Baseball thread No. VII

Wakefield pulled after four IP, including 3 ER to the Royals. Yahoo! says back injury. I think he may be going on the DL.

 

Jorge Sosa now pitching for the Braves.

Twelve-run lead probably toast.

 

Will he be traded for Karim Garcia?

 

Is there any pitcher more hit or miss than Ted Lilly of the Blue Jays?

8 IP with just 1 ER tonight against the tough Texas lineup. Next start he probably won't make it out of the 2nd inning.

 

He's still a better hitter than a pitcher.

 

Just noticed new Busch has a "Big Mac Field" sign on the facing of the second deck. I get the McDonald's reference, but anyone else think the Cards are subtly thumbing their nose at the establishment with that?

 

- Vinny Castilla is doing a Vinny Castilla imitation.

- On Rivera, everything everyone is saying is true, he's as great as we all say but two points: first, while he's the post-season God everyone says, from '96, to '01 the only times the Yanks didn't win is when he blew it (Alomar & Gonzalez).  

- His best season was the one where he didn't save any (many?) games, - '96 when I'd have given him the MVP.

 

I have no problem with people slamming the Yankees, but must everything in Sports be about someone blowing it/choking it? Sometimes people just make good plays.

Yes, I made fun of Roberto Novoa. But you can't watch baseball and not make fun of Roberto Novoa.

Mariano Rivera, however, seems to have earned a credit or two.

(He did screw up that throw to second in 2001, though.)

 

The only time I've been to Fenway I got to cover the game from the 3rd base photo pit. April13, 2001. Good Friday. Full Moon. Yankees. Rivera blew a save and then Manny lined one between his legs for the winning run, 3-2. Paxton Crawford started for the Sox.

In the middle of the game I was told to meet the media director, or whoever doles out these credentials. He was a complete asswipe. I had taken pictures for the first 4 innings and wanted to use a half inning to soak in the atmosphere. This was my first time to Fenway and I didn't want to look at it soley through my camera lens. So I'm eating peanuts, relaxing, watching baseball, when the douchebag summons me and gets in my face telling me how lucky I should feel because I had this credential for such a huge game; how that he had to turn away a few publications a lot more important than me; how I was acting unprofessional. I scratched my balls and told him to go take a flying fuggat and went back to the 3rd-base photo pit next to the AP photog.

I'm not sure if the guy's still around, but what a jerk. Anyway, that's my Mariano Rivera story.

 

What he did last season is pretty darn impressive. It may not be the head and shoulders above 96, but it's darn close. And 2001, despite the 2.34 ERA, is pretty darn dominant. Of course, you're talking about a special player when his 2.34 ERA is the third worst ERA in his nine full years as a closer.

 

OK, I know all about the extra-base hit streak. A little on the arcane side. So is there any other reason Chipper Jones is in the game after the 7th inning with a 15-3 lead? Can't wait to see if LaRussa bitches about it (like I care what he things, but still ...) Anyway, why risk getting him hurt?

 

This is all you have to say when talking about Mariano Rivera:

401 saves and counting. Four rings. Best closer of his generation. Still one of the top five closers in the game today. Maybe the best closer ever.

By the end of this season, he should pass John Franco (424 saves) on the all-time saves list.