BASEBALL 2017---Bring it On!!!

[DCPatriot]

This just in: Bryce Harper's suspension was cut to three games. No word yet on whether Hunter Strickland got
his suspension reduced on appeal.

Ponder this: Assuming Strickland's original suspension term holds up, it means Harper suspended for a minimum
of 27 innings and Strickland, being a relief pitcher, suspended for . . . six innings, perhaps seven. When
Strickland instigated things by exercising a grudge almost three years old.

You see why some people are sour on baseball government? Every time you hope for Solomon, you wind up getting
Maxine Waters.

Bryce Harper is #1 in All-Star vote tallies to date.

In protest, he should boycott playing in the All-Star Game.

Stay home and work on going to the opposite field.

[EasyAce]

Bryce Harper is #1 in All-Star vote tallies to date.

In protest, he should boycott playing in the All-Star Game.

Might not be a bad idea!

Stay home and work on going to the opposite field.

I dunno. Whatever he's doing is working big for him; he's neck and neck with Ryan Zimmerman leading that Nats
lineup. The pair of them are deep in the MVP hunt as it is, and this may just be the best-operating Nats team of
the past few seasons.

The good news: Losing Harper for three games won't hurt the Nats in the big season picture as badly as losing
Mike Trout for 6-8 weeks (torn thumb ligament he got sliding into second on a steal) hurts the Angels. They were
barely in second in an AL West that doesn't look that great to begin with behind the Astros, and Trout was
what one writer said: "hitting like Ted Williams but with four backup catchers for protection." Without him for
a time frame that long, the Angels don't even look like a back-door wild card team this year.

[EasyAce]

Speaking of the AL West, bank on it: The A's probably will move Sonny Gray at or before the non-waiver
trade deadline. Teams in dire need of help in the rotation are probably debating internally on the packages
they'll offer the A's even as I write. (Are you listening, New York Mets? Do not even think of including Amed
Rosario in any package you're dreaming up for a play at Gray, who'd probably help you bigtime in the event
either Steven Matz or Seth Lugo don't round back into full shape after they come off their rehab assignments.)

[al_c]

That Astros Memorial day game was nuts.

Down 8-2 going into the 8th, at Minnesota.

Score 11 in the eighth and 3 in the ninth to win 16-8.

That was crazy! Hopefully Texas will find some defense next week against y’all.

[DCPatriot]

Might not be a bad idea!

I dunno. Whatever he's doing is working big for him; he's neck and neck with Ryan Zimmerman leading that Nats
lineup. The pair of them are deep in the MVP hunt as it is, and this may just be the best-operating Nats team of
the past few seasons.

The good news: Losing Harper for three games won't hurt the Nats in the big season picture as badly as losing
Mike Trout for 6-8 weeks (torn thumb ligament he got sliding into second on a steal) hurts the Angels. They were
barely in second in an AL West that doesn't look that great to begin with behind the Astros, and Trout was
what one writer said: "hitting like Ted Williams but with four backup catchers for protection." Without him for
a time frame that long, the Angels don't even look like a back-door wild card team this year.

Hmmm....I don't know, buddy.

I watch him every night.  And with Daniel Murphy and a scalding 'hot' Ryan Zimmerman....I'm tired of seeing him always opening up while still trying to pull everything over the wall.   He looks silly missing that outside pitch.   I'm weary of it.

I'm not HALF as confident of Harper with two strikes as I am with Murphy.

You'd think he'd watch Murph....who always manages to square up.    And he's only two lockers down.    ^-^

[EasyAce]

I'm not HALF as confident of Harper with two strikes as I am with Murphy.

You should be, though.

Through this writing, Bryce Harper has had 118 counts that included two strikes. His slash line in those counts: .280/.347/.579(.927 OPS).
Daniel Murphy through this writing has had 92 counts that included two strikes. His slash line in those counts: .235/.244/.494 (.738 OPS).

Harper in two-strike counts: 30 hits, including eight doubles and eight home runs, with 22 runs batted in.
Murphy in two-strike counts: 19 hits, including six doubles and five home runs, with 11 runs batted in.

I think you should be far more confident with Harper at the plate in any two-strike count.[/quote]

[DCPatriot]

You should be, though.

Through this writing, Bryce Harper has had 118 counts that included two strikes. His slash line in those counts: .280/.347/.579(.927 OPS).
Daniel Murphy through this writing has had 92 counts that included two strikes. His slash line in those counts: .235/.244/.494 (.738 OPS).

Harper in two-strike counts: 30 hits, including eight doubles and eight home runs, with 22 runs batted in.
Murphy in two-strike counts: 19 hits, including six doubles and five home runs, with 11 runs batted in.

I think you should be far more confident with Harper at the plate in any two-strike count.

Hmmmm......   my lyin' eyes are acting up again.   

[EasyAce]

Hmmmm......   my lyin' eyes are acting up again.   

[Cripplecreek]

Spectator behind the plate in Minnesota with a sign that says "Covfefe the Tigers". 

[Night Hides Not]

That was crazy! Hopefully Texas will find some defense next week against y’all.

