Frayed Knot

Rangers continue to out-hit the Yanx (now 11-7) but 5 of the Yanx' are for XBs vs 9 singles for Texas. Doesn't help that they also threw 2 errors and 5 walks into the mix. 6-2 Yanx headed for the 7th ... and headed for 3-1/2+ hours again. Washington just brought in a LHP I hadn't seen before. What has he got, like 7 lefties out there or something? Kerry Wood in for CC Slobathia to start the 7th

dgwphotography wrote: I have this fear that not winning game one is still going to bit the Rangers in the ass... Yup. Safe to say that CJ Wilson doesn't have the same stuff today as Swisher & Cano go back-to-back. 5-0 w/no outs in the 3rd.

What suxx is the Rangers are out-hitting the Yanx so far (3 to 2) but aren't bunching their hits and threw in a costly GiDP. Yanx, meanwhile, lumped 2 walks with 3 soft singles and the Rangers contributed by botching three potential throw-outs on the bases (two at the plate) but got none of them.

As I pointed out in another thread a month or two back, less than 1/3 of all saves (1-inning saves anyway) are done with perfect 1-2-3 innings. So, going on the idea that a baserunner - any baserunner: via walk, hit, HR, etc. - makes a fan nervous in a 1, 2, or 3 run game, then "nervous" is much closer to the norm than the exception.

Edgy DC wrote: Um...everyone in the ballpark except Girardi knew it was time to go to the pen. It's the biggest managerial gaffe in the postseason since Grady left in Pedro. And Burnett's not as good as Pedro was. Maybe everyone else did --- though Lord knows who he'd go to after the performances by the Yankee pen --- but not O'Connor. He's decrying the intentional walk this morning, not sticking with the starter. Yeah, O'Connor is arguing against the IW and doing so on the basis that Molina is clutch, an RBI guy, and has it in his bloodlines. It's an arguable point but ya gotta do a little better than that dude. I personally had no problems with the IW that got rid of the LH hitter in favor of Molina. Whether Burnett should have been the guy to pitch to him (esp after almost throwing away one of the pitchouts during the IW) is a separate issue. Joba was warmed up and ready to come in at that point although when he did finally get in the following inning he went 2B - BB - 1B to the first three batters he faced so it's not like there's a guarantee that bringing him in would have gone smoothly either. Lotta chatter on my FB page from MFY fans that Ron Darling has been insufferably anti-Yankee. anybody who has been watching can confirm this? The fans of every team complain that network announcers are skewed against their guys - usually simultaneously. That Darling is a 'Mets' guy only adds fuel to the fire because they're convinced he comes in with a bias. Met fans might be almost universally convinced that the likes of McCarver and Morgan do nothing but suck MFY dicks all day but I haven't met a Bronx fan yet who didn't think both of them were more anti-Yanqui than Hugo Chavez. It's the nature of the business.

Mr. Hyperdouche - as well as Mr. Hyperdouche's brother next to him - are quoted in this morning's NYDN that no one touched Nelson Cruz's glove Ummmm, yeah, OK.

metsmarathon wrote: ian o'connor is delicious this morning. With fava beans and a nice chianti.

A 4-hour plus game. Or, as the Yanquis call it, Tuesday.

First pitch for Game 5 is in a couple hours. Might as well just make this one a Double Header and let the people stay in their seats ... oh wait, they already left!!

Even Girardi's logical moves - walking the LH Murphy to get to Molina, plus bringing in the LHP to pitch to Hamilton - are backfiring on him.

Teixeira's injury looks like one of those 'out for the duration' kind of deal.

From Adam Rubin's piece on ESPN.com: Rodriguez still has misdemeanor criminal charges pending that could result in a maximum of two years in jail. However, criminal attorney Christopher Booth recently said he expected that matter to be settled before the next scheduled hearing in Queens Criminal Court on Nov. 10.

2 hours - 4-1/2 innings ... welcome to the American League

I suppose this all isn't over yet as the possibility of conviction of a crime and jail time hangs over his head, perhaps setting up a scenario of contract violation and/or future suspensions without pay. Willets Point wrote: Can we trade him now? We're certainly free to TRY to trade him now - although his questionable future (see above ^) large contract and large possibly automatic option still loom.

G-Fafif wrote: What the fuck do they have this video review rule for if not to review balls on which MFY assholes extend their hands into the airspace of an opposing fielder going after a ball while in descent? Fucking asshole, chickenshit, MFY-loving umpires. The fucking fix is in as usual. Presumably Lee will be assigned to the MFYs by Game Six. Motherfucking bullshit. Per fucking usual. Darling's explanation of why they didn't go to the film was unsatisfying also. They're showing a graphic that says replay is usable for fan interference calls but then Ronnie is saying that they can't because, in the judgement of the RF ump, the ball was over the fence. But two minutes later the same ump judged that Berkman's ball was fair and that got reversed. I'm not sure that the Cano one would have been overturned anyway, but I don't understand why they didn't at look give it a look. Whoda thought that Angel Hernandez would be on the field and the talk is about a different umpire ... although there have been some odd ball/strike calls.

