Showdown time again for the Blue Jays, as they welcome the division-leading Red Sox to Skydome. It's fully recyclable righty John Burkett up against found object Doug Davis, in a matchup that should fatten a few OPS marks before the night is out. Good news for Toronto: Josh Phelps is back in the lineup at DH! Mike Bordick gets the start at third, and Reed Johnson leads off and plays right field, with Frank Catalanotto switching to left in place of Shannon Stewart, who's in danger of going on the DL with his bad hamstrings.
No Nomah tonight -- the Jays catch a break as Garciaparra gets a night off to rest various bangs and bruises. Bill Mueller bats second in his first game as the new everyday third baseman.
'Evening, Jordan. I see the Jays have their hitting skills back. 2-0 already, still batting in the first.
It's another one of those dreaded Braves rain delays -- not that a Mets/Braves game is all that enticing -- while I wait for the Mariners/Twins game to start.
Jason Giambi has a two-run homer; 2-0 Yanks, in other AL East action.
It's another one of those dreaded Braves rain delays -- not that a Mets/Braves game is all that enticing -- while I wait for the Mariners/Twins game to start.
Jason Giambi has a two-run homer; 2-0 Yanks, in other AL East action.
Hey, Gitz. Batting practice lasted a little longer than normal for the Jays tonight, as both rockets and dunkers off John Burkett led to a 3-0 lead. I've been impressed with Doug Davis so far -- going right after the hitters and getting his defence involved. Hey Kelvim, take notes.
If Giambi is getting untracked, I'm glad Toronto is done with the Yankees for awhile.
If Giambi is getting untracked, I'm glad Toronto is done with the Yankees for awhile.
It seems a matter of time before Big G. gets untracked. I've urged my readers -- all six of them -- to see if they can trade Durazo for Jason G. Some have been able to do it, straight up even. That's just silly; Giambi is a supeiror hitter to Durazo, even if Erubiel stays healthy.
No Little G. tonight, eh? Why don't they play him every day?
No Little G. tonight, eh? Why don't they play him every day?
I hope that Braves-Mets game doesn't get rained out. I just heard the pitching matchup:
Greg Maddux vs. Tom Glavine.
Greg Maddux vs. Tom Glavine.
Cool! JP's in the booth with Tom & Jerry tonight, fourth inning. I'll provide updates for those not tuned in.
Are your "fortunate" enough to get TBS in Ottawa?
I miss living in the Bay Area for any number of reasons, and certainly one of them is not getting both Giants and A's games; I was quite spoiled living in a two-team market.
I miss living in the Bay Area for any number of reasons, and certainly one of them is not getting both Giants and A's games; I was quite spoiled living in a two-team market.
I can only imagine Giambi's sitting because of the lefty-lefty matchup, but his split's actually not that bad: 768 OPS vs. LH, 824 vs. RH. I suppose Millar's got better numbers, though.
And anyway, it seems they didn't need him: Doug Davis's fast work has led to him getting lit up here in the second inning: 2 runs in, 1st and 3rd, 2 out. Sigh.
And anyway, it seems they didn't need him: Doug Davis's fast work has led to him getting lit up here in the second inning: 2 runs in, 1st and 3rd, 2 out. Sigh.
Are you "fortunate" enough to get TBS in Ottawa
Oh yeah ... where else could I get my fix of 15 Bond movies in a week once a year? Not to mention regular viewing of Groundhog Day? Though I kinda like the Braves announcers, to be honest -- they're like Tom and Jerry, only more so, which is both good and bad.
3-2 after one and a half.
Oh yeah ... where else could I get my fix of 15 Bond movies in a week once a year? Not to mention regular viewing of Groundhog Day? Though I kinda like the Braves announcers, to be honest -- they're like Tom and Jerry, only more so, which is both good and bad.
3-2 after one and a half.
You should invest in one of the instant message programs. If used properly, it's a valuable tool for situations where two guys in the early 30s are hanging out on a Web site on a Friday evening in late May. Sad.
You should invest in one of the instant message programs. If used properly, it's a valuable tool for situations where two guys in the early 30s are hanging out on a Web site on a Friday evening in late May. Sad.
Sheffield just went yard. Again. For the love of Ford, who ran over his dog? He's got to be MVP right now.
Yeah, my wife's out at a conference banquet tonight, so this has ended up being the first time I've had a few nights in a row to do the Game Chat. I'm off on a conference of my own next week, as it happens, so I'll be out of BB commission for awhile. The real pain is that I'll be nowhere near a computer on Draft Day (June 3) -- I really wanted to do a report on that.
Boo-yeah! Three-run homer to dead-center for V-W! Fifty-two ribbies before June 1 -- wow.
Boo-yeah! Three-run homer to dead-center for V-W! Fifty-two ribbies before June 1 -- wow.
So, are we, like, the only people here tonight? Hey lurkers -- this is your chance! Come on out and say hi!
