I knew this season would be a love fest between mstar and bolshevik. Enjoy it fellows.
For games like the BoSox comeback today.... that's why GOD created TIVO!
Similar progression today for the Dbacks... but NO awesome comeback. I hit the record button and went outside to do yard work... just in case... ya never know.
I'm a Reds fan. Never lived there, just liked Jonny Bench when he came up and stuck with the team.
If only the Reds could play games that didn't have eighth innings. They'd be at least at .500. I noticed that the Reds have only won one game in the last three weeks where they scored fewer than 8 runs. They need that many to survive the eighth inning!
[if only the Reds could play games that didn't have eighth innings/quote]
The eighth?
Interesting, ...
sounds like the set up guys, who are usually underated and often overlooked.
Teams seem to focus on having good starters and good closers, and they get most of the press, but it doesnt do much good if guys who bridge between the two arent doing the job.
Its disspiriting to watch games like that for me (hello Grady Little....or at least it happened alot when he was in Boston). I hope they can fix that glitch before too long...thats a big one...and for a fan a tough pill to swallow.
hows Alex Gonzalez doing over there? Not agreat hitter but he was exciting in the field and made more than his share of impossible looking plays when I watched him a lot
And I really mean it about the eighth inning. In the last three weeks, the Reds have given up about 30 runs in the eighth inning. They lost both games of a two-game series to Houston by giving up five-run eighths. Last night they lost to Los Angeles by giving up a five-run eighth. They either come into the eighth close, only to watch the opponents run away with it, or come in ahead, only to blow the save. The hitters are performing; the starters (except for the incredibly over-priced Milton, and he's on the DL now) have been acceptable to good; but the relievers have really stunk. (Well, except for the first two weeks when they didn't give up a run.)
[if only the Reds could play games that didn't have eighth innings
The eighth?
Interesting, ...
sounds like the set up guys, who are usually underated and often overlooked.
Teams seem to focus on having good starters and good closers, and they get most of the press, but it doesnt do much good if guys who bridge between the two arent doing the job.
Its disspiriting to watch games like that for me (hello Grady Little....or at least it happened alot when he was in Boston). I hope they can fix that glitch before too long...thats a big one...and for a fan a tough pill to swallow.
hows Alex Gonzalez doing over there? Not agreat hitter but he was exciting in the field and made more than his share of impossible looking plays when I watched him a lot
Last year, the Dbacks bullpen was quite stinky... they improved it quite a bit over the winter. We've won quite a few one run games... their problem this year is the immature offense, as a whole. There are a few veterans, but the bulk of the position players are rookies or only have a year or two experience in the bigs. So, not very many high scoring games.
The bullpen's not perfect, but it's a lot better than last year.
goes to my statement about a billion posts ago about it taking 25 guys. Its a weird balance because you do still continue have to develop rookies and young players in that mix who havent yet matured to prepare for your future, and carry older veterans who may be over the hill but can still contribute as well as teach younger ballplayers, hopefully there are also afew in there in their prime years as well. Its a tough balance to achieve
Its like an alchemist mixing up some witches brew in a cauldron and trying to find the right mixture that produces magic and not poison, there is a fine line between them
If the Reds follow the pattern that they have for the last five years or so, they'll trade away productive offensive players for a couple of rag-armed pitchers who will finish with a combined record of 8-20 and an ERA of 4.8.
I'd settle for a real closer. Graves was good once, but spending a year in the starting rotation ruined him. Then he turned into a wiseass. After blowing a save adn getting booed, he gave the fans the finger, saying that he only blew one save in eight chances (to that point). Ignoring the fact that he routinely came in in the ninth inning with a three run lead and finished with two runs in and two runners on base, I don't think he had much to brag about. A closer should strike out two batters and get the third to pop up.
Weathers has shown some good stuff on occasion, but he's not consistent. Last year, the Reds got Guardado, who did remarkably well with an 85-mph fastball; but he's hurt.
It could be a long season. I wonder if Griffey will make it to 600 HR before he's out for the season again.
Well, shut my mouth! weathers pitched THREE perfect innings in relief to get the win when Griffey hit a homer in the 12th. Harang only gave up one run, when he balked -- in the eighth. Harang and Wells both pitched nine innings. Almost reminds me of the old Ferguson Jenkins/Bob Gibson duels.
that looked like a really good game (the little that I saw of it) but the balk will probably make the highlights as one of the strangest and weirdest looking plays of the year....
