Frayed Knot

d'Kong76 wrote: I apologize to FK, in my haste I EDITED his post instead of QUOTING it. I'll try and fix things later when I get back on. Sorry. OE: Sorry again, FK's added comment above italics is missing. Eh, no biggie. I more or less remember what I wrote so I'll fix it.

I was just struck by the blatant, yet casual, way he dismisses that type of play. Yeah I don't hustle, never have ... I know it's wrong but that's just who I am ... Maybe I'll change but probably not ... Deal with it. I have no idea what "assault at second base" refers to.

So speaking of players hard to root for, Roberto Osuna, picked up by the Astros while under suspension for domestic violence, was brought in in a one run game to pitch the 8th. He eventually hit a batter to load the bases, then hit another one to force in a run ... then served up a Grand Slam. 8-2 Sox in the 9th. Looks like they just might slide this one in in under four hours and prior to the NL game starting.

He's going to be a topic of conversation this winter, so let's kick it off with this (from the NY Post via an interview in The Athletic): “I’ve been thinking about [his non-hustling] and it happens every time, there’s no excuse for it honestly,” Machado said. “I’ve never given excuses for not running. I’m not hurt, there’s no excuse but I’ve been the same player. … I’ve been doing this for [seven] years, I’m in The Show for [seven] years, I’ve done the same thing for [seven] years, I’ve been the same player. “Obviously I’m not going to change, I’m not the type of player that’s going to be ‘Johnny Hustle,’ and run down the line and slide to first base and … you know, whatever can happen. That’s just not my personality, that’s not my cup of tea, that’s not who I am.” “Should I have run on that pitch?” he said of the fourth-inning ground ball in a 0-0 game, with his Dodgers then down 1-0 in the series to the Brewers. “Yeah … but I didn’t and I gotta pay the consequences for it. It does look bad. It looks terrible. I look back at the video and I’m like, ‘Woah, what was I doing?’ You know, just the emotions of the game … I’m the type of player that has stayed in the zone, I’m playing and I’m just in the zone. “… Should I have given it a little more effort? One hundred percent. [it’s] my fault like always, I mean that’s just my mentality when I’m in the game. [There are] things that you learn, things that you gotta change. I’ve tried changing it for eight years and I still can’t figure it out but, one of these days I will.” FK: I hadn't thought of him during his career as a non-hustler but apparently it's been an open secret and I don't think I've ever heard a player cop to it in quite that way. But his lack of hustle has been on full display during the post-season especially when he loafed on a tough infield grounder which he could have easily beat out but didn't particularly come close. And here I was thinking that Bryce Harper was the one looking bad down the stretch of his season and towards his FA-gency. btw, MM's career OPS is 126 points lower away from Camden Yards (887 vs 761)

Edgy MD wrote: Nope, the Braves are now affiliated with The Gwinnett Stripers. When told of the change Chipper was like; "you forgot the other 'p'!" I'm not surprised that they're linking the Syracuse name. The Mets don't own Binghamton and had no say in that one.

Ceetar wrote: okay, buying thing from Biogensis <> taking banned substances. That's all I'm saying. Braun wasn't involved with Biogenesis but rather his regularly scheduled urine sample, the one required by the basic agreement, turned up dirty. And then when he got off on a technicality he went and demeaned the courier/tester by supplying false reasons on no evidence, AND THEN PROMPTLY GOT CAUGHT AGAIN and admitted that, yeah, he took them and, btw, I took them the previous time too. Maybe there's more convincing evidence, which they agreed to keep quiet There was nothing quiet about any of this. First test = positive, but he got off on a questionable chain/time of custody issue. Second test = positive at which point he admitted that the first one was actually positive too and the whole part about the tester intentionally spiking it was a lie. but some of the stuff MLB got up to was very shadowy too. Sending people to shake down informants and all that. It was, and remains, a damned witch hunt. They were looking specifically for information to justify suspending A-Rod. Who brought up ARod? Whether or not Braun is an asshole, we've got plenty of those, that's a different issue. No, that's the specific issue which Monk brought up. The PEDs? fuck it. they're all still using it. they were all using it. Again, if you want to support the free and unfettered use of PEDs go right ahead. But you keep changing the subject and have brought up enough conspiracy theories that faked moon landing folks are starting to think that you're a bit dizzy, and are churning out enough 'alternate facts' to have the White House applauding. Stand up for yourself and fight it. He did, he lost. I don't know what the union thought it was protecting by agreeing to this. The players who didn't want to face the choice of endangering their health vs being put at a competitive disadvantage.

