# Major League Baseball (MLB)



## lotuseclat79

Now that the Red Sox Pitchers and Catchers have reported to Spring Training camp in Florida this past Sunday, position players are scheduled to report no later than tomorrow, however, most have already reported, except notably for David Ortiz with a brand new contract.

It appears that Bobby Valentine (new Red Sox on-field Manager) is running a tight ship and the players are gung-ho for it.

Meanwhile in the off-season, the MLB rules have been modified for this coming season as follows:
MLB tweaks rule to prevent stalling for relievers.

-- Tom


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## ekim68

The link doesn't work for me Tom, but I'm ready for the new season and so far my Mariners are undefeated....:up:


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## lotuseclat79

ekim68 said:


> The link doesn't work for me Tom, but I'm ready for the new season and so far my Mariners are undefeated....:up:


Hi Mike,

The link still works for me - try it again, and if you use NoScript with Firefox, you may need to do some Allowing.

Update: David Ortiz reported to spring training camp yesterday one day earlier than required (at the new Fenway Park-like brand new Jet Blue Stadium replete with a replica Green Monster Wall in left-field and the Johnny Pesky foul ball pole in right field) essentially the same dimensions as Fenway Park which btw is 100 years old this year!

-- Tom


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## valis

kemp predicts a 50/50 season for himself......pretty sure that means he's going to the disabled list around April........


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## ekim68

Happy birthday Fenway Park....:up:


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## wowzer

ekim68 said:


> The link doesn't work for me Tom, but I'm ready for the new season and so far my Mariners are undefeated....:up:


Doesn't work for me either using IE.. Goes to an Associated Press site


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## valis

braun wins appeal

huh......dunno why, that sorta surprised me. Must be getting jaded.


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## ekim68

Wow, good technical article Tim....Lots of stuff in it....Wanna bet he won't hit as many dingers this year?


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## valis

what I find interesting in this entire affair (besides the fact that MLB went absolutely postal) was that everyone has forgotten that he requested a second test _immediately_ upon hearing of his failure, and passed that one easily. Couple that with just how high his testosterone levels were (4-5 times normal), that points me in the 'something got screwed up' direction pretty quick.

Did you see all of Aaron Rodgers tweets on this? hoo, boy, did he go off......


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## lotuseclat79

wowzer said:


> Doesn't work for me either using IE.. Goes to an Associated Press site


Hi wowzer,

The link still works for me using Firefox, and yes - it actually is an AP web site, but the full article appears just the same.

-- Tom


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## wowzer

lotuseclat79 said:


> Hi wowzer,
> 
> The link still works for me using Firefox, and yes - it actually is an AP web site, but the full article appears just the same.
> 
> -- Tom


This is what I get with IE... never tried FF probably never will, IE does all I need...

I do think the sox will do well this year dispite the changes.


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## ekim68

Hey Tom, it's gonna be weird seeing Manny in green, eh? 

Manny Ramirez 'feels great' after first A's at-bats

And no, not Celtics green......


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## ekim68

Which Link?


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## ekim68

MLB, union agree to expand playoffs



> NEW YORK -- Major League Baseball expanded its playoff format to 10 teams Friday, adding a second wild card in each league.
> 
> The decision establishes a new one-game, wild-card round in each league between the teams with the best records who are not division winners, meaning a third-place team could win the World Series.
> 
> This is the only change in baseball's playoff structure since the 1995 season, when wild-card teams were first added.
> 
> "This change increases the rewards of a division championship and allows two additional markets to experience playoff baseball each year," commissioner Bud Selig said in a statement.
> 
> Had there been additional wild-card teams last season, the Braves would have made the playoffs in the NL, while the Boston Red Sox would have qualified in the AL. Instead, each missed the postseason by a game, both going down with historic September swoons.


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## valis

not too sure I agree with that......you could have a case where a team is 15 games up on the other, and loses the one game playoff........don't think I like it.......


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## wowzer

valis said:


> not too sure I agree with that......you could have a case where a team is 15 games up on the other, and loses the one game playoff........don't think I like it.......


Agreed. 160+- game schedule there's no need to have to many teams in the playoffs.

If you didn't show it in the regular season, why should you be allowed to eliminate a team that did, with just one game.


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## valis

My point exactly......doesn't make sense. Wonder how long this is going to last.

Probably until the powers that be realize that they can make still more money out of this and add ANOTHER round........


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## ekim68

Modern American Baseball: 

Stanley Gold and Disney family reinstated to Dodgers bidding



> Stanley Gold and the family of the late Roy Disney were reinstated to the Dodgers bidding Monday, leaving five parties in contention to buy the team.
> 
> The decision was disclosed by two people familiar with the sale process but not authorized to comment.
> 
> The Gold/Disney bid had been rejected last week by a committee of Major League Baseball owners, amid concerns over the structure of an offer that included private equity financing to back the launch of a regional sports network.
> 
> MLB rejected four bidders presented by Frank McCourt, the Dodgers' outgoing owner. The court-appointed mediator, retired judge Joseph Farnan, upheld the MLB dismissal of Beverly Hills developer Alan Casden and overturned the rejection of Gold.
> 
> The two other bidders turned down by MLB - Jared Kushner, publisher and owner of the New York Observer and son-in-law of Donald Trump; and a group led by former YES Network chief Leo Hindery and Tom Barrack, chairman of Santa Monica-based Colony Capital - decided not to appeal to the mediator.


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## valis

anyone else notice that Cabrera caught a ball with his face yesterday, and had to get stitched up? 

Toldja he couldn't hack it at 3b any more........


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## ekim68

The Red Sox and New York Yankees are both off to 0-3 starts -- the first time that's happened since 1966, according to STATS LLC.


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## valis

and the Astros are above .500 for the first time since '09.......


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## ekim68

Ozzie Guillen makes the one mistake he couldn't afford



> The Marlins' worst case public relations scenario. As a new Miami baseball manager, he could overtax his bullpen. He could mangle his pinch-hitting decisions. He could bat the pitcher fourth and the first baseman ninth.
> 
> But what he absolutely, positively could not do in south Florida was utter public words of admiration for Fidel Castro, as Time magazine quoted him. That's 5,000 times worse than wearing an Auburn cap to an Alabama wedding.


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## ekim68

What a way to win the game....

A's top Royals in 12th on game-ending hit by pitch



> The A's were 0-for-9 hitting with runners in scoring position on Wednesday, and nobody cared. That's because their final two batters were 2-for-2 getting hit with runners in scoring position.


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## valis

apparently that's the first time that's happened in 40 or 60 years or some such.....talk about a record you don't want.......


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## ekim68

MLB celebrates Jackie Robinson Day

Wow, it's been 65 years.....................


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## ekim68

Jamie Moyer: Oldest MLB winner pulls off 'tremendous' feat



> Jamie Moyer, who pitched his first game before Wrigley Field installed lights, won his most recent game Tuesday night at an age no one dreamed possible.
> 
> Moyer, at 49 years and 152 days, became the oldest pitcher in Major League Baseball history to win a game when he beat the San Diego Padres, 5-3, at Coors Field.


:up:


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## valis

gad, I remember watching him with the Mariners.......a looooooooooooong time ago.


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## ekim68

Happy Birthday: Fenway Park turns 100 years old


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## ekim68

New Dodgers owners introduced



> At Dodger Stadium news conference, they announce parking-fee reduction and declare an end to McCourt era.


I like this last paragraph....



> The Dodgers won six World Series championships under the O'Malley family, whose ownership generally was considered beloved and dignified. The Dodgers won no championships under either News Corp. or McCourt.


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## ekim68

Year of the pitcher?

Angels' Jered Weaver tosses second no-hitter of season



> ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Jered Weaver pitched the second no-hitter in the majors in less than two weeks, completely overmatching Minnesota and leading the Los Angeles Angels to a 9-0 win over the Twins on Wednesday night.
> 
> Weaver struck out nine and walked one. The Twins never came close to getting a hit against the All-Star right-hander.


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## wowzer

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) Mariano Rivera's career may have ended Thursday night, not while basking in the glow of adoring fans at Yankee Stadium, but in agonizing pain on the outfield grass before a few thousand fans in Kansas City. 
http://boston.cbsradio.stats.com/mlb/recap.asp?lg=MLB&g=320503107&ref=hea&tm=&src=


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## valis

yeah, read that.....sucks to end a career on that note, but at 42, I just don't see him pitching again.


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## wowzer

valis said:


> yeah, read that.....sucks to end a career on that note, but at 42, I just don't see him pitching again.


Ya I agree. kinda sad for it to end that way.

Maybe he'll consult with Manning


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## valis

hell, the rockies ALWAYS need pitching.


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## ekim68

Happy birthday Say Hey.......

Fans say hey to Willie Mays on 81st birthday



> Matt Cain struck out 10 men. Angel Pagan extended his hitting streak to 20 games. But the most recognized numbers at AT&T Park on Sunday afternoon?
> 
> They would be 24 and 81.
> 
> That's because Willie Howard Mays, No. 24, celebrated his 81st birthday at the ballpark. After Cain retired the Brewers in the second inning, the crowd of 41,796 serenaded the Say Hey Kid with a "Happy Birthday" rendition.


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## valis

Wow. Josh Hamilton went 5-5, 1 dbl and 4 dingers. Thats a line for ya; 18 bases on 5 at bats.


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## ekim68

You're right Tim, Big Wow.......Just caught up and a little more on it.

And I like this quote from the article....



> Elvis Andrus, who got on base ahead of Hamilton in each instance, said, "He kept hitting bombs and bombs. It feels really good because I don't have to run that hard to score."


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## valis

you know that there's more perfect games thrown than 4 homer games? THAT surprised me.......big time.


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## wowzer

valis said:


> you know that there's more perfect games thrown than 4 homer games? THAT surprised me.......big time.


I'm kinda surprised that surprised you THAT much... given what they consider a "prefect game" now. Should be 27 up 27 down, no men on base, no walks, double plays... ect:

just my opinion of perfect.


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## wowzer

How about this new kid/guy for the Red Sox.

Hope he's no flash in the pan, and what are they going to do with him when Youk comes back?

http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/team/p...ype=career&statType=1&season=2012&level='ALL'


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## valis

no walks, definitely, but dp's count. as long as 27 up, 27 down, that's a perfect game, IMO.


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## valis

wowzer said:


> How about this new kid/guy for the Red Sox.
> 
> Hope he's no flash in the pan, and what are they going to do with him when Youk comes back?
> 
> http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/team/p...ype=career&statType=1&season=2012&level='ALL'


yeah, he's caused a few heads to turn......let's see where he at after 100 ab's......


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## wowzer

valis said:


> no walks, definitely, but dp's count. as long as 27 up, 27 down, that's a perfect game, IMO.


How do you get a dp without someone on base?
I know... 
hit by pitch... no
error...questionable
balk...no


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## wowzer

valis said:


> yeah, he's caused a few heads to turn......*let's see where he at after 100 ab's*......


I agree.
I just hope he gets them before getting sent back to Pawtucket.


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## valis

wowzer said:


> How do you get a dp without someone on base?
> I know...
> hit by pitch... no
> error...questionable
> balk...no


jesus......I'm tired.......

nope, a perfect game is _nobody_ reaches first base......no balks, no hpb, no nothing. If it's 28 up, 27 down, it's not a perfect game. Pretty sure they haven't changed that, but with all the changes recently (who's brilliant idea was it to move the Astros to the AL again? I'm still getting used to the Brewers being in the NL).......


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## valis

wowzer said:


> I agree.
> I just hope he gets them before getting sent back to Pawtucket.


with the start he's got, he'll get them. If not in Bahston, then someplace else......


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## wowzer

valis said:


> with the start he's got, he'll get them. If not in *Bahston*, then someplace else......


I like the accent... nice touch...


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## valis

got a few friends of mine from there......oddly, though, about the only thing I can handle sports-wise from New England is the Bruins, and then probably because of Neely and Bourque (and Espo and Orr).....deTEST the red sox.....geah.


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## wowzer

I used to follow the Bruins back in both those eras specialy the Espo, Orr, and the rest of that gang days. Follow the Blow Sox only because the wife is a nut for them cept I have to explain what happened most of the time. . Fan without much knowledge of the game.  . Same with the Celtics and Patriots.

Best part of your, I believe, home state is the sking. My best friend all thru high school and beyond moved there and now has a 50 odd acre place in the mountains overlooking Boulder. Plenty of great times and sking from visits with him.
sorry for the not so MLB ramble...


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## valis

Is he up in the Flatirons? love that area. Next time you go out let me know. Got a buddy who own a fly fishing shop that will hook you up. 

Gad I miss that place.


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## ekim68

Speaking of Bahston, haven't seen Tom lately.....


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## ekim68

Nationals vs. Reds: Bryce Harper gets 10 stitches after hitting himself with his bat in Washington's win



> CINCINNATI - Bryce Harper sheepishly emerged from the trainers' room in the Washington Nationals' clubhouse late Friday night, a golf ball-size welt and 10 stitches over his left eye, clumps of blood in his hair and a new nickname from his teammates. After Harper had suffered a bizarre, frustration-fueled, self-inflicted injury, they fondly called him *"Bam Bam."*





> Harper went 0 for 5 with three strikeouts. In his fourth at-bat, in the seventh inning, he grounded out to second base off Reds reliever Jose Arredondo. Back in the dugout, Harper took his bat down the tunnel that leads to the clubhouse and took out his frustration with a fierce swing against the wall.
> 
> Baseball players release anger in the same manner on ballfields every day, at every level, but it rarely goes so wrong. The bat bounced off the wall and drilled Harper above his left eye, immediately drawing copious blood.


Ouch!


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## valis

Idiot.


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## wowzer

valis said:


> Idiot.


And over paid, no doubt


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## valis

Whats that quote from bull durham?

'million dollar arm and a five cent head.'


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## valis

okay, this is just funny.....used to prank kids in HS with this, but never heard about it in the Show........

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-b...f-ointment-apparently-not-very-232204762.html


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## wowzer

valis said:


> okay, this is just funny.....used to prank kids in HS with this, but never heard about it in the Show........
> 
> http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-b...f-ointment-apparently-not-very-232204762.html


Twas a ritiual for the upper classmen to do to the freshmen in my high school... 

fortunately I was never on the receiving end...


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## wowzer

Even if you hate the Red Sox, gotta love this catch... The video is in the link...
http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/news/a...tebook_id=31791840&vkey=notebook_bos&c_id=bos


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## Drabdr

wowzer said:


> Even if you hate the Red Sox, gotta love this catch... The video is in the link...
> http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/news/a...tebook_id=31791840&vkey=notebook_bos&c_id=bos


:up:

It's so cool to see players go to the limit to make a play.

Greatness.


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## valis

reminds me of Edmond's belly flop a few years back..........


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## wowzer

Drabdr said:


> :up:
> 
> It's so cool to see players go to the limit to make a play.
> 
> Greatness.


Most of them are overpaid kids but some are great and go to the limit because that's the only way they know... money or not...


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## ekim68

Reds fan catches 2 home run balls


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## valis

back to back batters, nonetheless.....and he kept neither. True fan. :up:


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## ekim68

valis said:


> back to back batters, nonetheless.....and he kept neither. True fan. :up:


I agree....:up: Very Rare these days, IMO.. There's a Price on Everything Nowadays, eh?


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## Drabdr

wowzer said:


> Most of them are overpaid kids but some are great and go to the limit because that's the only way they know... money or not...





ekim68 said:


> I agree....:up: Very Rare these days, IMO.. There's a Price on Everything Nowadays, eh?


It is sad how money has corrupted the game.


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## valis

the game? Try _everything._


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## ekim68

Another great character gone...

Ex-Reds reliever Borbon succumbs to cancer at 65


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## ekim68

Matt Cain throws perfect game as Giants win 10-0

It's been a good year for pitchers so far....


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## valis

apparently the best pitching performance 'ever'.



> You can make the argument that this was the greatest game ever pitched. Of the 22 perfect games in MLB history, only Sandy Koufax matched Cain's 14 strikeouts. Using the Bill James Game Score method, this ties Koufax and Nolan Ryan's 16-strikeout, two-walk no-hitter for the second-highest nine-inning score at 101,* behind only Kerry Wood's 20-strikeout, one-hitter that scores 105*.


and of course, guess who Woods' game came against........


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## ekim68

It's one thing to have a no-no, but it's another to have a ten run support....My poor Mariners have yet to learn how to hit this season....


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## valis

yeah, run support is nice......especially if they are putting up football scores......


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## ekim68

Roger Clemens acquitted on all counts: 'You are free to go'



> Clemens will be eligible for baseball's Hall of Fame ballot for the first time in December, along with Barry Bonds, the game's all-time home run leader who was convicted on one count of obstruction of justice at his own federal perjury trial in April 2011.


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## valis

still, the only way he's getting into the HOF is with a ticket.........


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## wowzer

The steriod testing era has made a mess, to say the least, of the Hall and the record books.


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## valis

yup. I say toss out everything from 95 or so forward and start over.

Saw a bizarre stat the other day, something about no hitter and perfect games over the past 100 years or so. 95-05 or so is a black hole.


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## wowzer

Yup

Barry Bonds has no right to be on the same line or mentioned in the same breath as the great Henry Aaron. in my opinion.


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## valis

totally agree. Ditto for Sosa and Mcguire......none of them should be in.

and also IMO, the record is still 61.


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## wowzer

There you go showing your age and principals... 

love it.....


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## valis

yeah, yeah, I know........


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## valis

and don't even get me started on the DH rule.


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## ekim68

Say Tim, what do you think about the DH rule?


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## wowzer

ekim68 said:


> Say Tim, what do you think about the DH rule?


trouble maker...


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## wowzer

valis said:


> and don't even get me started on the DH rule.


Mixed opinion here.


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## ekim68

R.A. Dickey etches name in baseball history



> R.A. Dickey accomplished something that hadn't been done in 24 years.
> 
> By throwing a one-hitter against the Baltimore Orioles on Monday night, the New York Mets ace became the first pitcher to throw consecutive one-hitters since Dave Stieb in 1988 for the Toronto Blue Jays.
> 
> He's not just the first in 24 years. He's only the second to accomplish this feat in the past 65 years and the first National League pitcher since Jim Tobin in 1944 for the Boston Braves.


(Not bad for a 'trick ball' pitcher... )


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## valis

ekim68 said:


> Say Tim, what do you think about the DH rule?


bleargle!

it sucks. Have always hated it. Pedro Martinez is the doofus who made me detest it.


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## valis

whups. Must be hot in chitown..........










if the image isn't showing up, here's the link.

http://deadspin.com/5921287/now-batting-travis-wood-of-the-chicago-ubs


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## ekim68

Well I saw most of the All-Star game tonight and after three innings it was basically over. But what caught my attention the most was the Announcers talking about the pitch speed for Strasburg when Verlander, although he lost, sent several over the plate above a hundred.... But it was cool to see a lot of up-and-comers....:up:


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## valis

location, location, location.

Ever see Maddox top 90? Me neither. And yet, while he has proven that he can win the Cy Young award, it remains to be seen if Young can win the Greg Maddux award.


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## ekim68

Maddox was in a world of his own. I've never seen anyone make the ball dance in both directions better than him...


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## valis

yup........speed ain't all.........


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## ekim68

Well, the Mariners weren't going to re-sign him....

Ichiro Suzuki traded to Yankees


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## valis

Yeah, that stinks........guy is a class act all the way. Sorta neat how he just had to walk across the field, though.....


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## ekim68

I agree that he's a class act...:up: And in that walk across the field he went from a last place team to a first place team..


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## valis

Which is good to see.......


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## valis

On a side note, the Astros lost last night, dropping them to 800 skazillion games behind last place. To celebrate, they (the Astros) traded away their last veteran, bringing the average age of the Astros to 12.



Not that I'm bitter or anything.


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## ekim68

You got that other Texas team doing right nice... (Oh I forgot, the DH.... )


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## valis

doesn't really matter......next year, all Texas will be DH.............


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## valis

whups.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/8271981/melky-cabrera-san-francisco-giants-suspended-50-games

so now we got the MVP for the season last year to go with this years All-Star MVP........


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## wowzer

Whoops for sure... but atleast he had the intestinal fortitude to admit it, and not make some lame excuse...


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## ekim68

Right on Felix....:up:

Felix Hernandez throws perfect game for Mariners against Tampa Bay



> If there were still any doubts about the prowess of Mariners ace Felix Hernandez, he put them all to rest Wednesday in the biggest way possible.
> 
> "King Felix" has become the first pitcher in Mariners history to throw a perfect game.
> 
> Twenty-seven batters up, 27 batters down. No walks. No hits. No errors. No base-runners. Nothing.
> 
> Perfect.


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## valis

and another one bites the dust.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/8...-suspended-50-games-violating-mlb-drug-policy

what the heck are the putting in the water in the Bay area?


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## wowzer

valis said:


> and another one bites the dust.
> 
> http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/8...-suspended-50-games-violating-mlb-drug-policy
> 
> what the heck are the putting in the water in the Bay area?


Cripes they miteswell start from scratch with the record book, and let them all do what they want... There all over paided babies...


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## valis

yup.....heard a rather interesting concept on the radio this morning, ban the player for life (okay), and the team for 5 years.



say what?


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## ekim68

Bill Lee wins professional game at 65



> Don't bet on the Rocket qualifying as the oldest professional pitcher alive. Not while the Spaceman is around.
> 
> Roger "The Rocket" Clemens may be taking the hill for the Sugar Land Skeeters of Atlantic League this Saturday night in Texas, but the 50-year-old still has a few years to go to match what Bill "Spaceman" Lee did in pitching for his hometown team in San Rafael on Thursday night.
> 
> Lee, a 65-year-old left-hander who won a 119 games in 14 seasons for the Boston Red Sox and Montreal Expos, threw all nine innings for the San Rafael Pacifics - and became, according to the team, the oldest man to earn a win in a professional baseball game. He broke his own record, having won for an independent Massachusetts team at age 63.


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## ekim68

Hey Fish, there's hope on the horizon........:up: 

Surging Mariners hope to keep 2nd half rolling



> The Mariners are coming off sweeps of Minnesota and Cleveland at home. They've won a season-high eight straight games - their longest winning streak since 2007 - and have the best record in baseball since the All-Star break at 25-13.


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## Drabdr

So I'm eating dinner with the boy, and Beltre gets a single.
The restaurant comes unglued. Little did I know he just completed a cycle.

Congrats Beltre.:up:


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## ekim68

Not bad considering he had three dingers the other night....(Ex-Mariner I might add...) :up:


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## ekim68

Does this put the Dodgers in the Driver's Seat? If so it could be a fairy tale turn-around story. Since McCourt was bought out it seems like a new atmosphere there now...:up:

Dodgers agree to trade for Adrian Gonzalez, deal awaits approval



> The Red Sox would also send pitcher Josh Beckett, outfielder Carl Crawford and infielder Nick Punto in the deal, while L.A. would give up James Loney, pitchers Rubby De La Rosa and Allen Webster as well as minor leaguers Jerry Sands and Ivan De Jesus Jr.


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## wowzer

ekim68 said:


> Does this put the Dodgers in the Driver's Seat? If so it could be a fairy tale turn-around story. Since McCourt was bought out it seems like a new atmosphere there now...:up:
> 
> Dodgers agree to trade for Adrian Gonzalez, deal awaits approval


Done deal ... official anouncement later today.


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## valis

Looks like the bosox are going to go the rebuilding road. Wonder if they avoid 100 losses next year.


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## wowzer

valis said:


> Looks like the bosox are going to go the rebuilding road. Wonder if they avoid 100 losses next year.


Geez and I thought you hated them. Figured you'd go for 140 losses...

How bout Beltre, down your way, it's like he's hitting single A pitchers.