A closer should strike out two batters and get the third to pop up
Well called, its a beautiful thing when it works that way, I just watched Jonathan Papelbon
K K , ground out to short. in the 9th to save a 2-1 game,
after Hideki Okajima (the other japanese Sox pitcher) worked a popup. K popup 8th.
You almost had it exact
Good Luck on finding a closer, it makes it a helluva lot more enjoyable (to me anyway) when you cant wait to get to your closer, because you have confidence that it means one thing "lights out"
What was it like seeing Gagne closeup Hiway? some of those years he had were amazing
Gagne was as automatic as I've ever seen. He just threw heat, and each pitch looked more unhittable than the last.
He was the main draw for those couple of years. You knew he was coming in, and they'd blast 'welcome to the jungle' with a cartoon graphic of his face over' game over', as he walked in from the bullpen.
Owners never know when to call it quits though. Last year(or was it the year before-yikes) he came back for a game or 2, after a long time on the dl. I was at the game and thought it a bit of wishful thinking that they still did the whole 'game over' routine when he came in. That may have been his last game before getting hurt again, on his long road to Texas.
Pitching is such a fragile thing. Enjoy the dominant pitchers while you can. It can turn in a moment.
Believe me I know, I suffered through too many years of seeing miserable bullpens and miserable closers.
. In 2004 when Keith Foulke arrived finally someone was lights out through most of the year, but the next year in 2005 he was shellshocked early on and it got to the point where it was hideous to see him come in, Toward the end you would swear that HE didnt even want to be out there but was grooving gopherballs just so he could get off the mound.
I feel very lucky right now, Papelbon was originally slated to be a starter out of Triple AAA in '06 and (sort of) got the closer by accident, and has adapted well (understatement) having the right temperament and makeup that not everyone has..
I'll take it, enjoy it, and say thanks day by day, After too many years of watching too many games slip away its nice not to have either heart palpitations, or ulcers or disappointment every ninth inning, but to look forward to him glaring in to get the sign.
Its one of those little things , like Nomars fidgeting in the batters box used to be for me, that I really enjoy and look forward to when i watch a game now.
well Ive been around long enough to know that things can change on a dime, but this is a fun year and imo one heckuva special team, if theres any way you can --these times dont come around everyday.
Anyone remember Sandy Koufax's perfect game? It was against the Cubs. The Dodgers themselves got only one hit and one run...the run came in the 5th and the hit came in the 7th inning. Clostest thing to a double no hitter there ever was I guess, in the majors anyway.
I DONT remember it, except vaguely, since I was only 10, and not yet addicted to the game, but for grins I looked up the box score and play by play at Retrosheet (click)
you have a helluva memory:
"DODGERS 5TH: Johnson walked; Fairly out on a sacrifice bunt
(pitcher to second) [Johnson to second]; Hendley may have had
a play at 2nd. Scully says he dropped ball and then had to go
to 1st; Johnson stole third [Johnson scored (error by Krug)
(unearned)]; Lefebvre struck out; Parker grounded out (pitcher
to first); 1 R (0 ER), 0 H, 1 E, 0 LOB. Cubs 0, Dodgers 1."
"DODGERS 7TH: Gilliam grounded out (third to first); W. Davis
grounded out (first unassisted); Johnson doubled to first;
Fairly grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Cubs 0, Dodgers 1.
I dont know exactly what "doubled to first" means , but that is one helluva amazing gaame however you look at it.
Final Totals R H E LOB
Cubs 0 0 1 0
Dodgers 1 1 0 1
unbelievable
I DO remember a game in Baltimore in the 60's where ..um.. Stu Miller maybe? threw a no hitter and lost, if I remember right he walked a ton of guys and probably got a no hitter because nothing was over the plate most of the day.
Well... the Dbacks finally played one of them EXCITIN games this evening in Pittsburgh.
It WAS still a one run game, but not quite 1-0 or 2-1.
the Pirates got to Dbacks rookie starter Micah Owings in the 4th inning and took a 7-1 lead.
Dbacks got one run/inning twice, getting to 7-3. I think it was the 7th inning, Tony Clark, veteran backup 1rst baseman, and clutch pinch-hitter, comes to bat with the bases loaded. Guess what he did. Oh, YES he DID!
So, it's tied, 7-7. In the 8th (I think), Dbacks went ahead by 2, 9-7. Bottom of the 8th, Pirates get one back. 9-8.
Closer Valverde slammed the door shut in the 9th. THAT was a fun game to watch. :)
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I knew this season would be a love fest between mstar and bolshevik. Enjoy it fellows.
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Rocky
For games like the BoSox comeback today.... that's why GOD created TIVO!
