Diamondbacks 6, Nationals 1: Collin Balester Gives Mark Week the Middle Finger
by Marc Fournier on Aug 4, 2010 2:23 AM EDT
in Diamondbacks Game Reports
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PrintRecord: 40-67. Pace: 61-101.
Change on 2009: -8. On 2004: +7.
Hinch/Gibson Win %: .392/.321
The D-Backs offense flexed some muscle and did all the right things to secure a win this evening. Unfortunately, that didn't sit well with the likes of Collin Balester. During a week of celebration and bowing down to Mark Reynolds, we have to take a small step back and hope that he's healthy after being hit in the head with a 95 mph fastball.
More details after the jump, along with some serious input as to whether or not Mr. Balester should be put in timeout.
The Colonel, Joe Saunders, came into tonight's game hoping to get his first win as a Diamondback. His hopes were punched in the gut early on, however, as Ryan Zimmerman homered to center field. Even before the 1/4 filled stadium had taken their seats the team was already facing a deficit. Saunders then took on a Liván Hernández-esque type of game, getting himself into jams but just as easily escaped them with an inning ending GIDP in the 2nd and 3rd.
The rest of the game looked promising though as Scott Olsen came into the matchup with an 8.86 career ERA against Arizona (in four starts) surrendering 18 runs and a staggering 30 hits over a combined 14 1/3 innings. The stats held true and the D-Backs took advantage of Olsen once again as Stephen Drew homered to left field in the bottom of the third inning.
In the following inning the birthday boy, and honoree of the week, Mark Reynolds deposited a 1-1 fastball into pool territory. With an Adam LaRoche single and Miguel Montero walk just prior to the homer, the D-Backs took the lead - 4-1. The game then flew by until it was the bottom of the 6th inning. With the D-Backs already having scored again thanks to a sacrifice fly by Montero, they were brewing once more with Mark Reynolds due up. Collin Balester relieved Scott Olsen and quickly drew a 1-1 count on the Sheriff. Then on the third pitch he threw a 95 mph fastball...
Mr. Balester now has two beanballs in his last three appearances to go along with his raunchy ERA+ of 64 (career of 72). One has to wonder how much longer you can put up with that sort of thing. As if he couldn't have picked a worse situation either? His team is down by four runs and he just beaned our power hitter who hit a homer earlier in the game. I can't even fathom that it would be intentional, but I wouldn't be surprised to see retaliation in the future. You can thank Joe West for that one. He decided to warn both benches after the incident. Great call, Joe, I'm sure the D-Backs won't consider a retaliation the next time they play each other with a different umpiring crew...
Anyway, the game went on and the D-Backs continued doing their 'thang.' Saunders worked another GIDP in the top of the 7th inning and Kelly Johnson knocked in the final run of the game in the bottom of the frame with a single to plate the ever useful Rusty Ryal. The Colonel went on to close the game; it was only the third by a D-Backs pitcher this year - by the way the other two no longer play for Arizona. He finished with a final line of 9 IP, 5 hits, 1 run (a solo HR), 2 BB, and 5 SO. Not bad, Joe. Not bad.
Our savior: Joe Saunders, 28%, Mark Reynolds, 27%
Honorable savior: Adam LaRoche, 12.9%
The baseball equivalent of [insert bad thing]: Miguel Monetero, -10.4%
Kind of harsh on Montero there, he went 1-2 with an RBI and a run. Oh well, I guess someone has to take the honor.
We ended the night with 590 comments, none of which were vuvuzela related thankfully. No one topped triple digits, but justin1985 came darn close. Following in his footsteps were DbacksSkins and Jdub220. The rest of the cast consisted of: NASCARbernet, Sprankton, 4 Corners Fan, Rockkstarr12, hotclaws, kishi, snakecharmer, pygalgia, piratedan7, Cup Noodles, jinnah, katers, brian custer, Jack Cromwell, Bryan J. Boltik, dima1109, Wailord, and Quad Fin Rider.
Only one comment turned green, and that was a jab at me wanting the D-Backs to win games. So here's this instead...
