Baseball Toaster was unplugged on February 4, 2009.
Jon's other site:
Screen Jam
TV and more ...
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
Andy LaRoche will need to be diligent in taking care of his back problems for the remainder of his career, writes Diamond Leung of the Press-Enterprise:
LaRoche suffered a partially protruded disk in his back this season, an injury that he will have to monitor for the remainder of his career.
"The doctor said as long as I keep exercising it, it should be fine," LaRoche said. "There is a small chance it can get worse."
LaRoche said a minor back issue he thought he had dealt with during the spring worsened during a season that saw him receive his first major league call-up in May and end up spending time on the disabled list after returning to Class AAA Las Vegas.
Update: Something I had never focused on before regarding the whirlwind joy of Pedro Astacio's first major league game, of which I've written about frequently - Astacio's pitch count. From Tom Verducci of SI.com:
Once there was a day -- July 3, 1992, to be exact -- when a manager (Tommy Lasorda) gave the ball to a 21-year-old rookie (Pedro Astacio) for his first major-league start, said, "Go get 'em," and let him throw 144 pitches -- for a team hopelessly out of the race, mind you.
Honestly, I'm so happy I didn't pay attention to pitch counts back then. Not that pitch-counts have been recorded for every major league debut, but Astacio's is the second-highest of all that have been recorded, according to Baseball-Reference.com, trailing only Tim Wakefield. Ramon Martinez is 10th on the list.
Astacio's Game Score in his debut is the fifth-best in major-league history since 1957.
1) Juan Marichal, 7/19/60 - nine innings, no runs, one hit, one walk, 12 strikeouts, game score of 96
2) Steve Woodard, 7/28/07 - eight innings, no runs, one hit, one walk, 12 strikeouts, game score of 91
3) Jimmy Jones, 9/21/96 - nine innings, no runs, one hit, no walks, five strikeouts, game score of 90
4) Rudy May, 4/18/65 - nine innings, one unearned run, one hit, five walks, 10 strikeouts, game score of 88
5) Pedro Astacio, 7/3/92 - nine innings, no runs, three hits, four walks, 10 strikeouts, game score of 87
Update 2: A quick look at the stretch-run schedules of the NL West playoff contenders at my latest Fungoes posting at SI.com. Also, there's an audience-participation segment at the bottom!
Update 3: This year's free agent hitters get a preview from Rich Lederer at Baseball Analysts.
http://progressiveboink.com/archive/wonderyears.htm
Yeah, it takes some time to sink your teeth into. But in the end, your teeth will tell you it was worth the effort.
http://tinyurl.com/2fumzn
Many of us have already carved a 20 foot marble statue of Clay Buchholz to make our worshiping easier.
Did the many carve a single statue together, or did they each carve their own statues...?
There are actually parts of L.A. covered in collections of terra cotta Clay Buchholzes in various poses. It's quite an impressive site and people travel for thousands of miles to come see them.
Archaeologists are still debating the meaning of them.
What's anyone's take on Clay vs. Clayton?
Clay Buchholz 2007
Taylor Buchholz 2006-2007
Don Buschhorn 1965
Mark Eichhorn 1982-1996
Harry Lochhead 1899-1901
This does not include players with first names ending in and last names starting with "h".
The "Furniture Medic" came and took a look at it and declared it DOA.
It was just three years old.
Pop:
1. some corn, and
2. this in the ole' media player.
http://tinyurl.com/2pzy9n
c: russell martin
1b: adrian gonzalez, maybe
2b: orlando hudson
3b: probably pedro feliz
ss: troy tulowitzki
cf: um, willy taveras?
lf: eric byrnes
rf: randy winn, perhaps
p: i have no idea
Greg Maddux has a lifetime certificate for a Gold Glove.
Since when was that a criterion...?
It's a little-known fact that SI.com pays the Fungoes writers by the comment.
That's why I didn't get any money.
Now Jon will get enough money to buy his daughter a child-sized Dodger jersey with "Astacio" on it.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001976/
I was just kidding. It would be impossible for Jeff Kent to get less than 60 at bats the rest of the way, barring injury.
If you click for the r-rated trailer, than you get a form asking for name and other info from your=government issued ID, and small print saying that by hitting submit you give them permission to compare your info with the data you gave to the government.
Just odd in multiple ways.
I trust my government! Especially when it lets me watch trailers of Coen brothers films.
