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
The following was a real game, which I am presenting not in real time. Keep checking for updates.
Don't try to guess the game if you don't know it, and don't spoil it if you do. Just enjoy it.
Top of the first:
Sutton pitching.
Bonds singles to left.
Maddox pops to third.
Speier grounds to the pitcher, Bonds takes second.
McCovey singles to right, Bonds scores. Giants lead, 1-0.
Fuentes doubles to center, McCovey scores. Giants lead, 2-0.
Rader grounds to short.
Bottom of the first:
Stone pitching.
Lacy walks.
Mota grounds to second, Lacy takes second.
Davis homers. Game tied, 2-2.
Buckner grounds to short.
Parker singles to second base.
Valentine strikes out.
Top of the second:
Gallagher grounds to second.
Henderson doubles to right.
Stone strikes out.
Bonds grounds to third.
Bottom of the second:
Russell singles to second base.
Yeager strikes out; Russell caught stealing.
Sutton strikes out.
Top of the third:
Maddox strikes out.
Speier strikes out.
McCovey grounds to first.
Bottom of the third:
Lacy grounds to short.
Mota pops to second.
Davis grounds to second.
Top of the fourth:
Fuentes grounds to short.
Rader grounds to second.
Gallagher walks.
Henderson strikes out.
Bottom of the fourth:
Buckner pops to short.
Parker homers. Dodgers lead, 3-2.
Valentine walks.
Russell walks.
Yeager walks.
Sutton flies to right.
Lacy triples to right and scores on Fuentes' error. Dodgers lead, 7-2.
Mota flies to left.
Top of the fifth:
Arnold, batting for Stone, doubles to left.
Bonds singles to center, Arnold takes third.
Maddox grounds into a double play, Arnold scores. Dodgers lead, 7-3.
Speier doubles to left.
McCovey pops to third.
Bottom of the fifth:
McMahon pitching.
Davis pops to short.
Buckner doubles to left.
Parker strikes out.
Valentine fouls to first.
Top of the sixth:
Fuentes flies to center.
Rader doubles to left.
Gallagher grounds to third.
Henderson singles to center, Rader scores. Dodgers lead, 7-4.
Howard, batting for McMahon, walks.
Bonds homers. Game tied, 7-7.
Maddox singles to center.
Mikkelsen pitching. Lefebvre playing third base.
Maddox steals second, advances to third on throwing error.
Speier hit by pitch.
McCovey singles to third base, Maddox scores, Speier to second. Giants lead, 8-7.
Fuentes singles to center, Speier scores, McCovey to second. Giants lead, 9-7.
Rader flies to center.
Bottom of the sixth:
Moffitt pitching.
Russell triples to right.
Yeager singles to left, Russell scores. Giants lead, 9-8.
Lefebvre strikes out.
Lacy bunt single to third, Yeager takes second.
Mota reaches on error by McCovey, Yeager takes third, Lacy second.
Davis singles to right, Yeager and Lacy score, Mota takes third. Dodgers lead, 10-9.
Johnson pitching.
Buckner grounds into double play.
Top of the seventh:
Gallagher strikes out.
Henderson reaches base on Russell error.
Johnson sacrifices, Henderson takes second.
Bonds flies to center.
Bottom of the seventh:
Parker flies to center.
Mikkelsen strikes out.
Russell singles to left.
Wild pitch, Russell takes second.
Yeager grounds out, 1-6-3.
Top of the eighth:
Maddox strikes out.
Speier strikes out.
McCovey walks.
Reberger runs for McCovey.
Fuentes grounds into forceout.
Bottom of the eighth:
Barr pitching. Goodson at first base.
Lefebvre walks.
Wills runs for Lefebvre.
Lacy sacrifices Wills to second.
Mota grounds to second, Wills takes third.
Davis singles to left, Wills scores. Dodgers lead, 11-9.
Buckner grounds to short.
Top of the ninth:
Wills at third base.
Rader singles to center.
Gallagher grounds into double play.
Henderson singles.
Goodson homers. Game tied, 11-11.
Bonds doubles to center.
Maddox grounds to second.
Bottom of the ninth:
Parker grounds to short.
Crawford, batting for Mikkelsen, flies to left.
Russell homers. Dodgers win, 12-11.
i just heard this song on PRI's "the world" radio show and after looking it up when i got home, i've been obsessed with it for the past hour so i thought i'd share:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOzkN8dHnjk
P.S. So far, Teixiera has no home runs for the Angels.
That song would be far more catchy if I had my speakers on in my office.
That guy pwns Gunther.
Should be Joe Beimel's entrance music.
Orlando Cabrera for Derek Lowe
Greg Maddux for Two "C" prospects
New rotation...
Billingsley
Kuroda
Maddux
Kershaw
Penny
or vice versa.
Dirty Al was the field manager for a minor league ballclub of which I was part-owner. Two thoughts about Al:
(1) He truly deserved the nickname. The man could look like Pigpen after hitting infield grounders.
(2) He once volunteered that his favorite player of all time was Junior Gilliam. He thought that Gilliam played the game that way it was meant to be played.
He and I had a good relationship up to the day I fired him.
He was the first person to assign letters for each play that could take place on the field and numbers to every defensive player on the field. That way he could record the result of every at bat easily and quickly. Chadwick needed to use the letter "S" for sacrifice, so he decided a strikeout would be recorded as the letter "K," which was the last letter in the word "struck"—a common term for striking out.
Take note that when the letter "K" appears backwards it means the player struck out "looking," or struck out without swinging at the third strike
However the official scoring rules designate the term "SO" for strike outs.
You know there are books in libraries where you can look up stuff like this....
The official scoring rules would take the romance out of Valentine's Day.