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## valis

I will gladly take a 140 loss season for them. Problem is, I really admire bobby v. Made a STUPID decision toanage them, but was wise enough to avoid the astros. And yeah, beltre is hitting everthing. Good deal too as hamilton cooled off quite a bit. Now he is just human again.


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## ekim68

Reds' Homer Bailey throws no-hitter against Pirates

:up:


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## ekim68

Well done Miguel....:up:

Miguel Cabrera wins Triple Crown



> Cabrera became just the 15th player to win baseball's Triple Crown, joining an elite list that includes Mickey Mantle, Ted Williams and Lou Gehrig. Cabrera topped the AL with a .330 batting average, 44 homers and 139 RBIs, becoming the first Triple Crown winner in the major leagues since Boston's Carl Yastrzemski in *1967*.


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## valis

Indeed. And I will be the first to admit that I went on record stating (back in April) that with the addition of Fielder, Cabrera's imminent move to third would be an exercise in futility; too big, too long away from the position. I love to be proven wrong in those cases......


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## ekim68

What have you done for me lately? 

Red Sox fire Bobby Valentine



> A baseball savant who won the NL pennant with the New York Mets and won it all in Japan, Valentine was brought in after two-time World Series champion Terry Francona lost control of the clubhouse during an unprecedented September collapse. But the players who took advantage of Francona's hands-off approach bristled under Valentine's abrasive style.
> 
> More importantly, they didn't win for him, either.


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## wowzer

ekim68 said:


> What have you done for me lately?
> 
> Red Sox fire Bobby Valentine


Actually glad he's gone, but you have to admit he had no chance given the way that organization is setup at the moment. I doubt the next next manager, whom ever it might be, will either unless the upper management does some serious sole searching, instead of dollar searching.


----------



## wowzer

ekim68 said:


> Well done Miguel....:up:
> 
> Miguel Cabrera wins Triple Crown


To bad for Mike Trout, probably a more worthy MVP candidate, but his team didn't make the postseason, and the Triple Crown plus the team is in, probably trumps all.


----------



## Drabdr

Rangers... Rangers, rangers. 

No heart. Cardinals: had heart. A's-had heart. 
Ergo; they won. 

3 games and they could not put an offense/defense together? Sitting in first place; all they had to do was win 1 game. 
One of my FB friends said it best: This week was a game 6 all week.


----------



## ekim68

I feel your pain Brad....(Although not probably as much as you.) My Mariners are in the same Division and we've been looking at rebuilding for twenty years now... And the A's really came on in the second half and they're young....Nice combination, eh?


----------



## Drabdr

ekim68 said:


> I feel your pain Brad....(Although not probably as much as you.) My Mariners are in the same Division and we've been looking at rebuilding for twenty years now... And the A's really came on in the second half and they're young....Nice combination, eh?


Yea. That's the thing... the Rangers have the talent. They have enough of a bullpen to at least keep the scores in a reasonable range. They have _plenty_ of bats to get points.

I love Washington; as a coach, and as a person. I just don't know if he has what it takes to lead the group during the clutch times.


----------



## valis

all I can say is the Rangers had best get their heads out of the collective patoot, and rapidly so.


----------



## wowzer

valis said:


> all I can say is the Rangers had best get their heads out of the collective patoot, and rapidly so.


Guess they couldn't ... ... http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2012_10_05_balmlb_texmlb_1&mode=wrap&partnerId=LR_wrap


----------



## Drabdr

wowzer said:


> Guess they couldn't ... ... http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2012_10_05_balmlb_texmlb_1&mode=wrap&partnerId=LR_wrap


Tell me about it. Terrible showing by Texas.


----------



## valis

wow......led the entire freakin' season, and lost it with what, 3 games to play?


----------



## Drabdr

valis said:


> wow......led the entire freakin' season, and lost it with what, 3 games to play?


It's ridiculous. All they had to do was win one game out of four.


----------



## valis

shades of last year; all they had to do then was get a strike.


----------



## ekim68

Some players are just plain special....:up:

Giants headed to NLCS after Buster Posey's slam seals comeback



> CINCINNATI -- Not just any comeback would get San Francisco back to playing for a pennant. It would take one of Giant proportions.
> 
> And Buster Posey believed it could happen. Even after the Giants left the West Coast down two games, the National League batting champion insisted his team could pull it off, despite the long odds.
> 
> With one swing, he got everyone else believing it, too.
> 
> Posey hit the third grand slam in Giants' postseason history Thursday, and San Francisco pulled off an unprecedented revival, moving into the championship series with a 6-4 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.


----------



## Drabdr

ekim68 said:


> Some players are just plain special....:up:
> 
> Giants headed to NLCS after Buster Posey's slam seals comeback


And we have... Hamilton.

Good for the giants.


----------



## ekim68

Well it looks like the Yanks are going to the ALCS after beating the Orioles....But there's probably some good strong sports emotions going on in Washington right now...What with the Orioles making it this far, and the Nat's, and RG3.....Good stuff...:up: :up:


----------



## valis

Yanks are going to get swept after losing Jeter........they can't hit the broadside of a barn (I think Kano is _striking out_ at over 50%), and they just look flatter than soda pop that hasn't been carbonated yet.


----------



## wowzer

valis said:


> Yanks are going to get swept after losing Jeter........they can't hit the broadside of a barn (I think Kano is _striking out_ at over 50%), and they just look flatter than soda pop that hasn't been carbonated yet.


Yep, down 2 zip and Verlander next. Cano is hitting like .063 in the postseason.


----------



## valis

and that's probably leading the team........just judging from their body language last night, they are done. They did NOT want to be there......


----------



## wowzer

Agreed... and the Cardinals just keep rolling along again.


----------



## ekim68

Tigers sweep Yankees in ALCS to reach World Series

Looks like the Yanks set a couple of records in their losses.. They never had a lead in any of the games and they had the lowest batting average in the history of the playoffs...Old George is probably rolling in his grave...


----------



## ekim68

I saw most of the Cards/Giants game and Zito was above and beyond the call.....:up: Couldn't get a pitch above 86 and pitched a shutout for over seven innings. Well done....:up:


----------



## valis

odd stat.....Giants are 0-5 all time in Game 7's, and the Card's have the best average all time in Game 7's.......hmmm.


----------



## ekim68

What a wet ending to the NLCS, but the better team won. Congrats to San Fran and onto the World Serious....


----------



## valis

tell you what, I've watched a lot of baseball, and I've never seen a ball come off the bat like it did Pence's.......very weird......


----------



## ekim68

Yep and it sure screwed up the Cardinal shortstop....


----------



## valis

yup.....also never seen a MLB infielder break the wrong way.......


----------



## ekim68

Let the games begin....

Giants' Barry Zito to start Game 1



> The resurgent left-hander will pitch Game 1 for the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday night against Justin Verlander and the Detroit Tigers.


(Got my popcorn ready...)


----------



## valis

zito vs. verlander........now THAT should be a good game........:up:


----------



## ekim68

Can't have much of a better day than Sandoval had yesterday...Great fan participation, too...:up: Now getting ready for tonight's game....


----------



## ekim68

Giants take Game number two...With Pitching this time instead of Hitting....:up:  BTW, Doug Pfister, Detroit's pitcher, took a line drive off his head that went into Center Field, and he kept pitching for more innings and no Runs....A true Athlete, IMHO....:up:


----------



## valis

saw that shot.......'into center field' doesn't quite do it justice. It landed feet away from the center fielder; that was a _shot._


----------



## ekim68

I like what he said while they were checking him out on the mound before he continued:


> It's the second game and it's San Francisco


....(I'm still ticked that the Mariners traded him away.. )


----------



## ekim68

Well, at least one Romo had a good day...:up:

San Francisco Wins The World Series


----------



## valis

4 game sweep........that's making a statement.....:up:


----------



## Drabdr

valis said:


> 4 game sweep........that's making a statement.....:up:


Yea. They cleaned the Rangers out two years ago.

The Giants have to have one of the toughest bullpens assembled.


----------



## valis

and they don't vaunt it........they just go out and do it.

It was VERY nice to see small-ball win so dominantly, tell you what.


----------



## ekim68

O's, Yanks lead Gold Glove winners



> The Baltimore Orioles this year turned back the clock to the golden age of the team's success and on Tuesday night they got the gloves to go with it.
> 
> The Orioles lead all major league teams with three players winning Gold Gloves as catcher Matt Wieters, shortstop J.J. Hardy and center fielder Adam Jones were each awarded the honor by baseball's managers and coaches.


----------



## valis

How on earth did Trout not get one?


----------



## ekim68

And he did it again.....:up: Well done Billy...:up:

Billy Beane named Executive of the Year



> A's general manager Billy Beane has been named the Sporting News' Major League Baseball Executive of the Year for the second time, and Beane's manager, Bob Melvin, said, "It's not a surprise. Everyone this was a lock. Billy had an amazing year, and it was all year long, from the offseason trades he made all the way through the season. He nailed it, the whole year."
> 
> Beane's team had the lowest payroll in the league, at $55 million. He traded away three All-Star pitchers last winter, and expectations for the team weren't just low, they were dismal. As it turns out, though, those offseason deals brought in key pieces such as outfielder Josh Reddick, starters Jarrod Parker and Tommy Milone and reliever Ryan Cook.


----------



## ekim68

Melvin, Johnson top managers



> NEW YORK -- Young rosters, small budgets, limited expectations.
> 
> No matter.
> 
> Bob Melvin of the Oakland Athletics and Davey Johnson of the Washington Nationals won big right away and were chosen as managers of the year Tuesday after guiding their teams to huge turnaround seasons.


----------



## valis

I would have put money on Showalter getting the AL nod.....


----------



## ekim68

R.A. Dickey wins NL Cy Young



> Two years after R.A. Dickey was the first player cut by the New York Mets in spring training, he now has a Cy Young Award on his résumé.
> 
> Dickey won the National League Cy Young on Wednesday, becoming the *first knuckleballer* to receive the honor.


----------



## ekim68

Miami Marlins 'trade' shows Jeffrey Loria, MLB at their worst



> Jeffrey Loria, the worst owner in baseball, first tried to enter the big leagues in 1994 with a bid to buy the Baltimore Orioles. Baltimore lucked out. The city got an owner who was more competent, more loyal to the town and rich enough so that he wasn't tempted to turn the franchise into his own personal revenue-sharing ATM. Instead of Loria, Baltimore got Peter Angelos.
> 
> That's how bad Loria is.


----------



## valis

did you hear at the owners meeting, he wasn't even allowed at the owner's table during lunch? He had to eat all by himself; NOBODY likes him. 

Give it 5 years, max, the Marlins will be in Montreal.


----------



## ekim68

Five years, eh? Gonna keep track.... Other news:

AL MVP Award 2012: Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera receives writers' honor over Mike Trout



> NEW YORK - Miguel Cabrera has a Most Valuable Player Award to go with his Triple Crown.
> 
> The Detroit Tigers slugger received 22 of 28 first-place votes and 362 points from the AL panel of Baseball Writers' Association of America. Los Angeles Angels rookie center fielder Mike Trout had six firsts and 281 points.
> 
> San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey was voted the National League honor.


----------



## ekim68

Josh Hamilton is going from the Texas Rangers to the rival Los Angeles Angels.

Good deal or a big waste of money?


----------



## valis

you tell me; hamilton batting cleanup with pujols in front of him. 

Who in their right mind is going to be pitching from closer than second? sheesh. talk about a murderers row.


----------



## ekim68

Both of them are in their later playing years, and last year both of them didn't show the stuff they used to have...


----------



## Drabdr

Yea my Facebook page has been lit up today about Hamilton.
I will miss him as a person.

But I have a feeling rangers are about to go through big rebuilding.


----------



## ekim68

How about the local scoop? Eh, Brad? Did the Rangers offer up? Or, do they think he's on the decline?


----------



## Drabdr

ekim68 said:


> How about the local scoop? Eh, Brad? Did the Rangers offer up? Or, do they think he's on the decline?


Good question, mike. I should have listened more to the sports shows yesterday.

I know the die hards are NOT happy with their latest picks for pitcher and catcher.

I think it was time for Hamilton. Getting booed off the field is not good for either fans or player.


----------



## valis

the rangers didn't want to go past 3 years, given his history. 

As for both being in their 'twilight' years, how about you take a few pitches to them?


----------



## ekim68

No one got elected to the Hall of Fame today...I guess Steroids are having their final effect....


----------



## valis

surprised Biggio didn't.....still think he will, however.


----------



## ekim68

Well MLB lost a couple of Great Ones the past few days...Stan Musial, 92, and Earl Weaver, 82, passed away and they are part of the History of MLB....I'll never forget an interview Weaver had one time after retirement and he said that the thing he most appreciated was the Memory of Umpires. After being tossed some 90 times or so he was glad they came to the game with fresh attitudes towards him and never showed ill-will until he provoked it....


----------



## valis

rough weekend for baseball; Stan was one of my pop's all-time faves.......


----------



## valis

and the beat goes on.

http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_/id/8893139/report-alex-rodriguez-others-miami-clinic-ped-lists

looks like, according to this document, ARod was using as recently as (gasp) last year!


----------



## ekim68

Zack Greinke: Money had no rival



> Zack Greinke, reflecting on his signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers this offseason, didn't mince words recently when addressing the motivating factor for his decision.
> 
> Greinke, who signed a $147 million, six-year deal with Dodgers, says one thing held sway first and foremost: money.
> 
> "I could play for the worst team if they paid the most," Greinke said in an interview with CBSSports.com. "If the last-place team offers $200 million and the first-place team offers $10, I'm going to go for the $200 million no matter what team it was."


----------



## valis

well, so much for love of the game.

On a related note, BASEBALL!


----------



## ekim68

Ailing A-Rod will make more than Houston Astros



> NEW YORK (AP) - Alex Rodriguez will make more this year than all the Houston Astros combined - a lot more.
> 
> And he won't even play the first half of the season, if at all.


----------



## ekim68

Caught part of the Houston/Texas game tonight and just realized that they're in the same Division....Sounds like a perfect recipe for Rival Craziness...

Couple of new rules, too

Baseball is Back...:up:


----------



## valis

blown calls, but hey, the Stros are in first. I'll take it.


----------



## ekim68

I gotta learn the Strike Zone again....


----------



## valis

let the follies begin! 

http://deadspin.com/a-j-burnetts-opening-day-is-going-just-great-464881185


----------



## ekim68

Mariners won their first game with King Felix on the mound. Perfect start and so far they are undefeated....


----------



## valis

and I do believe King Felix bought Jaso (catcher for the perfect game last year) a new watch.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/9...ives-rolex-watch-former-batterymate-john-jaso


----------



## ekim68

Well he can afford it now, eh?


----------



## ekim68

And the Season is so young....:up:

Yu Darvish loses perfect game with 2 outs in 9th



> HOUSTON (AP) - Yu Darvish saw the ball skip between his shins, dashing his chance at perfection. Immediately, several Texas Rangers came to the mound to console him.
> 
> "I think my teammates were more disappointed than I was," he said through a translator.


----------



## valis

he was on fire.....funny thing is that there is a huge blowback against the announcers of the astros, people actually calling for their jobs because they 'commiserated' that the perfect game was lost......


----------



## ekim68

That's why they shortened the name to 'Fans'.....


----------



## valis

okay, I'll bite; shortened from what?


----------



## ekim68

Fanatics....


----------



## valis

ahh......apparently I was pre-caffeine......


----------



## valis

yu darvish; check out the release pointS....

http://deadspin.com/coolest-gif-ever-shows-five-yu-darvish-pitches-at-once-480964674


----------



## ekim68

Thanks Tim, that's cool..


----------



## valis

makes me feel better for missing all those dang things....


----------



## ekim68

Speaking of pitchers...

Anibal Sanchez strikes out 17 as Tigers blow out Braves


----------



## valis

say it ain't so, mick!

http://deadspin.com/looks-like-mickey-mantle-used-to-cork-his-bat-489467933


----------



## ekim68

Ah Geez, Mickie was my Hero when I was a Kid....(As an aside, I went to a Game in 1961 in LA when the Yankees played the California Angels and I saw Him and Roger Maris and Elston Howard and ****** Ford...).


----------



## valis

yeah, but EVERYONE knew he was corking in the 60's.....too much booze, too many sprinkler heads in centerfield, eye hand was there, reflexes weren't......guy was a dang idol, and frankly, I ain't blaming him...

I will for the booze, however.....robbed what could have been a career for the ages.....if not THE career.......


----------



## ekim68

Red Sox Pitcher Throws The Worst Pitch You Will Ever See


----------



## valis

mike trout hit for the cycle last night......pretty neat, eh?

check this out.......youngest player to hit for an AL cycle IN ALL RECORDED HISTORY OF BASEBALL!

now, that is making a statement for the lad........


----------



## valis

just when the Stros couldn't get any worse........

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/9...te-maid-park-fired-taking-snow-cones-bathroom


----------



## ekim68

It'll be interesting to see how this turns out, and I'm a George Brett fan...:up:

Brett asked to turn around Royals' hitting woes



> ST. LOUIS (AP) - George Brett is giving coaching a month.
> 
> The greatest player in Kansas City Royals history isn't sure teaching is his forte and doesn't know if players will listen.


More on George: 



> The familiar No. 5 was retired in 1993 after a career that spanned two decades and ended with Brett as the Royals' hit leader with 3,154. He remains the only player in major league history to win batting titles in three different decades, including a memorable 1980 season in which he hit .390.


----------



## valis

I don't see how it can fail; only way possible is if the kids are too arrogant or flat out blind. Georgie was a pure hitter, pretty much put on this planet to do exactly that. Sorta like Gwynn and Williams.....


----------



## Drabdr

valis said:


> I don't see how it can fail; only way possible is if the kids are too arrogant or flat out blind. Georgie was a pure hitter, pretty much put on this planet to do exactly that. Sorta like Gwynn and Williams.....


Yea. But he doesn't take accusations very well.


----------



## valis

but his gesticulations are top notch......


----------



## ekim68

I remember watching an All-star game on TV and I believe it was in Yankee Stadium back in the early 1980's. Brett had one of the most dramatic hits I've ever seen. Just so happened it was a foul ball but it cleared the the upper deck in right field and was sent out to the streets...


----------



## valis

well, my baseball book is nowhere near as extensive as yours, my friend, but I've followed the game for a few.....and one of the best quotes about anyone EVER to play the game is below:



> "I could have played another year, but I would have been playing for the money, and baseball deserves better than that."


imagine someone even thinking that today.....not going to name him in my top 5 third baggers, but I'd sure as heck make sure he was on my team......


----------



## Drabdr

valis said:


> well, my baseball book is nowhere near as extensive as yours, my friend, but I've followed the game for a few.....and one of the best quotes about anyone EVER to play the game is below:
> 
> imagine someone even thinking that today.....not going to name him in my top 5 third baggers, but I'd sure as heck make sure he was on my team......


:up::up:

It's just about the money now.

If it wasn't, josh Hamilton would still be with the Rangers, and would probably be doing better.


----------



## valis

yup....and Pujols wouldn't be being vilified.....

about the last *good* star team change was Piazza to the Mets.........shoulda been there forever, that kid was born for Broadway......


----------



## ekim68

MLB seeks to suspend A-Rod, Braun



> Major League Baseball will seek to suspend about 20 players connected to the Miami-area clinic at the heart of an ongoing performance-enhancing drug scandal, including Alex Rodriguez and Ryan Braun, possibly within the next few weeks, "Outside the Lines" has learned. If the suspensions are upheld, the performance-enhancing drug scandal would be the largest in American sports history.


(I think they should just put an asterisk next to the record book categories and separate the Druggies from the Non-Druggies.. )


----------



## Drabdr

ekim68 said:


> MLB seeks to suspend A-Rod, Braun
> 
> (I think they should just put an asterisk next to the record book categories and separate the Druggies from the Non-Druggies.. )


Are the Rangers still paying for A Rod?


----------



## ekim68

Probably... But the disturbing thing is he is in the sixth year of a ten year contract.... Well I guess at least there are jobs for Lawyers and Agents, eh?


----------



## valis

they are bringing everyone down who was affiliated with that group......and as far as Arod......dude is one helluva a businessman, if you want my opinion....I don't think he'll ever play again, and yet he's still getting millions to sit......


----------



## wowzer

valis said:


> they are bringing everyone down who was affiliated with that group......and as far as Arod......dude is one helluva a businessman, if you want my opinion....I don't think he'll ever play again, and yet he's still getting millions to sit......





> .dude is one helluva a businessman, if you want my opinion.


My opinion... he's not, but he has enough money to pay for those who are...


----------



## valis

doesn't take genius to think '10 years, 275 mill?'

I cannot think of a player in HISTORY that I would give that cash to......


----------



## valis

random trivia question, no googling......

rank in what YOU think is the most rarest to the least rarest; most being 1, least being 3.

unassisted triple play
perfect game
4 homer game

I was a bit surprised by the answer.....


----------



## ekim68

Unassisted triple play?


----------



## valis

yup...15 of them.....16 four homer games, 22 or 23 perfects....


----------



## ekim68

To tell you the truth my reasoning was determined by how many times I've heard of each....


----------



## ekim68

A's edge Yankees in 18 innings to complete 3-game sweep

Billy Ball, the guy's a genius in the Baseball World...:up:


----------



## valis

thoughts and prayers for Dutch.....

http://deadspin.com/darren-daulton-hospitalized-with-brain-tumors-600612853


----------



## ekim68

The Freak cut his hair and I almost didn't recognize him...

Tim Lincecum throws no-hitter, strikes out 13 Padres on 148 pitches



> Tim Lincecum tossed aside his recent struggles and pitched his first career no-hitter and the second in the majors in 11 days, a gem saved by a spectacular diving catch by right fielder Hunter Pence in the San Francisco Giants' 9-0 win over last-place San Diego on Saturday night.


----------



## ekim68

Seems these odds are more rare than the unassisted triple play....

Indians fan catches four foul balls at one game



> As we've been reminded time and again in recent baseball seasons, the dogged pursuit of foul balls can tear families apart. Thankfully, though, with the right dad in the right place and an inordinate amount of luck, it can also bring them together.


----------



## valis

saw that too.....dude should buy a lotto ticket......

Mikey, dunno about you, but I am beginning to get on the Harper bandwagon. Thaught it was classy that his dad was throwing him slurves, off speeds, all that, making him make his choice, and that Harper had asked him to pitch.

Kid was a snot in HS, but I think I am getting behind him.......you?

Lord knows the guy has the publicity to spare.......


----------



## ekim68

In a way I agree Tim, the Guy has the Talent and the Media love it.... He reminds me of Trout...:up: (Although taller..)


----------



## valis

Trout is the better player, by far.....IMO he's the best 5 tooler (if not the best all around player in the league) in the business today.....dude, he may be better than Junior, and IMO, outside of Mays or Snider, there are no better.....

Media loves him, and I'm extremely glad to have lost a bet on his maturity level....I think he can redefine what the modern player should be like, namely what it was ~48-55 or so.....play to win. Period. No dirty stuff, no strutting, just play hard and rub dirt on the bruises. Starting to enjoy watching him play, and again, very, very glad he matured away from this....

fyi, the story does carry some bad words.....


----------



## ekim68

Just finished watching the All-Star Game and I have a couple of thoughts...BTW, I thoroughly enjoyed it in spite of all the Non-Baseball Stuff.... The first thought was, 'What were the Angels Thinking?' when they got rid of Torii Hunter? 
Another All-Star year for him...:up:

And my second thought was of Mariano Rivera....I'm Not a Yankee Fan, maybe I've been obvious before, but, when this Guy came to the Yankees I always thought he was a Snotty Bratt... (Yes, you can use that if you like.. ) He was pretty arrogant after all and there was a good reason for that....In his last Interview tonight he was Gracious, Eloquent, and a pure team player....I've changed my mind about him....