I mostly
fold bygones into other things, like cranes and stuff.
So we look to extend the streak tomorrow at the same place and same time. We'll see a matchup of two youngsters in Ian Kennedy (6-8, 4.26 ERA, 105 ERA+) pitted against Craig Stammen (3-4, 5.24 ERA, 79 ERA+). Ian Kennedy is struggling slightly as of late, while Stammen is coming off his best start of the season. Be there or... don't be there! It's up to you really.
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Ouch
I did get to see Mark’s three-run homer in Mesa, but they turned the TV off before he got hit, so I didn’t know about that till I got home. Just saw the replay: not a birthday present you want!
Even if it was accidental, I do think it needs a response. If you are really that wild [and look where the catcher was setting up for the pitch, not up, or in], then you just shouldn’t be in the majors. And if your manager keeps sending you out there – as Sprankton noted, it’s the second batter Balester has beaned this week – then he needs to learn otherwise.
"It's not the despair, Laura. I can take the despair. It's the hope I can't stand." -- Brian Stimpson
Rats
I forgot to mention the setup of that pitch. It’s definitely worth noting that Pudge wanted that thing low and away. That’s just plain insane when a 95 mph fastball goes four feet away from where it was supposed to be.
Wear your own fur.
by Marc Fournier on Aug 4, 2010 2:53 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
TAP on DBBP wrote the following.
Watching the replay of the HBP and its aftermath again. When Reynolds was on his back on the ground and several D-backs staff were gathered around him, Balester started walking in toward the plate to check on Reynolds and Gibson emphatically motioned with his hand for Balester to go away and not continue walking to the plate
Nice strikeout!
Steve Gilbert
Did a brief piece on the incident and it included quotes from Mark, Gibby, and Collin…
Balester seemed shaken by the incident and walked toward Reynolds while he was on the ground before being waved off by Gibson.
“I just said, ‘Get back,’ because I know when I used to get hit, they would come up and apologize … there might be another time for that,” Gibson said. “I’m not saying that he can’t do that, but Mark was laying down. I didn’t know what was going on. We were trying to make sure he was OK. I just motioned him back — just let Mark get some air and see what’s going on here.”
Wear your own fur.
by Marc Fournier on Aug 4, 2010 3:48 AM EDT up reply actions
On the postgame show,
they mentioned that Balester was waiting outside the locker room to talk to Mark. I’d be interested in hearing how that went.
Mr. Science Boy
I noticed
You mentioning that in the GDT. I hope they’ll do a followup on it in today’s pregame.
Wear your own fur.
by Marc Fournier on Aug 4, 2010 5:19 PM EDT up reply actions
Probably ended
In Mark heading towards the pitcher’s mound, at around 3am, with a spade and a large burlap sack.
"It's not the despair, Laura. I can take the despair. It's the hope I can't stand." -- Brian Stimpson
+1
"Be more concerned w/ character than reputation. Character is what you are, reputation is what people think you are." ~ John Wooden
From what I read
He didn’t get to talk to Mark. He was hoping he’d get a chance to today.
"It's a fez. I'm wearing a fez now. Fezes are cool."
From this article.
On Tuesday, he tried to visit Reynolds after the game but never had the chance to catch up with him.
Geez, Phil, it was in SnakeBytes. =)
"It's a fez. I'm wearing a fez now. Fezes are cool."
LOL wow.
I didn’t see the game so I don’t know if the D-backs retaliated, but that is downright brutal. What’s he doing in the majors if he misses a fastball by five feet? I hope Mark is alright. He said he didn’t have a headache, so he was only left with a black eye. Hey, battle scars are cool.
In other news, Joe Saunders… Uhh…. “Won”. Gj.
by CaptainCanuck on Aug 4, 2010 5:15 AM EDT up reply actions
There wasn't any retaliation
The umpires warned both benches immediately after Reynolds was hit.
"It's a fez. I'm wearing a fez now. Fezes are cool."
I like the “teameyedoc.com” sign in the background. Maybe Balester should take advantage of that service while he’s in town.
