MLB 2008

[WorldB3]

This just in: Paul Byrd traded to the BoSox for a player to be named later.

If he can find a dentist in Boston to prescribe HGH for his pituitary gland that might work out for you.

[Dan Gould]

Well this would be an absolutely crushing defeat if they manage to blow a ten run lead at home. Unbelievable. 10 runs in the first, two three run blasts by Papi and Poor Charlie Zink (who I have seen enough of already) can't get out of the fifth, and suddenly its 12-10. And a highly questionable call on the ball to centerfield that Crisp appeared to catch.

And now Ortiz is robbed of his third home run (would be his first such game in his career) when they called fan interference on a drive into the first row of the centerfield bleachers. Thank God Youk just hit number 21 and they've got a four run lead. I can only hope that Al is right, and whatever the offense puts up the Ranger pitching is likely to give back.

[Patrick]

I'm not going to expect much but I guess he's protection for Wakefield if his injury is more serious than they think (no way he'll duplicate his performance) and also for Buchholz if he doesn't improve and/or Colon doesn't get himself ready at Pawtucket (he can't be worse than Clay, so why not?).

In the universe of pitchers available in August, you could probably do worse than Paul Byrd, and at least the price is right - a player to be named or cash considerations.

Mission accomplished for the Tribe. They traded away Sabathia, Blake, and Byrd, and got stuff in return. None of these guys were likely to return next year, and they got something of value for them (at least for CC and Casey). Time will tell how valuable any of it turns out to be. Byrd can be a reasonable #4 or 5 starter. Last year, with the injuries to Lee and Westbrook, he spent much of the season in the #3 slot and had an excellent season. He is, however, all smoke and mirrors, and like Wakefield, completely unreliable because he is all smoke and mirrors. [it's a mystery to me that Wake has pitched as well as he has this year--not quite as mysterious as Moose--but...call me a non-believer] Byrd attributes his recent success to an unprompted phone call from HoFer Bert Blyleven who suggested a change in his mechanics. Maybe he'll be able to ride it out and give the BSox some quality innings from a #4-5 starter. Or not.

Presumably, there was some competition for Byrd given his recent successes, so maybe there's a chance at a decent prospect. Given that the alternative is cash, maybe not.

Will Byrd not get punked by George Mitchell and friends before a postseason start this year?

Bigger news to me is that the Yankees didn't try to improve their staff. White flag time?

[Dan Gould]

Byrd can be a reasonable #4 or 5 starter. Last year, with the injuries to Lee and Westbrook, he spent much of the season in the #3 slot and had an excellent season. He is, however, all smoke and mirrors, and like Wakefield, completely unreliable because he is all smoke and mirrors. [it's a mystery to me that Wake has pitched as well as he has this year--not quite as mysterious as Moose--but...call me a non-believer].

I'm disappointed to hear that you think that way. Does a guy who gets by on "smoke and mirrors" pitch to age 42 with a career ERA+ of 109? Since the year 2000, Wakefield has had exactly two seasons of a league average ERA, and every other season he beat the league average. Byrd cannot say that, and has a lower career ERA+ as well.

Presumably, there was some competition for Byrd given his recent successes, so maybe there's a chance at a decent prospect. Given that the alternative is cash, maybe not.

there is no chance of a decent prospect. Theo said at the press conference that it would be an "organizational player" i.e. roster fodder from somewhere in the system, or a "small" amount of cash.

****************************

In the meantime, the infuriating, nauseating collapse is complete. 10-0 in the first. 12-2 after that. Now its 15-14 Rangers.

And I leave you with this question, because I am done:

WHY DOES TITO STICK WITH WORST BULLPEN SINCE 2003 AFTER THEY SURVIVED THE FIRST COMEBACK AND EXTENDED THE LEAD? WHY WOULD HE NOT PUT IN MASTERSON TO GET THE GAME TO PAPELBON? FOR THAT MATTER, HOW CAN HE LEAVE DELCARMEN OUT THERE FOR THE SEVENTH INNING? HE GOT CLOBBERED TO GIVE UP THE TYING AND GO-AHEAD RUNS.

[Big Al]

It's only the 7th inning, so anything is still very possible. But, Madrigal is pitching right now and this kid is red hot right now.

Of course, now that I've said that, I will have very likely jinxed him and he'll give up a twelve-run homer or something like that.