I find it hard to believe that they looked at that game before the season started and figured that a game in September w/ the Giants would not be important. (Okay, it might end up not to be that important but they couldn't have thought that when they were setting the TV schedule).
I only noticed because I was looking at the schedule (calendar layout) and the box looked empty without the KCAL,FOX, or PRIME written in it. Weird.
"So what's the verdict? A reasonable twilight to his career would make him pretty much a lock for the Hall. ... You could make a strong argument for his being the best pitcher in the game from 1997 to 2003. Outside of that he was very good if oft-injured pitcher."
That's kind of like saying you could make a reasonable argument that Ronald Reagan was President of the United States from 1981-1989. Or that Babe Ruth was a pretty good yet pudgy hitter.
Either Mike's perception of a Hall of Fame caliber career is way off, or mine is. Wasn't Pedro a lock if he got hit by a bus five years ago? We're talking about a guy who is by far the greatest pitcher who ever lived, at least if you go by ERA+. Does he really need "a reasonable twilight to his career" to strengthen his case?
"We couldn't go beyond 120 pitches," said Epstein, who said he talked to Francona a couple of times during the game. "Thank God it didn't get to that. That would have been a horrible position, to take him out with a no-hitter in the ninth, but he would not have started a hitter after 120 pitches."
http://tinyurl.com/2zddww
Somehow, it's hard to believe that Francona would have taken him out in the ninth with a no-hitter on the line.
At least a couple years ago, Pedro had a bigger lead on Lefty Grove in ERA+ (Grove is #2 all time) than Tom Glavine had over the average pitcher.
I don't know when the last time was that this happened. It might have been eons ago, back when the Dodgers were in Montreal in '02 or something. Actually make that '03 during a trip to Detroit, or was that '04?
http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/LAD/2003_sched.shtml
He actually is very handy with the glove though.
From 1997 - 2004 (excluding 2001 when he was injured and only pitched in 18 games) Pedro's Cy Young award rankings were 1,2,1,1,2,3,4. That is an amazing 7 year span. Prior to 1997 he had some excellent years but did it with some not so good teams. His ERA during that span was 1st or 2nd every year. Looking at about half a dozen stats he was at the top in almost everything. He is one of just a handful of ballplayers that you can just say his first name and everyone knows who you are talking about.
Koufax got in based on 5 years.
If Pedro quit tomorrow I would vote for him and would be shocked if he did not get in.
Ref-"By far the greatest pitcher who ever lived". You know a lot more about baseball than I do and maybe it is just my age but for 17 years in a row Warren Spahn was one of the top pitchers in the game. He was never as dominent as Pedro but for 17 years the Braves knew they were going to be in the game every time he went out there.
I think when you define "greatest" some weight goes to dominance and some goes to longevity (as long as it includes excellence). Over any one year I would rather have Pedro or Koufax or Gibson. For a career, I think Spahn was the best in my lifetime.
Did you have something in mind? (I'm game) ;o) just kidding, but wow it looks like Old man Kent will stick around for '08 huh.
Even if they never pitch another game, here are the active pitchers who most assuredly will visit Cooperstown in a suit someday: Clemens, Maddux, Pedro, Johnson, Glavine, Smoltz, Schilling, Rivera, and Hoffman.
Mark it, Dude.
Looking forward to the Lions-Raiders game, too. :-/ (Sorry, Train.) Speaking of which, is there an MLBTV for the NFL, and does it cost more?
Pedro's winning percentage is also #1 all-time among post-1900 pitchers with at least 1500 innings.
Racing Sausages beware!!
There must be some sort of complicated calculus that explains which games get shown on which outlets for the Cubs.
It's about as complicated as YES figuring out which pairing of announcers they use for Yankee broadcasts.
http://tinyurl.com/23smov
84 Can't imagine either, except perhaps that they have a ton of "America's Funniest Pets and People" episodes they're contracted to expose their viewers to. Pet lizards or Steve Trachsel - which move slower?
My daughter was writing a book report this weekend on a book titled, "Ender's Game." I thought it was a baseball book until I read the first few pages.
I agree that Pedro was already a lock 5 years ago.
Yes, it is.
I CAN'T BELIEVE... what I just read!
That's a swap that I don't have much problem with.
