The Big Blue Wrecking Crew

Matt Moore, showing some poise.  Its going to make it easier to sell high on Shields if he keeps this up.

I say this every year...

Vinsandlosses said:

I say this every year...

TBS is fucking awful.

With that out of the way I will try to enjoy watching playoff baseball.

On the east coast, I don't get a lot of the announcers that I see complained about a lot on this board. Bit I can't imagine anyone worse than David Wells. He may have come across to some as 'colorful' during his playing days, but now he's just seems like a total dumb@$$.

Dotel wins the game for the Cards.  F-U Ned for giving up on him too early :-) :-)
In other news it looks like Gibby's team is going to be 3&out.
L-)

saeldway said:

Dotel wins the game for the Cards.  F-U Ned for giving up on him too early :-) :-)
In other news it looks like Gibby's team is going to be 3&out.
L-)

As if Hawksworth was anywhere near value for Theriot !
;-)

Just let me know when the Yankees and Phillies lose, please.

Watching the Rangers-Rays, two teams I like, it was kind of cool watching the face of ownership of the Rangers , Nolan Ryan, when Napoli hit the two run homer in the seventh to bring Texas the lead, 2-1.  Here's what went through my mind.  I remembered how Nolan Ryan was Public Enemy #1 about 30 years ago when he was pitching for the Astros in the NL West.  Now, I'd love to see someone like that as the face of ownership of the Dodgers.

Verlander isn't throwing his best game, but the fact that he's hitting 101 MPH in the 8th inning is just freakish. 

Way to return that throw, Victorino. 

Matthew said:

Way to return that throw, Victorino. 

You beat me to it, Matthew.  His "throw" actually went backwards and hit the fence. HILARIOUS.  A classic blooper for years to come.  Maybe someone can post a link to it later, as it deserves mega-hits.  I mean, it would be funny, but the fact that it was Cryin' Hawaiian, makes it a thing of beauty.

This might help;

Maybe the Pineapple Putz could pitch for the Brewers with an arm like that.

Very pleasant post-season, so far.  No Red Sox, No Yankees, what will ESPN talk about now?

ocmike24 said:

Maybe the Pineapple Putz could pitch for the Brewers with an arm like that.

Wolf did blow the other day, didn't he?   Other than the squirrel, the Cryin' Hawaiian's throw and watching the Yankees call it a season, this has not been an exciting post season. 

Yes, but it was fun watching A-Roid strikeout for the last out after Jeter's home run effort died on the warning track to end the eighth.  Next to whoever the Dodgers are playing and the Giants, the Yankees are my favorite team to watch lose.   #-O

Very happy for Adrian.  He sure has a flair for the dramatic.

...meanwhile, a really good game is being played in Milwaukee. Commenting on a spectacular grab in the 6th by cf  Chris Young, Joe Simpson said " I hope Willie Mays is watching. " That's not all that much a stretch.

Tony Plush is my new favorite player. 

Great game, and sayonara Kirk.

So, I'm watching Ryan Braun being interviewed, and noting how well spoken and likable he seems. Gracious in victory, etc. It's at that moment that Nyjer 'game winning seeing eye single''  Morgan crashed the interview mid sentence, then dashed off, with TBS mic and camera close behind leaving Braun like an yesterday's girlfriend. They catch up just in time for the live microphone to catch Morgan yelling "F**k, yeah! F**k, yeah" to the crowd. Then he disses the interview. I guess he had nothing left to add.

Too bad. It was a great game. I suppose the Brewers rooters could care less that the hero of the moment is a d*ck. But I would.
8-X

grabarkewitz said:

Tony Plush is my new favorite player. 

Better you than me.
:-D

jWerthfan said:

Great game, and sayonara Kirk.

So, I'm watching Ryan Braun being interviewed, and noting how well spoken and likable he seems. Gracious in victory, etc. It's at that moment that Nyjer 'game winning seeing eye single''  Morgan crashed the interview mid sentence, then dashed off, with TBS mic and camera close behind leaving Braun like an yesterday's girlfriend. They catch up just in time for the live microphone to catch Morgan yelling "F**k, yeah! F**k, yeah" to the crowd. Then he disses the interview. I guess he had nothing left to add.

Too bad. It was a great game. I suppose the Brewers rooters could care less that the hero of the moment is a d*ck. But I would.
8-X

I will admit that Morgan is a future candidate for the Milton Bradley Insanity Award but his single was fun and for a few seconds I was a Brewer fan.   Mind you, if the Brewers had beaten anyone other than the Snakes, it would've just been another interesting side note, but beating the Snot-Nosed Asshatted Snakes was particularly enjoyable.  