Similar progression today for the Dbacks... but NO awesome comeback. I hit the record button and went outside to do yard work... just in case... ya never know.
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GeorgeStGeorge
I'm a Reds fan. Never lived there, just liked Jonny Bench when he came up and stuck with the team.
If only the Reds could play games that didn't have eighth innings. They'd be at least at .500. I noticed that the Reds have only won one game in the last three weeks where they scored fewer than 8 runs. They need that many to survive the eighth inning!
Goerge
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mstar1
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GeorgeStGeorge
Gonzalez is hitting quite well, actually. (.271, 7 HR, 16 RBI)
And I really mean it about the eighth inning. In the last three weeks, the Reds have given up about 30 runs in the eighth inning. They lost both games of a two-game series to Houston by giving up five-run eighths. Last night they lost to Los Angeles by giving up a five-run eighth. They either come into the eighth close, only to watch the opponents run away with it, or come in ahead, only to blow the save. The hitters are performing; the starters (except for the incredibly over-priced Milton, and he's on the DL now) have been acceptable to good; but the relievers have really stunk. (Well, except for the first two weeks when they didn't give up a run.)
George
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mstar1
Thats incredibly disheartening but thats also why God delayed the trading deadline until July 31st.
sounds like your guys need to do some shuffling and dealing and get some quality middle relief boomps quick
Too bad Arroyo cant be in two places at once he was great in that role in 03, and 04,
Is he still singin and driving the young girls wild?
He should be a lefty--He could almost be the Bill Lee of his generation
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Rocky
Last year, the Dbacks bullpen was quite stinky... they improved it quite a bit over the winter. We've won quite a few one run games... their problem this year is the immature offense, as a whole. There are a few veterans, but the bulk of the position players are rookies or only have a year or two experience in the bigs. So, not very many high scoring games.
The bullpen's not perfect, but it's a lot better than last year.
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mstar1
goes to my statement about a billion posts ago about it taking 25 guys. Its a weird balance because you do still continue have to develop rookies and young players in that mix who havent yet matured to prepare for your future, and carry older veterans who may be over the hill but can still contribute as well as teach younger ballplayers, hopefully there are also afew in there in their prime years as well. Its a tough balance to achieve
Its like an alchemist mixing up some witches brew in a cauldron and trying to find the right mixture that produces magic and not poison, there is a fine line between them
It would be fun but difficult to be a GM
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GeorgeStGeorge
If the Reds follow the pattern that they have for the last five years or so, they'll trade away productive offensive players for a couple of rag-armed pitchers who will finish with a combined record of 8-20 and an ERA of 4.8.
I'd settle for a real closer. Graves was good once, but spending a year in the starting rotation ruined him. Then he turned into a wiseass. After blowing a save adn getting booed, he gave the fans the finger, saying that he only blew one save in eight chances (to that point). Ignoring the fact that he routinely came in in the ninth inning with a three run lead and finished with two runs in and two runners on base, I don't think he had much to brag about. A closer should strike out two batters and get the third to pop up.
Weathers has shown some good stuff on occasion, but he's not consistent. Last year, the Reds got Guardado, who did remarkably well with an 85-mph fastball; but he's hurt.
It could be a long season. I wonder if Griffey will make it to 600 HR before he's out for the season again.
George
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GeorgeStGeorge
Well, shut my mouth! weathers pitched THREE perfect innings in relief to get the win when Griffey hit a homer in the 12th. Harang only gave up one run, when he balked -- in the eighth. Harang and Wells both pitched nine innings. Almost reminds me of the old Ferguson Jenkins/Bob Gibson duels.
George
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mstar1
that looked like a really good game (the little that I saw of it) but the balk will probably make the highlights as one of the strangest and weirdest looking plays of the year....
Well called, its a beautiful thing when it works that way, I just watched Jonathan Papelbon
K K , ground out to short. in the 9th to save a 2-1 game,
after Hideki Okajima (the other japanese Sox pitcher) worked a popup. K popup 8th.
You almost had it exact
Good Luck on finding a closer, it makes it a helluva lot more enjoyable (to me anyway) when you cant wait to get to your closer, because you have confidence that it means one thing "lights out"
What was it like seeing Gagne closeup Hiway? some of those years he had were amazing
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hiway29
Gagne was as automatic as I've ever seen. He just threw heat, and each pitch looked more unhittable than the last.
He was the main draw for those couple of years. You knew he was coming in, and they'd blast 'welcome to the jungle' with a cartoon graphic of his face over' game over', as he walked in from the bullpen.
