Beisbol been berry berry good to me (Running Baseball Thread IX)

So this is the next Rivera-Wetteland combo, I take it.

 

Obviously too early to call it that, but in theory I think that is the plan. Chamberlain can throw two innings and his best pitches - fastball and power slider - translate to the bullpen well. It would be pretty huge if he can take over the 7th inning role and relegate Farnsworth to mopup duty.

Also, I read somewhere the Padres claimed Igawa. If the Yankees unload him, that would go down as one of the worst signings ever. It also brings up the point of how bad David Wells has been.

 

So do any of you experts still believe the Yankees aren't going to be in the playoffs? You keep saying they're still five games behind the Red Sox ... and I keep saying so what? The Red Sox are having trouble beating anybody these days. This race may be over with the Red Sox praying to make it as a wild card.

And, I adjust my thinking in the NL East. Phillies all the way. As far as the Mets, their greatest strength was the consistency of Billy Wagner. Now that may also be disappearing.

 

I think two games -- one of which he saved -- is too small of a sample-size to call Wagner's consistency dwindling. He's still only blown two saves.

I think if the Yankees are going to the postseason, it's by way of the wild card. Right now, I think they're the favorite, which shows you how amazing the teams in the AL have been playing as of late.

 

Angola: Igawa may be the most money spent for nothing, but the Yankees of the 1980s had a lot of bad signings... Shane Rawley, Steve Kemp, Lance McCullers... Oh, it sends chills through me.

 

That's true. Plus, Igawa only makes $4 million per year, they just paid a lot of money for the posting.

 

I always liked Ken Phelps.

 

Jenks will be fortunate if he doesn't have to pitch again in this series. The M's are made up mostly of singles hitters, and they are much better against fast balls than against sliders down and away.

That said, Jenks was nails yesterday. He went right after Ichiro and got him on an easy one-hopper to third for the final out.

 

I'm sure Jenks doesn't give a shit about the record -- at least that's what he'll say -- and is only worried about nailing down the victory. And a bunch of singles hitters shouldn't shake him up too badly. That said, I wonder if ESPN will cut away to every one of Jenks' pitches, like they did with another person chasing history.

 

Watching a bit of Cardinals-Dodgers on my break.

Can we get Brennaman (sorry, it was Cards so I just assumed twas Buck) and Girardi some kneepads the next time that Braden Looper comes up in an inning? Good lord, they're acting like he's reinvented baseball and is the greatest tactician in the history of the game.

Of course, by hitting his pitcher eighth, La Russa becomes the center of attention--which is the way he likes it. So, he gets it.

What a fellatious, circuitous display that was in the bottom of the second.

Oh, and Urban Meyer is totally the LaRussa of college football.

Carry on.

 

Ankiel with another homer.

 

I don't have a problem with Buck and Girardi explaining the positive repercussions that this move could have. There's a reason Tony uses the strategy, and that's fine.

But Girardi specifically said that since the Cardinals made the move last week, it has never come back to bite them, not once. Uhh ... yeah it has. In fact, it worked against them less than 24 hours ago:

- Friday, Wainwright struck out twice after Molina had singled, both times to end the inning. Later, in the 9th inning, with the tying and winning runs on, the pitcher's (eighth) spot came up and pinch-hitter Ludwick struck out swinging. Kennedy then struck out to end the game and the Cards lost, 2-1.

- And Thursday, after a run scored and with runners on 1st and 3rd in the fourth, Pineiro struck out swinging to end the inning. (Cards did win the game, 5-0, but still.)