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
With two out in the top of the sixth inning Sunday, while working on his no-no and protecting a 2-0 lead, Hiroki Kuroda faced Kazuo Matsui and his 18 career homers and 83 career OPS+. On deck were two major names, Miguel Tejada and the hottest hitter in baseball, Lance Berkman.
Kuroda walked Matsui on four pitches. Kuroda knew who was on deck, knew what was at stake. There's no doubt he wanted to throw strikes; he just suddenly couldn't. He missed low, outside, further outside and then back to low.
I don't think Kuroda lost concentration. If anything, it was the opposite. I suspect one of two things were happening: He was tiring, and/or he became so preoccupied with the notion that the situation demanded he throw a strike that he knocked him off his game.
In any case, it just fascinates me that even at the highest level of the game, performing the easiest tasks, baseball players are inherently unreliable. There is absolutely no guarantee that a pitcher trying to throw a strike will succeed.
How many situations are there in everyday life that require you to do the equivalent of "just throw strikes?" Maybe one is "don't convince yourself you already bought your wife a Mother's Day card without double-checking." I tell you, there are some at-bats you'd really, really just like to have back.
* * *
Say hypothetically the Dodgers' fortunes did depend on Rafael Furcal, as so many have more than hypothesized recently. Does the team's performance while his back injury sidelines him underscore the need to resign him at all costs, or does the injury itself indicate how much the Dodgers need to learn not to rely on him?
I think that it's a mistake to make too direct a connection between Furcal and the recent losing streak. But in my mind, this week on the sidelines has to knock some millions off Furcal's reasonable asking price.
* * *
Clayton Kershaw is the scheduled starter for Jacksonville today at 5:05 p.m. If he were to start for the Dodgers this Saturday, it would be on four days' rest.
xmas is coming early (I hope).
vr, Xei
There was also hope he would have realized he lost a lot of power and tried to change his approach.
I guess one could hope for that, but I didn't see any reason to expect him to change. He swings for the downs: that's what he does.
vr, Xei
Or the discontinuation of PED use. There's no proof that he used, but I see no reason to exclude it as a possibility.
Actually, it would be regular four days' rest.
vr, Xei
Wonderful story Jon. You have an amazing knack for that style of writing.
Great way to ease him in under the radar... on the Fox Game of the Week.
Mario Alvarez
Eric Stults
Mark Sweeney
Jason Repko
Greg Miller (unlikely, but possible)
So Kershaw had a brief romance with an Italian woman who was in an unhappy marriage and living in Jacksonville?
That happens a lot I hear.
Dewitt's line before he was optioned for his overnight stay in Vegas.
59 PA .255/.356/.333, 0 HRs, 5 RBI (BABIP .295)
Dewitt's line since his return
47 PA .400/.430/.644. 2 HRs, 11 RBI (BABIP .436)
I'm sure Dewitt is somewhere between these two periods of about 50 plate appearances but to suddenly award someone the job on a 14 game period is to me a bit premature.
It would make Young the top lefty pinch hitter but I think that is fine.
Kemp...Ethier...I only count two...
Hmmm, words to live by.
How many times did the Dodgers walk Aurilia (on four pitches) while I screamed at the t.v., "You can't walk this guy! Bonds is on deck!"?
In truth, it probably only happened once or twice.
It happened last year:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/LAN/LAN200704250.shtml
And on 9/20/2003:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/LAN/LAN200309200.shtml
And on 4/19/2003:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/LAN/LAN200304190.shtml
And on 4/13/2003:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SFN/SFN200304130.shtml
Each time, Bonds made an out after Aurilia was walked by a Dodgers pitcher.
And, of course, Kuroda got Berkman as well in the seventh.
In any case, just because he got Tejada out and then Berkman the next inning doesn't mean he wasn't tiring.
Now, your premise about his history with Matsui is interesting and plausible enough. But it doesn't rule out mine.
It was my own observation, however, that Kuroda was shaky in the sixth and shaky again in the seventh, and I wasn't surprised at all that he came out.
Best record in baseball!
So will the Marlins having a good record be celebrated or considered proof that baseball is inferior, a la the Cardinals winning the World Series in 2006.
Yea, baseball!
Baseball is inferior to what...?
A Foulup, a Bleep or a Blunder...or a Triple Crown...A Three in one, a Three Bagger, a Triple Burger with extra cheese, a Manny Moe and Shep ?
Oh my!
The NBA I believe is considered to be the sport where the best are always rewarded.
At least some people here view it that way.
I was shocked to see that Terry Adams was not involved in any of those, since he was the culprit in my mind's eye.
Woo hoo!!!
Well, I can understand that to some degree. It's much easier for bad baseball teams to beat good baseball teams than for bad basketball teams to beat good basketball teams.
