Frayed Knot

[u:1skldbmf]Game 1[/u:1skldbmf] Brews are pitching a "bullpen game" and are hanging on to a 2-0 lead in the 7th, a 2R Yelich HR in the 3rd accounts for all the runs.

Maybe, Fernando, if you straightened your hat then your pitches would be more accurate.

Don't get hung up on titles. If there winds up being a buffer between ownership and the GM then it's meaningful no matter what he's called. I have no idea what qualifies Melvin as 'a Fred choice'

Smell ya later, Cubbies!! 4.5 games up on September 6th. Not quite 7.5 w/17 to go, but still not good. And then two losses *At Home* in two days when a win in either/or sends you on. The Cubs have been held to one or fewer runs 39 times* this season (Mets = 36) or just under 1/4 of the time. They don't just want Lester to continue to deal, they very well might NEED him to. You look at the performance of their lineup as a whole, and you wonder how that is even possible. Just flukey, or is their more to it than that? Kind of weird in that I heard that the 39 times 'one or none' RS is the second most in all the majors (and now it's 40), yet they're 4th in the NL in runs scored* so that implies some sort of 'feast or famine' tendency. And even a sub-par/injured year from Kris Bryant can't explain it all. * How 'bout a game where both Charlie Blackmon and Anthony Rizzo are switched out even before regulation innings were up and the final crucial innings are played with those two reduced to cheerleading roles?!? * Three wins, three days, three timezones for the Rox. The good news now is that they get to stay in town for a day before hitchhiking their way up the turnpike to Milwaukee for Thursday's kickoff. * And finally, while you of course expect a 13 hour game to run a long time (4:55 was the official time) the problem was that it took them over three hours just to get thru the first 8 innings, and that from a game that was only 1-1 with about 10 hits and 2 walks combined at the time. So just for kicks I'll bring up Game 7 of the 1960 World Series: 19 runs, 23 hits, 5 walks, 0 combined strikeouts!!, 9 pitchers; 2 hours 36 minutes Yeah, I know, shutup grandpa * yet somehow only 6th in RS/G Avg., lots of extra inning games maybe?

seawolf17 wrote: Of course, if he *had* homered on that first pitch, we'd still be giving him a standing ovation, crying the whole time, three days later. And would have convinced ourselves that he could still play next year.

The Cubs have been held to one or fewer runs 39 times* this season (Mets = 36) or just under 1/4 of the time. They don't just want Lester to continue to deal, they very well might NEED him to. * 11 times shutout plus 28 games with only one run scored including the play-in game loss on Monday which put them into this do-or-die situation

Some late season extensions as well as some non-extensions -- including some long-entrenched skippers and the lone Hall-of-Famer getting the ax -- as the manager carousel begins its annual spin. TEAM MANAGERCONTRACT THRU ...Mgr SINCEANGELSMike Scioscia2018Nov 1999=#FF0000]Out after 19 seasons a the helmASTROSAJ Hinch=#FF0000]2022Sept 2014=#FF0000]Signed four year extension in Sept '18ATHLETICS Bob Melvin2019June ‘11BLUE JAYS John Gibbons 2019 + 2020 OptionNov ‘12=#FF0000]Will not returnBRAVESBrian Snitker2018May ‘16BREWERS Craig Counsel2020May ‘15CARDINALS---Mike Shildt=#FF0000]20207/14/18=#FF0000]Hired as interim, signed extension thru 2020 on 8/28/18CUBS Joe Maddon2019Oct ‘14DBACKSTorey Luvello2019Nov ‘16DODGERS Dave Roberts 2018 + 2019 OptionNov ‘15GIANTSBruce Bochy 2019Oct '06INDIANS Terry Francona2020Oct ‘12MARINERS Scott Servais=#FF0000]2019 + ??Oct ‘15=#FF0000]Signed multiyear extension in July '18MARLINSDon Mattingly 2019Nov ‘15METSMickey Callaway2020 + Option for 2021 —10/23/17 NATIONALSDave Martinez2020 + Option for 202110/29/17ORIOLESBuck Showalter—2018July ‘10=#FF0000]Will not returnPADRES Andy Green 2021Nov ‘15PHILLIESGabe Kapler202010/30/17PIRATES Clint Hurdle2021Nov ‘10RANGERS Don Wakamatsu20189/21/18=#FF0000]Hired as interim to replace Jeff Banister RAYS Kevin Cash 2019Dec ‘14RED SOXAlex Cora2020 + Option for 202111/2/17REDS Jim Riggleman20184/19/18=#FF0000]Hired as interim to replace Bryan PriceROCKIES Bud Black 2019 + 2020 OptionNov ‘16 ROYALS Ned Yost =#FF0000]2019May ‘10=#FF0000]Signed one year extension 9/30/18TIGERSRon Gardenhire2020Oct '17TWINSPaul Molitor2020Nov ‘14=#FF0000]Removed as manager 10/2/18 - will remain in orgWHITE SOX Rick Renteria 2019Oct ‘16YANKEESAaron Boone2020 + Option for 202112/4/17

