**Official 2014 MLB Regular Season-All over but the shouting (2 Viewers)

[Chemical X]

so, the mets are heading to their 6th straight losing season with a sub 90mill payroll. against bumgarner, collins sits Duda, Murphy and d'Arnaud, 4-5-6 is Eric Campbell, Black Chris Young and Juan Lagares, with Ruben Tejada hitting 2. 14 mill gets Curtis Granderson to hit cleanup cause he reeks so bad. and David Wright is a 20mill corpse. unwatchable......

 

[Billy Bats]

ESPNs near-weekly Yankees-Red Sox Late Sunday Night Game is eager for you to know its announcers, Dan Shulman and John Kruk, will call it from above Fenways Green Monster.

Why?

Because such innovations, no matter how counter-productive or silly, are deemed innovative, thus easily confused by the easily confused with bold, experimental, Mr. Watson, come here! genius.

Im gonna take a wild guess here to suggest if the vicinity of the Green Monster is the best place from which to call a game the best spot from which to best serve viewers that would have been known a long time ago. Fenway, built in 1912, predates TV.

Perhaps it escapes ESPN, but theres a reason seats just above and behind home plate cost more than those in the bleachers.

Another wild guess: Try as ESPN might, will having Shulman and Kruk call the game from about as far away from the pitcher and catcher as one can be while still inside Fenway, make the difference between you watching and not watching? Im going with No.

Another question: Will Shulman and Kruks workplace better provide you a chance to still be awake by, say, the seventh or eighth? Doubtful, but well find out.

Will these distant perspectives help hold the audience if the games one-sided? Or will they detract and distract from a good ballgame?

The answer to those questions is ESPN, if it ever considered them, couldnt care less.

ESPNs standard regard for the games it televises and the genuine sports fans within its audiences can be scored no higher than my high school algebra final. I scored a See me.

If ESPN wanted to add some enhancement by providing visual perspectives from the Green Monster and you can call me crazy why not place a TV camera there, as opposed to its broadcast crew?

Its TV; you dont have to tell us when you can show us. Besides, most of us have seen that view before.

Why not have ESPNs guys call a game from a blimp? Perhaps a New Orleans Saints home game.

But thats the difference between silly then, and silly now. Silly used to be accidental; it would cause its purveyors to feel foolish. Now, silly, ridiculous and just plain stupid are a big part of the grand plan.

So dont miss ESPN on Sunday night, when two East Coast teams play a game West Coasters will have the best shot to watch in its entirety, and when its game announcers will have a better view of the street than the game.

http://nypost.com/2014/08/02/espn-to-call-games-above-fenways-green-monster/

Innovative? Please, let me know if the Krukker catches a hr ball. And listen to the stellar color work by Jamie Moyer. Uhhhh uhhhhh uhhhhhh!

 

[Good Posting Judge]

so, the mets are heading to their 6th straight losing season with a sub 90mill payroll. against bumgarner, collins sits Duda, Murphy and d'Arnaud, 4-5-6 is Eric Campbell, Black Chris Young and Juan Lagares, with Ruben Tejada hitting 2. 14 mill gets Curtis Granderson to hit cleanup cause he reeks so bad. and David Wright is a 20mill corpse. unwatchable......

Doesn't Duda sit against/is unable to hit most lefties? Bumgarner seems like a logical time for a day off...

 

[JaxBill]

Pirates try to turn an double play to send the game to the 11th but the Dbacks player blocks the throw with his hand to end the game.

What a joke. I guess the Dbacks won their world series today.

Yup that was pretty egregious. No guarantee the Pirates win but that ump handed the game to the Dbacks. Such bs when every game is critical for the pirates

Didn't realize the runner never even touched the bag since the hand closest to it was knocking the ball down.

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/eye-on-baseball/24647717/diamondbacks-beat-pirates-on-controversial-walk-off-fielders-choice

 

[Hilts]

Pirates try to turn an double play to send the game to the 11th but the Dbacks player blocks the throw with his hand to end the game.

What a joke. I guess the Dbacks won their world series today.

Yup that was pretty egregious. No guarantee the Pirates win but that ump handed the game to the Dbacks. Such bs when every game is critical for the pirates

Didn't realize the runner never even touched the bag since the hand closest to it was knocking the ball down.

