Frayed Knot

Zvon wrote: I didn't know the two went that far back. Born within 9 months of each other to Italian immigrants living on the same street, they both started in the major leagues in the same year before, as noted above, dying exactly six months apart. What I remember him most for obviously was as his time as an announcer. He was derided by some as a bit of an "establishment" type in the 60's when being such was anything but cool -- something he'd go on to help prove by arguing in favor of the reserve clause in a preliminary hearing in the Curt Flood case (to his later regret) -- but it's unlikely that anyone who wasn't was going to get a network job in those days and he was one of the first ex-jocks to make the move to TV when his career ended in the mid-50's. In addition to baseball announcing his TV stuff including hosting 'The Today Show', game shows, and guest-hosting for Johnny Carson, pretty much setting the template for the later ex-jocks who branched out to entertainment TV like Tarketon, or say Michael Strahan today (or even O.J. for that matter). He went on to be the major backer of the BAT charity to help older, indigent players and worked to rid baseball of smokeless tobacco. Nice career spring-boarded from a mediocre nine-year/part-timer's career.

Bonds record is 762. I was saying that ARod could have his sights on 763 and change his mind when his deal runs out. Aaron actually did lose a HR when he was called for stepping out of the box while sending one over the fence. But that was a call that was made at the time rather than one retroactively taken away from him so 755 was always his final total. So, yeah neither 755 or 762 had the 'magic' of 714 for a whole host of reasons.

ARod announces that his retirement ... effective after his current contract runs out at the end of 2017. This couldn't possibly come as a surprise to anyone as there was little danger in him getting a new contract after this current one even if he was so inclined. The only "drama", I suppose, is that this curtails is the idea that he won't hang around to try for the HR record even if he should find himself close to it after two more seasons. He currently sits at 687, 27 behind Ruth, 70 in back of Aaron, and 76 behind Bonds, coming off a year where he hit 33. Not that this pronouncement would preclude him from changing his mind if he miraculously can keep up a similar pace in the seasons where he'll turn 41 & 42 and end 2017 within a short grasp of 763. But in these days of advanced statistics, 'counting records', even one so previously hallowed as the all-time HR mark, just don't mean as much as they used to and this one particularly wouldn't coming from him.

Only fitting that, six months to the day after Yogi, Joe Garagiola dies at age 90. [fimg=700:1j0so5cg]http://sports.mearsonlineauctions.com/ItemImages/000040/488b6c31-4ac5-49dd-b1f1-e70cf7d5d98f_lg.jpeg[/fimg:1j0so5cg] Berra with striped shirt in the middle (and the ears, always the ears). Joe G is lower left in the white tee.

Edgy MD wrote: d'Kong76 wrote: Benjamin Grimm wrote: Me neither, but there's no denying his celebrity. He's definitely been good at cultivating a particular image, and a lot of people have bought into it. Agreed, but for that was a large part of the yuck for me. I'm surprised he hasn't been Gretsky'd into the HOF already. But enough about him. How long before there's an expansion team in Cuba? I'm guessing it's a while. A very long while. I think MLB would like to do additional exhibitions there in the future, but that's probably about the extent of it until a lot of things change. I mean even if the embargo ends tomorrow that country is still a very long way from being an open and free nation. The Cuban head of baseball (or whatever his title is) was being interviewed by ESPN's bi-lingual Pedro Gomez yesterday, and the official is saying how nice it would be for a future where players would not to have to risk their lives, abandon their families, or renounce their citizenship in order to play where they choose -- as if his country isn't the only one which dictates such terms. So yeah, until you know what kind of economy or political stability is going to exist there in the future, the occasional "friendly" is about the most we're going to see.

ESPN televised the game, so perhaps in return for giving face time to Obama and Manfred, they requested that a baseball player be present that their anchors would actually recognize.

Didn't realize that DW was working with Clark.

cooby wrote: Nice story of some players touring Havana and talking to [crossout]people[/crossout] those permitted by the government to be out where the players were. Dave Winfield appeared to be the other (in addition to Jeter) ex-player who was a guest at the game despite no connections to Cuba or currently employed within MLB (Torre, Tony Clark).

3 stars from me also. Nice little silly spoof of the spy movie genre that worked mostly because it had McCarthy to pull it off, although, as noted, some good surrounding characters as well.

The good news: 12 hits (3 by Cespedes, 2 each Grandy & deAza) and were mostly off of the NYY 'A-list' hurlers: Severino, Chapman, Miller, Bettances (plus 3 total off whoever Olson & Moreno are). But, in keeping with this spring's pattern, 10 of the 12 were singles. Matz wound up going four innings and was fine except for the 5-spot in the 2nd. So other than that Mrs. Lincoln ...

