Baseball Toaster was unplugged on February 4, 2009.
We've got a nice pitching match-up for the Sunday Night finale of this four-game series, as Joba Chamberlain goes against the old knuckler, Tim Wakefield. Never know what you are going to get from Wake, but we've seen him hand it to the Yanks on more than one occasion. Chamberlain is coming off a poor start against the Rangers where he was wild and threw a ton of pitches and was gone after four innings. Tonight is his biggest start yet. A huge game for the Yankees to keep pace--yes, the Rays won again this afternoon.
The All Star rosters were announced this afternoon and neither Mike Mussina and Jason Giambi made the team. I'm sure that'll give Joe Morgan something to talk about tonight.
Oy.
Let's hope the bats are boomin' so it ain't too painful and
Let's Go Yan-Kees!
Ellsbury, LF
Pedroia, 2B
Drew, RF
Lowell, 3B
Youkilis, 1B
Casey, DH
Crisp, CF
Lugo, SS
Cash, C
Gardner, LF
Jeter, SS
Abreu, RF
Rodriguez, 3B
Giambi, 1B
Posada, DH
Cano, 2B
Cabrera, CF
Molina, C
No Manny, for some reason.
Let them have their ASG, it's a farce anyway.
Some of what Francona said could be interpreted as "I asked Manny to play but he said he didn't want to." Just sayin'.
The key after this will be to dust the Rays in New York on Tuesday and Wednesday and head into the break with 2 of 3 in Toronto. BUT I'm obviously getting ahead of myself.
Tonight -- We just need to hope that Wake's super knuckler is off, that the players grind out every at-bat (no excuses Cano!), that Brett creates havoc on the paths, and Joba keeps his pitch count down. We need Melky to continue his current 5 for 10 streak too.
Let's Go Yan-Keees, indeed!
Or are we pretending to be above it all?
Is a shame about the marriage, and with two young kids too.
Question -- will the Brewers resign him? Will they try to resign him? They stand to lose Sabathia AND Sheets at the end of this season. Wouldn't it be great if the Yankees got one of them?
I have only one question: who is going to be the Yankees' EIGHTH INNING GUY!!!!??!?!??!?
I realize that Arod's a much bigger player, but dammit, which is worse? A divorce? Or beating your wife? It's just unfair.
He was 2nd in 2007 and 7th in 2006.
Det and Sea now in the 14th.
Mets and Phils now in the 10th.
"*AND HE WALKS HIM!!!!"
"JOBA HAS TO LEARN...
Blegh.
Hold serve, Joba!
Give me a break.
It's going to be a long night.
Grab a beverage.
Ha ha hah ah aha !
Poor Michael, the old lug.
My brain hurts.
That's what I'm talking about!
Hell, Scooter used to provide more insight into the game.
I mean, it was a nice play, sure, but any shortstop makes that play, or should.
Oh man, there is so much wrong with that I don't even know where to begin.
What divorce?
You da man, Alex!
Ah A-Rod does seem to thrive when he's in the tabloids.
So, more Kabbala then, right?
Remember, he bats 70% as a LH batter, so at this point that may be his more "natural" side to hit from.
Yeah, Joe, and when was the last time the Brewers were relevant?
http://tinyurl.com/2coh4f
OK, Posada has
4163 PA LH batter v. RHP, OPS .849.
1673 PA RH batter v. LHP, OPS .881
1 PA RH batter v. RHP, (0-0 BB)
So, he's a better hitter for his career as a RH batter, but he has only batted once in his entire career RH v. RH (zero times LH v. LH). Comfort is probably the reason.
I thought comfort was achieved through the use of Michael Jordan's Hanes briefs.
kinda similar thing on Baseball Tonight last night: they were gushing about Aaron Rowand being a gamer because his uniform was dirty ... two seconds later there's a highlight of Fred Lewis, I think, crossing the plate with a filthy uniform and no comment. Just more for FJM, I guess.
I hate to make accusations of racism, but it's pretty obvious that despite little evidence(?) some players, mainly all white, are gritty gamers that bring something that can't be quantified to their teams, while other players are just there.
I'd vote for Morgan because McCarver got his uniform dirty (just kidding, it's a tie, they're both stupid).
http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/2000/B06190BOS2000.htm
It worked for Cuba Gooding, Jr.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZY152lZHA0c
Okay, Morgan is smarter than McCarver.
