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2007-07-24 14:14
by Cliff Corcoran

The Yankees have scored 47 runs in their last three games and 54 in their last four. Mike Carminati has the historical significance of that outburst covered. The only question remaining is how much they'll add to it tonight against Scott Elarton, who comes off the DL sporting a 9.17 ERA. Elarton is a famously homer prone pitcher who has given up 185 home runs in 169 career starts. This year he's given up a dozen dingers in just eight starts. Though he's been hurt most of the year (offseason shoulder surgery and most recently a sprained right foot), Elarton has not finished the sixth inning in any of his eight starts thus far, and has allowed fewer than four runs in only his first start of the year, which came against the hitless White Sox in mid-May.

By comparison, Chien-Ming Wang, who takes the mound for the Yankees tonight, has allowed just six home runs in 17 starts and none in his last four, over which he has posted a 2.03 ERA. An interesting side note, opposing basestealers are 0 for 3 against Wang in those four games, this after they started the season with five successful steals against him.

Johnny Damon will DH with Melky in center, Abreu back in right, and Shelley Duncan on the bench tonight.

In other news, Phil Hughes will make what could be his penultmate rehab start for triple-A Scranton tonight. He'll be joined in the dugout by fast-rising 2006 draftees Joba Chamberlain and Ian Kennedy, who were just promoted from Trenton (Tyler Clippard and Chase Wright have been demoted to double-A to make room).

Comments (309)
Show/Hide Comments 1-50
2007-07-24 14:38:09
1.   Shaun P
Bah, Damon. I'd rather see what Shelley can do against a crappy righty like Elarton.

Its fascinating to me how Damon has really become superfluous to the Yanks, thanks to Melky. I still think it was the right move at the time to sign Damon. Now its too bad Torre won't make him the 4th OF, because that's about where he belongs in terms of merit.

2007-07-24 14:43:56
2.   RIYank
Shaun, Damon hit really well in the last two games. Sure, small n, I know. But if he's actually returning to form, that would be so good that it's worth trying him out in a few more games (esp. KC games, for various reasons) even at the cost of seeing what Shelley can do.

Though now that you mention it, I'd enjoy seeing another pair of Duncan Bombs tonight, too. So I'm good either way.

My goddam email is screwed up, so I am liable to blather especially blathery here this evening. You're warned.

2007-07-24 14:56:26
3.   Jim Dean
1 The other day got me wondering what Damon in LF with Matui as the DH would mean. Damon would seem to save more bases by catching would-be doubles than giving up bases that guys take on his arm (or lack thereof).
2007-07-24 14:58:40
4.   monkeypants
3 If he can hit anywhere near his career levels, it might not be a bad way to go, with Duncan on the bench to PH against lefties. The real question is who is the real Johnny Damon this year. Is he really back after resting? i guess they have to play him to find out.
2007-07-24 15:02:51
5.   Cliff Corcoran
3 I was thinking the same thing. I was also wondering if there's a market to trade him if he gets on a hot streak with a week left before the deadline.
2007-07-24 15:15:35
6.   JL25and3
Cliff, you know I love it when you use "penultimate." Correctly, no less, which so few people manage.
2007-07-24 15:23:49
7.   thelarmis
6 word!

YANKEES
Damon DH
Jeter SS
Abreu RF
Rodriguez 3B
Matsui LF
Posada C
Cano 2B
Phillips 1B
Cabrera CF
Wang RHP (10-5, 3.44)

2007-07-24 15:25:17
8.   Jeteupthemiddle
Maybe there is a slight platoon situation happening with Damon and Duncan....as long as both and Melky are hitting anyway.
2007-07-24 15:29:24
9.   RIYank
8 Yeah, I think so. Also I think Joe believes Damon will 'feel at home' in KC.
2007-07-24 15:41:51
10.   Max
I am really liking the direction the team is going lately. Here's hoping it continues, and that Elarton doesn't become Exhibit C of Pitchers That Suck and Torment the Yankees.

Exhibit A: Edwin Jackson. Exhibit B: Josh Fogg

I'm sure there are others that escape my memory at this time.

2007-07-24 15:47:32
11.   markp
I agree about Damon in LF and Matsui at DH. But JD has been dinged for much of his Tankee tenure so...
Hughes joining the rotation could be huge a la Ford in 1950 and Stottlemyre in '64.
2007-07-24 15:50:40
12.   yankz
God, I love LoHud comments:

"Damon is snapping out of his funk and provides this team with a spark and energy that 5 Shelley Duncans couldn't do."

Weren't all the Yankees (and Cashman too) raving about some sort of "infectious spark" that Duncan provided? Of all the reasons to argue for Damon playing, it comes down to being energetic?

2007-07-24 16:12:38
13.   Sliced Bread
5 I could see several contenders being interested in Damon at this point, and I could see him accepting a trade to one of the L.A. teams in a heartbeat, for example, but I don't see Cashman initiating a deal involving him. It would have to be the other GMs idea
2007-07-24 16:31:12
14.   Cliff Corcoran
13 Indeed, they don't want to appear desperate to move him amid a terrible year.

10 "I am really liking the direction the team is going lately." I'd be worried if you weren't.

2007-07-24 16:32:58
15.   randym77
Six up, six down for Hughes so far in Scranton.
2007-07-24 16:44:29
16.   BklynBmr
Seattle loses again. Yanks 1.5 behind 'em for second in the WC...
2007-07-24 16:45:52
17.   randym77
Make that nine up, nine down for Hughes.
2007-07-24 16:48:19
18.   RIYank
Randy, are you following SWB on-line somewhere?
2007-07-24 16:49:42
19.   yankz
18 http://tinyurl.com/2ebe7a
2007-07-24 16:50:49
20.   yankz
2 K for Phil thru 3; only 2 GO compared to 5 AO.
2007-07-24 16:56:41
21.   yankz
Good grief- 23 of Phil's 28 pitches were strikes.
2007-07-24 17:00:10
22.   Jim Dean
14 Nor, do I think Cashman is capable of recognizing and amending his mistakes.
2007-07-24 17:00:21
23.   RIYank
19 Grazie.
2007-07-24 17:02:56
24.   randym77
You can also listen to the game for free, at MiLB.TV Gameday Audio:

http://tinyurl.com/25bh5z

You have to register (give them an e-mail address), but it's free.

2007-07-24 17:04:37
25.   Mattpat11
Am I the only one that has a really bad feeling about Elarton tonight?
2007-07-24 17:07:45
26.   RIYank
Thanks for the links. I was too late for the first hit.
2007-07-24 17:11:01
27.   Jim Dean
Phil's rehab so far:

13 IP 1 ER 4 BB 17 K

2007-07-24 17:12:54
28.   Mattpat11
Tony Pena jr hasn't walked since May 5.