Was rooting for Milwaukee, too, but Nyjer Morgan has no class.  Absolutely No Class.  Braun, Fielder, Gallardo are the class of that team and for him to interrupt a post game celebratory interview with Braun just to bring attention to himself is totally crass.  He is a jerk!  He was a jerk with Washington and he's one now.  What did he have?  Three hits the entire series.  The Brewers are stronger with Gomez in center field, and Morgan as a bench jockey/pinch runner.

Fox is pooping their pants about now.

ocmike24 said:

Fox is pooping their pants about now.

Yep, no one on the East or West Coast will even care who wins this thing.   The most frightening thought for Fox - a Brewer/Ranger World Series.   

Getting to brush up on my Furcal, right now... 

Rosetta Stone needs to get on this. 

Matthew said:

Getting to brush up on my Furcal, right now... 

Rosetta Stone needs to get on this. 

Raffy is hard on the English language. 

grabarkewitz said:

Matthew said:

Getting to brush up on my Furcal, right now... 

Rosetta Stone needs to get on this. 

Raffy is hard on the English language. 

Good to see some good come his way. Long overdue.

jWerthfan said:

grabarkewitz said:

Matthew said:

Getting to brush up on my Furcal, right now... 

Rosetta Stone needs to get on this. 

Raffy is hard on the English language. 

Good to see some good come his way. Long overdue.

I would not be unhappy if he resigned with us in 2012.   Put him at second base and Meep gets another strong teacher in his development.   We could do worse and he has said he loved playing in LA. 

grabarkewitz said:

grabarkewitz said:

jWerthfan said:

grabarkewitz said:

Matthew said:

Getting to brush up on my Furcal, right now... 

Rosetta Stone needs to get on this. 

Raffy is hard on the English language. 

Good to see some good come his way. Long overdue.

I would not be unhappy if he resigned with us in 2012.   Put him at second base and Meep gets another strong teacher in his development.   We could do worse and he has said he loved playing in LA. 

...as to the above, I could not agree more. In addition to his triple and run last night, he's played some killer defense so far in the playoffs. The interviewer seemed to me to want to get him to say something negative about the Dodgers, but I'm fairly certain he was complimentary. Some subtitles would have helped. I've never had a complaint about his work ethic, and reportedly he's a great team mate.

I dunno, guys.  I think we could do better than Raffy, whose injury history - especially recently - gives me no confidence at all.  And with what he's done with the Cards the last two months, I don't think he'll be cheap.  I don't know that Sellers is the answer, but I'd rather start the season with him (with upgrades at 1B and LF) than with Raffy.  I understand Meep could use a good mentor, but that guy doesn't have to be on the 25-man roster to have an impact.

If you look at Furcal's health history, any contract would have to be heavily incentive laden.  If the Cards have the maximum 14 games left in this post season, Raffy will have some physical malady that knocks him out of the lineup.  The other thing is I'm always leery of any player with back issues, as they seem to recur.

Is any NOT enjoying the playoffs so far? Man, there's been some terrific baseball going on, including Cruz' walk off slam.

Per announcers: nice call by Joe Buck after a long foul by Cruz just before the home run - something like ' he's getting more locked in by the pitch '. Then, boom! And Francona has either been very good, or it's just that McCarver is absent. A win, regardless. Great baseball this October.

jWerthfan said:

Is any NOT enjoying the playoffs so far? Man, there's been some terrific baseball going on, including Cruz' walk off slam.

Per announcers: nice call by Joe Buck after a long foul by Cruz just before the home run - something like ' he's getting more locked in by the pitch '. Then, boom! And Francona has either been very good, or it's just that McCarver is absent. A win, regardless. Great baseball this October.

Total agreement.  The Rangers, after blowing a bases loaded, none out opportunity in the ninth, didn't let the chance pass in the eleventh, thanks to Nellie's slam.

SamAdams said:

jWerthfan said:

Is any NOT enjoying the playoffs so far? Man, there's been some terrific baseball going on, including Cruz' walk off slam.

Per announcers: nice call by Joe Buck after a long foul by Cruz just before the home run - something like ' he's getting more locked in by the pitch '. Then, boom! And Francona has either been very good, or it's just that McCarver is absent. A win, regardless. Great baseball this October.

Total agreement.  The Rangers, after blowing a bases loaded, none out opportunity in the ninth, didn't let the chance pass in the eleventh, thanks to Nellie's slam.

Also enjoying watching Tony Plush (what a jackass of the first order) look like he's out of his league, misplaying a ball in front of him and then staggering into the wall as Pujols rocket went over his head.  Oh yeah, and then Edwin Jackson schooled him at the plate.

