Gameday Thread, #45: 5/20 vs. Marlins
by Jim McLennan on May 20, 2008 5:01 PM EDT
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PrintArizona Diamondbacks at Miami Marlins, May 20, 2008 7:10 PM EDT
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Off back to the East coast, which makes for early starts until the end of the weekend: 4:10pm Arizona time for the rest of the week. That will severely impact my presence in the threads, since I wouldn't even get home until about the sixth inning, on the nights when I am not otherwise engaged. On the plus side, it should give me a chance - at least, not on said nights - of being able to get everything updated before 1am, which tends to happen rather too often on home-stands and other PST-zone contests.
The Marlins were going pretty well, but the wheels have come off in the past week, getting swept by the Reds and dropping a series against the Royals, to lose five of six overall. We also did pretty well against Florida last season, taking all but one of the seven contests; this year, they are doing better, being four games ahead of their pace at the same point. Dan Uggla [another one we let get away] has had another storming season at the plate, hitting .316 with 13 HR, while his partner on the other side of second-base, Hanley Ramirez is batting .310 and has stolen 13 bases.
Looking at the pitching matchups, I would say we have a slight edge today, and a big edge on Wednesday and Thursday, as we send Webb and Haren out. Two out of three would seem eminently achievable here, and if we can get a victory today, that would seem to give us a good chance at the sweep. Obviously, a loss would put that right out the window. ;-)
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Question for the 'Pit:
Which middle infield, on the balance, would you rather have: Philly’s (Rollins and Utley) or Florida’s (Uggla and Ramirez)?
I assume most people will say Philly’s, since they’re more polished, and probably better defensively, but…. it’s a tough call, for me.
Max Scherzer is all out of bubblegum.
Honestly,
the biggest thing that gives me pause is the fact that Rollins and Utley are both 29, while Uggla is 28 but Ramirez is only 24.
Max Scherzer is all out of bubblegum.
Was just thinking how young and how good Ramirez already is. However Utley is a beast this year. Probably still Philly’s.
Depends
If you throw in salary then it’s very close. If you’re talking straight up… it’s really not that close. Ramirez is obviously the best of the bunch, but Utley is very close behind, Rollins not far behind, and Utley is a distant fourth.
"There are only two seasons: winter and baseball"
-- Bill Veeck
Well, yeah. I was talking all-inclusive here, that's why I mentioned ages.
Say the Dbacks could replace O-Dawg and Droo tomorrow with either of these two middle infield sets. Which would it be?
Max Scherzer is all out of bubblegum.
If we're talking defense...
I’d go with rollins and utley. Ramirez and Uggla are both butchers defensively. If Hanley was in Az’s farm system, I’m pretty sure he would have been moved to an outfield position.
All things considered, I’d take Hanley over Rollins any day. I don’t think there’s any question about Utley vs Uggla. Yeah, Uggla has power, but Utley is just as good with the bat, and probably the best defensive second basemen in the game. IMHO, he should have won the GG over Odawg last year.
by C. Wesley Baier on May 20, 2008 6:54 PM EDT up reply actions
If you want,
but then we start getting into fantasy territory. The point is that you have to take ‘em both as a team.
Max Scherzer is all out of bubblegum.
Ramirez alone makes it a no-brainer for me.
But I thought Rollins was older than 29
by Augie's Army on May 20, 2008 7:28 PM EDT up reply actions
I thought Rollins was older, too.
I had to look it up. Seems like Rollins has been around forever.
Max Scherzer is all out of bubblegum.
a loss would put that [a sweep] right out the window
Do explain, Jim… your reasoning eludes me here…
"There are only two seasons: winter and baseball"
-- Bill Veeck
Yes,
I also found that strange and hard to understand.
Wait—is it sabermetrics??
Max Scherzer is all out of bubblegum.
It's very difficult to explain
You’ll just have to trust me. :-)
by Jim McLennan on May 20, 2008 6:37 PM EDT up reply actions
Name the Movie
If there was any logic to our language, “trust” would be a four-letter word.