I don't even know how that's possible

2007-07-24 17:18:21
29.   mehmattski
Hughes appears to be pitching around dangerous hitter Mark Bellhorn. He's only thrown 16 of his pitches for balls, and four came in that at bat.
2007-07-24 17:18:48
30.   RIYank
Meanwhile, the Big Club off to a good start.

I appreciate Alex getting free passes. It doesn't cost an out, but it allows him a better chance to hit #500 in the Bronx.

2007-07-24 17:21:09
31.   mehmattski
You know, that was the first time Phil Hughes pitched with the bases loaded in his professional career. Crazy.
2007-07-24 17:21:51
32.   Jim Dean
30 I think A-Rod said that's his plan.
2007-07-24 17:22:10
33.   mehmattski
Hip Hip!
2007-07-24 17:22:16
34.   Jim Dean
31 And what was the result?
2007-07-24 17:22:36
35.   Jim Dean
Jor-ge!
2007-07-24 17:23:52
36.   Jim Dean
Robby!
2007-07-24 17:24:15
37.   RIYank
Wait. I distinctly remember Cliff saying that the Royals don't suck.

Maybe we're just really, really good. Rob absolutely blasted that to the opposite field.

2007-07-24 17:24:50
38.   Mike T
This game is getting off on the right foot.
2007-07-24 17:25:43
39.   RIYank
34 Impressive.
2007-07-24 17:25:50
40.   mehmattski
Bases loaded nobody out: pop up, strikeout, strikeout. One more inning for Hughes, I guess.

For the big club.... hope weeping saw the double to left... ;-)

2007-07-24 17:26:40
41.   Jim Dean
40 Sweet - thanks!

And Cano = .296!

2007-07-24 17:27:51
42.   yankz
Phil gets in trouble- 2B, BB, sac bunt hit, no outs- then gets out of it (fly out, strikeout, strikeout). 5 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 5 K, 3-8 GO-AO.
2007-07-24 17:28:55
43.   RIYank
A single by Andy or Melky would have virtually ended the game. But this doesn't exactly feel like one of those situations where we're going to regret it later.
2007-07-24 17:30:04
44.   RIYank
43 And I don't mean to complain about a half inning in which we batted around.

Ah, one worm bites the dust.

2007-07-24 17:32:48
45.   Mattpat11
43 Its not unheard of for a team to pound the pitcher in the first and never again.
2007-07-24 17:33:04
46.   RIYank
Hm, I like strike-outs, but that wasn't a very good pitch on full count.
2007-07-24 17:33:19
47.   Mattpat11
Was that slider ever a strike? He made Grudsfewhfbdsjf look silly.
2007-07-24 17:34:40
48.   Mattpat11
46 Might be a thing where he was pitching to that particular batter
2007-07-24 17:34:50
49.   RIYank
47 It wasn't close to the plate. Is that what you meant?
2007-07-24 17:37:34
50.   Jim Dean
17 runs tonight?
Show/Hide Comments 51-100
2007-07-24 17:37:34
51.   yankz
Joey Votto is the best Reds position player prospect, right?
2007-07-24 17:38:01
52.   yankz
50 They're on pace for 36...
2007-07-24 17:38:20
53.   Mattpat11
49 Yeah. But I think Gruds swings any everything, so there really was no reason to give him anything close
2007-07-24 17:39:53
54.   RIYank
53 Well, he didn't seem at all wild to Teahen, so maybe that's right.
2007-07-24 17:40:08
55.   yankz
Hughes through 6: 2 H, 1 BB, 7 K (73 pitches/54 strikes), 4-8 GO-AO.
2007-07-24 17:41:26
56.   Jim Dean
[51[ It's probably Jay Bruce. He's 20 yo and just got promoted to AAA after mashing through A+ and AA with a 1.000 OPS.

Votto's next but he's four year's older, plays 1B, and hits for less power.

2007-07-24 17:41:28
57.   RIYank
Phil strikes out two more in the sixth. I assume that's it for him. 2 H, 7 K.
2007-07-24 17:41:36
58.   Mattpat11
55 Isn't that 19 outs?
2007-07-24 17:41:43
59.   tommyl
55 Wonder if that earns him the callup or they do one more rehab start as planned.
2007-07-24 17:42:23
60.   yankz
59 I think we'll be able to tell by the next inning(s). If they push him to 90ish pitches, that makes me think they're preparing him for a callup.
2007-07-24 17:43:22
61.   yankz
58 You're right...hey, don't shoot the messenger.
2007-07-24 17:43:26
62.   Mattpat11
Elarton isn't very good.
2007-07-24 17:43:49
63.   tommyl
Tigers have already lost, Mariners have once already today. Do we root for Boston or Cleveland tonight?
2007-07-24 17:44:29
64.   Jim Dean
Bobby = .275
2007-07-24 17:44:41
65.   yankz
56 Ah, OK, thanks. They're a combined 1-5 with a K today.
2007-07-24 17:45:14
66.   yankz
63 I can just never bring myself to root for Boston. Besides, I want the division.
2007-07-24 17:45:16
67.   Jim Dean
63 I could never root for Boston.
2007-07-24 17:45:55
68.   yankz
Alex wants to hit #500 at home.
2007-07-24 17:46:00
69.   Jim Dean
66 Jinx!
2007-07-24 17:46:17
70.   Mattpat11
63I was able to root for the Red Sox when Lester pitched. Otherwise, I'll just ignore the game and check out who won when its over.
2007-07-24 17:46:19
71.   RIYank
63 I think in fact it's better for us if Boston wins. But I can't root for them.
2007-07-24 17:47:18
72.   RIYank
Dang. We are just toasting them.
2007-07-24 17:48:29
73.   yankz
Hughes is done.
2007-07-24 17:48:36
74.   RIYank
70 Yeah, Lester, okay.
2007-07-24 17:49:32
75.   yankz
69 Two people here owe me Cokes (I forget who), so one of them will hook you up.
2007-07-24 17:50:11
76.   ny2ca2dc
71 I think you're right, and I also could never root for Boston. But it's nice to know that if the boys just win, good things HAVE to happen.

Man, I feel sorry for these pitches the last few days... I don't want to jinx it, but hopefully after this outburst, the team doesn't do another crapout like vs. Colo & SF & Bmore...

2007-07-24 17:51:00
77.   mehmattski
6 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 1 BB, 7 K

That's, um, acceptable.

2007-07-24 17:51:39
78.   Mattpat11
71 I also don't think the division is totally out of reach this year, and I'd obviously rather win the division.
2007-07-24 17:53:18
79.   Mattpat11
The Hiroshima Carp?
2007-07-24 17:55:55
80.   Jim Dean
Cano - 8 pitch AB to walk.
2007-07-24 17:56:18
81.   ny2ca2dc
Ha, they walked Cano.

Why pull the starter? Royals are going to get shelled this game, why burn the bullpen more than you need to? Just let the starter throw his 100, get as deep (hah, manner of speaking) as he can, then move to the bullpen, no?