Yes! Very satisfactory.

Good line regarding Morgan and Pujols by Yahoo's Jeff Passan:

"Morgan had turned off his alter ego, Tony Plush, for a few moments. This was
embarrassing – for the Brewers and for him. The risk of having a big mouth is
getting punched in it, and Pujols was Mike Tyson to Morgan’s Peter McNeeley."

I didn't stay up for the end of the game, but was wondering if Tony Plush was caught on live television screaming, "F-No, F-No, F-No".    :-))

Talk about an emotional roller coaster on Fox Sports' coverage of the ALCS.  Watching Jim Leyland, the Tigers manager get choked up talking about understanding being laid off and the obvious reference to the American auto industry, he almost had me pulling against my home state Rangers.  Then, the Queen of Soul, Detroit's own Aretha Franklin comes out and completely butchered the Star Spangled Banner, and totally negates all the Tiger karma.  Fox then played another Motor City icon, Bob Seger's, recording of  "Turn the Page" (On the Road Again), and seemingly the momentum turned back to the Tigers.

Then there's the Brian Wilson Taco Bell, and Ray Romano stand up commercials, seemingly played every half inning.

Though I've tried my best to ignore them both, I did notice something....suspicious. Ray says he's thankful that the women at the table reacted to him. But while the one is fawning all over him, all the other patrons are completely oblivious to the celebrity just a table away. They're either having great food, or that spontaneous moment isn't so spontaneous.

Wilson's schtick....well, it's bad enough that it's Wilson, worse that his irreverence and originality smell of a 4th rate Jack Black ripoff. Can you imagine having to spend all summer around this unbearable bore?

Milwaukee self destructing defensively and from a pitching standpoint in Game 6 of the NLCS.

Nyjer Morgan is kind of...subdued.

jWerthfan said:

Then there's the Brian Wilson Taco Bell, and Ray Romano stand up commercials, seemingly played every half inning.

Though I've tried my best to ignore them both, I did notice something....suspicious. Ray says he's thankful that the women at the table reacted to him. But while the one is fawning all over him, all the other patrons are completely oblivious to the celebrity just a table away. They're either having great food, or that spontaneous moment isn't so spontaneous.

Wilson's schtick....well, it's bad enough that it's Wilson, worse that his irreverence and originality smell of a 4th rate Jack Black ripoff. Can you imagine having to spend all summer around this unbearable bore?

I hate that Wilson commercial so much. I can't decide if I hate it more than the JLo fiat commercial that's played every 2m during football. So close.

SamAdams said:

Milwaukee self destructing defensively and from a pitching standpoint in Game 6 of the NLCS.

The home runs are flying out of Miller Park, and Ron Darling has made multiple references to the ball park factor in Milwaukee.  Unfortunately, the dumb ass BBWWA who vote for MVP aren't smart enough to recognize what an advantage Braun and Fielder have playing in that band box.

That last game just flat out hurt my head.  For all of the talk of the Brewers' pitching, it laid a huge egg.   I already knew the defense was bad, but it got exposed big time in this series.   At least it makes it easy to know who to root for in the Series.   My hatred for LaRussa and his giant ego tells me to invest in a Ranger cap for the series. 

DoppelgangBang said:

jWerthfan said:

Then there's the Brian Wilson Taco Bell, and Ray Romano stand up commercials, seemingly played every half inning.

Though I've tried my best to ignore them both, I did notice something....suspicious. Ray says he's thankful that the women at the table reacted to him. But while the one is fawning all over him, all the other patrons are completely oblivious to the celebrity just a table away. They're either having great food, or that spontaneous moment isn't so spontaneous.

Wilson's schtick....well, it's bad enough that it's Wilson, worse that his irreverence and originality smell of a 4th rate Jack Black ripoff. Can you imagine having to spend all summer around this unbearable bore?

I hate that Wilson commercial so much. I can't decide if I hate it more than the JLo fiat commercial that's played every 2m during football. So close.

Hold on, now.   C'mon, JLo is looking very hot in her commercial, at least the first Fiat commercial.  Isn't her fault that they picked a god awful song and a multitude of douches to appear in the commercial with her.  That is reason one they invented the mute button and blinders.  

grabarkewitz said:

SamAdams said:

Milwaukee self destructing defensively and from a pitching standpoint in Game 6 of the NLCS.

The home runs are flying out of Miller Park, and Ron Darling has made multiple references to the ball park factor in Milwaukee.  Unfortunately, the dumb ass BBWWA who vote for MVP aren't smart enough to recognize what an advantage Braun and Fielder have playing in that band box.

