duan

woo hoo.

i'd have thought of ph'ing for nieve here.

seriously though, looking at the pitch yoke on mlb gameday he hasn't gotten a single call on the edges of the plate.

it's definitely happening to Nieve more, that walk was caused by a couple of pitches that were definitely on the borderline.

seems to me that Nieve's definitely getting squeezed.

funnily enough, I've also got lots of sympathy for trying to navigate the right path, while trying to keep someone on the field if at all possible.

finding mlb.tv wonky?

how long for the delay?

we're way more metric then the UK they object to it cause they sort of object to anything that wasn't invented by the Queen. all our proper distances (ie town to town) and speeds are metric, most of our food is now bought in metric. I suppose my generation are kind of the switchers in that we move between the two pretty interchangeably, as long as we can do the maths, where as my little brother would only talk in metric EXCEPT for personal height & weight where everyone still talks traditionally.

we're sort of Metric System wannabes. We do MOST stuff in metric, but personal height and weight we usually measure in stone/lbs and ft/inches ask me what height/weight i am in cm/kg and i've no idea - i can work it out, but I'd be going from the imperial to the metric. That's MORE so with height then with weight, and I'd think I'm fairly typical of a paddy.

no movement yet!

does everyone else think it's kinda cool and ballsy going with only 5 guys with infield gloves. I love the idea that we may have a game where Sheff does a few innings at first or something like that.

thanks for the wishes can I just point out this eerily accurate point - "However the most entertaining thing that we could do, is have someone drop down a bunt to big fat Dennys Reyes and see if treats it like a cheese sandwich (gobbles it up) or like a hot potato. "

*the labour series* right, this is a meeting of two teams who've been heading in opposite directions, St Louis have won 7 of their last 10, while our favourite squadron has been losing 7 of our last 10. Last time over we had the first of our *bad* runs getting swept out of Missouri with our tail firmly between our legs conceding 23 runs in 3 games. However, that was a 3 game series and for reasons best known to someone other then me, we get to play them 4 times in CitiField. So hey, return the favour in the sweep and we win the season series. Not only that, but with my lovely wife due to have a baby tomorrow, there's a good chance that i'll see NONE of 'em or ALL of 'em depending on how things go! One way or the other, I'll promise there won't be any Alberts, Chrises, Colbys or Yadiers being named in the Stokes/Hughes household. There won't be any Johan, David, Carloses or Joses either but sure hey. One thing that you notice is that despite the relative gap in wins, both teams resonate as comparable in more ways then one - in fact the biggest difference right now might just be in the schedules. There's only one hitter on the Cardinals, but that one's been enough all year long, as Albert Pujols has continued to demolish pitching league wide on a level that's just scary. With an OPS of over 1100, it's a wonder why anyone's still pitching to the big lug, but they are, and they're seeing them fly over their heads with regularity - Pujols has hit an MLB leading 26 dingers. Lets face it, simply don't bother going near him when there's people aboard. The rest of the lineup is frankly underwhelming, with only Colby Rasmus and a powered up