2007-07-24 17:57:12
82.   Yankee Fan in Chicago
Always a mistake to bring in the relief pitcher to issue the intentional bb.
2007-07-24 17:57:26
83.   mehmattski
Have to feel for the Royals fans a bit. They fill the stadium but the game is out of reach before most of them take their seats.
2007-07-24 17:58:02
84.   Jim Dean
77 For his rehab so far:

15 IP 1 ER 5 BB 21 K

2007-07-24 17:58:52
85.   pistolpete
Eh, serves em right for giving out those pine tar shirts tonight... ;-)
2007-07-24 18:00:42
86.   iicollies
Yankees trying an experiment - have the entire lineup come to bat each inning. Melky, too bad, you have to make the third out every inning
2007-07-24 18:01:06
87.   RIYank
Do you think Melky feels kind of bad that he hasn't gotten on base yet? Everyone else has.
2007-07-24 18:01:08
88.   mehmattski
Let's see how Wang responds to the long inning...

;-)

2007-07-24 18:01:11
89.   OldYanksFan
3 I have been saying that for weeks, and JDs 2 outstanding plays the other night, along with some poor play by Matsui, has cemented the idea to me.

I would like to see if Mats could play 1B. That would give us great flexibility, especially if Andy returns to being AAAAndy. It leaves the DH position as a 'rotating rest' position. I don't know if he could field the position, but Matsui at $13m is not that much of a downgrade compared to Tex at $15m.

But it is the flexibility that really appeals to me.

2007-07-24 18:02:45
90.   RIYank
86 It's like T-ball. Or cricket. No, in cricket you have to get all of them out. I think. I've seen about ten cricket matches and I still don't understand it.
2007-07-24 18:04:24
91.   iicollies
87 Wonder how all the Royals feel?
2007-07-24 18:05:18
92.   iicollies
oops, sorry.
2007-07-24 18:05:39
93.   RIYank
91 Let's quick trade Melky for Gload!
2007-07-24 18:06:11
94.   OldYanksFan
Dice-K shutting out the Indians, C.C keeping it close. 1-0 Sox, top of the 7th.
2007-07-24 18:06:20
95.   Mattpat11
I'm enjoying listening to George Brett
2007-07-24 18:07:05
96.   RIYank
I thought the Indians could hit. Lester, now Dice-K, shutting them down. I guess maybe the Lester thing was a bit unlucky, plenty of base runners.
2007-07-24 18:07:20
97.   Mattpat11
Is everyone's YES feed screwing up on them?
2007-07-24 18:11:21
98.   pistolpete
Ok, is this Wang or Mussina wearing a Wang suit?
2007-07-24 18:11:23
99.   RIYank
Damn. No sink.
2007-07-24 18:12:19
100.   RIYank
Shoot, got those in the wrong order. Still, good to see the grounder, maybe he fixed his arm slot or something.
Show/Hide Comments 101-150
2007-07-24 18:13:15
101.   RIYank
MVP.
2007-07-24 18:13:26
102.   Mattpat11
Well, if the Royals have to have a big inning, I endorse it being the inning that Brett is in the booth
2007-07-24 18:15:20
103.   Yankee Fan in Chicago
Anyone else checking out the ears on Pena Jr on his MLB Gamaeday pic.

Dang Dumbo, tuck those badboys under you hat.

2007-07-24 18:15:54
104.   yankz
Has the 3rd inning started yet?
2007-07-24 18:16:58
105.   yankz
103 Holy shit, it's like someone put Mo's ears on top of Posada's...on top of a bat's.
2007-07-24 18:21:57
106.   Mattpat11
Make him pay Godzilla
2007-07-24 18:28:51
107.   OldYanksFan
Manager Joe Torre did not rule out a bullpen assignment in the majors for Chamberlain, who has been a starter this season.

"If that is the case, we would take care of him," Torre said before Tuesday night's game against the Royals in Kansas City.

"We'll make sure we don't abuse him," Torre said. "Not that we willfully abuse people, but you know, when panic sets in during a game, man, throw them all out there."

Honest, yes?

2007-07-24 18:29:38
108.   williamnyy23
89 Matsui isn't an option at 1B...first baseman who can only manage a measly OPS+ of 128 have no value :)
2007-07-24 18:32:08
109.   Jim Dean
107 "Not that we willfully abuse people.."

Really?

108 Not when you have to trade Kennedy to get them (in your mind)...

2007-07-24 18:32:36
110.   williamnyy23
96 The Indians have been pretty streaky this season...they seem to go through stretches where they don't score much (kind of like the Yankees this season).
2007-07-24 18:34:24
111.   OldYanksFan
What I like about the KC announcers is that they don't let the ballgame get in the way of whatever they are discussing.
2007-07-24 18:34:59
112.   Yankee Fan in Chicago
109 I heard Torre let Proctor leave to see his wife and kid, but his right arm remained in KC -- if you see Villone come in throwing righty, you'll know why.
2007-07-24 18:35:43
113.   OldYanksFan
108 What you and Jim left out in your debate was the 'selling T-Shirts' quotient. This actually gives Matsui an edge.
2007-07-24 18:36:03
114.   mehmattski
Guidry came in to play CF in the conclusion of the Pine Tar game, right?
2007-07-24 18:36:10
115.   yankz
Posada has re-passed Jeet for the team BA lead. Amazing.
2007-07-24 18:38:28
116.   yankz
Bale has 5 BB (as I type this, it's 3-0 on Cano) in 1.1 IP. 5 walks, 4 outs.
2007-07-24 18:38:45
117.   yankz
Make it 6.
2007-07-24 18:40:23
118.   williamnyy23
114 Yep...Gator was in CF.
2007-07-24 18:41:06
119.   mehmattski
Just the eighth two-walk game in Robinson Cano's career.
2007-07-24 18:41:35
120.   RIYank
110 Ohhhh, the Indians must rely on the HR. (Reference to yesterday's thread, as I'm sure you remember.)
2007-07-24 18:42:49
121.   mehmattski
This is a Risky move for the Royals.
2007-07-24 18:43:07
122.   tommyl
Now I know that pitching to big league hitters is really hard and all, but seriously is it that hard to throw a strike? Its one thing when someone like Mo is missing just off the plate, but those pitches weren't even close.

It reminds me of little league. We always had these guys who could throw super hard but had no idea at all how to pitch. Then there was little old me, who didn't throw as hard but could basically pound the strike zone. Every year, the coach would become enamored with the newest hard thrower. I'd be playing second base watching these guys pitch and it was maddening. About 3 games in, they'd let me pitch and lo and behold I could get people out even though I didn't throw 60.

2007-07-24 18:43:45
123.   RIYank
Gosh, this game is just flying by, isn't it?

Ugh. Joe is killing our chances for a 20-run game, the bum.