Great googly moogly -- two-run blast by Greg Myers and it's 8-2 Toronto in the 2nd inning. Chicago White Who?
Great googly moogly -- two-run blast by Greg Myers and it's 8-2 Toronto in the 2nd inning. Chicago White Who?
Hey, just came on. I'm actually watching the Braves game too. Cant get those Jays games here in Sacramento like we used to.
It looks like we're all alone, for sure. It is, to be fair, a Friday night, as I mentioned. Get an IM program, darn it (preferably Yahoo!). We'll have a swell time.
(2-1 Mets, btw.)
(2-1 Mets, btw.)
The Braves announcers just said they would like a team full of Cliff Floyds. Who would want a team of people who admit to dogging it during games? Not to mention not exactly a great player.
Ah, there is life! From a person in northern California, no less. Ben, you need to be my eyes for the A's. It's difficult as hell writing a column on them seeing them only when they play the Mariners.
Tell me: is Harden going tomorrow night? They play Tacoma again this weekend, I think.
Tell me: is Harden going tomorrow night? They play Tacoma again this weekend, I think.
Hey Ben, good to have you on board. Do you get to see any Rock Cats games? Anyone on Oakland's AAA roster that could be fetched by, say, Shannon Stewart? :-)
http://economics.about.com
Wow.. the Jays really are firing on all cylinders this month.
8-2 in the 2nd is a mixed blessing for me, as now we'll have to watch what Hannah wants. Atleast it's lopsided for the good guys.
Mike
Wow.. the Jays really are firing on all cylinders this month.
8-2 in the 2nd is a mixed blessing for me, as now we'll have to watch what Hannah wants. Atleast it's lopsided for the good guys.
Mike
I'm not sure when Harden is going, I generally find out that morning from the paper and I didnt get one today. Im not in Sacramento direct anyways, Im in Davis (a few mile south) going to school
Jordan my feeling is that this isnt a very good Cats team. Only the staff seems to be kicking. Maybe Esteban German? a lame joke if I ever heard one.
Jordan my feeling is that this isnt a very good Cats team. Only the staff seems to be kicking. Maybe Esteban German? a lame joke if I ever heard one.
A team of Cliff Floyds -- hmph. None of them would play first base.
Give me a team of A-Rods ... and not just with the bat. Rodriguez is maybe the only star who could legitimately play every position if he had to. And hey, that lineup would only cost you the GNP of Ecuador.
Give me a team of A-Rods ... and not just with the bat. Rodriguez is maybe the only star who could legitimately play every position if he had to. And hey, that lineup would only cost you the GNP of Ecuador.
Hey, Mike! At this rate, we'll be able to field a starting nine. I call dibs on the #8 spot, so I can get intentionally walked a lot.
Ben, you're quite right -- I had been thinking of John Rheinecker, who's at AA Midland. Assuming that Oakland's five starters for the foreseeable future are Zito, Mulder, Hudson, Lilly and Harden -- good Lord, that's frightening -- then pitching prospects should be grabbable from the A's.
Robert Person is pitching, and the fans are cheering the Skydome roof closing. It's Nostalgia Night at Skydome.
Ben, you're quite right -- I had been thinking of John Rheinecker, who's at AA Midland. Assuming that Oakland's five starters for the foreseeable future are Zito, Mulder, Hudson, Lilly and Harden -- good Lord, that's frightening -- then pitching prospects should be grabbable from the A's.
Robert Person is pitching, and the fans are cheering the Skydome roof closing. It's Nostalgia Night at Skydome.
Ah, we have a UC Davis Aggie on board, folks. What are you studying out there, Ben?
German will be traded, I imagine, but the A's don't have much else down there, unless you're interested in David McCarty or Bobby Crosby. I don't see the A's being a player for Stewart or Escobar. They don't need an injury-prone LF or a middle relief pitcher. When Beane goes shopping, here's hoping Mr. Beltran is on the list.
German will be traded, I imagine, but the A's don't have much else down there, unless you're interested in David McCarty or Bobby Crosby. I don't see the A's being a player for Stewart or Escobar. They don't need an injury-prone LF or a middle relief pitcher. When Beane goes shopping, here's hoping Mr. Beltran is on the list.
I hate to do this but Im going to hijack for a second. Gitz do you know when Beane became the GM of the A's? I was having a discussion that Beane has never drafted a real stud player that plays for the A's. All the A's 'stars' seem to be holdovers from Alderson and while Beane has made some good trades they all seem to be for compliment players.
Sorry, Jordan, I hit eighth in high school. My coach put me there because he wanted me to see lots of fastballs.
And this may surprise some BB folks: I was tied for first on my team in steals with someone who actually made the major leagues! The aforementioned Jalal Leach and I each had 10 steals, but all that really says is that my coach was an idiot. Jalal hit lead-off, he hit about .600 -- mostly singles -- and he was the second-fastest guy in our league. We would get the first two guys on base in the first inning and then bunt with our number-three hitter. Brilliant.
