Frayed Knot

btw, Chris Young was 906

Ceetar wrote: The thing with the bunt is, why Hu? Why burn what's presumably a 'hitter' when you've already got a pitcher up? And if you don't trust the reliever, fine, use Pelfrey or Niese or Young or Capuano. but no, that was merely one key moment, not the defining one. The thing about using pitchers to bunt is that they're frequently not very good at it. Obviously the reason they're called upon to try most often is due to a lack of hitting skills not an automatic skill in bunting. You're also more likely to have someone up there with less strike zone command while virtually erasing from the defense's mind even considering the bunt being taken off or defending against a hit-and-run. I don't think any of us have seen enough of Hu yet to know if he's any good at laying one down and certainly that should factor into the decision. As a light-hitting, speedy middle IF-type one tends to assume he'd have some skills there and, in the end, his final result was almost good enough to beat out although his first attempt looked somewhat awkward. Bottom line is I just don't see this particular bunt call as a by-definition dumb decision. Like I said, I would have had Hu taking pitches at least until a strike was thrown and would have tried something else if he worked himself into a favorable hitters count. Remember also that those win expectation numbers quoted earlier consider the odds only in a generic sense (and, even then, improved things a shade) and don't factor in that the team's two fastest players who are also among their better hitters are coming up. Blame should go MUCH more to the fact that neither guy could even get the ball out of the infield not to mention the whole walk-a-thon authored by just about everyone wearing pinstripes yesterday.

And if Murphy rolls into a GiDP there it's a killer. Look, I'm generally and loudly with the BiFL crowd but I could go either way on this one. It's not like bunts are NEVER worthwhile, just that the knee-jerk variety is frustratingly moronic and out-dated Plus ... - it was the 9th slot up - it did get the tying and go-ahead runs into scoring positions - it did take away the DP potential - it was a weak-hitter bunting into the stronger part of the line-up and not the Jerry method of the other way around and it saved the better PH for later on in what was at the time a one-run game (blame the pen for why it didn't stay that way) - if ONE ball gets out of the infield (or past the catcher) and it's a tie game. Two and we're in the lead. I could make several arguments for not bunting also I just don't think this one was a clear bad call. The one thing I would have done was have Hu square but take a pitch first seeing as how the pitcher had fallen behind on both previous hitters. Bunting the first pitch, particularly when it wasn't in the strike zone, did the Nats a favor there. And if he had gotten ahead I'd have taken the bunt off and probably tried a H-n-R. Anyway, obviously it was the 9 walks (or was it ten?) that killed us. Not sure that the Nats hit more than 3 balls hard in the entire game (mostly Ankiel) but with all the free passes we were actually lucky to get away with as few runs as we did. That Reyes play saved 2 right there plus there still would have been two on and one out. And maybe we should hold off a bit before we declare Bobby P ready to step in as the next closer.

Willets Point wrote: Shit. I've always liked Manny. I kinda liked Manny too and loved watching him hit, but you have to admit that you've tripped over rocks in the street with more common sense. I hope for the Rays' sake they don't have to pay him any of whatever they signed him for.

9-6 Boston is your final Papelbon even had hisself a clean inning K-K-FO

Astros moved out of the home for winless teams yesterday (3-2 over Cincy) even as supposed powerhouses Boston & Tampa still reside there. Sawx playing their home opener NOW!!!! as John Lackey and Phil Hughes staged a 'who can suck worse' contest over the first few innings. Currently 7-6 Boston thru 5 with both starters already in the showers. Hughes lasted just 3 while Lackey stayed in for a while longer to see exactly how many 2-out RBI hits he could give up in one afternoon. Tampa hosts the 4-2 ChiSox later Texas - the lone undefeated team - heads to Baltimore tonight.

Except that even Desmond's supposedly good defense is, and I suspect long will be, fraught with the kind of multiple errors and poor judgement that tend to negate whatever plays his athleticism gains. He'll make the spectacular play but then duff two easier ones. My sense (admittedly only lightly formed) is that Espinosa's steadiness will be worth more in the long run that Desmond's highs and lows - although admittedly his base-running dorkiness from yesterday (which I didn't see) doesn't give that view much ammo.

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I still dress like I did when I was 18. Other than when I'm going to work, I'll be wearing a t-shirt or sweatshirt and blue jeans, just like I did 30 years ago. You, like me, are never really IN fashion and therefore don't ever have to worry about being out of it either.