The Rangers are winning 16-14 right now. If the Rangers lose this game, I'll walk home tonight!

Edited August 13, 2008 by Big Al

[Big Al]

Oh yeah, and thank God CJ Wilson is on the DL right now!

[Patrick]

Byrd can be a reasonable #4 or 5 starter. Last year, with the injuries to Lee and Westbrook, he spent much of the season in the #3 slot and had an excellent season. He is, however, all smoke and mirrors, and like Wakefield, completely unreliable because he is all smoke and mirrors. [it's a mystery to me that Wake has pitched as well as he has this year--not quite as mysterious as Moose--but...call me a non-believer].

I'm disappointed to hear that you think that way. Does a guy who gets by on "smoke and mirrors" pitch to age 42 with a career ERA+ of 109? Since the year 2000, Wakefield has had exactly two seasons of a league average ERA, and every other season he beat the league average. Byrd cannot say that, and has a lower career ERA+ as well.

Presumably, there was some competition for Byrd given his recent successes, so maybe there's a chance at a decent prospect. Given that the alternative is cash, maybe not.

there is no chance of a decent prospect. Theo said at the press conference that it would be an "organizational player" i.e. roster fodder from somewhere in the system, or a "small" amount of cash.

First, plenty of knuckleballers pitch into their 40s, and you can call it whatever you want. Charlie Hough? Phil Niekro? Maybe I was a little harsh with respect to Wake, but you gotta admit his performance, like most knuckleballers, is highly variable start to start. Some nights it's BP in a big way. Same goes for Byrd. Agree that Wake at his best is better than Byrd. Would you be thrilled with Wake as a #3? I wouldn't be, just as I wasn't with Byrd last year. My comment above is poorly written--did not intend to equate the two, as much as suggest that they are both high anxiety starters. Enjoy the ride--some of your frustrations might migrate from the bullpen to the backend of the rotation.

[Big Al]

And I leave you with this question, because I am done:

WHY DOES TITO STICK WITH WORST BULLPEN SINCE 2003 AFTER THEY SURVIVED THE FIRST COMEBACK AND EXTENDED THE LEAD? WHY WOULD HE NOT PUT IN MASTERSON TO GET THE GAME TO PAPELBON? FOR THAT MATTER, HOW CAN HE LEAVE DELCARMEN OUT THERE FOR THE SEVENTH INNING? HE GOT CLOBBERED TO GIVE UP THE TYING AND GO-AHEAD RUNS.

I think I can answer this:

BECAUSE FRANCONA KNOWS THAT WASHINGTON, CLEARLY THE BIGGER IDIOT OF THE TWO, WILL PULL HIS RED-HOT PITCHER MADRIGAL WHO HASN'T GIVEN UP A FUCKING RUN TONIGHT, UNLIKE ALL THE OTHER RANGERS LOSER PITCHERS, IN FAVOR OF HIS USUAL LOSERS JAMEY WRIGHT AND FRANKIE FRANCISCO WHO WILL GIVE THE GAME RIGHT BACK TO THE SOX, JUST LIKE RIGHT NOW AS YOUK JUST CLEARED THE MONSTER TO TAKE THE LEAD BACK TONIGHT!!!!!

That's why. And this is why the Rangers will never make the playoffs with Washington as the manager: he simply does not know how to nail the coffin shut.

My hat's off to Youk tonight, the man is simply unstoppable.

Edited August 13, 2008 by Big Al

[WorldB3]

and the Patriots take the lead in the 4th quarter over the Texans 19-16. Texans looking for a field goal to tie..

Edited August 13, 2008 by WorldB3

[Big Al]

Y'know, losing sucks as it is, but when you have the game handed to you and your offense claws and scratches its way to overcome the biggest lead ever seen.... a blowout would've just stung; this fucking HURTS! We didn't HAVE to lose this game. We had the lead, we had a groove, Madrigal was shutting them down, and then Ron W-asshat-ton makes yet another stupid-ass move...

I'm just speechless. Hats off to the Rangers for once again overcoming their usual pitching woes and their incompetent manager who doesn't know how to WIN when it's given to him.

Tonight's game is what the Rangers are all about: pretty good, but never good enough. Gutsy enough to mount a comeback, but lacking the killer instinct to finish the job. That was this game, that is this season.

[Big Al]

It's only the 7th inning, so anything is still very possible. But, Madrigal is pitching right now and this kid is red hot right now.