----------



## valis

what!!!!

Dude, he's always been very, very modest, and very, very philanthropic in his home country.......

glad to hear he's won you over...my beef is, why the heck is he retiring? He throws exactly one pitch, everyone knows what it is, and nobody can hit it.......sounds vaguely like some knuckleballer brothers who threw into their fifties........


btw, still waiting on your response to Trout being possibly the best in the league......


----------



## ekim68

Yep, I thought that for a long time, but it was probably more about my dislike of Yankees and not seeing things in a proper light, so to speak... As for Trout, yep, he's the overall best that I've watched this year and you know what? My Mariners played them this last week and I watched a lot of it on TV, and every time he went to bat or played the outfield or talked with the other team while he was on base, he was smiling....It's not just his Talent, but he's got that Baseball Smile...:up:


----------



## valis

reminds me of Kuchar, the golfer.....when asked why he hadn't met his expectations, he said "dude, I have my own plane, great family, and play, PLAY golf for a living. My expectations are overfilled."

and when he said it, Mike, his face was literally split in half.....just a joy to see.


----------



## ekim68

Kuchar's one of my Guys....And you're right about that smile...:up: And he nailed it...If I could play for a living and live well? :up: Sounds like at least a few expectations have been met....


----------



## valis

how's that phrase go? Find something you love to do and then find someone to pay you for it.....heard that first from Grampa B, which is one of the reasons my son shares his name.....

Funny thing about that, Mike, is that for me 'golf' was the answer.....which is why I moved to Oregon. Ran a couple shops out of Lake Oswego and Clackamas.....was fun, but wasn't for me as I couldn't play with the big boys.....hence, IT.


----------



## Drabdr

Have I mentioned lately how bad Joe Buck annoys me??
Can't stand that guy..


----------



## ekim68

Why?


----------



## Drabdr

Drabdr said:


> Have I mentioned lately how bad Joe Buck annoys me??
> Can't stand that guy..





ekim68 said:


> Why?


I'm a Rangers Fan! Need I say more? 

He is soooo biased towards them; and so partial to the East Coast teams.


----------



## valis

it's not that he's a Ranger's fan, it's more along the lines that he's got the personality of chalk.....ditto with McCarver, although I think he may have taken a few too many fouls to the melon as well......


----------



## Drabdr

valis said:


> it's not that he's a Ranger's fan, it's more along the lines that he's got the personality of chalk.....ditto with McCarver, although I think he may have taken a few too many fouls to the melon as well......


I turn the sound down and list to Eric Nadel on the radio. He's one of the best I've ever heard.


----------



## valis

great minds.....easily one of my favorite memories is hanging out with grampa B, listening to the games on his radio....he was blind, but as he had played pro ball he never got it out of his system......


besides, something a bit more magical about listening to a game on a crackly radio on the porch with your grand-dad......


----------



## Drabdr

valis said:


> great minds.....easily one of my favorite memories is hanging out with grampa B, listening to the games on his radio....he was blind, but as he had played pro ball he never got it out of his system......
> 
> besides, something a bit more magical about listening to a game on a crackly radio on the porch with your grand-dad......


Oh.. the glory days was Mark Holtz and Eric Nadel. Two of the best.


----------



## valis

and so it begins.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/9...aukee-brewers-suspended-remainder-2013-season


----------



## valis

think rodgers will pay up?

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-s...-salary-ryan-braun-being-clean-235553423.html


----------



## ekim68

valis said:


> and so it begins.
> 
> http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/9...aukee-brewers-suspended-remainder-2013-season


Listening to the ESPN folks this evening and it looks like this is gonna be the straw....They've been waiting for one person to crack and now it's time for the others...


----------



## valis

braun didn't even say peep.......and I can't say that I blame him......he has been injured quite a bit this year, and wasn't going to be playing all that much anyhow........IMO, he knew he was done for the year, and that is why he didn't raise a stink.....

oddly enough, a LOT of people are calling for him to apologize to the dude he hosed last year over the bad urine test.......gee, wonder why.....


----------



## ekim68

The Media is a Nasty Strong Motivator.... IMHO, of course...


----------



## valis

is the media a strong enough motivator to jeopardize one's career? 

if so, that one is in the totally wrong business.


----------



## valis

okay, I'm going to do my version of longbets.org.......

A-Rod will never wear pinstripes again......that I'm about 100% certain on.....what I am less certain (but still over 50%) is that he will never step in between the lines of a MLB stadium again.....

any input?


----------



## valis

I have been hearing TONS of rumors this morning about ARod being banned for life, and the Yanks getting to keep their money......the most disturbing part is that part of the rumors have the Yanks and MLB working together for this......I haven't found that much on line yet to verify/deny, but something to keep an eye on.


----------



## valis

ouch.....

http://deadspin.com/report-albert-pujols-likely-done-for-season-942342638


----------



## ekim68

I've been hearing the same thing about A-Rod, Tim. Mostly that MLB wants to make an example of him and start mowing down the rest....Interesting that they are going after Well-Paid Players according to some rumors... 

And I happen to think that Albert's best years are behind him....He was tapering off at the end of his St. Louis career...


----------



## valis

a rod is political...IMO, I don't think he will ever see a major league pitch again, and while a shame, he's got nobody to blame save himself....


----------



## ekim68

Agreed...:up: Kind of makes you wonder why those Egos built those Pyramids, eh? 

As an aside, as a Mariner Fan I enjoyed the years he was on our team.....Of course that was still when Jr. and Edgar and Buehner were there, and that made it all the more enjoyable...


----------



## valis

edgar was the man......absolute purest swing I've ever seen, second being the mick...met bones a few times, as goofy in real life as you would expect......


----------



## ekim68

You met Bones? Care to Share?


----------



## valis

used to hang out with a gent who eventually got his ring with the Diamondbacks back in 01..he was their kinesiology boss, and we coached little league together.....HE knew the boys, I just met them.....

btw, don't shake his hand....chances are you won't get 10 fingers back......


----------



## Drabdr

Since my Rangers are kinda stinking up the joint right now... I will strategically change the subject..

I watched 42 last night... Might just now be my favorite baseball movie.

By everything I have read about him and his wife, the movie _underplayed_ their greatness. Also, I didn't know anything about MLB retiring his number. I think a dude who can steal home in the World Series has earned it.


----------



## valis

you didn't know they had retired his number?

haven't seen it yet, sure I will, but as far as best baseball flix, Bull Durham, then the rest....


----------



## Drabdr

valis said:


> you didn't know they had retired his number?
> 
> haven't seen it yet, sure I will, but as far as best baseball flix, Bull Durham, then the rest....


No Tim. I really didn't know much about the man. _Very_ impressive baseball stats. His wife was an amazing person as well as he was.

Bull Durham is certainly tied with Major League... Bob Uecker as the announcer is just too classic.


----------



## valis

dude was a legend, obviously.......and he had _speed_, sweet jebus.....granddad said he'd never seen a man run that fast......


----------



## valis

consider the source, but this would be _awesome_. And right for the game.......

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/i-team/deal-a-rod-faces-historic-ban-article-1.1411133


----------



## valis

Frankie Castillo....

can't tell you how many times I saw him pitch.....both in Colorado and Chicago...met him dozens of times, great, great person......


----------



## ekim68

Wow, how tragic....On an outing with his family...


----------



## valis

dunno whether to laugh or cry......

but I totally laughed...


----------



## valis

huh...astros just stole home.....can't recall the last time I've seen that...


----------



## valis

first day in the majors, first three outs go:



> IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA
> Brett Oberholtzer 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 6.48
> Pitches-Strikes - Brett Oberholtzer 10-6


not bad for a rook......


----------



## ekim68

After reading several things today I think that A-Rod is done no matter how much his Attorneys want... MLB is adamant.....See ya, don't let the Door hit you from behind....


----------



## Drabdr

This order is to go....

I would like THREE back to back, walk off home runs please.

Josh Hamilton.... That's how baseball be.


----------



## ekim68

One of the things that I remember about Dave Parker was the size of his bat. Seems to me that it was almost as tall as he was...

Dave Parker says he has Parkinson's



> Pittsburgh Pirates great Dave Parker told a newspaper that he is battling Parkinson's disease.
> 
> Parker, who led the Pirates to a World Series title in 1979, told The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review he was first diagnosed in February 2012, but informed only a few friends. The 1978 National League MVP and two-time batting champ said the Parkinson's has not progressed rapidly.


----------



## valis

dude was bigger than life......saw him play the Dodgers, thought a LA Ram had gotten loose.....

btw, the poll on espn.com today? should the Yanks have let A Rod play......you know my answer to that one....

but the rest of the populace? 50/50 split....found that surprising.....


----------



## ekim68

Music to my ears.....

A-Rod hears mixture of boos, cheers



> During pregame introductions, the entire team predominantly received cheers except for Rodriguez, who drew a blend of boos and cheers.


----------



## Drabdr

ekim68 said:


> Music to my ears.....
> 
> A-Rod hears mixture of boos, cheers


Now... Ya know I'm not in the Arod fan club.

But he's not the only one guilty in this stuff.


----------



## ekim68

I agree, although I think it says something about our society as a whole...It's just weird to me that people admire people who cheat... Tim said earlier that it's 50/50 on his return....Hello, anyone there?


----------



## ekim68

Of course it's worth a hundred million dollars to A Rod if he wins, so why not fight?


----------



## Drabdr

ekim68 said:


> Of course it's worth a hundred million dollars to A Rod if he wins, so why not fight?


True.


----------



## valis

scweeeet......i can see one of these hanging on my wall......

http://pootpoot1999.com/minimalist-baseball-stadiums-part-1/


----------



## ekim68

Wow, Cool....


----------



## Drabdr

I sure would like to know what AJ said to the umpire to get thrown out of that ranger game.

The way the ump went after him... He must have pushed a button.


----------



## ekim68

I always wondered why the Yankees got rid of this guy in the first place...

Alfonso Soriano drives in 7 in win; has 13 RBIs in last 2 games

He's got a pure swing....


----------



## valis

knowing AJ, all bets are off......guarantee he was questioning the validity of the ump's family line....

that said, the ump, IMO, was looking for trouble.


----------



## valis

ekim68 said:


> I always wondered why the Yankees got rid of this guy in the first place...
> 
> Alfonso Soriano drives in 7 in win; has 13 RBIs in last 2 games
> 
> He's got a pure swing....


yup, he always has.......if memory servers, he swings one of the heavier bats in the league as well.


----------



## valis

this kid may be the real deal.....

http://img.gawkerassets.com/img/18x1viy62i62zgif/ku-xlarge.gif


----------



## Drabdr

valis said:


> knowing AJ, all bets are off......guarantee he was questioning the validity of the ump's family line....
> 
> that said, the ump, IMO, was looking for trouble.


Yea. I don't know Tim. I think that was more than questioning the call.

Although, he could have been 'egging' him along for a while.


----------



## Drabdr

valis said:


> yup, he always has.......if memory servers, he swings one of the heavier bats in the league as well.


And like all the other great players, he played for the Rangers and then moved on.


----------



## valis

Drabdr said:


> Yea. I don't know Tim. I think that was more than questioning the call.
> 
> Although, he could have been 'egging' him along for a while.


AJ is well-known as the MOST detested player in MLB.....best compliment he's ever received was when he was traded to the Rangers, Washington was 'at least I don't have to play AGAINST that (bad word) any more'.......


----------



## ekim68

I was wondering when this would come along....

Really? MLB says replay will speed up pace of games



> COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. -- Hello, 21st century, Major League Baseball finally is coming your way.
> 
> Baseball, which has largely resisted the technological advances of TV cameras, announced Thursday that it's ready to embrace all-encompassing instant replay, adding it for the start of the 2014 season on nearly every questionable play but the strike zone.


----------



## Drabdr

ekim68 said:


> I was wondering when this would come along....
> 
> Really? MLB says replay will speed up pace of games


Yeh, but what about judgment calls?

Also, I don't see how it will speed up the game. I like the idea though.


----------



## ekim68

I don't see it speeding up the game either, Brad....Although it would have helped today in a call that was clearly foul on the replay with my Mariners, and we got a break because the Umpire called it fair....:up: Didn't help us though, because the Rays kicked us after the 5th inning...


----------



## Drabdr

ekim68 said:


> I don't see it speeding up the game either, Brad....Although it would have helped today in a call that was clearly foul on the replay with my Mariners, and we got a break because the Umpire called it fair....:up: Didn't help us though, because the Rays kicked us after the 5th inning...


I hear you! In general though, I think those umps do a pretty good job.:up:


----------



## valis

whups.......

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18560_1...gered-fellow-players-in-doping-investigation/

this could be very, very bad for A Rod if true.....given the source, and that CBS has been scooped in the past, we'll see....


----------



## Drabdr

valis said:


> whups.......
> 
> http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18560_1...gered-fellow-players-in-doping-investigation/
> 
> this could be very, very bad for A Rod if true.....given the source, and that CBS has been scooped in the past, we'll see....


Wow! This reminds me back when Clinton was impeached. Then Gingrich resigned, then Livingston resigned....

How deep does the PED really flow.


----------



## ekim68

How much difference does one person make?  

Alfonso Soriano has 18 RBIs in last 4 games; Yankees top Red Sox


----------



## ekim68

I saw A Rod get hit by a Boston pitcher today and the crowd roared...I wonder if he has a clue....


----------



## valis

he'd best get used to it, IMO.


----------



## valis

add a chair to the 4k hit club, please......

http://espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/sto...new-york-yankees-gets-4000th-professional-hit

and yes, I know MLB won't recognize the Japanese League hits, but I would have to disagree.....regardless, he's a first ticket HOF'er in either league, IMO. The swing may not have been the prettiest, but he was arguably (again, IMO, and also speaking as an ex pitcher) the most dangerous left hander ever to step into the box......I mean, by the time the bat made contact, he was 10 feet up the dang line......

regardless, congrats to the gent.........:up:


----------



## ekim68

valis said:


> add a chair to the 4k hit club, please......
> 
> http://espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/sto...new-york-yankees-gets-4000th-professional-hit
> 
> and yes, I know MLB won't recognize the Japanese League hits, but I would have to disagree.....regardless, he's a first ticket HOF'er in either league, IMO. The swing may not have been the prettiest, but he was arguably (again, IMO, and also speaking as an ex pitcher) the most dangerous left hander ever to step into the box......I mean, by the time the bat made contact, he was 10 feet up the dang line......
> 
> regardless, congrats to the gent.........:up:


Agree with you on all accounts...:up: I've said before that he'll get into two HOF's.... And on the first day of his eligibility...


----------



## valis

yup.....arguably one of the purest hitters to walk this planet....pretty good gun, too....I recall him getting a few outfield assists up Seattle way......


----------



## valis

oh my dear lord this is awesome......

http://mrphilroth.com/mlbpayrolls/


----------



## valis

holy cow, looking at the brown stain on the yanks' chart just makes me laugh.......


----------



## valis

awesome chart.......man, I can't believe he is still calling games. I mean, I grew up listening to this guy as some of my earliest memories.......


----------



## valis

think it may be time to hang 'em up.......

http://espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/sto...r-new-york-yankees-placed-disabled-list-again


----------



## ekim68

I haven't been a Yankee fan but I always liked Jeter. A Pro's Pro if you will. I think it's time for him retire before he embarrasses himself as many other athletes do when they don't retire until too late. He's gonna be in the Hall of Fame when the time comes and he doesn't need the money nor any more accolades...How many other athletes retired too late? In another sport the name Muhammad Ali comes to mind...


----------



## valis

I've always loved Jeter.....I've said it from jump, if I were to start a team tomorrow, he'd be my first pick. Even at his age today, he would be my first pick. Best quote on Jeter comes from, believe it or not, an Astros' scout:


> As a scout for the Houston Astros, Hal Newhouser evaluated Jeter extensively prior to the 1992 Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft. The Astros held the first overall pick in the draft, and Newhouser, convinced that Jeter would anchor a winning team, lobbied team management to select Jeter.[12] However, the Astros feared that Jeter would insist on a salary bonus of at least $1 million to forgo his college scholarship for a professional contract.[12] Consequently, the Astros passed on him in the draft, instead choosing Cal-State Fullerton outfielder Phil Nevin, who signed with Houston for $700,000.[12] Newhouser felt so strongly about Jeter's potential that* he quit his job with the Astros* in protest after they ignored his drafting advice.


that's from Jeter's wiki, btw.......


----------



## valis

sigh.....go stros, I guess.......

http://deadspin.com/every-glorious-angle-of-the-astros-buttslide-1340747499


----------



## ekim68

Now that was fun....I guess you take what you can get when the season's haywired, eh?


----------



## valis

yup..I was watching it live, and Viller had ZERO chance of making it.....nil....and everyone in the damn stadium knew it, hence the second baseman just squatting and waiting.......


----------



## valis

say what you want about the Yanks, they had an awesome, awesome, awesome send-off for Mariano yesterday......

http://deadspin.com/mariano-riveras-goodbye-turns-us-all-into-blubbering-c-1409985243

that video is priceless.......just priceless......it's very nice to see the human side.


----------



## valis

what a class act.....


----------



## ekim68

Wow, good stuff Tim...Thanks..


----------



## valis

what hit me was his reference to 'The Big Cat'......Andres Galarraga, one of my very favorite FB of all time. Him, Boog, Garvey, and Grace.......


----------



## ekim68

Do you have a link for the ad?


----------



## valis

not the actual one, per se (that's in the Denver Post), but here's CBS's story:

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/eye-on-baseball/23933364/look-todd-heltons-full-page-ad-in-denver-post


----------



## valis

heh.....


----------



## ekim68

Well the World Series starts tonight and I saw one headline that said "Birds against the Beards"....


----------



## valis

beards sorta won that one.......3 errors didn't help.


----------



## WendyM

As a Met fan, I've never pulled for the Red Sox, but my cousin (well, my cousin's son to be precise) was called up by them this year. It's only a little crazy - ok, it's a LOT crazy - that someone I'm related to pitched in the World Series. Sort of blows my mind.


----------



## ekim68

Ok who was it? (this name dropper wants to know  )


----------



## WendyM

Lol, Brandon Workman. 0.0 ERA in the post-season baby!  

I'm incredibly proud of him, but I actually haven't seen him since he was a young kid. I'm very close with his grandmother (my aunt) though and she's just about exploding with pride. My mom has been recording the World Series, which is ... unusual, to put it mildly. She paused the DVR to take a picture of the screen so she could prove she knew someone in the World Series.


----------



## valis

that's pretty dang cool, Wendy.


----------



## ekim68

And now Ellsbury is one of the club...

Breaking down MLB's $150 million men



> You have to keep reminding yourself teams wouldn't be spending this kind of money if they didn't have it.


----------



## ekim68

IMO, these guys have earned it....:up:

Torre, La Russa, Cox to Cooperstown


----------



## valis

easily.........the first two could have gone in during their careers, IMO.


----------



## valis

Maddux, Glavine, and Thomas into the HOF.....Biggio missed by _.2 stinkin' percent._


----------



## ekim68

Just saw that and it looks like it was Jack Morris's last shot....


----------



## ekim68

What recession? 

Dodgers, Clayton Kershaw have deal



> The Los Angeles Dodgers and Clayton Kershaw have agreed on a seven-year, $215 million deal, sources with knowledge of the situation said.


----------



## valis

that works out to something like 9k/pitch.....ludicrous......


----------



## ekim68

Some of the Sports Commentators are against this because they think it will extend the Game a bit too much. I don't agree with them in that I think the Umps should just get it right...:up:

Owners approve expanded replay



> Baseball's replay age has finally dawned, thanks to Thursday's unanimous approval by owners of what commissioner Bud Selig called a "historic" expansion of replay to correct missed calls.
> 
> The new system, which will go into effect this season, will give managers most of the power to trigger reviews, by providing them with one challenge per game, along with a second potential challenge if their first is upheld.


----------



## valis

I'll be honest, Mike.....I'm sorta on the fence about this one. That said, however, I still think the DH rule is a bad rule, and you know I dig Edgar......


----------



## ekim68

I know your feelings about the DH and when Baseball starts up again I'll give you some ribbing about it... However I do believe that Replay will keep This from happening again. I watched that game and the announcers continued to show the replay and I just shook my head...


----------



## valis

yeah, that would be the only reason I would vote for it, and even then, Mike, I'm still on the dang fence....dude got robbed, granted, but baseball has always been about the human element. No worries, I'm not going to be voting for any HOF anyhow, so I'm just a fan.


----------



## ekim68

Baseball Refs and Umps have always been the best in professional Sports, IMO, but in this day of instant gratification/replay the plays are so close and the athletes are so good and cameras catch every little thing...


----------



## valis

yeah, but dangit, the human factor must still play a part...maybe that's my gripe....dunno. I still kick myself daily over Martinez, as IMO he was one of the best pure hitters in the game (along with Griff Jr) but dammit, not sure he should've been playing.......but jesus what a sweet swing.


----------



## ekim68

No recession here....

Masahiro Tanaka to Yanks for $155M



> The Yankees spent much of 2013 scouting right-hander Masahiro Tanaka in Japan. After seeing him go 24-0 with a 1.27 ERA, they came away convinced his stuff would translate to the major leagues.


----------



## valis

dunno about that one.....curious to see how it 'translates'.....24 and 0 is something, but the Show is the Show for a reason. They don't get any better than that.

I've always seen Japanese baseball as sort of 3.5 AAA, if you know what I mean. A lot of MLB'ers have ended up there after they couldn't catch on again.


----------



## valis

you already know what I'm going to say, Mike....

http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_...rotective-caps-approved-major-league-baseball


----------



## ekim68

Do you remember Starship Troopers by Heinlein and the Armored Suits he described?


----------



## valis

ayuh....got that one on my kindle....always wondered how he managed to get that one published, as it's a pretty thin skein for a communistic utopia, IMO.....


----------



## valis

Berkman retires

/me tips cap.......what a classy, classy act. Glad to have got to watch him play. Great man, great father, great player.


----------



## ekim68

Agreed, I always liked the guy....And it's good to see someone sensible about retiring when the body says it's time...:up:


----------



## valis

very glad he got a ring.....he's well known down here as a fantastic father and a devout Christian....reckon I could choose a few worse players to enjoy watching, eh?


----------



## valis

all good (great.....maybe greatEST) things must end....

Jeter to retire after 2014

reminds me, gotta change the title of this thread again.


----------



## valis

just realized that Jeter will be gone before Rodriguez gets back.....that is VERY fitting......

IMHO, Jeter is one of the top 10 Yankees ever.....I'd probably put him in my top 25 all time, all team, all position as well, but that would require more thinking than I am currently capable of.


----------



## ekim68

I agree that Jeter's been a great player and always kept his cool... I wish him well on his way to the HOF....:up:


----------



## valis

first ticket, obviously.....won't be unanimous (heck, if Maddux wasn't, _nobody_ can be)...but oh yeah, he'll be there.


----------



## ekim68

And naturally Capitalism succeeds.......

Red Sox prices soar thanks to Jeter



> Derek Jeter's announcement Wednesday that he will retire after the upcoming season turned out to be a boon for fans and brokers of the New York Yankees' rivals, the Boston Red Sox.
> 
> In an ironic twist, the Yankees' season-ending series in Boston (Sept. 26-28) will now be the shortstop's final regular-season games.
> 
> Within minutes of the announcement, which was posted to Jeter's Facebook page, *ticket prices soared* on the web.


----------



## ekim68

SF Giants catcher Buster Posey satisfied with new plate-collision rules



> Nearly three years after he was seriously injured in a home-plate collision, Buster Posey finally got to read a new rule designed to eliminate the kind of contact that ended his 2011 season. On first glance, he likes it.





