MLB Season Discussion - 2013

[Tom Hendricks]

Normally I think Keith is a pretty good color guy. And he has awesome comic chemistry with Gary (some of their banter in the booth is absolutely hilarious).

But this "dead soldier" remark is going to bite him in the ass, as well it should. Not only is it a pretty fucked-up thing to say in general, there's more: 1) He said it on Memorial Day, and 2) Keith's own father was a soldier (in World War II)!

And while we're on the subject of dickish moves by announcers: Anyone who listened to the Indians/Reds game the other night knows that the Indians radio guy really needs to lighten the fuck up. Sure, Chapman threw at Swisher's head, possibly even intentionally (the first one was WAY over Swish's head, the second one came thisclose), but the Indians announcer sounded like he was gonna burst a blood vessel...

I disagree with you about Keith being a good color guy, no biggie. I wish the Mets would start shying away from the 86 Mets. It's a smoke screen to diffuse people from seeing the real issues with the Mets.

I just can't stand Tajada any more. Another error tonight, picked off second base and then not even diving to try and keep the ball in the infield.

 

[Timby]

But this "dead soldier" remark is going to bite him in the ass, as well it should. Not only is it a pretty fucked-up thing to say in general, there's more: 1) He said it on Memorial Day, and 2) Keith's own father was a soldier (in World War II)!

People will live.

And while we're on the subject of dickish moves by announcers: Anyone who listened to the Indians/Reds game the other night knows that the Indians radio guy really needs to lighten the fuck up. Sure, Chapman threw at Swisher's head, possibly even intentionally (the first one was WAY over Swish's head, the second one came thisclose), but the Indians announcer sounded like he was gonna burst a blood vessel...

Throwing at someone's head is an inexcusable act, no matter what.

 

[Use of Time]

I'm enjoying the series with the Jays. I've got some theories why this team is underperforming and most of it stems from bad pitching, especially in the middle of the pen. They have some guys that I think could lock down the 8th and 9th but they have trouble getting there sometimes. The Jays can slug with anybody though which will keep them around for awhile.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

Cubs' Fujikawa to have Tommy John surgery, out for year & possibly some of 2014.

Story

god dammit

 

[R. Star]

Throwing at someone's head is an inexcusable act, no matter what.

If you're intentionally trying to bean their head, I'll agree. If you're throwing up and in to get them off the plate because they're crowding it, that's completely justifiable.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

Throwing at someone's head is an inexcusable act, no matter what.

If you're intentionally trying to bean their head, I'll agree. If you're throwing up and in to get them off the plate because they're crowding it, that's completely justifiable.

I don't think it's justifiable to even intentionally create a risk of hitting someone's head. If he was trying to get him to back off the plate by throwing near his head and actually hit his head, you would find that to be ok?

I generally don't have a problem with players pegging other players, but I do have a problem with them doing it in the head.

 

[R. Star]

Then they shouldn't crowd the plate. Sure it shrinks down the strike zone a lot. But you're also exposing yourself a lot more. You have no cause to complain about getting pitched inside if you're doing that.

Sure it's terrible that people get hit in the head, accidents happen, sometimes a ball gets away. It's part of the risk of the game, just as much as it is getting hit by a sharp line drive. I would say it's very rarely that someone intentionally goes out there with the attitude "I'm going to bean him in the head."

 

[Timby]

Cubs' Fujikawa to have Tommy John surgery, out for year & possibly some of 2014.

Story

god dammit

And Arodys Vizcaino, once considered one of the best pitchers in the Braves' system and who was the centerpiece of the deal that sent Paul Maholm there, has had surgery to remove a calcium deposit in his elbow, and he's out for the season, after not pitching at all in 2012 due to Tommy John.

The Cubs will never develop a good pitcher.

 

[Use of Time]

Throwing at someone's head is an inexcusable act, no matter what.

If you're intentionally trying to bean their head, I'll agree. If you're throwing up and in to get them off the plate because they're crowding it, that's completely justifiable.

I don't think it's justifiable to even intentionally create a risk of hitting someone's head. If he was trying to get him to back off the plate by throwing near his head and actually hit his head, you would find that to be ok?

I generally don't have a problem with players pegging other players, but I do have a problem with them doing it in the head.

Would I find it justifiable to pitch inside to a player crowding the plate? Yes and so would just about any coach under the sun from high school up to the show. I'm with you about not aiming for the head but if you are saying to avoid pitching inside to completely erase the possibility of a head shot then you would probably not make it out of high school as a pitcher. Its extremely rare that a pitcher ever deliberately aims for the head so I find this concern somewhat unwarranted.

 

[Timby]

Its extremely rare that a pitcher ever deliberately aims for the head so I find this concern somewhat unwarranted.

I'm not entirely sure I buy into this idea 100 percent. The "unwritten rules" of baseball are complete and utter bullshit, yet there are a lot of man-children in MLB. (Carlos Quentin being a great example, despite not being a pitcher.) Hell, Kerry Wood, one of my favorite Cubs of all time, loved throwing at people, and especially above the shoulders.

I'll never forget being horrified by my high school pitching coach. During one pitching staff meeting, he showed us the whole "They pull a knife? You pull a gun. He sends one of yours to the hospital, you send one of his to the morgue" bit from The Untouchables, and told us that we'd run flagpoles (we used the scrimmage football field as our "practice" field; we had to run between the field goal posts multiple times if our performance in a game or our practice wasn't quite up to par) if we didn't plunk someone hard if one of our batters got hit. That's bullshit, and it's a dangerous trait to be instilling in young players, but I really doubt Coach Lou was / is the only person espousing this behavior.

 

[Use of Time]

Obviously there are exceptions to the rule. Players still retaliate but that is rarely directed towards the head of a player. I'm not even arguing how stupid the unwritten "eye for an eye" rule is. I'm just saying that avoiding going inside just to avoid the possibility of hitting someone in the head is an unenforceable and unnecessary concept.

 

[SmoothieX]

If the Mets somehow complete the subway series sweep tonight, I will jizz strikeouts and shit homers.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Only time I'd ever not root for the Mets is a Subway Series.

 

[Pondwater]

Juan Fransisco has been designated for assignment. <_<
Just grand.

 

[Timby]

Juan Fransisco has been designated for assignment. <_<
Just grand.

Juan Francisco sucks, so this isn't exactly a net loss for the Braves. Sucks on defense, very weak at the plate (his SLG is just embarrassing), a pretty ridiculous K/BB ratio ... yeah, not a loss in the slightest.

 

[Tom Hendricks]

Only time I'd ever root against the Mets is a Subway Series.

You don't root against the Mets, you root FOR the Yankees. Rooting against a team means you have no confidence in your team.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

^ Good point. Much better choice of phrase than I had. Edited my last post accordingly...

 

[SmoothieX]

Only time I'd ever root against the Mets is a Subway Series.

You don't root against the Mets, you root FOR the Yankees. Rooting against a team means you have no confidence in your team.

I have no confidence in my team and I still root for them.

Been going back to the same tired well for 26 years. I should know better.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

And before somebody asks me for the 1,000,000,000th time how I can be a fan of both the Yankees and the Mets: I simply have a touristy obsession with New York City (which predates my attachment to baseball), and thus I root for both teams that are from there. If I was into football, I'd root for the Giants and Jets. Etc.

 

[Skywalker]

But neither the Giants or the Jets are from New York City.