Deadspin
Notes from a day in baseball:
• 1. Let's Hear It For The Z-Man. Carlos Zambrano always makes us smile. Although the Cubs are going nowhere, Zambrano plays with the enthusiasm of a Little Leaguer — albeit a Little Leaguer with an attitude and kind of in need of ADD. Just look at the guy. Zambrano (11-3) hit his fourth homer of the season and won his eighth straight decision, as the Cubs beat the Mets 8-6 on Tuesday. Hey, and Dusty Baker even made a good move, bringing in Bob Howry to retire Paul Lo Duca on a popup for his third save.
• 2. Twins Playing Pretty Well, You Betcha. If for no other reason, you gotta love the Twins for making the AL Central somewhat interesting. Johan Santana outpitched Jose Contreras, and Jason Bartlett hit a three-run homer as Minnesota beat Chicago 4-3, the Twins creeping to within one game of the second-place Stockings. Minnesota has won 33 of its past 41, Chicago has lost 11 of 14. Of course, Detroit is 7 1/2 games in front of Chicago.
• 3. Boston Hot To Trot. It's going to be hard to bet against the Red Sox in the AL East with a one-two punch like Josh Beckett and Curt Schilling. Both are 13-game winners after Schilling won on Tuesday, the Crimson Foot Coverings beating the Athletics 13-5. Oh, and Trot Nixon ended a 123 at-bat homerless streak.
• 4. Know When To Fold 'Em. Ha. Witness this Associated Press lead from Tuesday: CLEVELAND — Although he was probably charge-a-cameraman angry, Kenny Rogers stayed calm, cool and collected. On a warm, muggy night there was nothing he could do but take this beating. Harsh. Cleveland scored seven runs off of Rogers (11-4) in the first, then held on for dear life to beat Detroit 12-7. It was Rogers' stinkiest outing since 1992.
• 5. Roger That. What kind of a world do we live in where Aaron Harang outpitches Roger Clemens? Actually, that's not so farfetched, now that we think about it. The Reds beat the Astros 2-0 despite another great effort by Clemens, who must now be thinking of going to the Royals so that he can get some offensive support.
Comments
Yeah, Roger's pretty throw-a-bat-at-Mike Piazza angry about that loss.
Z is full up on ADD, what he needs is medicine to keep it in check.
Substance Z is good, but Vitamin Y is a lot better.
I know certain guys have had trouble with the new steroid testing, but don't you think Trot should be able to afford some HGH on his salary?
The word "Zambrano" is like kryptonite to the Mets.
Aaron Guile
That is all.
6. Heinie-Town. SJF and his accomplice DrunkNate discover that "RFK's Grand Opening" loosely translates into "Roaming 16 oz. Heineken." Merciless heckling of Barry Bonds, ballpark hangover ensue.
well, if deadspin.com goes offline today, I'm going to immediately peg Z as a suspect for taking up all the bandwidth on the Internet!
Beckett wins because he gets tons of run support. Come on, Will, you're a BP reader. You really give that much credence to a counting stat like Wins? How about another more accurate counting stat, like home runs allowed?
wow, that last post makes little sense. RFK - now serving 16 ounce Heineken in teh stands. SJF slow today. That is all.
so is the word "kazmir"
Looked like Dempster had the ass when Dusty yanked him. He wouldn't look Dusty in the eye.
Good call on Baker's part, but I still think Dusty Rhodes could manage this team better.
I think Dusty Springfield could manage the team better.
You know what -- screw the Wild Card. I say the Twins shoot for winning the division outright. Bring it on, Detroilet.
I want Holyfield!
flubby, i think you mean Dusty had the ass.
Small sample size aside, Guiel has a higher slugging percentage than Giambi.
that twins/sox game last night felt like the playoffs.
I love Beckett's 4.77 ERA. What a stud. But he throws hard, is feisty, and has 13 wins, so it's ok. Haha-- since when did Will Leitch turn into Joe Morgan? Curt and Josh and pray for a wash??
BTW Kenny Rogers line: 0.2 IP, 97 ERA. 90-f'n-seven. I'm sorry, that's a nightmare.
"that twins/sox game last night felt like the playoffs."
yeah but it tasted like burning
Agreed, soozycue. I don't recall a more exciting, nerve-wracking regular season Twins game. Joe Nathan looked like he'd shat himself.