Ceetar wrote: yeah but I don't care about either of those things. I don't care that [braun] took steroids, and I don't care that he went full-lawyer on taking down the charges. You might want to care about him, based on no evidence or even hints at all, accusing the guy collecting the sample of intentionally tampering it due to his rampant (though never explained) anti-semitism. That's how our legal system 'works'. Of course, MLB is not the law and they suspended him anyway. MLB is the law within MLB and within the confines of the agreement with the player's union. Braun wasn't convicted of a crime by MLB (although that collector guy could have sued for defamation and who knows what else) but he was found, by scientific evidence, guilty of breaking the rules that the league AND his side agreed to. And I'm always going to side with the players not being able to be arbitrarily suspended for shadowy associations with organizations that MLB doesn't like. Arbitrary? Really, you're going with word in this case? And it wasn't for "shadowy associations" is was for drug use. And it wasn't for the case when he accused the sampler of an illegal act it was the one AFTER THAT ONE that showed he was not only a drug cheat but that he was a liar about the first positive test as well [as per Monk's comments]. But I'm guessing you're gonna stick with "arbitrary", huh? If you want to celebrate drug use then go right ahead, but don't pretend this was Joe Namath as part owner of a bar and Selig/MLB retroactively imposed a ban on co-owning slimy bars. It grants them way too much power imo. Again I'll refer to the 'both sides agreed' thingie. Inconvenient I know but also, y'know, factual.

Centerfield wrote: Frayed Knot wrote: Lew Alcindor is, right now, kicking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's ass. [fimg=110]https://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/-/media/Images/SBJ-Photos/2014/02/10/Champions-Kareem-Abdul-Jabbar.ashx?la=en&hash=4421B7AF5F88A946093AF2749B7FD297936E899F[/fimg] [fimg=220]https://s22928.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Kareem-Abdul-Jabbar-640x454.jpg[/fimg] I like just got this. Sometimes the more obscure references are the best ones, especially seeing as how a sizable number of folk don't know (or forgot) about his previous name or that he was ever anything other than a Laker. He was actually already calling himself KAJ partway through his tenure with the Bucks, but I wasn't about to let an inconvenient fact get in the way of a good joke.

Kimbel gets the save, but hasn't exactly been lights out during this year's post-season. A wall-scraper to end the game.

Frayed Knot wrote: This Tyler White guy DH'ing for Houston ... are we sure that he and Evan Gattis, who I think is still on the Astros' roster, aren't the same person? Similar size, same shape, same Grizzly Adams beard, and I don't think I've seen either with a mitt on his hand. And we have an Evan Gattis sighting!! Either that or it's some large homeless guy they've dragged off the streets.

Also was nick-named after basketball player Mookie Blalock, not Mookie Wilson.

Hey, only two hours and we're already in the top of the 5th !!!! (big SC content here) At least there's some actual action in this one. The Sox hand Price five runs and he still can't pitch well enough to stick around. Not that Cole for the 'stros has been any better. This Tyler White guy DH'ing for Houston ... are we sure that he and Evan Gattis, who I think is still on the Astros' roster, aren't the same person? Similar size, same shape, same Grizzly Adams beard, and I don't think I've seen either with a mitt on his hand.

Let's hope for a better Game 2 tonight as David Price (yes, they're going there) goes for the Red Sox vs the Astros' Gerrit Cole (7 PM FOX) in what will be the first ever post-season meeting of former #1 overall draft picks, although neither is appearing with their original drafting team (Price in 2007 by Tampa; Cole, 2011, Pittsburgh).

