*** OFFICIAL 2011 MLB Season Thread ***

[BeauJangles]

Sorry for making back-to-back posts, but I just read this piece on Kei Igawa and it gives a great look into the psyche of a Japanese pitcher and the struggles he's had through the last five years.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/24/sports/baseball/kei-igawa-the-lost-yankee.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all

Highly recommended read.

 

[Perknose]

One thing I heard on MLBTV is that the Stros would still require prospects if a team made a claim on him (like the NYY) off waivers. I was under the impression that all a team had to do was take on the money, but nope. Apparently the team that owns the player can still prevent the claim if the team wanting that player doesn't meet their demands.

Yeah, they can pull him back from waivers if they want. Baseball has such intricate procedural rules, both on and off the field. And they mostly all make fairly good sense, too, when you look into them. It's a geek's delight.

 

[SP33Demon]

I'm pretty surprised the Yankees stood pat in the end. The Cubs surprised me too. Why hold onto Pena when he's on a one-year deal and there are multiple teams interested?

I read today that it's because the Cubs may want to resign him or go after Fielder/Pujols after this year... Also, they don't have anyone who is major league ready to replace him (like they did with Fukodome).

 

[rockyct]

Sorry for making back-to-back posts, but I just read this piece on Kei Igawa and it gives a great look into the psyche of a Japanese pitcher and the struggles he's had through the last five years.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/24/sports/baseball/kei-igawa-the-lost-yankee.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all

Highly recommended read.

The sad thing is that he would have been a perfect fit in San Diego. Him being a flyball pitcher isn't great, but it's not a fatal flaw at Petco Park. It really sounds like the Yankees just want everyone to forget about him. They could suck it up and pay a team that will take him half his salary, but that's more embarrassing than letting him sit in the minors.

 

[Perknose]

John Mayberry hits a pinch hit, two out, two strike, two run HR to tie the game 3-3 in the ninth against the Rockies.

 

[BrokenVisage]

WOW Mayberry smoked it!! What an AB that was too.

 

[SP33Demon]

Victorino with the blast! Phils lead!

 

[Perknose]

WOW Mayberry smoked it!! What an AB that was too.

GREAT AB it was, indeed. Fought back from 1-2.

And, now, of course, Shane just put them ahead with a HR in the 10th!

 

[mwtgg]

Phillies suck.

 

[SP33Demon]

30 Games above .500, Phils make you earn it to the last out. Wow.

 

[Perknose]

Shane first player in the bigs to record a quadruple double this year -- double figures in doubles, triples, home runs and stolen bases.

 

[rcpratt]

Jered Weaver has been suspended six games for throwing at Alex Avila's head.

 

[raystorm]

Positive news for Hall of Famer (and former met!) Gary Carter on his fight with cancer.

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/mets/post/_/id/31147/gary-carter-gets-positive-cancer-prognosis


btw..I hate the Marlins. God i hate them so much. lol Can the Mets throw up and in to Gaby Sanchez already? Just make him feel a bit uncomfortable? Is that allowed these days? Also, Mike Stanton sure is some hitter.

 

[Perknose]

Jered Weaver has been suspended six games for throwing at Alex Avila's head.

This was a dead-lock given. MLB is on a campaign to change this part of the culture of baseball, a part that has existed for a 100 years.

It's probably for the best. People have gotten hurt. Even baseball, with its hoary and honored traditions, is not exempt from the truism that change is the one constant in life.

This incident is a perfect example of the new culture of baseball colliding with the old.

In the 30's, 40's 50's, 60's and even 70's, no batter would have even thought to showboat taunt like Avila did. His own team would have taken him behind the woodshed for that.

And up until maybe Reggie Jackson, even pausing briefly to admire an obvious home run was considered bush league. The players had long had a self-enforced code of conduct that frowned on any exhibitionism whatsoever.

The old culture:

"One night, Bob Gibson was pitching against us," said Garcia. "Thomas started digging in the box. Gibby came down off the mound, halfway to the plate, and told Thomas, 'If you're doing to dig, dig six feet.' First pitch was at Derrell's neck. The message was delivered. Derrell never dug again when Gibson was pitching."

The old timer's season was a long, dusty 162 death march played mostly entirely out of the glare of any national media spotlight and by players, most of whom had to and did work an off season job.

This culture hasn't immediately shriveled up and gone away from baseball players just because the sanitized and regulated modern mass media culture has arrived and is now being enforced by the Commissioner's Office.

Weaver was reacting out of that still strongly held culture.

