Running 2011 Baseball Thread, Vol. I: Dedicated to spnited

That's less a part of it than the fact that the closer role has become one that agents seize upon to try and get $$$ for their clients. The majority of current closers, who have been developed usually from jump to pitch the ninth inning, would totally balk at being brought in the fifth, sixth or seventh, especially when there's no save -- i.e., potential future monetary compensation -- at stake.

Case in point, K-Rod was bitching and moaning about his set-up role for the Brewers in the second-to-last week of the season even when it was clear the Brewers were on their way to a divisional title.

I'd love to see the old "fireman" role brought back, it works, but the contractual toothpaste is out of the tube.

 

Not near as shaky as Washington's choice to IW Cabrera. Huge, huge huge, huge, bailout by Cruz and Napoli, with an assist off a half-hearted home plate mowdown by Cabrera.

 

It depends on whether it's the World Series, in which case the answer is yes because the season is on the line, or July 16 vs. the Rockies, in which case the answer is no because having the best record over 162 games is more important than winning that one game.

 

I think it was Bill James who pointed out that 1) starting pitchers today probably go full effort for the entire game, as opposed to having complete zeros in the lineup like shortstops and innings "off" because 2) the habits of aluminum bats have bled over into wood bats. Meaning, you can't groove an 85 MPH fastball to anyone, because they'll take you yard, because aluminum bats taught a new generation of batters to swing hard at everything as opposed to becoming slap hitters. (Similar to players observing Babe Ruth to go to more of an uppercut swing.)

 

We were all stunned by that move, too, in the newsroom. He put the go-ahead run on base with one out in the eighth inning. That's crazy.

If Cruz throws it offline, Washington's answering questions about that intentional walk for the rest of the month.

 

If you go read Chris Jones' profile of Papelbon, he says straight out he refuses to start a game ever again. Because the fraud knows he'd never make that kind of money as a starter.

 

Geez, at this point, he probably could make much more as a starter. John Lackey is getting $16 million a year, and Oliver Perez got around $8 million a year for four years despite only having one good year at the time of his signing.

 

Notice how Fox has opted out of the 8:00 eastern prime time game?

Yesterday's and today's games scheduled for 4:00 pm eastern... and giving TBS the prime time slot. Never seen that before, at least since Fox has been doing it....

 

He doesn't appear to have as much movement as he used to and the velocity was reported to be falling. I remember seeing something about him learning a new pitch.

 

These Tigers are an incredibly tough bunch.

 

Jeff Mathis would have come through in that spot.

 

That post-game interview with Miguel Cabrera was epic. I don't think I understood a single word.