Two defensive gems tonight from Cub Javier Baez.

Posted by crazystengel on 6/22/2017 1:08:00 AM (view original):
I don't understand most of baseball's "unwritten rules" and this one's no exception. What's wrong with trying to help your team score a run when you're down by 4 in the 6th inning? Even if they were down by 10 in the 9th, what would be wrong with it? There's no clock in baseball, so you're never really out of it. Dyson is a weak hitter with speed, who often tries to get on base via bunting. So why wouldn't he try it in this situation? Is it his job to help the opposing pitcher throw a perfect game?

Ditto! Throughout many years of playing competitive sports, no matter what sport it was, and regardless of the score or how much time was left, i ALWAYS played to win until the final whistle blew. This is bc i simply hate losing at practically anything, including SLB, and couldn't care less about some 'unwritten code' in RL baseball. Hitters are paid to hit and score runs. So Dyson was well within his fundamental job description to try to get on base anyway he could, bc as was earlier pointed out, it's not his job to make it easier for the opposing pitcher to beat his team just bc the pitcher had a perfect game going. The pitcher has to earn it!!!!

maybe it's been mentioned in this thread ;but as I recall Rose broke up a nohitter (perfect game)in ninth with a bunt single....I also like hit and run play;but with today's player inability to make contact it's hard to do

As for that 'unwritten code' about not showing up or embarrassing the other team by taking it easy on them after going up by so many runs, the following examples are why you should ALWAYS play to win til the final whistle. In 1976 at Wrigley Field, my Phillies were losing 12-1 to the Cubs by the third inning and came back to WIN 18-16. Schmidt hit four HRs in that game, by the way.

Also in an NFL playoff game, the Houston Oilers were up 35-3 on Jim Kelly and the BILLS. Houston took their foot off the gas peddle in the second half pursuant to the 'unwritten code', of not "embarrassing" the other team, and wound up LOSING!!

The point of this being that IMO, 'unwritten codes' have no place in sports. You play to win, plain and simple. And if the opposing pitcher throws a no-hitter or perfect game, then more power to him. He earned it.

I'm sure a lot of catchers have thought this before, but who's ever said it out loud in the presence of reporters?

WASHINGTON (AP) — Chicago Cubs catcher Miguel Montero blamed pitcher Jake Arrieta for allowing seven stolen bases in a 6-1 loss to the Washington Nationals on Tuesday night.

Montero unloaded on Arrieta for his slow delivery not giving him a chance to throw out baserunners.

"It really sucked because the stolen bases go to me, and when you really look at it, the pitcher doesn't give me any time," Montero said. "So it's just like, 'Yeah ok Miggy can't throw nobody out,' but my pitcher doesn't hold anybody on. ...

"That's the reason why they were running left and right today because they know he was slow to the plate. Simple as that. It's a shame that it's my fault because I didn't throw anybody out."

Posted by redwingscup on 6/16/2017 11:45:00 AM (view original):

Posted by crazystengel on 6/16/2017 10:01:00 AM (view original):
Like most of us at WIS I'm middle-aged and grumpy, so it naturally follows that abrupt changes in fashion tend to confuse, anger and frighten me. "What are you babbling about now, crazystengel?" I can hear you asking. Well, if you must know, MLB hairdos and beards are what I'm babbling about now.

I see a grown man with long, luscious locks like Noah Syndergaard and I think, "Is he so hard up for cash that he's doing side gigs shooting covers for Harlequin romances?" Every team seems to employ at least one of these walking shampoo ads. Sorry, but I don't approve of ballplayers looking like Fabio circa 1994!

Then you've got the beards. Beards everywhere! The Dallas Keuchel beard of bees, the Derek Norris 19th century Russian novelist, the Matt Shoemaker children's Halloween beard available at Walmart for $2.99. What, do these guys have a date with their hobo pals to hop a freight train right after the game?

Bah! Gimme a Roger Maris buzz cut and a clean shave, barber!

Great writing crazy, and I'm 100% with you.

What both of you said.

Posted by crazystengel on 6/9/2017 1:04:00 AM (view original):
An Aaron Judge single tonight had a 119.8 mph exit velocity -- highest in the majors this season.

Only two other exit velocities have reached 119 mph this season -- Judge, both times.

This makes me think that the whole Selena Willams-John McEnroe controversy could be solved by just doing some exit velocity tests.

Do or do not the Williams sisters hit the ball hard enough to get an exit velocity comparable to the best men? I would not be surprised to find out that they do, but maybe they don't. But while it does not settle who is the best player - we old folks saw Billie Jean King hit ball practically down Bobby Riggs' teeth, and the Williams women hit a lot harder than she did - it would determine whether they are hitting the tennis ball as hard as first-rate male players. Why this media circus. Let some men and women hit the tennis ball and measure the result.

Posted by crazystengel on 6/28/2017 12:09:00 AM (view original):
I'm sure a lot of catchers have thought this before, but who's ever said it out loud in the presence of reporters?

WASHINGTON (AP) — Chicago Cubs catcher Miguel Montero blamed pitcher Jake Arrieta for allowing seven stolen bases in a 6-1 loss to the Washington Nationals on Tuesday night.

Montero unloaded on Arrieta for his slow delivery not giving him a chance to throw out baserunners.

"It really sucked because the stolen bases go to me, and when you really look at it, the pitcher doesn't give me any time," Montero said. "So it's just like, 'Yeah ok Miggy can't throw nobody out,' but my pitcher doesn't hold anybody on. ...

"That's the reason why they were running left and right today because they know he was slow to the plate. Simple as that. It's a shame that it's my fault because I didn't throw anybody out."

Got his *** DFA'ed for it too...nobody is bigger than the team in Chicago.