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/eye-on-baseball/24647717/diamondbacks-beat-pirates-on-controversial-walk-off-fielders-choice

That's what grit will get you.

 

[TobiasFunke]

so, the mets are heading to their 6th straight losing season with a sub 90mill payroll. against bumgarner, collins sits Duda, Murphy and d'Arnaud, 4-5-6 is Eric Campbell, Black Chris Young and Juan Lagares, with Ruben Tejada hitting 2. 14 mill gets Curtis Granderson to hit cleanup cause he reeks so bad. and David Wright is a 20mill corpse. unwatchable......

The Mets have a positive run differential on the year (+3), they'll get Matt Harvey back in the spring and they have a top ten farm system.

 

[Long Ball Larry]

so, the mets are heading to their 6th straight losing season with a sub 90mill payroll. against bumgarner, collins sits Duda, Murphy and d'Arnaud, 4-5-6 is Eric Campbell, Black Chris Young and Juan Lagares, with Ruben Tejada hitting 2. 14 mill gets Curtis Granderson to hit cleanup cause he reeks so bad. and David Wright is a 20mill corpse. unwatchable......

Doesn't Duda sit against/is unable to hit most lefties? Bumgarner seems like a logical time for a day off...

yes.

I'm guessing that his complaint was maybe why not let Duda get some practice against lefties since it's not like the win matters. Though there are surely better people to do that against than Bumgarner.

 

[pantagrapher]

Javy Baez to be called up to the show tomorrow.

 

[MAC_32]

Javy Baez to be called up to the show tomorrow.

where's he going to play?

 

[Annyong]

Javy Baez to be called up to the show tomorrow.

where's he going to play?

I'm assuming 2b w/ Alcantara going to the OF somewhere.

 

[pantagrapher]

Javy Baez to be called up to the show tomorrow.

where's he going to play?

I'm assuming 2b w/ Alcantara going to the OF somewhere.

Alcantara has been very effective at 2B. But the club might be eager to do anything it can to keep Lake out of the lineup (currently 100 Ks in 284 ABs?!)—Alcantara in CF? I guess it's possible. I think Baez plays third. But so far I'm just guessing.

 

[MAC_32]

I guess both Alcantara to the OF and Baez to 3B could make sense, going to take an add now ask questions later approach. Not like they're playing for this year anyway, ability to experiment. Thanks for the heads up...

 

[Chemical X]

so, the mets are heading to their 6th straight losing season with a sub 90mill payroll. against bumgarner, collins sits Duda, Murphy and d'Arnaud, 4-5-6 is Eric Campbell, Black Chris Young and Juan Lagares, with Ruben Tejada hitting 2. 14 mill gets Curtis Granderson to hit cleanup cause he reeks so bad. and David Wright is a 20mill corpse. unwatchable......

Doesn't Duda sit against/is unable to hit most lefties? Bumgarner seems like a logical time for a day off...

yes.

I'm guessing that his complaint was maybe why not let Duda get some practice against lefties since it's not like the win matters. Though there are surely better people to do that against than Bumgarner.

actually, this mgmt group has stated they believe this team can make the wildcard. basically, they continue to lie to the fan base, so they can draw over 2 million maybe this year. its the same game the coupon family plays every year. the problem here is that i know duda blows, but at some point you need to sit black chris. sandy signed grandy to hit cleanup, yet he sucks so bad he wound up hitting leadoff, which is just brutal. if you are trying to win the wildcard, why are you sitting those 3 at the time? heck, let duda swing instead of BCY and play campbell in LF. posey has played all 4 games of the series, as the giants are trying to win games.

 

[TobiasFunke]

so, the mets are heading to their 6th straight losing season with a sub 90mill payroll. against bumgarner, collins sits Duda, Murphy and d'Arnaud, 4-5-6 is Eric Campbell, Black Chris Young and Juan Lagares, with Ruben Tejada hitting 2. 14 mill gets Curtis Granderson to hit cleanup cause he reeks so bad. and David Wright is a 20mill corpse. unwatchable......

Doesn't Duda sit against/is unable to hit most lefties? Bumgarner seems like a logical time for a day off...

yes.

