Frayed Knot

We can get to Stormy.

8 rums given up, 6 of them w/2 outs.

Is it just my imagination (running away with me) or does Santana seem have a bunch of these "give back" innings this year? Y'know, the kind where he allows them to score immediately after being given a lead.

attgig wrote: why can't foreign players be in the draft? It seems odd to me that baseball is the only major sport where foreigners can't get drafted, but it's up to whoever team spends the most money overseas that can get him. The simple answer is that it's that way because that's the way MLB set it up. U.S. and Canadian players were always subject to the draft - and then Puerto Ricans were added around 1990. The idea behind it is that in these Caribbean countries, where the sport isn't structured into same sort of organized youth and scholastic leagues like it is here, the best way to find talent is to send scouts down there to turn over every rock they can find and grab oodles of it for at a fairly low cost per player. And even though there are the occasional standouts who show enough promise even at a very young age to create a bidding war amongst teams, the smaller-budget clubs are generally willing to let the big boys fight it out over them while they continue to look for future diamonds in the sandlots. Proposes for an int'l draft are usually made with smaller market teams in mind except that they're the ones most likely to balk. They generally prefer to keep the current system which is the one place where they feel a bit of entrepenurial moxie allows them to compete against the checkbook boys.

]If that is correct, what would stop a 16 year old high school graduate from being drafted? I'm sure a smart agent could fight that on the grounds of age discrimination. The whole point of my statement was to point out that if Flores was the age of a normal American HS kid he wouldn't even be entering the draft until next June at which point he'll have approx one + change years of pro ball under his belt plus another few months on top of that before turning 18. And sports leagues (particularly the NFL) have clearly demonstrated the ability to set a draft age limit and make it stick. Even if they don't specifically tie it to age the net effect does exactly that. Of course the NFL seems to be able to get away with anything but courts have consistantly backed them up including fairly recently.

Acc to ESPN's Buster Olney: The Phillies have reached an agreement with the Oakland Athletics to acquire right-handed pitcher Joe Blanton. Blanton is 5-12 this season after going 14-10 with a 3.95 ERA last season. The Athletics get second baseman Adrian Cardenas, pitcher Josh Outman and outfielder Matthew Spencer, all minor leaguers. Blanton will be under club contol thru 2009 & 2010 It was a logical landing spot for him seeing as how Billy Beane is cleaning house and the Phils need starting pitching. I know nothing about the quality or closeness (to the majors) of those minor leaguers.

Young'un Wilmer Flores continues to rock at K-Port. Kingsport (Mets) shortstop Wilmer Flores put together his tenth multi-hit game of the year on Tuesday night. Flores� 4-for-5 night in a 5-4 loss to Johnson City (Cardinals) came the night after he saw his batting average dip to a season-low .324 after a 1-for-4 night. The 16-year-old came into the season regarded as one of the league�s top prospects, but his performance thus far has put him head and shoulders above the leagues� other prospects. Nearly four years younger than the average age in the Appalachian League, Flores has torched the league�s pitching, batting .346/.388/.589. Still a VERY long way away obviously, but it's not often you get a guy who shows he can succeed against pro pitching nearly a full year before he'd even be eligible for the draft were he an American HS kid.

Pelfrey, not Pedro, to go on Sunday.

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Didn't the Yankees once do something sort of like this with Ed Whitson, when he was having terrible struggles at Yankee Stadium? The Yanx did it with Whitson because he had been so bad at home that the crowd became abusive to the point where one could make a cause-and-effect argument that he was unlikely to ever pitch well there. Except that was really only part of it. This was back in the day when George reasoned that paying mediocre players top-notch money would suddenly make them play like top-notch players. When that magically didn't happen with Whitson, George retaliated by going all tough-guy and banning him from the home park was his 'I'll show him' form of punishment. IOW, it was as much a childish tantrum as it was a strategic decision.

]Can you envision Fred saying "We make so much money here at Shea but the roof leaks, the heater doesn't work, and the maintainence is a bitch so we're gonna build a new one simply so Met fans are more comfortable." Ah, but those factors - combined with the fundamental design of the stadium which makes a certain pct of the seats suck - are WHY they'll make more money in a new joint. I agree that the building isn't in any danger of falling down.

]You don't have to agree, but the points have been made clearly enough God, cuz I'm not buying most of them. ]I agree with you, but that isn't the reason Shea is being replaced. It's part of it. And of course money is a big part of it too and I don't have a problem with that one either.

Each manager had several pitchers still available as the game went into the 10th inning. I'm not sure how else we'd want them to play it unless it's to have a full half-dozen each still un-used.

