Baseball 2012

[stjaba]

Just saw a funny stat:

"the Patriots have had nine victories at home since last Sept. 1 and the Red Sox eight."

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/extras/extra_bases/2012/05/wrapping_up_ano.html

[jimmy olsen]

Just saw a funny stat:

"the Patriots have had nine victories at home since last Sept. 1 and the Red Sox eight."

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/extras/extra_bases/2012/05/wrapping_up_ano.html

[CountDeMoney]

Bryce Harper needs to be plunked more often.

[CountDeMoney]

Oh, and all you Red Sox haters can thank the Orioles for obliterating Boston's bullpen for the next 6 weeks.

Oh, and all you Orioles haters can thank the Red Sox for obliterating Baltimore's bullpen for the next 6 weeks.

[CountDeMoney]

I'm not sure if this authentic or not, but I like to think it is.

[Ed Anger]

Saturday was some sort of Star Wars bullshit day. The fuckers was in the casino I was at annoying people with their nerdness.

[Syt]

Saturday was some sort of Star Wars bullshit day. The fuckers was in the casino I was at annoying people with their nerdness.

Friday. May the Fourth. Be with you.

[jimmy olsen]

Crazy

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/05/09/ryan-dempster-leads-baseball-with-a-1-02-era-and-has-zero-wins/

Ryan Dempster threw seven innings of one-run ball against the Braves last night, which actually raised his MLB-leading ERA to 1.02.

He's gone at least 6.2 innings in all five of his starts, allowing 1, 2, 0, 0, and 1 earned runs ... and has zero wins to show for it.

Hopefully most HBT readers know how we feel about the silliness of pitcher "wins" at this point, but Dempster is another extreme example of how misleading and misguided the statistic can be.

He's allowed four earned runs in 35.1 innings, yet the Cubs have lost all five of his starts while scoring a grand total of eight runs. Last night he exited after seven innings with the score tied 1-1 and then reliever Kerry Wood took the loss.

With any kind of decent support from the bullpen and lineup Dempster could easily be 5-0 with a 1.02 ERA and everyone would be talking about him as the season's breakout pitcher. Instead he's 0-1 with a 1.02 ERA and ... well, all he gets is this blog post.

Oh, and here's an amusing stat considering Dempster has allowed just four earned runs all year: Already this season there have been 22 instances of a pitcher allowing four or more earned runs in a game and earning the "win."

[CountDeMoney]

He's gone at least 6.2 innings in all five of his starts, allowing 1, 2, 0, 0, and 1 earned runs ... and has zero wins to show for it.

No shit.  Reason #46 why I'm in last place in my fantasy league.

[jimmy olsen]

I agree, this seems pointless.

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/05/10/mlb-to-ban-the-fake-to-third-pickoff-play/#comments

    Major League Baseball is poised to pick off the much-maligned move, the fake-to-third, throw-to-first ploy that often succeeds only in getting the whole ballpark to shout "Balk!" ...

    ... The Playing Rules Committee has approved a proposal to make it a balk, too, with MLB executives and umpires in agreement. The players' union vetoed the plan for this season to discuss it further. MLB is allowed to implement the change after a one-year wait ... Under the new wording, a pitcher could not fake to third unless he first stepped off the rubber.

It doesn't work all that often, but really, I'm not sure what the impetus is here. Do we care that a handful of fans think it's a balk all the time even if it isn't?  Is anyone really animated about this?  Seems to me you shouldn't change rules without a compelling reason.

[alfred russel]

I agree, this seems pointless.

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/05/10/mlb-to-ban-the-fake-to-third-pickoff-play/#comments

    Major League Baseball is poised to pick off the much-maligned move, the fake-to-third, throw-to-first ploy that often succeeds only in getting the whole ballpark to shout "Balk!" ...

    ... The Playing Rules Committee has approved a proposal to make it a balk, too, with MLB executives and umpires in agreement. The players' union vetoed the plan for this season to discuss it further. MLB is allowed to implement the change after a one-year wait ... Under the new wording, a pitcher could not fake to third unless he first stepped off the rubber.

It doesn't work all that often, but really, I'm not sure what the impetus is here. Do we care that a handful of fans think it's a balk all the time even if it isn't?  Is anyone really animated about this?  Seems to me you shouldn't change rules without a compelling reason.

I'm torn. On the one hand, I agree with the players union that it is a stupid rule change. On the other hand, the players union having veto power over the balk rules is idiotic (not that Bud Selig is some sort of savant).

[alfred russel]

He's gone at least 6.2 innings in all five of his starts, allowing 1, 2, 0, 0, and 1 earned runs ... and has zero wins to show for it.

No shit.  Reason #46 why I'm in last place in my fantasy league.

You should have seen this coming. He pitches for the cubs. If he ever starts getting run support, he is going to blow out a ligament.

[alfred russel]

The Yankees and Boston are in second to last and last place respectively. If this holds up until September, expect ESPN's focus to be on the historic battle in the greatest rivalry in sports to avoid the humiliation of last place.

[CountDeMoney]

The Yankees and Boston are in second to last and last place respectively. If this holds up until September, expect ESPN's focus to be on the historic battle in the greatest rivalry in sports to avoid the humiliation of last place.

Nigga, please.  Baltimore has more than 3 months to fail in yet many more spectacular fashions than the last 14 years.

[katmai]

Arizona high-school baseball team forfeits rather than face a girl