Frayed Knot

Edgy MD wrote: So, we have a strategy. Stop reaching second base. And if you do, get the hell off. Just keep running. I've said it before, this has to be the only team in MLB history where getting runners on decreases their odds of scoring!! But give 'em a bases empty situation and they'll hit solo HRs all the live long day.

Ripken is the remaining one-team guy.

All of this is so strange ... I guess he is so unlikeable that this is his fate, but it's just strange to see a Hall of Famer (by stats anyway) see his career end in such a shitty way. Unlikeable ain't got nuthin' to do with it. If he were hitting he'd be playing and he'd be returning in 2017. Hell, he got 600+ PAs in 2015 -- even though that was coming right out of the year-plus long suspension and all the behind the scenes wars and threats of lawsuits, etc. -- because he was essentially the best offensive player on the team, at least he was for the first four months of the season. But while the team could put up with a non-fielding, non-running, and 'WTF is he saying now?' version of him, they understandably don't have a lot of leeway for the non-hitting variety (see the August thru August stats above). A Designated Hitter who can't hit is pretty useless don't you think? Do you think they'll play him this week, and give him a chance to go for the milestone? They said they'd play him this week as much as he wants: three games in Fenway (think the Boston fans are going to have some fun with THAT!) and then the swan song vs Tampa in da Bronx. Of course the odds of him hitting 4 HRs in that time are pretty small.

Nymr83 wrote: ughhh how did they blackmail him into this? Actually, I was kind of wondering how he blackmailed them. They had obviously already made the decision not to play him -- not DH'ing him vs a LHP even after the trade of previous DH Beltran and then not PH'ing him in a late-inning/runners-on/need-HR type of situation were pretty obvious clues -- leaving release as the only logical answer for a guy who's been hitting under .200 for a full calendar year now [approx. .179/.275/.360 since Aug 1, 2015]. And of course they're still required to pay him the full amount owed (some $28 million) whether his ass polishing the bench in the Bronx or a desk chair in Florida. So the only thing Sunday's dog and pony show attempted to do was lend the slightest tinge of dignity and warmth to what is essentially forced exile and adds a ceremonial (and short term) job to 'keep him in the game' and within 'the Yanqui family' even though I have no idea why they think he earned even a bit of all that. Doing this now merely opens up a roster spot that was going to be open by Sept 1st anyway, and if he truly wants to play next year and gets a bite on a team that's willing to give him a try I don't think this either side is going to allow this no-show 'advisor' job to stand in the way. When pressed on the matter Rodriguez still can't get himself to utter the words that he's completely given up on the idea of playing. As to whether the Yanx are going to be able to combine their own prospects with the haul they got for Beltran/Miller/Chapman into a Cubs-like nucleus in a year or three remains to be seen, but all of that has zero to do with them making ARod go away now and with a press conference instead of say this coming winter via a twitter release.

Next up: - Adrian Beltre, 2,876 -- next year barring injuries and signed thru 2018 just in case - Albert Pujols, 2,773 -- probably 2018 and signed [u:1flrpch3]thru 2021[/u:1flrpch3] just in case - Carlos Beltran, 2,570 -- would need three seasons most likely and probably isn't going to get them

Ichiro tripled to RF today in Colorado to become the 30th ML'er to reach 3,000 hits - a career which famously didn't begin until age 27. I suspect he's the first to do it with a triple but I don't know that for a fact. But triple or not, he does hit the 3K Klub with the largest percentage of singles among those hits at 81.5%. Eddie Collins had led that list at 79.7%, followed by Rod Carew, Cap Anson, Tony Gwynn, Pete Rose, and Derek Jeter. Kind of cool that even that small portion of that list has a 19th century player (Anson), one from the early part of the 20th century (Collins), several from mid/late-20th century, and then the 21st century Suzuki Another guy in the news today, ARod will retire with the smallest percentage of hits as singles (59.1%), ahead of Mays, Palmeiro, Aaron, Musial, and Brett Rodriguez also will have the largest pct of his hits for HRs (22.4%) ahead of Mays, Aaron, Palmer, Eddie Murray, and Winfield. Fewest pct of HRs not surprisingly goes to the earliest members: Eddie Collins (47 of 3,315 - or 1.4%), then Nap Lajoie, Cobb, Anson, Honus Wagner, and then Rod Carew (3%) Highest pct of Doubles? -- Tris Speaker (22.5%), Craig Biggio, George Brett, Nap Lajoie, Musial

This isn't a trade that's going to swing fortunes wildly one way or the other but it's one I make ten times out of ten. Neither guy is likely as bad as he looked this season but, for whatever reason(s), they weren't working out so, at worst, it's change for change sake and the future results couldn't be much worse than what we were getting. And Niese fits a role here better because he can start or go long if needed while Bastardo's lefty-ness was all but irrelevant. And finally just the ability to get out of next year's commitment makes it worthwhile by itself. Plus it'll shorten game times by 35-45 minutes simply by replacing a Bastardo inning with someone else. Man he was a chore to watch!!