And the Dodgers win their sixth straight NL West title. This also leaves the Rockies in the same boat as their co-expansionist team, the Marlins, as having never won a division title in now 26 seasons. Nor has either ever topped 92 wins in a season although that hasn't stopped them from having three WS appearances (2 MIA, 1 COL) and two wins (both Marlins obviously) between them. LAD was up 5-0 until Kenley Jansen surrendered HRs to the first two batters* in the 9th. He settled down after that but it was a slog of an inning * Arenado & Story - so Arenado still wins the HR title, by one over Story and two over Yelich

But he'll get offered money either way and, given the choice, he'll take the team that signs the check ANNNNNNND allows him to play SS So for those who want them to go after MM (I personally think his haircut alone disqualifies him from consideration) you also have to tell us what you plan to do with Rosario.

And the Brewers will have the home field advantage throughout the NL side of things. All those who predicted Milwaukee with the NL's top record for 2018 come on up an collect your prize. btw, one RBI for Christian Yelich in the game (and none for Javy Baez) which means that Yelich winds up one RBI (plus one HR) shy of the triple crown. Yelich lost his share of the HR title on Sunday as Nolan Arenado hit two (and three over his final two games) but won the batting title by 23 points. Arenado is of course also playing a regular season game today so he can add to that total but so can his teammate Trevor Story who is tied w/Yelich at one HR behind so the HR title is oddly still up in the air. And speaking of these being regular season games: - the expanded rosters rule applies in a game such as this which could mean wildly different substitution possibilities for one side over the other (reason #457 of why they need to straighten out that rule) while the WC game tomorrow between today's losers will revert back to 25-man squads - but they're going with the six umpires today as if it's a post-season game, a quirk which I suspect has more to do with an agreement with the ump's union than anything else

Jones came up with Seattle and got his first 32 ML hits for them. Now THAT is an easy thing to forget. I had forgotten about it too, although it was a big deal trade at the time as the Orioles sent then-hot-pitching-prospect Erik Bedard to Seattle for Five players including Jones, who was a pretty good prospect himself at that point, plus a couple others including pitcher Chris Tillman whom the O's got a bunch of years service out of. Not great years maybe, but more than the Mariners got out of Bedard. And, yes, the final answer is Yadier Fuckin' Molina When someone guessed Posey I was going to answer that it's pretty tough for a catcher to get on this list, then looked and remembered that the top two (well, one and a half) were/are catchers. Mauer even made a cameo appearance behind the plate yesterday, making it look even more like it was his swan song game. 1st - Joe Mauer, Twins - 2,122 2nd - Yadier Fuckin' Molina, Cardinals - 1,850 3rd - Dustin Pedroia, Red Sox - 1,803 4th - Ryan Braun, Brewers - 1,799 5th - Wright - 1,777 NOT: Adam Jones Buster Posey Ryan Zimmerman Tim (or Chad) Wallach Joey Votto And the sad part about all this is that, even with just mediocre years, Wright is up around Mauer level at this point and maybe beyond.

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Baseball Reference says that there's a Miami at Pittsburgh game on the schedule for today. MLB.com doesn't mention it, and ESPN.com says it was canceled. Strange. That was a rain-out reschedule which stayed on the sked as long as Pitt had an outside shot at things, but was officially canceled more than a week ago.