2007-07-24 18:46:35
124.   RIYank
122 Hey, you're the kid who Kyle Farnsworth once tried to bludgeon to death with a shovel, right?
2007-07-24 18:49:12
125.   Mattpat11
i'm gonna die watching this game.
2007-07-24 18:49:30
126.   Marcus
Why exactly did Phillips bunt in that situation? Is Torre playing for one additional insurance run at this point? It seems early and the lead big enough to just swing away.

Or maybe Torre understands that giving away outs just makes the game go by faster and was sick of it being only the 4th inning 1.5 hours into the game.

2007-07-24 18:52:28
127.   tommyl
122 No, but we did have a pitcher like that. One year in our local (not the national one) world series, our "ace" came in and walked the bases loaded. The kid could not throw a strike and actually started crying a bit on the mound (and his dad was the coach). So then they brought me in, no pressure or anything.

But he had great "stuff"! The more I watch, the more I'm convinced that command and control are more important than any raw stuff. I honestly think the a lot of the difference between Mo and pitchers like Kyle are that Mo has amazing pinpoint control. Even with that cutter, when he misses over the plate, he's hittable. If Kyle could bore that 98mph fastball in on hitters hands all the time, he'd be unhittable.

2007-07-24 18:52:40
128.   williamnyy23
126 In the last three games, Torre has been faced with three 1-2, no out situations in which he's attempted a bunt: 4th inning on Sunday; 9th inning yesterday; and 4th inning today. The one situation that was probably most appropriate was the one he took the bunt off after one attempt. Without judging the merits, it is an odd pattern.
2007-07-24 18:53:33
129.   RIYank
125 Possibly of old age, too.

The Tribe is down to their last ups, still trailing 1-0.

2007-07-24 18:53:56
130.   Marcus
128 In-game practice? Testing his players?

Odd indeed.

2007-07-24 18:55:45
131.   monkeypants
126 Now I can't believe I'm going to argue this position, but I thought that the bunt wasn't that bad of a play in that exact situation. Andy Phillips seems to hit a lot of GBs, and while I love the Andy story, I'm under no illusions that he's the next coming of Lou Gehrig. Run expectancy for 1st and 2nd and 0 out is about the same as 2nd and 3rd and 1 out (as someone pointed out last night, Finally, the team had a a big lead but just gave up two runs. I'm not too upset at Torre trying to get one run back right there. All in all, a pretty trivial play given the context.

BTW, I'm just happy that Phillips seems to be able to bunt.

2007-07-24 18:58:18
132.   williamnyy23
131 I don't disagree...I just find it odd that he would play for one today, but take the bunt off in a 4-2 game in the 9th inning last night. You'd think that a manager who opts to bunt in the 4th inning of a 7-2 game would certainly bunt in the 9th inning of a 4-2 game.
2007-07-24 18:59:35
133.   Mattpat11
127 I have said for years that I'd rather have control and a smart pitch selector over "STUFF!!!!!"
2007-07-24 19:00:09
134.   RIYank
Yeah, I think when you're up five, the marginal value of runs begins to decline fast, so for that reason you'd think that playing for one or two is better.
However, I just checked Win Expectancy and in fact the successful bunt dropped their win expectancy from 97% to 95% (but we're talking about 100 games with those situations, so the difference is insignificant).
2007-07-24 19:00:39
135.   Mattpat11
129 Thats what I mean.
2007-07-24 19:01:08
136.   OldYanksFan
Papsmear closes it. Sox and Dice-K win, 1-0.
In 2 hours, we will be 4.5 games out of the WC.
2007-07-24 19:01:17
137.   RIYank
132 Well, he did call for it. The question is why he called it off. No idea.
2007-07-24 19:01:44
138.   monkeypants
132 I don't remember the exact context of the 9th inning bunt (who was batting, for example). On the surface I agree with you--the one extra run in the 9th inning of a 4-2 game would seem to have much greater relative value. I suspect that win expectancy increases dramatically by adding that one run in the 9th.
2007-07-24 19:01:46
139.   williamnyy23
Wang really has good "range". He seems to field a lot of balls well off the mound. I also like how he fields balls in perfect throwing position. I'mnot sure what the stats say, but Wangs seems to be a very good defensive pitcher (which might account for a small portion of his uniqueness).
2007-07-24 19:01:47
140.   Marcus
131 I don't think it was necessarily a wrong play, I just didn't understand the rationale for why he called for the bunt. It worked out after all, to get another run on the board, but it just seems like up five is not that much worse that up six. Why worry about the insurance run? Maybe with a less reliable pitcher on the mound I could see the urgency to get an insurance run.
2007-07-24 19:02:24
141.   RIYank
136 Wow, you are really, excessively optimistic.

Not about the win, that's in the bag.

2007-07-24 19:02:47
142.   Mattpat11
Cleveland Seattle and Minnesota all lost
2007-07-24 19:05:02
143.   OldYanksFan
With all the money the Yankees have, how come we don't have quality between innings entertainment... like the hot dog race?
2007-07-24 19:05:21
144.   ny2ca2dc
i can't believe KC broadcasts the stupid mascot/giant hot dog costume races. That crap can be kind of cute in person depending on the company, but good, i don't want to see that crap on my (mlb.)TV...
2007-07-24 19:06:39
145.   monkeypants
134 If the marginal value of runs declines steeply when you're up by five runs, then (ntuitively) you should play for the big inning (since only a really big lead will increase your chances of winning by much). I say that even though it goes against my own earlier argument that within the specific context of this particular game, the bunt made sense enough to me.
2007-07-24 19:07:33
146.   RIYank
138 It does, we checked it then. It's the only inning where 2&3rd with one out is clearly better than 1&2nd with no outs, when you're up by a run or two.
Jeter was up, I remember that.

140 A five run lead is very big. (With our bullpen it doesn't seem like it, but statistically it's huge.) So really it doesn't matter much either way. But my point was that although the sixth run doesn't help you much, the eighth or ninth will be even less valuable. So you may as well play for one or two, if the only point is to maximize your expectation of winning.

2007-07-24 19:08:36
147.   Mattpat11
1362 hours might be generous
2007-07-24 19:09:41
148.   RIYank
145 No, that's not right. When the marginal value of runs declines steeply, the extra one or two are worth a lot more than the third and fourth. So you play for the one or two.

To take an extreme case: suppose it's tied in the bottom of the tenth. The marginal value of runs declines very steeply after one. So you play for one.

2007-07-24 19:13:57
149.   monkeypants
146 et al. How does win expectancy (or for that matter, run expectancy) work? They just measure expected outcomes based on all historical data, right? But they do not take into account the specific hitter/pitcher context. That's where the manager comes in, presumably.

