew Pomeranz tossing a 1-hitter v Washington thru 5 Rox lead 3-0 against Strasburg but had a chance to run his ass out of the game but GiDP'd w/bases loaded in top 5. That's the same thing the Giants kept doing the other day and eventually paid for it. Strasburg up over 100 pitches already so may be done. Phils & Braves scoreless in the 8th

Most fly balls towards Lucas Duda lean to the scary end of the spectrum.

Matt Holliday replaces Yadier Molina on the NL AS team. Tony LaRussa immediately pronounced him too to be superior to catching the knuckleball over Buster Posey.

6-6 end of two. The feed on MLBN has attached a small 'Time of Game' clock onto the score box. It clicked over 1:00 just before Adrian Gonzalez made the final out of the 2nd inning.

Edgy DC wrote: [Also, you know what they call a Quarter Pounder with Cheese in Paris? A Royale with cheese, of course.

5-5 bottom first in Fenway ... Sox still batting!! Any takers on whether this one ends before midnight?

With Halladay (due soon), a presumably better and luckier Lee, a still good Hamels, plus a returned Utley, Howard (probably tonight), and a revived Rollins, it's too soon to count them out. Five more games out and/or maybe twenty more off the schedule and I'll consider changing my mind.

Last night's 2-0 shutout of the Astros gives the Pirates 14 wins in their last 19 and puts them 10 above .500 for the first time since George Bush was in the White House ... the first George Bush. (closing day of the 1992 season to be specific)

Rumor is that Dempster (3-3 despite just a 2.11 ERA) is just about ready to pitch again and, if so, he'd get the nod on Sunday.