Frayed Knot

First defensive blip (for either side) puts Wright on 1B; Mets need to take advantage.

* Blue Jerseys are a MUCH better color combo than the black ones. I don't usually get all into this kind of minutia like y'all do but the contrast is so much cleaner that, if you're going to have an alternate color scheme, THIS should be the one (Spanish name optional). * Lots of hard-hit outs for the Mets so far. Just about every one 'cept Thole. * I don't want to say there's a difference in the leagues or anything - but Hudson just went through an entire half-inning during a Jorge Posada AB (Russell Martin popped out with two-on and one-out ... switched channels to see first pitch of inning in Met game ... turned back after third out in time to see Dumbo-ears K on full count)

Capuano - 3.4 Acosta - 0.3 Parnell - 0.3 Reyes - 1.5 Duda - 0.5 Pagan - 1.0 Turner - 0.2 Hairston - 1.0

Pelfrey - 2.3 Acosta - 1.0 Igarashi - 0.3 Murphy - 0.5 Bay - 1.2 Duda - 2.5 Pagan - 0.4

Not sure about individual leaders. Checked on the most recent 20+ triples guy and that was Curtis Granderson with the '07 Tiggers and he came close. He had 23 three-baggers while Magglio Ordonez edged him out with 28 homers. For [u:1r37j23r]team[/u:1r37j23r] records, the 1986 Cardinals were the team that jumped to my head where they might have had more triples than HRs for the year (little power, lots of track stars) ... turns out that they didn't but it was close: 58 HRs; 48 3Bs The current Mets have 73 HRs which is more than double their total of 32 triples. I suspect you might have to go back to the dead-ball era to find one.

An update from BA taking note of several Seawolves playing summer ball and looking ahead to next season. CHATHAM, Mass.�After taking in the Cape Cod League all-star game at Fenway Park on Friday, I stuck around to catch some more action around the Cape. Here are some observations from the final week of the league's regular season. � Stony Brook dominated the America East Conference this spring, going 22-2 to win the league by four games and finishing the regular season 41-10 overall. The Seawolves were upset in the AEC tournament, ending their season shy of regionals, but a number of Seawolves have made noise in the Cape League. Three Stony Brook players made the league's all-star game, including catcher Patrick Cantwell and center fielder Travis Jankowksi of Bourne, who started for the West team. Two Seawolves led Orleans to the East Division title on Wednesday, the last day of the regular season. All-star righthander Tyler Johnson allowed just one hit over 6 2/3 scoreless innings to get the win in the first game of a doubleheader against Chatham, clinching the division. Johnson pitches primarily off a mid-80s sinker with serious life, and he effectively mixed in a slider and changeup. "When I've got all three pitches working, especially with these kind of defensive guys behind me, it makes it real easy to pitch," Johnson said. "I just like to throw that (sinker), let it do its thing and get some ground balls." Johnson's Stony Brook teammate, second baseman Maxx Tissenbaum, powered the Orleans offense, singling home a run in the fifth and driving a three-run homer to right field on a fastball from Trae Davis (Baylor) in the eighth, breaking the game open. Tissenbaum, who hit .344 as a freshman and .343 as a sophomore for the Seawolves, entered the day hitting just .216 with one homer, but his disciplined approach never wavered, as evidenced by his 14-9 walk-strikeout mark. "I told him I was really proud of him for maintaining that good attitude and work ethic," Orleans head coach Kelly Nicholson said. "He played a lot for us last summer, and he was really good. He can hit. He's a good baseball player, and I think he's gotten a lot better defensively. He's going to walk more than he strikes out, he puts the ball in play�really a good contact guy." Ace Nick Tropeano may be gone, but there is a lot of reason for Stony Brook to be excited heading into next season�as this summer illustrated. "We had a real good year this year at school, and unfortunately we got left out of the regionals, but we've got a lot of good players up here," Johnson said. "Hopefully we're opening the world's eyes to our team and what we can do. It's been real fun, especially seeing my teammates do well up here too."

Nothing in what Oakland was doing showed "indifference" though, more like bases left uncovered because they didn't think he'd go. But that's a lot different from deciding that you don't care if he goes because you'd rather plug the hole or because his run doesn't mean anything. I'd have given him a triple.

My main issue here is it's not gambling ... It's not gambling anymore than Alex putting a pitch in play is gambling for a hit against BABIP. You're seriously sticking with this as your main argument?

Sports stars playing in super-high stakes games IS a concern to the sport and especially so if they are illegal games (which apparently these are) and even more so if he's previously ben warned about them.

If I were the pitcher I'd plunk my infielders.

Gwreck wrote: Marlins are here for 4 games at the end of the month. Although I wonder if this is just one of those games that they only makeup at the end of the year if absolutely necessary for playoff purposes. One thing about the Selig era is that he tries like the Dickens to get every reg season game in whether it matters in playoff seedings or not -- so I'd be surprised if they simply wrote the game off with two months still to go.

A little rain-[crossout:3uab7xaf]delay[/crossout:3uab7xaf]out theatre Brendan Ryan makes the Oakland defense look pretty silly ... and, no, Daniel Murphy was NOT spotted anywhere on the field. [youtube:3uab7xaf]8aOP9BIy8kI[/youtube:3uab7xaf] Apparently he only gets credit for a single although no errors were given on the play.

Just tuned in to see them going to a commercial with the tarp on. What's the estimate on starting time?

Disappointed that 'Someone not yet on the team' isn't a choice.

Not to spoil a silly argument or anything ... but a minor fact is getting left out of this discussion Gwreck wrote: They still shoot them in the 5th inning. THEY HAVEN'T BANNED THE GUNS!!!!

Jeter's gay.

Of course if you're going to tap back to the pitcher all the strategy in the world won't matter.

OK, now I go Murphy for Nickeas then hope Pridie can keep it alive for Reyes. If Muffy gets on I'd even OK a sac bunt with Pridie Most logical PR might be Niese which you could do since Thole is still unused. Might wait until he moved up a base or two first before I pulled that.

So Pualino now to start it off, then who? No RHBs to face Choate unless I'm missing someone.

It's like every error this team makes lately comes when two or more runs will score as a result.

Get 'im outta there!!

Things NOT to do in one-run games: - Leadoff walk (ooops)

I never heard of this 'Hand' guy - time to investigate: - Brad Hand: 2nd round draft pick (52nd pick overall) in 2008 out of HS in Carver, Minnesota - 6' 3" 200 lb LHP - brought up from AA in early June, bounced up and down a few times since, has appeared in six ML games- all starts - lost his first 3 starts, then won his only ML game on July 8 with a 7 inning/0 run/2-hit/3-walk/4-K performance against Houston - didn't pitch again until 5 days ago when he left in the 4th against Washington with only 1 run against him but also 3 hits and six walks (ND) - 1-3; 3.81; 1.29 WHiP; 85 IP; 72 H; 56 K; 38 BB

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Really, this Muffy thing is overshadowing the real goat of this game. I can think of a half-dozen other games that Muffy screwed up a lot worse. Sure, but the Murph thing was both preventable and part of an ongoing problem. It's amazing how he can screw up opposite sides of virtually the exact same play two days running. Izzy's night, bad as it was, was at least the exception for him and not the rule.

My point was that Murphy _did_ exhibit all of the signs of what you're supposed to do in most rundowns, run the ball at the runner. The problem was he then over thought it and looked towards third, Turner's job, before completing the play. Very similar to a fielder who muffs a double play because he's thinking about the second out before he gets the first. He held onto it MUCH too long.