2010 Baseball Thread No. 2 (which was my Little League number!)

I realize Ned's not known for his bullpen expertise, but I can't imagine a scenario where the bullpen gets worse than it's been this season. That little kid who managed the Twins in Little Big League might have better luck with the pen than Hillman did.

 

In case you haven't noticed (and I'm not blaming you.. why the hell would you notice?) the bullpen has been an absolute grease fire this season. Maybe a little mismanaging would do it some good.

Ultimately, Hillman didn't back up the rhetoric he came in preaching -- playing good defense, taking the extra base, manufacturing runs, smart, grinding baseball, etc. They typically couldn't hit, couldn't run, made the most errors. They didn't just suck at one thing. They sucked at everything.

Posnanski wrote about the following anecdote, but it bears repeating. In the Texas series, Hamilton just forgot to tag on a fly ball, and took second base. The Royals didn't appeal, and naturally it cost them a couple runs.

When you're M.O. is supposed to be grinding, hard-nosed baseball, these are the things you just can't do. And yet the Royals did those things throughout Hillman's tenure.

 

The Padres' Mat Latos just threw a one-hitter against the Giants that was damn near another perfect game.
The one hit was an infield single to lead off the sixth by Giants catcher Eli Whiteside. It was a comebacker that hit the heel of Latos' glove when he turned to his left, then caromed between third and short. Third baseman Chase Headley came over and barehanded, and made a nice play to make it close but Whiteside just beat the throw.
Tough break.

 

You haven't seen nothin' yet!

 

They will, however, replace the bulbs on the visitors line six times before the end of the season.

 

My condolences to the Royals beat writers.

 

Are the Nats past the point of no return now? They're in contention with the team they've got. Unless they totally fall apart in the next two weeks that won't change. Even a minor losing streak won't put them more than a couple games out.
And whenever they do call up Strasburg it's got to be for a home start, which means next weekend -- May 22 or 23. If the date they've been waiting for is June 1 (or June 4-6, the first homestand after that date), why jump the gun to only get two extra starts out of him?
If you had brought him up a few weeks ago it's one thing. But calling him up now, after you've waited this long, just doesn't make sense.

 

WTF happened to Grady Sizemore?

[/disgruntled fantasy owner]

 

That's a really good question, for fantasy baseball purposes and otherwise. I know he was battling a bunch of different injuries last year, but what's going on now?

(I sort of feel your fantasy baseball pain. I still have him in one league. But I traded him for Miguel Cabrera before last season in another keeper league, which is a big reason I won a championship in that one.)

 

Some good quotes from Dunn about Strasburg in Rumblings and Grumblings today. Liked this one:
"You know, sometimes," Dunn said, "I sit there and see he pitched another minor league game and the other team got two hits. And I wonder: 'Those guys who got those two hits -- why aren't they in the big leagues?'"
Le link: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=stark_jayson&page=rumblings100513