I hate left-handed soft-tossers. I've hated 'em ever since Frank Tanana pitched for Detroit and I hate 'em every time one of them shuts down a high-powered Blue Jays offence, which is often. Nothing against Jamie Moyer (10-5, 4.75 lifetime against Toronto) personally, since I'm sure he's a nice guy and all, but I'd much prefer if he tripped going out to the mound and missed this start altogether. He'll be opposed by a lefty who throws softer than you'd think, Mark Hendrickson, starting for a Blue Jays squad that was playing sloppy, uninspired .333 ball over their 45 games previous to last night's win. A victory tonight would give Toronto the rubber match of this home series against a Mariners team that shows every sign of being World-Series-ready.
Looking at the line up tonight (both Johnson and Kielty playing, Phelps in, Berg at 2nd and Woodward at ss, and Cash at c) its the first time Tosca has a line up I fully agree with in quite a while.
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Looking at the line up tonight (both Johnson and Kielty playing, Phelps in, Berg at 2nd and Woodward at ss, and Cash at c) its the first time Tosca has a line up I fully agree with in quite a while.
I'd rather see Bordick at 2nd rather than Berg as Bordick mashes lefties, but Bordick is 150/167/175 against Moyer in 40AB, so I can see why Tosca would go with Berg who has no record against Moyer.
I'd also like to say I typed that in before Berg hit into a double play. I'll take the 1-0 lead, tho.
Mike
Looking at the line up tonight (both Johnson and Kielty playing, Phelps in, Berg at 2nd and Woodward at ss, and Cash at c) its the first time Tosca has a line up I fully agree with in quite a while.
I'd rather see Bordick at 2nd rather than Berg as Bordick mashes lefties, but Bordick is 150/167/175 against Moyer in 40AB, so I can see why Tosca would go with Berg who has no record against Moyer.
I'd also like to say I typed that in before Berg hit into a double play. I'll take the 1-0 lead, tho.
Mike
Every time I see Hinske hit he's lofting a lazy fly ball to left-field. Is he healthy yet?
While looking up something else, I noticed that Oakland already has 10 steals this month (in 12 tries). They only have 38 all season.
What up with that?
What up with that?
Hinske appears to have trouble covering the plate. Lunging at the outside pitch and lfoting a soft one to the left fielder is now commonplace.
The Jays complete and total lack of ability to get runners home from third base with less than two out is incredible. If this was a game or two you might shrug it off, but this has been going on for a long time.
Spicol,
Maybe, just maybe, the A's realize that since their offense is so sucky, they had better try something different other than waiting around for a three-run homer. It's the right philosophy, of course, but you need hitters who can execute it. As constituted now, the A's don't have those hitters. They were supposed to have found one in Durazo, but he's been a flat-out disappointment. There's no other way to say it. Of course, there are other culprits, as well.
Harden got rocked again tonight: eight runs, two-plus innings.
Maybe, just maybe, the A's realize that since their offense is so sucky, they had better try something different other than waiting around for a three-run homer. It's the right philosophy, of course, but you need hitters who can execute it. As constituted now, the A's don't have those hitters. They were supposed to have found one in Durazo, but he's been a flat-out disappointment. There's no other way to say it. Of course, there are other culprits, as well.
Harden got rocked again tonight: eight runs, two-plus innings.
Gitz, I know ESPN.com pays you the big bucks to answer what I'm wanting for free but hopefully you'll indulge me:
Does it make any sense for the A's to re-sign Guillen?
Does it make any sense for the A's to re-sign Guillen?
And seven walks for Rich in 2 2/3. The Red Sox ain't the Tigers and Indians, that's for sure. Harden will be fine, but this is a nice reminder that he's 21-years-pld and a rookie.
Spicol,
It makes no sense for the A's to re-sign Guillen, unless they really believe that the 2000 at-bats prior to this season were outliers and that the 2003 Jose Guillen is the one that will show up next year. I think we have to use Occams Razor here: Guillen has improved, but this year is clearly a fluke. Anything's possible, but Guillen may be in for a nice raise from an unsuspecting club -- Baltimore Orioles, come on down! -- so unless the A's can get him relatively cheaply, they'll take the draft pick and get someone else to clog the bases.
