Frayed Knot

Ceetar wrote: Will be Dickey's last start of the season [GaryCohen]which means it will be the last time for him to pitch a good game and not get the win[/GaryCohen] Val Pascucci just lowered his ratio of minor league to major league HRs from 117:1 to 78:1

Igarashi - 0.2 Acosta - 0.5 Parnell - 0.7 Reyes - 1.0 Tejada - 3.1 Harris - 2.2 Baxter - 0.7 Pridie - 0.6 Thole - 1.0

- stRangers clinch West - Rays lose again a Price pitches well but makes two errors WC: Boston: 6 games remaining ... 3 w/NYY, 3 w/Balt TB: -2.5 (5) ... 2 w/Tor, 3 w/NYY LAA: -3.5 (5) ... 2 w/Oak, 3 w/Tex

D'Backs win West by beating Gints 3-1 with 1 in the 7th then a 2-run eighth (via a Paul Goldschmidt 2-out/2-run triple) then backed up by another Putz save. Defending champs virtually dead for 2011 -- 5 out of WC with 5 to play. Cards 3 out and teetering badly.

I've long thought that the mania and novelty surrounding him upon his arrival gave a wee scent of 'over-rated' to his career*, but he was still a terrific player who will, and should be, a quick 'Yes' vote for the HoF even if he retired now. Sticking around for 3K hits here after spending nine years on the other side of the Pacific first isn't necessary for him to get in but it would be a helluva feat on top of things. * Just minor stuff really: shouldn't have been MVP that 1st year for instance ... lots of hits but mostly singles ... nice BAs but few walks on top of them ... good defense but some of the praise was over-the-top IMO

HoF pitcher for Detroit Hal Newhouser was Houston's Michigan area scout at that time and *thought* he had the Astros convinced that Jeter should be the #1 overall pick. But at the last minute they switched to Nevin, supposedly for the more 'sure' projection a college player would provide. Newhouser quit over the snub.

A couple of guys with NYM bloodlines that get profiled in a John Sickels on the progress of ML offspring from the 2011 draft. I remember talking about Shawon Jr. - how could you miss that name? - but I don't think we knew-of/acknowledged the others at the time. Chris O'Brien, C: Drafted in the 18th round by the Los Angeles Dodgers from Wichita State. Son of Charlie O'Brien, Chris had a fine college campaign but questions about how he will hit with wood, combined with mediocre throwing skills, hurt his stock. I'm still surprised he fell this far, given the paucity of catchers who have a chance to hit. He hit .292/.358/.494 in the Arizona Rookie League and threw out 35% of runners, but was old for the level. Devin Shines, OF: Drafted in the 38th round by the Dodgers out of Oklahoma State, son of Razor Shines. The Dodgers like to draft bloodline players. Shines played great in rookie ball, hitting .319/.401/.463 with 13 steals, but was old for the Arizona Rookie League at age 22. Undersized at 5-9, 185, he was seen primarily as roster-filler when drafted, but he performed well enough to earn a clean shot at higher levels. Shawon Dunston JR, OF: Drafted in the 11th round by the Chicago Cubs, but could have gone much higher if not for a Vanderbilt commitment. He cost $1,275,000 to sign, first round money. Dunston signed too late to play and is considered raw, but he has top-flight athleticism, with plus speed and moderate power potential. His makeup is also considered a positive. others

At the start of the day: Cards = 2.0 out of WC (5.0 out in Central) Giants = 4.0 out of WC (6.0 out of West) Braves travel to Washington and get Strasburg tonight. Hudson starts for Braves Cards host Cubbies -- Carpenter v Dempster Giants in Arizona -- Cain and Saunders

At the rate they're going (lost every game since their clinching) along with the rains which might wash out a game or three, these Phils might not win 100

Ashie62 wrote: Scampi Bay up 13-0 ... 15-8 was your final. Yeah, real clutch there Tampon Bay - way to show 'em. The only good part I suppose, is that it looks like Bartolo Colon is turning back into a pumpkin again (albeit the world's largest) just as October rolls around. Angels lost on a Edwin Encarnacion walk-off HR WC = Boston with a 2-game lead over TB, 3.0 over LAA Angels trail Texas by 5.0 (Rangers also lost). The one saving grave for LAA in the West is that they play Texas in the final three. Still means they have to make up two games this weekend and then sweep. Yeah ... not gonna happen.

The other fun thing is that after LaRussa moved to his 'defense' lineup in the late innings he wound up in the 9th without Berkman (sked to leadoff but double-switched out) followed by several of the lesser hitters in there for their glove-work. Plus the glove guy in LF still couldn't catch up to Tejada's ball. Not that they were wrong moves necessarily, only that they wouldn't have been made (at least not in such wholesale quantity) had there not been expanded rosters and that they came back to bite him in the ass when his hurlers couldn't get the ball over the plate.

Wow! Had stuff to do earlier so I recorded the back half of that game and just finished watching it via delay. Was considering giving up a few times but hung with fortunately. Gotta like that we won a game after our first three runs were 'driven in' by walks & WPs before actual hits kicked in in the 9th. And for all the fans who constantly complain about how we always get beat by scrubs & no-names*, consider that the Cardinals just had their season effectively killed by Ruben Tejada & Willie Harris. * something which, in truth, the fans of all 30 teams complain about while also thinking it's something unique to their team

Jake Westbrook's sequel to Five Easy Pieces: Six quick pitches to get out of the first. And six more to get though the second.

Doesn't sound like we're playing ball for a while yet. But, being the last week of the season and the Cards being in the mix, they're going to try like hell to get it it. And ... wait for it ... they see a window!!

Schwinden - 2.5 Parnell - 0.3 Harris - 2.2 Satin - 1.5 Reyes - 0.5 Wright - 0.5

Thayer - 0.5 Pelfrey - 0.5 Pagan - 2.0 Duda - 1.0 Reyes - 1.0 Thole - 1.0 Harris - 0.5

bmfc1 wrote: MFY fan in my office, to me this morning: "35 predictions on ESPN and not one picked the Yankees to win the AL East." I'm calling bullshit on that one - no way does ESPN employ 35 guys who pay enough attention to baseball to even make a prediction.

Ashie62 wrote: Dont count out the Angels LAA now tied with Tampa for WC, 2.0 behind Boston They picked up a cumulative 2.5 games on those two just today.

Yeah, so much for the idea of the Rays taking a bunch from the Yanx this week. Choking dogs!! Boston's just handing you a playoff spot and you're blowing it.

Declare your predictions and state your case as to the status of one Michael Pelfrey come opening day 2012.

Ceetar wrote: Frayed Knot wrote: 5 of the 6 StL runs today came after two-out and nobody on. And all 4 of the Mets. Yup! We've just given them two innings of that while they've handed (and I do mean handed) us one.

Ashie62 wrote: At this point does it really matter? Yes. If you're going to play the game it matters how you play. why do we have two threads? Because I didn't see the first one 5 of the 6 StL runs today came after two-out and nobody on.

btw, that's eight different pitchers over eight innings - in the first game of a DH!!

It's the 2nd inning and this team has already embarrassed itself several times over.

Edgy DC wrote: Problem is that it does make a difference under games like last night's, where managers have no constraints from swapping guys mid-inning left and right. Like the Yanx using [crossout]seven[/crossout] - nope, miscounted, it was eight - different pitchers today and made five separate mid-inning pitching changes - all in a game where they gave up 2 runs. The result was a 3 hour-20 minute, 8-1/2 inning game where a total of 6 runs were scored.