TEAMMgr - Sept �10STATUS / UpdatedMgr (NEW) 2011A�sB. GerenOption Picked up for 2011B. GerenANGELSM. ScosciaUnder Contract thru 2018M. ScosciaASTROSB. MillsUnder Contract thru 2012B. MillsBLUE JAYSC. GastonRetired---BRAVESB. CoxRetiredF. GonzalezBREWERSK. MachaFired--- CARDINALST. LaRussaUnsigned - Re-upped for 1 yr + optionT. LaRussaCUBSM. QuadeInterim - Signed 2 yr deal 10/19M. QuadeD�BACKSK. GibsonInterim - Signed 2/yr deal on 10/4K. Gibson DODGERSJ. TorreRetiredD. MattinglyGIANTSB. BochyUnder Contract thru 2011B. BochyINDIANSM. ActaUnder Contract thru 2012M. ActaMARINERSD. BrownInterimE. WedgeMARLINSE. RodriguezInterim---METSJ. ManuelFired--- NATIONALSJ. RigglemanRenewed w/contract thru 2011J. RigglemanORIOLESB. ShowalterUnder contract thru 2013B. ShowalterPADRESB. BlackUnder Contract thru 2013B. BlackPHILLIESC. ManuelUnder Contract thru 2011C. ManuelPIRATESJ. RussellFired---RANGERSR. WashingtonUnsigned---RAYSJ. MaddonUnder Contract thru 2012J. MaddonRED SOXT. FranconaUnder Contract thru 2011T. FranconaREDSD. BakerSigned 2/yr extension on 10/4D. BakerROCKIESJ. TracyUnder Contract thru 2012J. TracyROYALSN YostUnder Contract thru 2012N. YostTIGERSJ. LeylandUnder Contract thru 2011J. LeylandTWINSR. GardenhireUnder Contract thru 2011R. GardenhireWHITE SOXO. GuillenUnder Contract thru 2011O. Guillen YANKEESJ. GirardiUnsigned---

Whither Ryne Sandberg? Sandberg, to his credit, isn't just demanding the job based on past greatness as he's been doing to minor league thing in the Cubs' system and will probably be considered ML managing material by someone in the near future, especially now that he's not in Chicago's plans for the next few years. Sounds like this could be the end of the road for him with them. Managers who were legends (or near-legends) as players for the team they eventually managed Bud Harrelson. OK, not quite a "legend", but a popular and long-time player. That one didn't end well either. oe: This also kills any Girardi to the Cubs speculation - something that was never anything more than speculation but had apparently gained steam over the past few days via the FBPSA (Fanboi Press Scoop Assoc).

That's the problem with having networks working baseball's post-season: it makes too much financial sense for them to put to work these guys from other sports that they've already got on the payroll. But when non-baseball folks do baseball it shows - and if they happen to be doing your team it shows even more. What would be the best listen would be for them to hire a couple of whoever they think are the best local announcers (Gary or one of his counterparts) and assign them to their own league's game. If they want to steer them away from their "own" team just to avoid charges of bias that's fine with me but at least you'd get guys who not only know the game better but know the players as well. But there's nothing worse than your generic network jock trying to pretend he knows - or, in some cases, cares about - baseball. You can just tell that some of those geeks are so anxious to be doing something else that they jump all over the inevitable network promo as their big opportunity to change the subject: "College Football coming up this Saturday at 7 PM ... So how 'bout them State U. Cougars?!"

In a year where 12 of the 17 honorees were from the National League http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/majors/awards/rookie-of-the-year/2010/2610794.html 1B, Ike Davis - With 19 home runs, Davis trailed only David Wright for the Mets' team lead. That same total a year ago would have led New York (by seven!) in its inaugural year in spacious Citi Field. If he reins in the strikeouts, Davis could be a steady 25-30 homer threat with plenty of patience (72 walks, .351 on-base percentage) and ample defensive contributions. SP, Jon Niese - Niese led all rookies in strikeouts, narrowly edging Matusz 148-143, but he appeared to hit a wall in late August and faded badly down the stretch. In his final seven starts, Niese surrendered 51 hits and 19 walks over 35 2/3 innings (1.96 WHIP) while going 1-5, 7.57. His ERA shot up 87 points, from 3.33 to 4.20. Still, as a young lefty who throws strikes, has a strikeout pitch (a curveball) and shows groundball tendencies (1.4 ground-to-flyout ratio), Niese has a bright future.

2 singles + 2 OF putouts for the Yanx last night. IOW, if the Texas OF went on strike for some reason and refused to take their positions in the bottom of each inning, Lee likely would have won the game anyway.

And to think, it was just 3 seasons ago that Lee - at age 28 - was sent to the minors in mid-season with a 5-8 record, a 6.38 ERA, a WHiP over 1.5, 35 BBs & 60 Ks over 93 innings, and only going beyond 6 IPs four times in 16 starts. He didn't return to Cleveland until September where he appeared in just four games of mop-up relief. The next year he went 22-3 and won the CY award. Go figure.

MFS62 wrote: Frayed Knot wrote: Eh, maybe there's 15. I've never actually met a Texas Ranger fan. I've heard they exist but always assumed that they were simply Cowboy fans who got lost somewhere. I've known one for about 10 years. Met her when I was in Dallas on a business trip. She really knows her baseball, and I'd say she knows as much about her team, the players, their minor league organization and team history as most of the CPF-ers know about the Mets. And she couldn't care less about football. A very nice person. I think in Dallas the locals refer to that as a COMMUNIST!!!!![/bigpurple]

The only way Cliff can let you down is in Game 7 ... and this series isn't getting that far.

I am SO PISSED that this series isn't 3-0 at this point. On the other hand, which sentence do you suppose Yanqui fans enjoy less: - Down two games to one or - AJ Burnett is tomorrow's starter ???

Eh, maybe there's 15. I've never actually met a Texas Ranger fan. I've heard they exist but always assumed that they were simply Cowboy fans who got lost somewhere.