]Hey, it's been fine for 46 years, bad sightlines or no. I'd argue mediocre at best - and its best was about 7 Presidents ago. ]My point is that just because the back 10 rows of seats in the loge give you a view like your watching an A-Bomb test from a military bunker is not the reason to spend a billion dollars on a new stadium It's not my billion dollars (I'm saving my $1B for other things) so what do I care. Buildings get old and they get replaced. I guess I just don't see the point of hanging on to a flawed multi-purpose building that was built on the cheap several decades ago and is no longer used for those multi-purposes just because ... well just because you can seems to be the sentiment. Anyone here still hanging on to an old car even though the roof leaks, the heater doesn't work, and the maintainence is a bitch simply because it still starts?

][Yanqui Stadium II], as well as Shea, are perfectly fine places for 50,000+ people to watch a baseball game. Shea is an OK place for about 30K of those 50 to watch a game. Those in seats that occupy an adjacent zip code, or in seats aligned away from the field, or trapped underneath the overhang watching the game in 'letter-box' format, aren't going to describe their view as "perfectly fine".

Both Webb & Kazmir threw 100+ pitches on Sunday and were placed behind the 'Break Glass Only in Case of Emergency' partition at the start of the game. I have no idea what would have happened if that game stayed tied another inning or two. At some point you've got to call it and take the pr hit.

MLB teams win about 54% of the time at home - a figure that's been pretty consistant over the years in both reg & post season - so there's only so much of a advantage it can be. The thing is, home field edge in post-season baseball was rarely discussed until the Wild Card era started. It's at that point that, for the first time, teams were allowed into the playoffs who were, by defintion, inferior to other teams and now suddenly everyone seemed to want to rig it so the better team had every edge you could give them short of a 2-run lead to begin every game (and I even heard THAT one suggested once). Personally, I never minded the alternate-years set-up that was standard practice for 8 decades or so.

Except that both sides have plenty of pitching left still -- even though both Webb and Lincecum are unavailable.

Tomorrow's the tough day. A day off Monday is kind of normal and the ASG Tues is at least something different even if you're not a fan ... but by Wed morning there's been no real games to talk about for 2 days and you still have 1-1/2 days to go (2-1/2 for some teams) until the next one.

If the mgrs had any sense of drama they'd set up an all-NY closer matchup for the 9th. Wilson, meanwhile, having some fun, fun, fun at the AL's expense.

Nymr83 wrote: ="Frayed Knot"]Geez, Bob Feller turns 90 later this year and looks like he can still pitch. (OK that 2nd part is a bit of an exaggeration but the age is accurate and he looks pretty damn good). he can still talk too, he was on wfan with lori rubinson (sp?) the other day and sounded great. he was ripping on todays players as unprofessional showboats. Mr. Feller has never lacked opinions, nor the willingness to speak them.

Geez, Bob Feller turns 90 later this year and looks like he can still pitch. (OK that 2nd part is a bit of an exaggeration but the age is accurate and he looks pretty damn good).

Nice lineup of HoF players - said to be the biggest collection outside of Cooperstown. Living HoF players NOT appearing tonight (as far as I can tell): C. Fisk C. Yasztremski - never seems to show up to this sort of thing S. Musial - older and reportedly in poor health N. Ryan -WTF, you're still part of the game dude J. Bunning - and Congress isn't even in session T. Seaver - grape pickin' time I guess J. Morgan - you're at 3 games a week man! D. Eckersley J. Bench D. Snider S. Koufax - notoriously event-shy

If anyone cares to play along with your copy of the home game Ramirez - SS Utley - 2B Berkman - 1B Pujols - DH Jones - 3B Holliday - RF Braun - LF Fukudome - CF Soto - C ---------- Sheets - P Suzuki - CF Jeter - SS Hamilton - RF Rodriguez - 3B Ramirez - LF Bradley - DH Youkilis - 3B Mauer - C Pedroia - 2B ---------- Lee - P

Bring Mr. Met with you to the paint store

1) All-Star Game Winning Team: NL 2) All-Star Game MVP: Lance Berkman 3) Winning Pitcher: Dan Haren 4) Losing Pitcher: ustin Duchscherer 5) Gets the first hit: Chase Utley 6) Scores the first run: Josh Hamilton 7) Makes the first error: Derek Jeter 8) Hits the first Home Run: Justin Morneau 9) RHE linescore NL & AL: NL = 5 - 7 - 0 AL = 3 - 6 - 2 10) David Wright's box score line AB-R-H-RBI 2 - 1 - 1 - 0 11) Wagner's box score line: IP-H-R-ER-BB-K-HR 1 - 1 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 1