Comments on: Settling the Score: Friday’s results

By: deathmonkey41

deathmonkey41 — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 19:08:01 +0000

I think Skeleteeth is probably home crying his eyes out while craddling his Cody Ross fathead.

By: APBA Guy

APBA Guy — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 18:35:22 +0000

They certainly have been playing with quality, but this year the difference from the past several years has been some pop in the lineup, better rookie pitchers (fewer walks, more mound composure) and enough veterans in the clubhouse to show the kids how it’s done. Plus luck.

Granted, compared to the Feesh, they have to look happier and more energetic. But that’s winning. When the A’s were losing 9 straight they looked more lost than any other MLB team at that time.

By: Old Gator

Old Gator — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 18:25:39 +0000

I don’t think that’s the key. They’ve just been playing with a lot of heart, guts and smarts. I’ll watch an As game on MLB every so often just to refresh my recollection of what those qualities look like on a baseball field. There’s not enough of any of them here in Macondo these days to put in a little Tupperware container and save in the fridge.

By: Old Gator

Old Gator — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 18:22:56 +0000

Wow, sorry to wake you up – I’ll turn the stereo down. You had been asleep for three months.

By: APBA Guy

APBA Guy — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 16:41:19 +0000

The A’s and O’s were channeling their inner RedSox/Yankees yesterday, completing their evening’s entertainment in a brisk 4 hours. Pitchers on both teams had taken a solemn vow to always fall behind in the count, and in any meaningful situation, to throw the ball down the middle and pray for the best. Both “All-Star” closers looked hideous. The difference in the game was Seth Smith, 2/3 with 5 RBI’s off the bench, platooning with Gomes. The middle of the A’s lineup now features 4 positive OPS:

Gomes/Smith .856/810
Reddick .886
Cespedes .881
Carter 1.079

Small sample size alert on Carter.

Melvin has been running this lineup out consistently during the winning streak, and unlike most teams, the A’s don’t have a key player in the offense injured at the moment.

By: paperlions

paperlions — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 16:17:42 +0000

Tissue?

By: southofheaven81

southofheaven81 — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 15:57:12 +0000

“They are 2 straight starts by each of their best pitchers away from being one of the wildcards”

That would also depend on all FIVE of the teams in front of them for the wild card race shitting the bed, which doesn’t seem terribly likely. If it were 1 or 2 teams, yeah, maybe, but that many? I don’t see it.

By: mungman69

mungman69 — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 15:51:20 +0000

Don’t be surprised if the Phillies don’t make the playoffs. Too many of them got old at the same time.

By: fearlessleader

fearlessleader — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 15:23:10 +0000

Yeah, about that…..we Cardinals fans would appreciate it immensely if the Astros would quit blowing ninth-inning leads against teams we’re trying to catch in the standings. That said, having lived through the darkest days of Jason Isringhausen and Ryan Franklin, I feel your pain and hope it ends soon.

By: hittfamily

hittfamily — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 15:12:37 +0000

How? Why? The Sox are just as capable as winning it all as anyone else. They are 2 straight starts by each of their best pitchers away from being one of the wildcards. Would anyone be surprised if Beckett went 6, and gave up 2 each of his next 2 starts. Same with Lester. Same with Bucholtz.

Anyone going to be surprised if the Sox score 10 tomorrow?

If a team can score 10 in regularity, they can score enough to win consistently. I just don’t buy it that they are out of it. In fact, I favor them for the second WC. Who else? Cleveland…no. A’s?…a definate maybe, but their pitching has sucked lately. Rays…if Longo is healthy, and they don’t trade Shields.

By: uyf1950

uyf1950 — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 15:08:01 +0000

The Yankees embarrassed the Red Sox. Not much else you can say.

By: Old Gator

Old Gator — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 15:05:12 +0000

Last night, Slobbering Ozzie gave an interview wherein he said he has no regrets about coming to Macondo.

Well, that’s one, anyway.

Feesh scored their usual two runs – it’s what they’ve been averaging per game since the break, during which period they are 4-10.

Krazy Karlos did the rest, walking four, getting smacked all over the place, and then calmly assessing his shortcomings in polite discussions after the game.

He’s definitely on something.

By: proudlycanadian

proudlycanadian — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 15:04:35 +0000

Snider is here to stay. He used to be unable to handle left handed pitchers. All 3 of his homers since being called up have been against lefties. As far as Harry is concerned, I suspect that he is stuck in the outhouse down on his farm outside Scranton. He is probably upset by rumors that the Yankees tried to trade him for Beckett.

By: Old Gator

Old Gator — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 15:02:17 +0000

It must be the chili.

By: whodeytn

whodeytn — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 14:59:00 +0000

The Reds are 59-40 and on an EIGHT game winning streak and still not a word.

By: cur68

cur68 — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 14:42:44 +0000

Kid’s like the Pigpen of the team. He’s not satisfied unless he’s filthy & his clothes are torn. Can’t fault him for hustle though. Omar with a 3B: his 77th career triple. He just keeps on getting it done. Let us not forget the much maligned (by dirtharry: HBT’s resident chimp) Travis Snider. Hit his 3rd homer (good thump in that bat, eh?) and a fistfull of RBIs since returning to the bigs a week or so ago. He is en fuego.

By: kiwicricket

kiwicricket — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 14:36:11 +0000

He pitched a Maddux!

By: proudlycanadian

proudlycanadian — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 14:08:15 +0000

You got Morneau. No more Canucks for you!

By: wlschneider09

wlschneider09 — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 14:02:16 +0000

Send us a couple more, would ya?

By: timb12

timb12 — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 13:57:39 +0000

I’m just glad that the box score doesn’t say that the Astros choked….again.

By: proudlycanadian

proudlycanadian — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 13:55:21 +0000

Bret Lawrie’s hustle is fun to watch, but sometimes he risks injury due to it. Last night he hit what should have been a stand up triple; however, he made an unnecessary head first slide into third. Tigers third baseman Cabrerra smiled and seemed to tell Lawrie that the slide was unnecessary. The next batter up was 45 year old Omar Vizquel who showed Lawrie how a veteran does it. Vizquel hit the ball into the same spot and slowed down a bit before he touched third. Afterwards Cabrerra and Vizquel seemed to have a long chat about the impetuous nature of youth.

By: proudlycanadian

proudlycanadian — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 13:44:37 +0000

Congratulations to the rookie pitcher from Guelph Ontario.

By: Tim OShenko

Tim OShenko — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 13:23:51 +0000

Holy shit, a Twins pitcher threw a shutout! Not surprisingly, it was Scott Diamond on the mound, the one sure positive in the Twins’ rotation right now. What makes it even more special, he got the job done in under 100 pitches. Yes, that’s right: Diamond threw a Maddox.

The Twins bats came to life last night, also. The heart of the order did most of the heavy lifting, with Mauer going 3-5, and Willingham & Morneau each going yard. I’ve been saying all along that any team willing to trade for Morneau would be crazy, but this is the time of year when crazy happens. If there’s any substance to the rumours, no doubt his performance last night will add to the interest other teams apparently are taking in him.

By: hittfamily

hittfamily — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 13:23:22 +0000

Hey Craig, the Huffingtonpost credited you yesterday about LoMo : http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/27/logan-morrison-tweets-breastfeeding_n_1709848.html

A blog, quoting another blog, quoting another blog, quoting social media. Aye. My head is spinning.

Are you the dude, playing the dude, disguised as another dude?

By: mybrunoblog

mybrunoblog — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 13:18:39 +0000

D.J. did you have a late night? Pretty short post.
In other news the Red Sox have unofficially thrown in the towel on 2012.