Deadspin
Notes from a day in baseball:
• 1. L.A. Confidential. Here's a trick David Blaine dare not attempt: Winning the National League West without a bullpen. The Los Angeles Dodgers are boldly attempting to do so, even though their 9-6 win over the Astros on Wednesday — their fifth straight win — only brought them to .500. Brett Tomko allowed just one infield hit over six scoreless innings, but then ... the bullpen (cue ominous music). Tim Hamulack in the seventh (three runs, all earned, four hits, one walk, ERA 6.43) ... Franquelis Osoria in the eighth (three runs, all earned, three hits, two walks, one homer — to Lance Berkman). Danys Baez finally came in and struck out Morgan Ensberg and Preston Wilson to end it. "It's not something we think about,'' Tomko said of the bullpen's recent woes. Well, you'd better freakin' start!
• 2. Playing Through! Fore!. At this rate, Albert Pujols is going to reach 714 before Barry does. A-Pool blasted another home run on Wednesday, giving him 18 for the season. And as many of you with pocket potectors have already figured out, projected over a full season that comes to 83 jacks. Jeff Suppan won his fourth straight start as the Cardinals beat the Rockies 7-4. And here's an interesting tidbit sent in by a reader: Pujols raised his career OPS to 1.047, which puts him ahead of Jimmie Foxx's 1.038 for the highest ever by a right-handed hitter with more than 3,000 plate appearances.
• 3. It Must Have Been "Slap Schilling Day". After being pasted by the Red Sox on Tuesday, then getting ripped by Big Stein after the game, the Yankees bounced back on Wednesday and boxed Curt Schilling's ears to the tune of 7-3. Alex Rodriguez, who caught most of Steinbrenner's wrath on Tuesday for his two errors, had a home run. But this should actually disturb Yankees fans, shouldn't it? We mean, if The Boss has to chew out your ass to get you to play hard, what's that say about you? Shouldn't it be Torre yelling at the team instead of the owner? We just don't understand baseball. We never played the game, after all.
• 4. No, Chan Ho Park Is The Pitcher, Not The Venue .... This just in: Bill Murray may now be a Padres fan. The report from AP: "Actor Bill Murray visited the Padres clubhouse with former Cy Young winner Rick Sutcliffe after the game. When Sutcliffe introduced Murray to Mark Bellhorn, who was seated, the actor hugged the infielder tightly and the two tumbled onto the ground. 'You were a Cub!'' Murray said." The Cubs were playing just up the road in San Francisco, so why wasn't Murray there? Anyway, Chan Ho Park earned the win as the Padres won their 10th game in 11 tries, 3-0 over the Brewers. Park is 7-0 lifetime against Milwaukee.
• 5. Dogs And Cats Living Together, Mass Hysteria! . Just in case you thought you'd dreamed it, Kansas City completed a three-game sweep of the Cleveland Indians on Wednesday with a 10-8 victory, in which every Royals starter had one RBI, except for Kerry Robinson, who had two. Aaron Guiel had a home run in the eighth inning, as the Royals have won five of their past seven after a 5-20 start.
Comments
"But this should actually disturb Yankees fans, shouldn't it? We mean, if The Boss has to chew out your ass to get you to play hard, what's that say about you?" Um... no. For all his faults, you think he doesnt play hard? Will, you do remember that he was last year's MVP, right? Aaah, the '06 Yankees: the team that RIDICULOUSLY high standards built.
The Royals are close to realizing their dream of being the Cardinals minor-league affiliate. Reggie Sanders, Mark Grudz and now Kerry Robinson. Who is next? Bo Hart?
"The Cubs were playing just up the road in San Francisco, so why wasn't Murray there?" San Fran is well over 500 miles away from San Diego...are you guys awake yet?
after watching stanton last night, maybe the nats can get a 2-for-1 deal and send him with livan to the mets. then they might actually be able to beat them.
no comment on glavine last night? the mets beat the phillies, and glavine hits 2 rbi's. pretty damn impressive for a guy getting medicare.
Hey Chan Ho Park- For a relaxing time, make it Suntory time.
I could spend this whole post discussing how much fun it is when Curt "The 5th Reich" Schilling doesn't even make it to the 6th inning, and how it is particularly sweet when his pitches are crushed by Giambi and A-Rod becuase you know that pisses him off even more. I could also dwell on the fact that the Yanks' bullpen may be even better than imagined, given Scott Proctor's recent performances. But instead I'm just going to agree with our web hosts from the midwest and say that Albert Pujols is, in fact, ridiculous.
Falco: you and me kid, you and me.
Actually, yesterday was "Slap Cory Lidle Day".
Pujols has got Double X numbers? That's impressive.
I'm not surprised that A-Rod needed a kick in the pinstripes by Georgie-boy to get going. Torre is not the kind of manager that motivates his teams directly and overtly. He's always had players that have motivated themselves (e.g. Jeter, Tino, O'Neill), so the relationship worked. A-Rod seems to me, for all his talent and supposed work-ethic, to be (at many times) insecure and gets lost in himself. Why do you think he needs two psych-ol-ia-pists?
Scott Proctor has officially entered Paisan status with Joe Torre. Tanyon Sturtze may never even get mop-up duty anymore.
so are the dodgers going to pick up billingsley? anyone? anyone?
It's about time, Rob. I'm hoping Ten-Run Sturtze gets DFA'ed. Octavio Dotel and Carl Pavano are coming soon. BTW what's up w/ all the Shilling Nazi jokes??
Schilling is a Nazi, DUH. Aren't all white people who live on the East Coast?
sutcliffe actually sat in with the padres' broadcasting team for part of the eighth inning last night. he was WASTED. seriously, he was all slurrific and mumbling things like "hey, man..." that trailed off into awkward silence before they (presumably) got him outta there. the padres' announcers were just trying to pretend it wasn't happening. i've heard sutcliffe on ESPN and knew he was no vin scully to begin with but this was ridiculous. as soon as he sat down and mentioned that he'd been hanging out with bill murray that night you knew it was going to be entertaining. thank god for MLB.TV.
Nothing to add, just felt I had to comment due to headline for #1. "With a wrecking ball. Want to help me swing it?"
Bill Murray is still a Cubs fan, but he doesn't want to become the Ben Affleck of the Cubs. In fact, he eschews (look it up) publicity for these types of events. Call him the anti- Jim "Funniest Living" Belushi. That said, the reason he was in San Diego is because he lives there, and obviously enjoys partying with the Red Baron. And, the way the Cubs have been playing, I would have preferred San Diego.
so are the dodgers going to pick up billingsley? anyone? anyone? ----- Billingsley got spanked yesterday by the Cardinals minor league Memphis team. Just so you know.
billingsley will be called up in the next three weeks i'd imagine. he's already sitting on my fantasy bench
The Cubs won a game last night, they scored more runs in one inning than they had in any of their previous 11 games, and Carlos Zambrano schooled the crap out of Barry Bonds. It was a good evening. And now super-stud Sean Marshall (2nd lowest BAA in the majors) tries to get a series win.
"A-Pool"? Let's just nip that one in bud.
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