Wow, I didn't even know the closer was up already.
I was too busy making inappropriate references to genitials in the HR post...
Finally the Cubbies make the Closer for good stuff! I think it's time the Cubs let Z have a shot at all their wives. They owe him at least that. Prior and Wood first. Or maybe Dusty if he keeps his job.
1-4(th starter) punch like Schilling and Beckett maybe. Beckett's HR's allowed is equal to the number of HR's hit by Manny this year, only 6 behind Papi. And among the 'luminaries' with a better ERA than Beckett so far this season:
Brad Radke, pitching with a torn labrum
Anna Benson's Husband
Paul Byrd
Mark Buehrle and his 13 ERA in July
10000 year old Jamie Moyer
and just ahead of Jon Garland, who had a 6.5 ERA a month ago. Heck, Wakefield is well ahead of Beckett in the ERA standings, and he was pitching with a broken rib for a month.
Hell, he's only .03 better than Randy Friggin Johnson.
And Randy had six of the worst games of anyone's career.
Hey! Sporting Brews! I read your site everyday. I miss the graphs.
i held my breath the entire ninth. by far the most exciting game this season. go twins!
Agreed on your first comment, Brandon. Those Twins are unstoppable, low paid (for professional atheletes) beasts!
Maybe if Clemens could convince the rest of his team to start juicing like he does, he'd get this much-needed run support.
Cubs Win, Sox Lose, and Will gets to see the team that will be sweeping the hated Cardinals in four straight, starting with Rich Hill, the only Cub to ever be publicly criticized by Dusty Baker, dude, in person.
What's next?
It's only a matter of time before the gambler folds 'em and walks away.
"Ow! Why are my bones so brittle?! I've been drinking plenty of... MALK?!" (Malk: Now fortified with Vitamin R)
Zambrano has done so much this year with so little help, it almost seems inevitable that we'll trade him for a couple washed up hacks and a Double A batboy.
And probably to the freakin' Cardinals, so Will can do the Lou Brock gloat. Again.
The graphs are coming back soon, Rob, just as soon as the honeymoon phase with the new woman ends.
Stinkiest Gambler outing ever? Sorry, my vote still goes to this.
Never let a woman get between a man and his WPA graphs!
Stalin, in Beckett's 13 wins, he's allowed more than 3 runs only once. So I don't know if run support is that much of an issue for him.
Baker for better or worse has always been known as a "player's manager" and you could tell he was loathe to yank Dempster. Dempster tried to storm off the mound before Baker made it all the way out. Dusty called him back to the mound to give him a few words, but Dempster wouldn't even make eye contact.
FWIW, Dempster seemed to be over it after the game. Personally, I don't care how he felt. I've never considered him to be a legit big league closer.
Dusty Rhodes, on the other hand, would have hollered "Lawdamercy" and given Dempster, Carlos Beltran and the home plate umpire successive bionic elbows-- then stuck out then entire Mets side on one verrrry slow pitch ala Bugs Bunny.
THE YANKEES TRADED FOR SAL FASANO?!?
Rob -
I think they're just going to use him for a "scared straight" strategy with A-Rod.
Good for the Yankees. We haven't had a good moustache in town since Donnie retired.
Will they make him shave it off?
Mustaches are allowed by the Yankees. No other facial hair though.
Remember the long line of great Yankee 'staches in the Steinbrenner Era: Mattingly, Guidry, Reggie, Pagiarulo, Boggs. I could go on. It's like Lance Bass' dream baseball team.
Bouj, I believe the actual rule is no facial hair below the upper lip.
"Dammit Mattingly I told you to shave those side burns!"
Kazmir, Zambrano, Fregosi, Ryan......ah shit, I could take Glavine yard with that glop he throws up to the plate sometimes.
On the other hand, we are still double digits in front of the Braves, and Zambrano has as many dingers as Derek Lee. A little perspective, please
Z has more home runs than EIGHT different Cubs that he has fewer at-bats than this year, among them Juan Pierre (who has the most ABs on the team) and Neifi Perez (who has the most ABs on the team that make me want to kill myself). And as has been mentioned, he has as many as Derrek Lee, and also our supposed everyday LF, Matt Murton.
And oh yeah, he's 11-3 with a 3.27 ERA.
How can you not love this guy?
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