For one thing, basketall players have a lot more control over outcomes than baseball players. If you shoot the ball correctly, it will probably go in. But if you swing the bat correctly, you have much less control over what happens to the ball once you've hit it.
http://tinyurl.com/4oktsv
I could see myself responding, "Since when does Furcal OPS over 1.000...?"
But then my commission would take a hit. As a "fan", I feel better off when "my" teams don't give out bad contracts. But as an agent, I'd have a big incentive to be all about bad contracts.
http://tinyurl.com/3e62lz
It'd be more interesting to see you become a player agent and then sabotage their salary negotiations from within
Speaking of brilliant SNL sketch ideas, I laughed out loud, hard, at the Match Game parody this weekend.
The skit was "That's a Match", with characters all based on Match Game characters. Only, the host got murdered before the taping and a detective came out instead of the host. He asked detective-y questions like "Where were you at 2:30 today?" and each panelist answered as if they were on match game. Funny stuff.
Who woulda thunk two 2Bs would be duking it out like this?
Here is another pretty amazing "trail": http://www.ssqq.com/ARCHIVE/vinlin27d.htm
Anyone else have any punctuation pet peeves they wanna get off their chests?
I was way ahead of you that time, Mr. Hafner.
When was the last time any of those happened for an entire season...?
I would start looking in 1972 and work your way back.
I take it the DH started in '73. How surprising is it that the NL is ahead of the AL at this point in the season?
The two leagues were tied in slugging last year and OBP in 2005. I'm too lazy to do the math and see which one was really ahead.
I've now realized that May is no picnic either between Mothers' Day, our older daughter's birthday, a good friend's birthday and a niece's birthday.
I try to plan ahead, and treat both months like extra Decembers, but its pretty likely I'm going to bungle something.
The Dodgers will place Rafael Furcal (back) on the disabled list retroactive to May 6 and call up 27-year-old utility infielder Luis Maza, who is hitting .402 to make his major league debut. Furcal did not make the road trip and instead underwent an MRI this morning, which confirmed that he has a back strain. He will receive a cortisone shot tomorrow and begin rehabilitation with physical therapist Sue Falsone on Wednesday.
Luis Maza?
And I'm blaming Furcal on you too :)
Career Minor League:
.281/.330/.416/.746
So he's eligible to come off the DL on May 21? Which is only 8 days from tomorrow. So it could be worse.
Welp, Maza was hot -- in the PCL, for whatever that's worth. I assume this means we'll see more Young at 2nd for Kent, Maza getting spot starts?
I suppose this means that either Schmidt or Abreu has been moved to the 60-day DL to make room on the roster.
Alex Gonzalez of Toronto did it in 13 innings, which is the shortest amount of time anyone needed.
>>Dodgers shortstop Rafael Furcal, whose stiff back has been slow to heal, will be placed on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to May 6. Furcal has had an MRI, which shows he has a strained lower back.
Furcal is expected to get a cortisone shot Tuesday.
Utility infielder Luis Maza is expected to be called up from Triple-A Las Vegas to replace Furcal. Maza, who has never played in the majors, is hitting .402 with a home run and 15 RBIs in 33 games. He is 6 for 11 in his past two games for the 51s.<<
Bad news about raffy, will Maza get the next start over Hu? as long as were letting young guys play I'd like to get a look at some other talent.
Don't these people know I'm a free agent and will sign for the major league minimum + a dog sitter? I can play SS!!
No Furcal for longer, which clearly hurts the Dodgers.
More Pierre, ditto. Hopefully Ethier will get some starts for Jones at least.
Can't we set up a $36M ice cream endowment?
---
You know, come to think of it, I just realized I had Maza over at Passover. I thought he sounded familiar.
Okay, I'm outta here!
Another text from Dan: "Anytime someone runs on him he gets flustered and throws the ball in the dirt."
Gurnick's article on Furcal. He adds that Furcal received "a cortisone injection in his sprained sacro-iliac (sic) joint" and that he "suffered an almost identical injury last September ... missing the final 12 games of the season".
Gurnick also writes, "Management has attempted to acquire an emergency replacement for Furcal" and that Maza is plan B.
I know hes a pretty big boy, but whos our biggest prospect to become a power hitter in your opinions..
Yikes.
You mean like the way the Dodgers acquired him last season? Has Ned ever traded a PVL for a low-prospect?
Tomas Perez for future considerations?
Furcal's speed is nice, but it's the least important part of his game. Giving Pierre a golden ticket to the lineup as if the absence of Furcal requires Pierre be in the lineup is a category error. What Torre ought to recognize is the surpassing importance of having the highest OPB/OPS hitters in the lineup; that's the only way to make up for what Furcal was giving us. Ethier and Kemp should start every game, with Torre going with his gut as to the third OF. And his leadoff hitter for the duration ought to be either Martin or Ethier, with Pierre/Jones batting seventh or eighth.
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