Also, it suggests their front office isn't actually any smarter than ours, for what that's worth: I suspect a great deal.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/pi/shareit/YBF4
Next week: The DBacks trade for Matt Morris and the Rockies sign Scott Erickson to a minor league contract.
as far as D goes yes (his lack of range P.O'S many of us) but his bat is still very solid so I guess I'm o.k. with him being back for '08.
If the 2003 Dodgers could "own" one pitcher, it would have to be Brett Tomko.
Anybody care to guess as to which 7 those were?
You know what man, I'd much rather have David Wells than Tomko, I really hope they make him a starter, woah.
1B Brian Myrow
2B Hiram Bocachica
SS Oscar Robles
LF Brady Clark
CF Milton Bradley
RF Jose Cruz Jr.
SP Greg Maddux
RP Brett Tomko
I thought the Padres released Cruz?
87 Wells and Tomko going head to head would be awesome. And I find this whole situation quite amusing.
103 Kent, Gonzo, Jose Cruz, Nomar, Saenz, Andersen
Kent
Lugo
Nomar
Drew
Cruz
Lieberthal
The last one must be Mueller, Lofton, Furcal or Alomar... I'll say Lofton.
I disagree, considering how much the Pads will pay Tomko vs. how much the Dodgers have paid him.
Actually, since the main reason he sucks is giving up too many home runs, he should be a better pitcher in Petco than he was with the Dodgers.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/pi/shareit/G7hx
What about Jody Davis...?
Keeping track of Cub catcher transactions got tiring.
I was awoken from my slumber last night when I realized that Rob Bowen was on the A's.
Adam Melhuse is back with the A's too.
I think this has been the healthiest season of his (short) career.
Hey, it's like Little League again!
"Omaha and Iowa were uanable to get through Monday's regular-season finale with Paul Phillips' bat.
That didn't stop the 30-year-old catcher from delivering the go-ahead RBI double in the top of the ninth inning with someone else's lumber as the Royals topped the Cubs, 5-4.
Before the game, both teams agreed that they would share a single bat for the entire contest. Phillips' made it through the first five frames before Iowa's Jake Fox donated his bat. The Royals came up with the third and final bat, and Phillips made the most of it, snapping a 4-4 tie with a two-bagger off reliever Ben Howard (6-9)."
I have no problem booing players on "my" team, especially when they start underperforming after signing a big contract.
Does booing help them play better? I don't know, but that's beside the point.
A fourth catcher, Jake Fox, is on the 40-man roster.
I should clarify that I personally don't boo, nor do I cheer. I'm too lazy either way.
Hmm, I guess a dumb decision by a player (to try to take an extra base when he has no chance or to somesuch) would fall into the third category as well.
Lisa: Dad, we're the MTV generation. We feel neither highs nor lows.
Homer: Really? What's that like?
Bart and Lisa: meh.
Look at the most recent Cubs Town post to see the list of incredibly mediocre Cubs catchers Steve Trachsel has thrown to in his career.
And almost as if LaRoche, though just a rookie, has played third base before and has made throws from third to second.
And almost as if he wouldn't have made it to the majors in the first place if he couldn't throw from third to second.
And almost as if rookies can play too, despite not having "been there".
Forgive me if this was discussed yesterday, but did anyone else think that Kent looked like he might have tweaked something yesterday when scoring on the sac fly? He came out immediately, replaced by Martinez in the bottom of the inning, but that could just have been late-inning rest in a blowout. Still, it looked to me like he was running not just slowly but awkwardly to bring in that run (he says, hoping nobody has videotape of him sprinting 90 feet).
Sorry. That wasn't aimed at you, but rather the Management types who think young players don't know how to play the game correctly.
Don't see how we won that one.
I was under the impression that today's game was a day game, hurried through my errands so I could get back in time to watch. Now, I have to mull around the house, I suppose there are things that I could do instead.
But now we gotta get rid of Wells. And there's a lot of Wells to get rid of.
Furcal, SS
Pierre, CF
Kemp, RF
Kent, 2B
Gonzo, LF
Martin, C
Loney, 1B
LaRoche, 3B
Penny, P
Thanks...
I shouldn't be so defensive.
148. Typical Colletti move. Shift junk for new, improved junk, and declare victory.
149. Uh oh.
If they're depending on Tomko to stabilize their rotation then the Dodgers should win the West after all. :-)
Dave Cameron covered why Tomko wasn't having a terrible season far better than I could.
http://ussmariner.com/2007/08/24/brett-tomko/
They'll get by.
I would be happy if we just kept him as a pinch hitter.