Owners never know when to call it quits though. Last year(or was it the year before-yikes) he came back for a game or 2, after a long time on the dl. I was at the game and thought it a bit of wishful thinking that they still did the whole 'game over' routine when he came in. That may have been his last game before getting hurt again, on his long road to Texas.
Pitching is such a fragile thing. Enjoy the dominant pitchers while you can. It can turn in a moment.
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mstar1
Believe me I know, I suffered through too many years of seeing miserable bullpens and miserable closers.
. In 2004 when Keith Foulke arrived finally someone was lights out through most of the year, but the next year in 2005 he was shellshocked early on and it got to the point where it was hideous to see him come in, Toward the end you would swear that HE didnt even want to be out there but was grooving gopherballs just so he could get off the mound.
I feel very lucky right now, Papelbon was originally slated to be a starter out of Triple AAA in '06 and (sort of) got the closer by accident, and has adapted well (understatement) having the right temperament and makeup that not everyone has..
I'll take it, enjoy it, and say thanks day by day, After too many years of watching too many games slip away its nice not to have either heart palpitations, or ulcers or disappointment every ninth inning, but to look forward to him glaring in to get the sign.
Its one of those little things , like Nomars fidgeting in the batters box used to be for me, that I really enjoy and look forward to when i watch a game now.
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Bolshevik
28-12
LET'S GO RED SOX!!!!!!!
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mstar1
:)
Feels good dont it?
Even Mannys doin the wave
ya gotta love him
have you signed up for NESN yet Bolsh?
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Bolshevik
No, I watch what I can get with the rabbit ears, which means I'm at the whim of Fox Sports.
Someday though. . . .Someday. :)
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mstar1
well Ive been around long enough to know that things can change on a dime, but this is a fun year and imo one heckuva special team, if theres any way you can --these times dont come around everyday.
where are you anyway?
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Bolshevik
Near the Reds' AAA club.
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GeorgeStGeorge
Louisville?
George
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Bolshevik
oops, I meant "class A"
too far from New England.
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Lifted Up
Anyone remember Sandy Koufax's perfect game? It was against the Cubs. The Dodgers themselves got only one hit and one run...the run came in the 5th and the hit came in the 7th inning. Clostest thing to a double no hitter there ever was I guess, in the majors anyway.
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mstar1
I DONT remember it, except vaguely, since I was only 10, and not yet addicted to the game, but for grins I looked up the box score and play by play at Retrosheet (click)
you have a helluva memory:
"DODGERS 5TH: Johnson walked; Fairly out on a sacrifice bunt
(pitcher to second) [Johnson to second]; Hendley may have had
a play at 2nd. Scully says he dropped ball and then had to go
to 1st; Johnson stole third [Johnson scored (error by Krug)
(unearned)]; Lefebvre struck out; Parker grounded out (pitcher
to first); 1 R (0 ER), 0 H, 1 E, 0 LOB. Cubs 0, Dodgers 1."
"DODGERS 7TH: Gilliam grounded out (third to first); W. Davis
grounded out (first unassisted); Johnson doubled to first;
Fairly grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Cubs 0, Dodgers 1.
I dont know exactly what "doubled to first" means , but that is one helluva amazing gaame however you look at it.
Final Totals R H E LOB
Cubs 0 0 1 0
Dodgers 1 1 0 1
unbelievable
I DO remember a game in Baltimore in the 60's where ..um.. Stu Miller maybe? threw a no hitter and lost, if I remember right he walked a ton of guys and probably got a no hitter because nothing was over the plate most of the day.
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Bolshevik
the Red Sox lost a game!!! Oh the humanity!!!!!
two double headers in a week sounds rough.
Hey! I'm going to my first major league game this saturday!! (since going Way D several years ago)
the Reds are playing who cares. It's a game!!! :D
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Rocky
Well... the Dbacks finally played one of them EXCITIN games this evening in Pittsburgh.
It WAS still a one run game, but not quite 1-0 or 2-1.
the Pirates got to Dbacks rookie starter Micah Owings in the 4th inning and took a 7-1 lead.
Dbacks got one run/inning twice, getting to 7-3. I think it was the 7th inning, Tony Clark, veteran backup 1rst baseman, and clutch pinch-hitter, comes to bat with the bases loaded. Guess what he did. Oh, YES he DID!
So, it's tied, 7-7. In the 8th (I think), Dbacks went ahead by 2, 9-7. Bottom of the 8th, Pirates get one back. 9-8.
Closer Valverde slammed the door shut in the 9th. THAT was a fun game to watch. :)
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