It makes no sense for the A's to re-sign Guillen, unless they really believe that the 2000 at-bats prior to this season were outliers and that the 2003 Jose Guillen is the one that will show up next year. I think we have to use Occams Razor here: Guillen has improved, but this year is clearly a fluke. Anything's possible, but Guillen may be in for a nice raise from an unsuspecting club -- Baltimore Orioles, come on down! -- so unless the A's can get him relatively cheaply, they'll take the draft pick and get someone else to clog the bases.
Durazo has been a disappointment -- not horrible I guess, simply disappointing. I wonder if *anyone* is going to get what they thought they'd get out of that trade. Arnold and Griffin are good prospects, still, but they are still only prospects.
Speaking of Durazo ... from time-to-time I troll the A's message board on ESPN.com, hoping to get some local info that I miss, and I came across this comment:
"I didn't know that when Billy Beane said "Holy Grail" he actually meant "David Segui."
"I didn't know that when Billy Beane said "Holy Grail" he actually meant "David Segui."
David Segui used to be a wonderful defensive first baseman (Durazo, not so much). Seriously though, the park works against Durazo: he's a better hitter than Segui was.
Lighten up, Robert. The guy was obviously making a joke. Take it for what it is.
I remember when Segui first came to Toronto he got some positive press for having, if I remember correctly, the highest Career Fielding % in the history of first basemen. Of course, as sabrmetrics grew we've learned that defensive stats are flawed at best and Segui probabaly doesn't even hold down that post any more, but it gave me high hopes that he'd help the team.
For what it's worth ... Durazo's home OPS is .846, road is .813. He has more homers (9) in Oakland than on the road (7).
He also had a .892 OPS in his limited PT (95 AB) in Toronto.
And he had (has) a pretty swing. He just didn't have much power, and he was/is ALWAYS getting hurt. There are some parallels to Durazo, now that I think about it, and I'm not ready to declare that Durazo is a better hitter than him. He's got to prove it to me.
By the way ... nice win -- and series -- for the Blue Jays. As Jordan noted in his intro, the Jays have been playing some insipid baseball recently; hopefully back-to-back solid (and unexpectedly)starts by Josh Towers and Mark Hendrickson can push them to a nice finish to the season, giving them some "momentum" for 2004.
Starting AFTER the A's series, that is ...
Starting AFTER the A's series, that is ...
Gitz,
I didn't take it as much of a joke - rather it was a fairly insightful comparison. The two players seem to have similar value, although it's shaped a bit differently. Perhaps Beane didn't wait for DePodesta to explain the BOB's park effects.
I didn't take it as much of a joke - rather it was a fairly insightful comparison. The two players seem to have similar value, although it's shaped a bit differently. Perhaps Beane didn't wait for DePodesta to explain the BOB's park effects.
Ah! I took it as funny, but maybe as an A's fan I have more "invested" in Durazo. Whatever. It's always odd what strikes some people as funny and others as not so funny.
Now, universally funny? Mike Moffatt.
Now, universally funny? Mike Moffatt.
http://economics.about.com
Now, universally funny? Mike Moffatt.
Are you laughing with me, or at me? :)
Mike
Now, universally funny? Mike Moffatt.
Are you laughing with me, or at me? :)
Mike
Can anyone clarify how the scoring worked on the Myers' Fielder's Choice to score Wells in the 7th? The boxscore says FC, but there was no out or error recorded. Seems to me something is missing. If I was just reading the box score the play just looks like a regular RBI groundout, no big deal, but again, just from reading the play-by-play, it looks like there are four outs that inning. I don't think Myers should get credit for a hit or anything, but doesn't this play sort of fall through the scoring cracks?