Posted by italyprof on 6/28/2017 5:52:00 PM (view original):

Posted by redwingscup on 6/16/2017 11:45:00 AM (view original):

Posted by crazystengel on 6/16/2017 10:01:00 AM (view original):
Like most of us at WIS I'm middle-aged and grumpy, so it naturally follows that abrupt changes in fashion tend to confuse, anger and frighten me. "What are you babbling about now, crazystengel?" I can hear you asking. Well, if you must know, MLB hairdos and beards are what I'm babbling about now.

I see a grown man with long, luscious locks like Noah Syndergaard and I think, "Is he so hard up for cash that he's doing side gigs shooting covers for Harlequin romances?" Every team seems to employ at least one of these walking shampoo ads. Sorry, but I don't approve of ballplayers looking like Fabio circa 1994!

Then you've got the beards. Beards everywhere! The Dallas Keuchel beard of bees, the Derek Norris 19th century Russian novelist, the Matt Shoemaker children's Halloween beard available at Walmart for $2.99. What, do these guys have a date with their hobo pals to hop a freight train right after the game?

Bah! Gimme a Roger Maris buzz cut and a clean shave, barber!

Great writing crazy, and I'm 100% with you.

What both of you said.

I'm slightly younger than you guys seem to be based on the middle aged comment (36) and I really don't mind the individuality we are seeing from players. I like to wear a beard, but I abhor my hair length when I've gone 4 weeks w/out a haircut...

But that's me. I want guys to be who they are...and I like that we don't have teams (except 1 or 2) that forbid facial hair and long hair. My job doesn't force me to shave, so why should these guys have to?

My two cents at least.

Posted by coachgreat1 on 6/28/2017 9:04:00 PM (view original):

Posted by italyprof on 6/28/2017 5:52:00 PM (view original):

Posted by redwingscup on 6/16/2017 11:45:00 AM (view original):

Posted by crazystengel on 6/16/2017 10:01:00 AM (view original):
Like most of us at WIS I'm middle-aged and grumpy, so it naturally follows that abrupt changes in fashion tend to confuse, anger and frighten me. "What are you babbling about now, crazystengel?" I can hear you asking. Well, if you must know, MLB hairdos and beards are what I'm babbling about now.

I see a grown man with long, luscious locks like Noah Syndergaard and I think, "Is he so hard up for cash that he's doing side gigs shooting covers for Harlequin romances?" Every team seems to employ at least one of these walking shampoo ads. Sorry, but I don't approve of ballplayers looking like Fabio circa 1994!

Then you've got the beards. Beards everywhere! The Dallas Keuchel beard of bees, the Derek Norris 19th century Russian novelist, the Matt Shoemaker children's Halloween beard available at Walmart for $2.99. What, do these guys have a date with their hobo pals to hop a freight train right after the game?

Bah! Gimme a Roger Maris buzz cut and a clean shave, barber!

Great writing crazy, and I'm 100% with you.

What both of you said.

I'm slightly younger than you guys seem to be based on the middle aged comment (36) and I really don't mind the individuality we are seeing from players. I like to wear a beard, but I abhor my hair length when I've gone 4 weeks w/out a haircut...

But that's me. I want guys to be who they are...and I like that we don't have teams (except 1 or 2) that forbid facial hair and long hair. My job doesn't force me to shave, so why should these guys have to?

My two cents at least.

And that's totally cool too. Perhaps I am turning into the baseball curmudgeon my Dad was as he regaled me with stories of the Doerr, Williams, Parnell and Kinder teams of his relative youth. LOL

Kevin Pillar doing his Pete Reiser shtick again tonight. This was the only highlight of the evening for Toronto as Ubaldo Jimenez (!) threw 8 innings of 2-hit shutout ball.

Re: Miguel Montero/Jake Arrieta, a case of the slowpoke pot calling the kettle slow.

Despite Arrieta’s shortcomings, Montero deserves just as much of the blame, if not more. Montero’s average pop time to second base of 2.08 seconds is worst among catchers with at least 10 throws to second base, and it's not even close.

Slowest Pop Times to Second Base, Min 10 Attempts
Player	Throws to 2B	Average Pop Time (seconds)
Miguel Montero	12	2.08
Carlos Ruiz	11	2.02
Stephen Vogt	22	2.01
Tyler Flowers	15	2.00
Jason Castro	15	2.00

Like Arrieta, Montero didn’t develop this problem overnight. Every year since 2014, Montero has had one of the five slowest pop times to second base among catchers with at least 20 throws. His caught stealing rate has suffered as a result, as he threw out just 5 of 64 potential basestealers in 2016 and 0 of 31 this year.

Since joining the Nationals in 2015, Max Scherzer's OAV is .195.

Since joining the Nationals in 2015, Max Scherzer's batting average is .198.

Believe It or Don't!

"You could look it up!" -- Casey Stengel

I was watching the Blue Jays the other day on TV and their play-by-play announcer, ex-catcher Buck Martinez, mentioned the one time in his big league career he played in the outfield. This happened in his rookie season, 1969, playing with the expansion Royals. He said he was scared as hell, didn't know what he was doing out there, but that his manager, Joe Gordon, wanted to stack as many righty hitters in the lineup as possible against Cleveland lefty Sam McDowell. Color man Pat Tabler asked him how that went, and Buck answered (paraphrasing), "Not too well. We got killed, and McDowell struck out fourteen."

I found the game Martinez was referring to, and to my surprise his memory was spot on. Seven of KC's eight position players batted right; Cleveland beat KC 8-1; and McDowell went the distance, striking out fourteen, just as Martinez said.

What Martinez didn't say was this: he batted in the only run for KC, made no errors in the outfield, and in fact had one assist -- he caught a fly ball for an out, then picked off McDowell at second base for the double play. And he never played in the outfield again in his 17 year career.

Believe It or Don't!