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
It was as if Shawn Chacon got tired of his wife nagging him: "Why do you leave your fastball on the floor all the time. Will you hang it up already?"
And on a 1-2 pitch with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th, Chacon hung that fastball, and Russell Martin took him all the way to the cleaners for a 7-3 victory.
There was a lot to clean up this Saturday night, with pitchers on both teams having trouble finding the strike zone at critical times and catchers - including Martin - getting to tired to block balls in the dirt.
One key to the game that might be forgotten amid the Martin celebration is that despite being terribly wild, Brad Penny kept the Pirates in check, allowing three runs (two earned) over six innings despite walking in one run and wild-pitching in another.
Penny was throwing hard again - hitting mid-90s on the Prime Ticket radar gun - and perhaps as a result was having trouble hitting his spots. But he didn't give up the big hit. At his blog, Tony Jackson seemed to criticize Penny for showing emotion after his wild third inning ended, but it was perfectly understandable. More to what people are concerned about, it was completely directed at himself, and Penny regrouped to shutout the Pirates thereafter.
And so ultimately, pitching was key again for Los Angeles. Chin-Hui Tsao, Joe Beimel, Takashi Saito and Jonathan Broxton each threw a shutout inning to give the Dodgers time to rally. According to Josh Rawitch of the Dodgers, the team has not given up a home run in its last 58 1/3 innings. Nice.
One moment of controversy came in the bottom of the ninth when, with the Dodgers down 3-2, Andre Ethier walked. Dodger bench coach Dave Jauss either got instructions from ejected manager Grady Little or took his own initiative to have Valdez pinch-Wilson for Betemit, with a bunt in mind. I'm no fan of the bunt and I wouldn't have done it, believing that Betemit had a good shot of getting aboard, but the goal in this inning was just to get a run across, and the choice to use Valdez was legitimate to make.
In the short-term, it backfired when Valdez bunted into a force play, reminding us for the future that bunts are anything but automatic. But then Valdez went to second on a wild pitch, third on a throwing error and home on a passed ball, just like the Dodgers planned. Tie game.
And then in the bottom of the 10th, Martin burnished the cat. He can do our laundry anytime.
Dodgers score 4 or more runs: 10-0
Dodgers allow 3 or less runs: 10-0
Dodgers have a "Quality Start": 9-0
I don't think the Dodgers have a true No. 1 starter but here is their record when each starter has pitched (starter's record).
Lowe: 2-2 (2-2)
Wolf: 3-1 (3-1)
Schmidt/Hendrickson: 2-2 (1-2, 1-0)
Penny: 4-0 (3-0)
Tomko: 2-0 (0-0)
Holy McCoy Tyner and Elvin Jones, Batman, Russell Coltrane Martin strikes again !
He carries the karma of his 4+1 experience with him.
RCM is our future World Series MVP - I can see it in the cards.
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We can't call it "Giant Steps"
We can call it "Dodger Steps"
And 'lawd', Mr Coltrane Martin is "swingin'" !
May the groove be contagious!
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Merci beaucoup Monsieur Russell !
Vive le Québec !
Vive le Québec LIBRE !
WHY WHY WHY?!?! WAAAH WAAAAH WAHHH!!!
"Eh, I will find out tomorrow, the game is probably over anyway."
At least I did see the 4+1 game.
Don't worry, Tommy Lasorda has been doing that for decades.
Yes, she reminds me frequently, thanks for asking.
I watched last nights wonderful mess of a game pitch-by-pitch, first time in eons I'd done so. Some observations:
1) Anyone catch the Brad Penny postgame? "Brad, you've really improved your composure! Everyone says so!" He looked like someone just spit in his food.
2) Wilson Valdez is fun to watch. Yeah, I know... give me the Mickey Tettleton type any day of the week and twice on Sunday but still, that was fun.
3) I may never see a poorer choice of pitch than the fastball served by Shawn Chacon. Lost in the growing legend of our own "big Russ" (or is it "L'il Russ?") is that the Dodger catcher was fit to be tied at count 1-2. Still prickly about the previous pitch called a strike by the endlessly prickly Joe West, Martin stepped up to the plate with that oh-what-the-heck-I'll-just-sit-on-the-fastball face and lo and behold.
I love me the fastball but Chacon's been around since, what, the Grunge era? You'd think a guy would know better. Not that I'm complaining, mind you.
Let's go, Tomko!
It's always been thus.
Aw, come on. Have you been wearing your Nomar jersey?
I sure wish he would stick to writing articles like this and not bother analyzing the curent team. He's much better at the former.
It is probable with Randy Johnson's (4th) return that he will face Maddux or Wells (6th) sometime this year.
Of the top 12 active wins leaders, 7 are in the NL, Maddux, Glavine, Johnson, Wells, Jaime Moyer, Pedro Martinez, and Smoltz, the four AL pitchers are Mussina, Schilling, Kenny Rogers, and Andy Pettite.
The leader and teamless so far in 2007 is Roger Clemens. Six of the 12 played for the Yankees, 3 for the Braves and Red Sox.
Those are three serious MLB pitchers. Hard not to feel good right now.
We at DT do like a challenge though. Pessimism always finds a way.
Why such imbalance? Regardless, it's really starting to look like the year of the Dodger.
I'm not making World Series plans yet but for the immediate future, we may have more talent than we can fit on a 25 man roster. My gosh, Brazonan could be our mop up guy.
>>> Stan Conte, the Dodgers' director of medical services, acknowledged getting "a tad greedy" with the progression of right fielder Matt Kemp's recovery from a separated shoulder.
Kemp had to terminate his rehabilitation assignment with triple-A Las Vegas and return to Los Angeles on Friday when he experienced soreness in his shoulder after making a throw earlier in the week.
"We just went a little quicker than we should have," Conte said. "We found out that he couldn't do what we wanted him to do, and that's why we pulled him back."
Kemp hit during a simulated game Saturday and played some light catch with Conte, but he must demonstrate the ability to throw at full strength from the outfield before he resumes his rehabilitation assignment, Conte said. <<<
http://tinyurl.com/2kh2jg
To my disappointment, Little indicated a few days ago that Kemp might not return to the Dodgers when his rehab is complete.
http://tinyurl.com/244r8v
30 - Yeah, I'm referencing that in my upcoming post.
"In order to be a realist you must believe in miracles" David Ben Gurion.
I don't know about any of you, but I think G-d is a Dodgers fan, based on the 4+1 and last night's games.
A realist sees that things never "always" turn out any particular way.
adding the superfluous lower-east-side-of another-century, "already." They don't use that locution in today's North Carolina, for the most part, and certainly did not in the fifties.
Now, the wife of Shawn Chacon. I think Shawn is from Colorado, a Hispanic -American.
Did he marry a throwback lower-east side girl while with the Yanks?
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