1st - Joe Mauer, Twins - 2,122 2nd ________ 1,850 3rd - Dustin Pedroia, Red Sox - 1,803 -- although who knows what his future holds at this point. Had 11 ABs this season and has one season of >140 games since 2014. Is owed $40 mil thru 2020 4th - Ryan Braun, Brewers - 1,799 5th - Wright - 1,777 NOT: Adam Jones Buster Posey Ryan Zimmerman Tim (or Chad) Wallach Joey Votto

Joey Votto's penchant for having his number of walks (1,103) nearly match his hits (1,729) still leaves him a few months short ... providing he remains with Cincy of course.

David Wright, who was still active as of earlier today -- and technically will remain 'active' (or at least 'unretired') for the next two seasons -- holds the record for most hits as a NYM as you all know, but is only fifth on the list of most career hits among active players who have amassed all their hits for only one franchise 1st - Joe Mauer, Twins - 2,122 2nd ________ 1,850 3rd ________ 1,803 4th - Ryan Braun, Brewers - 1,799 5th - Wright - 1,777 NOT: Adam Jones Buster Posey Ryan Zimmerman Tim (or Chad) Wallach Joey Votto

Freddie sits one hit behind Buster Posey although just turned 29 earlier this month Jones came up with Seattle and got his first 32 ML hits for them.

Posey sits at just 1,276 so he's got a ways to go. Still just 31 y/o so he might have many years still to go although probably only if he gets out from behind the plate a la Mauer

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I seem to remember we looked at this before, and the name Tim Wallach comes to mind. Please note the word 'active' in the question, especially seeing as how Tim Wallach's kid was playing in the game against the Mets earlier today.

1st - Joe Mauer, Twins - 2,122 2nd ________ 1,850 3rd ________ 1,803 4th - Ryan Braun, Brewers - 1,799 5th - Wright - 1,777 Zimmerman = 1,740 (hence the sad face) [fimg=90:1a4xemml]https://d3k2oh6evki4b7.cloudfront.net/req/201809201/images/headshots/b/bbacdbb5_mlbam.jpg[/fimg:1a4xemml]

1st - Joe Mauer, Twins - 2,122, although there's talk of Joe retiring after this season. He said today that he's still undecided. 2nd ________ 1,850 3rd ________ 1,803 4th ________ 1,799 5th - Wright - 1,777

David Wright, who was still active as of earlier today -- and technically will remain 'active' (or at least 'unretired') for the next two seasons -- holds the record for most hits as a NYM as you all know, but is [u:3dcinde1]only fifth[/u:3dcinde1] on the list of [u:3dcinde1]most career hits[/u:3dcinde1] among [u:3dcinde1]active players[/u:3dcinde1] who have amassed all their hits for only [u:3dcinde1]one franchise[/u:3dcinde1] Can you name these four hit amassing dudes ahead of him? 1st _________ 2,122 2nd ________ 1,850 3rd ________ 1,803 4th ________ 1,799 Wright - 1,777

Now that we know the two play-in games will happen we also know that the stats from those games will be considered regular season games giving Christian Yelich and extra shot at the first Triple Crown in the NL since 1937 He's only two RBIs off the lead in the only category in which he's not either leading or tied, but Javy Baez is the current RBI leader and he also gets the extra game to try and pad his lead.

And the Braves have just lost their final game meaning they'll be the lowest seed of all the NL division winners and will face the eventual West winner in the NLDS ... whoever that turns out to be. The WC survivor will then face the Central winner in the NLDS ... whoever that turns out to be. Worst record yet will go in as the most rested ... nice job if you can pull it off.

I think so, yeah, because under the old WC system there was no need for an extra game unless it meant in the playoffs or out. But now the difference between division winner vs WC winner is so great that deciding that via some arcane tie-breaking criteria would be criminal (the NFL does that but that's their problem). In the meantime, all the drama is shifting to tomorrow because there's none left today: LAD 14 - SFG 0 (final); COL 11 - WAS 0 (8th); CHC 10 - StL 4 (7th); MIL 10 - DET 0 (8th)

So other than the part from the middle of April thru the end of June, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you enjoy the season?