Not that these stats should be the sole measure of a game, but at the stunning rate of two hits per hour [8 hits combined, 4 Hours 3 Minutes] there were chess fans watching last night saying "Damn this game was slow!" To break it down a bit further: - Eight hits (5 Houston, 3 Sox) half coming in the 9th inning including 1/4 (one aside) after the game had already been decided by the 3R Gurriel HR - 20 strikeouts & 13 walks, nine of those walks by Sox pitchers who decided that wasn't enough so they threw in 3 HBPs for good measure - the volume of pitches thrown wasn't even all that bad if you use the 5 pitches/out standard*, the exceptions being Sale (86 thru 4 IP) and Brandon Workman's ugly 26 pitches to get one out outing When it comes to MLBN showing 'Classic MLB Post-Season games, burn the tape of this one. There was some crisp play early on but then it just got bogged down in non-action and I can only imagine how slow it would have been without the six mound visit rule (5 hours?), a rule that still has far too many exceptions to it [oooh, they're using Smith to PH? We knew he was on the roster sheet but had no idea they might actually USE him so there's no way we can continue with a meeting of the entire infield!]. But at least Joe West was quick, eh? * Houston: Verlander (90 pitches/18 outs = exactly 5/per); Pressley (18/3); McCullers (13/3); McHugh (16/3) Boston: Sale (86/12 = 7.2/per); Kelly (33/5); Barnes (21/4); Brasier (12/3); Workman (26/1); Hembree (10/2)

HahnSolo wrote: Is Sheffield one of the 1000 AB guys? Yes, and Greg Brock is the other.

And the rebel Knebel closes it out.

It's a player vote, so it's a popularity contest, which means I'm neither surprised nor particularly put off by it.

He was out but, Good Lord, Bellinger is fast!!

Not Marquis Grissom. Also not Duke Snider, Prince Fielder, Dave Kingman, Mel Queen, Earl Averill, or John 'The Count' Montefusco One of the answers also has NYM connections (but not Jeromy Burnitz)

Hader's gonna hade: 2 innings, 4 Ks, 2 fair balls, 1 hit

Billy Martin once accused the Brewers of using Bernie Brewer to steal signs from his perch in CF. It was later explained to Billy that 'Bernie' was some exec's flunky nephew who wasn't bright enough to steal a kiss much less steal and then relay covert signals.

Sutton is correct. Nicely done. No go on the hitters though

Two Tuff Trivia Qs concerning the Brewers & Dodgers (stolen from today's NY Times) - Only two batters have had 1,000 ABs for both franchises? - Only one pitcher has thrown at least 500 innings? At least, given the Brewers lifespan dates only since 1970, the names will be familiar to most since they played during most of our lifespans and we're not going for players from the FDR administration. That, however, doesn't make them easy.

Lew Alcindor is, right now, kicking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's ass. [fimg=220:3hqmwtmh]https://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/-/media/Images/SBJ-Photos/2014/02/10/Champions-Kareem-Abdul-Jabbar.ashx?la=en&hash=4421B7AF5F88A946093AF2749B7FD297936E899F[/fimg:3hqmwtmh] [fimg=440:3hqmwtmh]https://s22928.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Kareem-Abdul-Jabbar-640x454.jpg[/fimg:3hqmwtmh]

As others here have said, I don't have a strong rooting interest, a state which is kind of nice every once in a while. Usually when that happens I'll just find myself pulling one way or the other without ever really thinking about it. Will probably pull for Milwaukee over LA, and will probably pull for either NL team over whoever comes out of the AL side, but all that is subject to change. That said, I think Houston is the best team. They have the better and deeper starting pitching and, while they lack the shut-down closer, they'll be able to haul [u:8z9z286c]good[/u:8z9z286c] starters out to relieve if necessary (McHugh, McCullers, Morton) as those guys take a back seat to Verlander, Cole, Keuchel!! Sale & Price not nearly as dependable and neither are the guys behind them. And while they might have scored fewer runs than Boston, the Sox had most of their offense (minus Pedroia) healthy for most of the season. The Astros dealt with missing Altuve, Springer, Correa for chunks of the season, some of them simultaneously. Without that injury/stumbling stretch in August I think the Astros win as many or more than Boston.