The difference is that McCarver was once respected for his color analysis. Then he started reading his clippings, and also realized he realllllly like the sound of his voice.
"Joe be sure to mention how Arod is a 'lightening rod' of criticism because of Madonna. See Lightening Rod rhymes with Arod and all baseball fans love rhymes."
132 agreed..excruciating..in Japan they also follow the Crash Davis cliche-handbook, but in local "humble" speaking style...snooze-inducing
139 That's intangible, not defense.
Maybe players should be seen and not heard.
131 Arod needs to grind out at bats so Morgan and Miller can talk about lightening rod.
If Joba didn't have to throw 0-2 pitches to Youk, he'd have a no-hitter.
Okay, Joba, here's your test. Fortunately we're up to the soft part of the order.
It occurs to me that if each SB is worth .16 R for the offense, and each CS is worth -.49, if opposing teams simply stopped running against Molina it would eliminate entirely his biggest advantage over Posada, the CS. So if Molina continues to throw guys out then ironically it is likely to lower his relative value (v. Posada) because teams will simply stop challenging him.
http://tinyurl.com/6pnfhc
Laz Diaz's strike zone is brutal.
Where the f#ck was that pitch?
Sooooo...that was not a swing?
Memo to Yankee hitters -- Joba could use a breather here.
Damn. He wasn't pitching badly, but those walks turned a dangerous inning into a very bad inning.
We need base runners for the next homer, that's for sure.
That 3-1 "fastball" was the pitch to hit, damn.
I will not hit with a goat; I will not hit in a boat
I will not do it Sam I am; I will not get a hit or slam.
Would you hit them in a bunch??
I mean, you are being funny, right?
I will not hit them, don't you see, especially with R.I.S.P.
.
.
.
But it worked.
We will not grind out every AB
A rally we will not mount
The Banter we want to make sleepy.
Woah! Girardi, get your money's worth.
I dunno, the Molina pitch was borderline.
We will not hit--we're feeling faint!
Okay, here we go, boys.
Even a man named Robby Cano.
Here we go!
Or, wait until the Sox throw the ball away.
Bobby killed that one, too.
WTF, how was that not a strike?
'approach' : Banter :: 'consistant' : Morgan chat.
Joba NEEDS to use his FB more.
But Cash is not good at hitting.
Yet, the offense has disappeared again. Really, do the starters have to pitch shutouts every night?
still so down on Gammons, remember last year his diatribe about A-Rod's opt-out annoucement, taking away from the WS and young players who respect the game like Dusty McGrit, etc...why does that irritate me so much?? am i just venting over another rough game..
I've got no problems with Joba.
Now Giambi or Jorgie can tie it up for us.
Arod HAS to steal here.
But that was a Farnsworth level pitch he hung to Cash. Hope he learns fast.
356 He's tiring, and he's becoming less effective. I think it's a smart move.
I think pulling Wakefield with Jorge coming up is a mistake.
And the ESPN camera was from the right angle to see the beauty of the hit and run.
Nice.
In any case, lawsuit or not, that Gammons did not come out and call Boston racist overtly has little to do with him "kissing the asses" of the city or its denizens. He tactfully said as much on TV. That was pretty critical.
(Maybe he would have homered off Wake?)
Robby Cano!
Fucking beautiful.
It doesn't get any better than that, ladies and germs.
Get your boy HOME!
I love Melky, but I just can't take it anymore.
Really.
Some way, some how.
I'm starting to feel like we don't have a very serious baseball club here anymore and frankly, I don't much care for it.
It's great we rallied to come back, but let's finish the fucking job.
411 god..how do you bring him in a tied game like this??? why can't Mo go two????
And why am I getting the feeling we're going to have Every Day Kyle Farnsworth.
If I just take the quotes in this thread at face value, I actually took his wording as an attempt to flatter fans in the New England area...implying that Boston fans have less tolerance for moody, self-absorbed superstars than other major markets (the implication being that NY, SF, Philly, etc would be more accepting if the guy performed, whereas there's more of a moral dimension to Boston fandom).