If a woman has to choose between catching a fly ball and saving an infant's life, she will choose to save the infant's life without even considering if there are men on base. ~Dave Barry
by 4 Corners Fan on Aug 4, 2010 10:47 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Wow!
I was in favor of plunking someone on the hip or the back in retaliation. There’s still time.
No Gutierrez, Sherlock!
by Reynolds rapper on Aug 4, 2010 11:01 AM EDT up reply actions
We couldn't during the game
Warnings were issued, so if we threw at a Natinal, we would have had the pitcher (and Gibson, I think) ejected immediately. But I expect we’ll see someone hit today or tomorrow.
"It's a fez. I'm wearing a fez now. Fezes are cool."
I didn't know about the warning
but even if, that could have been pitch #100.
No Gutierrez, Sherlock!
by Reynolds rapper on Aug 4, 2010 4:22 PM EDT up reply actions
Still probably a bad idea
With the warning, I’m pretty sure that an intentional HBP would have led to suspensions.
"It's a fez. I'm wearing a fez now. Fezes are cool."
i want ian kennedy to do well
but i also want to lose…….
so…..cheer for the bullpen to blow it?
but not demel….i like him
You want to lose b/c of the draft pick? I’m really not a fan of that in baseball.
"Love is the most important thing in the world, but baseball is pretty good too. " ~Greg, age 8
Well at worst we'd downgrade from Cole to Jungmann.
If we move up a spot in the standings, which isn’t too bad of a downgrade, even though I like Jungmann better. I’m not sure if we’re still looking for arms though.
by CaptainCanuck on Aug 4, 2010 11:56 AM EDT up reply actions
if we had two picks in the top 10
ideally i think we’d want to get one arm and one middle infielder
you can never have enough pitching prospects right? besides….if you do, then just package them in a trade to get pieces you need
if we could get ahold of that Tobias boy
that would be awesome. He’s a Justin Upton type potential and a middle infielder.
Blogging about my summer at a Chinese law firm.
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well Upton might be an exaggeration
but still. He’s pretty freakin good for a high school 2b
Blogging about my summer at a Chinese law firm.
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josh tobias?
when i googled him this guy listed him as a 3B…is that a typo?
what I read said 2B
but that may have been a typo
Blogging about my summer at a Chinese law firm.
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What I read
Said he was a SS…
Wear your own fur.
by Marc Fournier on Aug 4, 2010 5:21 PM EDT up reply actions
As well as
A Wolfpack Warrior.
Wear your own fur.
by Marc Fournier on Aug 4, 2010 5:25 PM EDT up reply actions
well I heard
that the hook was attached to his foot…….
I used to be disgusted, now I try to be amused....
didn't realize that was Colin Balester that hit Reynolds
he’s seems to be a pretty nice guy (responds to my tweets).
Blogging about my summer at a Chinese law firm.
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Some hockey enforcers
are really nice guys, off the ice. Two beanballs in one week? Come on, statistics nerds, calculate the odds that this particular wildness is random. Its not like Mark was pulling a Soriano and showing people up.
Give me the ball.
Nice enforcers
include Kelly Chase, Tony Twist and Tyson Nash from what I hear.
No Gutierrez, Sherlock!
by Reynolds rapper on Aug 4, 2010 11:03 AM EDT up reply actions
two beanballs in one week?
I really don’t see two incidents as a trend. I see that as someone really needs to work on their release point. Neither of his HBPs have looked intentional or malicious.
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notice I mixed old school and new there
stats or lack of trend and then visual observation of stuff and body language. I’m like the Switzerland of “baseball people”
Blogging about my summer at a Chinese law firm.
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Are you back home again in Indiana?
If a woman has to choose between catching a fly ball and saving an infant's life, she will choose to save the infant's life without even considering if there are men on base. ~Dave Barry
by 4 Corners Fan on Aug 4, 2010 12:51 PM EDT up reply actions
...and now I'm humming the song.
