Baseball thread No. VII

The big Nats-Reds deal pays dividends.... for the Mets.

Majewski comes into a tie game in the 10th, Nady hits a pop to right which Denorfia (who replaced the traded Kearns) misplays into a double. Then Chavez and Beltran get RBI doubles off Majewski and the Mets win 4-2.

 

The Tigers have done a lot of things right, but I wonder if they'd like to have a mulligan on Todd "Proven Closer" Jones. He's no better than the third- or fourth-best reliever on that staff. There's NO WAY he should be getting the final three outs of a game instead of Zumaya, but the contract and his Proven Closer title dictates that. I bet it costs them big at least once in September or October.

I imagine the Tigers may not have forked over for two years of 38-year-old Jones if they knew how well the kids were going to perform.

 

I disagree. The 7th and 8th innings pitched by Zumaya and Co. are just as valuable, if not more so, than the 3 outs Jones can get in the 9th. By the time Jones gets in the game, the Tigers are already up by 2 runs, and even a mediocre closer will get the save 95 percent of the time. Zumaya preserves the lead, or the tie, in those late innings. Jones definitely wouldn't do the same.

 

As reported on the last page - Wickman to Braves

http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060720&content_id=1566502&vkey=trade2006&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

Fat guy in little coat. Fat guy in little coat

 

Holy D_B, LouMerloni!

 

I agree with your theory re: the 7th and 8th innings, but can't Rodney (I know he's slumped a bit lately) and Zumaya splilt those? Who says the closer only has to pitch the 9th?

I'm sure Jones is a good veteran leader (no sarcasm there) but at some point there will be no margin for error in the 9th inning and Jones, who doesn't whiff anyone, will make it.

 

What a shame, Bronson Arroyo let down once again. Not necessarily by the pen, but by the offense this time.

 

Closers who can't blow anybody away become liabilities in the playoffs. Also, when Jones gets rattled you can see it plain as day.

 

I understand a Señor J. Lima is available.

 

I found the last graph amusing...

Pittsburgh, PA (AP) - A seven year old boy was at the center of a Pittsburgh courtroom drama yesterday when he challenged a court ruling over who should have custody of him.

The boy has a history of being beaten by his parents and the judge initially awarded custody to his aunt, in keeping with the child custody law and regulations requiring that family unity be maintained to the degree possible.

The boy surprised the court when he proclaimed that his aunt beat him more than his parents and he adamantly refused to live with her. When the judge suggested that he live with his grandparents, the boy cried out that they also beat him.

After considering the remainder of the immediate family and learning that domestic violence was apparently a way of life among them, the Judge took the unprecedented step of allowing the boy to propose who should have custody of him.

After two recesses to check legal references and confer with child welfare officials, the judge granted temporary custody to the Pittsburgh Pirates, who the boy firmly believes are not capable of beating anyone.

 

Can someone talk the White Sox fans in off the ledge?

Just checked out the White Sox message board on mlb.com and probably about 80 percent of them are saying, it's over and that the Sox just don't have it this year.


Did my calendar skip a few months? Is it September already? Did I miss prep football tab production?


It's not even August yet, Sox fans. Hell, this race could go down to the last week of the season.

 

White Sox fans also thought it was over last year when the team was leading the AL Central (albeit going through a rough patch).