While run expectancy may in a given sitiation (let's say 1st and 2nd, nobody out in the sixth) may suggest that it's better for the player to swing away (based on all of the cases of that exact situation going back X number of games), the manager has to determine if it's better the specific batter to bunt or swing away (do you 'waste' Jeter or A-Rod by having him bunt? Can Giambi be expected to bunt? Do you really want Cairo or even Phillips swinging away? etc.)

2007-07-24 19:14:46
150.   Marcus
146 And I follow you on the win expectancy. I was just trying to get into Torre's head on that play, which is probably a fool's errand.
Show/Hide Comments 151-200
2007-07-24 19:17:22
151.   RIYank
Mattpat11, I'm proud that I'll be able to tell my grandchildren: "I actually watched the very first inning of this game!"
2007-07-24 19:17:38
152.   Chyll Will
150 a fool's errand. That was my job the past three-1/2 weeks.
2007-07-24 19:17:47
153.   Mattpat11
I've never been able to throw a split change. I can throw a circle change. A shitty one, but it does do what its "supposed" to do.
2007-07-24 19:18:23
154.   Yankee Fan in Chicago
Top headline at Ballbu.com:

Unit: I might be done

Yep, that Cashman, what an idiot.

2007-07-24 19:18:56
155.   Yankee Fan in Chicago
ballbuG.com dammit.
2007-07-24 19:19:52
156.   OldYanksFan
We failed on our bunts early in the year. One cost us a game, IIRC. Anyway, I think it was practice, and a good idea.

We were all agreed that WHEN it is needed, any player should be able to bunt. I like the move. We get a run and Andy has a successful bunt under his belt.

Remember, a lot of Torre's moves are about player confidence as opposed to statistically correct moves. And I can't argue with that. This game is played by people.

2007-07-24 19:20:14
157.   Mattpat11
I have no idea what Tony Pena just said.
2007-07-24 19:20:40
158.   RIYank
149 Right. In fact, the WExp I used is simply tallied up from all the situations that meet the criteria. (That is, they just took all the games in which the visiting team was up five in the fifth with men on 1 and 2 and nobody out, and then how many the visitors won.)
So, yeah, it's a good starting point, but the manager must adjust by, e.g., the fact that there are three superb hitters coming up after this batter, or he's a crappy bunter, or whatever.

150 Actually I liked your suggestion that it was Game Situation Bunting Practice. The Phillips one today, I mean. Or wasn't that you?

2007-07-24 19:21:37
159.   monkeypants
148 Bottom of ninth/tenth operate outside the normal model--sort of like how certain products/services (anti-venom for a snakebitten person) essentially "break" the supply/demand curve b/c they operate under conditions of infinite demand.

Since the game would end at 1 run scored, there is NO reason to score more. But there is ALWAYS at least some incentive to score additional runs in any other situation except the bottom of the 9th (or later).

Consider this extreme example:

Let's say you have a large lead of X runs in the 7th inning that yields a win expectancy 90%, but the marginal value of additional runs declines very steeply with each additional run, so that 1 run yields a win expectancy of, say, 92% but 10 runs gives you 95%. It seems to me that the practical difference between winning 90 and 92 percent of the time is negligible, so wouldn't it make more sense to play for the REALLY big inning, which even though it provides diminishing returns, still might give you a more significant chance of victory?

That's my emotional/visceral response to the condition, anyway.

2007-07-24 19:21:44
160.   Chyll Will
157 He said "These marshmallows are really, really good!"
2007-07-24 19:21:44
161.   Schteeve
Are they playing this game in slow motion??
2007-07-24 19:22:30
162.   Marcus
156 I think that makes sense.
2007-07-24 19:23:23
163.   Schteeve
156 The hell it's played by people! It's played by computers and robots!! And...and correlation coefficients!!!
2007-07-24 19:24:00
164.   Chyll Will
He did the right thing. That would've been fair...
2007-07-24 19:24:20
165.   Mattpat11
154The headline is a bit sensational if you actually read the article.
2007-07-24 19:24:52
166.   Marcus
158 Yes 130
2007-07-24 19:24:57
167.   monkeypants
Bad decision to field that ball, though upon the upon replay it looked like it was going to stay fair anyway. Oh well--I guess that play ties back to the ealier thread where we were discussing 'luck' and BABIP.

I love baseball!!

2007-07-24 19:25:43
168.   Mattpat11
This is like an Orioles game
2007-07-24 19:26:26
169.   monkeypants
163 I had a buddy in grad school who was convinced that David Cone was a robot. He never really explained that, though.
2007-07-24 19:26:35
170.   Chyll Will
163 Think of the probabilities! p vs.~p and all...
2007-07-24 19:32:15
171.   Cliff Corcoran
For those watching YES (and I apologize for being a few innings behind, I'm on a DVR delay). Mattingly's three games at 3B happened in 1986, two years before Jack Clark joined the team. They all happened within a four game-stretch in late August. One was a late-inning defensive switch, the other two were actually starts at 3B. Dan Pasqua was the man who played 1B with Mattingly at 3B and Lou Piniella was the manager who put him there. It seems the plan was to get Pasqua and Claudell Washington both in the game at the expense of Mike Pagliarulo. I guess. It only lasted those four days. Mattingly had three assists, one putout, one error and started two DPs.
2007-07-24 19:32:48
172.   RIYank
159 Nope, I don't think so.

It's very hard to judge these things intuitively. For instance, to have a 90% chance of winning, the 'large lead' you need in the seventh inning is: three runs. The visitors win nine out of ten games that they lead by three going into the seventh. If they don't score, it goes down to 88%. If they get one, it goes up to 94%. There just isn't much room above 94%, so extra runs after that are worth very little. So you play for one or two.

2007-07-24 19:33:07
173.   OldYanksFan
165 He was diagnosed with a herniated disk. He said he is basically in the same position as he was before the surgery. Az has $26m into him. He he continues to pitch, like in NY, he will have good days and bad days, and be around league average at best.

How much are will paying Viz?

2007-07-24 19:33:23
174.   williamnyy23
171 I think I recall that...were those games in Oakland?
2007-07-24 19:33:56
175.   fansince77
Wanger need food?
2007-07-24 19:35:27
176.   RIYank
Oh, nice. We can afford the run, but Melky just saved Wanger some pitches.
2007-07-24 19:35:31
177.   williamnyy23
The Butler did it!!

Thanks Billy.