Another person in our league, Derrick White, made the bigs for a little while with the Cubs and Marlins. Derrick was nothing special in high school, really, but he was big and had some power.
And this may surprise some BB folks: I was tied for first on my team in steals with someone who actually made the major leagues! The aforementioned Jalal Leach and I each had 10 steals, but all that really says is that my coach was an idiot. Jalal hit lead-off, he hit about .600 -- mostly singles -- and he was the second-fastest guy in our league. We would get the first two guys on base in the first inning and then bunt with our number-three hitter. Brilliant.
Another person in our league, Derrick White, made the bigs for a little while with the Cubs and Marlins. Derrick was nothing special in high school, really, but he was big and had some power.
Fortunaley for me I just developed a social life but best of luck to the Jays
JP's in the booth tonight. Here's what's been said so far:
- They're talking about the Leafs' Tom Fitzgerald, a fellow New Englander. Yeesh.
- Four-man rotation in June: Off-days made it possible. Asked the players, they were excited about it. They'll work around their throwing schedules. If it works, they'll stay with it. (!) Davis will be dropped from the rotation to make it work. JP's expecting heat, "but I've been getting that since I've been on the job. " He was laughing....
- May streak: "We're keeping our feet on the ground ... it helped us get over our tough start." He's really happy for the players, coaching staff deserves all the credit, etc.
- Doug Davis: he's gotta be a first-strike guy, get ahead of the hitters. Hardly a surprise there. Back next inning.
- They're talking about the Leafs' Tom Fitzgerald, a fellow New Englander. Yeesh.
- Four-man rotation in June: Off-days made it possible. Asked the players, they were excited about it. They'll work around their throwing schedules. If it works, they'll stay with it. (!) Davis will be dropped from the rotation to make it work. JP's expecting heat, "but I've been getting that since I've been on the job. " He was laughing....
- May streak: "We're keeping our feet on the ground ... it helped us get over our tough start." He's really happy for the players, coaching staff deserves all the credit, etc.
- Doug Davis: he's gotta be a first-strike guy, get ahead of the hitters. Hardly a surprise there. Back next inning.
Howdy - just passing through. Wow, etc.
John Cerutti claims that Burkett plunked Reed Johnson on purpose because the runner on second was stealing signs.
John Cerutti claims that Burkett plunked Reed Johnson on purpose because the runner on second was stealing signs.
Ben, I believe Beane was hired as assistant GM in 1993, then took over for Alderson in 1997, but I'm not sure about that. I seem to recall Alderson being the one who engineered the McGwire fiasco. It's still hard to believe T.J. Mathews, Blake Stein and Ryan Ludwick were all the A's could get for Big Mac.
More JP:
- Jays just 3 1/2 games out of first. "This group of players has never stopped working ... the clubhouse was always upbeat. Orlando Hudson started settling down, becoming the player he can be." Chris Woodward ditto.
- Now what? "We have to see where we are at the end of June before we start thinking about the playoffs. We have about 6 weeks to go before we decide whether we're buyers or sellers. Paul is very supportive, Mr. Rogers (heh) is very supportive. We're ahead of schedule. Our best teams will be '05, '06, '07, but that's no reason why we can't win in '03."
- June draft: "We're excited. It should be a deep draft, and it should help our system. We have a couple of guys we'd like to get right at the top. We have a #1 guy we'd like to get, and if he's gone, we've got a #2 guy. Should be deep in pitching, and that's our need."
- Delgado: "Unbelievable start. He's so important to us, he lets everyone else settle in to the lineup. He deserves a lot of credit for the start we're off to."
That's it. Nothing terribly surprising from JP. Interesting to hear they'd consider sticking with a 4-man rotation even after June's off-days are passed. And there's apparent confirmation that he's going after pitching in the draft. I still they think they need some young bats, but there you go.
- Jays just 3 1/2 games out of first. "This group of players has never stopped working ... the clubhouse was always upbeat. Orlando Hudson started settling down, becoming the player he can be." Chris Woodward ditto.
- Now what? "We have to see where we are at the end of June before we start thinking about the playoffs. We have about 6 weeks to go before we decide whether we're buyers or sellers. Paul is very supportive, Mr. Rogers (heh) is very supportive. We're ahead of schedule. Our best teams will be '05, '06, '07, but that's no reason why we can't win in '03."
- June draft: "We're excited. It should be a deep draft, and it should help our system. We have a couple of guys we'd like to get right at the top. We have a #1 guy we'd like to get, and if he's gone, we've got a #2 guy. Should be deep in pitching, and that's our need."
- Delgado: "Unbelievable start. He's so important to us, he lets everyone else settle in to the lineup. He deserves a lot of credit for the start we're off to."