> Under new rule 7.13, and its associated comments, runners must stay on a direct path to the plate and cannot veer from it to hit a catcher who does not have the ball. If he does, the umpire can call him out even if he is not tagged. At the same time, a runner can be called safe without touching the plate if a catcher without the ball blocks his direct path.
> 
> The rule will not eliminate collisions. There will be times when the catcher has the ball and blocks the plate, and the runner has no other path to the score. The runner then can hit the catcher, but he is not allowed to lower his shoulder or use his elbows or arms to shove the catcher. If the runner slides, feet- or head-first, he cannot be found guilty of breaking the rule.


----------



## ekim68

A's Josh Reddick makes unbelievable catch in spring training



> Josh Reddick, a Gold Glove winner in 2012, is known for his amazing work in the field but in the Cactus League opener on Wednesday at Scottsdale Stadium, he turned in his greatest catch ever.
> 
> "Without a doubt," said Reddick, who grabbed the chainlink fence in right and launched himself at what looked like a sure-thing homer by Michael Morse in the second inning. "I have no idea how I did that, that one was going out."
> 
> A's starter Jesse Chavez, asked to rate the catch, said, "Twelve on a scale of 10."


----------



## ekim68

Baseball is back....

Jimmy Rollins hits slam for 200th HR



> ARLINGTON, Texas -- Jimmy Rollins made his 14th straight Opening Day start for the Philadelphia Phillies, matching Cal Ripken's major league record for the most consecutive seasons starting at shortstop for the same franchise.
> 
> Rollins, the Phillies' starting shortstop since 2001, also hit his 200th home run Monday against Texas.


----------



## ekim68

Slowest home run trots from last year....

2013 Tater Trot Tracker Leaders


----------



## ekim68

I recently read that home run records are being set this year as all time highs. And here's an example....

Reds and Pirates combine for 10 homers in weather-suspended slugfest



> During a night filled with crazy games, only one had 10 home runs. Only one had a lengthy rain delay with sheets coming down that might have forced even Carl Spackler and Bishop Pickering inside. Only one didn't end. Of course, all of that happened in the same game.
> 
> The Pirates and Reds traded homers for six innings on Monday night, with each one landing like a counterpunch. The lead went back and forth six times, which wouldn't have been noteworthy if it were a basketball game. A baseball team, though, can go an entire week without seeing leads change hands that often. When it all ended, or, more accurately, was suspended, the teams were tied at seven. The game will be resumed at 5:30 ET on Tuesday.


----------



## ekim68

Albert Pujols makes history with 500th career home run



> Albert Pujols is now a member of one of baseball's most exclusive clubs. With a pair of home runs against Washington in Los Angeles' 7-2 win, Pujols became just the 26th player in baseball history to reach 500 career homers.


----------



## valis

HOF? I'd say 'yes'....


----------



## ekim68

Yep, I agree....:up:


----------



## ekim68

A national treasure: Wrigley Field turns 100 years old



> Wrigley Field hosted its first game on April 23, 1914 and is the only Federal League ballpark still standing.


----------



## valis

saw the Rockies play there.....pretty sure Caray didn't pronounce Dante Bichette's name correctly in _any_ of his at-bats, and also never the same way twice.


----------



## ekim68

I've been to two MLB parks way back when....Dodger Stadium in 1961 and Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego in 1973.. Wow, that's a while back...


----------



## valis

I've been to a few.....Dodgers, a metric ton of Angel games, Coors Field, Wrigley, Comiskey, and wherever the Mariners used to play....


----------



## ekim68

Oops.....! 

Hooters Ballgirl Picks Up Live Baseball And Tosses it To Crowd


----------



## valis

fun little site.....click your starting stadium then fill in the dates......I ended up at 29 days, 11 hours, 18,843 miles...


----------



## ekim68

Link?


----------



## valis

may help, eh? 

http://www.slate.com/articles/sport..._to_visit_all_30_mlb_stadiums_in_30_days.html


----------



## valis

huh......don't see _this_ every day.....


----------



## ekim68

Wow, that's too cool....


----------



## valis

wow.....talk about bad pitching all the way 'round.....

http://www.milb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20140508&content_id=74753258&fext=.jsp&vkey=recap&sid=t500


----------



## ekim68

Interference call gives Rockies triple play, first such ruling since 1905



> The Rockies turned an around-the-horn 5-4-3 triple play on the Padres in the top of the third inning of their game at Coors Field Sunday afternoon. It was just the second triple play turned this season, the third since the start of the 2013 season, and the first turned by a team other than the Yankees since August 2012.
> 
> What made it far more rare, however, was the fact that one of the outs was recorded via an interference call by second base umpire Seth Buckminster.


----------



## valis

as scooby would say, ruh roh......

http://espn.go.com/dallas/mlb/story...angers-considering-season-ending-neck-surgery


----------



## ekim68

Take me out to the Ballgame.....

play on a foul ball



> Chaney is also responsible for the greatest catch of the game. In the sixth inning, the Phillies' Carlos Ruiz belted a long foul ball down the right field line. The ball headed in Chaney's direction, so he caught it. With his beer bucket. On top of his head.


----------



## ekim68

First of the year....:up:

Josh Beckett throws first no-hitter of 2014 in Dodgers' 6-0 win over Phillies



> If we were to tell you a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers threw the first no-hitter of 2014, your first guess would be Clayton Kershaw, and your second guess would be Zack Greinke. Next? Well, perhaps you would think Hyun-Jin Ryu had a particularly good day, or maybe Dan Haren.


----------



## ekim68

Bandits' Gregor homers, dad catches ball



> Baseball is a family game, even at the professional level.
> 
> Conrad Gregor knows that as well as anybody.
> 
> The Astros prospect slugged his first Midwest League home run on Saturday night and the ball was caught beyond the right-center field fence at Quad Cities' Modern Woodmen Park by none other than Gregor's father, Marty.


----------



## valis

saw that.....that was awesome.....


----------



## ekim68

I didn't realize that the Roof Top Fans had as much say so as they do....

Cubs chairman to submit revised expansion plan for Wrigley Field



> CHICAGO -- The Ricketts family, which has delayed its efforts to renovate 100-year-old Wrigley Field while negotiating with the rooftop owners, now plans to go ahead with the ballpark's restoration and add additional signage in the outfield.


----------



## valis

tony gwynn has died....nuts to that......


----------



## valis

okay, I'm a big enough man to admit this got me all watery eye-wise......one helluva write-up on Mr. Gwynn, from arguably one of the luckiest kids ever....

http://deadspin.com/i-was-tony-gwynns-bat-boy-1592123043/all


----------



## ekim68

Thanks Tim, that was a good read...:up:


----------



## ekim68

No no for Kershaw tonight.......:up:


----------



## valis

c'mon now......that was a perfect game with a stupid throwing error........man, I'd hate to be Ramirez about now.......


----------



## ekim68

This could be a 'sign of the times'....

Padres' Torres is the first pitcher to wear protective cap in MLB game



> SAN DIEGO (AP) Padres reliever Alex Torres is the first pitcher to wear a protective cap in a major league game.
> 
> Torres used the oversized gear when he worked the eighth inning of a 4-2 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday night. There was little on-field reaction.
> 
> "There really isn't that much difference between this and a regular hat," Torres said. "It may not look great, but I can't feel a difference."


----------



## valis

gotta tell you.......that's just looks goofy.  Pretty sure I wouldn't wear it. I'm sure it works, but I'm so goofy on the mound anyhow (fidgety, that sort of stuff) it would have driven me bonkers.


----------



## ekim68

Could be that it has another purpose and that is grabbing the hitter's attention and possibly make him start chuckling and therefore decrease his attention span on the pitch which just went by him for a strike...


----------



## ekim68

The Freak did it again.....

Tim Lincecum pitches second career no-hitter vs. Padres



> SAN FRANCISCO - Tim Lincecum's days of dominance may be in the past. That doesn't mean he can't dial up flashes of the Freak he once was - especially against the San Diego Padres.
> 
> Lincecum pitched his second no-hitter against the Padres in less than a year, allowing only one runner Wednesday and leading the San Francisco Giants to a 4-0 win.


----------



## valis

got to watch the 9th in that one......great show. He no-hit them last year as well, correct?


----------



## ekim68

This guy is for Real....:up:

Angels' Mike Trout hits 489-foot bomb at Kauffman Stadium



> The eighth pitch of the Angels-Royals game in Kansas City Friday night was a 90 mile-per-hour, 3-1 fastball from Jason Vargas to Mike Trout that was thigh-high over the outside half of the plate. You probably don't even need to watch the video to know what happened to that pitch, but you should, because Trout didn't just hit a home run, he hit a 489-foot home run that was:
> 
> -The longest of his career.
> -The longest of the 2014 season.
> -The longest in the major leagues since August 2012.
> -The longest in the major leagues outside of Denver since 2009.
> -The longest ever hit to center field in Kauffman Stadium, which opened in 1973, breaking Trout's own record.


----------



## valis

he is, and he has been for some time......easily the best player in baseball this generation.......


----------



## valis

sidd finch, anyone?


----------



## ekim68

Oops....

The A's now have 10,000 worthless t-shirts after the Yoenis Cespedes trade



> The A's and Red Sox made the first major move of the MLB trade deadline when Yoenis Cespedes was traded to Boston for Jon Lester and Jonny Gomes. There's just one problem: Oakland was supposed to give away Cespedes-themed t-shirts on Saturday.


----------



## valis

that made me laugh.....which I needed, after the Stros traded away their one pitcher with a winning record.....


----------



## ekim68

Do you think it was a mistake for them to move to the AL?


----------



## valis

yup.....have since it was first floated.

That said, their currently doldrums is just crappy management.......period.


----------



## ekim68

Baseball Bat With an Axe Handle Brings More Power, Fewer Injuries



> The shape of a baseball bat hasn't changed much in the past 150 years, and the axe is many times older than that. By combining those age-old tools, however, the makers of the Axe Bat believe they can bring something new to the Grand Old Game.
> 
> The Axe Bat is more than a Frankenstein-style meshing of an axe handle and a baseball bat barrel. The key lies in the bat's final few inches near the handle. That's where the design gracefully curves from the standard round shape to a asymmetrical oval before tapering to an angled knob at the end.
> 
> The results, as reported in a recent study (PDF) by UCLA engineering professor Dr. Vijay Gupta, show that the Axe Bat is more comfortable, delivers more power and speed, and reduces injuries when compared with traditional bats.


(One more thing for the Traditionalists to freak out about... )


----------



## ekim68

Nathan Orf plays all 9 positions



> For a minor league player, versatility is often seen as the path to the majors, but Milwaukee Brewers prospect Nathan Orf took that to a completely different level Sunday as he played all nine positions for the Class A Brevard County Manatees.
> 
> An infielder by trade, Orf began the game at catcher and ended it after recording an out in his first ever professional appearance as a pitcher.


----------



## valis

just wait until you get to the number 200....that stat blew me away.

http://espn.go.com/blog/jayson-stark/post?id=952


----------



## ekim68

A sure HOF, IMO.....


----------



## valis

not a doubt......not a doubt.....

looks like the littlest astro is actually contending for the batting title as well.......w00t, I dare say.

http://espn.go.com/blog/jayson-stark/post/_/id/937/batting-champs


----------



## ekim68

Now that the Giants have won three of the last five World Series does that make them a dynasty?


----------



## valis

was listening to Mike and Mike this morning, and the consensus is 'nope'......IMO, 3 in 5 years, you can call yourself whatever the heck you want to.......


----------



## valis

a bit of pro, and a bit of con, all in one sentence:

Alex Rodriguez is cleared to come back.

(now for the pro)

He's ranked 149th out of 150 players in fantasy.


----------



## ekim68

A-Rod can just retire with his millions as far as I'm concerned. I'm tired of hearing anything about him...Back to the Dynasty thing.....I think it's geographical mostly because the ESPN guys are back in Connecticut and they're unimpressed, however the San Fran papers are full of accolades and DYNASTY is plastered on all of them....


----------



## valis

the ONLY reason I wouldn't foist the dynasty on them is that after their first one, they were below .500 I believe.....gotta make the playoffs to be a dynasty IMO.

and Alex who?


----------



## ekim68

I think this is a Big Deal...:up: You just have to look at what he did with no money in Tampa Bay....

Maddon Excited To Be In Chicago


----------



## valis

Agreed...but I don't know about talking a WS just yet.......


----------



## ekim68

"It takes a Village to raise a Child", or something like that... Maddon worked miracles with little money, but I know, we're talking about the Cubs....


----------



## valis

espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/story/_/id/11825652/alex-rodriguez-new-york-yankees-admitted-dea-used-peds



surely you are joking, Mr. Rodriguez......


----------



## valis

Biggio in.....woo hoo! Finally an Astro there.......


----------



## ekim68

Well it's almost that time of the year...

MLB could alter strike zone as response to declining offense



> Major League Baseball is considering altering the textbook definition of the strike zone for the first time in nearly two decades, fearful that the proliferation of the low strike has sapped too much offense from the game, league sources told Yahoo Sports.


Wrigley Field rooftop owners go to court to stop scoreboard, sign install



> Owners of two rooftop businesses overlooking Wrigley Field in Chicago went to court on Thursday hoping to stop the Cubs from installing a scoreboard and advertising signs that will block views into the stadium, reports the Chicago Tribune.


----------



## ekim68

Ah, Spring is in the Air.....

MLB, players union announce pace-of-play, modified replay rules



> Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association announced rule changes on Friday regarding the pace of play during games.
> 
> The new rules are set to be in place for the 2015 season, which starts April 5 with a game between the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs.
> 
> Among the changes included are making managers stay in the dugout during replay challenges, mandating that hitters keep at least one foot in the batter's box during at-bats and returning quickly to play after television commercial breaks. To challenge inning-ending calls, managers are required to leave the dugout immediately in order to hold the defensive team on the field.
> 
> Managers will now have two challenges per game during postseason games, regular season tiebreaker games and the All-Star Game.


----------



## ekim68

Seattle Mariners first team to use LED lights, last 97,000 more hours



> SEATTLE, April 1 (UPI) -- The Seattle Mariners are the first MLB team to fully illuminate its playing field with LED lights after completing construction at Safeco Field.
> 
> Construction for the lights was completed in January. The Mariners said the lights will reduce glare and shadows on the field and will create a better atmosphere for fans and players.
> 
> For fans watching at home on high definition televisions, color will be improved and TV flickering will be reduced in slow-motion replays, according to the baseball team.


:up:


----------



## valis

Mike, have you been following the fiasco that is Wrigley at all? The opening night Sunday, make sure you tune in to check out whatever they decided to do the outfield wall.

google 'wrigley field right now' to get an idea how bad it's going to be.


----------



## ekim68

Couldn't resist this...

April Fools! Here are 10 times someone fell for the hidden-ball trick


----------



## valis

Nice. Ever tell you I fell for that?




Twice?


----------



## ekim68

MLB's Attempts To Speed Up The Game Appear To Be Working



> The sample size is small, but not so small that MLB officials aren't eager to trumpet the results: the average length of a baseball game in 2015 is down almost eight minutes from last year.


----------



## ekim68

Not sure if you've heard all the Hoopla about this guy, but not a good start...

Kris Bryant not discouraged by hitless debut in Cubs' loss


----------



## valis

First at bat was funny. But the kid is the real deal Mike.


----------



## ekim68

Good grief, the Home Run record at Houston was set today and my Mariners lost.... Hey Tim, you gonna go to any of the games? I'll bet your Hometown is smiling right now....


----------



## valis

We are. Been 4 long rebuilding years....got a solid and young team now andare building confidence.

And a lead.


----------



## ekim68

Pirates Execute Rare 4-5-4 Triple Play



> Maybe claiming the Pirates "executed a triple play," isn't fair or accurate, perhaps "Cardinals fail to execute competent baserunning" would be better.


----------



## valis

That was awesome....


----------



## ekim68

Right on for the Old Guy....:up:

Julio Franco a player-manager in Japan: 'I don't see myself out of baseball'



> KONOSU, Japan (AP) - Julio Franco is getting the best of both worlds as a 56-year-old player-manager for the Ishikawa Million Stars of Japan's semi-professional Baseball Challenge League.
> 
> Not only does the native of the Dominican Republic and former major league All-Star get to keep playing the game he loves, Franco now has a chance to pass on a wealth of baseball knowledge to a new generation of players.


----------



## ekim68

Yogi Berra turned 90 today....Happy birthday Yogi....One of the most quotable people ever....:up:


----------



## Drabdr

ekim68 said:


> Right on for the Old Guy....:up:
> 
> Julio Franco a player-manager in Japan: 'I don't see myself out of baseball'


:up: a former Ranger!


----------



## ekim68

Oops, not a good way to start the game...


Reds manager Bryan Price was ejected before the game started


----------



## ekim68

Here you go Tim....

Watch: Astros turn franchise's first triple play since 2004


----------



## valis

Yeah,saw that. Best part is my boss is from Detroit.


----------



## ekim68

Not quite Major League, but cool....

Barehanded baseball line drive catch


----------



## ekim68

MVP two years in a row....The Kid's the Real Deal....:up:

Mike Trout goes deep right off the bat to carry American League to win


----------



## ekim68

An interesting read and if instituted would probably set some records in Gold.....

Will MLB revert back to a 154-game schedule?


----------



## valis

I hope not. Besides being a traditionalist, I'd absolutely love it if someone hit 74 clean just to shut up the debate once and for all.

I wonder how much easier that's going to make hitting .400.....


----------



## ekim68

Um, wouldn't a traditionalist rather have 154 games like they used to? Remember the asterisk put beside Roger Maris's name? 

However, that being said, I don't think the MONEY would let them go back. But it was an interesting read about the Batting Averages dropping after being tired and the small number of people playing in the largest number of games....


----------



## ekim68

(The play that ended the game and saved the no-hitter was great...:up: )

Cole Hamels throws first career no-hitter vs. Cubs

And then he gets traded I expect....!


----------



## valis

what a catch......I can guarantee you that pop out took about 17 hours to land for that kid......


----------



## Drabdr

valis said:


> what a catch......I can guarantee you that pop out took about 17 hours to land for that kid......


:up:

A very difficult ball caught. Nicely done.


----------



## ekim68

For the first time, sensors and a computer play umpire in a pro baseball game



> SAN RAFAEL, CaliforniaIt turns out 21st century baseball with a computer calling balls and strikes feels a lot like 20th century baseball (you know, with a human behind the plate). There appear to be two main differences. The first and most obvious is volume. Machines just arent good at giving that classic umpire grunt, so you still need a warm body to do it.
> 
> The second? Accuracy.
> 
> "You face [Hall of Fame pitcher] Greg Maddux and hed get a foot off the plate," recalls Eric Byrnes, former Oakland A's player and current baseball analyst. "So if we have a chance to get it right, if we have a chance to get a pitch every time, why would we not?"


----------



## ekim68

I thought that Hitters were better in the First Half of the Season, and the Pitchers in the Second Half....

Signed:

An Unhappy Mariner Fan.....


----------



## ekim68

An interesting read on my Team.......

Prospect Purgatory: How Seattles Inability to Develop Talent Doomed a Once-Promising Season


----------



## valis

what? No mention of the Mariner's last evening?


I can't post that.....that's Mike's neck o' de woods.


----------



## ekim68

You mean the No-No by Iwakuma?  A very good day for a Mariner Fan....:up:


----------



## valis

THERE you are.  Helluva game. He owes his outfield a VERY nice dinner.


----------



## ekim68

And his Third Baseman.....


----------



## ekim68

A's hire MLB's first female coach as guest instructor



> The Oakland Athletics have invited Justine Siegal to be a guest instructor at the team's fall instructional league for prospects, making her the first female coach in MLB history, the team announced Tuesday.


----------



## Drabdr

I'm proud of my Texas Rangers. From where they came from earlier in the season until now, very impressive.


----------



## valis

And you can thank us for This Postseason brought to you Yankee-Free.


----------



## ekim68

I like 'Yankee-Free'....:up: It has a nice ring to it....


----------



## valis

Their left fielder, Gardner, won't be with the team next year I reckon. He left at least two outs on the field due to total lack of hustle.


----------



## Drabdr

valis said:


> And you can thank us for This Postseason brought to you Yankee-Free.


 Big thumbs up...

Now.... I just want to hear out of the mouths of the ESPN sports announcers...
that Texas does have serious baseball teams.


----------



## valis

Every place I've read the past few days has mentioned that the Astros had a much better team top to bottom than the Yankees......my biggest concern is the pen.


----------



## Drabdr

valis said:


> Every place I've read the past few days has mentioned that the Astros had a much better team top to bottom than the Yankees......my biggest concern is the pen.


If there is any team I would like other than my Rangers.... the Astros are it. They are due anyway.


----------



## valis

As are the Cubbies....


----------



## valis

a win today and the Astros are in the ALCS. Punched juuuuust a bit above their weight this year.


----------



## Drabdr

valis said:


> a win today and the Astros are in the ALCS. Punched juuuuust a bit above their weight this year.


Totally awesome!! Still waiting to hear the ESPN guys have to acknowledge Texas.


----------



## valis

Stros blew a huge lead and the Rangers are getting lit up like a christmas tree.


----------



## Drabdr

valis said:


> Stros blew a huge lead and the Rangers are getting lit up like a christmas tree.


Yep. I questioned as soon as I heard Derek Holland was pitching. I really like the guy; but you just can't depend on him. Not taking away from Blue Jays, but our pitchers might as well set up a T ball set for them.


----------



## valis

man, that's the sort of loss that can easily stick with the Astros. Up four late, lose by three. Ouch.


----------



## Drabdr

Did you hear about the Fox guy getting in hot water on this one?

http://thechronicleherald.ca/sports...es-for-on-air-comment-about-canadian-baseball



> "We were talking about foul balls in the stands up in Toronto, and because there's not a lot of people that grew up playing baseball in Canada, they're not used to catching a lot of balls in the stands … not many people catching that one, anyway," Reynolds said.


He apologized. But... geeze, what was he thinking??


----------



## valis

almost as bad as the idiot a few weeks back ripping the DR for some random stuff.

I still say Harry Caray had the best strikes and balls comment and I'll leave it at that.


----------



## ekim68

Well the Cubs moved on and they have a good coach now...:up:


----------



## valis

And a rather strong affinity for the long ball. Pretty sure that one cleared the damn scoreboard. Ive seen my share of homers at Wrigley but dang that was a moon shot. Pretty sure it stopped rolling because it was flat on one side.


----------



## ekim68

From what I've seen so far, at least in the NLS, there are a number of Relievers who put the ball up there at between 95 and 100 mph. Just Wow...!


----------



## valis

Yeah, but if you can turn on it.....*boom*. Fastballs are cake for me. Its those damn hangers I cant see. Hence my realization I wouldnt pogress any further.


----------



## ekim68

For some reason I thought you were a curve ball thrower.... I know you were talking about hitting... A question; Are you a Southpaw?


----------



## valis

Im a curve thrower, not a curve hitter. 6'6" and southpaw with a natural three quarter delivery. I usually worked from 10 to 4 on lefties and just busted righties inside. Hitting i (as most tall lefties) I was dead red low and away and chump change on anything in.


----------



## ekim68

Right on....:up: That's how I pictured you..... When I was a Lad I had a strong arm but I played Center Field and Shortstop...(Now I'm gonna have to look up some pictures..)


----------



## ekim68

Wow, that was the wildest game, (Rangers/Blue Jays), that I've ever seen....Sorry about your Rangers Brad....


----------



## valis

Definitely the oddest game. Epic bat flip, weird scoring plays, twobenches cleared, and a baby nailed with a full beer tossed from an upper deck. Not MLBs best night.


----------



## Drabdr

valis said:


> Definitely the oddest game. Epic bat flip, weird scoring plays, twobenches cleared, and a baby nailed with a full beer tossed from an upper deck. Not MLBs best night.