Well let's be honest...Durazo doesn't have much in the way of support either in front of or behind him in terms of power or onbase %. He's still doing a pretty fine job at plate discipline (on pace for 107 walks against 100 strikeouts). The only thing he isn't doing is beating the living tar out of righthanded pitching as he's done in the past when he's slugged .600+ off them. Instead of a 35 homer pace, he's only on a 20 homer pace.
His .380+ obp and 1:1 K/BB is exactly what was expected...for some reason his power is gone. He is hitting lefties a lot better than he has in the past though so maybe he's gotten away from an all-or-nothing approach and adopted more of a Hatteberg style of hitting...for lack of a better term.
His .380+ obp and 1:1 K/BB is exactly what was expected...for some reason his power is gone. He is hitting lefties a lot better than he has in the past though so maybe he's gotten away from an all-or-nothing approach and adopted more of a Hatteberg style of hitting...for lack of a better term.
Can anyone clarify how the scoring worked on the Myers' Fielder's Choice to score Wells in the 7th? The boxscore says FC, but there was no out or error recorded.
It's legit. From the rulebook:
This does indeed look like a 4th out. However, you can't really count outs when looking at a box score. What you can do, however, is
It's legit. From the rulebook:
Rule 10.06: A base hit shall not be scored in the following cases:
.
.
.
(d): When a fielder fails in an attempt to put out a preceding runner, and in the scorer's judgment the batter-runner could have been put out at first base.
This does indeed look like a 4th out. However, you can't really count outs when looking at a box score. What you can do, however, is
10.03(c) HOW TO PROVE A BOX SCORE
A box score is in balance (or proved) when the total of the team's times at bat, bases on balls received, hit batters, sacrifice bunts, sacrifice flies and batters awarded first base because of interference or obstruction equals the total of that team's runs, players left on base and the opposing team's putouts.
I haven't been so ecstatic at a game for quite a while. The Jays played well again -- Lurch's command of the outer half, Delgado's defensive gem and Kielty's double off the unhittable righty were among many highlights -- and I had wonderful company; my daughter and her boyfriend were in town. Erin was almost named "Moseby". It's a long story from the 1984 pennant race, involving a game-deciding grand slam. Let's just say her mom broke a deal I made with Lloyd and the baseball gods. She's a big fan who has been keeping score since she was nine, and Craig plays junior ball, which along with his wicked sense of humour, earns him the parental seal of approval.
My mood was sky high even before I joined them in the bottom of the second. I spent the first inning and a half in the inner sanctum (between the radio booth and press row) talking to J.P. Ricciardi. He's been extremely busy the last couple of days, and as game time approached, it looked like our interview was going to be postponed again. I was hoping to get one minute with him to reschedule, but when he arrived at 6:59 to watch the game, to my surprise and delight, he invited me into the team's off-limits bunker.
Over the next 20 minutes, both of us had at least one eye on the game -- he's one of the few people more "into it" than me -- while I asked as many of your questions as I could. I apologize in advance to Bauxites who submitted fine questions that we simply couldn't get to. Considering the unexpected invitation to watch part of a game with him, I didn't want to overstay my welcome. His answers were candid and spontaneous; you're going to enjoy the transcript.
My mood was sky high even before I joined them in the bottom of the second. I spent the first inning and a half in the inner sanctum (between the radio booth and press row) talking to J.P. Ricciardi. He's been extremely busy the last couple of days, and as game time approached, it looked like our interview was going to be postponed again. I was hoping to get one minute with him to reschedule, but when he arrived at 6:59 to watch the game, to my surprise and delight, he invited me into the team's off-limits bunker.
Over the next 20 minutes, both of us had at least one eye on the game -- he's one of the few people more "into it" than me -- while I asked as many of your questions as I could. I apologize in advance to Bauxites who submitted fine questions that we simply couldn't get to. Considering the unexpected invitation to watch part of a game with him, I didn't want to overstay my welcome. His answers were candid and spontaneous; you're going to enjoy the transcript.
I spent the first inning and a half in the inner sanctum (between the radio booth and press row) talking to J.P. Ricciardi.