Yadier Molina doing anything with the bat worth taling about. If we end up getting beaten by rbi's from the likes of Chris Duncan we should hang our heads in shame, shame I tell you. Of course the problem is with Beltran's absence we're a bit like the Cards ourselves, with only one real hitter, he does everything that Albert does, everything except hit homeruns. The difference in this series is which teams pitching proves hittable by league average or below hitters. Pitching wise the starting rotation's been pretty all over the shop - a bit like The Mets minus Santana, but the returning Chris Carpenter's returned with aplomb after 2 years more or loss lost to injuries - a return that has him matching Santana in effectiveness while he's been on the mound - we'll get to see which one's the 'real ace' in the marquee match up on Thursday lunchtime. Or at least you will. However, that match up is the only pitching highlight of a schedule which exposes both teams patchwork like make up. Monday sees Todd Wellemeyer (6-6, 5.36) take on Tim Redding Wellemeyer seemed likely to move permanently into a rotation spot having excelled last season in his first full-time starting assignment - only to find this season he's reverted to his more hittable self. With Redding similarly flathulach with the hits and runs, this is one that could see a lot of happy mediocre hitters try and get themselves out of a funk. Hell, maybe it might see a young rookie crank his first home run. Tuesday sees Joel Pineiro (5-8, 3.76) take on Livian Hernandez This time you're seeing the battle of the resurgent righties, neither the Mets or the Cards had the right to expect this level of production from these veterans. There numbers are eerily similar, both are striking out around 4.5 per 9 ip, both are getting hit to a .290 ish average. Both look like guys who could get a hell of a lot worse in a hurry. Against the squishy lineups they both should pull through. Wednesday then sees Brad Thompson (2-2, 3.89) take on Fernando Nieve, two guys born in 1982 who've both struggled to establish themselves in the majors who've emerged at least a little in the last few starts. Both have extensive bullpen experience and are definitely candidates to get sent to the 'pen if their injured/ineffective senior starters come back. Scarily for both sides, it's not clear whether this is a genuine corner turned or 30 odd effective innings strung together. Bullpen wise the teams again are very similarly matched, both have what's been a lights out closer. Ryan Franklin however, is a lot less formidable then Rodriguez when you look behind the numbers, he's only striking about 6 per 9, however, unlike Frankie Knuckles who seems to be permanently in danger of walking the park, he's made the hitters work, giving up only a little bit more one walk per 9 - in contrast to our boys 5!!! I'll say it again, I've know problem with 4 more walks this week to Pujols, but if Rodriguez is giving free passes to the likes of Ludwick & Greene we're in BIG trouble. Again, like the mets (honourable exception Feliciano noted) the rest of the bullpens been ok rather then anything more, Chris Perez, strikes out a ton, but walks even more then K-Rod (sorry running out of other things to call him). However the most entertaining thing that we could do, is have someone drop down a bunt to big fat Dennys Reyes and see if treats it like a cheese sandwich (gobbles it up) or like a hot potato. ok that's as much as i'm getting done. No contractions yet & I ain't talking about Minnesota & Montreal.