If a woman has to choose between catching a fly ball and saving an infant's life, she will choose to save the infant's life without even considering if there are men on base. ~Dave Barry
by 4 Corners Fan on Aug 4, 2010 4:44 PM EDT up reply actions
Hey, there are reasons that people aren’t allowed to practice with firearms in major municipalities. Killing people without intent or malice is probably up there. If the guy is missing his target by 4 or 5 feet with fastballs no less, he should be practicing in a cage not against live batters. Or do something else.
+1
I highly doubt he was throwing at someone’s head.
Leads/ties blown by the Diamondbacks bullpen in '10: 33
Does intent really matter here?
The results are the same whether he intended to or not. The fact is, if he can’t throw strikes, he should not be in the big leagues based on that. Either way, he’s a menace to the game.
Give me the ball.
by NASCARbernet on Aug 4, 2010 12:54 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Guy has a career ERA of near 6
And his numbers in the minors don’t seem terribly inspiring either. I have no idea why he’s in an MLB uniform.
"It's a fez. I'm wearing a fez now. Fezes are cool."
Really?
I almost fear Im about to fall into the sarchasm…
Not being able to throw strikes (via NASCAR) and ERAs near 6 would be pretty decriptive of our own relief pen. Granted, some of our guys should maybe not be in an MLB uniform either, but sometimes a guy just sucks and is still the team’s best option.
Hopefully, it was an accident.
by Counsellmember on Aug 4, 2010 2:17 PM EDT up reply actions
Well
Other than Jordan Norberto, who is in his first season, everyone in our bullpen has an career ERA under 5. They just all seem to be having horrible seasons this season. And even then, everyone in the ‘pen right now (except Norberto) has a season ERA below Balester’s 7.71 this season.
Plus, and more importantly, they’ve combined to hit fewer batters in the head.
"It's a fez. I'm wearing a fez now. Fezes are cool."
It's all about his repertoire.
He’s got an arsenal that includes a fastball that can peak at 98 mph along with a breaking ball which is apparently filthy. As long as that potential is there, teams are going to take chances on him. So it seems, at least.
Wear your own fur.
by Marc Fournier on Aug 4, 2010 2:40 PM EDT up reply actions
He's got a good arm, sure
But he admits there’s a mechanical problem that causes his fastball to sail up and in and he can’t control it. You shouldn’t fix a problem like that in the majors. Or in front of living batters.
"It's a fez. I'm wearing a fez now. Fezes are cool."
That's the thing though
Even if he and the Nationals pitching coach work on tweaking his mechanics for months, sooner or later he’ll have to face a batter. Whether it be in the minors or not, someone is going to have to face him.
I’m guessing the Nationals and their pitching coach believed that he may have been on his way to fixing the issue. I can’t really say. Back to the drawing board.
Wear your own fur.
by Marc Fournier on Aug 4, 2010 2:50 PM EDT up reply actions
I think it was a "purpose pitch"
a knock-down message pitch that Mark didn’t react in time to. How could he? He hasn’t seen the ball all year.
Give me the ball.
Because
he plays for the Natinals? Their farm system was pure SHITE up until a few years ago.
Mr. Science Boy
To me,
yes, intent does matter. He made a mistake. Accidents happen. Everyone has pitches where they totally screw up their release point. This was one of the more unfortunate ones.
Leads/ties blown by the Diamondbacks bullpen in '10: 33
he's been notorious for letting fly Daniel Cabrera like wild pitches here and there
its unfortunate Mark’s head got in the way of this most recent one. We don’t need to crucify the guy for an UNINTENTIONAL pitch (there is no logical explanation that the pitch was anything but).
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Honestly
I think the fact that it wasn’t intentional makes it worse. If he was head-hunting, then he’s an asshole. If it’s just an accident, it’s something he’s screwed up twice in the nine days, and it’s a persistent mechanical flaw in his delivery that needs to be fixed before he accidentally seriously injures someone.
"It's a fez. I'm wearing a fez now. Fezes are cool."
I agree with everything you said,
but that wasn’t my point. It was to say that retaliation isn’t necessary, because he didn’t do it on purpose.
Leads/ties blown by the Diamondbacks bullpen in '10: 33
maybe if he had already hit a guy
then retaliate. One unintentional HBP is fine. If there is a second one a la the Red Sox game yesterday. You hit one of their guys.