Of course, now that I've said that, I will have very likely jinxed him and he'll give up a twelve-run homer or something like that.

The Rangers are winning 16-14 right now. If the Rangers lose this game, I'll walk home tonight!

Do I know my team or what? Thankfully, I was at home when I wrote that!

[zen archer]

YYYYYYOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUKKKKK !!!!!!!!!!!!!........DelCarmen stinks by the way, so does Aardsma!

Did Dan go to bed and miss the BIG comeback ?

[Big Al]

I guess so....

....or maybe he passed out after Youk's smash!

Edited August 13, 2008 by Big Al

[tkeith]

First, plenty of knuckleballers pitch into their 40s, and you can call it whatever you want. Charlie Hough? Phil Niekro? Maybe I was a little harsh with respect to Wake, but you gotta admit his performance, like most knuckleballers, is highly variable start to start. Some nights it's BP in a big way.

I keep seeing people say this, but this year, that has NOT been the case -- check the game-by-game stats at ESPN. Wake, arguably, has been the most consistent starter on this staff. I don't want him as my "ace," but give the man his due -- he's been highly consistent this year.

[tkeith]

and the Patriots take the lead in the 4th quarter over the Texans 19-16. Texans looking for a field goal to tie..

Yeah, I missed that. Was it two 2-point conversions or 3 field goals? Or a missed PAT?

[Patrick]

First, plenty of knuckleballers pitch into their 40s, and you can call it whatever you want. Charlie Hough? Phil Niekro? Maybe I was a little harsh with respect to Wake, but you gotta admit his performance, like most knuckleballers, is highly variable start to start. Some nights it's BP in a big way.

I keep seeing people say this, but this year, that has NOT been the case -- check the game-by-game stats at ESPN. Wake, arguably, has been the most consistent starter on this staff. I don't want him as my "ace," but give the man his due -- he's been highly consistent this year.

I agree. He's having an excellent year and congrats to him. I find it a bit surprising that he's been so consistent (hence my use of the word mystery). Does this count as a pleasant surprise in Red Sox Nation, or did everyone have Wake pencilled in for for a sub 4.00 ERA and all the consistent starts? I know I didn't, but them I'm not a citizen either [...only an occasional guest worker in the fall]

[Dan Gould]

When Wake is right in his mechanics, his knuckler is nearly as unhittable as it has ever been. In fact, it appears that the pitching coach who Thom hates passionately has a lot to do with it. But I don't think its accurate to say that Wakefield is "inconsistent" - he gets into grooves in every season where he consistently pitches 7 or more innings and leaves batters muttering to themselves. He hasn't always had the wins to show for it, but anyone who cares to take a look at his game logs over the last several seasons can see it. Plus its not as if all of the other games are glorified BP. Six + innings and 4 or 5 runs is serviceable if the Sox are scoring. I'd say that his percentage of true craptastic starts is probably 10 to at the very most, 20%.

Meantime, while the win was an exhilarating roller-coaster (sorry Al) it came at what may be a pretty significant cost: Lowell has what appears to be a pretty severe oblique strain. Off hand, I'd say he's out til mid-september but we'll find out later today. On the plus side, he wasn't hitting anyway, and Youk has shown that he can pick them at third almost as well. But the one thing with Lowell was that even when he was going bad, he was a threat to bloop one over the Monster. While Sean Casey gets his hits, his power seems to have really disappeared.

One other advantage would be that even if they decide to give Lugo his chance at SS again, they'd still be able to keep Lowrie's bat in there by playing him at third against tough lefties when they want to sit Casey.

Still not a good thing though.

[WorldB3]

Probably not anybody's radar on the east coast but there is a nice little story in Oakland in Brad Ziegler. Overcoming a fractured skull off a hit ball after being demoted to low A ball, changing his delivery to sidearm/submarine style to finally getting the call and going for the all time consecutive innings pitched without giving up a run record. He already holds it for most innings pitched without giving up a run to start a career.

[zen archer]

Last night on the post game they said it was his right oblique, and that the right side is easier to heal ( maybe 2 weeks) because he is a righty batting and throwing.

If it was his left your looking at a month and a half ........i dunno that was what MCarty was saying.