post will go here.

one of the problems of mlb.tv is that they're really crap at dealing with things like rain delays. so anyone care to tell me if there's any read on how long will this be going on.

can someone bump up the kte thread. baby's due soon so I know kte is too!

="Willets Point":14bhkrrc]With all the homeruns flying out of the new ballpark, I suggest that we start calling in Yankee Stadium 3-D![/quote:14bhkrrc] has this calmed down at all? Frayed Knot Jun 08 2009 06:38 AM Slightly. 100 HRs in 28 games: 53 by Yanx, 47 by opponents. That's still a ton but, at 3.57/game, the pace is down from when it was closer to 4/per. And that's just lower enough to where they're no longer on pace to break the Coors Field 1999 mark. Frayed Knot Jun 08 2009 07:59 PM 5 more HRs tonight 105 in 29 games 3.62/game = 293 for the season Record is 303 in Coors Field 1999 Also, Teixeira, Cano, Damon & Cabrera are on pace for their best HR seasons of their career (by 8, 7, 10 & 9) Jeter & Swisher are on a pace to about equal their bests Leaving the only regulars who aren't on a personal record pace as the 35 y/o Matsui, plus ARod & Posada who both missed about half the season so far. soupcan Jun 09 2009 08:23 AM Makes me curious as to what our homer-weary boys will do this weekend at the band-box in the Bronx. HahnSolo Jun 09 2009 09:10 AM The Damon HR was comical last night. When he hit the ball, he put his head down in disgust that he had popped the ball up. It landed three rows over the wall. Didn't stop Sterling from calling it a "Johnny Rocket" I bet. soupcan Jun 09 2009 09:13 AM IT IS HIGH...up! IT IS...not so...FAR! However, IT....IS....GONE! LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jun 09 2009 09:33 AM ="HahnSolo":1nvohjim]The Damon HR was comical last night. When he hit the ball, he put his head down in disgust that he had popped the ball up. It landed three rows over the wall. Didn't stop Sterling from calling it a "Johnny Rocket" I bet.[/quote:1nvohjim] Was there last night. The Damon one was indeed ridiculous... but the Jeter one (just making the seats) and even the Swisher one (a well-struck but lazy fly that ended up carrying a shit-ton and landing past the first seating area in right-center) weren't far behind. By the third, the fans were standing up for any flyball into the gap. I'm thinking Churchy and Muffy-- hell, Cora, even-- should start aiming at the Subway sign during Phils BP... this weekend could make for some nice number inflation. Frayed Knot Jun 10 2009 06:27 AM Newsday: Fences are shorter http://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/yankees/ny-spstad0611,0,3247160.story excerpts: The barrage of home runs at new Yankee Stadium is being caused by shorter dimensions, not weather, according to AccuWeather.com. The meteorology company said Tuesday that 20 of the 105 home runs hit at the $1.5 billion ballpark would not have gone out of the old Yankee Stadium. "For someone attending a game at the new Yankee Stadium or watching on TV, the size of the playing field appears to be the same," AccuWeather meteorologist Tim Buckley said in a statement Tuesday. {I guess he's got a reason to believe} "The dimensions at select corners of the field are identical -- and the posted numbers on the walls reflect that. However, detailed schematics of the park reveal some nuances that have significant implications." AccuWeather agreed with the conclusions of Greg Rybarczyk of hittrackeronline.com, who said in April that right field in the new ballpark was shorter. The Yankee insist that the dimensions are exactly the same. "The wall structure is slightly different than the old park," AccuWeather said. "The main difference involves curvature. The gentle curve from right field to center field seen in original Yankee Stadium has largely been eliminated at the new stadium ... due in large part to the presence of a manual scoreboard embedded within the wall. Losing this curvature has resulted in a right field that is shorter by four-to-five feet on average, but up to nine feet in spots. "Not only is the famed short porch even shorter in the new stadium, but the walls themselves are not as tall. In the old ballpark, the walls in right field stood at a height of approximately 10 feet. At this height, it was difficult for outfielders to scale the wall and attempt to rob a home run over the fence. Fast forward to 2009, and the outfielders have been scaling the wall without any trouble. The result? The new outfield fences only rise to a height of eight feet, adding to the ease hitting a home run to right." The new Yankee Stadium is on pace for 293 homers, 10 shy of the major league record hit at Denver's Coors Field in 1999 and an 83 percent increase from the 160 hit at original Yankee Stadium, last year. Frayed Knot Jun 18 2009 08:15 PM Today's (night's) 3-0 MFY loss to the Nats was, I believe, the first no-homer game in YSIII this season. seawolf17 Jun 18 2009 08:37 PM The MFYs had a little case of Metsflu tonight, getting shut out by a kid fresh off a high school ballfield somewhere. (A guy against whom, of course, the Mets bucked convention and beat recently.)

yeah, I know you have been banging the same drum.

but I can NEVER understand how people are so morally ambivalent about the way the whole contract system in MLB is from an ethical standpoint, and yeah I know the guys at the top get loads of money, but that doesn't make it ok.

what's hilarious about it is that Steve doesn't even remember his own crackpot theories. "I just think it's about the environment that the pitcher creates! Oh, that's why Johan Santana got the best run support of anyone on the Twins last year. Because he's not a star. " versus "This came a few days after this spectacular pearl from Phillips about why the Mets don't score for Johan Santana: "They don't hit for Santana. I think part of it is because he is the ace on the mound. They think it's a low-scoring game, he is not going to give up runs. It's just this rhythm of the game that he has. Steve Trachsel used to pitch for the Mets, the slowest worker ever. He never got run support. And I think he earned it." "

that looked heavy enough, any word?

might be a whole lot better an option, in that he's been known to play the OF badly rather then terribly. And you can't see the Orioles expecting too much when he's on $8 million.

i voted 6-4, the mets are a little bit better then all those teams even with current malaises so I expect them to win a few more games.

needs must though and murphy's younger and more recently been exposed to regular time in the infield.