Monday, May 12, 2008 |
Pickoff Moves
Again I Missed The Ugly Parts: Astros 8, Dodgers 5
While out looking for a Mother's Day card (on Mother's Day? Slacker.), I left the car with the Dodgers comfortably leading the Astros by a 2-0 score in the top of the seventh. With the Dodgers' generally reliable bullpen getting ready to engage the 'Stros, I figured this one was in the bag. Well, not so much, as I found out when I returned; Kuroda walked Ty Wigginton after losing a no-hitter to Hunter Pence's two-out single and gave up a run, but Joe Beimel walked the bases loaded and gave up another run on a walk.That would have been annoying but not catastrophic had it not been for Jonathan Broxton's godawful eighth inning, which I missed entirely in the Borders bookstore (purchasing a copy of Glenn Stout's The Cubs: The Complete Story of Chicago Cubs Baseball as a Mother's Day gift for my wife — well, she's like a mother to our dogs, right?). Just as I missed the Angels' annoying bullpen collapse yesterday when I went for a run after the fifth inning, so my shopping trip pulled me away from a terrible outing here. It was a good day to be away from the office, it seems.
Incidentally, this game was the worst of Broxton's career; he has never allowed as many runs (six) in as few outs (2).
Staying For The Good Parts: Twins 9, Red Sox 8
Last night's ESPN Sunday Night Baseball featured what I was pretty sure would be a lopsided mismatch, but the Twins actually handled it pretty well, getting a pair of homers out of Craig Monroe, who doubled his season total on the spot. The Red Sox made a valiant effort in the top of the ninth, edging the game closer against the Twinks' esteemed closer, Joe Nathan, going from a 9-6 deficit to 9-8, but that was it; and any game finishing with the tying run at second and Manny Ramirez grounding out to second has to rank right up there for high drama.Simers Aims At A Fat Target
I'm not in the habit of saying much about T.J. Simers columns, but...Without the fans, I said, there's no reason for you to be here in Los Angeles playing baseball and no way you're getting paid $36 million over the next two years.I understand what Jones is saying here, but allow me to suggest that Ned Colletti should come out of the dugout steps every time one of Jones, Garciaparra, or Pierre walks up to the plate, or — and it's not like this is ever gonna happen again — Jason Schmidt comes to the mound. I mean, it's only fair; Andruw Jones didn't write that contract all by hisself, you know."I don't care," he said. "You play for the team, you don't play for the fans. The fans never played the game. They don't know."
Update: BTF snark; I should also throw in this shocking admission by Joe Torre:
"Don't you understand why people are upset with you? You sign a big contract and report to spring training out of shape. . . .""I disagree with you," Jones said.
So I checked in with Joe Torre, and he said, "I think he could have been in better shape."
Joe Sheehan On Jim Edmonds
Who knows, you may see this on SI.com pretty soon, but for now, Joe Sheehan's column about Jim Edmonds is available back of the pay wall at BPro:Like Willie Mays and Brooks Robinson, like Sandy Amoros and Bobby Richardson, like Ray Fosse and Rodney McCray, the defining image of Jim Edmonds’ career will be one in which he was wearing a glove rather than carrying a bat.Edmonds, he goes on to write, has collapsed utterly in a very short timespan, not unlike Jim Rice.Edmonds, for most of his career a very good defensive center fielder with a flair—some have argued a predilection—for the dramatic catch, was playing his usual shallow center field on the evening of June 10, 1997, in Kauffman Stadium. Light-hitting David Howard was at the plate with two on and two out, and Edmonds was in place to charge any bloops the career .229 hitter might dunk into short center. On this occasion, though, Howard made solid contact, roping a line drive over Edmonds’ head towards the center-field fence. Edmonds turned and raced back, his #21 turned to the infield, and as the ball descended, he left his feet, extended his arms fully and made what is known in Angels’ lore simply as "The Catch."
There are rumors out of Chicago that the Cubs are interested in adding Edmonds.
Labels: astros, dodgers, ex-angels, recaps, red sox, twins
Newer› ‹Older
 |
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.