I think we should invent a new stat,
the Sweep Possibility % or SPP.
For example, if we lose tonight, our SPP for the rest of this series is 0%. If we win, it would be significantly higher, since we have Webb and Haren going back to back.
Max Scherzer is all out of bubblegum.
Lets do this
Leeeeeerrooooyyyyy Jennnnkkkkins
What I meant to say was lets go D-Backs :)
So...time for another drink then?
I remember watching Hendrickson playing basketball for UW (or was it Washington State?), back in the day.
Don’t know why, but I’ve got a bad feeling about this one.
"There are only two seasons: winter and baseball"
-- Bill Veeck
They're fish, they 're not meant to be able to walk.
We will meet in Red 3 at the hour of scampering.
Haha
When I first read this, I thought it said, “mostly/all gay”.
Max Scherzer is all out of bubblegum.
I like him better as a Marlin than a Dodger,
although, it was nice how he helped torpedo their locker room last year.
Max Scherzer is all out of bubblegum.
*Fixed
although, it was nice how he helped torpedo cause a nuclear holocaust in their locker room last year.
by Augie's Army on May 20, 2008 7:31 PM EDT up reply actions
What did he do?
It's like living with a six-year old.
by 4 Corners Fan on May 20, 2008 7:40 PM EDT up reply actions
When they signed him first time
I said, 51 first to be retired.
We will meet in Red 3 at the hour of scampering.
Hmmmm, how very prescient....
Got any comments about next year’s stock market?
Max Scherzer is all out of bubblegum.
I think it depends on who retires first but id bet on Unit
But Unit will definitely be the first HOFer.
Gonzo, Grace (thanks to being the broadcaster), Schilling and possibly Finley to follow
by Augie's Army on May 20, 2008 7:36 PM EDT up reply actions
I don't think Schilling will,
and I’m not so sure about Finley, either.
Max Scherzer is all out of bubblegum.
As would I. More service.
Even though Schill was a better pitcher than Finley was an OF.
Max Scherzer is all out of bubblegum.
Excellent Point
They played together didn’t they? Did Webb change numbers after Gracie’s retirement?
by Augie's Army on May 20, 2008 7:38 PM EDT up reply actions
C'mon guys, it's just the Marlins
put them in their plaice
We will meet in Red 3 at the hour of scampering.
batters
oh, oh ,I could do a battered fish joke there if I put my mind to it.
We will meet in Red 3 at the hour of scampering.
Gollum Gollum, fishes is nice to eat,
nasty hobbit not scorch beautiful fish
We will meet in Red 3 at the hour of scampering.
Not allowed under the Geneva convention
cruel and unusual treatment
We will meet in Red 3 at the hour of scampering.
Because
the rest of our lineup is pretty damned good, too. :-P
Welcome back!
Max Scherzer is all out of bubblegum.
that is truee
thankss buddy…im hopin we can find some consistantcy in our lineup eventually preferably now
by TuLoRocks2008 on May 20, 2008 7:48 PM EDT up reply actions
By "consistency",
you mean “a bunch of guys at the top of the order who can hit”?
Max Scherzer is all out of bubblegum.
great game so far here...
Micah is looking strong
"There are only two seasons: winter and baseball"
-- Bill Veeck
Since when did mark hendrickson turn into cy young this year?
lol shouldn’t he playing for the spurs
Our hitters are really young.
They make EVERYONE look like Cy Young the first time or two thru the order…. then, they adapt.
Max Scherzer is all out of bubblegum.
sounds like what we do all year
except we haven’t exactly adapted well :-P
by TuLoRocks2008 on May 20, 2008 7:57 PM EDT up reply actions
I am not sure I like this recent trend of us not hitting until the 2nd or 3rd time through the order. Those crooked 1st inning numbers were much more fun.
Me too,
but I understand why. We don’t have a bunch of veterans who have seen everyone before. That’s also why we’ve been so hot within our division.
