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Wednesday, May 10, 2006 |
A Corner, Or A Canard? Angels 12, White Sox 5
Rob Neyer likes Charlie Haeger (RR), but then, he still writes about the Royals, so perhaps he has a love of things that need the help of St. Jude. But I'm being mean. Neyer hedges his bets some, saying
So is Haeger the next Tim Wakefield, or perhaps even the next Phil Niekro? Probably not. The knuckleball is notoriously capricious, and I believe that it's harder than ever to thrive as a practitioner (because so many bad knuckleballs become good home runs, and also because umpires still don't call the high strike). Also, I'm a little gun-shy. A few years ago, I touted Red Sox knuckleballer Charlie Zink, but he hit a wall and is just now beginning to re-establish himself as a decent prospect. But Haeger apparently is the real thing. Baseball America rated him as the White Sox's No. 14 prospect last winter, and I'm sure they haven't rated a knuckleballer so high in quite some time.Christina Kahrl was also subdued in her comments about the White Sox' butterfly-tosser:
In Contreras' absence, the White Sox get to indulge in everyone's favorite area of curiosity, taking a look-see at a young knuckleballer. Whether you want to talk about Wilbur Wood or just remember Charlie Hough's two-year stint on the South Side, you don't have to go all the way back to Eddie Cicotte to remember that there's a taste for the flutterball in Bridgeport. Considering that Haeger's only 22 and was pretty hittable last season, it's hard to get too worked up about him, but he's also as promising as his performance at Charlotte this season suggests: 2.3 runs allowed per nine, and 25 hits allowed in 40 IP, and no home runs. He's still far from mastering the pitch--assuming he ever will--with 20 walks in that time, but it would be insanely cool fun to have a capable young knuckleballer live up to the overbilling previously accorded to Charlie Zink. It isn't like Contreras will be gone for that long, so this is more a cameo than anything else.It wasn't much of a cameo. Haeger got shelled, let us be plain about that, although he had his moments; for one thing, he had a pair of 1-2-3 innings in which his fielders recorded the outs; of his two strikeouts, one was against the feeble bat of Jose Molina, and the other was against Adam Kennedy and ended up in the dirt, with Kennedy standing safe at first. If the Sox are serious about running with a knuckleballer in the rotation, perhaps they need to trade for Doug Mirabelli, as A. J. Pierzynski seemed a bit lost catching Haeger at times.
The Angels' scoring in crooked numbers in all three of the innings in which they put runs on the board has some speculating that the Angels have turned a corner in this game. I can allow it; things happen. But the Angels' offense relied on a couple of extraordinary circumstances, one that won't be likely to recur, and the other that the Angels won't want to recur:
- The Angels were hitting against a rookie knuckleballer. That's almost a 50-50 proposition right there.
- The Angels didn't start a single rookie in the field. With Casey Kotchman out, Dallas McPherson relegated — already! — to a defensive replacement role, and Howie Kendrick riding the pine, the Angels are understandably trying to spark some wins. But they can't do that indefinitely; Kendrick in particular isn't learning anything by being kept out of games.
But I'm too down here. The team absolutely needed this win, especially after the horrible Toronto series, and for added pleasure, Jose Molina got to go deep, and Bobby "Bill Stoneman Can Kiss My Ass" Jenks failed to retire a single batter while giving up three earned runs. I don't know which is sweeter: getting a win off a team that's rapidly ascending my list of most annoying in the major leagues, or shelling Jenks. That the greatest Angel, Tim Salmon, had his hand on the bat at the time only made it sweeter.
Comments:
So Saint Jude's cymbol is the by which he was martyred. A club is a bat. He is the patron saint of hopeless causes and the key to faith in him is a Novena - NINE days of prayer.
Sounds like the perfect patron saint to help the HOPELESS offense make better use of their CLUBS every NINE innings.
Sounds like the perfect patron saint to help the HOPELESS offense make better use of their CLUBS every NINE innings.
# posted by 
: 5/10/2006 10:35:00 PM
: 5/10/2006 10:35:00 PM
I live in OC, and I never thought Angels fans could ever be as annoying as whiney-ass Red Sox or Cubs fans. But you are proving to be an exception to that rule. I hope you lose your Bobby Jenks voodoo doll. Get a grip.
So the White Sox are the team that's "rapidly ascending my list of most annoying in the major leagues."
Why's that??? Because, before tonight, they beat the Angels 8 in a row??? Still can't get over Josh Paul's stupidity??
Congrats on your huge win tonight. I hope the Angels are able to rebuild through their wonderful farm system.
So the White Sox are the team that's "rapidly ascending my list of most annoying in the major leagues."
Why's that??? Because, before tonight, they beat the Angels 8 in a row??? Still can't get over Josh Paul's stupidity??
Congrats on your huge win tonight. I hope the Angels are able to rebuild through their wonderful farm system.
# posted by : 5/10/2006 11:56:00 PM
: 5/10/2006 11:56:00 PM
I bet Neyer only likes Haeger because he was facing the Angels last night. When he faces the A's. Neyer will probably say that the guy doesn't have a chance at being a decent pitcher.
Dear Fullerton Sox Fan:
Santeria-worshipin' Ozzie Guillen. Classless ex-Angel Bobby "Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life, son" Jenks. A. J. Pierzynski. It's unusual to see a collection of guys so thoroughly obnoxious on one team yet here they are.
And then there's their fans, who can't comprehend that they were given a gift in the form of Doug "Good Buddy" Eddings. There were things Josh Paul — a White Sox fan, by the way — could have done differently, but nothing he did wrong.
Santeria-worshipin' Ozzie Guillen. Classless ex-Angel Bobby "Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life, son" Jenks. A. J. Pierzynski. It's unusual to see a collection of guys so thoroughly obnoxious on one team yet here they are.
And then there's their fans, who can't comprehend that they were given a gift in the form of Doug "Good Buddy" Eddings. There were things Josh Paul — a White Sox fan, by the way — could have done differently, but nothing he did wrong.
Rob,
About 75% the White Sox fans I talk to agree with you that Eddings blew that call. But that does not at all detract from the fact that it was smart, heads-up play by Pierzynski.
(I am in the minority in that the replay is inconclusive as to whether Paul caught or trapped the ball; also, Eddings' strike mechanic was no different than the umpire behind Mickey Owen in the famous passed-ball incident in the Ninth Inning of Game 4 of the'41 World Series).
Let's fact it, if the Angels had won the pennant last year, you wouldn't have the same level of animus toward the White Sox. You're simply a sore loser.
About 75% the White Sox fans I talk to agree with you that Eddings blew that call. But that does not at all detract from the fact that it was smart, heads-up play by Pierzynski.
(I am in the minority in that the replay is inconclusive as to whether Paul caught or trapped the ball; also, Eddings' strike mechanic was no different than the umpire behind Mickey Owen in the famous passed-ball incident in the Ninth Inning of Game 4 of the'41 World Series).
Let's fact it, if the Angels had won the pennant last year, you wouldn't have the same level of animus toward the White Sox. You're simply a sore loser.
# posted by : 5/11/2006 10:42:00 AM
: 5/11/2006 10:42:00 AM
You've got it 100% backwards, bucko. Nobody ever said what Pierzynski did was wrong or bad, just that Eddings' call was a gift to the White Sox, and you're acting like it was somehow something that Paul did wrong.
I'm not being a sore loser -- the Angels failed to execute in the ALCS, I've never said anything different -- but you're a sore winner, which is way, way more annoying. Knock it off.
I'm not being a sore loser -- the Angels failed to execute in the ALCS, I've never said anything different -- but you're a sore winner, which is way, way more annoying. Knock it off.
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