Just think about it, how many pro athletes would - a) choose to live their off-season lives in Bangor, Maine? and do so when their off-season consists only of the months November thru January? I mean Bangor is not only up there but it's significantly inland too. We're talking about getting to Portland and then going another 150 miles north & east. Not only bitterly cold during those months but also getting dark by about 3:30 And I don't want to say he's old but this dude played in the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, SK. ... or that he was signed as a FA by the Expos because that was before Canadian players were subject to the draft. ... or that his ML debut came in 1992 during a pinch-hitting role against Rob Dibble (he struck out) ... or that his first ML hit was a few days later off Jose Rijo

Coupla observations: - if I were a Nats fan I'd have more faith in the future of Danny Espinosa than in Ian Desmond. The team seems to promote Desmond more and he probably does have the higher ceiling but he seems to me to be one of those mistake-prone guys who's going to get less out of his talent. On the other hand with Espinosa, I know he never walks and maybe it's just small sample size but I like what I've seen out of him. - not only is Matt Staris still playing at age 43 and hails from the unlikely baseball haven of the Canadian Maritimes (St. Johns in New Brunswick specifically) but lives during the off-season in Bangor, Maine where he works as an assistant hockey coach until it's time to head to Florida in February. For some reason everything about that sentence seems cool to me.

The Second Spitter wrote: Gwreck wrote: --- What you really meant to say .... Gnationals Ian Desmond, ss Jayson Werth, rf Ryan Dylan, 3b Adam LaRoche, 1b Michael Morse, lf Rick Ankiel, cf Danny Espinosa, 2b Ivan Rodriguez, c Jordan Dylan, rhp What's with them going Zimmerman-less? Or, maybe more importantly, how about the fact that they lose a Zimmerman and come up with a Dylan as a replacement? Shirley Gammons has got to be all over this one before the day is out.

The thread for tracking the goings-on in the Mets (High-A) Florida State League affiliate St. Lucie Mets The roster: NAMEPOSB/TAGEKyle AllenPR/R21Eric BeaulacPR/R24Nicholas CarrPR/R24John ChurchPR/R24Jeurys FamiliaPR/R21Darin GorskiPL/L21Matt HarveyPR/R22Jeff KaplanPR/R25Colin McHughPR/R24Scott MovielPR/R23Michael PowersPR/R25Armando RodriguezPR/R23Brant RustichPR/R26Brandon SagePL/L24Juan CentenoCL/R21Francisco PenaCR/R21Travis Ozga1BS/R24Stefan Welch1BL/R22Richard Lucas3BR/R22Jefry Marte3BR/R20Matt BouchardSSR/R24Wilmer FloresSSR/R19Rylan Sandowal2BR/R23Matt Den DekkerCFL/L23Rafael FernandezOFL/L22Juan LagaresLFR/R22Cesar PuelloRFR/R20Pedro ZapataCFR/R23 Notable names to watch here are: * Matt Harvey - 2010 1st round (7th overall) draft pick out of UNC makes his pro debut at this level; made it last night in fact going 5 shutout innings allowing 5 hits, 2 walks and K-ing 9 * Wilmer Flores - Now ranked by some as the top NYM prospect, he'll at least start the year at SS while we watch how the bat progresses. Won't turn 20 until after the season is over. * Cesar Puello - this just-turned 20 y/o speedy OFer from the D.R. comes off a breakout year at low-A Savannah. The main questions about his future remain the extent to which his power develops (or doesn't) and whether he can improve his defense enough to use his "plus-plus" speed as a true CFer * Matt Den Dekker - a 5th round pick as a college senior in 2010, Dekker is coming off a good debut in low-A ball plus an extended look in big league training camp. * Jefry Marte - Played a season and a half in Savannah as a teenager and still won't turn 20 until near mid-season. * Scott Moviel/Brant Rustich - Put these two hurlers together as both are remnants from the 2nd round of the Mets' (awful) 2007 draft who are running out of time to show us what they gots. The 6' 11" Moviel is repeating at this level where he pitched poorly last season and Rustich has pitched just over 100 innings total during the last three seasons while trying to overcome injuries. * Pedro Zapata - Just so we can yell VIVA ZAPATA!!! if/when he even makes it.

BoSox get small-balled into their 6th straight loss. seriously, I just used a racist word when I really meant "Guardians" win 1-0 on an 8th inning walk - SB - Sac Bunt - Squeeze Bunt Papi walked in the 9th but the pinch-runner strayed too far off a base for the final out.

Wouldn't be complete without a photo of Ginger Baker

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Ginger Face??? Referring to the hair on Halladay's frequently unshaven face. Americans have never taken to using the term 'ginger' for fair/reddish hair the way Brits and other assorted parts of that empire have long done.

I assume the hosts needed several of those terms explained to them.

