Baseball Toaster was unplugged on February 4, 2009.
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1) using profanity or any euphemisms for profanity
2) personally attacking other commenters
3) baiting other commenters
4) arguing for the sake of arguing
5) discussing politics
6) using hyperbole when something less will suffice
7) using sarcasm in a way that can be misinterpreted negatively
8) making the same point over and over again
9) typing "no-hitter" or "perfect game" to describe either in progress
10) being annoyed by the existence of this list
11) commenting under the obvious influence
12) claiming your opinion isn't allowed when it's just being disagreed with
What was the Greatest Game Ever Played in major league baseball history – the sport's equivalent to the 1958 Colts-Giants NFL championship classic? For a story he's working on, Bill Shaikin of the Times e-mailed me to ask Dodger Thoughts readers for their opinions.
First thoughts I had were Yankees-Pirates 1960 World Series Game 7 or Red Sox-Reds 1975 Game 6. However, Shaikin pointed out that there is also the issue of how big a factor social or cultural significance should play in the decision. The 1958 NFL game, for example, launched pro football as a national television obsession. What major league game had it going on, both on the field and off?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shot_Heard_'Round_the_World_(baseball)
Two teams UCLA has to play this year and two teams that will be a difficult matchup.
In defense of Rose's hit on Fosse, he didn't know he was going to seriously injure the guy. I kind of admire a guy willing to play just as hard in an exhibition game as he would play in game 7 of the World Series. In hindsight it looked like a stupid move, but if Fosse had just dropped the ball and got up uninjured, I think it's a good play on Rose's part. Whatever you think of Rose, he made a long successful career out of playing harder than those with his same skill level.
Two seasons ago, not last.
Crazy!
Even though it was a night game that had gone into extra innings and finished after midnight local time.
The only game I have ever watched on TV that was remotely close in tension was Game 7 of the 2001 World Series.
Dodgers 5
Athletics 4
At least for me anyways!
This one is in my top five.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/67929/the_greatest_baseball_game_ever_played.html
This is a good place to start.
http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseballlibrary/excerpts/greatest_games.stm
This is one thing I hate sportswriters and music critics for. The game or music just isn't good enough for them for its own sake. At heart they feel the game is trivial and not worthy of their attention unless self consciously infused with "social significance". Especially since they're jumpy about not being taken seriously themselves.
In all serious though, I think the Don Larsen's perfect game in '56 in the world series has to rank up there in terms of historic games.
>> With rotation set, manager says club looking for left-handed bat. <<
http://tinyurl.com/5q98xb
I'd probably nominate 9/18/06 as the greatest game in regular season history, but my objectivity can't be trusted in that regard.
The 2007 NL Wild Card playoff was pretty great.
I love the Play Index. I remember buying something in like 1992 at Radio Shack that was the size of a pocket calculator but could sort baseball stats. The Play Index is like the evolution of that little treasure.
Actually, Mickey Owen committed an error, not a passed ball.
If it happened at midnight I must have still been on West Coast time to stay up that late but I vividly remember the city of Boston going bananas that night. And Joe Morgan was on the losing side that night so it has that going for it.
Still trying to figure out what my pick would be for greatest game ever... The 4+1 game has a special place in my heart of course, but doesn't have the wider significance or some of the famous "big games". I think I'd second that 1975 game 6 pick if pressed.
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/
http://tinyurl.com/5wqlpe
You don't think change is a good thing? Or you do? I am more worried about the defense then the offense at this point.
Merkle game Cubs vs. Giants, 1908, Polo Grounds
1919 World Series Game 1 Reds vs. White Sox(First pitch)
Opening Day 1923, Yankee Stadium
Lou Gehrig Day, July 4, 1939, Yankee Stadium
Williams hits .400 (.406) Doubleheader Red Sox vs. Athletics, 1941
Jackie Robinson's 1st Game, April 15, 1947, Ebbets Field
Bobby Thompson, Dodgers vs. Giants, 1951, Polo Grounds
Harvey Haddix's Perfect Game and beyond,
Pittsburgh vs. Milwaukee
Maz beats Yankees, Yankees vs. Pirates, 1960, Forbes Field
Carlton Fisk puts the Reds to bed, Reds vs. Red Sox, 1975, Fenway Park.
