Great quote from Ricciardi in The Star today:

"I like our trainers," Ricciardi said. "But I'm sick of talking to them."

Now, I suppose we'll see if Ricciardi can continue his streak of getting great performances out of veteran backup catchers. Greg Myers... Greg Zaun... Fasano & Phillips? Perhaps it would help if they changed their names to Greg, too. Or Greggg and Gregggg, just in case spelling is key.

I am also looking forward to seeing Fasano run the bases.

I'd like to see Fasano in a foot race with Frank Thomas. A healthy young Thomas was slow to begin with, but this injury ravaged version is potentially slower even than Benji Molina.

Looking at the traditional speed indicators, triples and stolen bases, Thomas last had entries in those columns five years ago. Doubles are not often lumped in with the speed indicators, but Thomas hit all of 11 last season, and you know the outfielders were playing him plenty deep. If he's not leaving the yard, he's not getting much past first base. 

On a somewhat tangential note, here's a little something I noticed scanning the team stats. Richie Sexon has 8 hits in 16 games this season, none of them singles. Twice in his career he has hit more extra-base hits than singles. He's clearly on pace for a third such season. This all or nothing approach is not serving him especially well, as attested to by his OPS+ of 81.

On the random note front, anyone remember this guy? Some of you may recall that he used to pitch for the Jays.

Lilly, Ted    2.18, 5 GS, 33 IP, 21 H, 5 BB, 33 K

Lilly, Ted    2.18, 5 GS, 33 IP, 21 H, 5 BB, 33 K

Regarding Lilly, I know it's sacrosanct to point out when players tend to "pitch well enough to lose," and Lilly IS at least +1 in his career at 61-60, but for all those shiny NL numbers he has, he's 2-2.

Regarding Lilly, I know it's sacrosanct to point out when players tend to "pitch well enough to lose," and Lilly IS at least +1 in his career at 61-60, but for all those shiny NL numbers he has, he's 2-2.

And Eeyore has to pitch for the Cubs.  I wonder if there are bets to when Pinella's head actually explodes.

And I kinda miss Bengie.  Even though he was slow.  Two starting catchers on one team was good times.

Mick, I'm not sure if you're just baiting me, but here are Lilly's gamelogs. In his two losses, for which he received the princely sum of one run of offensive support, here are his numbers: 13 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 16 K. Not exactly enough material there for a noose.

Dave Bush continues to post very good peripherals with average ERA

His peripherals are actually quite excellent and just do not jibe with his crappy ERA.

25 IP, 29 H, 2 HR, 3 BB,  22 SO, 5.04 ERA

His key metrics (0.7 HR/9, 1.1 BB/9, 7.9 K/9) are entirely inconsistent with his ERA, which suggests both an unreasonable BABIP and, beyond that even, some unfortunate hit clumping resulting in too many runs. His peripherals will almost certainly get worse, especially the HR rate, but that ERA should get better.

I wonder if that's ever happened over a significant number of at-bats?

Dude by the name of Bonds has done it five times, working on six.

Lance Blankenship did it once, almost twice.

The original TTO guy, Rob Deer, did it once.

Toby Harrah did it once.

Ken Phelps only pulled it off in his final, abbreviated season. I would've counted on better from him.

I'm sure there are others. These were the first names that came to mind.

I didn't even think to check Ted Williams, given his high batting averages and all. But he did it once as well.

More names:
Gene Tenace it 7 times, though three of these were in fewer than 150 AB.
Mickey Tettleton did it 3 times.
Jim Thome did it once and is doing it again this season.
Mickey Mantle did it twice.

Okay, I'll stop now.

And Mark McGwire did it a bunch.

Now I'm really done.

about his greatness until he retires

You don't really expect it to stop then, do you? By the time is first-ballot HOF enty has died down a little, if the Yanks haven't found The Next One to play short, the Yankee fan remembrances of Da Jeets will make the current adoration look positively spiteful.

And I'm a Jeter fan, incidentally. But I said long ago he should be replacing Williams in CF with A-Rod at SS and spending the Damon money on a 3B. That ship has sailed, of course.

Bonds has yet to do it without the help of the IBB's.

True, but how many walks to sluggers like Mantle and Williams and McCovey and, of course, Otto Velez, have been semi-intentional? You know, the types of walks where the pitcher isn't serious about trying to get the batter out, hoping only that he'll chase at stuff out of the strike zone, but doesn't go so far as to make it a formal, intentional walk?

Many of Bonds' IBB's would have been considered BB's were they, too, of the standard issue semi-intentional variety. And how many (and I don't pretend to know) of Bonds' IBB's started off as legitimate AB's, but then turned into IBB's when the count ran to 2-and-0?

I guess I'm just saying, in more words than is absolutely necessary, that not all UIBB's are really much different than IBB's. The delineation between UIBB's and IBB's is markedly clear in spreadsheet columns, but not as clear in real life.

1196  .240  .293  .396    with bases empty

764   .292  .333  .484    with men on

 I Split          G    PA    AB    R    H   HR  BB  SO  HB    BA   OBP   SLG   OPS  BAbip tOPS+
+-+------------+----+-----+-----+----+----+---+---+---+----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
   First Batter   79    79    70    3   27   3    6   7   3  .386  .456  .600 1.056  .400   187 
   Leadoff Inn.   79   481   449   18  111  18   19  76  13  .247  .297  .432  .729  .262    97 

Am I the only person that would flip Alex Rios for Brett Myers?

I'd bet Mrs. Myers would be happy to make that swap, as well.

A little late, but: YEAH! OH YEAH! First time I've been mentioned in an article!... Now, for my speech:

 I'd like to thank the Academy, my parents, Magpie, and, of course, baseball.

Thank you

Purchased the contract of pitcher Sean Douglass from Syracuse of the International League (AAA); recalled pitcher Michael Nakamura from Syracuse.

Wha?

Is this a couple of years out of date?