Max Scherzer is all out of bubblegum.
Even given the run,
Pwnings looks pretty good so far against a tough lineup.
Max Scherzer is all out of bubblegum.
pffft :D
It’s now Wednesday here :D and I sadly have work tomorrow :(
So...time for another drink then?
So much for the no-hitter.
But Hendrickson STILL HAS A SHUTOUT….. ahem
Max Scherzer is all out of bubblegum.
yep its usually a rare siting
for us to get somebody to 2nd n if we do they usually stay there
by TuLoRocks2008 on May 20, 2008 8:09 PM EDT up reply actions
haha well heres to hopin we can have a repeat of last yr
we r 18-27 right now….same record last yr :)
by TuLoRocks2008 on May 20, 2008 8:12 PM EDT up reply actions
thank you sir
hopefully keep the streak going tonight
by TuLoRocks2008 on May 20, 2008 8:17 PM EDT up reply actions
yep 4 in a row
would be incredible for this team so far haha
by TuLoRocks2008 on May 20, 2008 8:19 PM EDT up reply actions
Argh.
I tune in, just in time to see Young making the first out of the inning at third. WTF? I sure hope he was doing that on his own, because Melvin should know better.
If only Young had
Still been on second. :-(
by Jim McLennan on May 20, 2008 8:10 PM EDT up reply actions
Mistakes
I don’t watch nearly as many D-backs games as I would like but it seems every time they end up with a really stupid mistake either on the bases or in the field at a crucial moment…
Am I the jinx or are they really just young and sometimes sloppy?
Blogging Suns Basketball
by Seth Pollack on May 20, 2008 8:14 PM EDT up reply actions
Not just you
We’ve all seen our share of impetuous, youthful errors. Some of them were even by those who are actually youthful. :-)
by Jim McLennan on May 20, 2008 8:15 PM EDT up reply actions
Pleased to see
An excellent outing by the Yankees’ Mike Mussina today:
0.2 IP, 5 H, 2 BB, 7 R
Only one of the runs was earned!
haha n then 2 more unearned runs in the 2nd inning lmao
<—lives in jersey loves watching the yankees struggle
by TuLoRocks2008 on May 20, 2008 8:19 PM EDT up reply actions
We ain't got no alibi
It’s Uggla. What what? It’s Uggla.
"Look, I'm not a financial expert or anything, but I'm pretty sure that a zeppelin is an excellent investment opportunity."
I was worried about that
"Look, I'm not a financial expert or anything, but I'm pretty sure that a zeppelin is an excellent investment opportunity."
Walsh was fired as the Arizona Cardinals Color Guy
After he told GM Larry Wilson he was gonna fire bomb his mailbox
by Augie's Army on May 20, 2008 8:32 PM EDT up reply actions
Or his house
Just a stupid threat but he got fired for it. Haven’t seen him on tv lately and thought he did it again
by Augie's Army on May 20, 2008 8:34 PM EDT up reply actions
Insert
Usual animated icon here. Except I can’t be bothered.
by Jim McLennan on May 20, 2008 8:32 PM EDT up reply actions
Stage Five: Apathy
"Look, I'm not a financial expert or anything, but I'm pretty sure that a zeppelin is an excellent investment opportunity."
Good start for the inning
Runners at the corners, no outs. Definitely looking better the second time around the order.
"Look, I'm not a financial expert or anything, but I'm pretty sure that a zeppelin is an excellent investment opportunity."
Mark Grace; "Eric Byrnes has been looking for a reason to dive for a long time"
Are we been watching the same player?
Byrnes is looking to take a dive?
"Look, I'm not a financial expert or anything, but I'm pretty sure that a zeppelin is an excellent investment opportunity."
Argh.
Byrnes erased in the rundown, but Reynolds went to 3rd w/ Snydes at 1st. C’mon, Pwnings.
Max Scherzer is all out of bubblegum.