That's it. Nothing terribly surprising from JP. Interesting to hear they'd consider sticking with a 4-man rotation even after June's off-days are passed. And there's apparent confirmation that he's going after pitching in the draft. I still they think they need some young bats, but there you go.
Concerning news: Derek Lowe, who had a skin cancer operation last season, has gone back to Boston for another biopsy. Not good news.
Hey, Dave! I think Burkett would have 8 good reasons to hit someone. :-) But it's quite possible there was sign-stealing -- that may be why the Jays were teeing off on him.
Sweet defensive play -- with a runner on first and one out, Chris Woodward snared a line drive, but landed flat out on the ground, so he flipped the ball to Hudson, who threw to first to double off the runner. Smart defence.
Davis has really settled down. 8-2 going into the bottom of the fifth.
Davis has really settled down. 8-2 going into the bottom of the fifth.
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I hit 8th in highschool as well. I was a pitcher, tho, so I count not hitting 9th a minor accomplishment. My annual 250/500/310 line, wasn't one, tho.
I've been watching the game with my Dad, who hasn't seen much of Boston this year. His only reaction to the Sox was "these guys are supposed to be good?!?". I guess you really can't infer much from a game or two.
Mike
I hit 8th in highschool as well. I was a pitcher, tho, so I count not hitting 9th a minor accomplishment. My annual 250/500/310 line, wasn't one, tho.
I've been watching the game with my Dad, who hasn't seen much of Boston this year. His only reaction to the Sox was "these guys are supposed to be good?!?". I guess you really can't infer much from a game or two.
Mike
We would get the first two guys on base in the first inning and then bunt with our number-three hitter.
Wow ... Don Baylor was your high-school baseball coach?
Wow ... Don Baylor was your high-school baseball coach?
My baseball career:
Juvenile Baseball League, St. John's, Newfoundland, summer 1984:
4 G, 13 AB, 1 H, 1 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 BB, 12 K
And frankly, the one hit was a five-hopper that the third baseman bobbled repeatedly. It helps when your friend is the official scorekeeper.
Les Nessman: "I really like baseball, Andy. I'm just not very good at it."
Juvenile Baseball League, St. John's, Newfoundland, summer 1984:
4 G, 13 AB, 1 H, 1 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 BB, 12 K
And frankly, the one hit was a five-hopper that the third baseman bobbled repeatedly. It helps when your friend is the official scorekeeper.
Les Nessman: "I really like baseball, Andy. I'm just not very good at it."
They were noticing on WSBK how close the runs scored and allowed were for the Blue Jays and Red Sox:
.
A couple of days ago, the Jays actually had the better Pythagorean.
Runs Scored Per 9 IP Runs Allowed Per 9 IP Winning Percentage
( 1) TORONTO 5.99 ( 1) Oakland 3.48 ( 1) Seattle 34-18 .654
( 2) Boston 5.99 ( 2) Seattle 4.17 ( 2) Boston 31-21 .596
( 3) NYYankees 5.68 ( 3) Minnesota 4.21 ( 2) Minnesota 31-21 .596
( 4) Texas 5.63 ( 4) NYYankees 4.45 ( 4) NYYankees 31-22 .585
( 5) Seattle 5.54 ( 5) Anaheim 4.74 ( 5) Oakland 30-22 .577
( 6) Baltimore 5.18 ( 6) White Sox 4.74 ( 6) TORONTO 29-26 .527
( 7) Anaheim 4.96 ( 7) Detroit 5.03 ( 7) Kansas City 26-25 .510
( 8) Minnesota 4.81 ( 8) Baltimore 5.05 ( 8) Anaheim 25-26 .490
( 9) Kansas City 4.72 ( 9) Kansas City 5.12 ( 9) Baltimore 25-27 .481
(10) Oakland 4.71 (10) Cleveland 5.29 ( 9) Texas 25-27 .481
(11) Tampa Bay 4.38 (11) Boston 5.32 (11) White Sox 25-28 .472
(12) White Sox 4.14 (12) TORONTO 5.44 (12) Cleveland 20-32 .385
(13) Cleveland 4.10 (13) Tampa Bay 5.68 (12) Tampa Bay 20-32 .385
(14) Detroit 3.07 (14) Texas 6.35 (14) Detroit 13-38 .255
Avg 4.93 Avg 4.93 365-365
.
Pythagorean WPct Extra Wins
( 1) OAK 33-19 .635 ( 1) KAN 2
( 2) SEA 33-19 .628 ( 2) BOS 2
( 3) NYY 32-21 .610 ( 3) MIN 2
( 4) MIN 29-23 .560 ( 4) TEX 2
( 5) BOS 29-23 .554 ( 5) CHW 2
( 6) TOR 30-25 .544 ( 6) SEA 1
( 7) ANA 27-24 .521 ( 7) TAM 0
( 8) BAL 27-25 .512 ( 8) CLE 0
( 9) KAN 24-27 .463 ( 9) TOR -1
(10) TEX 23-29 .445 (10) NYY -1
(11) CHW 23-30 .438 (11) ANA -2
(12) CLE 20-32 .385 (12) BAL -2
(13) TAM 20-32 .383 (13) DET -2
(14) DET 15-36 .289 (14) OAK -3
.