Ummm.... That games should have been called. Period. Disgusting.


----------



## valis

why? Because of idiot fans? were that the case, no game would ever get played. Heck some dude was beat into a coma in LA during the Dodgers *at* Mets game. The team wasn't even in town and he still got worked. At Dallas last week some dude was shot in the head while onlookers both encouraged the shooter *and then cheered*.

It's not the games fault, Brad.


----------



## valis

here's a rather sobering read. I searched for the past week.

https://www.google.com/search?q=inc...idents+of+fan+violence+at+pro+games&tbs=qdr:w


----------



## Drabdr

valis said:


> why? Because of idiot fans? were that the case, no game would ever get played. Heck some dude was beat into a coma in LA during the Dodgers *at* Mets game. The team wasn't even in town and he still got worked.


I know it's "part of it"; to an extent. The Rangers had been playing fairly well on the road; saying, they are conditioned for all the noise.

But this was different; game 5; 7th inning. Once a delay of game was initiated, they should have called it an replayed it.



> At Dallas last week some dude was shot in the head while onlookers both encouraged the shooter *and then cheered*.
> It's not the games fault, Brad.


I don't get this one at all. I hope they prosecute all of them to the fullest extent of the law.


----------



## valis

for what it's worth, toronto has banned the sale of beer in the upper decks at least.


----------



## ekim68

As an aside, there used to be sales of beer in Autzen Stadium up until 1979 and when it was banned it cut the number of fights in the stands considerably.  (Of course there are bars in the luxury suites but you can't see into them to see if they're fighting.. )


----------



## Drabdr

Well.... Kansas City has beaten them pretty soundly twice now. The Royals aren't the Rangers; they are healthy, and they are good.

Toronto has their work cut out for them.

I would imagine my disdain for the Blue Grackels wouldn't be as strong if Bautista wasn't such a cry baby.


----------



## valis

Murphy must be possesed. He is just seeing beach balls floating up to the plate.


----------



## ekim68

Wow, Murphy, just Wow...:up:


----------



## valis

Nobody has gone deep 6 consecutive games in the postseason. I heard some stats on Mike and Mike this morning that blew my mind, I'll have to find them.


----------



## Drabdr

And a free agent??


----------



## valis

he's writing his own checks, in short. MLB record is 8 homers in the postseason, he has at least four games to tie it. For that matter, this is the first time in Mets history a player has ever homered in 6 straight. Not just the postseason, their entire damn existence.


----------



## ekim68

One thing that comes to mind on watching this first game of the World Series, and that's a 91 mph Change Up....


----------



## Drabdr

ekim68 said:


> One thing that comes to mind on watching this first game of the World Series, and that's a 91 mph Change Up....


One could almost pitch that one pitch the entire game.


----------



## valis

one thing that comes to my mind is that, on the first pitch inside the parker, looked like the CF was hot-dogging it.....


----------



## ekim68

Whoa, talk about your Home Field advantage, and good pitching  , kudos to K.C. tonight....:up: Watching most of the Game tonight I realized, yet again, how Cold it is during the World Series... Seems Odd to mention Baseball with Winter Clothing... And, a little perspective on the Time Element of the World Series, it was 30 years ago yesterday that K.C. clinched their last Title...


----------



## ekim68

Watching the World Series as I post this and it's clear to me who wants this more....KC made it to the Party last year and this year they're gonna take Home the Ring..


----------



## ekim68

Toll Ja......


----------



## Drabdr

Amazing watching them play. What an incredible team.
Congrats to KC and their fans.


----------



## valis

Indeed. I had no clue this was Yost's 8th series. First win, too.


----------



## ekim68

Well I'll just have to shout out my Mariner Fan quote: "Wait 'til Next Year"


----------



## ekim68

Hey Tim, you hear about this?


Automated strike zone an improvement baseball needs


----------



## valis

Yup. Do I agree? Hecks no.


----------



## Drabdr

valis said:


> Yup. Do I agree? Hecks no.


Seconded.


----------



## valis

I think, but am not sure, that Mike is all for it......but we'll see.


----------



## ekim68

You nailed it. We have the technology and it's pretty exact. Don't get me wrong about the refs for Baseball because I think they are the best in all the major sports. However, time and time again replays have shown that calling Balls and Strikes have changed games....Just saying.....................


----------



## valis

I understand that........._but_.......it's part of the game, and part of the joy and pain of the game. I agree with instant replay (but only when done right; see the NHL, takes about 12 seconds and that's it, and they _always_ get it right). No need for a 10 minute delay to fix a human error, just fix it and move on.


----------



## ekim68

According to the article, the Ump would have an earpiece and the information would be almost immediate so the Call wouldn't take 10 minutes. It would be seconds at the most.....In this day and age the Athletes in all Sports are bigger and faster and reaction time is so much quicker....It seems to me that most Pitchers nowadays throw 90 mph or more and what have Umpires done to improve their vision? Just saying.....


----------



## valis

Didn't we already agree to disagree on this?


----------



## Drabdr

I agree.


----------



## ekim68

Tim, for a Young Guy you're such a Traditionalist...... And I Agree on the Disagreement......


----------



## valis

's.....still dislike the DH rule as well. But dang if I didn't love to watch Edgar swing the bat. Best swing outside of Jr's, IMHO.


----------



## ekim68

Well my Mariners started the season today and they've already managed to muck up their perfect season.....*sigh* It's gonna be a long season and I'm gonna have to get used to so many new players and coaches......(Only 161 games to go.. )


----------



## valis

Stros got rained out, dagnabbit.

Btw, Mike, Ive put the Astros over the Cubs in the Series.


----------



## ekim68

It seems that Aaron Boone shares your decision about the World Series Tim....


----------



## valis

Yeah, saw that. I knew I had the Astros in, wasn't sure about the Dodgers or the Cubs. Should be a great year, regardless.


----------



## ekim68

Competition committee agrees to changes to strike zone, intentional walks




> A new strike zone could be on baseball's horizon and the old-fashioned intentional walk could be a thing of the past after both were agreed to by the competition committee at Major League Baseball's owners meetings this week, sources said.
> 
> The potentially dramatic changes could be in effect by next season.


----------



## valis

Okay, the intentional walk had best not go.....that's a great strategy. If they are doing this just for the pace of play, it's stupid as heck.


----------



## valis

was thinking about this last night.....if they get rid of the intentional walk, expect HPB stats to skyrocket.


----------



## ekim68

Not sure what your line of reasoning is....According to the article, the intentional walk will still be allowed but they will get it without throwing the pitches to quicken the game...


----------



## valis

Line of reasoning is thus; if they WERE to get rid of the intentional walk (I've not read that article, can't get there at work and generally don't hop on TSG at home), then the pitchers are just going to plunk hitters to get around them.


----------



## ekim68

Wow, just Wow....!


Aroldis Chapman hits 105 with his fastball ... twice


----------



## ekim68

Ichiro Suzuki, still connecting



> He is 42 now, the second-oldest player in the majors (behind Bartolo Colon), and this is his 16th year playing in the United States. In his first year in the majors, he was both rookie of the year and MVP. He holds the single-season record for hits with 262. He owns 10 Gold Gloves as an outfielder. And sometime in the next couple of weeks, he will reach a milestone beyond dispute: 3,000 major league hits, a mark only 29 players before him have reached. Going into Tuesday's game against the Phillies, he is at 2,994, six hits away. He is a dead-certain Hall of Famer, which Pete Rose, right now, is not.


----------



## valis

You beat me to it, Mike. I read this last night, forwarded it to a bunch of friends, and was coming in to post this here. 

Great read, and a great player. :up:


----------



## ekim68

He could be the first HOF'er for Japan and the USA.....


----------



## ekim68

Good for this. :up:


Police identify alleged Blue Jays beer can thrower


----------



## valis

And he's denying it, of course. 

On a related note, that game last evening was one of the best I've seen in some time. Anyone who thinks that was a boring game isn't a baseball fan.


----------



## ekim68

Love this time of year....


----------



## ekim68

How about those Giants? It is an even numbered year... I caught this quote from Syndergaard this morning:



> Baseball has a way of ripping your
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> out, stabbing it, putting it back in your chest, then healing itself just in time for Spring Training.


----------



## valis

Yeah, the site boss here where I work is from the Bay area, I've been hearing about the even numbered year all dang season......If Madison could pitch every game, I'd say it's a lock. I don't see them getting past the Cubs though.


----------



## ekim68

I'm agreeing with you on the Cubs....They're the most complete team I've seen this year...


----------



## valis

I'm still taking the Rangers, however.....I don't know why, either.


----------



## ekim68

Um, sorry about the Rangers....


----------



## valis

Yeah, that one didn't end pretty, did it? AND the broncos lost. Bleah.

Nate won his soccer game at least.


----------



## Drabdr

ekim68 said:


> Um, sorry about the Rangers....


Well... they did it to themselves. I will not take away from the Blue Jays; they are very tough. But... our bullpen is pretty sad.


----------



## ekim68

Go Cubs...................!


----------



## valis

Yup. I'm totally pulling for them.  Somewhere, ol Harry is smiling and singing.


----------



## ekim68

Since my Mariners didn't make it, yet again, I'm glad that Cleveland did....Francona is a darn good Coach....:up:


----------



## valis

Francona is a stud, hands down....I detest the BoSox, as you know, but I gotta give respect where due.

That said, a LOT has to be given to Epstein. Easily the best GM I've seen.


----------



## ekim68

More Cubbies.....


9 Phrases the Cubs Gave Baseball

:up:


----------



## valis

nice....hadn't seen that before.

obligatory......


----------



## ekim68

Well Cleveland took the first one....14 Strikeouts will do that, eh? We'll see how the Pitching holds up...


----------



## valis

and don't forget the weather....game 2 moved to 7 pm EST due to rain.......


----------



## ekim68

Cubs tied the Series and now on to Chicago.....:up:


----------



## ekim68

Chapman must be part robot to throw the ball 103 mph, which by the way is a record for the World Series....


----------



## ekim68

Well done Cubs, on to another day.....:up:


----------



## ekim68

Cubs......!!!!!!!  On to Game Seven.....:up:


----------



## valis

woohoo!!!!


----------



## ekim68

Holy Cow.....Rain Delay and going into the Tenth.....What a Game....!


----------



## ekim68

Yes....! Cubs.....:up:


----------



## valis

WHAT a game, and what a Series. 

Only thing that stinks is now no more baseball for 6 months.


----------



## ekim68

This is a good read and I'm not sure where I stand on this....


Baseball Hall of Fame voting becoming as heated as our elections



> This year's debate was further roiled when a committee of writers, historians, executives and former players voted to enshrine recently retired Commissioner Bud Selig, who oversaw a huge rise in baseball's popularity and revenues during the steroid era.
> 
> Selig's election has caused many BBWAA writers to throw up their hands: If the man who oversaw the steroid era is in the Hall, they argue, why not the players? One is Peter Botte of the New York Daily News, who voted for Bonds and Clemens for the first time this year.


----------



## Drabdr

ekim68 said:


> This is a good read and I'm not sure where I stand on this....
> 
> 
> Baseball Hall of Fame voting becoming as heated as our elections


Seems to me it should be left up to the people who vote for the hall of famers. If they're OK, then go with it.

Unless they have concrete, direct evidence that Selig knew but did nothing, I'd say he earned his spot.


----------



## valis

Ooohhh....that IS a thorny one. Of course, Im of the mind players belong there, and non-players in a different HOF, but regardless, thats a good convo starter.


----------



## ekim68

I'm of a mind to agree with you Brad. Several things to take into consideration: (1) The younger voters don't seem to be bothered with steroids and are more statistic oriented.....(2) When did performance enhancing drugs become illegal? (3) What about player's size? By that I mean how do you compare someone like Frank Thomas playing on the same field as David Eckstein who is a foot shorter and without the drugs? (4) I'm glad I'm not a voter...


----------



## Drabdr

ekim68 said:


> I'm of a mind to agree with you Brad. Several things to take into consideration: (1) The younger voters don't seem to be bothered with steroids and are more statistic oriented.....(2) When did performance enhancing drugs become illegal? (3) What about player's size? By that I mean how do you compare someone like Frank Thomas playing on the same field as David Eckstein who is a foot shorter and without the drugs? (4) I'm glad I'm not a voter...


I certainly don't want to get off topic, and since this isn't the debate forum ... want to keep it light...

yall two know me well enough that I tend to be overly prudish with respect to moral stuff, laws and such...

That said... (and this came up about the Joe Mixon scenario...) how much are we going to punish somebody for something?
to your well made point 2 Mike, exactly when did it become a "hey, you're caught and you're banned for life" or whatever?

As bad as we hate to admit it.... we (at least in my opinion), still have an awful lot of inconsistency in the rules, how they are interpreted, and how they are enforced.

The Hall of Fame t0 me, are individuals who have re-defined the sport (or position; or whatever). To me, it's hard to deny that impact with Selig.


----------



## valis

Rock, Bags, and Pudge into the Hall. Woohoo!

I wonder how much sense that sentence will make to someone who DOESNT follow baseball.


----------



## ekim68

Well I had to look up Tim Raines to find out he was nicknamed Rock, but good for those guys....:up:


----------



## valis

Oh c'mon, Mike, I ain't buying that for a second. Rock Raines? I know you better than that.


----------



## ekim68

Actually I probably knew it at one time but sometimes my three active brain cells revolt against my memories... I did know and watch Bags and Pudge though and they are most worthy....


----------



## ekim68

Not sure how I feel about his...


Report: Rule change in minors will put runner on 2B in extra innings



> With commissioner Rob Manfred focused on increasing the pace of play in Major League Baseball, the minor leagues have become a proving grounds of sort when it comes to the pitch clock and other ideas.
> 
> One of the focuses this season will be on possible solutions for speeding up extra-inning games.


----------



## valis

and you don't even have to ask how I feel about it.


----------



## ekim68

(Hmm, I wonder what Tim thinks about this... ) 
MLB players' union agrees to pitchless intentional walks And maybe the Commissioner has too much time on his hands.


----------



## valis

Gee, I wonder.....

There was a good article on Deadspin today, excerpt below:



> The problem with this proposal is that the savings would be minimal. Intentional walks are on the decline and eliminating the four pitches it takes to move a batter over would only save an average of 14 seconds per game. That's about one minute per walk on something that only happened once every 2.6 games.


Raises a few questions. I certainly think that there are other, better options out there. Limit mound visits, have a hard time for between pitches, etc....but not this.


----------



## ekim68

I kind of agree on this one. It also takes away the variables of possible wild pitches...


----------



## valis

Yup. Or just hanging one a _bit_ too close to the batter......


----------



## ekim68

And there's this....


Don Mattingly: If hitters were afraid to strike out it would speed up play


----------



## valis

Yeah, I think ol' Don may have taken a few too many hits to the head...if striking out _doesn't_ hurt the team, just looks bad for the players stats, it's going to be hard to get the individual athlete to care one way or the other.


----------



## ekim68

Hmm, some players' points of view....!


MLB veterans chafe at Rob Manfred's vision: Always 'some stupid new rule'


----------



## valis

Good read. I really agree with them.


----------



## ekim68

I thought you would....


----------



## valis

oh, Yadi, Yadi, Yadi.........


----------



## ekim68

Yum......


The Mariners' toasted grasshoppers are so popular they're actually running out



> In the lead-up to opening day just a few weeks ago, the biggest news was all the new ballpark food offerings. The Texas Rangers had concocted a Texas Snowball, which is a ball of brisket deep fried in funnel cake batter and coated in powdered sugar. The Cincinnati Reds are offering a chicken dish drizzled with cherry sauce.
> 
> But no one cares about those food items anymore. Not since the Seattle Mariners introduced their toasted grasshoppers.


----------



## ekim68

Wow, cool stuff....


Coghlan's leap, Stroman's hit lift Blue Jays over Cards 6-5


----------



## ekim68

The statistical revelation that has MLB hitters bombing more home runs than the steroid era



> Dingers. Taters. Bombs. Blasts. Moon shoots. Everyone digs the long ball, and Major League Baseball has plenty to go around.


----------



## valis

Btw, my friend, sorry about Segura. Standout player on a rebuilding team.


----------



## ekim68

My poor Mariners are taking it on the chin this year, however your team is red hot...:up:


----------



## ekim68

Albert Pujols: 'Pretty special' to be ninth ever to reach 600 home runs


----------



## valis

Yup, Stros are kicking butt. Dont wanna jinx them, so not talking about them until August.

But jesus we are playing good. Hope we get backsies at Cleveland, as they swept us at home last month.


----------



## ekim68

Whoa.....! 


Aaron Judge hits 496-foot HR, longest since tracking began




> New York Yankees





> outfielder Aaron Judge hit a home run Sunday at Yankee Stadium against the Baltimore Orioles that traveled 496 feet, the longest distance a home run has traveled since ESPN began tracking home runs in 2009.


----------



## valis

Absolute moon shot.


----------



## valis

Absolute moon shot.


----------



## valis

Absolute moon shot.


----------



## valis

Absolute moon shot.


----------



## WendyM

God, the Mets are awful. That is all.


----------



## valis

Yes. Yes they are.


Still not the Knicks though.


----------



## ekim68

Your guide to the best-and weirdest-ballpark food from all 30 MLB stadiums



> From the classic (Chicago-style hot dog!) to the just plain weird (apple pie nachos???) here are the most appealing-and confusing-ballpark food options at all 30 MLB stadiums.


----------



## ekim68

Geez, this guy is a giant.....!


Aaron Judge launches 23 HRs in 1st round en route to HR Derby title


----------



## valis

Tell you what, Mike, I was watching that and there were at least a half-dozen that I thought were pop-ups that ended up in the second deck. That young man has such a smooth swing and the ball is just _gone._


----------



## ekim68

Okay Tim, is Beltran HOF material? 


Carlos Beltran homers after Astros hold mock funeral for his glove



> HOUSTON -- Carlos Beltran hasn't used his glove in a game in more than two months.
> 
> On Monday, the Houston Astros gathered around their teammate in center field and laid his mitt to rest, holding a mock funeral to send it off.


----------



## valis

hoo boy, Mike, that is a damn good question. Knee jerk? Nope. Close, but nope. What's your view?

And yes, that was all OVER the news down here.


----------



## ekim68

I think he is. Besides a three-time Gold Glove and eight-time All-Star there's a lot of Clubhouse stuff that he does to make Teams win. He's been fun to watch..


----------



## ekim68

Boston Red Sox Used Apple Watches to Steal Signs Against Yankees



> WASHINGTON - For decades, spying on another team has been as much a part of baseball's gamesmanship as brushback pitches and hard slides. The Boston Red Sox have apparently added a modern - and illicit - twist: They used an Apple Watch to gain an advantage against the Yankees and other teams.


Whoops...!


----------



## ekim68

New American League record.....


21-0! The Indians may never lose again

(They look like Contendahs....)


----------



## valis

glad they are getting it done now as opposed to the postseason. They sorta stand in the Stros' way.


----------



## valis

glad they are getting it done now as opposed to the postseason. They sorta stand in the Stros' way.


----------



## ekim68

Girl with 3D-printed robotic hand to throw first pitch at World Series game



> A seven-year-old Las Vegas girl will throw out the first pitch in game four of the upcoming World Series.
> 
> It's a dream come true for a young baseball fanatic on a mission to throw out balls at every Major League park. It's also a testament to the convergence of 3D printing and robotics.


----------



## valis

Cannot believe this; ALDS _only_ on FS1 or MLBN. No broadcast anywhere else.


----------



## ekim68

MLB has been on a decline in popularity for a few years now and to restrict the market more and more ain't helping....


----------



## valis

the media down here is going bonkers on this. And deservedly so, I may add. That's absolute bush league crap. Second year in a row too.


----------



## ekim68

Looking good Tim.....


[URL='http://www.espn.com/mlb/recap?gameId=371014118']Altuve's dash lifts Verlander, Astros over Yanks in Game 2[/URL]


----------



## valis

That was a great game. Tell you what though, the Dodgers and Cubs are just loaded, top to bottom.


----------



## valis

Tell you what; if Vin Sculley doesnt call a Series game, or if he isnt offered the chance, its a damn travesty.


----------



## valis

9 outs to go and our bullpen is about as tough as a wet kleenex. Not going to be surprised if we see Kuechal.


----------



## ekim68

And so I checked in on the Game and it looks good Tim...What's the Nightlife gonna look like if the score stays the same...


----------



## valis

For me, nada....still cant walk. But man, have I been hearing cheers from around the complex. I refuse to pay to watch, and its only broadcast on FS1, so I am just doing the radio thing.


----------



## valis

The Astros win the pennant! The Astros win the pennant! 

Fwiw, I also think they are the first team to represent both Leagues in the Series, but I may be wrong.


----------



## ekim68

Where's my Wallet? 


Cheapest seats for Dodgers-Astros World Series opener close to $1,000


----------



## valis

good lord. You could pay me a grand and I still wouldn't go.


----------



## ekim68

A strong start for Kershaw....!


Clayton Kershaw's Masterpiece Elevates Dodgers over Astros in Game 1 of the World Series


----------



## valis

well, that and a little home cookin' from the home plate ump.....


----------



## ekim68

Ok, up on my Soapbox.... I like how the camera technology has come along with all major sports in that the clarity and slow-mo show really well. However, is it so important to follow the players and coaches so closely that we're almost looking up their noises? IMHO they should back off a little, or maybe a lot, and just concentrate more on the Game....(Off the Soapbox now..)


----------



## valis

Sounds like a good soapbox to be on, honestly.


----------



## ekim68

What a Game right now, going into the 11th.....:up:


----------



## valis

Unbelievable game. Best of the year, easy. Plus we won!


----------



## ekim68

This World Series has been very entertaining to me and the Astros just tied it in the 4th....


----------



## ekim68

And the 5th....:up:


----------



## ekim68

Wow, is this the best World Series game ever?


----------



## valis

a few pitchers may disagree with you.


----------



## ekim68

A few stats and Records broken during last nights Game...


----------



## ekim68

On to Game Seven.....


----------



## ekim68

Congrats on your Team Tim.....The best team won....:up:


----------



## valis

Thanks Mike. That was AWESOME.


----------



## Drabdr

valis said:


> Thanks Mike. That was AWESOME.


Did Houston sleep last night? By the looks of my FB feed, they didn't.


----------



## valis

Dunno, but zero traffic this AM.


----------



## valis

Excellent write-up at ESPN on the building of the team, and how Luhnow is a damn genius. Ranks up there with Cashman, IMHO.

http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/...world-series-betting-ability-predict-baseball


----------



## valis

We are actually closing shop at 1230 so the employees can hit the parade. I'm obviously not going, as I still can't stand for more that 3 minutes, but I think it's pretty dang cool my company did that.


----------



## valis

Holy chrome….over 100k at the parade. Local news is reporting 'hundreds of thousands'. Downtown Houston is a mess. Gotta admit; we got NO clue how to hold a celebratory parade. Obviously.


----------



## valis

valis said:


> Holy chrome….over 100k at the parade. Local news is reporting 'hundreds of thousands'. Downtown Houston is a mess. Gotta admit; we got NO clue how to hold a celebratory parade. Obviously.


Ended up at 1.1 MILLION people there. Unbelievable. Over a quarter of the damn city showed. :up:


----------



## valis

and say what you will about the Dodgers, but this was classy.

http://www.khou.com/sports/mlb/worl...ton-chronicle-congratulating-astros/489476905


----------



## ekim68

Right on with the Classy, good one Tim....:up:


----------



## ekim68

Sabermetrics makes my head spin....


Baseball statisticians are fighting over what makes a player valuable


----------



## ekim68

Closing out the Books....