Yeah, but the Nats beat Bumgarner (1-0) and the Marlins are winning big in Colorado. In an odd move in that game, Ichiro is starting just one hit shy of 3K even though he has not been starting all week and the Marlins are headed back home after the game. I consider it to be a GOOD move if that's what the manager considers his best team today, it's just not one I thought the Miami franchise would make. The WC-leading Dodgers play the Red Sox tonight in the non-ESPN Sunday Night game. Yes football season has officially started so the teensy, weensy interest that pretended to still exist in Bristol, Connecticut just officially exited the campus.

The good news is that no one laid an egg with runners in scoring position today. The bad news is the reason for that is, that except for the HRs, none of the Mets batters actually reached second base today so there were no ABs w/RiSP to crush your soul. The offense today consisted of three singles -- w/1 out in the 2nd, and with 2-outs in the 3rd & 5th -- none of which ever moved, plus the 2 HRs, the second of which collected the HBP in front of it. Other than that: 0 walks and 10 strikeouts

Mets Guy in Michigan wrote: It's insane that he'd retire so close to 700 homers. He must have been told that no other team would take him. Well that's essentially what the "consulting" job is about, that as long as he's under contract to the Yanquis he can't latch on with another team. As to why he didn't at least leave that door open for himself I guess he figured this is the more dignified way to go out the door than traveling the country begging for PH'ing opportunities. And besides, who better to work for than the organization you were actively suing not that long ago? This 'advisor' job doesn't even start until next spring -- IOW, play your final game on Friday, go home on Saturday -- and runs through the end of next year so it runs the same time as the existing contract did, only now they don't have to deal with him on the roster or in the dugout and he gets the same pay (I'm assuming) and a lot more free time.

- Will play his final game this Friday, at home naturally, vs Tampa Bay - will then be unconditionally released but immediately sign a contract to become ... wait for it ... a special advisor to Hal Steinbrenner. That contract will run through the end of 2017 - and, yes, there were tears. Two crying ballplayers on a stage in a three day span. That constitutes a good week in Yanqui land. - it's quite apparent that this all wasn't ARod's idea

Between the Yanx series and this one, the Mets have had a ton of infield hits against them this week -- or at least it seems that way. Let's just hope this one doesn't cost them. ... and it doesn't!!

Wow!! A non-solo shot. I didn't think we had that in the arsenal.

Tigers have played like shit this whole weekend. If not for the fact that the Mets are a stunning 2 for 17 w/RiSP* and can only hit solo HRs, they'd be getting run out of their own building here. * stunning for anyone else, Standard Operating Procedure for us - and of course only one of those two hits actually drove in a run

Mets Guy in Michigan wrote: Can't believe we're getting manhandled by a guy who was dumped from the rotation. I can't believe you can't believe that. Well there's your run JdG (and pen), make it hold up cuz you're probably not getting another.

Meanwhile back at the ongoing game, NYM bats are making another pitcher in the midst of a bad year look like a CY contender. An�bal Sanchez 2016 ERA = 6.26; WHiP = 1.63; Today = 3 hit shutout thru 5 on barely 10 pitches/inning

Holy shit they're going to name him as the next manager!!!!

So they finally get a hit with a RiSP (2 for 12 on the night) but it doesn't actually score a run.

So by my count that's three GiDPs plus three others that the Tigers failed to turn. One wouldn't think such things were possible in one game by one team, but you wouldn't think that sub-.200 w/RiSP for a 110 game stretch wasn't either.

So first they get the leadoff batter on, but then go: ground ball - ground ball - ground ball - ground ball - ground ball. And that all out of the top & middle of the order. That they were able to get two runs out of that mess was more a testament to the Tigers than to the Mets.

It took them three tries to hit into an inning-killing, soul-crushing GiDP before they finally succeeded.

This has got to be the only team in the history of baseball that reduces its chances of scoring by getting guys on base.

I like how they don't waste any of their HRs on those runners-on situations but instead save them all for solo work.

What color is the sky in the world where your team gets hits with runners in scoring position?

Annnnnnnd game over.