[Dan Gould]

Probably not anybody's radar on the east coast but there is a nice little story in Oakland in Brad Ziegler. Overcoming a fractured skull off a hit ball after being demoted to low A ball, changing his delivery to sidearm/submarine style to finally getting the call and going for the all time consecutive innings pitched without giving up a run record. He already holds it for most innings pitched without giving up a run to start a career.

You know, I think its completely ridiculous that you think no one knows about this. I knew about it by the time the streak reached about 20 innings, and read with great pleasure Joe Posnanski's column about this guy.

We may talk AL East but we're not ignorant of baseball news from around the country. :rolleyes:

[Big Al]

Meantime, while the win was an exhilarating roller-coaster (sorry Al)

I'm still bugged about that game. I would rather have had a 19-0 blowout than this collapse. Which was it: an awesome display of power by two teams with killer bats; or was it a pathetic display of pitching, one team whose pitching is better than what it showed last night, the other team the same shit I've come to expect from them over the years?

Even the players are bugged about this one. I don't know what Coach Candygram is saying this morning (nor do I give a rat's ass), but the players are of the mindset, "How the hell do you bounce back from THIS one?" What good could possibly have come from this game that the eighth-inning collapse didn't erase (and these collapses are happening with so much frequency now, it's a wonder one of the batters hasn't gone apeshit on the bullpen by now).

I don't know, either.

[Big Al]

Probably not anybody's radar on the east coast but there is a nice little story in Oakland in Brad Ziegler. Overcoming a fractured skull off a hit ball after being demoted to low A ball, changing his delivery to sidearm/submarine style to finally getting the call and going for the all time consecutive innings pitched without giving up a run record. He already holds it for most innings pitched without giving up a run to start a career.

You know, I think its completely ridiculous that you think no one knows about this. I knew about it by the time the streak reached about 20 innings, and read with great pleasure Joe Posnanski's column about this guy.

We may talk AL East but we're not ignorant of baseball news from around the country. :rolleyes:

I didn't know about it. Not all of us are baseball fanatics, Dan. You're constantly on this guy's back, and I don't understand why. It's not like he's Goodspeak or anything....

[WorldB3]

You know, I think its completely ridiculous that you think no one knows about this. I knew about it by the time the streak reached about 20 innings, and read with great pleasure Joe Posnanski's column about this guy.

We may talk AL East but we're not ignorant of baseball news from around the country. :rolleyes:

Well I was going on that the A's draw about 14k a game and the press is non existent. Nice to see it got some mention.

[Dan Gould]

Probably not anybody's radar on the east coast but there is a nice little story in Oakland in Brad Ziegler. Overcoming a fractured skull off a hit ball after being demoted to low A ball, changing his delivery to sidearm/submarine style to finally getting the call and going for the all time consecutive innings pitched without giving up a run record. He already holds it for most innings pitched without giving up a run to start a career.

You know, I think its completely ridiculous that you think no one knows about this. I knew about it by the time the streak reached about 20 innings, and read with great pleasure Joe Posnanski's column about this guy.

We may talk AL East but we're not ignorant of baseball news from around the country. :rolleyes:

I didn't know about it. Not all of us are baseball fanatics, Dan. You're constantly on this guy's back, and I don't understand why. It's not like he's Goodspeak or anything....

That may be so but the fact is he's constantly coming down on the northeast "bias" and how much he wants the "Two Evil Empires" to take it on the chin. So frankly, I feel perfectly justified in letting him know when his assumptions are completely wrong.

[Dan Gould]

Last night on the post game they said it was his right oblique, and that the right side is easier to heal ( maybe 2 weeks) because he is a righty batting and throwing.

If it was his left your looking at a month and a half ........i dunno that was what MCarty was saying.

I don't know, Zen, the description in the Globe sounds really bad:

The Sox will give Lowell an MRI today to determine the severity of the injury, though oblique problems can often linger, especially in baseball players. After the game, Lowell could barely stand, his eyes and face wrinkled with what seemed like pain. He was deeply concerned about what today's MRI would bring.

"I can't really stand up really straight," he said. "I feel like keeping bent over feels a lot more comfortable. Getting up out of a chair isn't the greatest thing. I just hope I sleep good tonight."

And I'm not at all certain that the right side is better for a right handed hitter - when you twist the torso, both sides twist! And it sounds like he couldn't even assume his hitting stance anytime soon. I'm going to go on four weeks until they say something different, and I'm not optimistic.