Comments on: And That Happened: Sunday's Scores and Highlights

By: Dos Equis

Dos Equis — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 18:06:47 +0000

Seriously, the Most Interesting Man in the World, who actually is a 71 year old guy named Jonathan Goldsmith, threw a thigh-high fastball. No joke. Didn’t bounce it, didn’t throw wildly or throw a floater. A thigh-high fastball.

By: Kro

Kro — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 14:23:49 +0000

Pitchers hitting homeruns is awesome. It gives all of us couch jockeys hope that we too could hit one out. With that said, watching pitchers hit is about as painful as watching Bud Selig speaking at the draft. Just get rid of them both, please.

By: nps6724

nps6724 — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 13:01:54 +0000

My problem with the DH is it allows someone to be half a player. As bad as Adam Dunn is on defense, at least he is out there playing. If your defense is so bad that you’re only an asset if you NEVER PLAY DEFENSE AT ALL, then you’re not a very good baseball player.

By: Professor Longnose

Professor Longnose — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 12:57:30 +0000

I’m guessing that at some formative moment in your fandom you saw an at bat by a pitcher that forever changed you. Can you dig it out of your subconscious? What’s the greatest pitcher at bat you ever saw?

By: Craig Calcaterra

Craig Calcaterra — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 12:54:32 +0000

I don’t know that there was one single at bat. I think it has more to do with my underdog thing. I’m sure I saw some pitcher — maybe Rick Mahler — hit a home run once and was just tickled at something like that happening.
And I know the whole “there’s more strategy in the NL” argument gets derided all the time, but things like, should the pitcher bat, should he bunt, should you double-switch, etc. etc. do get the brain working, and I usually enjoy engaging my brain like that and trying to figure out what I would do in such situations during games.

By: Professor Longnose

Professor Longnose — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 12:48:24 +0000

By: Professor Longnose

Professor Longnose — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 12:44:06 +0000

I agree that beating the Orioles is no great achievement, and that the Mets probably haven’t turned any major corners. But that is why their sweep got notice, not, I don’t think, just because they are from New York.

By: Professor Longnose

Professor Longnose — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 12:42:18 +0000

I specified that the Mets had the best home record in the league, not the majors.
I’d guess that both their home and road records are more or less chance and a streaky team.

By: Old Gator

Old Gator — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 12:38:13 +0000

That argument assumes that every baseball fan is a Neanderthal who wants to see nothing but a mindless succession of like-minded club-waving Neanderthals lurching towards the plate inning after inning after inning. The countervailing argument is that we don’t want to see that, that we appreciate the textures, rhythms, pathos and strategies inherent in having someone we know is clueless with a club coming up at the moment that the game is on the line, the starter had been terrific through seven, the boolpen is a catastrophe waiting to happen and the manager – and we – must think it all through. A lot of us like to enjoy baseball with our minds as well as with our cojones.
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and pynchon. I’m jealous.

By: Infinite Wisdom

Infinite Wisdom — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 12:18:48 +0000

“You tell that son of a b—- no Yankee is ever comin’ to Houston. Not as long as you b——- are running things!”
GEORGE! GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF!
CAPTCHA- flunkies Korean.
Simply wonderful.

By: Kevin S.

Kevin S. — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 11:02:56 +0000

I’m aware of that Craig, but A) it’s fun making people look silly clinging to something in the face of all logic and B) you started it!

By: Craig Calcaterra

Craig Calcaterra — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 10:55:22 +0000

You’ll have just as much luck talking someone out of their religion or their favorite flavor of ice cream.
I like pitchers batting because I just do. I know full well that they can’t hit. I just don’t care.
Sometimes life is that way.
reCaptcha: “and pynchon”

By: Kevin S.

Kevin S. — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 10:49:53 +0000

Craig, pitchers have an aggregate OPS+ of -3. The rest of the positions vary from around 90 (C) to 120 (1B). If that isn’t reason enough to force the NL into the late-ish 20th century, I don’t know what is.

By: APBA Guy

APBA Guy — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 10:33:15 +0000

This was an interesting weekend for the A’s in that for the first time this year the hard-core A’s fans on Athletics Nation turned against A’s management en masse. Was it losing 3 to the spoiled, rich-kid Giants or was it the horrendous lineups produced by the A’s? It wasn’t like the A’s were massacred, there were no double digit shellackings endured, it’s just that there is no answer on offense when facing competent pitching. And Lincecum, a revitalized Zito (his curve in the 4th is the soft tossers anti-Strasburg weapon of choice, varying between 70-80 mph, but lots of 12 to 6 break, just like the “old” days)and a dominant Cain (don’t forget, he’s younger than Timmy)were better than competent.
Oh well, at least they get to play 3 at Wrigley. It’ll be fun to hear the drunks in Wrigley’s bleachers sing “Who are you?” at every A’s hitter.