I hear suicide is painless and brings on many changes.
I can take or leave it if I try.
>> And Scott Proctor's eighth inning was interrupted during the first batter when he doubled over in pain, something he's done several times since he joined the club.
Proctor explained that when his mechanics are off, he gets a twinge in his shoulder, but the pain immediately subsides. He was insistent on remaining on the mound, hit 94 mph on the radar gun with his next pitch and went on to record a strikeout in a scoreless inning. <<
http://tinyurl.com/2p34gs
He gets patch up with cortisone (or something), believe me we're seeing prime Peavy out there.
Isn't pain some sort of signal that something is wrong?
patient: Hey Doc, it hurts when I do this.
doc: Don't do that.
http://www.controlthemovie.com/
rats.
I know what the numbers say, but if you had a game at a neutral park that would decide the division, would you rather have Tomko or Wells, based on what they have to offer right now?
Surprisingly, the Padres are going with just two catchers now, Bard and Barrett.
It is very annoying.
You forget all about the last guy who had his job?
D.J. Houlton?
Garciaparra said if he can run today without any pain, he intends to come off the disabled list. He said he last ran Saturday, after which he experienced swelling.
Garciaparra said he was willing to take a certain amount of risk to be part of the playoff hunt.
"I've already jeopardized my career so many times," he said. <<
http://tinyurl.com/2wkb3a
I think the only time ever that someone looked at me with complete awe was the time I went into a liquor store and there was a kid with a mohawk behind the counter. I looked at his t-shirt and said "Isn't that the singer from Joy division who killed himself?"
He gave me this look like "how could you possibly know that".
I'd need a lot of PeptoBismal to get through either of them.
I like Wells more simply because he isn't Tomko. He has one more hit as a Dodger than Tomko did this year. He ignited a rally, and he pitched well in SD. Not that he instills confidence in me, but the two games he pitched in we were in.
How long until Milton Bradley gets into a public feud with someone in SD? I give it ten more days.
Asked specifically if the Los Angeles Dodgers' Kim Ng was scheduled to interview, McLane acknowledged that he knew who she was but that her name didn't appear to be one he's been discussing with Smith.
It doesn't mention White (Dan Evans and Ruben Amaro seem to be the early favorites)
"Do you actually like Joy Division or are you just wearing that shirt?"
What's most amusing to me is how much crap I got from Padres fans when we signed Wells. Now that they're picking up our garbage, it's time for them to eat a little crow.
Oh, and how was it?
198 - It was a media screening. I'll try to write about it at Screen Jam. Looks like it comes out early next month.
http://imdb.com/title/tt0421082/releaseinfo
Man, I'd be jealous if Dan Evans went to the Stros, sure he made some questionable moves/signings (mainly Dreifort for 5) but the guy truly has a great eye for talent.
Dan Evans' specialty was doing nothing at all, except picking up his annual 3b/PH at the trade deadline.
>> The baserunning adventures of Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp have come under the review of the coaching staff, manager Grady Little said on Monday, a day after Kemp made his fifth glaring mistake in the past two weeks.
But Little also said the situation is delicate because Kemp's speed and aggressiveness on the basepaths are valuable weapons, and no one wants him to be timid about using them. <<
http://www.presstelegram.com/sports/ci_6794987
I've got an old DK shirt that gets busted out of the drawer for special occasions, and an Alternative Tentacles shirt that I like to wear around other parents just to freak them out a little.
It always amuses me to see the current crop of disaffected teenagers still wearing stuff from DK, Black Flag, the Misfits, etc. etc. I'm tempted to ask them if there are any punk bands from the 21st century that have t-shirts available, but I usually just walk on by without commenting.
I could have sworn it was Evans, I still think he rocked as a Dodger G.M, Kevin Malone, not so much.
We have seen too many soft tossing guys do well this year. I take my chance with Wells.
There are hardcore bands, that some consider punk or there is noise type punk like The Locust.
I remember seeing that film after watching the show for years as a kid, and being surprised the theme song had lyrics.
I also recommend that those noise loving kids stay off my lawn.
(commenting on his blog about his proclamation a month ago that the Dodgers were done)
"yeah, I have switched gears a little. I'm not entirely convinced the Dodgers can't somehow sneak in (especially now that the Pods have signed Tomko)."
My only concern about Tomko going to the Padres is that they'll use him against Arizona.
New post up top.
George Costanza
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