Hey, I know I'm reaching, but I wouldn't be surprised if that's what Gammons meant. The "Boston is racist" meme is just too loaded to put out on national TV, and Gammons knows it.
Okay, now we have to score so Mo can do the Save thing.
Nice job, Kyle Farnsworth.
Someone's enjoying some tasty beverages.
I guess it's hard to measure whether Boston is a racist town or not. Reputations are a hard thing to live down, like it or not. Hell, the city I live in was absolutely notorious in the 1960's. I've met a number of New Englanders who were racist, and others who weren't.
Two good nights in a row for EDKF?
Man, that was so close to heroic...
The bowl, then.
:)
But if Bobby gets on...
For awhile one of the SF beat writers was pushing for the Giants to trade for A-Rod. One the grounds that A-Rod would never be accepted in NY, because New Yorkers hate phonies. San Franciscans don't mind, though, and he pointed to Bonds as an example.
Great catch, damn you.
Mo in the 9th please!!!!!!!
'In an interview with the Boston Globe, Bonds was asked a cream puff question about whether he would consider finishing his career in Beantown. Bonds shook his head and said, "Boston is too racist for me. I couldn't play there. That's been going on ever since my dad (Bobby) was playing baseball. I can't play like that. That's not for me, brother." When the reporter countered that the racial climate has changed in Boston, Bonds responded, "It ain't changing. It ain't changing nowhere."'
http://www.counterpunch.org/zirin06232004.html
(I'm sure I could find the original Boston Globe article if I tried...)
I'm sure there's still some racism in Boston. Not as overt as it used to be, just like everywhere else, but it still is around. Which is frustrating.
443 A-yup. Don't know where they were from, but the girl I was chasing was arguing with them and as I was into Tae Kwon Do at the time, I was eager to show off. Fortunately things settled down.
Also, I was pleading for a squeeze with Melky up in the 8th. Why don't the Yankees realize that Melky can't hit right handed?
460 HAS to be Mo here! you don't lose with your best on the pine
Varitek to pinch hit.
Okay...
Good night all.
Tek has good numbers against Mo, but...
Oh, here's Manny. Now I get it.
Nothing.
[fn1] no I don't want to be down 6-4, but if we're down 5-4 to the Sox isn't the game already over?
The Banter managers are made to look foolish by His Moliness!
Time for some KABBALA!
Oh my God!
Oh my God!
Carved. Up. Manny.
Carved his ass up.
Mariano Rivera, ladies and gentlemen.
Someday we'll be telling our grandkids...
Did Mo only throw 6 pitches there?
I think that could have gone either way, close call.
In a weird way, I am glad they pitched to Manny because I was convinced that Ellsbury would try a drag bunt.
Though perhaps, if he's really been struggling that badly...
He nailed it, but right to Lowell.
2007 126 OPS+
2008 128 OPS+
He may be in decline given that his previous few seasons were 160, 152, 153, 165. But he's still pretty good.
I admit I may have been influenced by his weak-ass June.
538 Who is the manager right now?
Nice stretch by Giambi on that high throw by Jeter.
How 'bout that Mariano Rivera, ladies and gentlemen?
He's pretty good, eh?
So it's Edwar and then Veras? Or vice versa?
By the way, wouldn't it be cool if Brett hit a walk-off flair to center?
I'm just musing here.
"The BREWERS ?!!"
: )
Flags fly forever ...
(bad paraphrasing of an REM reference)
:-)
I liken it to more of "sucking on a lemon"
HA AH AH AA AHA H AHA !!!1
YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wow, we won, we won!
Right back up the gut, nice and easy!
Brett Gardner!
What a great, great AB.
Who cares ... we have Brett Gardner.
BTW, just tuned in for the 8th. How did Joba look?? K/BB rate pretty close as usual, I see.
Did I mention that I LOVE this team?
Only not exactly the way they expected.
He was beautiful tonight.
He was beautiful tonight.
I just hope we can take our newfound MO-mentum and whip the Rays cocky asses in the Bronx on Tuesday and Wednesday (Snacks Ponson notwithstanding) and go pound some budweisers in Toronto.
LET'S GO YAN-KEES!
629 thank you Joba, thank you pen, thank you Kyle, thank you Mo.
I honestly thought CC would go to Philly myself.
Man, two against TB coming up, that will be something.
Night, folks.
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