Matz continuing his not good pitching trend this spring: 4 runs on 7 hits plus 2 walks (1 K) with just one out in the 2nd

http://nypost.com/2016/03/21/its-hard-to-feel-degrom-bliss-when-radar-gun-reads-low-90s/

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Prediction: Daniel Warthen deGrom, born April 6 at 2:30 am, 7 pounds, 7 oz. ... and with a lot of hair!

deGrom tabbed for Game 2

Do fielders get charged with an error when there's an interference call? I would think that if the judgment was that Ochoa would have been safe at home if not for the interference, then Everett should get credit for the RBI. And apparently he did, in the season totals, but not in the box score. I wouldn't have thought so either based on the idea the out call is only reversed if, in the ump's judgement, he would have been safe anyway - but by the 'Retrosheet' description it's pretty apparent that Mueller did get tagged with an 'E'. Not sure if the 'missing' RBI is both intentional and correct or if it just got lost in the sauce of the unusual play and should in fact be credited even if the error stands. I believe that catcher's interference calls are labeled as errors but: 1) that's interference rather than obstruction which isn't quite the same thing, and 2) it does allow the batter to advance to a base he wouldn't have obtained otherwise So the charging of an error makes more sense in that case -- although a batter who hits the ball despite being interfered with by the catcher's glove (or face for that matter) has the option of accepting the result of the AB if he likes that outcome better than a simple awarding of 1st. Wonder if an error is still charged if the hitting team takes 'Option B' on that kind of play?

Bastardo has been pitching like shit this spring, including yesterday, so it looks like his 1/3 inning today may have been just to allow him to leave the mound with a good feeling in his head. In other LHR news, Josh Edgin was allowed to cut loose for the first time on Sunday. Sounds like they might be a little more aggressive with him as compared to Wheeler just because they think starters need more time. So maybe he's a May/June target as opposed to Wheeler who's probably ASB.

Addison Reed gets tagged for 2 runs in the 8th for the only runs of the game so far. Mets batting bottom 9 trying to win it. deGrom: 4 IP, 4 hits, 1 BB, 5 K Also scoreless innings from: Gilmartin (0 Hits), Blevins (0), Bastardo (1/3 IP), Henderson (2/3, 1 H), and Familia (2 hits) NYM bats scratch for one run in the 9th but leave the tying run on 2nd 2-1 Marlins is your final. Just 5 singles for the good guys.

No, I'm pretty sure he's going to be Brandon Nimmo.

Longtime closer Rafael Soriano calls it quits after apparently not fitting in with Toronto's plans where he signed as a FA just a few weeks ago. The 36 y/o had a 14 year career with Seattle, Braves, Rays, Yanx, Nats, and then briefly with the Cubs last year. 40+ saves three times. Best season was 2010 for AL-East winning Tampa: 45 Saves, 1.73 ERA, 0.802 WHiP, ASG, 8th in CY, 12th in MVP

Lefty Specialist wrote: Technically, it's a 'Giovany' and a 'Giolito'. Little Gio is a friend of mine We get some money and buy cheap wine sit on the corner and have a holiday.

What, 8 runs (5 in inning #1) on 9 hits over 5 IP is bad? When was this decided? On the plus side, Dabid has 2 hits in his first ST game of the year and scored from 1st on a Cespedes double. Also a Lagares HR.

Edgy MD wrote: ... Jonathon Niese, Pittsburgh Pirate. Niesey has thrown but five innings for his new team, but that's been enough to log an 0-2 record and a 14.40 ERA. He has walked three and struck out but two. Clearly the Mets defense is still hurting him. The Pirates are about the defensively-shiftiest team out there - and while the defensive metrics crowd may love them for it, one wonders whether Niese will appreciate (or even recognize) when the radical shifts are saving him runs or is he only going to get that 'WTF are youse guys doing to me out there?' look on his face if/when a grounder finds an unguarded hole somewhere.

One also wonders if the team would have brought this up at all had LaRoche not crashed to .207/.293 last season with a whopping 12 HRs after being signed to a substantial contract off of career averages of .264/.340 w/27 over a full season.

I also read (somewheres) that what kicked this all off was complaints from a few players about having the kid around all the time - so whatever the teammates think about this it's apparently not unanimous.

That would be Ivan Locke, a construction supervisor who leaves his northern England job site one night right as the project he's steering is on the eve of a crucial step on a major build for some major conglomerate. But instead of driving home to the wife and kids and then back to the site the next morning, he turns his car south towards London where he needs to deal with a situation that, as of yet, no one else knows about. On the way he tries to deal with his life's problems -- past, present, and future -- armed only with just his wits and his car phone. Starring Tom Hardy ... and no one else (except for a handful of disembodied phone voices).