Vegas sportsbooks lose record $11.4M on baseball in November



> The Houston Astros took an $11 million bite out of Las Vegas sportsbooks by winning the World Series.
> 
> Nevada sportsbooks lost $11.4 million on baseball in November -- the largest baseball loss in a month for the state's regulated books, according to the Nevada Gaming Control Board.


----------



## valis

Tough noogies is what I say.  Go Stros!


----------



## ekim68

Looks like they broke another record...


----------



## ekim68

Ah Capitalism... 


[URL='https://deadspin.com/marlins-plan-now-that-weve-traded-away-beloved-players-1821724544']Marlins Plan: Now That We've Traded Away Beloved Players And Alienated Fans, Let's Increase Ticket Revenue[/URL]


----------



## ekim68

The Ageless One....


Ichiro will return to Seattle in 2018 after the Mariners officially announced he signed a one-year deal with the club on Tuesday.


----------



## valis

all-time hits leader, IMHO. Arguably one of the greatest batters in history. Hope he hits the HOF as a Mariner.


----------



## ekim68

He could be the first player in both the Japanese HOF, The Golden Players Club, and the MLB HOF... I've had a lot of fun watching him.. :up:


----------



## valis

You may enjoy this, Mike, as I know I sure did.

http://www.espn.com/espn/feature/st...turn-seattle-mariners-resolve-internal-battle


----------



## ekim68

Wow, thanks Tim. I thoroughly enjoyed that and I'm sending the link to my Grandson who has become a bigger fan than me... :up:


----------



## valis

(in David Attenborough voice) and so the circle of life continues........


----------



## ekim68

This is a good read and Uecker is tough as nails... 


Brewers' broadcaster Bob Uecker survives venomous spider bite, continues to cheat death


----------



## ekim68

Tis the Season... 


'Happ'-y Opening Day: Cubs leadoff hitter Ian Happ gets home run on first pitch of season


----------



## valis

Miami's got a looooong year in front of them, I do believe.


----------



## valis

Seeing Ichiro take the field on Opening Day....absolute chills. Kudos to the Mariners, that was classy.


----------



## valis

Who ya got, Mike? Ichiro or Williams?


----------



## ekim68

Wow, so you made me get up and go look...Well okay (with Guitar in Hand).. Oh! As I said before, he's gonna be in two HOFs.....

(Only saw the Tail End of Williams and didn't feel it even though he's the Last 400 Hitter.)


----------



## valis

To me, its like 1 and 1a. Brett maybe 1b. 

But .400 holds the crown.


----------



## ekim68

Numbers don't Lie, but it's been a Fun Ride....


----------



## ekim68

Tough Crowd... 


Dubious home debut earns Giancarlo Stanton boos from Yankees fans


----------



## ekim68

Pirates usher Phil Coyne, 99, retires after working home games since 1936



> PITTSBURGH -- The oldest usher in the major leagues is calling it a career after 81 years on the job.
> 
> The Pittsburgh Pirates announced Friday that 99-year-old Phil Coyne, who has been working home games for the organization since 1936, will not return this season. He turns 100 later this month.


----------



## valis

Wotta slacker.... 

Seriously though, great read. Thanks Mike. :up:


----------



## ekim68

Looks like the Phenom is for Real... 


Shohei Ohtani gives up 1 hit in 7 shutout innings in home debut



> ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Shohei Ohtani seemed to be the only person in Angel Stadium who wasn't incredibly impressed while he mowed down the Oakland Athletics' first 19 batters in order.


----------



## ekim68

Meanwhile, Baseball....


Brandon Belt sets MLB record, sees 21 pitches in AB before lining out

(That would be a workout at the Plate... )


----------



## valis

21 pitches and _still_ end up out? Man, I'd be ticked.


----------



## valis

well, nuts.

https://deadspin.com/ichiro-will-retire-or-at-least-not-play-any-more-baseb-1825751874


----------



## ekim68

I read that and he says he's keeping options open for next year. He's been fun to watch..


----------



## ekim68

We were at a game one night in Civic Stadium, (Single A Club), when they chased a cat all around the field...


Darling ducklings invade field at Minor League Baseball game



> May 7 (UPI) -- The grounds crew for the Norfolk Tides was busy catching baby ducks this weekend during a Minor League Baseball game.
> 
> Two ducklings danced around the third baseline in the third inning of the Tides' 8-3 win against the Louisville Bats Saturday at Harbor Park in Norfolk, Va.


----------



## valis

George Springer went off last night........


----------



## ekim68

Take me out to the Ballgame... 


M's James Paxton first Canadian ever to toss no-hitter in Canada


----------



## ekim68

Jordan Hicks throws two pitches clocked at 105 mph on Sunday




> St. Louis Cardinals





> rookie right-hander Jordan Hicks hit 105 mph on the radar gun twice Sunday, becoming the first pitcher to throw multiple pitches at that speed in the same game in the past 10 seasons.


----------



## ekim68

Mariners honor Paxton with bald eagle bobbleheads on Canada Day



> May 21 (UPI) -- James "Big Maple" Paxton is getting a bald eagle bobblehead night from the Seattle Mariners ... on Canada Day.
> 
> The left-handed hurler will be commemorated during a July 1 matchup against the Kansas City Royals. The honor immortalizes Paxton's April 5 meeting with the bird before a game against the Minnesota Twins in Minneapolis. Paxton was standing out in left field during the national anthem at Target Field. The bird swooped around the stadium before landing on Paxton's right shoulder.


----------



## ekim68

Whoa....!


Rockies' Gonzalez hits longest homer in Statcast history at Cincy park



> Gonzalez's moonshot left his bat at 109.8 mph and flew 473 feet, according to Statcast.


----------



## valis

good lord.....that is a moon shot, AND it's not in Colorado at altitude.


----------



## ekim68

Oh My, my Mariners are in First Place.. 

Just Now


----------



## valis

I wouldn't look over your shoulder, Mike.....


----------



## ekim68

I'll take whatever I can get Tim...


----------



## valis

I won't lie to you, I was very surprised to see the Astros looking up at the Mariners. Only half a game, but still.....I was concerned about the Yankees. The Mariners weren't even on my radar, as they weren't expected to be this good.


----------



## ekim68

Came across this: 


[URL='https://deadspin.com/the-mariners-cant-really-be-this-good-can-they-1826761204']The Mariners Can't Really Be This Good, Can They?[/URL]


----------



## valis

yup, read that. And they won again last night, in dramatic fashion.


----------



## valis

Caught ya.


----------



## ekim68

Thoughts on this Tim?


Hall of Fame won't honor Terrell Owens individually at ceremonies


----------



## valis

He brought it on himself. He is the one who stated he would not be attending the HOF ceremonies, instead choosing to throw his own party. I fully support the HOF on this one. :up:


----------



## valis

https://deadspin.com/terrell-owens-says-he-ll-skip-hall-of-fame-enshrinement-1826643686


----------



## ekim68

Hmm, I just noticed I put this in the Baseball thread. Oh well, I claim Old Age.  However, I agree with you that he brought this on himself and it's just another bit of Grandstanding... Seems to be a lot of that going on these days...


----------



## valis

yup. Reap what you sow, etc etc et al.

See that Pujols caught Grif Jr at number 6 all time?


----------



## ekim68

Thanks for that. Junior is one of my all-time favorites. As an aside, I'm a proud gramps just now. My Grandson is over in Israel right now covering the Lacrosse World Championship for These Guys. (ekim wanders off with a big smile.)


----------



## valis

Congrats Guitar Gramp!  :up:


----------



## ekim68

Will this be the Straw for the Dodgers?


Dodgers acquire Manny Machado from Orioles for five prospects


----------



## ekim68

His last name caught my attention... 


Cards' Daniel Poncedeleon carries no-hitter through 7 IPs in MLB debut


----------



## valis

We watched part of that last night; kid is damn lucky to be alive.

BTW, Mike.....I heard he is in the process of changing it to Ponce De Leon; at least the announcers stated that.....


----------



## Drabdr

In other news... my Texas Rangers are terrible. 

Again.


----------



## valis

yes, Brad, they are. And I am LOVING IT!!!!


----------



## ekim68

Don't fret Brad, at least your team made it to the World Series and mine hasn't....


----------



## valis

what was it, 98 they set the most-wins record? or 99?


----------



## Drabdr

valis said:


> yes, Brad, they are. And I am LOVING IT!!!!


Ha! Ha!!


----------



## valis

i believe the technical term for this is 'shadenfreude'. That loosely translates to 'Go Astros'.


----------



## Drabdr

valis said:


> i believe the technical term for this is 'shadenfreude'. That loosely translates to 'Go Astros'.


Since the Astros is a Texas team, your taunting is allowed. 

Talk about a touchy subject right now in Arlington; especially after they gave up that big lead they had yesterday: "Exactly WHY are we building them a new stadium, when the one they have is perfectly fine?"


----------



## valis

My friend, that's a hot topic everywhere with a team these days.....even has it's own tag on Deadspin....

https://deadspin.com/tag/stadium-financing


----------



## ekim68

Came across this a while back..


Bloomberg: Taxpayers Should Never Subsidize Stadiums


----------



## Drabdr

ekim68 said:


> Came across this a while back..
> 
> 
> Bloomberg: Taxpayers Should Never Subsidize Stadiums


 And boy is it touchy around here. Building the Cowboys stadium was one thing. The older one was really old; plus, Arlington gained that business. But the one Rangers have now is considered a super nice one. Yes it gets hot. But it's Texas; and... it's baseball.


----------



## ekim68

This is very good read. I was a Dale Murphy fan for a long time.. 


Where Have You Gone, Dale Murphy?



> IN THE YEARS after baseball, the Murphy kids don't remember Dale bringing up the Hall of Fame, and with his next window of eligibility coming soon, it remains other people who talk about it most often.
> 
> There's no precedent at work, or one to be set, by his candidacy. He's an outlier. He finished his career in the steroid era, the exact kind of player who would have benefited greatly from some anti-aging elixir. His decline happened as the Bash Brothers were born. He remembers sitting in the Braves' clubhouse with Glenn Hubbard and talking about players juicing. Hubbard turned to him and said, "You know how many home runs you could hit if you got on steroids?"


----------



## ekim68

Six players inducted into Baseball Hall of Fame




> Six players were inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., on Sunday. A record 60 Hall of Famers honored Vladimir Guerrero, Trevor Hoffman, Chipper Jones, Jack Morris, Jim Thome and Alan Trammell at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum over the weekend.


----------



## ekim68

Just found this... What an Arm..


Ramon Laureano uncorks the MLB throw of the year to complete absurd double play



> Laureano caught this drive by Justin Upton near the wall in left center field, but with Eric Young Jr. running on the pitch there was a slight chance of doubling him off first base. Laureano needed a perfect throw to get beat Young back to first base, and delivered just that, a 321-foot missile on the fly to complete the double play.


----------



## ekim68

Hey Brad, here's something from the Rangers. 


Texas Rangers turn rare triple play vs. Los Angeles Angels not seen in 106 years



> The sixth triple play in Texas Rangers team history turned out to be an incredibly rare one.


----------



## valis

saw that on sportscenter this AM, that could have been 4 outs if necessary.


----------



## ekim68

As an Aside....


Baseball players want robots to be their umps



> The sports world has been dealing with the human error of referees and umpires for decades-it's pretty much tradition at this point. But with technology that can assess the game more accurately, some athletes are ready to push the people calling balls


----------



## valis

well, the Stros are no longer in first. Not gonna say I am concerned as this is a game and I have never met any of them, but yeah, Im concerned.

Gonna be a good race between them, the very bad word used as a verb Mariners, and the A's.


----------



## ekim68

Talk about your lack of run support. 


Jacob deGrom ties MLB record with 25th straight start allowing three or fewer runs

(Check out the ERA.)


----------



## ekim68

Dodgers to hold first-ever Digital Bobblehead Night Sept. 21



> The Dodgers will hold their first ever Digital Bobblehead Night on Sept. 21 against the Padres.
> 
> Fans will have the opportunity to download a Clayton Kershaw, Justin Turner or Kenley Jansen Crypto token. The promotion is the first of its kind in Major League Baseball, and believed to be the first Crypto giveaway in sports.


----------



## valis

Tell you what, Mike....the AL postseason is going to be interesting.


----------



## ekim68

I agree, but I have to say that Boston looks like the team to beat...


----------



## ekim68

Whoa, just reading this made my arm hurt.. 


Max Scherzer 17th pitcher since 1900 to strike out 300 in single season


----------



## valis

that is damn impressive.....


----------



## ekim68

A Cy Young winner with a 10-9 record? Yep....:up:

NEW YORK -- [URL='http://www.espn.com/mlb/player/_/id/32796/jacob-degrom']Jacob deGrom was dominant in what likely was his final pitch for the NL Cy Young Award, throwing eight stellar innings and leaving with a major league-best 1.70 ERA as the New York Mets blanked the Atlanta Braves 3-0 Thursday night.[/url]


----------



## valis

talk about a weird statistical anomaly.....

https://deadspin.com/khris-davis-hit-247-for-the-fourth-year-in-a-row-1829435582


----------



## ekim68

Wow, just Wow...


----------



## ekim68

Just finished watching the Cub/Brewer game in which the Brewers won and they look like the Real Deal...Now to sit back and watch the Dodger/Rockies game. Good time to be a Baseball Fan..


----------



## valis

Good game. Go Rocks!


----------



## ekim68

valis said:


> Good game. Go Rocks!


Yep, they did it... :up: Now go Oakland..


----------



## valis

Indeed. 

only problem with that is that the site boss here is from Oakland.....


----------



## ekim68

And there we go...  The Astros took care of business and the Yankee/Red Sox game was fun... I love this time of year..


----------



## valis

October is awesome. College football, pro ball, and hockey as well. And Fall is my favorite season too.


----------



## ekim68

I just finished watching the Houston game and Wow. ! It must be tough to be the losing coach going into the bottom of the ninth and telling his players; "Alright guys we just need to get nine runs and we'll be okay..."


----------



## valis

Yeah, the bats sorta woke up.


----------



## ekim68

So Boston just won and what a game....The Yanks almost made a come back.. It's gonna be two good series coming up... :up:

Good time to be a Fan....


----------



## ekim68

Seven hours and twenty minutes later the Dodgers won. Longest game in history and way past my bedtime to see the finish. My favorite time of the year..


----------



## valis

one helluva game. I had mentioned to a buddy I could stay up late and watch it (normally get up at 5) and then I jokingly said 'now watch it go 19'. 

Whups.


----------



## ekim68

I made it to the 13th, not bad for an Old Guy..


----------



## valis

a veritable Guitar Gramp, as it were...

Man I see more innings again.


----------



## ekim68

I've always been a Fan of this Guy.... Class Act...

Joe Mauer, the 2009 American League MVP who has spent all 15 seasons of his major league career with the Minnesota Twins, announced his retirement Friday.[/url]


----------



## ekim68

I saw a number of his games this year and he's the real deal.. :up:


Angels' Shohei Ohtani beats Yankees' duo to win AL Rookie of the Year


----------



## valis

Holy crap DeGrom won the Cy Young. Good call by the voters. He totally earned it.


----------



## valis

ekim68 said:


> I saw a number of his games this year and he's the real deal..
> 
> 
> Angels' Shohei Ohtani beats Yankees' duo to win AL Rookie of the Year


again, no one alive has seen a player like him. Last was Ruth.


----------



## ekim68

Next stop, Cooperstown? Adrian Beltre announces retirement



> After 21 seasons and over 3,000 hits, Texas Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre has announced his retirement.


----------



## valis

If he's not a first ballot guy, I don't know who would be. +400 hr's, +1500 RBI's, and the all-time hits leader among foreign-born players.


----------



## ekim68

You might add that he was a heck of a defensive third baseman, too. I got to watch him quite a bit when he was with the Mariners.. :up:


----------



## valis

gonna laugh if, at his induction, someone touches his head....


----------



## ekim68

This is really good stuff.  It's about time...


MLB, MLBPA, Cuba strike historic pact for players to sign without defecting



> HAVANA -- Major League Baseball, its players' association and the Cuban Baseball Federation reached an agreement that will allow players from the island to sign big league contracts without defecting, an effort to eliminate the dangerous trafficking that had gone on for decades.


----------



## ekim68

There go the Ticket prices.. 


Phillies finalizing deal with Harper



> The Philadelphia Phillies appear to have won the Bryce Harper sweepstakes, finalizing a 13-year, $330 million deal with the free-agent outfielder, league sources told ESPN's Jeff Passan on Thursday.


----------



## valis

A third of a BILLION dollars to play ball. Good lord....


----------



## ekim68

I wonder what Tim will think of this... 


Robot umps, shift ban coming to Atlantic League



> Baseball's potential future will be showcased in the independent Atlantic League this year, and it includes robot umpires, a 62-foot, 6-inch distance between the pitcher's mound and home plate, and no infield shifting.
> 
> Those three rule changes are among a wide variety of experiments that the Atlantic League will run this season as part of its new partnership with Major League Baseball. The changes, announced Friday, include:


----------



## valis

Tim thinks "Jesus wept"....robot ump? Seriously? And changing the pitching distance? 

What the heck?


----------



## ekim68

Man I just don't understand economics these days.. 


Sources: Angels, Trout near new $430M deal


----------



## valis

That is insane.


----------



## valis

kudos yet again to the Mariners for allowing Ichiro to retire on his home turf. Arguably the best all-round player I've seen in many years.

https://deadspin.com/ichiro-forever-1833460270


----------



## ekim68

A very good article about a truly Class Act. I've been a Fan of his from Day One. I believe he will be the first HOF for two countries. Well done Ichiro... :up:


----------



## valis

Ditto across the board, Mike, and for my oddball stat of the day, I can now say I've seen both the first and last plays of a MLB player.....


----------



## ekim68

Memories.... 


On this date: Joe DiMaggio makes his MLB debut


----------



## valis

The Clipper....one heckuva human being...


----------



## ekim68

My first Major League experience came when I was ten. In 1961 we went to a Los Angeles Angels game against the New York Yankees in Chavez Ravine, which at the time was shared with the Dodgers and eventually became Dodger Stadium. I watched some of my heroes including Mantle, Berra, Ford, Maris, Kubek, Boyer, and Richardson.... Magic Moment....


----------



## ekim68

Hmm, we may have to rename this Thread....  And, a Dubious Record... 


O's pitching staff fastest ever to allow 100 HRs



> BALTIMORE -- The Baltimore Orioles have reached the century mark.
> 
> On Tuesday, the Orioles surrendered their 100th home run of the season, making them the fastest team to ever reach that mark. They achieved the dubious distinction in the fifth inning, when New York Yankees outfielder Clint Frazier drilled a three-run shot to dead center against O's starter David Hess.


----------



## ekim68

Hmm, we may have to rename this Thread....  And, a Dubious Record... 


O's pitching staff fastest ever to allow 100 HRs



> BALTIMORE -- The Baltimore Orioles have reached the century mark.
> 
> On Tuesday, the Orioles surrendered their 100th home run of the season, making them the fastest team to ever reach that mark. They achieved the dubious distinction in the fifth inning, when New York Yankees outfielder Clint Frazier drilled a three-run shot to dead center against O's starter David Hess.


----------



## ekim68

Yaz's grandson makes MLB debut with Giants



> After more than six years in the minor leagues, Mike Yastrzemski -- the grandson of Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski -- made his major league debut Saturday after being called up for the first time.


----------



## valis

With Vlad Jr as well, this is a good rookie class....


----------



## ekim68

Social Media at its best... 


[URL='https://deadspin.com/fake-steve-berthiaume-twitter-account-leads-to-random-f-1835154426']Fake Steve Berthiaume Twitter Account Leads To Random Family Crashing Diamondbacks' Booth During Game[/URL]



> Arizona Diamondbacks broadcaster Steve Berthiaume doesn't use Twitter, but someone on the site is pretending to be him. The account @BertDbacks is clearly fake-and also rude-but it convinced a family of D-Backs fans that they could come visit the Fox Sports Arizona booth during Thursday's game against the Rockies.


----------



## ekim68

A good read..


Pujols gets ovation in return to Busch Stadium


----------



## valis

Class act right there.


----------



## valis

__ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1142230576818245632
That, my friends, is called sportsmanship.


----------



## ekim68

Whoa, must be the English Air....  30 total runs... 


Ye Olde Slugfest: Yanks top Red Sox 17-13 in MLB Euro debut


----------



## ekim68

The 2019 MLB Moneyball Report



> Without salary caps and league parity, MLB is the professional sport most closely resembling a free market where, in theory, you get what you pay for. But can money buy a winning ball club?


----------



## valis

Wow..chills.

https://deadspin.com/the-angels-paid-tribute-to-tyler-skaggs-with-a-combined-1836336041


----------



## ekim68

You don't see this everyday.... 


Twins pull off beautiful triple play in first inning against Yankees


----------



## valis

Holy crap, the Astros are loaded for bear now. Maybe elephant...hands down the best rotation in baseball with the addition of Greinke...


----------



## ekim68

I saw that earlier. They should be considered the favorites for the World Champs... :up:


----------



## valis

And actually, according to Vegas, they now are...:up:

Now then; life happens and there is a LOT of baseball yet...we shall see...


----------



## ekim68

I wrote a song once titled "Why oh Why"... 


The 20 most amazing and astounding facts from the Year of the Home Run


----------



## valis

Fun stat...Bo Bichette, Dante's son, has started 11 MLB games. He doubled in the last 9 to set a new record for consecutive games with a double.

Not a bad start, setting a record that hasnt been set in the previous 215k games, and needing just 11 to do so.


----------



## valis

My son and his HS band are playing the National Anthem at the Astros game on the 23rd. Holy crap.


----------



## ekim68

Well done and sounds like a proud Dad... :up:


----------



## valis

Most definitely.


----------



## ekim68

Time to lighten up... 


His bat handle says what?! 10 of the most hilarious and unforgettable baseball cards


----------



## valis

that was Ripken's younger brother, was it not?

on a related note, Le Twit's band is playing the Anthem tonight at the Stros game. woohoo!


----------



## ekim68

Are you going? If so, don't forget the camera. :up:


----------



## valis

Sadly no, got work tonight (power outage blew a switch and replacing tonight). 

But he will have a blast. Gets to meet the players so I reminded him to bring a ball and pen for autographs.


----------



## ekim68

This Guy is having a very good run right now.. 


New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom makes MLB history with his arm and his bat



> The Mets ace struck out 13 batters and hit a solo home run in the sixth inning to tie the game at 1-1. It marked the second time this season deGrom has homered in a game in which he also fanned at least 13 batters.


----------



## valis

Verlander tosses a no no for the Astros...woot woot, I daresay.


----------



## ekim68

Astros' Verlander tosses third career no-hitter

HOF numbers if you ask me...


----------



## ekim68

A good read and a good use of technology... 


The Knuckleball Isn't Dead Yet


----------



## valis

Good read indeed. Thanks Mike.


----------



## ekim68

Cool stuff... 


Mike Yaz homers in first game at Fenway Park

(Grandpa is gonna throw out the first pitch in the next game..)


----------



## ekim68

I guess swinging for the stars every at-bat has consequences. 


MLB sets strikeout record for 12th straight season


----------



## ekim68

Probably the best move by most of the teams this year, is to extend the nets... More power and Homers than ever so the ball is coming too fast... And then there's this Guy... 


New York Mets' Pete Alonso hits 52nd home run, tying Aaron Judge's MLB rookie record


----------



## valis

Gonna be an interesting October. It will be a surprise if it is not Stros/Dodgers imo...and I can honestly see, with this rotation, the Stros taking it all....


----------



## ekim68

So I got all of my running around done and chores are finished to I can sit down and watch some baseball. Then St. Louis scored 10 runs in the top of the first inning.... So much for a good game. I think I'll take a nap...


----------



## valis

Man if you had told me at the all star break it would be Nats at Cards NLCS I would have had you committed....