Bucky Dent invents new curse words for Red Sox Nation, Yankees vs. Red Sox, 1978, Fenway Park
"I can't believe what I just saw", A's vs. Dodgers, 1988, Dodger Stadium
I think it is great and I am shocked Howland is doing it.
I'd like to read a post someday about why "shifty" is part of your identity. Give us fiction if the real story isn't a page turner.
The "Merkle game" was declared a tie, so the NL in their wisdom, had the Cubs and Giants replay the game, which the Cubs won and then they went on to win their last World Series in a 100 years.
I believe the first time two teams actually tied for the pennant was in 1946 when the Dodgers and Cardinals tied. (Actually, there was a quasi-tie in the 1915 Federal League I believe, but nobody really cares about that one.)
The Pirates, who are discussing Wilson with several teams, wanted Dodgers shortstop Chin-Lung Hu and two other young players, sources say.
This seems silly. Why not just play Hu who will give you similar production?
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/8848344/Sources:-Dodgers-revive-interest-in-Pirates%27-Wilson?CMP=OTC-K9B140813162&ATT=49
According to published reports, nearly 250,000 fans show up at the Polo Grounds to watch the disputed replay of the September 23 game between the Cubs and Giants. The gates were closed at 1:30 for the 3:00 game, but still fans tried to storm the gates. Fireman with high pressure hoses knocked down fans who tried to scale the walls. Nearly 40,000 fans watched from Coogan's Bluff, telephone poles and other vantage points. Two fans are killed when they fall from a pillar on the elevated subway platform. Later admitting he had nothing on the ball, Christy Mathewson loses, 4–2, to the Cubs, giving way to Hooks Wiltse in the 8th.: Three Finger Brown, relieving Jack Pfiester in the first, gets the win.
Does he have a stereotypical middle infielder name like Jack Wilson?
Is he scrappy enough?
Didn't think so.
http://www.firenedcollettinow.com/
Also, it was an era where more than likely the rest of the country didn't read about it until the next afternoon.
vr, Xei
I can't remember Howland adjusting like this before but it does seem like good news.
I wish I could see the ND-Texas game today. I also hope Oregon does not lose by 30. The Pac-10 is so far down this year. 3 teams in the tourney?
http://tinyurl.com/6rsffx
You're selling low on Hu, and trading him along with other prospects to buy a mediocre, injury-prone player in Jack Wilson. I know Hu's may never hit offensively, but we know that Wilson never will. And defensively, its a wash. There's no point of trading for Wilson straight up, much less for Hu and two prospects. It'd be trading for $1.20 on the dollar.
You would think three, but even USC looks bad at this point.
Okay, I don't really but its odd that both Pac-10 football and basketball are down in the same year.
Wilson is owed:
# 07:$5.25M, 08:$6.5M, 09:$7.25M, 10:$8.4M club option ($0.6M buyout)
Izzy is a free agent who made 2.85 million and had his 5.4 million option turned down. Not saying he's a great option, just saying he's a better option then trading for Jack Wilson or resigning Berroa.
Thing is, I'd like them to give Hu a shot but if he fails what do you do? Go right to DeJesus?
As for football I think the Pac-10 is what the ACC was when Florida St joined. Not even worth discussing as a league anymore.
We'll give them Juan Pierre and call it a fair deal. We'll even throw in Andruw Jones to help their outfielders problem.
Whether or not the lineup can absorb the risk of starting Hu and/or DeJesus will depend on whether the man joining Kemp and Ethier in the OF has one or two nines on his jersey.
I think our offense is screwed to be frank.
But he has gone off in Puerto Rician League.
But DeJesus walked 76 times in 463 at bats last year. That seems pretty good for me.