I wouldn't count on it. This edition of the Texas Rangers is one of the worst teams I've seen in terms of fundamentals, and their bullpen is horrid. Their pitchers walk too many, the batters strike out too often, they have too many lapses on the base paths, and did I say the bullpen is horrid?

For a team payroll of nearly $180 million, Jon Daniels should be on the hot seat, he constructed this mess.

[Cripplecreek]

Warwick Saupold is kind of unique in the MLB.

An Aussie relief pitcher. He had a very solid scoreless 3 inning outing in the Tiger's win over the Royals last night.

[DCPatriot]

Still bugging the Shiite out of me regarding the uneven disbursement of game suspensions to Strickland vs. Harper.

Harper...3 games....27 innings....15+/- PAs

Strickland...6 games as a closer/reliever.....6 innings


WTF, @EasyAce ???

[EasyAce]

Still bugging the Shiite out of me regarding the uneven disbursement of game suspensions to Strickland vs. Harper.

Harper...3 games....27 innings....15+/- PAs

Strickland...6 games as a closer/reliever.....6 innings


WTF, @EasyAce ???

@DCPatriot
My sentiment exactly!

You see why some people are sour on baseball government? Every time you hope for Solomon,
you wind up with Inspector Clouseau.

[Cripplecreek]

Tigers doing it to the White Sox again. 15-5 win last night and currently 9-1 in the bottom of the 8th now.

[Cyber Liberty]

Miami just no-hittered the Diamondbacks.  I don't think the Dbacks have had that happen since 2006.

 

[EasyAce]

Miami just no-hittered the Diamondbacks.  I don't think the Dbacks have had that happen since 2006.

 

In '06, it was another Marlins pitcher (Anibal Sanchez) who no-hit the Snakes.

[Cyber Liberty]

In '06, it was another Marlins pitcher (Anibal Sanchez) who no-hit the Snakes.

Funny that.  One more game in the quartet.  10AM tomorrow here....

[EasyAce]

Shock of the weekend: Jon Lester (Cubs) picked off Tommy Pham (Cardinals) in the top of the fifth.
Pham took about an eighteen-foot lead off first. Lester came to his set. Did nothing but move his
left foot off the rubber and in the same split second threw a lob that looked slower than a knuckleball
to nail Pham and retire the side.

The best news, for the Cubs: The Schwarbinator's grand salami in the seventh, pointing the Cubs
to the win.

[Bigun]

Astros win! Astros win! Astros win again!  9 in a row on the road!  40/16 overall!

DAMN these guys are fun to watch!

[EasyAce]

Albert Pujols---hits number 600 and a grand salami at that.
Edinson Volquez---no-hits the Diamondbacks after rolling his ankle on an infield play off the game's third pitch.

In the immortal words of Mel Allen, how about that!

Sad note: Jimmy Piersall---whose spectacular crackup with the early 1950s Red Sox turned into his memoir
and film Fear Strikes Out, revealing his battle with mental illness in a time when mental illness was
still something you shoved under the rug---passed away at 87.

[Bigun]

Albert Pujols---hits number 600 and a grand salami at that.
Edinson Volquez---no-hits the Diamondbacks after rolling his ankle on an infield play off the game's third pitch.

In the immortal words of Mel Allen, how about that!

Sad note: Jimmy Piersall---whose spectacular crackup with the early 1950s Red Sox turned into his memoir
and film Fear Strikes Out, revealing his battle with mental illness in a time when mental illness was
still something you shoved under the rug---passed away at 87.

Jimmy Piersall was one scary dude.  May he rest in peace!

[EasyAce]

Jimmy Piersall was one scary dude.  May he rest in peace!

What he was was a great defensive outfielder. He once pulled back a home run on Mickey Mantle,
leaping way over a high enough fence to get it, and Mantle kicked a ton of dirt out of the infield
over it. Mantle later quoted a sportswriter as writing, "In seventeen years covering baseball I
never saw a catch like that!"

Piersall turned up as a Met for a spell in 1963. While there, he hit his 100th career home run.
He backpedaled around the bases to run it out, cracking up both the crowd and the Phillies,
off whom he hit it.

[dfwgator]

Astros win! Astros win! Astros win again!  9 in a row on the road!  40/16 overall!

DAMN these guys are fun to watch!

Note to John Daniels...."SELL!  EVERYTHING MUST GO!!!!"

[EasyAce]

Jimmy Piersall was one scary dude.  May he rest in peace!

[Bigun]

What he was was a great defensive outfielder. He once pulled back a home run on Mickey Mantle,
leaping way over a high enough fence to get it, and Mantle kicked a ton of dirt out of the infield
over it. Mantle later quoted a sportswriter as writing, "In seventeen years covering baseball I
never saw a catch like that!"

Piersall turned up as a Met for a spell in 1963. While there, he hit his 100th career home run.
He backpedaled around the bases to run it out, cracking up both the crowd and the Phillies,
off whom he hit it.

Yeah! No doubt about it! But I also saw him try to climb the fence behind home plate to get at a fan that was giving him the business.  Scary!