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Oh
I was going off the post you were replying to, which was saying “Does intent matter” and “if he can’t throw strikes, he should not be in the big leagues based on that. Either way, he’s a menace to the game.”
"It's a fez. I'm wearing a fez now. Fezes are cool."
The answer is,
if you can’t throw inside or high, don’t. To me, that ridiculous picture actually does prove intent because no one is bad enough to miss by THAT much.
No Gutierrez, Sherlock!
by Reynolds rapper on Aug 4, 2010 4:24 PM EDT up reply actions
Daniel Cabrera would like to have words with you
here are tons of hard throwers that are that inconsistent.
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oh yeah
he was on the verge of being out of baseball because he couldn’t hit the strike zone
Blogging about my summer at a Chinese law firm.
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I find it interesting
That Balester had no hit batters in over 30 major-league innings last season. That doesn’t really suggest Cabrera or Big Unit like struggles with control. And for both HBP this season to be beanballs? Hmm…
"It's not the despair, Laura. I can take the despair. It's the hope I can't stand." -- Brian Stimpson
Just no snowball fights, please.
No Gutierrez, Sherlock!
by Reynolds rapper on Aug 4, 2010 5:45 PM EDT up reply actions
The sad thing is,
he wasn’t TRYING to throw inside or high. Pudge had set up low and outside.
Mr. Science Boy
Yeah, he's a misunderstood sweetheart, for sure. . .
But the fact is, and I speak about it below, the beaning and the umpire’s uninformed decision to issue a warning, was a critical tactic by Riggleman. His team was behind, the D’Backs’ pitcher was dominating his hitters, and he was trailing. What can a manager do to take away some of the opposing team’s pitcher’s effectiveness is to take away his ability to throw hard inside, or else risk being ejected. It was a brilliant tactical move, old school style.
Give me the ball.
Then why not go for a throw that hits Mark in the hip?
Gets the same idea out there without a chance of a head injury.
If a woman has to choose between catching a fly ball and saving an infant's life, she will choose to save the infant's life without even considering if there are men on base. ~Dave Barry
by 4 Corners Fan on Aug 4, 2010 1:12 PM EDT up reply actions
Yes, that's the way one is supposed to do it
or the back of the hip, not the head. Twice. In one week.
Give me the ball.
you're full of it man
no one intentionally tried to hit the guy in the head. If he wasn’t hit in the head then neither benches would have been warned which then destroys you’re outrageous claim that they threw at Reynolds head to eliminate the effectiveness of our pitchers.
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You make no point whatsoever
I guess this logic thing doesn’t apply broadly, but here it goes anyway – Pitch to the head, warning, opposing pitcher can no longer throw inside without risking being tossed. Can anything be clearer to anyone with an IQ of great than 100?
Give me the ball.
You think that Riggleman
told Balester to throw a 95 MPH fastball at an opposing player’s head? To risk a players life and career just for one game?
Leads/ties blown by the Diamondbacks bullpen in '10: 33
It's called a 'brush back' pitch
and Mark didn’t get out of the way. And by the way, I don’t approve of such pitches unless the batter’s first name starts with “M,” or the last name is “Soriano.”
Give me the ball.
You can't
brush a guy back by throwing straight at his noggin. NOBODY can get out of the way of a pitch that far inside.
Mr. Science Boy
That could certainly be true,
and I don’t dispute your reasoning. I just don’t believe that was the case in THIS particular HBP.
Mr. Science Boy
Yeah,
two fastballs to the head in a week, to me, means the dude needs to work on his fastball. Nobody INTENTIONALLY throws at the head.
He DID just come back up from the minors, after all. Maybe now we know why.
Mr. Science Boy
Which means
he’s a marginal player, and he was taking instructions to brush back the D’Backs’ best weapon for the night, and induce a warning. It’s old school baseball, son.
Give me the ball.
The umpire
isn’t going to issue a warning for a brushback pitch with no previous provocation, so if you’re right and it was intentional, then it was a stupid strategy.
Mr. Science Boy
Two beanballs in a week- more or less likely than Bengie Molina hitting for the cycle?