By: Old Gator

Old Gator — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 09:53:43 +0000

Time for the Feather Lice to take a night off, catch their breath, and go see Huron and Lee Harvey Osmond (who should be the official “O Canada” vocalist at the Rogers anyway) at the Dakota. There’s a rumor Mike and Margo will be sitting in.
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Meanwhile, speaking of the Rays, it appears that the Feesh were inspired somehow by playing in the Tropicana Dump, and they’ve initiated another one of their mini-good-streaks by taking two of three and dropping the Rays into an ignominious tie with the Borg. They managed to climb a half game ahead of the Gnats, and now they come home to play in the rain and fearsome electrostatic discharges for a week or so. How will all that sturm und drang affect their delicate psyches this time? Meanwhile the impending Rays, who will be plenty pissed off and inspired by playing under a gray sky full of menace instead of a gray dome with a paunchy predator drone, will be looking for revenge. With Renyel Pinto rumored to be about to come off the DL, they’ll probably get it.
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More downside: Ricky Nolasco, who started off the season like a bull shark off a children’s beach, has been fair, poor, bad and then brutal over the last few weeks. It’s been like watching David Bowie age in The Hunger.
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More upside: Mike Stanton has established that he can single in the major leagues. Uncle Wes Helms deposited a distinctly avuncular home run in the seats at the Tropicana Tumulus, first time since last year, proving that he hasn’t totally lost it yet while continuing to provide discount onfield versatility and clubhouse leadership for Scrooge McLoria and his Chihuahua. Chris Coghlan is back to normal.
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Cameron Maybin, so far the major missing piece of the Feesh offense this season, continues to sputter and was held out of the lineup for the entire Rays series, and hasn’t played since the 6th against the Mutts. What does this signify for Cody Ross, who has been the subject of trade rumors ever since the Players Union forced Scrooge McLoria to break his bank on Josh Johnson back before spring training? Do the Feesh keep Ross and dangle Maybin, whose performance might net them a midlevel EYP in a pre-deadline trade, or are they showcasing Ross in center field while secretly installing bionic upgrades in the onetime SEYP (Super Exciting Young Prospect)? Probably too early to tell. I’ve always been a Maybin fan – based largely on a ball I saw him hit off his fists that hit the scoreboard at a spring game oncet – and his penchant for lunging swings don’t make a lot of sense to me.
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Ross, on the other hand, creeps me out sometimes – he looks too much like those netsuke carvings of fat little forest sprites, especially when he smiles, and his perpetual pallor even under the Macondo sun gives one the impression that he subsists on the blood of tykes. But until or unless Maybin comes around, we’ll just have to concentrate on his play and hope that he develops the ability to photosynthesize or something. I’d rather see him green than translucent, you know?

By: YankeesfanLen

YankeesfanLen — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 09:52:22 +0000

The Metropolitans have the most home WINS, but I dispute the best home record part. At 24-10, they’re about.706 at Shea, the team across the river is 22-7 for a .759. The obvious good news: we’ll have more home games when it counts.

By: lar @ wezen-ball

lar @ wezen-ball — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 09:51:34 +0000

Whoops, didn’t mean to ruin your whole big plan there, Craig. Sorry.
I was just really annoyed at the game yesterday when I saw Macha do that, and then he laced the single down the line (that really should’ve been a double).

By: Lashman

Lashman — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 09:22:06 +0000

My God, you actually found a quote where Charlie didn’t use good as an adverb. That’s like being given a blurry picture of Bigfoot, not sure you can believe it, but still amazing.

By: nps6724

nps6724 — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 09:16:42 +0000

“The Mets had the best home record and worst road record in the NL. That’s why their sweeping a series on the road is significant. If they’re actually finding their road legs, it could go a long way toward deciding who wins the division.”
Orioles.

By: Craig Calcaterra

Craig Calcaterra — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 09:08:45 +0000

Shhh! I’m not talking to sensible people like you, lar. I’m trying to persuade the morons who run Major League Baseball,. and I really don’t need you tipping them off.

By: lar @ wezen-ball

lar @ wezen-ball — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 09:07:18 +0000

“If that’s not a great argument to ban the DH, expunge all DH records from the books and perform universal lobotomies on the populace in order to erase all memories of the DH, I don’t know what is.”
Well, the only reason Lewis batted with the bases loaded is because Ken Macha intentionally walked Andres Blanco, with his .200 avg and .286 OBP, to get to Lewis with two outs in the inning already. Stupid managerial decisions and stupid intentional walks like that are a decent counter-argument…

By: SouthofHeaven

SouthofHeaven — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 08:57:15 +0000

Say good again, I dare you, I DOUBLE dare you motherf***er, say good one more Godd**n time!!!

By: Professor Longnose

Professor Longnose — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 08:35:36 +0000

The Mets had the best home record and worst road record in the NL. That’s why their sweeping a series on the road is significant. If they’re actually finding their road legs, it could go a long way toward deciding who wins the division.

By: Paul Martin

Paul Martin — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 07:58:11 +0000

OK Craig! You were right and I was wrong about the Yankees. They deserve to be first in your power rankings for now. Long term, I still prefer Tampa Bay. My Jays have had a rough week on the rosd and will deservedly drop in your power rankings.

By: BigtunaNY

BigtunaNY — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 06:02:15 +0000

Many beers: Hmmm, I’d hazard a guess that Mrs. Shyster could confirm that later on you did indeed swing for the fences…twice

By: Kro

Kro — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 05:12:20 +0000

The Dos Equis “Most Interesting Man in the World” guy throws a shine ball.