----------



## ekim68

Well I've become a full time Astro Fan... I'd like to see them and the Nats in the Final.. (Same type of Swagger..) Should be fun..


----------



## valis

boy oh boy oh boy.....heavyweight battle starts tonight. Been talking about this since June. Should be a great show. Best rotation vs the best offense. This is the stuff I dream of. Obviously go Astros but dang if I aint stoked for the spectacle.


----------



## ekim68

I bet Bryan Harper wishes he would have waited a year..


----------



## valis

LOL!!!!


----------



## ekim68

Okay it starts tomorrow and I'm an Astros Fan for this World Series, since once again my Mariner team didn't make it, even out of the gate.. 


World Series viewers guide: Can Nationals stop Astros?


----------



## ekim68

Whoa, just read about this... Maybe a Washington hat doesn't look so bad anymore.. 


Opinion: MLB needs to address Houston Astros' troubling history of toxic behavior


----------



## valis

yeah....not a great look....and I agree with several of those points. 

Still pulling for them though....


----------



## ekim68

I've been leaning more towards having a closer look at Balls and Strikes. (I know someone who would never change this tradition...)


Game 5 umpire controversy raises a question: Should MLB use an electronic system to make calls?


----------



## ekim68

And more on this...


How one blown strike call in Game 5 illustrates MLB's need for robot umps



> WASHINGTON -- The dawn of the robot umpire is near, and it is time. Game 5 of the World Series exemplified this. Plate umpire Lance Barksdale actually called a decent game by the current standards for umpires, but the combination of an untimely blown call and a hot-mic video of his rationale behind another poor judgment illustrated why automated balls and strikes must be part of baseball's future sooner than later.


----------



## valis

ekim68 said:


> I've been leaning more towards having a closer look at Balls and Strikes. (I know someone who would never change this tradition...)
> 
> 
> Game 5 umpire controversy raises a question: Should MLB use an electronic system to make calls?


lol....Indeed. Ambiguity is part of all sports...baseball among the most....


----------



## ekim68

Sorry Tim, but it was a pretty good Series..


----------



## valis

zero complaints here. Bit surprised that the home team couldn't win a game....VERY surprised that Strasburg is the first overall #1 pick to win a WS MVP. Odd little stat, that.


----------



## ekim68

Geez..... They don't even have to win it all.. 


At $2.6 billion, the New York Mets would be the highest-valued sports team ever sold in the U.S.


----------



## ekim68

Here you go Tim... 


'Robo umps' will help bring baseball into the 21st century - in more ways than one



> A computerized strike zone could be on the way to Major League Baseball. The umpires' union struck a deal with MLB officials over the weekend to cooperate and assist with the implementation of a digitally governed strike zone as part of a larger contract, according to a person with knowledge of the deal.


----------



## valis

You know my response to this garbage....


----------



## ekim68

Oh the times they are a changin'.... 


How MLB's new three-batter-minimum rule will impact the game


----------



## ekim68

I was wondering how far the disciplines would be/go....


Astros' Jeff Luhnow, AJ Hinch fired for sign stealing


----------



## valis

Gotta say it surprised me but it is well deserved. Cora is next.

Man, I am soooo disappointed. IMO that WS title now has an asterisk next to it....


----------



## ekim68

Yep, I agree. I wonder if Roger Maris's home run record still has an asterisk..


----------



## ekim68

Cora's done..... Next...?


----------



## valis

Cora is gonna get hammered...would not be surprised to see him join Rose in a lifetime ban...


----------



## ekim68

The times they are a changin'... 


Giants make Alyssa Nakken first female coach in MLB history


----------



## valis

Astros hire Dusty Baker.

Best man for the job IMHO.


----------



## ekim68

Yep, a proven winner and all around good guy... :up:


----------



## ekim68

Good Grief... 


Sportsbooks expect Astros hitters to be targeted often this season


----------



## valis

i TOTALLY agree. it is gonna be interesting to say the least.


----------



## ekim68

Hmm, I only got 75% right... Must be the Old Timers... 


Can You Pick the Baseball Player by His Nickname?


----------



## ekim68

I wonder if the Astros are gonna have to put up with this stuff the whole season.. 


Fans heckling Astros at spring opener get signs confiscated


----------



## ekim68

As an aside... 


Bat from New York Yankees legend Lou Gehrig sells for more than $1M



> April 8 (UPI) -- A nearly 100-year-old bat that New York Yankees legend Lou Gehrig once used was sold for $1,025,000 last week.


----------



## ekim68

Ready to See Baseball How We've Never Seen It Before?



> Laying out the blueprint for a 43-game season and an expanded postseason.


----------



## valis

yikes....just call the dang season...they did it in 94 for a strike for crying out loud and completely hosed the Expos...this is a freaking pandemic...


----------



## ekim68

MLB suspends Red Sox replay operator, docks draft pick; Alex Cora suspended for conduct with Astros

(Well news is news..  )


----------



## ekim68

Where's my wallet?  


Shoeless Joe Jackson baseball card from 1910 sells for $492,000


----------



## Cookiegal

I was going to edit the title to say 2014-2020 but is it really necessary to have any years shown there?


----------



## Cookiegal

I went ahead and changed it to 2014-2020. We can update it every year.


----------



## ekim68

Thanks Karen. That Time just keeps on going, eh?  Creates a little bit of History too..


----------



## Cookiegal

You're welcome.


----------



## ekim68

Sources: MLB shortens 2020 draft from 40 rounds to 5



> Major League Baseball will cut its 2020 draft to five rounds, as owners looking to save costs in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic pushed for fewer rounds over the objection of front-office officials, sources told ESPN.


----------



## ekim68

Part of the Economy is moving right along.. 


Babe Ruth baseball bat sells for $930,000 as sports memorabilia market heats up


----------



## valis

Mike, did you watch the Sosa/McGuire special?

What a couple of egotistical jerks to this day...'I respected the game...'

Bullsquat, in my ever so humble opinion.


----------



## ekim68

Yep, I did watch it and I agree with you that they were/are jerks but it brought back some memories. I remember where I was living at the time and my Grandkids were toddlers so I had the job of being Grandpa.

(I did however follow the home run count and even though everyone knew they were on drugs, it brought a lot of attention to the sport.)


----------



## ekim68

Geez.... 


Mookie Betts agrees to 12-year, $365 million extension with Dodgers


----------



## valis

see if you can guess how I feel about the new rules....love Edgar Martinez but hate the DH and to see it in the NL is a travesty...and a runner on second in the 10th? C'mon man....this is not baseball...


----------



## valis

I will say the KBO has been entertaining....I am up around 5 CST during the work week and manage to usually have that on as background noise for a couple hours.


----------



## valis

they are piping in fan noise....this is unwatchable....


----------



## ekim68

Are you watching the Yankee game?


----------



## ekim68

valis said:


> see if you can guess how I feel about the new rules....love Edgar Martinez but hate the DH and to see it in the NL is a travesty...and a runner on second in the 10th? C'mon man....this is not baseball...


I know you don't like the DH and we've probably had conversations about it, but an interesting stat from the playoffs last year was that pitchers were one in sixty... I kind of like more hitting and scoring..


----------



## valis

ekim68 said:


> Are you watching the Yankee game?


i was, yes...again, unwatchable...the fan noise was the last straw...


----------



## valis

there is no need for sports now....we need to stop the pandemic and IMHO there is no need for sports, as much as I love them.

But yeah...that was not baseball....


----------



## valis

ekim68 said:


> I know you don't like the DH and we've probably had conversations about it, but an interesting stat from the playoffs last year was that pitchers were one in sixty... I kind of like more hitting and scoring..


define one in sixty please...unsure of the stat...


----------



## ekim68

One hit in sixty at-bats....


----------



## valis

gotcha....i like the defense..a 1-zip game is fine by me as long as its good pitching....


----------



## ekim68

Meanwhile, back to Baseball... 


Dr. Anthony Fauci first-pitch baseball card breaks Topps record for sales in just 24 hours


----------



## ekim68

One person's opinion.... 


Drew Magary: The Astros are a team of Karens. It's a tragedy MLB fans can't boo them in person


----------



## valis

Can't agree more....but then I love me some Drew....or, shall I say I LOVE ME SOME DREW! (followed by a lot of bad words)....man, I am sooooo disappointed.....I kept charts on them for YEARS, from when they lost 100+ in three consecutive years to the WS title.....


----------



## ekim68

Where's my wallet? 


Mike Trout trading card sells for almost $4 million, breaks record set by Honus Wagner card


----------



## ekim68

Play on... 


Braves' 29 runs against Marlins second most in MLB since 1900


----------



## valis

ekim68 said:


> Play on...
> 
> 
> Braves' 29 runs against Marlins second most in MLB since 1900


saw that and thought they started football early....


----------



## ekim68

Right on Albert... :up:


Los Angeles Angels' Albert Pujols passes Willie Mays on all-time home run list


----------



## valis

couldnt happen to a better person....


----------



## valis

my final verdict after MUCH internal discussion....should the Astros win it all, 2 championships with 2 asterisks...neither should count....IMHO obv


----------



## ekim68

Hall of Famer ****** Ford, New York Yankees' all-time wins leader, dies at age 91

One of my favorite pitchers. I saw him back in 1961 when the Yankees played the Los Angeles Angels in Chavez Ravine..


----------



## ekim68

R.I.P. Joe Morgan of the Big Red Machine. Outstanding player and Broadcaster in his later years. What a talent..


----------



## valis

ekim68 said:


> R.I.P. Joe Morgan of the Big Red Machine. Outstanding player and Broadcaster in his later years. What a talent..


LOVED Joe both as a player and one of the best announcers in history....


----------



## ekim68

Wow, what a game four....  ; Tied in the seventh and to be continued...


----------



## valis

yeah that was an excellent game.....comedy of errors on the last play though.....


----------



## ekim68

Nope, didn't see this happening... !  (Although he is a good coach, IMHO.)


Boston Red Sox bring back Alex Cora as manager


----------



## valis

yeah i got no issues with that....miss Hinch though


----------



## ekim68

I think Hinch got picked up with Detroit... Ain't gonna look it up 'cause I'm lazy...


----------



## valis

yeah he did....would not mind seeing him back....dude is a stud


----------



## ekim68

Where's my wallet? 

Mickey Mantle baseball card shatters record, sells for $5.2 million


----------



## ekim68

Thought about putting this in the Memoriam thread but it seemed more appropriate here. One of my all time Heroes...

Longtime MLB home run king Hank Aaron dies at 86


----------



## ekim68

More on Hank... 

Nobody - And We Mean _Nobody_ - Was Consistently Great Like Hank Aaron


----------



## ekim68

Sheesh..... Pretty soon you're talking about real money... 

Sources: San Diego Padres, Fernando Tatis Jr. agree on 14-year, $340 million deal


----------



## valis

good lord.....between that and Mahomes landing a half-BILLION dollar contract I dunno.....did someone forget this is a game?


----------



## ekim68

Watch this guy if you can because he's special... 


Jacob deGrom stars on mound, at plate as torrid start for New York Mets continues



> DeGrom struck out 15 batters without a walk en route to a two-hit whitewashing of the Washington Nationals in New York, as the Mets cruised, 6-0. DeGrom (2-1) threw 109 pitches while recording the second shutout and fourth complete game of his career. He lowered his ERA to 0.31 over four starts.


----------



## ekim68

The locals are calling him the Degrominator......


----------



## valis

Dude is a stud on the mound...


----------



## valis

Glad Bumgarner wasnt given a no-hit last night. Good rule in the face of a bad one....


----------



## valis

And mimd you, he is my favorite active pitcher.


----------



## valis

Got the Twinkies on....Byron Baxter had a night tell you what....fun dude to watch


----------



## ekim68

This is a good read... 

All the Reasons Why It Has Never Been Harder to Be an MLB Hitter


----------



## valis

valis said:


> Got the Twinkies on....Byron Baxter had a night tell you what....fun dude to watch


They are gonna drop the mound in a year or two IMHO...


----------



## ekim68

I've heard that too.. More pitchers are hitting 100 mph these days..


----------



## valis

Its weird....last time they had this many no-hitters so early was 69....lowered the mound in 68....


Also looks like I quoted the incorrect text. Apologies my friend...


----------



## valis

Btw...see what Ohtani did last night? This guy is beyond generational....like a once a century type player...


----------



## ekim68

I don't seem to have good luck with my TV viewing habits these days. I started watching Ohtani and then got distracted, (easy to do) and didn't finish the game. A few days back on two separate occassions I missed the last inning of the Duck Women Softball games and didn't see our comebacks. Oh bother...


----------



## valis

Jesus...freaking Ohtani...leads the league in dingers and top 10 in ERA.

Again...our FATHERS never saw this....once in a lifetime


----------



## ekim68

I've had the opportunity to see him a couple of times and he's the Real Deal.... :up: How about Pujols moving just next door...


----------



## valis

ekim68 said:


> I've had the opportunity to see him a couple of times and he's the Real Deal....  How about Pujols moving just next door...


Man he is a shell of who he was....needs to hang em up.

Also...Mariners are having a rather rough time hitting this year....


----------



## valis

Good lord...ANOTHER no hitter, Kluber at Texas....they are so gonna lower the mound next year...


----------



## ekim68

I heard one of the minor league east coast groups were gonna try moving it back 6 inches. It's a weird cycle of making the athletes bigger and stronger and then having to move the lines to accommodate them.


----------



## valis

All that will do result more arm injuries....IMHO. Pitchers are going to overthrow....we'll see.


----------



## valis

Who is Jose Godoy?

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id...e-godoy-becomes-20000th-player-make-mlb-debut


----------



## ekim68

In the mood for some levity... 


20 Great Yogi Berra Quotes



> Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra was known as much for his wit as for his Hall of Fame baseball talents. His "yogi-isms" are some of the most well-known quotes around, even if you didn't know they came from Yogi.


----------



## valis

Players with 10 hr and 50 pitched strikeouts...
Ohtani 2018
Ohtani 2021.
Thats the whole list


----------



## valis

We are seeing stuff nobody living has seen here...i dont think people get how special this


----------



## ekim68

We live in an historic time... 


Can Jacob deGrom actually top Bob Gibson's 1.12 ERA?



> Through seven starts, New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom has a miniscule 0.80 ERA. To simply say it's the best in MLB so far this season doesn't quite do it justice.
> 
> No qualifying starting pitcher in modern history has posted an ERA under 1.00 for a full season.


----------



## valis

May break Gibson's record....and that is saying something.


----------



## ekim68

If you get a chance to watch him, do it.. :up: Are you gonna take in an Astro game this year?


----------



## valis

Nah....still very much anti crowds


----------



## ekim68

I thought this was resolved a long time ago....!

MLB players caught with any foreign substance to face 10-day suspension, sources say


----------



## valis

ekim68 said:


> I thought this was resolved a long time ago....!
> 
> MLB players caught with any foreign substance to face 10-day suspension, sources say


Yeah like in 1948 or so


----------



## valis

Before that actually. Thats what delineates the live ball era from the dead ball


----------



## valis

Here you go Mike....the Pierce All Time team.

P: Maddux

C: Yogi

1b: Lou Gehrig

2b: Ryne Sandberg

SS: The Wizard of Oz

3b: Brooksie

LF: Teddy Williams

CF: Say Hey Willie

RF: Ruth


----------



## ekim68

Speaking of live/dead ball. The Zombro incident made me wonder if head gear is in the future for pitchers. And what the design would be in regards to 'close fit' or 'Darth Vader' styles.  

Marketeers, start your engines..


----------



## valis

I see half-face shields a la hockey.


----------



## ekim68

Accounting; The Baseball way.... 


It's Bobby Bonilla Day! Why Mets pay him $1.19 million today and every July 1


----------



## ekim68

Cool stuff...


Tigers' Eric Haase hits three-run, inside-the-park home run - then hits three-run homer over fence


----------



## ekim68

Good time to be a Fan... :up:


Los Angeles Angels' Shohei Ohtani becomes first All-Star picked as pitcher, position player


----------



## ekim68

A compelling read... 

Ohtani is a once-in-a-century player in a year when we need to be awed, inspired and distracted. Comparing him to the Babe is no longer enough.


----------



## valis

ekim68 said:


> A compelling read...
> 
> Ohtani is a once-in-a-century player in a year when we need to be awed, inspired and distracted. Comparing him to the Babe is no longer enough.


Indeed. Been saying that all along. Dad argued with me of course saying someone born in 1915 could remember it. Cantankerous grump lol.

Btw Mike you okay? Unbelivable weather out there....


----------



## valis

Stros and altuve kicking fanny and taking names. #dos record by 1 game in all of mlb.

Still a buncha cheaters though.


----------



## ekim68

Yep, last Wednesday was the worst at 116 degrees, which is a record and highly unusual. It's back down to normal now. Reminds me of that old classic: Oh the Weather Patterns, they are a Changin'.


----------



## valis

ekim68 said:


> Yep, last Wednesday was the worst at 116 degrees, which is a record and highly unusual. It's back down to normal now. Reminds me of that old classic: Oh the Weather Patterns, they are a Changin'.


Good lord. Thats AZ weather, not Oregon...be safe man. Deaths over 500 now. No a/c up there as its not needed.


----------



## ekim68

Thanks Tim... :up: (BTW we have a/c and I started in on a small stack of books waiting for me. )


----------



## valis

Thank goodness. Wiki shows over 600 deaths and I know its bad. Stay safe man.

Knee deep in a Robert B. Parker series. Hardboiled detective stuff in the 80's. Books are fluff, airline fare, can read one in a day but hey i enjoy them.


----------



## ekim68

Enjoying is why we read, eh? My wife is into the Louise Penny detective series and I just ordered the biography of Isaac Newton...


----------



## valis

ekim68 said:


> Enjoying is why we read, eh? My wife is into the Louise Penny detective series and I just ordered the biography of Isaac Newton...


Oofda....i aint smart enough for Newton...more a Louise Penny sorta guy....


----------



## ekim68

Not to go too far off course, this is a good read.. 


Faster than the Fastest



> Jesse Owens wasn't afraid of Adolf Hitler or Jim Crow, but he feared





> Eulace Peacock


----------



## valis

ekim68 said:


> Not to go too far off course, this is a good read..
> 
> Faster than the Fastest


Huh....surprised Ive never heard of him....failure on my end.....thanks Mike.


----------



## valis

Mariners won (yay!)but Ohtani teed off again.

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id...any-upper-deck-home-run-seattle-t-mobile-park


----------



## ekim68

That guy is special and take the time to watch him if you can. There are moments in history which are special and this is one. I remember going to a Yankee/Angel game back in 1961 and had to opportunity to see Mickey and Roger and Yogi and ****** and those memories are in concrete.. 

Oh, and more on that shot from Ohtani:



> "I think that Statcast was wrong. I think that ball was well over 500 feet. ... I know we talk about Shohei all the time, but we're not talking about them enough. It's just incredible,'' Angels starter Alex Cobb said.


----------



## valis

Dude....you saw Mantle, Maris, and Berra LIVE????


(bows)


----------



## valis

I saw Carew and Garvey live...good class but a wholly different one from yours.


----------



## ekim68

One more note before I head out. I was ten at the time and Los Angeles was the biggest and most mesmerizing city I ever saw, so going to the game was icing on the cake. (I was from a small town named Needles.)


----------



## valis

ekim68 said:


> One more note before I head out. I was ten at the time and Los Angeles was the biggest and most mesmerizing city I ever saw, so going to the game was icing on the cake. (I was from a small town named Needles.)


San Bernadino baby!


----------



## valis

Just to get ready for tonight....https://youtu.be/NEJap9MV5iI


----------



## ekim68

Good Home Run Contest tonight and the Polar Bear had fun....  (Cool that Mancini was in the Final.)


----------



## valis

ekim68 said:


> Good Home Run Contest tonight and the Polar Bear had fun....  (Cool that Mancini was in the Final.)


Yup. Heck its cool just to see him in baseball again.


----------



## ekim68

Good time to be a Fan..... 


Cronenworth hits for cycle, Padres rout Nationals 24-8

(Does the NL have a Designated Hitter yet?  )


----------



## valis

I think they do....did last year but that was a shortened season.


----------



## ekim68

When did Fans get stupid and feel that they were part of the game? :down:


Fan who hit Alex Verdugo with baseball at Yankee Stadium banned from all MLB parks for life


----------



## valis

Bartman


----------



## ekim68

The Pitchers Whose Spin Rates Fell Most After a Crackdown on Sticky Substances



> Baseballs aren't spinning the way they used to.
> 
> More than a month into the era of increased scrutiny on the application of prohibited sticky substances to major league baseballs, spin rates on fastballs have fallen about 4 percent, as strikeouts have decreased and on-base percentage has risen - midseason changes without parallel in decades.


----------



## ekim68

This doesn't surprise me. The Dodgers needed to replace one high priced pitcher because Bauer is taking a vacation, which by the way according to ESPN most team mates don't want him back, with another high priced pitcher.. 


Los Angeles Dodgers finalizing deal to acquire stars Max Scherzer and Trea Turner from Washington Nationals, sources say


----------



## valis

ekim68 said:


> This doesn't surprise me. The Dodgers needed to replace one high priced pitcher because Bauer is taking a vacation, which by the way according to ESPN most team mates don't want him back, with another high priced pitcher..
> 
> 
> Los Angeles Dodgers finalizing deal to acquire stars Max Scherzer and Trea Turner from Washington Nationals, sources say


Man Nats are phoning it in at this point.


----------



## ekim68

Yep, I heard that they were starting the rebuilding process and the Strasburg saga hasn't helped..


----------



## ekim68

Looks like my Mariners aren't exempt from stupidity... They traded their best relief pitcher, Graveman, for basically nothing...


----------



## valis

Yeah that made some waves....


----------



## ekim68

Remember that old saying, 'Can of Corn'? Tonight's game's saying was, 'Out into the Corn'... 


Chicago White Sox win Field of Dreams game on Tim Anderson's walk-off home run


----------



## ekim68

Put a Cape on the Guy... 


Yadier Molina returning to St. Louis Cardinals for what will be catcher's 'final season' in 2022


----------



## valis

Yadi is awesome...first ballot easily.

Side note, gotta say the 'extra innings place a runner on second' is one of the dumber ideas Ive seen.


----------



## ekim68

I forgot about the 'player on second' thing. I started thinking that some of my brain cells were having a time-out when the commercials ended and lo and behold there was a guy on second. I have to say that I don't much like it either..


----------



## HOBOcs

Go Jays Go

Just saying


----------



## ekim68

And rightly so... They're in the mix...


----------



## valis

HOBOcs said:


> Go Jays Go
> 
> Just saying


Aaand lead the league in 2nd gen players.....👍


----------



## HOBOcs

WOW - 47 runs against Baltimore in 4 games (3-1)
We're looking for a wild card spot.. here's hoping!
Go Jays Go!


----------



## valis

HOBOcs said:


> WOW - 47 runs against Baltimore in 4 games (3-1)
> We're looking for a wild card spot.. here's hoping!
> Go Jays Go!


Yeah was watching the Braves game and the update stated 22 to 5 in the 6th....had to think about that for minute....

No kidding, first thought was Argonauts and when the heck did Baltimore get a CFL team....


----------



## ekim68

(You're probably wondering why I posted this in the Baseball thread.... So am I...  Oh well here's a Bravo to the Youngsters on the Ryder Team this year.. ) :up:


United States reclaims Ryder Cup, hands Europe its worst loss in 19-9 victory


----------



## valis

this day in history. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Catch_(baseball)


----------



## valis

for the Ohtani fans (of which I'm unabashedly one).....https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/32298201/shohei-ohtani-expanded-possible-baseball



> There are numbers, of course, that both numb and blow the mind -- 45 homers, 24 stolen bases, 99 runs, 98 RBIs, 156 K's in 130⅓ innings on the mound


----------



## ekim68

valis said:


> this day in history.
> 
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Catch_(baseball)


Can you imagine how clear it would have been if everyone had a Smart Phone back then? 