Note: PythagWPct = RF^1.83 / ( RF^1.83 + RA^1.83 )
where RF=Runs For and RA=Runs Against
.
A couple of days ago, the Jays actually had the better Pythagorean.
Stephen, that's a terrific chart -- and not least because of the formatting. :-) Interesting that the Jays and BoSox are so close -- do you think some of the Jays' blowout wins might skew the numbers a little? Then again, some of their blowout losses should make up for that.
Tell the truth, I'm inclined to agree with Mike's Dad -- the Red Sox don't look like a first-place team right now. With Pedro DL'ed and Derek Lowe getting medical attention, this team is a lot less fearsome. And my impression is that defensively, they have the collective range and agility of those plaster moose in Toronto.
Robert Person did yeoman's work in relief of Burkett, but he finally tired in the 6th and allowed a ringing two-run double to Delgado. 10-2 good guys.
Tell the truth, I'm inclined to agree with Mike's Dad -- the Red Sox don't look like a first-place team right now. With Pedro DL'ed and Derek Lowe getting medical attention, this team is a lot less fearsome. And my impression is that defensively, they have the collective range and agility of those plaster moose in Toronto.
Robert Person did yeoman's work in relief of Burkett, but he finally tired in the 6th and allowed a ringing two-run double to Delgado. 10-2 good guys.
So, you called out all lurkers, and I guess I am one. I live in Buffalo, but I lived in Seattle a few years ago. Therefore, the Mariners are my favorite teams (and winning 2-0 right now), but quickly the Jays have become a close second. I was sorta jealous of Oakland (where my brother lives) building a team from the ground up, and that is what the Jays are now doing. So, what are the bets, is Delgado going to keep up this awesome year?
One more question -- what can explan how ineffective Phelps has been this year?
I was having a discussion that Beane has never drafted a real stud player that plays for the A's.
I haven't finished reading Moneyball yet, but in Chapter 2 (page 39) it says
I haven't finished reading Moneyball yet, but in Chapter 2 (page 39) it says
The scouting department hadn't wanted to take Barry Zito [with the ninth pick of the draft] because Barry Zito threw an 88-mph fastball. They preferred a flamethrower named Ben Sheets. "Billy made us take Zito," Bogie later confesses.
I've come to the conclusion Davis should consider wearing goalie equipment, seems he has been hit by a comebacker in nearly every game he has pitched for the Jays
Joe, welcome aboard! Great to have you with us. I actually think Delgado can keep this up. He has the twin advantages of being healthy and having legitimate hitters around him in the lineup. Right now he's at .327/.443/.658 -- better than his lifetime numbers (.283/.392/.558) but less than his career year in 2000 (.344/.470/.664). I see no reason he can't finish with at least a 1.050 OPS.
As for Phelps, he seemed to be coming around awhile ago, but he's actually regressed a little: 814 OPS in April, 754 in May. There were some warning signs last year, specifically a 19/82 BB/K ratio that hasn't been much better (18/52) this year. My impression of Josh has been that he's tentative: I've seen him take a lot more strikes than I've seen him swing and miss. It wouldn't surprise me if, in trying to improve his walk rate, he's become too selective, waiting for the perfect pitch. He has sufficient strength that he doesn't need to wait for something in his wheelhouse: he ought to have plenty of opposite-field power. But I'm not at all concerned: he doesn't even have 500 career at-bats yet. He's a smart hitter and he's strong as an ox, and that will get him a long way.
As for Phelps, he seemed to be coming around awhile ago, but he's actually regressed a little: 814 OPS in April, 754 in May. There were some warning signs last year, specifically a 19/82 BB/K ratio that hasn't been much better (18/52) this year. My impression of Josh has been that he's tentative: I've seen him take a lot more strikes than I've seen him swing and miss. It wouldn't surprise me if, in trying to improve his walk rate, he's become too selective, waiting for the perfect pitch. He has sufficient strength that he doesn't need to wait for something in his wheelhouse: he ought to have plenty of opposite-field power. But I'm not at all concerned: he doesn't even have 500 career at-bats yet. He's a smart hitter and he's strong as an ox, and that will get him a long way.
Davis should consider wearing goalie equipment, seems he has been hit by a comebacker in nearly every game he has pitched for the Jays
Shadow, I couldn't agree more --- and now Pete Walker just took a line drive off his body. It's Blue Jay Season. No, wait -- it's Rabbit Season! No -- it's Duck Season!
11-2 Jays in the 8th, which is why I'm doing Looney Tunes numbers.
Shadow, I couldn't agree more --- and now Pete Walker just took a line drive off his body. It's Blue Jay Season. No, wait -- it's Rabbit Season! No -- it's Duck Season!