The last incident doesn’t have anything to make it seem like it would be intentional, though. Leading off the inning, Weeks was hitless in the game up to that point, there was nothing to retaliate for.
"It's a fez. I'm wearing a fez now. Fezes are cool."
But the guy who was showing up the Nationals
was the D’Backs’ pitcher. The best way for Riggleman to get better pitches for his hitters was to induce a warning, and perhaps get into the D’Backs bullpen. That’s the way I would have done it if I wanted to get my ballclub back into the game. You guys still have a lot to learn about how baseball is really played.
Give me the ball.
You keep claiming this
with absolutely no proof whatsoever — and an umpire isn’t going to eject a pitcher just for pitching in, even with a warning in place.
Mr. Science Boy
You guys still have a lot to learn about how baseball is really played.
Condescend much, NASCAR?
"Love is the most important thing in the world, but baseball is pretty good too. " ~Greg, age 8
no way njjohn
NASCAR is brilliant. He’s probably well into his 50th year of watching baseball so he knows 1000 times more than any of us. It is “old skool” to have pitcher with documented strike throwing issues to intentionally throw at a guys head because the Diamondbacks pitcher was somehow showing up the Nationals. Then with the ensuing bean ball the ump would HAVE to warn both benches and thus negate the Diamondbacks pitcher’s ability to throw inside.
See it makes perfect sense. A strategy that completely hinges on possibly killing a player and then hoping that the umpire unnecessarily warns the benches thereafter.
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I think he looks better in a Pittsburgh uni
than the Arizona one
Blogging about my summer at a Chinese law firm.
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Pirates'
uniforms are better than the D’backs’ ones.
No crying in the Snakepit. That's what your apartment is for.
agreed
but I really like the black and gold look more than the red and black. I’ve never been a big fan of the color red.
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I disagree.
I like our unis, other than the gray away ones.
Not a big fan of yellow, either.
Leads/ties blown by the Diamondbacks bullpen in '10: 33
I'm not big on
The one with the “D-backs” lettering across the front. The rest are OK at best. I really miss the old pinstripes and “Arizona” lettering. The colors were bad, but the pinstripes were clean and proper.
I’d say that Detroit is my favorite. I don’t know what it is, but I’ve always had a thing for ’em.
Wear your own fur.
by Marc Fournier on Aug 4, 2010 2:25 PM EDT up reply actions
I completely
disagree with that. Our home whites are some of the worst.
No crying in the Snakepit. That's what your apartment is for.
You can thank Joe West for that one. He decided to warn both benches after the incident. Great call, Joe, I’m sure the D-Backs won’t consider a retaliation the next time they play each other with a different umpiring crew…
Do you think Joe West blew this one, Sprankton? What would you have done? Seems to me, given the circumstances, he needed to warn the benches.
"Love is the most important thing in the world, but baseball is pretty good too. " ~Greg, age 8
By not
allowing the D’backs to retaliate during this series, it just gives it an opportunity to fester and blow up into something larger, like the multi-year fight between the Red Sox and Rays.
No crying in the Snakepit. That's what your apartment is for.
Agreed
Just get it out of your system during that game. It’d be doubtful that the Nationals would retaliate once again after that. Now, if the D-backs do it during another game there’s a fairly good chance the Nationals will answer back.
Wear your own fur.
by Marc Fournier on Aug 4, 2010 2:30 PM EDT up reply actions
So, you're saying a free lick
for the Nationals is okay? All it means is that they get to bean a D’Back hitter, without fear of retaliation. This is an old school tactic, which leads me to believe it was intentional. It affects the opposing team, it affects the opposing pitcher, because he loses the ability to throw inside which is an advantage for the team trailing in a game.
Give me the ball.
by NASCARbernet on Aug 4, 2010 12:57 PM EDT up reply actions
I’m not saying it’s okay, I’m saying that as an umpire I would feel responsible for the well-being of the players on the field, and I wouldn’t trust either team NOT to go headhunting in retaliation, so I would have issued a warning. But I get your point.