I think that 8 million will scare him away.
81
Maybe we are okay at SS with Hu/DeJesus. I do know the Sept 07 Hu was not the April 2008 Hu and hopefully the correct Hu is more like Sept then April. It could be a moot point if Dejesus is ready in 2009. If you need to scimp, maybe this is where you do it.
It sure looked like he increased his power in the 2nd half of the season but then it also looked like Hu had done the same the year before. Do the underlying peripherals say he's still strictly a singles hitter?
That is the old argument that we use Brett Butler to refute with.
Wonder if there's a way to measure 'tough walks'. Or is that just a silly extension of 'clutch hits'?
I just don't see any real viable alternatives available that I'm willing to trade for or spend money on as the SS position. We have two possible in house solutions.
Hey, put your pitchforks away, that was a joke!
Which is why it will be Cabrera to Durham.
Washington should have offered him the job like a month ago.
Major social significance, and no redeeming baseball value at all.
PHI N 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 - 1 6
CIN N 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 x - 2 4
http://www.bb-ref.com/pi/shareit/SZ7h
Kiffin's getting rewarded for his one and half years as the Raiders coach, while nobody is trying to see if Sarkisian is available.
Dewayne Walker is apparently set for the SDSU job.
If Walker leaves UCLA than Ken Norton Jr will return home.
A)The awful Thompson game
B)The 1956 World series victory
C)The '88 Gibson game
D)The 4+1
The A's continued their aggressive courtship of Rafael Furcal on Tuesday, meeting in Oakland with the free-agent shortstop, his wife, Glenny, and his agent, Paul Kinzer, according to major-league sources. Furcal visited A's officials at the Oakland Coliseum, toured communities where he might live and had a two-hour lunch with A's general manager Billy Beane.
Buh bye!
Best game I've ever watched non-in-person was probably the 18 inning Astros/Braves playoff game in 2005...Clemens's last postseason appearance and first one in relief, the end of the Braves dynasty, and the unforgettable Chris Burke ending!
Totally forgot about that one. That was pretty crazy.
It seems Renteria can't handle the AL for some reason, but I think he would be league average in LA. At this point I don't see how you can make Hu the opening day starter, he was so bad last year. And if one of Dejesus/Hu/Abreu steps up they can play second for a year or so.
Obviously I think it would be bad if we gave him 3/33 or a similar contract, or if the deal led to us dealing Hu/Dejesus for Pennies on the deal, but otherwise I don't see what's so bad about it. I'd much prefer it over trading for Wilson or signing Furcal at 4/52 at the very least.
Also, here's Dave Cameron's take on Renteria. He seems to think 2/18 is fair:
http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/renteria-to-sf/#comments
*pennies on the dollar
The Pirates, who are discussing Wilson with several teams, wanted Dodgers shortstop Chin-Lung Hu, outfielder Delwyn Young and a third young player, sources say... The teams spoke as recently as Monday, according to one source, but currently are at an impasse.
It depends on scouting reports. I remember we all expected Andruw Jones to recover based on previous track record. But with the numbers, we could not see that his bat speed had dramatically decreased, which is why he became so bad and why I think he will continue to be bad.
Most important defensive positions on the field:
1. Catcher
2. Shortstop
3. Centerfield
Jus' say'in
Stan from Tacoma
I am sick and tired of the venom everytime the Pirates try to do something. They are doing whatever it takes to right this ship. In the case of Jack Wilson there are six teams that want his services. These teams don't want to be stuck with a high-priced free agent for the next 4 years.
I prefer a package of DeJesus and McDonald for Wilson and a C prospect. Wilson will be traded in 2 weeks to the highest bidder. Some team will be desperate for his no-bat all-glove services. Until then go pick on someone your own size.
I'm sure you prefer DeJesus and McDonald. But... that's probably not happening.
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2008/11/dodgers-conside.html#comments
Which 1956 World Series victory was that?
"So you're Jack Wilson."
