Baseball 2013

[derspiess]

Also - Chipper Jones, great player, but clearly has too much time on his hands. 

Yep. 

[CountDeMoney]

Considering how much time he's missed the last several seasons, you'd think he'd have figured out a better hobby.

[The Minsky Moment]

I watched MLB Network in disbelief last night as a network owned by major league baseball and carrying the MLB brand breathlessly hyped the return of ARod to Yankees stadium to be broadcast 7 PM tonight. 
What's a little hypocrisy when there a couple extra promotional bucks to be squeezed out?

[dps]

I watched MLB Network in disbelief last night as a network owned by major league baseball and carrying the MLB brand breathlessly hyped the return of ARod to Yankees stadium to be broadcast 7 PM tonight. 
What's a little hypocrisy when there a couple extra promotional bucks to be squeezed out?

In all fairness, from a reporting standpoint, it was the big story of the night.  It's not like they could just ignore it.

[fhdz]

One good thing is that no matter how bad the Cubs suck, we still manage to beat the Cards a lot.

[derspiess]

One good thing is that no matter how bad the Cubs suck, we still manage to beat the Cards a lot.

That's kind of a recent (as in this year) thing.  Anyway, I was at the game Sunday, and I'm pretty certain my presence staved off a Cubs sweep.  Was also at the Pirates-Cards game last night, and though I did not make my family sit through all 14 innings, I believe my presence there caused the 9th inning two-base error that kept the Cards in the game

That was a fun trip.  Gonna have to let the kids grow up a little before I try it again, but it was worth doing.

[derspiess]

Cards beat the Braves & get within a half game of the Pirates for the division lead.  The pessemist in me sez the Braves will win the next two games of the series, but anyway for now I can watch the Giants-Pirates game an root even more than Bluto does for the Gigantes. 

Oh look, the Giants scored a run as I was typing this.  I am: a good luck charm.

Still need a couple more runs to tie it up, but what the hey.

[Valmy]

Last night was a brutal brutal loss.  I am starting to lose hope Seedy.  The Os may belt homers but without a bullpen they are not going anywhere. 

[derspiess]

Reds fans are all depressed about their team.  They hate the Cardinals with a burning passion.  It's such a one-sided rivalry, but I love it.

[Syt]

http://scores.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=330903108

Travis Snider HR helps Pirates end string of 20 straight losing seasons

MILWAUKEE -- This one was for Roberto Clemente. The Hall of Famer's retired jersey is still the only 21 that matters for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Pinch-hitter Travis Snider homered in the ninth inning to lift Pittsburgh to a 4-3 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday night that clinched the Pirates' first non-losing record in two decades.

Clemente played right field for Pittsburgh and finished his career with exactly 3,000 hits. He died in a plane crash on New Year's Eve 1972 while trying to deliver food and relief supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua.

"The one family I'm happy for is the Clemente family," manager Clint Hurdle said. "They told me earlier in the season that we can't have 21 losing seasons, that we've got to find a way to not have Roberto's number tied to that. I told them we'd find a way to take care of that. It's been taken care of."

Snider drove a 2-2 pitch from Jim Henderson (3-5) over the wall in center for his second pinch-hit homer of the season. He also accomplished the feat against the Chicago Cubs on May 21.

It was victory No. 81 for Pittsburgh, ensuring it will not finish with a losing record for the first time since it went 96-66 in 1992. More importantly, it boosted the Pirates' lead in the NL Central to two games over St. Louis.

"It was on our to-do list," Hurdle said. "We'll move on from here. Our plans are continue to play and compete and go further."

FINALLY! 

(Of course they might well go back to 20 years of suckage after this one ... )

[derspiess]

Not that I was cheering him on, but I'm always impressed by pitchers who make extra effort to give themselves run support.  In his first game back from the DL, on his first at-bat Tony Cingrani bunted himself a single, then stole second, then scored from second on a base hit.

And Beltran just grounded into his second double play of the night.  Goddamnit, you're not Matt Holliday

[derspiess]

I'll forgo gloating over the Cards' 3-game sweep of the Pirates to take 1st place, to bitch about Reds attendance.  For all the talk about this being such a good baseball town (and it for the most part), they're only drawing average league attendance, for a team almost guaranteed of a playoff spot and still very much in contention for the division pennant. 

http://espn.go.com/mlb/attendance

Last Friday during happy hour I had a room full of Reds fans bitching about the small crowds.  Funny thing was that none of them had any plans to go the the game that was about to start.  An informal poll revealed that I had been to more Reds games than anyone else in the room.  Put your money where your mouth is, guys

[Eddie Teach]

You probably go to more baseball games than 99.9% of the country.

[CountDeMoney]

I can only deal with baseball games in April and late Sept/early October.  Just too goddamned hot, and absolutely no breeze in Camden Yards at all.  It was OK being 22 and drunk, but now...meh, cable gives me a better angle on the strike zone.

[derspiess]

You probably go to more baseball games than 99.9% of the country.

I get a deal on 300-level seats for certain games, plus there are always good ticket promotions to take advantage of for other games, and I already pay for a parking spot near the stadium. 

I can take Tommy to a game & do the whole basic experience (hot dogs, peanuts, maybe a snack for him) for less than $20 out of my pocket.  I burned him out on baseball games this year