2007-07-24 19:36:14
178.   monkeypants
172 Fair enough. I suppose at a certain point (apparently around 95% if I understand you correctly), it doesn't matter all that much what you do. At that point you might as well tell the boys to swing away, or practice bunting, or whatever.
2007-07-24 19:37:15
179.   Marcus
175 No more Yankee my wanky.
2007-07-24 19:37:28
180.   OldYanksFan
"Damon cuts down..."
Really... does that even sound possible?
Once again, Melky earns his keep in CF.
2007-07-24 19:37:54
181.   Cliff Corcoran
174 Seattle. They went to play Oakland right after that, though.
2007-07-24 19:37:56
182.   Chyll Will
177 Beat me to it. Man, what the hell was he thinking, even if he wasn't?
2007-07-24 19:38:07
183.   Mattpat11
177 Are you John Sterling?
2007-07-24 19:40:42
184.   Chyll Will
183 In all fairness, that play was so stupid it deserved a Sterlingine call...
2007-07-24 19:42:42
185.   williamnyy23
181 I knew I had stayed up late watching those games. Thanks.
2007-07-24 19:42:56
186.   RIYank
3-walk game for Robbie!!
2007-07-24 19:43:20
187.   Mattpat11
Cano walks three times. THE END IS NIGH
2007-07-24 19:43:37
188.   monkeypants
163 Three walks? Have they replaced Cano with a robot?
2007-07-24 19:44:30
189.   tommyl
Sorry, Cano has 3 walks? Cano? Did they do a brain transplant or something?
2007-07-24 19:44:49
190.   Schteeve
188 No they have replaced him with an outlier.
2007-07-24 19:45:29
191.   Schteeve
190 I'm fully confident that tomorrow night Regression To The Mean will be back in Robbie's jersey.
2007-07-24 19:46:01
192.   Chyll Will
187 Yeah, someone needs to buy Cano a new pair of shoes...
2007-07-24 19:46:29
193.   williamnyy23
183 That's baseball! You know the old saying...you should never make the first or last out at third. Well, if the Royals lose this game, they have no kick coming to them. Dem's the breaks, as I was telling Jeff Karstens and Darrel Rasner, jussst the other day.
2007-07-24 19:47:16
194.   Chyll Will
Weeping's favorite kind of hit! Yay!
2007-07-24 19:47:26
195.   monkeypants
191 If only he could be traded for High Ceiling Improving Hasn't Reached his Peak.
2007-07-24 19:47:40
196.   Schteeve
Andy Phillips is growing on me.
2007-07-24 19:48:51
197.   monkeypants
194 Well, they had a nice easy hit up the middle, but only after a base-clogging walk. You take the good with the bad, I guess.
2007-07-24 19:49:27
198.   Schteeve
195 Yes yes, someday maybe he'll be Large Positive Delta between BA and OBP!!
2007-07-24 19:51:15
199.   monkeypants
Hmmm...here might be a PH Duncan v. the LHP moment, though I gues that would just bring a pitching change.
2007-07-24 19:52:03
200.   Chyll Will
196 They have an ointment for that.

197 Yep, and I'll tell you something else, 193...

Show/Hide Comments 201-250
2007-07-24 19:52:29
201.   Eirias
170 Ah, but is the solution NP-Complete?
2007-07-24 19:52:46
202.   Schteeve
I was thinking about what Weeping was saying yesterday about how teams who can score runs without HRs are reliable. I think that is hooey. I think the best way to look at that reliability thing is to look at Baserunners per Run. So on average how many Baserunners does it take a team to score one run. It would seem to me that teams that hit lots of HRs would have very low BR/R. And that would be really reliable.
2007-07-24 19:52:52
203.   monkeypants
199 If of course he was a LHP. Put down the glue bottle, monkeypants.
2007-07-24 19:53:11
204.   tommyl
Is Cano hurt?!
2007-07-24 19:53:17
205.   Schteeve
Johnny Damon is growing on me.
2007-07-24 19:53:30
206.   williamnyy23
That's a big hit...not only does it re-extend the lead, but it's very nice to see Damon turn around a + fastball with a full swing.
2007-07-24 19:54:44
207.   Chyll Will
(bidibidbidbidibidi) Eat it, Buck...
2007-07-24 19:54:55
208.   Mattpat11
Do you pitch Mo regardless?
2007-07-24 19:55:30
209.   monkeypants
206 Royals announcers said is was offspeed, but they're paying about as much attention as I am (see 203 199).
2007-07-24 19:58:22
210.   monkeypants
208 It should be Lord Farnswhacker time soon, which means the lead will shrink, which means Mo will pitch.
2007-07-24 19:58:29
211.   Mattpat11
ROBINSON CANO is teaching children how to steal bases?
2007-07-24 19:58:52
212.   Chyll Will
201 Probably... or probably not? I'll have to figure that out with my cosign...
2007-07-24 19:59:42
213.   Mattpat11
Bum.
2007-07-24 20:00:01
214.   RIYank
202 I'm not sure why that's "reliable".

I was thinking about how I'd test it, too. How about this. Look at every game in the past decade, say, in which a team scored nine runs. Now in that set look at the High Homer subset, in which the team hit at least two, and the Low Homer subset, in which the team hit none. Now check those two subsets of teams, counting, for each team, how many times in the season they score at least five runs. Which subset scores higher on this measure?

2007-07-24 20:00:38
215.   OldYanksFan
This could be the second game in a row where we only score single digits.
I'm beginning to get concerned...
2007-07-24 20:02:18
216.   Chyll Will
211 They should've gotten Danny Ocean...
2007-07-24 20:04:37
217.   Chyll Will
214 There's just no getting away from The Simpsons Movie, is there?
2007-07-24 20:05:15
218.   nemecizer
201 and 212

You, sirs, though I come to this board late tonight, and a bit in the bag due to corporate entertainment requirements, have reinforced my belief in the Banter. Any baseball blog that carries any sort of discussion of NP-completeness has my interest.

There be mathematicians in them these woods, and that does my heart proud in this game of Baseball.

2007-07-24 20:06:17
219.   nemecizer
218 BTW, Go Yankees.
2007-07-24 20:06:45
220.   RIYank
217 Hi Homer!
2007-07-24 20:08:22
221.   monkeypants
214 How about simply charting runs scored v. %runs by HR (or simply create a ratio) for every team over a given number of seasons, to see if there is a strong correlation b/t runs scored and HRs.

I think, though, that Weeping, et al desire not only teams that score runs, but score them consistently (i.e. they are rarely shut out or score few runs). In that case, one could set a minimum threshold--let's say four or five runs. Then look at all teams over a given period and count how many times each team failed to score the "low score" threshold, and see if that percentage correlates to whether the %runs by HR. In other words, ignore the high end (since presumably Weeping would complain about a team that slugs 14 runs one day but gets shut out the next) and focus on what type of team consistently scores a minimum threshold of runs more often.

2007-07-24 20:09:58
222.   tommyl
I think A-Rod's back or shoulder is bothering him a little bit. He keeps stretching out.
2007-07-24 20:10:09
223.   OldYanksFan
Very cool...
CNN has a televised Democratic debate where questions are coming from citizens via UTube.
The present is beginning to catch up to the future.
2007-07-24 20:11:27
224.   monkeypants
22 Maybe from when he got drilled in the back the other night?
2007-07-24 20:11:48
225.   Schteeve
221 I've done that correlation exercise. The team stat that correlates most strongly to Runs is SLG%. I did it like 3 years ago, but that's what I found.
2007-07-24 20:11:55
226.   monkeypants
224 That should have been 222.
2007-07-24 20:12:39
227.   Schteeve
i love me some 'zilla.
2007-07-24 20:12:59
228.   Jim Dean
217 Check out:

http://www.simpsonizeme.com/

You've got to hit it very late at night though or else you get error messages cause the site is overwhelmed.