"And what does that mean to you, Shane?" :-)
For history's sake, Ron Blomberg went 1-3 with an RBI while Orlando Cepeda went 0-6.
Ron Blomberg's take:
http://reds.enquirer.com/2003/04/05/wwwred7dh5.html
I just read that too. It took all my strength to keep me from busting out laughing in the middle of the library.
How about this: We prefer McClouth, Doumit, and McCutchen for Hu and Pierre. Pierre is gritty and fiery, and some teams are bidding for his services. After all, no one wants to be stuck with nobody in CF next year with the FA market so barren. Please leave Ned alone, I'm tired of the venom he receives. Its not as if he took a top 5 payroll team to mediocrity last year. If you want Pierre you have to pay up, until then go pick on someone Plaschke's size.
Indians Sign With Pirates, Open Flood Gates
http://tinyurl.com/6n4lbq
$125 bucks for a spring training game?
"He's in the class of player where he gets a chance to get 3,000 hits like Tony Gwynn," Boras said. "This guy's four years away."
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/sports_blog/2008/11/boras-garret-an.html
NEW YORK—Two New York City Council members say that Citigroup should show its thanks for a federal bailout by sharing the naming rights to the new Mets ballpark in Queens.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3726892
That is hilarious - and pathetic at the same time :)
Could one road trip with the groupie leftovers possibly cause you revise your opinion?
I can only speak for me - Bye Bye Raffy - we hardly knew ye :)
/perusing Mets and/or Athletics schedules to see exactly when this might happen...
I think it has been obvious for awhile that we weren't, so then you just get used to it.
Also, in my old age I don't count so good. :-)
I as actually 16 years old.
The Lakers Are Soft on Defense&trade
Tonight's Guest: The New Jersey Nets.
This is just pathetic. You see the Celtics putting away teams left and right while these Lakers struggle to beat Jersey and Sacramento.
good night. :-)
Starring the slow feet of the "Radman".
Pathetic is a little strong. I would certainly like to see them play better than the last few games, but they have all been wins outside of the Detroit game. They still haven't had a win by fewer than 7 points.
In 2016 maybe the "Dodger Network" will have been been on stream for 24 months?
I once coined a term known as "Laker-itis" which goes back to the Shaq era. Basically, its the action of turning a switch on and off to up the intensity.
Right after I wrote 177 the Lakers really turned on the jets. Suddenly, they're up by 20 points.
Eric is right... even with their struggles, they haven't been taken to the wire in the last six games. I can take comfort in that.
I'm on the other side of the equation, this might be the best Lakers team I've seen. The '88 team probably still has that title for me, with the '01 team a distant second, but if these guys stay on the pace they're on, they'll challenge the '88 team (and yes, I know, one of the other teams might even be better).
Also, now that I've finished this comment, the Lakers are up by 25
Clearly you provided the inspiration! :)
105-78! Holy cow, do I stand corrected!
Furcal's agent is thrifty?
Raffy's paying for it either way - no?
The 1987 team was awesome, mostly because Kareem didn't have both hands gripping the edge of the cliff.
No Laker team in my lifetime had as impressive a run as the 2001 team, which was an OT loss (AI) away from sweeping through the postseason. They reached a gear during that run that I'd like to think was reached by the 1972 club that I never saw play.
The Lakers were up 25 at the time.
I have no idea if this story is true, but I still love it.
Certainly Kobe has had some strange games in his career when you questioned his actions but I will always believe that no team ever quit like the 2001 Spurs did in their 4-0 series loss to the Lakers.
They won their first 11 games of the playoffs, sweeping into the Finals with a 19-game winning streak.
After the OT loss to the 76ers in Game 1, they won the next 4 games to clinch the title.
To start the 2001-2002 season, the Lakers won 7 straight. They then followed a single loss (at Phoenix) with 9 more wins, and a 16-1 start (best in club history, until this year...?).
So, over a 41 game stretch the Lakers went 39-2.
Meanwhile, Marc Gasol is averaging 12 points a game. Who knew!?
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