However, it's a Classic and I never get tired of watching it .. :up:


----------



## valis

ekim68 said:


> Can you imagine how clear it would have been if everyone had a Smart Phone back then?
> 
> However, it's a Classic and I never get tired of watching it ..


I just cant get over 483'....we need to bring that back...


----------



## valis

Stayed up late to watch Pads/Dodgers, glad I did. 4 dingers in the 8th, plus a double. Anytime 18 bases are surrendered in 3 outs is generally not a good sign.

Funny thing; Watched Dodgers @ Rockies back at the beginning of the year and the Rocks did the same thing to the Dodgers. Other than that I can't remember seeing a 4 HR inning.


----------



## 2twenty2

Was fan at Dodgers game one of 15 most-wanted fugitives?

https://torontosun.com/news/world/was-fan-at-dodgers-game-one-of-15-most-wanted-fugitives-in-u-s


----------



## valis

Watching Dodgers/Giants and had no idea that Yaz's grandson was a big leaguer. Awesome.


----------



## ekim68

I'm also watching it, and the Arizona St. game, however the Wildcard game was a Hoot..


----------



## valis

Got Stros/White Sox on and straight up rooting for the Pale Hose. Astros may be my least favorite team right now.


----------



## valis

and mind you, I love Dusty Baker and hate LaRussa. I just can't root for cheaters. Get rid of Altuve, Bregman, and Correa and I'll give them the stink-eye and re-evaluate. Until then, nope. Go Sox.


----------



## ekim68

Looks like the Astros are moving on much to your chagrin. I've been rooting for the Dodgers this time around and it looks like they forgot how to hit. (Much to Scherzer's chagrin..)


----------



## ekim68

Watching the Dodger/Giant game right now and this whole series has been fun. Good Baseball...


----------



## valis

Yeah but to end a birth in the NLCS with a check swing call?

Cmon man.


----------



## ekim68

I have to agree with you... Bad call..


----------



## ekim68

An old discussion coming up..  


Would robot umpires have prevented the Wilmer Flores Giants-Dodgers controversy? 
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crim...ct-ends-with-crash-kills-one-woman/ar-AAPC5Ci



> Amid all the talk over the controversial Los Angeles Dodgers-San Francisco Giants checked swing Thursday night about what the umpire did, what he may have gotten wrong and how it might have changed the course of baseball history, a more fundamental question was mostly left unasked: Do we need an umpire in the first place?


----------



## valis

Nope.


----------



## ekim68

What a game today and the Dodgers won...


----------



## valis

No kidding.

Got to say, its been a heckuva postseason. I had Rays winning it over the Giants, shows what I know.


----------



## ekim68

My favorite time of the year..


----------



## valis

ekim68 said:


> My favorite time of the year..


hands down. Leaves turning, NCAA football, and MLB postseason.


----------



## ekim68

Dodgers...! On to Atlanta and maybe a replay of last year...


----------



## valis

Man I was so rooting for Taylor to get 4. Oddly enough, more perfect games than 4 hr games.


----------



## ekim68

Yep, I was rooting for Taylor for the fourth home run, but as it stands he's tied with Reggie Jackson for the post season..


----------



## ekim68

BTW, Taylor is an ex-mariner...


----------



## valis

Astros take the pennant. Dominant game, 2 hitter.


----------



## ekim68

Are you conflicted?


----------



## valis

Nope. Aint rooting for them. Am rooting for Dusty though he's earned it God knows. Love that dude.


----------



## ekim68

Agreed... Dusty is a class act.. :up:


----------



## ekim68

Well it's the Braves against the Astros... On with the first pitch... :up:


----------



## ekim68

So now I'm rooting for the Braves and I've been a Fan of Freddie Freeman so it will be easy.. :up: However, an odd thing... In the last series I didn't like Rosario and even shouted at my TV. *sigh* And now: Go Rosario.......


----------



## ekim68

A good read... 


As the Astros return to the World Series, is it time for baseball to forgive and forget? Nah.


----------



## valis

> "I equate them to the steroid glikeuys," one top MLB team executive said Monday. "They're stained for the rest of their careers."


Agree one million percent.

I tested for the PDX police department like a quarter century ago and did pretty dang well all the way through. I probably could have gotten a job with them. Then I realized what that would entail; me driving in traffic with a loaded weapon. That may not be such a good idea.

In that vein, it's a good thing that I'm not the baseball commissioner because I am not sure they'd be playing yet. I would very much not be surprised if, if the time comes, this will haunt their HOF nomination. I can guarantee you right now I'd never vote for them.


----------



## valis

freaking Charlie Morton....pitched on a broken leg last night....


----------



## valis

Man that was a great game. Atl had a no hitter through 7.


----------



## ekim68

It amazes me the different scenarios with all of the Pitchers... They're talking about a Bullpen game or two for the next games... I can't imagine what strength and endurance the Pitchers face all season and then be ready for the Series..


----------



## valis

ekim68 said:


> It amazes me the different scenarios with all of the Pitchers... They're talking about a Bullpen game or two for the next games... I can't imagine what strength and endurance the Pitchers face all season and then be ready for the Series..


Yup....the 'stragery' is awesome. Math and stats and hunches.


----------



## ekim68

Well Atlanta is 3 and 1 now and on to the next one..


----------



## valis

Braves win this their bullpen deserves a collective huge raise. Good game, good series, good postseason.


----------



## ekim68

Looks like it's going back to the Astro's home field... I agree it's been a good series and as much as I think the Umps have a problem with the Strike Zone, they're at least equal opportunity ball/strike callers for both sides...  The Good thing is, we have another Game...


----------



## ekim68

Max Fried had the game of his life and Atlanta wins...  Got to really hand it to the coach who's been in the organization for 35 years...


----------



## ekim68

A good read.... 


How Shohei Ohtani Made Baseball Fun Again



> Not since the days of Babe Ruth has one of baseball's greatest hitters _also_ been one of its finest pitchers. Now, the reigning MVP is opening up for the first time about his singular place in modern baseball.


----------



## valis

ekim68 said:


> A good read....
> 
> How Shohei Ohtani Made Baseball Fun Again


a good read indeed....thanks Mike....


----------



## ekim68

Is there still an asterisk next to Roger Maris's name? 


Hall of Fame voting winners and losers: David Ortiz gets in, who else got good (or bad) news?



> The votes have been tallied and tabulated, and the Baseball Hall of Fame has a new class of one. Boston Red Sox legend David Ortiz was inducted in his first year with 77.9% of the vote, with Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Curt Schilling all failing to make the 75% cutoff point in their final year of eligibility.


----------



## ekim68

MLB delays Spring Training

Another rerun... *sigh*


----------



## valis

Yeah this isnt looking good....


----------



## ekim68

I read that the owners want to cut down on minor league player numbers and that seems counterintuitive since the popularity for the sport is waning. We've been going to the local team games since 1978 and now they're talking about leaving. Not really growing the sport, eh?


----------



## valis

ekim68 said:


> I read that the owners want to cut down on minor league player numbers and that seems counterintuitive since the popularity for the sport is waning. We've been going to the local team games since 1978 and now they're talking about leaving. Not really growing the sport, eh?


Total agreeance. Some of the best games Ive seen were double or triple A.


----------



## ekim68

I figured that while I was at it, I would make Tim's day...  


Among All of MLBs Failures, Fans Can Celebrate the Universal DH


----------



## valis

Blah. Stupid IMHO.


----------



## valis

Still the main reason I cant stand Pedro Martinez. Plunked guys for years as a Blue Jay, went to the Mets and got drilled his first AB. Soooo deserved it.

Step across the line, you play ball. That means you bat. Period.

Gramps is rolling in his grave...


----------



## ekim68

Come on now Tim, don't beat around the bushes...


----------



## valis

Well, nuts. No opening day.


----------



## ekim68

How to grow the game, eh?  I've watched Manfred several times over the last few months and I think he's the wrong person for the job. He seems personable enough and then shuts things down hard core with a 'that's the way it is' explanation. :down:


----------



## ekim68

Well they finally ended it and here are a few of the changes: 


• A 12-team postseason, with the top two division winners earning a first-round bye.

• A 45-day window to impose rule changes, decided on by a new joint committee, beginning in 2023.

• A universal designated hitter.

• A six-team draft lottery, implemented with hopes of curtailing tanking.

• A provision that prevents teams from optioning eligible players more than five times within a season.

• Additional advertising through patches on jerseys and decals on helmets. 

(So we can expect this again in five years.... I think I'll take up watching Golf..)


----------



## valis

Also banned the shift.


----------



## ekim68

valis said:


> Also banned the shift.


That's gonna change a few things seeing how it's become so prevalent in the recent past..


----------



## valis

They are soooo backwards stupid. The shift was a natural strategy progression. I dont care for it BUT I totally understand it. It evolved due to the bunt going away, now its all grip it and rip it. Like I said, I dont care for it but its a natural progression.

The DH rule is just an abomination. 

Again...they got it totally bass ackward.

But thats just my plugged nickels worth.


----------



## valis

I intentionally hit a ton of batters, usually after they took me yard and got yappy about it. Yard is fine, yappy not so much so.

I always took my medicine when I took bat. You step inside the lines you play the game. If not just go to the spectator seats.

Yeah. I feel sorta strongly about the DH rule lol....

My former boss, whom I still talk with (6 years after he left...good dude) loves it BUT never played at a high level. I'll explain it.

Mike, whats your view on the universal DH? You havent said squat on it.


----------



## ekim68

I'm actually all for it. More offense to the game in my opinion and therefore more plays. And I'm one of those who think the game is not too long. As an aside I think we're gonna keep our minor league team because a levy recently passed making the fairgrounds available for a new field. :up: (The U of O got all uppity this past year and decided to not share their field anymore.)


----------



## valis

Dude....it sucks and is stupid. 

Thats awesome about the team. I mustve gone to a thousand Portland Rockies games....love the lower leagues. Get to chat with the players AND footlong is actually a footlong and costs a buck.


----------



## valis

In college used to take Gramps Baxter to the Sky Sox games in Colorado Springs...he taught me all baseball so thats probably where I get my old fashioney views.


----------



## ekim68

Couldn't help myself... 


11 Facts About Babe Ruth



> The Sultan of Swat. The Great Bambino. The Caliph of Clout. Babe Ruth has been known by many names, including George Herman Ruth, Jr., which is the name he was born with on February 6, 1895, in Baltimore, Maryland. After a rocky childhood, he'd make a mark not just on American sports, but on a nation emerging from the horrors of WWI and the Great Depression.


----------



## valis

Wow....

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id...extends-streak-17-consecutive-perfect-innings


----------



## valis

Another wow....https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/33756795/new-york-yankees-nestor-cortes-pitches-immaculate-inning-strikes-12-batters-five-innings


----------



## valis

Love the immaculate inning. 9 pitches and a sandwich.


----------



## ekim68

Too bad the rest of the team didn't help him...


----------



## valis

ekim68 said:


> Too bad the rest of the team didn't help him...


Still...a stat to be proud of.. 9 pitches...man....


----------



## ekim68

Just so you know... 


17 Baseball Slang Terms You Should Know



> How's your hose? If the question is confusing-or sounds like someone is trying to sell you gardening equipment-you might not be up on your baseball slang.


----------



## ekim68

Happy anniversary Babe... 


On this day May 6, 1915, Babe Ruth hit his first home run


----------



## valis

ekim68 said:


> Happy anniversary Babe...
> 
> On this day May 6, 1915, Babe Ruth hit his first home run


Btw...see what Ohtani did last night at Fenway?

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id...x-otherwordly-two-way-fenway-park-masterpiece


----------



## ekim68

Yep and I've been a big fan of Ohtani since he got here. He certainly walks the talk... :up:

He could be MVP and Cy Young in the same year...


----------



## valis

ekim68 said:


> Yep and I've been a big fan of Ohtani since he got here. He certainly walks the talk...
> 
> He could be MVP and Cy Young in the same year...


Man that would be something.

I keep telling people; nobody alive has seen this. We are very lucky to witness it.

By the by....Trout and Ohtani? If you cant take it all, I mean....


----------



## ekim68

I think that Trout and Ohtani could help seal the deal, but the rest of the team is under performing... My Mariners are above 500 so I'm a happy fan..


----------



## valis

Made me laugh...


----------



## ekim68

Think he's in his Prime right now?


Milwaukee Brewers' Christian Yelich becomes sixth player in MLB history to hit for three cycles in career


----------



## ekim68

I watched a good part of this game today and it's fun to have Baseball again... 


Cincinnati Reds don't allow hit but fall 1-0 to Pittsburgh Pirates


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## valis

ekim68 said:


> I watched a good part of this game today and it's fun to have Baseball again...
> 
> 
> Cincinnati Reds don't allow hit but fall 1-0 to Pittsburgh Pirates


Didnt see it but sure heard of it. Gotta love baseballs little intricacies.

Did you see Pujols take the mound?


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## ekim68

Yep... :up:


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## valis

Gotta say...classy move by the Cards...knowing it was both a blowout and a farewell season, they put him in.


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## ekim68

(Hmm, I wonder what Tim thinks..   )


Answering the 'robo call': Isotopes adjust to automated calls of balls, strikes



> On May 17 - and for the first time this week in Albuquerque - the Pacific Coast League is testing Major League Baseball's new "Automated Ball-Strike" system, a detailed computerized system designed to create a more consistent and accurate strike zone - charting the pitches and sending through an earpiece worn by the home plate umpire an audible "ball" or "strike" for him to then signal.


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## valis

ekim68 said:


> (Hmm, I wonder what Tim thinks..   )
> 
> 
> Answering the 'robo call': Isotopes adjust to automated calls of balls, strikes
> 
> View attachment 296967


Gee, I wonder lol...


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## ekim68

Robot umpires could be coming to Major League Baseball in 2024

Sign of the times.. I've watched a number of games this year and Plate Umpires have generally been lousy...


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## ekim68

We went to a Eugene Emeralds baseball game yesterday and there were a couple of changes that I noticed. There are clocks in the outfield that show how many seconds a pitcher has before the pitch. Turns out it's 20 seconds in this league. And they show that there are two minutes for the change of teams in the inning.


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## ekim68

Quotes from Yogi are always enlightening.... 



> "When you come to a fork in the road.... take it."
> "You can observe a lot by just watching."
> "It ain't over till it's over."
> "We made too many wrong mistakes."
> "No one goes there nowadays, it's too crowded."
> "I always thought the record would stand until it was broken."
> "Love is the most important thing in the world, but baseball is pretty good, too."
> "In theory there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice there is."
> "Pair up in threes."
> "You've got to be very careful if you don't know where you are going, because you might not get there."
> "The future ain't what it used to be."
> "I usually take a two-hour nap from 1 to 4."
> "If the world was perfect, it wouldn't be."
> "You don't have to swing hard to hit a home run. If you got the timing, it'll go."
> "Ninety percent of the game is half mental."
> "Never answer an anonymous letter."
> "Why buy good luggage? You only use it when you travel."
> "Take it with a grin of salt."
> "It gets late early out here."
> "I never said most of the things I said."


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## ekim68

Well the All Star game is almost upon us and here is the Team Starters... I've seen everyone play except Kirk and Chisholm...

Los Angeles Angels' Shohei Ohtani, Mike Trout lead way as MLB announces All-Star Game starters


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## ekim68

David Ortiz, the first career designated hitter to be selected on first ballot, headlines Baseball Hall of Fame's induction ceremony



> COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. -- The National Baseball Hall of Fame inducted seven new members during induction ceremonies on Sunday. But the afternoon of speechifying, poignance and remembrance belonged to Big Papi.


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## valis

Timmy Kurkjian into BBWAA....good on him, VERY well earned...


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## ekim68

Vin Scully, iconic former Los Angeles Dodgers broadcaster, dies at age 94

The end of an era. I watched and listening to him for at least 45 years... What a voice.. R.I.P. Vin....


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## valis

RIP indeed. I as well grew up listening to him.


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## valis

Heard a tribute during the Rays/Tigers game, 'his voice was the song of baseball for the past 3 generations'....now, THAT is poetic as all get out...wish I had come up with it.


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## crjdriver

I grew up in LA and went to many games. Ticket price was $1.50 for bleacher seats and $3.25 for behind home plate. I think dugout seats were all of $5. 
Vin Scully was a true gentleman.


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## valis

crjdriver said:


> I grew up in LA and went to many games. Ticket price was $1.50 for bleacher seats and $3.25 for behind home plate. I think dugout seats were all of $5.
> Vin Scully was a true gentleman.


Indeed. A very good description of him.

Been to a few stadiums in my years, nobody compared. Harry Caray was an embarrasment, but I didnt hit Wrigley until the Rockies first year.


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## valis

I was on my patoot after a car crash for a few months, and Gibsons WS homer happened in that span...and to here him call it was as awesome as watching Gibson hit it.


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## valis

crjdriver said:


> I grew up in LA and went to many games. Ticket price was $1.50 for bleacher seats and $3.25 for behind home plate. I think dugout seats were all of $5.
> Vin Scully was a true gentleman.


Btw, where did you grow up? Born in Fullerton, then La Habra, then Cypress, then Colorado.

Spent a lot of time in Oakhurst, up Bass Lake way.


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## crjdriver

Arcadia.


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## valis

Small planet. Mom was from there and learned to drive at the Santa Anita parking lot.


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## crjdriver

One dodger/giant game I saw an unbelievable play made by Willi Mays
Mays always played pretty shallow in center field since he was so quick. Jim Gilliam hit a line drive to deep center. Mays running backwards made the catch over the shoulder at the warning track. Frank Howard was on third and tagged up. Mays turned and fired at home plate. One bounce from the warning track and threw out Howard at the plate. Vin Scully was in awe over this feat. Mays even got a round of applause from the LA fans.


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## crjdriver

valis said:


> Small planet. Mom was from there and learned to drive at the Santa Anita parking lot.


I think just about everyone learned to drive at Santa Anita. My dad took me there, got of the the car and said have fun. I am going to be over there [pointing] having a cig.


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## valis

crjdriver said:


> One dodger/giant game I saw an unbelievable play made by Willi Mays
> Mays always played pretty shallow in center field since he was so quick. Jim Gilliam hit a line drive to deep center. Mays running backwards made the catch over the shoulder at the warning track. Frank Howard was on third and tagged up. Mays turned and fired at home plate. One bounce from the warning track and threw out Howard at the plate. Vin Scully was in awe over this feat. Mays even got a round of applause from the LA fans.


Man, just to see Willie play would have been awesome. Arguably one of the best players to step inside the lines.

I was a couple years back of you, and while Dad was a Dodgers fan, moms dad wasnt (spent childhood in Brooklyn, and detests the Dodgers for leaving...he did get to the Show for two weeks as a player, as the story goes)(we are a baseball family, dad played semi pro, got up to double A), but he was of the Angels and Ive still been to more Angels game than any other sporting team.

Carew, Baylor, and Ryan man...


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## crjdriver

I think Mays or DiMaggio were probably the best athletes to ever play the game. Mays was incredible to watch even though I am a diehard Dodger fan.


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## valis

Dunno if you caught the Dodgers send-off for Vin....


__ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1555735185991249922


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## crjdriver

He had such a rare gift. He could call the play by play AND tell a story at the same time. I spent a LOT of time listening to one of those transistor radios and once in a while actually going to a game.


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## valis

Man, Dodgers are loaded this year. If they don't win, I will be very surprised.


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## ekim68

Wow, just Wow... 


1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card sells for $12.6 million, shattering record


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## ekim68

I'm on the 'Judge Homerun chase' and I watched him get walked 4 times this evening. He still has seven games so Good Luck Aaron...

When the cameras panned the stadium we saw Roger Maris Jr. sitting with Judge's mom. Those conversations would be something..


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## valis

Maris has company.


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## ekim68

Right on and he's got seven games to reset it..


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## ekim68

These are special times.. 


Ace Shohei Ohtani takes no-hit bid into 8th inning, Los Angeles Angels defeat Oakland Athletics


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## valis

That was AWESOME.


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## ekim68

A Big 'thumbs' up...! to my Mariners today.. On to the next Game... 

Mariners vs. Blue Jays


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## valis

Cant root for the Stros, pulling for the Cards and Mariners. Still think it will be LA/NY. Hope so at least.

Should be a good post-season.


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## ekim68

Right on for the Mariners...  


Mariners into ALDS after improbable comeback completes sweep of Blue Jays


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## valis

That was a helluva game. Down 1-8 in the 6th?

Cmon man.


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## jimi

Seattle has been playing exciting games, didn't like the outcome yesterday but it held your attention


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## valis

I used to love the Stros. Maintained a company-wide (8k people) chart for 10 years, anyone who liked baseball followed it.

I cannot tolerate, and never will tolerate, cheaters and liars. I was pretty dang good at baseball, collegiate level at least, and not once was cheating brought up.

Pretty good golfer as well, same deal.

The Atros WS championship doesnt count, just as Bonds HR records dont. 

If they win this year, it wont count.

It wont count until the entire roster (specifically the ABC crew of Altuve, Bregman, and Correa, all who admitted to cheating) are gone. Correa is.

In short, screw 'em.


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## valis

Besides, spent a LOT of time in the NW from 96 to 00 or so, sorta fell in love with the Mariners. Days of Griff, Randy, and Edgar. And Olerud of course, covering my station.


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## ekim68

I agree with everything you said about the Astros. My poor Mariners are struggling right now and hopefully they will turn it around asap...


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## valis

Hate to say it but the same team that has the all-time record for regular season wins is the only team that has never been to the WS.

I remember I was out washing my car with the game on when the Yanks bounced them in 2001. My wife was alert enough to leave me alone for a few days lol.


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## Drabdr

I gotta say congrats to the Houston Astros for their win over the NY Yankees. That's quite an achievement sweeping a really good team like that so deep in the playoffs.


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## valis

Three universal laws about baseball; the DH rule is an abomination in the eyes of God, the shift is a natural defensive progression, and the Houston Astros are cheaters.


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## ekim68

Home Sweet Home for the Phillies ....


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## ekim68

Wow, what a difference a day makes... All that talk about the Bullpen being so great was right on.. 

A no hitter, not bad...


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## valis

Second in WS history...I had goose bumps! And damn straight, after 7 I was all over pulling for it. Game was over, and this was in reach. It was pretty cool to see history made. 

I love this game.


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## Drabdr

valis said:


> Second in WS history...I had goose bumps! And damn straight, after 7 I was all over pulling for it. Game was over, and this was in reach. It was pretty cool to see history made.
> 
> I love this game.


Why did they pull the original pitcher? I know... everything is analytics and stuff. But... a no hitter is a pretty grand thing in baseball. They should have given him the chance to win it all.


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## valis

I agree, personally, but I ain't the coach.


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## ekim68

I think Dusty was affected by all the criticism from the previous day when he didn't react quick enough with the bullpen. So what did he get? A no-hitter...


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## valis

I dunno...Javier isnt known as an innings-chewer, so Dusty may have just gone to schedule. Whatever, it most certainly worked.

I think if it was Verlander, je would have left him as he IS an innings eater (save for game 1, obv)


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## ekim68

Well Congrats to the Astros and Dusty Baker..🆙 On to next year and go Mariners...


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## valis

Is what it is. Go Mariners.


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## ekim68

Where's my wallet? 

Babe Ruth baseball glove sells at auction for record $1.53 million


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## ekim68

Good call.. 🆙 


Fred McGriff elected to Hall of Fame by contemporary era committee


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## ekim68

All about Money, eh? 


Dodgers' Trevor Bauer reinstated after suspension cut to 194 games


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