Kemp. RF
Blake. 3B
Martin. C
Kent. 2B
Loney. 1B
Jones. CF
Ethier. LF
Berroa. SS
Billingsley. RHP
So, Jones back. Pierre out. Nomar still hurt.
I guess I know what to put on the agenda for the classes in October. I hope the rest of the students don't mind.
The official scorer doesn't actually keep an official play-by-play. S/he just turns in a sheet with totals for all the batters, pitchers, and fielders.
I like (some) of our young guys as much as anyone, but how long are the Dodgers going to go with Jeff Kent as a cleanup hitter? It's freaking embarassing.
I'd give my [non-dominant hand] pinky finger for an exciting, game changing bat like Manny in the lineup.
That conundrum is covered on Day 3.
But not by me.
--
Bummer about Lynch, poor guy, though he seemed done even last year.
The robots with lasers in their mouths are covered on Day 4.
I'm going to cry if the Raiders pick him up.
If there is a God, the answer would be no.
Every so often you remember why you actually go to games rather than watch on TV. I attended last night and just had a lovely time. In the stretch I looked up into the press box, and Vin was standing up, singing "Take me out to the ballgame" like everyone else. What an inspiring sight--how he could do games for the last 60 years and never get tired of just singing along with the crowd. It was just a beautiful sight.
And then in the 8th and 9th this older gentleman was sitting right behind us, and we began having a conversation because he was obviously quite knowledgable. "Oh yeah, I threw BP here... used to be such a pitcher's park. They moved home plate forward--twice! And the seats on the side of course weren't there. They'd bring in Frank Robinson, all these sluggers and they'd hit 15, 20 homeruns--you'd pitch BP and say 'oh, that one's gone' and it'd one-hop the wall! Those were the days when it was really good to be a pitcher here." After he left to go back to his family, we asked the guy who sat next to him "who was that?"
"Oh, some old ballplayer, pitched for the Dodgers a while back. Name of Ralph."
"Ralph? Ralph BRANCA?"
"Yea, that's it."
"We just sat here chatting with Ralph Branca!!"
Just another evening at Dodger stadium...
46 It wouldn't shock me. :-)
Oh, and no stupid trades while I'm gone, okay?
The Astros have the worst farm system in baseball. It's not even close. I'm assuming they are trying to compile picks, but I dont know what picks they'd get for Hawkins and Wolf, assuming they didnt accept arby.
Going to be hard to beat that for post of the day.
Did anyone notice the post from the last thread that had Dandy Andy at 2nd base and Dewitt at 3rd base. Do we dare to dream?
Yup
Or maybe I've come to the wrong place for that kind of speculation and insight. Perhaps I should simply grab a hand, smile wide, and join in the Kumbaya about how Andre Ethier is going to turn into an All-Star, how Hu is going to turn into Ozzie Smith, or about how Jason Schmidt is going to turn into the tooth fairy.
Excellent article on yahoo sports about how the "Dodgers have become baseball's version of the Clippers," except, of course, "the Clippers have won 10 more playoff games" in the past 20 years.
Come on, Dodgers! Make a move.
Hey, come on now. We don't write positive things about Jason Schmidt.
"Trying to make a move" is how the Dodgers have been in purgatory for 2 decades. Maybe they should try something else.
And really, there isn't a deal out there that wouldn't hurt the team in another position.
I understand that you are unhappy with Kent batting cleanup, there is a long line of folks with you there but unless someone decides to hand the Dodgers a player, pretty much the dye has been cast as far as any outside help coming to the Dodgers this year.
I would suggest reading the past few days of comments, since you have been out of the country for a few days. Many trade options have been discussed.
Or, since you seem to have everyone's opinions narrowed down into a nice, neat box, I guess there's no need for perusing previous comments.
Which begs the question, why did you ask?
The point is, all there are right now are rumors. The Dodgers are having talks. Whether that means anything is complete speculation. I did my best in the previous post to offer some analysis. But what else is there to say?
I only sing Kumbaya in a circle of friends with my Gaylord Perry hand but for some reason no one will reach for it.
Still funny and reminds me of Absolutely Fabulous.
--Andre Ethier is going to turn into an All-Star
--Hu is going to turn into Ozzie Smith
--Jason Schmidt is going to turn into the tooth fairy
I just can't decide!
They feel about Ted Rule One Williams like I feel about Paul Newman.
https://dodgerthoughts.baseballtoaster.com/archives/888991.html
Comment #40ish.
Just because Ned has made some disastrous moves recently does not mean that the team could not benefit from a sensible trade.
I don't pretend to have the opinions of the forum tied up in a "nice, neat little box," but I don't understand why people were so defensive when I suggested that the team should make a move.
We are a .500 ballclub. That's the reality. Woe betide the person who suggests that our team has holes.
The chorus of "yes" men is comical. Yes, I am a bitter Dodgers fan, but I am a fan just like those of you who disagree with my opinion. That I favor bold moves to improve what has, for the bulk of my adult lifetime, been a mediocre team does not make me any less of a fan. Because idiotic moves have been made in the past does not mean that trades cannot be beneficial or that the Dodgers are OK with a .400 slugger batting cleanup.
As for Kent, he's pretty unlucky this year and has been hitting the ball better than his numbers would indicate, though the simple solution would be to move him down in the line-up.
Cheapskate.
Getting upset that we don't know what's going to happen - and then using it as an excuse to break the site rules and rip the commenters here - seems a bit much.
You brought all the negativity in this converation with comment 73. That's why people got defensive. No one minds that you want the Dodgers to make a move. But don't make fun of commenters here and then act all offended when people don't like it.
Are you sure he didn't do things to you?
Torre would still bat Kent cleanup.
What are books?
It hurt me deeply
Surely you can't be talking about feelings...
Crying yourself to sleep at night? Welcome to my world.
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