11-2 Jays in the 8th, which is why I'm doing Looney Tunes numbers.
Heya Gitz!
Email me soonish; I'll be in Seattle from Thursday evening until late Sunday. I might stick around long enough to go to Tuesday's game vs. the Expos.
Email me soonish; I'll be in Seattle from Thursday evening until late Sunday. I might stick around long enough to go to Tuesday's game vs. the Expos.
Cat goes deep -- 13-2 Jays in the 8th. I think it's fair to say that the Red Sox have been sent a message: this is not the same team they saw back in April.
Hey Craig -- whazzup? (I want to assure one and all that my use of that term is post-Budweiser-ad ironic.) Shrike, enjoy the game: Dodgers-Expos should be a dandy.
Did I say Dodgers? I meant Mariners. And that should be an even better matchup.
terrific chart -- and not least because of the formatting. :-)
The formatting looks mostly right in Internet Explorer 6.0 but is pretty bad in Netscape 4.79. The blog software itself appears to remove a few of the spaces on some of the lines. Netscape isn't properly interpreting the [PRE] tag in this complicated a page; that's probably a Netscape bug. For IE I had to add a [font size="+0"] tag (which should have no effect) to keep the pre-formatted text from shrinking. It's hard to find perfect software.
The formatting looks mostly right in Internet Explorer 6.0 but is pretty bad in Netscape 4.79. The blog software itself appears to remove a few of the spaces on some of the lines. Netscape isn't properly interpreting the [PRE] tag in this complicated a page; that's probably a Netscape bug. For IE I had to add a [font size="+0"] tag (which should have no effect) to keep the pre-formatted text from shrinking. It's hard to find perfect software.
[/font]
[/pre]
Let's see if that fixes it. (The Preview didn't show what was going to happen.)
[/pre]
Let's see if that fixes it. (The Preview didn't show what was going to happen.)
You beat me to it, Stephen -- I took the "<"s out, but your closing job did the trick anyway. I know what you mean about compatibility issues. On the bright (dark) side, IE is something like 90% of all browsers now.
Wow. Jordan, you think Phelps is to selective at the plate? To me I see the opposite. He swings and misses plenty, and he isn't too selective when he swings at the first pitch %70 of the time (or whatever the actual % is, is has to be a lot in '03).
Count me among the 10% - I use Mozilla because it eliminates popup windows. You can also have multitab browsers, which is handy when your attention span is as short as mine. :-)
Well, that was a bodacious buttkicking. And with the Jays' #5 starter on the mound too.
The Jays now have a much better Pythagorean record than the Bosox.
Well, that was a bodacious buttkicking. And with the Jays' #5 starter on the mound too.
The Jays now have a much better Pythagorean record than the Bosox.
Phelps is having an odd year. He's flailing away at all sorts of pitches, striking out a lot, and hitting for far less power, but he's drawing more walks. I've never seen a hitter develop like that. His OBP is high enough to keep him in the lineup.
And, to be fair, he's having an OK year by mortal standards, especially considering it's his first full year in the league. He's on course for 30 doubles and 20 home runs. He only looks bad compared to the two Supermen (and their sidekicks, Supercatchers) ahead of him in the lineup.
Can you imagine what this lineup would be doing if Phelps and Hinske were hitting like they were hitting last year? Ohmigawd.
And, to be fair, he's having an OK year by mortal standards, especially considering it's his first full year in the league. He's on course for 30 doubles and 20 home runs. He only looks bad compared to the two Supermen (and their sidekicks, Supercatchers) ahead of him in the lineup.
Can you imagine what this lineup would be doing if Phelps and Hinske were hitting like they were hitting last year? Ohmigawd.
Shane, I'm not able to find any stats on Phelps' taken-strikes versus swung-and-missed strikes -- my anecdotal impression is that I've seen a lot of very hittable pitches sail right by him, frustratingly. He is swinging and missing, of course, but clearly not at the pitches he ought to. Again, coming off a 1-4 BB/K ratio, it's not surprising that he's having trouble choosing his pitch. Interestingly, he's seeing almost exactly the same number of pitches per PA this year as last (3.67 vs. 3.68). As I say, he'll get his groove back.
Actually, my attempt did not fix it when I first looked at it; your inside job of converting to square brackets apparently did the trick.
In my defense, I used the ampersand-l-t-semicolon syntax for the leading angle bracket, and it came out properly in the Preview, but in the final html source it was further converted to a real angle bracket, which led to a mess. i.e. I believe it was an ambush by the blog software.
And yes, the Jays gained 22 runs on the Red Sox tonight to move well ahead in the run differential race. Blowing out the team you're chasing has a nice doubling effect in that regard. :-)
In my defense, I used the ampersand-l-t-semicolon syntax for the leading angle bracket, and it came out properly in the Preview, but in the final html source it was further converted to a real angle bracket, which led to a mess. i.e. I believe it was an ambush by the blog software.