A quick trip through the outliers in opening week of MLB 2011: - Red Sox 0-5; 16 RS/37 RA -- played Texas & Cleveland so far Their supposed deep cast of starting pitchers so far consists of 10 HRs and 24 ER allowed in 25.1 innings, or an aggregate slash line of .311/.395/.699 Meanwhile their bats are stroking to a .190/.275/.301 tune which includes sub-.100 BAs from their catcher (Saltalamacchia) and SS (Scutaro) and interstate BAs from the likes of Youkilis & Ellsbury. The good news? -- the Yanx arrive in town tomorrow (home opener) - Rays 0-5 Their pitching isn't as bad (22 given up) but they have just [u:32l31ez3]7 runs scored[/u:32l31ez3] across five games The team is hitting a collective .136/.218/.260 and situationally they're ... oh what difference does it make they're not getting any baserunners anyway. Only BJ Upton is respectable to date (6-18, 2 2Bs, 2 HRs) and Evan Longoria went 0-5 before landing on the DL Orioles 4-1 -- swept Tampa, split with Detroit Not trying to make this all about the AL East but the Os just lost their first game last night. With just 20 runs scored they're not exactly busting down walls but have [u:32l31ez3]only allowed 11 runs[/u:32l31ez3] and 7 of those were last night. Jeremy Guthrie, Zach Britton, Jake Arrieta, and Chris Tillman comprised the murderers row of starters first time around (26 IPs, 2 ER) Reds 5-0 -- swept Brews, are in the process of sweeping Houston [u:32l31ez3]43 runs scored[/u:32l31ez3] in five games including hanging up an even dozen twice as the offense has rolled to a .339/.404/.531 line Oh, and that Brandon Phillips guy who Dusty was bunting with in the opener? ... 9 for 20 with a HR and 2B Astros 0-5 -- swept by Phils, lost twice to Reds OK this one probably isn't a surprise to a lot of people. Although they did have a 4-run lead on Halladay in the 7th inning of the opener but nothing's gone right since. No one is hitting except some SS named Angel Sanchez. Brett Myers (who had a great 2nd half last year) pitched well in the opener before his bullpen yanked it out from under him. Rangers 6-0 -- swept Boston & Seattle 42 RS/20 RA while facing the likes of Jon Lester, John Lackey, Clay Buchholz, Eric Bedard, (rookie) Michael Pineda and Felix Hernandez Home cooking is over, now have to hit the road to Baltimore, Detroit, and New York

Taylor Buchholz spelling alert: one C, two Hs

Buchholz - 0.3 Beato - 0.2 Rodriguez - 0.2 Pagan - 2.2 Wright - 0.8 Emaus - 1.0 Davis - 1.4 Reyes - 1.0 Beltran - 0.8 Murphy - 1.0

According to David Waldstein of the New York Times, �After he was done pitching, Blaine Boyer went into the clubhouse and, in an act born more of pragmatism than anger, shaved off his beard, leaving just a small goatee.� An act which I'm going to assume left several birds suddenly homeless.

Young - 4.0 Carrasco - 0.4 Parnell - 0.3 Byrdak - 0.3 Wright - 3.2 Reyes - 1.1 Davis - 0.3 Hairston - 0.3 Emaus - 0.3

Is pitching the bottom of the 8th in a game that never has a bottom of the 9th considered "finishing" a game?

He's currently on pace for zero games finished.

Oh yeah, over-adherence to a strict reliever role-call is hardly confined to the Yanx. Their fans simply believe that: a) they discovered it seeing as how they're the chosen ones, such a formula works better for them than for anyone else and therefore is something that should be purposely set-up (with mega-million dollar purchases if necessary) in advance rather than as a result of evolving performances, and should be used that way with strict regularity. Expectations like that and the desire to avoid built-in second guesses can then effect the manager's in-game decisions.

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: The MFY loss a direct result of Girardi retardedly overplaying his 8th inning hand. Yeah, Yanx fans (and apparently now the manager) have become enamored with what they like to refer to as "the formula": starting pitcher for 6 or 7 innings, then designated specialists for the 7th (Joba) 8th (Soriano) and 9th (Mariano) innings. That such a format worked for them so well in '96 when it was 6-2-1 (starter, Rivera, Wettland) they think the fact that the team was finally "smart enough" (despite very public objections by the GM) to cough up $35 million plus a draft pick for a closer willing enough to swallow his pride and become Mariano's caddy in order to re-create a modern-day equivalent that it's destined to be fool-proof. Well last night it wasn't. Sabathia was pulled after 7 despite working on a 4-0 shutout but Soriano immediately started walking the ballpark. When Girardi finally brought in David Robertson w/the bases juiced in an attempt to get the finial out and hold the Twins at 1 run he was greeted by a bases-clearing bloop of a double that tied the game at 4. Rivera pitched a 1-hit 9th but then it was 'Now what Batman?' time and they lost it in the 10th. I think that's the first Minnesota win at Yanqui Stadium since Zolio Versailles was manning SS for the Twinkies but I'll have to check on that to be sure. Joe Nathan even managed to take in the sight of pinstripes and somehow NOT choke away the save in the bottom of the 10th.