I'm pretty sure that most MLB'ers would tell you privately that what Avila did was bush league but would completely understand how Weaver reacted, even if they didn't think his reactions were wise.

Finally, there you go again, possibly trying to imply that Weaver was deliberately to bean Avila by saying he was throwing "at Alex Avila's head."

He wasn't.

The ESPN article I just turned to deliberately and knowingly phrased it better:

Los Angeles Angels right-hander Jered Weaver was suspended six games for throwing a pitch near the head of Detroit's Alex Avila on Sunday,

 

[mwtgg]

Finally, there you go again, possibly trying to imply that Weaver was deliberately to bean Avila by saying he was throwing "at Alex Avila's head."

He wasn't.

The ESPN article I just turned to deliberately and knowingly phrased it better:

Perk, is it necessary to argue the semantics of "at" versus "near"? I can cite articles that say "at" (heck, there's one on the Angel's own site), just as you picked one that says "near".

Weaver threw it a bit over Avila's head, but that's quite ballsy. Talk about faith in being able to locate. I bet you were upset when Kuroda threw at near Victorino's head in the '08 NLCS.

 

[rcpratt]

Avila didn't do anything. Which is quite an accomplishment, considering.

And I care not for your phrasing.

 

[Perknose]

Avila didn't do anything. Which is quite an accomplishment, considering.

Yes, he did, a childish bush league taunt long absolutely unacceptable among the men who play major league baseball.

And I care not for your phrasing.

It wasn't my phrasing.

 

[rcpratt]

Yes, he did, a childish bush league taunt long absolutely unacceptable among the men who play major league baseball.

That was Guillen. But according to some Angels fans I've been reading online, those people all look the same...I've heard Cabrera, Guillen, and Avila all blamed.

 

[Perknose]

That was Guillen. But according to some Angels fans I've been reading online, those people all look the same...I've heard Cabrera, Guillen, and Avila all blamed.

Lol, busted. Obviously I don't care about light cocoa people.

 

[Perknose]

Perk, is it necessary to argue the semantics of "at" versus "near"?

It's necessary to the extent that people read "threw at" to mean "intended to plunk" which is not what Weaver was trying to do, and which is why the ESPN writer went deliberately out of his way to so phrase it.

He thought saying "near" instead of "at" was, if not necessary, certainly the best way to phrase it.

There are no doubt some number of less knowledgeable baseball fans who still don't know that, if you intend to bean someone, you throw behind his head.

I bet you were upset when Kuroda threw at near Victorino's head in the '08 NLCS.

My dominant emotion was one of intense pride at the way Shane handled that. It was beyond awesome, and on the national stage, too. I wuv the Flyin' Hawaiian.

 

[mwtgg]

It's necessary to the extent that people read "threw at" to mean "intended to plunk" which is not what Weaver was trying to do, and which is why the ESPN writer went deliberately out of his way to so phrase it.

He thought saying "near" instead of "at" was, if not necessary, certainly the best way to phrase it.

There are no doubt some number of less knowledgeable baseball fans who still don't know that, if you intend to bean someone, you throw behind his head.

My dominant emotion was one of intense pride at the way Shane handled that. It was beyond awesome, and on the national stage, too. I wuv the Flyin' Hawaiian.

If you intend you hit someone, you actually hit them. Hit them below the neck and get it over with. If you're gonna get fined/suspended, you might as well earn it.

I thought Vic's reaction was a bit extreme... with those crazy eyes. I certainly wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of his rage.

 

[rcpratt]

The CoPa crowd is getting pretty good at booing relievers.

 

[raystorm]

Yikes..another brutal loss for the Mets. Isringhausen is old and if the Mets think Bobby Parnell is the future closer then let him close games now. The Mets aren't going anywhere anyways so let the dude try.

The Braves are stinkin' up the joint but I'm sure they'll get out of their funk when they head to Citi Field this weekend. <le sigh>

 

[Perknose]

If you intend you hit someone, you actually hit them.

My point: Weaver was not trying to hit him. However, throwing anywhere in the vicinity of a batter's head after a formal warning is your ticket out of the game, and these days, a suspension. Weaver lost his cool and hurt his team by doing so.

I thought Vic's reaction was a bit extreme... with those crazy eyes. I certainly wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of his rage.

Do0d, just the opposite! He managed to keep the high ground, not get thrown out of an important game, and not start one of those stupid "kabuki theater" baseball "brawls" by charging the mound.

AND YET he graphically and decisively got his point across.

He was freaking masterful! :wub:

 

[sjwaste]

Kendrick probably needs to take a seat after this inning.