And yes, the Jays gained 22 runs on the Red Sox tonight to move well ahead in the run differential race. Blowing out the team you're chasing has a nice doubling effect in that regard. :-)
Hey gentlemen. I was at the game...it was nice to see such a spanking after having witnessed the 8-0 game.
Lots of action in the stands tonight. Doug Mirabelli was having a hard time with the fans sitting near the RF bullpen. He was pointing out raucous spectators to security and about 20 different people got the boot.
Big Baby.
Lots of action in the stands tonight. Doug Mirabelli was having a hard time with the fans sitting near the RF bullpen. He was pointing out raucous spectators to security and about 20 different people got the boot.
Big Baby.
Raucous fans at SkyDome?
I refuse to believe this.
Also, Doug Mirabelli better be the target of a barrage of every (on-colour) insult and catcall we can muster, from noe until the end of the season.
I refuse to believe this.
Also, Doug Mirabelli better be the target of a barrage of every (on-colour) insult and catcall we can muster, from noe until the end of the season.
I was at the game too! I couldn't help but notice some of the glum looks on Bosox fans' faces in the later innings.
I didn't think Vernon had hit his ball out (with Myers' ball I was certain it was gone)
Not mentioned yet was the tremendous defensive play made by Cat off Millar in the 2nd. Cat was shading Millar up the alley and had to run a long way to the foul line when Millar hit a twisting fly down the left field line. Cat broke into a full gallop, tracked the ball and then, approaching the foul line, took a look at the where the LF line wall was. Without breaking stride he reached the wall just before the ball landed. It would have landed in the second row but Cat held on. That was the 2nd out of the inning.
After retiring the first two, Davis gave up 4 consecutive hits. Who knows what could have happened if Millar's PA had continued. Myers and Delgado were super, but my game MVP goes to Cat for his hitting and defence.
I didn't think Vernon had hit his ball out (with Myers' ball I was certain it was gone)
Not mentioned yet was the tremendous defensive play made by Cat off Millar in the 2nd. Cat was shading Millar up the alley and had to run a long way to the foul line when Millar hit a twisting fly down the left field line. Cat broke into a full gallop, tracked the ball and then, approaching the foul line, took a look at the where the LF line wall was. Without breaking stride he reached the wall just before the ball landed. It would have landed in the second row but Cat held on. That was the 2nd out of the inning.
After retiring the first two, Davis gave up 4 consecutive hits. Who knows what could have happened if Millar's PA had continued. Myers and Delgado were super, but my game MVP goes to Cat for his hitting and defence.
Dave T: His (Phelps') OBP is high enough to keep him in the lineup.
His walk AB:BB ratio (10:1) has been okay, no better. His OBP has been propped up by his league leading 9 HBP's. Whether this is a Ron Huntian skill or random chance awaits to be seen. My preference is that he not lead the league in HBP, given the injury risk they present.
And, to be fair, he's having an OK year by mortal standards, especially considering it's his first full year in the league.
Except that compared to other DH's, he's not doing all that great (at least according to the last RC/27 Nelson Lu posted on Usenet).
Robert D: Not mentioned yet was the tremendous defensive play made by Cat off Millar in the 2nd.
The play could have turned out really badly. Watching on TV, it appeared that the ball was descending over three fans, two grown men, standing, flanking a little old lady, ducking. It appeared that Catalanotto reached over the little old lady, caught the ball and then braced himself against the wall so as not to have to land in the stands and squish grandma. He caught the ball and rescued the baby from the burning building, er..., saved the little old lady. Quite the play.
I think Rob Faulds was still dazed in a cloud of confusion over the concept of tipping pitches to have thought to remark on the catch.
RF: Why would the batter tip pitches?
JC: The batter is not tipping pitches. He's being tipped.
RF: So the pitcher is tipping pitches?
JC: No, his pitches are being tipped.
RF: Who's tipping the pitches, the batter?
JC: What's the box on the top of your neck for, storing nuts for the winter? The baserunner on second is seeing where the catcher is setting up and tipping the pitches to the hitter. The pitcher doesn't like this so fools the hitter by having the catcher set up outside, to get the hitter leaning over the plate, and then drilling him with an inside pitch.
RF: So what do they tip? 15%?
His walk AB:BB ratio (10:1) has been okay, no better. His OBP has been propped up by his league leading 9 HBP's. Whether this is a Ron Huntian skill or random chance awaits to be seen. My preference is that he not lead the league in HBP, given the injury risk they present.
And, to be fair, he's having an OK year by mortal standards, especially considering it's his first full year in the league.
Except that compared to other DH's, he's not doing all that great (at least according to the last RC/27 Nelson Lu posted on Usenet).
Robert D: Not mentioned yet was the tremendous defensive play made by Cat off Millar in the 2nd.