Everyone who has made contributions to this offense by means of baserunning please step forward
Not so fast CY and Byrnes!
But...
Byrnes base-running is one of those things that doesn’t show up in the box-score!
:-)
by Jim McLennan on May 20, 2008 8:35 PM EDT up reply actions
Urgh
Geez, Micah doesn’t even lead the starting rotation in RBIs so far this year!
"Look, I'm not a financial expert or anything, but I'm pretty sure that a zeppelin is an excellent investment opportunity."
Argh
Come on, guys…
"Look, I'm not a financial expert or anything, but I'm pretty sure that a zeppelin is an excellent investment opportunity."
Nice K
Now how ‘bout that double play?
"Look, I'm not a financial expert or anything, but I'm pretty sure that a zeppelin is an excellent investment opportunity."
Or another K. Get that next out, Micah!
"Look, I'm not a financial expert or anything, but I'm pretty sure that a zeppelin is an excellent investment opportunity."
Out of trouble
Nicely done.
"Look, I'm not a financial expert or anything, but I'm pretty sure that a zeppelin is an excellent investment opportunity."
Hendrickson out of the game
Interesting that he hit last inning.
"Look, I'm not a financial expert or anything, but I'm pretty sure that a zeppelin is an excellent investment opportunity."
Yeah, this K zone has been rough on Micah
but easier on the Marlins, for whatever reason. Fish are getting all the outside calls.
Max Scherzer is all out of bubblegum.
Grace and Sutton seem to agree.
Even Sutton says that some of those calls in the last half inning weren’t actually strikes.
Max Scherzer is all out of bubblegum.
Career high 10 Ks for Micah.
Seriously, guys?
Score some freaking runs, already. This isn’t 2007.
Max Scherzer is all out of bubblegum.
Micah just had
possibly his best inning of the night.
We REALLY need to reward him for that. C’mon, guys.
Max Scherzer is all out of bubblegum.
Anybody remember
back, a long time ago, when we used to hit like 2 or 3 home runs a game?
Oh… wait, that was April.
Max Scherzer is all out of bubblegum.
Remember when we’d complain about Young hitting so many home runs with no runners on? I miss that.
"Look, I'm not a financial expert or anything, but I'm pretty sure that a zeppelin is an excellent investment opportunity."
Hey, home runs
are better than no home runs. Our entire team has suffered a serious power outage lately. Snyder’s the only one who remembers how to hit home runs.
Max Scherzer is all out of bubblegum.
I think that’s what kishi is saying.
"There are only two seasons: winter and baseball"
-- Bill Veeck
Wow, look at Pinto bean’s numbers. Impressive stuff.
"There are only two seasons: winter and baseball"
-- Bill Veeck
So, seriously?
Somebody explain to me why the Marlins’ pitchers get such a large strike zone tonight. It’s so obvious right now that it’s not even funny.
Max Scherzer is all out of bubblegum.
Back to back 1 out walks
to Augie and then O-Dawg.
COME ON GUYS! GET MICAH A LEAD!!
Max Scherzer is all out of bubblegum.
Walk n walk some more
"Troops in desperate straights know no fear. Where there is no escape, they stand firm; When they have entered deep, they persist; When they see no hope, they fight." Sun Tzu The Art of War
redemption shall have to wait. Sigh
"Troops in desperate straights know no fear. Where there is no escape, they stand firm; When they have entered deep, they persist; When they see no hope, they fight." Sun Tzu The Art of War
Really wish they wouldn’t have brought in Gregg… he’s been nails this year.
"There are only two seasons: winter and baseball"
-- Bill Veeck
WTF!?!?!??!!
"Troops in desperate straights know no fear. Where there is no escape, they stand firm; When they have entered deep, they persist; When they see no hope, they fight." Sun Tzu The Art of War
Should have been
a goddamned bases loaded walk/RBI for Byrnes.
Max Scherzer is all out of bubblegum.
Because he wanted to take the ball again, and BoMel let him.
And he had his best inning of the night.