It works and the results are very cool.

2007-07-24 20:16:09
229.   RIYank
221 Hm, the first idea is interesting. But I'm not completely convinced it measures the property in question. I mean, suppose, to take an absurd extreme, there's a team that scores only one run per game, but gets half its runs on HR. That's not what I'd call a team that "relies on the HR", but it will have an extremely high %runs scored on HR.

The second thing is pretty much what I was trying for, but instead of % by HR I was also using a threshold for that.

And my bet, actually, is that the High HR teams will be more consistent. You?

2007-07-24 20:16:53
230.   monkeypants
225 Playing the role of Weeping, I wonder if there was a difference between teams depending on the way they acheived their SLG--HRs v. lots of doubles, for example. In other words, are "HR teams" or "line drive teams" more consistent?

Also, the "consistency question" does not involve only runs scored, but how those runs are distributed.

Hey, I actually think this is all bunk, as you suggest in 202. I'm just trying to think of ways to get at answering the question as it might be posed by those who posit that "HR teams" (read: all or nothing teams) are have less reliable offenses.

2007-07-24 20:16:54
231.   Jim Dean
Seattle just lost their second game. I believe the Yanks will be 1.5 back of them after tonight. And 4.5 back of Cleveland.
2007-07-24 20:20:25
232.   Chyll Will
221 Could you perhaps apply that to the teams that have A - won the most WS championships in any given decade, and B - won the most games per season in any given decade? I think that the two subsets are mutually exclusive, but what would I know?
2007-07-24 20:22:17
233.   monkeypants
229 Oh I agree with you, in general. Actually, despite what Schteeve says in 225, I would have thought high OBP would correlate most to runs scored, which in turn would correlate to "reliable" offense. But overall, I suspect that teams that score more runs are more "reliable"--or put another way, the "reliability" question is basically a red herring. That's my guess anyway.
2007-07-24 20:23:35
234.   Chyll Will
230 Same question (232), different scope...
2007-07-24 20:24:27
235.   RIYank
Whew.
Myers was the perfect choice this inning, credit to Joe. Mike is not good enough to save for high-leverage innings, but not bad enough to scare you.
2007-07-24 20:26:25
236.   Mattpat11
I demand a walk from Robbie
2007-07-24 20:27:34
237.   Chyll Will
Ah, there's the Cano we know and worry too much about...
2007-07-24 20:28:40
238.   Schteeve
233 I was totally surprised that it was SLG not OBP. It actually spurred me to e-mail David Pinto about it and he took a look at the numbers and said it made sense. Then he said a bunch of other stuff that I don't remember.
2007-07-24 20:29:46
239.   monkeypants
238 Cool!
2007-07-24 20:30:29
240.   RIYank
The Tigers just blew a 7-1 lead. Wow, Chicago pulls ahead.
2007-07-24 20:31:51
241.   Mike T
How many pitches did Wang have?
2007-07-24 20:32:11
242.   RIYank
If Seattle and Detroit both lose two games today, this is about as much Wild Card ground we could gain in one day. Uh, assuming we win. I'm counting the Tiggers as WC rivals, though maybe I should now just assume they'll win the Central.
2007-07-24 20:33:08
243.   Schteeve
i think this is all an aesthetic argument. I think Weeping probably thinks that HRs are too easy, or are somehow cheating, since you didn't have to precisely place a few line drives, and then do a hit and run and then steal a bag.

It's probably rooted in the same reason I hate heavyweight boxing but I like welterweights. There's a perception that one requires nothing but brute force, and one is reliant on some sort of polish and skill and finesse and gentlemanly carriage.

Or sumpthin'

2007-07-24 20:33:31
244.   RIYank
241 He threw 98 pitches.
2007-07-24 20:33:37
245.   Chyll Will
Le streake es oeuvre...
2007-07-24 20:35:41
246.   Schteeve
Farnsworth's BAA is .280!!! Fuck the heck.
2007-07-24 20:35:42
247.   Mattpat11
God damnit.
2007-07-24 20:36:11
248.   RIYank
243 He thinks that a batter doesn't have voluntary control over HR hitting, but does over slapping singles. I forget why that means the liners and slow roller hits are more reliable. But it definitely has to do with control.

Farns with a five run lead. Let's send Joe flowers or something encouraging. Tea.

2007-07-24 20:36:45
249.   monkeypants
245 "The streak (you) is a work"???

To what does this refer?

2007-07-24 20:38:01
250.   Chyll Will
243 Rumble in the Jungle?
Show/Hide Comments 251-300
2007-07-24 20:39:37
251.   Mattpat11
A baserunner for Worthless. What a shock.
2007-07-24 20:40:20
252.   RIYank
249 Hah! No, it's like "Mots D'Heures: Gousses, Rames", I believe.
2007-07-24 20:41:15
253.   Chyll Will
249 Man. A good piece of sarcasm, wasted >;) The on-base streak (24 straight innings that the Yanks had a man on base.)
2007-07-24 20:42:51
254.   williamnyy23
238 I've seen studies that say OBP correlates more than SLG and vica versa. I also believe that an equation that factors OBP while leaving SLG constant correlates the best.
2007-07-24 20:43:03
255.   Mattpat11
Good. Trade him.
2007-07-24 20:44:35
256.   Chyll Will
252 Oui! (and I do need a new bandage for my finger...)
2007-07-24 20:44:56
257.   monkeypants
248 the argument goes back to a previous thread today, and many before. He (and others) assumes that HRs are the product of pitcher mistakes, so that good pitchers essentially do not give up HRs, so teams reliant on the HR will feast on weak pitchers but falter inevitably against good pitching. This perception is reinforced by the tendency for "HR hitters" also to K a lot, so that they "fail" to control their ABs (they don't "go the other way" or "shorten their stroke" or "swing defensively" or "vary their approach" etc.).

Finally, he (et al) seem to think that batters, if properly coached and possessing the proper attitude) should be able to hit just about any pitch in the zone hard, so long as he doesn't try to pull the outside pitch and puts the ball in play, especially with linedrives.

In this scenario, HRs are pleasant happenstances most of the time.

2007-07-24 20:45:16
258.   RIYank
We need a homer. Can't allow Weeping to get too happy. Graduate students should never get too happy.
2007-07-24 20:48:02
259.   RIYank
257 Yep, that's it.
Except you left out the moral aspects. But we can leave those for another time.

Hey, maybe no Mo tonight, looks like.