The play could have turned out really badly. Watching on TV, it appeared that the ball was descending over three fans, two grown men, standing, flanking a little old lady, ducking. It appeared that Catalanotto reached over the little old lady, caught the ball and then braced himself against the wall so as not to have to land in the stands and squish grandma. He caught the ball and rescued the baby from the burning building, er..., saved the little old lady. Quite the play.
I think Rob Faulds was still dazed in a cloud of confusion over the concept of tipping pitches to have thought to remark on the catch.
RF: Why would the batter tip pitches?
JC: The batter is not tipping pitches. He's being tipped.
RF: So the pitcher is tipping pitches?
JC: No, his pitches are being tipped.
RF: Who's tipping the pitches, the batter?
JC: What's the box on the top of your neck for, storing nuts for the winter? The baserunner on second is seeing where the catcher is setting up and tipping the pitches to the hitter. The pitcher doesn't like this so fools the hitter by having the catcher set up outside, to get the hitter leaning over the plate, and then drilling him with an inside pitch.
RF: So what do they tip? 15%?
What's the box on the top of your neck for, storing nuts for the winter?
Just paraphrasing, Chuck? It can't be easy to share a booth with someone whose trademark phrases, like "outside, for a strike" are so frequently wrong.
I agree with the fine descriptions of Frank's heroic catch. He did all of those things, just as consciously as he hits. Twice as good as Cruz (222/319/313 in May) for less than half the price, but still beneath the radar of those casual fans the Jays are slowly winning back. The local columnists would rather not credit J.P. for adding the league's best tablesetter, so Cat doesn't get a lot of ink.
Just paraphrasing, Chuck? It can't be easy to share a booth with someone whose trademark phrases, like "outside, for a strike" are so frequently wrong.
I agree with the fine descriptions of Frank's heroic catch. He did all of those things, just as consciously as he hits. Twice as good as Cruz (222/319/313 in May) for less than half the price, but still beneath the radar of those casual fans the Jays are slowly winning back. The local columnists would rather not credit J.P. for adding the league's best tablesetter, so Cat doesn't get a lot of ink.
fyi, the Jays now have a lower runs allowed ratio than the Red Sox (before Saturday's games):
Runs Scored Per 9 IP . Runs Allowed Per 9 IP . Winning Percentage
( 1) TORONTO 6.12 ( 1) Oakland 3.64 ( 1) Seattle 35-18 .660
( 2) Boston 5.93 ( 2) Seattle 4.09 ( 2) NYYankees 32-22 .593
( 3) NYYankees 5.69 ( 3) Minnesota 4.25 ( 3) Boston 31-22 .585
( 4) Texas 5.55 ( 4) NYYankees 4.37 ( 3) Minnesota 31-22 .585
( 5) Seattle 5.55 ( 5) White Sox 4.79 ( 5) Oakland 30-23 .566
( 6) Baltimore 5.24 ( 6) Anaheim 4.81 ( 6) TORONTO 30-26 .536
( 7) Anaheim 4.99 ( 7) Baltimore 4.97 ( 7) Kansas City 27-25 .519
( 8) Kansas City 4.84 ( 8) Detroit 5.05 ( 8) Baltimore 26-27 .491
( 9) Oakland 4.75 ( 9) Kansas City 5.13 ( 9) Anaheim 25-27 .481
(10) Minnesota 4.72 (10) Cleveland 5.24 (10) Texas 25-28 .472
(11) Tampa Bay 4.45 (11) TORONTO 5.37 (11) White Sox 25-29 .463
(12) Cleveland 4.15 (12) Boston 5.48 (12) Cleveland 21-32 .396
(13) White Sox 4.12 (13) Tampa Bay 5.69 (12) Tampa Bay 21-32 .396
(14) Detroit 3.01 (14) Texas 6.39 (14) Detroit 13-39 .250
Avg 4.95 Avg 4.95
.
Pythagorean WPct Extra Wins
( 1) SEA 34-19 .636 ( 1) BOS 3
( 2) OAK 33-20 .620 ( 2) KAN 2
( 3) NYY 33-21 .618 ( 3) MIN 2
( 4) TOR 31-25 .559 ( 4) TEX 2
( 5) MIN 29-24 .548 ( 5) CHW 2
( 6) BOS 28-25 .536 ( 6) SEA 1
( 7) BAL 28-25 .524 ( 7) TAM 0
( 8) ANA 27-25 .516 ( 8) CLE 0
( 9) KAN 25-27 .473 ( 9) TOR -1
(10) TEX 23-30 .436 (10) NYY -1
(11) CHW 23-31 .431 (11) DET -2
(12) CLE 21-32 .395 (12) BAL -2
(13) TAM 21-32 .390 (13) ANA -2
(14) DET 15-37 .280 (14) OAK -3
.
Note: PythagWPct = RF^1.83 / ( RF^1.83 + RA^1.83 )
where RF=Runs For and RA=Runs Against