"Love is the most important thing in the world, but baseball is pretty good too. " ~Greg, age 8
It actually
wasn’t Joe West, though.
I know we love blaming Joe West for stuff, but it was the HP ump. West was the 2B ump, I believe,
Mr. Science Boy
Oh fooey
You’re right. Damn, Dan Bellino! I just instinctively accuse Joe West for everything these days.
Wear your own fur.
by Marc Fournier on Aug 4, 2010 5:24 PM EDT up reply actions
I hope
Renyolds makes it into the lineup tonight, and makes them pay, Or someone on the team does. Weather it be a retaliation, Or a Hitting clinic. Would have been good to see Drew Line one right back at the pitcher after Renyolds got hit.
Freeze it..and make a popsicle
Saunders making the FO look smart!
Didn’t see the game, but the recap of Saunders getting into and out of jams doesn;t seem to jive with his final line. If he had a few rough innings, he must have been really dominant the rest of the time. The Nationals have a pretty healthy lineup there. Way to go, Joe.
meh......
give it some time before you crown saunders
in two games with the dbacks, saunders’s BABIP is 40 points below his career, and his LOB% is at an insane 98% (it’s usually around 70% for him, and for league average)
while i hope he can keep pitching this effectively as well, i’m not terribly excited about that prospect yet
CG=meh?
I won’t argue with the peripherals, the small sample size, or the projections going forward. But let’s be happy about the victories we have in hand, and give Joe his credit for a game very well pitched.
by Counsellmember on Aug 4, 2010 2:10 PM EDT up reply actions
I think he was saying you can give him credit
just don’t crown him yet. Give him credit for what he’s done but don’t credit him for the future based on his last two.
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NEW BLOG, as my original one is blocked by the Great Firewall.
http://ajinshanghai.wordpress.com/
I agree, bulldog. Not wishing any ill will on Saunders, and here’s to hoping he can keep up this kind of luck, but the sample size is way too small and the peripherals way too out of whack to be too excited.
"Love is the most important thing in the world, but baseball is pretty good too. " ~Greg, age 8
glad to see there is no hangover from moving on for Joe......
He’s a Pro.
Chan Gailey's #1 Fan!
by norcaliangelsfan on Aug 4, 2010 1:41 PM EDT reply actions
still don't understand the idea that many people giving pitchers credits for wins
azcentral comments are blowing my mind. “Haren for Saunders, look at the career winning %, we robbed the Angels blind.”
Blogging about my summer at a Chinese law firm.
NEW BLOG, as my original one is blocked by the Great Firewall.
http://ajinshanghai.wordpress.com/
also
“Or maybe the team is changing direction for real. Upton hasn’t changed though and I think he should be the next one on the trading block. We have had enough of his potential already.”"
These people floor me. Do they even watch the games? He’s the best hitter on the team but apparently he’s a liability to the team.
Blogging about my summer at a Chinese law firm.
NEW BLOG, as my original one is blocked by the Great Firewall.
http://ajinshanghai.wordpress.com/
I think
We should start collecting examples of the “best” i.e. most jaw-dropping comments from the AZ Central forums. Could be an amusing little article there. Of course, this would mean someone has to trawl through it regularly – maybe we can arrange a rota, to avoid the loss of d6 sanity points on a weekly basis…
"It's not the despair, Laura. I can take the despair. It's the hope I can't stand." -- Brian Stimpson
I'd love to do something like that
every game recap has a most outrageous azcentral comment of the game
Blogging about my summer at a Chinese law firm.
NEW BLOG, as my original one is blocked by the Great Firewall.
http://ajinshanghai.wordpress.com/
If we do that
Then I think you should start supplying us with alcohol.
"It's a fez. I'm wearing a fez now. Fezes are cool."
+1
It’s a bit of a catch 22. If you maintain the attitude “aren’t these cute little idiots” then you might be able to escape with your sanity intact. If you begin to think that these are the types of folks that make the Byrnes signings happen and can literally derail the whole franchise? Then it can send one to the rubber room.
"Love is the most important thing in the world, but baseball is pretty good too. " ~Greg, age 8
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