2007-07-24 20:49:44
260.   monkeypants
253 Ah, OK. Je n'ai pas su de quelle streake tu as parlé.
2007-07-24 20:50:35
261.   Mattpat11
That looked fair.
2007-07-24 20:51:09
262.   ny2
Captain's taken back the BA from Jorge today
2007-07-24 20:51:13
263.   monkeypants
258 Bobby almost indulged you.

Hey, I was a grad student not that long ago, be nice!

2007-07-24 20:51:14
264.   RIYank
Uh.
How could that be foul?
2007-07-24 20:52:02
265.   Chyll Will
257 Does that mean that a pitcher's motion, K/BB ratio and pitch count, velocity, (et al) would have to remain constant for that to be applicable?

Bullshyt call, ump...

2007-07-24 20:52:02
266.   Mattpat11
Terrible call in a long line of them this year.
2007-07-24 20:52:32
267.   RIYank
Did the ump say the fan touched the ball? Or do they have a bizarre ground rule?
2007-07-24 20:53:32
268.   RIYank
Well, it won't matter, because it's time for 499.
2007-07-24 20:54:01
269.   markp
A lot of HRs have been hit against good pitchers. It's difficult to score with consecutive offense against a real good pitcher. There are plenty of examples in MLB history of HR hitting teams winning a lot of MLB games in both the regular and post seasons.
2007-07-24 20:54:01
270.   monkeypants
Why is this game moving so slowly? The score isn't that crazy, nor have there been extra innings. I mean, come on, we've been reduced to composing French (and "French") posts.
2007-07-24 20:54:14
271.   Chyll Will
263 Me too, believe it or not...
2007-07-24 20:54:18
272.   Mike T
What happened?
2007-07-24 20:54:28
273.   RIYank
It did matter.
2007-07-24 20:55:22
274.   tommyl
soooooo close
2007-07-24 20:55:42
275.   monkeypants
265 269 Don't argue with me, I'm only the messenger (having some fun at Weeping's expense).
2007-07-24 20:57:11
276.   RIYank
272 Abreu smacked a drive to the corner, it hit the wall below the foul pole on an area marked in yellow, apparently to extend the foul pole, so it seemed plainly fair. But it was called foul.
2007-07-24 20:58:08
277.   Chyll Will
270 Pourquoi cette bêtise se produit-elle toujours quand je viens autour ?
2007-07-24 20:58:20
278.   Mattpat11
272 The clearly fair ball apparently wasn't fair enough.
2007-07-24 20:58:30
279.   RIYank
If KC scores five or six here, I'm going to be pretty cross about that Abreu call.
2007-07-24 21:00:11
280.   OldYanksFan
Ugh. Single digit runs. Offensive slump. There goes the WC.
2007-07-24 21:01:15
281.   Chyll Will
275 No you're not, you were Weeping for more than a minute 230 >;)
2007-07-24 21:01:46
282.   Mattpat11
Ohfochristsakes Brian, just end this damn thing.
2007-07-24 21:01:47
283.   RIYank
270 What do you mean, it's almost over! Tempus fugit. Why, it seems like only yesterday that Wang was removed for some relief pitcher or other. Or was that a dream?
2007-07-24 21:02:56
284.   RIYank
Way to live up to your initials, dude.
2007-07-24 21:03:53
285.   OldYanksFan
Can we trust Bruney in the PS? Walks a guy with a 5 run lead? OMG...
2007-07-24 21:04:39
286.   Schteeve
280 I'm just happy that they didn't score more runs today, they would have been out of runs in the Magic Bag o' Runs, for tomorrow's game.
2007-07-24 21:04:40
287.   monkeypants
277 Qui sait? Ma peut-être on ne devrait pas demander les raisons de telles choses.
2007-07-24 21:04:52
288.   Chyll Will
283 Tempus fugit ---> fahgheddaboudit?
2007-07-24 21:06:24
289.   RIYank
288 Pretty much. If you ever had one of those little Fords you wouldn't have to ask.
2007-07-24 21:07:03
290.   Mattpat11
He hit that wall pretty hard
2007-07-24 21:07:17
291.   RIYank
Bryle Bruhnsworth.
2007-07-24 21:07:41
292.   Chyll Will
287 Droite. Je serai tranquille maintenant...
2007-07-24 21:07:53
293.   monkeypants
283 Tempus fugit...Now you're speaking my language! (Nunc meam linguam dicis!)
2007-07-24 21:08:42
294.   Mattpat11
Get Mo in so this game can END
2007-07-24 21:10:04
295.   RIYank
294 We've barely cracked 4 hours! You guys are such wusses.
2007-07-24 21:11:28
296.   Mattpat11
Well, ladies and gents, good night for now
2007-07-24 21:11:54
297.   monkeypants
...and there was much rejoicing!
2007-07-24 21:12:17
298.   RIYank
Way to finish it, Bryle!

Okay, let's play another, I'm warmed up. Fortunately, 2, my email got fixed, or I would have been insufferable.

Shut up.

2007-07-24 21:12:23
299.   Chyll Will
289 Hah! The development I grew up in was littered with those in the back of people's driveways. We used to build snow forts on them. If they were running, we'd laugh at the drivers as they went on their way to community college...
2007-07-24 21:12:38
300.   yankz
Jeez Jeter, 4 hits and 0 RBI?!?!
Show/Hide Comments 301-350
2007-07-24 21:14:44
301.   Chyll Will
298 (whistling non-chalantly...)
2007-07-24 21:15:00
302.   JL25and3
292 Droite? Was that from babelfish or something?

252 Wow, someone else who knows that book. Un petit d'un petit/S'etonne aux Halles.

2007-07-24 21:19:25
303.   Chyll Will
302 I confess. I couldn't pronounce many of those words, much less know what they meant except by following the familial Romance patterns... My roommate would never let me hear the end of it if she saw any of this >;)
2007-07-24 21:21:08
304.   RIYank
Well, here's to speedy deliveries tomorrow, and nine Yankee runs on six homers.

Boona's Nachos.

2007-07-24 21:29:08
305.   Chyll Will
304 Boona's Nachos! Ahstah LOOGY!
2007-07-24 21:29:17
306.   Mattpat11
So now we have to try to win one of Mussina and Igawa's starts. Good luck.
2007-07-24 21:30:10
307.   Chyll Will
(et al)
2007-07-24 21:39:02
308.   Chyll Will
...zzzzz BTW, is anyone keeping count on how many times Torre says "belly full o'guts" this season? zzzzz...
2007-07-25 00:19:43
309.   weeping for brunnhilde
Cheers, Team!

Good win, sorry I missed it.

Roll on, roll on.

Regarding the homerun/linedrive yada yada yada -thing, it suddenly occurs to me that perhaps this all boils down to the fact that, as a young child, I was traumatized by Dave Kingman and Steve Balboni and absolutely awestruck by Don Mattingly.

What a revelation he was.

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