Baseball Thread IV

Big league reality seems to have hit Hanley Ramirez like a ton of bricks. He's hitting just .158 for June after his really hot start to the season.

 

Jesus the middle of the M's line-up is awful. After Ibanez, Sexson and Everett failed to drive in a run with the bases loaded and no outs in the ninth last night, the same situation produces one run in the top of the first today ---- on an Ibanez 4-6-3 DP.

 

he's hit some really weak ground balls tonight. whatever small amount of power he might have had certainly was reduced when he smashed his back against that concrete wall on sunday.

 

What's up with Tampa's Mark Hendrickson and pitching on the road? So far this year (including tonight's 9 innings) - his road ERA is 2.38. Only Mike Mussina (2.14) and Justin Verlander (2.34) have been better this season. Two equally strange things - at home Hendrickson's ERA is 6.31 and even though Hendrickso has such a low road ERA his record is still only 2-4 on the road.

 

the braves are preparing to lose another one thanks to the pen. villarreal just nailed cody ross right in the teeth when he tried to lay down a bunt. florida has men on first and second with none out, bottom 10.

 

I'm starting to have 1980s flashbacks, those halcion days when the Braves snatching defeat from the jaws of victory were a daily occurrence. Chipper has got to be wondering if the team will trade him to a contender so his first-place streak-- the guy has never finished anywhere else, all the way back to little league or something -- can continue.

 

I'm rarely someone who'll heap praise on a tv person, but katy temple just had a great piece on FSN's braves postgame show with the braves' hitting coach terry pendleton on how he coaches and what he does in his job. apparently there'll be a second part tomorrow on coaching young hitters like mccann and francoeur. I really enjoyed the first part.

now, returning to my typical form, tv people are morons. i was nice as long as I could be.

 

Mets 9, Phillies 3
Mets 8-1 on current road trip, go for sweep of Phils Thursday afternoon

Phils 8½ back, Braves 12 back

Playoff tickets go on sale at Shea box office Friday ;D

 

That Phillies bandwagon sure has emptied out in a hurry. I seem to recall about a month ago there were people on here saying the Mets weren't for real and the Phils would win the East easily. Now, crickets.

 

Those were the delusional -- and fair weather -- Phillies phans.

 

The Mets are irrelevant for the Braves now. (Yeah, you can assert that the Braves themselves are irrelevant, but work with me). The troubling thing is that they are, what, 7 1/2 games out of the wildcard lead? Hello, Liberty Media.