Max Scherzer is all out of bubblegum.
I give up
Byrnes, I’m making a voodoo doll tomorrow.You better start hitting or in go the pins!
We will meet in Red 3 at the hour of scampering.
You can injure him just enough
so that he’s FORCED to go on the DL.
Max Scherzer is all out of bubblegum.
Let's face it
this team will never, ever, ever put Byrnes on the DL.
His leadership is too valuable.
Nor does sarcasim in some of these threads
by Augie's Army on May 20, 2008 9:51 PM EDT up reply actions
I need to call one of my friends in south Florida.
This ump deserves to have his tires slashed.
Max Scherzer is all out of bubblegum.
Gonzo K ends the inning.
Reynolds, Snydes, and maybe Montero as PH?
Max Scherzer is all out of bubblegum.
The guys in the booth have a great point.
When the pitcher makes a mistake these days, we’re not squaring up on it. We’re not making him pay anymore.
Max Scherzer is all out of bubblegum.
This ump is a huge turd.
I don’t know if it’s because we’re younger than the Marlins, or because they’re the home team, or what, but their pitchers have been getting strikes called 4 inches off the outside corner all night… then at the same time, the ump squeezes Micah just enough to allow 3 runs.
Max Scherzer is all out of bubblegum.
by DbacksSkins on May 20, 2008 10:06 PM EDT up reply actions
rough night… good to have Webb and Haren lined up, though.
"There are only two seasons: winter and baseball"
-- Bill Veeck
The pitching isn't the problem.
If we score 2 runs each night tomorrow and thursday, we could probably have Nolan Ryan pitching out there and still lose.
Max Scherzer is all out of bubblegum.
by DbacksSkins on May 20, 2008 10:13 PM EDT up reply actions
Can't blame "the lineup"
for us having the bases loaded with 1 out AND GETTING NOTHING.
Or having 2 men on with no outs AND GETTING NOTHING.
Or making the first out of the inning CS at third. Or striking out 4x on the night. Or consistently overswinging and fouling off fastballs and hanging breaking balls right down the middle instead of trying to just make contact and drive them the other way. Or getting caught in a rundown between 3rd and home plate with no outs. Or going 0 for 8 with RISP.
The hitters right now are trying to rely on pure talent, rather than batting fundamentals and patience at the plate, the way they were earlier in the season.
The way this team has been playing lately is just unacceptable. We’re much too good a team to be losing games like this, especially if we want to consider ourselves a World Series contender.
Max Scherzer is all out of bubblegum.
by DbacksSkins on May 20, 2008 10:31 PM EDT up reply actions
I described
more or less what’s been happening during EVERY loss these days. We make sloppy little mistakes, thinking we’re good enough to redeem ourselves later on. Melvin and KGib gotta get this team a little more focused. It doesn’t help that we have such a large lead in the division.
Max Scherzer is all out of bubblegum.
by DbacksSkins on May 20, 2008 10:44 PM EDT up reply actions
And when we do that, we win. Sometimes, the Nationals even score that much. Your point?
Is there any reason why we should go 0-8 with RISP tonight? Or leave the bases loaded?
Max Scherzer is all out of bubblegum.
by DbacksSkins on May 20, 2008 10:50 PM EDT up reply actions
I think we need to keep Drew and Hudson in more games and keep Augie on the bench.
Maybe once every week we put in Montero, Augie, Salazar.
Brandon Webb, do I need to say more?
Lineout to Ramirez.
The Dbacks are starting to annoy me…. it’s not necessarily that we’re not winning, because we mostly are, but that we’re losing in infuriating fashion when we DO lose. We REALLY need to take some grounders, remember how to field a basic baseball diamond, etc. We also really need to relearn how to freaking hit. April is a million miles away right now.
We are NOT looking like the team to beat in the National League these days.
Max Scherzer is all out of bubblegum.
We also
need to stop striking out so much. We look like the freaking Reds.
Max Scherzer is all out of bubblegum.
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