We all need to know what is in the inner sanctum. Beers from around the world? Attractive "hostesses"? Dog-eared copies of Bill James Abstracts? Keith Law getting a massage from an intern? Inquiring minds want to know!
We all need to know what is in the inner sanctum. Beers from around the world? Attractive "hostesses"? Dog-eared copies of Bill James Abstracts? Keith Law getting a massage from an intern? Inquiring minds want to know!
I caught Rob Faulds call of Delgado's double off the wall last night on the sportsnews shop.
"Hit well.....Forget about it.....Its off the wall".
"Hit well.....Forget about it.....Its off the wall".
Several Mariners and Bob Melvin were whining after the game that Hendrickson got low strike calls, while Jamie Moyer didn't. Kevin Cash, whose backside now touches the ground in the Huckaby fashion, might have stolen a few, but Bret Boone credited Lurch.
"He didn't give me more than two pitches to hit all night," Boone said, "and I saw a lot of pitches -- maybe 15 or 16. When you see that many pitches in a night and only one or two are pitches you can really drive, that's pretty good pitching."
Another great night of pitch-calling, too. Carlos Tosca doesn't get involved there, believing it's part of a young catcher's learning curve, though he does call pitchouts. While terrific behind the plate, Cash is prone to trying too hard when he's at bat. He did draw a walk, and had an RBI sac fly, but with the bases loaded and one out in the fourth, grounded into a 6-4-3 double play on Moyer's first pitch, which was one of those down-and-away strikes that's too good to swing at and impossible to pull. If Kevin becomes more patient with experience, he'll be a part of this team for a long time.
"He didn't give me more than two pitches to hit all night," Boone said, "and I saw a lot of pitches -- maybe 15 or 16. When you see that many pitches in a night and only one or two are pitches you can really drive, that's pretty good pitching."
Another great night of pitch-calling, too. Carlos Tosca doesn't get involved there, believing it's part of a young catcher's learning curve, though he does call pitchouts. While terrific behind the plate, Cash is prone to trying too hard when he's at bat. He did draw a walk, and had an RBI sac fly, but with the bases loaded and one out in the fourth, grounded into a 6-4-3 double play on Moyer's first pitch, which was one of those down-and-away strikes that's too good to swing at and impossible to pull. If Kevin becomes more patient with experience, he'll be a part of this team for a long time.
We all need to know what is in the inner sanctum. Beers from around the world? Attractive "hostesses"? Dog-eared copies of Bill James Abstracts? Keith Law getting a massage from an intern? Inquiring minds want to know!
Thousands and thousands of pairs of brand-new Kenneth Cole shoes, size 11, all still in their boxes.
Thousands and thousands of pairs of brand-new Kenneth Cole shoes, size 11, all still in their boxes.
We all need to know what is in the inner sanctum.
Sorry to disappoint you, Gerry. It's all business in there, sparsely furnished and like the rest of the press box, an alcohol-free zone. Just the boss and his staff, watching a game, with greater scrutiny and more intensity than the vast majority of fans. They are into every pitch the way the crowd responds to the free sub hat shuffle or the animated truck race.
Sorry to disappoint you, Gerry. It's all business in there, sparsely furnished and like the rest of the press box, an alcohol-free zone. Just the boss and his staff, watching a game, with greater scrutiny and more intensity than the vast majority of fans. They are into every pitch the way the crowd responds to the free sub hat shuffle or the animated truck race.
With the JP interview, it's like Christmas, with Coach playing the part of a jolly Christmas parent, giving his children just what they wanted.
What...you thought I was going to say Santa?
What...you thought I was going to say Santa?
What...you thought I was going to say Santa?
Ho, ho, f*in' ho. That would be typecasting.
Ho, ho, f*in' ho. That would be typecasting.
http://economics.about.com
Ho, ho, f*in' ho. That would be typecasting.
I thought Santa was supposed to be jolly.
Can I be the Grinch?
Mike
Ho, ho, f*in' ho. That would be typecasting.
I thought Santa was supposed to be jolly.
Can I be the Grinch?
Mike