That last game just flat out hurt my head.  For all of the talk of the Brewers' pitching, it laid a huge egg.   I already knew the defense was bad, but it got exposed big time in this series.   At least it makes it easy to know who to root for in the Series.   My hatred for LaRussa and his giant ego tells me to invest in a Ranger cap for the series. 

Yeah, the Brewers flat out embarrassed themselves.  Marcum might go down in history as the worst pitcher in postseason history.  Did he ever have a good inning?  Narveson, their fifth starter, took care of the second guessers who were calling for him to get the nod in Game 6.  He was worse than Marcum.

SamAdams said:

grabarkewitz said:

SamAdams said:

Milwaukee self destructing defensively and from a pitching standpoint in Game 6 of the NLCS.

The home runs are flying out of Miller Park, and Ron Darling has made multiple references to the ball park factor in Milwaukee.  Unfortunately, the dumb ass BBWWA who vote for MVP aren't smart enough to recognize what an advantage Braun and Fielder have playing in that band box.

That last game just flat out hurt my head.  For all of the talk of the Brewers' pitching, it laid a huge egg.   I already knew the defense was bad, but it got exposed big time in this series.   At least it makes it easy to know who to root for in the Series.   My hatred for LaRussa and his giant ego tells me to invest in a Ranger cap for the series. 

Yeah, the Brewers flat out embarrassed themselves.  Marcum might go down in history as the worst pitcher in postseason history.  Did he ever have a good inning?  Narveson, their fifth starter, took care of the second guessers who were calling for him to get the nod in Game 6.  He was worse than Marcum.

LaRussa has the quickest hook in postseason history.  It worked out for him, thanks to good work from his pen.  I don't expect that bullpen to be so successful if they are pitching that many innings against the Rangers. That's a bad ass lineup with the likes of Hamilton, Young, Beltre, Napoli, and Nelson Cruz 3 through 7.

Kinsler's .848 OPS in the lead-off role is nothing to sneeze at either.  The young Mitch Moreland in the 8-hole and resurgent Chavez (.301 BA) hitting 9th makes the Rangers almost a LOCK to win this thing.  There is no easy out in that lineup, far surpassing the Dodgers best lineup in decades in '08-'09.  Thankfully, I don't think the Cards stand a chance.  Wouldn't be surprised to see a sweep. 

While I clearly want the Rangers to win, saying they should easily win is something I'll refuse, because both the Phillies and Brewers should have easily put the Cards away. Hell you can say the Dodgers of the last two months could have beat that team as well. I don't know how they are doing it.

Throwdeuce said:

While I clearly want the Rangers to win, saying they should easily win is something I'll refuse, because both the Phillies and Brewers should have easily put the Cards away. Hell you can say the Dodgers of the last two months could have beat that team as well. I don't know how they are doing it.

Pujols, Holliday and Friese are OPSing around or ABOVE 1.000 - Friese is at 1.315 for the post-season.  They are MASHING, they also have very decent defense and Carp and the bullpen have been solid.  I think these two teams are primed for a massive power display in the World Series.

The playoffs are about getting hot at the right time and right now the Cards offense is WHITE HOT.  They bested Gallardo, Greinke, Halladay, Lee, Hamels and others!  Right now, they're unstoppable.

DoppelgangBang said:

Throwdeuce said:

While I clearly want the Rangers to win, saying they should easily win is something I'll refuse, because both the Phillies and Brewers should have easily put the Cards away. Hell you can say the Dodgers of the last two months could have beat that team as well. I don't know how they are doing it.

Pujols, Holliday and Friese are OPSing around or ABOVE 1.000 - Friese is at 1.315 for the post-season.  They are MASHING, they also have very decent defense and Carp and the bullpen have been solid.  I think these two teams are primed for a massive power display in the World Series.

The playoffs are about getting hot at the right time and right now the Cards offense is WHITE HOT.  They bested Gallardo, Greinke, Halladay, Lee, Hamels and others!  Right now, they're unstoppable.

That may be the case, but something tells me that Kershaw and Kuroda at least would have held them in check a bit better. Plus if the Cards pen hadn't been lockedown in the playoffs and more to what they were for 5 months of the year, no way are they in the Series. To be honest, I'm more shocked they are in the PO, no way should they have made it, once there, sure you get hot and anything can happen.

Watching the Cards go from "given up for dead" after the Dodgers swept them in August, to playing in the World Series is remarkable.  It almost makes you think what could have been had the Dodgers just played .500 ball the first four months.