I'm guessing that his complaint was maybe why not let Duda get some practice against lefties since it's not like the win matters. Though there are surely better people to do that against than Bumgarner.

actually, this mgmt group has stated they believe this team can make the wildcard. basically, they continue to lie to the fan base, so they can draw over 2 million maybe this year. its the same game the coupon family plays every year. the problem here is that i know duda blows, but at some point you need to sit black chris. sandy signed grandy to hit cleanup, yet he sucks so bad he wound up hitting leadoff, which is just brutal. if you are trying to win the wildcard, why are you sitting those 3 at the time? heck, let duda swing instead of BCY and play campbell in LF. posey has played all 4 games of the series, as the giants are trying to win games.

Posey can play multiple positions and hits right-handed. Different than a catcher and a lefty sitting for a day game vs a lefty after a night game. The Nats (who are obviously trying to win) were in the identical position yesterday and they sat Ramos and Harper.

If it makes you feel any better, from my mostly objective standpoint I think the Mets are in great shape going forward. If I could magically eliminate any team from the NL East race in 2015 to improve the Nats' chances it would be the Mets,without hesitation.

 

[Annyong]

Javy Baez to be called up to the show tomorrow.

where's he going to play?

I'm assuming 2b w/ Alcantara going to the OF somewhere.

Alcantara has been very effective at 2B. But the club might be eager to do anything it can to keep Lake out of the lineup (currently 100 Ks in 284 ABs?!)—Alcantara in CF? I guess it's possible. I think Baez plays third. But so far I'm just guessing.

I dont think Baez has played any 3b yet. Maybe I'm wrong. Can't imagine they would call him up and stick him at 3rd w/o any experience there.

 

[pantagrapher]

Javy Baez to be called up to the show tomorrow.

where's he going to play?

I'm assuming 2b w/ Alcantara going to the OF somewhere.

Alcantara has been very effective at 2B. But the club might be eager to do anything it can to keep Lake out of the lineup (currently 100 Ks in 284 ABs?!)—Alcantara in CF? I guess it's possible. I think Baez plays third. But so far I'm just guessing.

I dont think Baez has played any 3b yet. Maybe I'm wrong. Can't imagine they would call him up and stick him at 3rd w/o any experience there.

My mistake. For some reason I thought he'd been playing a lot of 3B this season.

 

[guru_007]

Brett Gardner had 5 homers in 28 plate appearances last week

Josh Harrison has 5 homers in hist last 38 plate appearances.

Joey Votto had 6 homers in 272 plate appearances so far this year

 

[shadyridr]

Brett Gardner had 5 homers in 28 plate appearances last week

Josh Harrison has 5 homers in hist last 38 plate appearances.

Joey Votto had 6 homers in 272 plate appearances so far this year

Travis Wood has the same # of HRs as Bryce Harper this year

 

[Leroy Hoard]

Rockies record?

Only one team in the last 100 years has started left-handed pitchers in 17+ games in a row: the 1953 Reds (19 straight).

Anderson figures to be the Rockies' 20th straight left-handed starter tommorrow.

 

[shadyridr]

Wow what a play by the tigers CF

 

[shadyridr]

Way to keep that tag on the slide Drew

 

[Raider Nation]

They really gave up on Nuno way too fast, esp for an OK-ish rental.

Are you new to the Yankees?

It's like you guys don't even know where the Yankees play. Nuno has given up 15 HRs this year. 13 of them came at Yankee Stadium.

Are you new to Brandon McCarthy?

Looking like a genius trade for the pinstripes so far.

McCarthy was mediocre against the Indians in his first start away and pitched well at home against two teams with AAA lineups. I wouldn't define that as "genius" just yet.

Any credit for shutting down a pretty fair Tigers lineup? Looking at 4-0 with a 2.50 ERA if the pen holds it.

 

[Doctor Detroit]

Yeah it wasn't necessarily a ####ty Tigers team tonight, McCarthy looked legit IMO.

 

[shadyridr]

Yeah it wasn't necessarily a ####ty Tigers team tonight, McCarthy looked legit IMO.

pissed i left him on my bench.

 

[Raider Nation]

Tomorrow marks the one-year anniversary of A-Rod's suspension.

The big dummy is finally doing something right. He's been a ghost. He obviously got some good advice to lay low all summer. Wherever he is, I hope there is a batting cage, because he is headed for the full-time DH role. Since he will (presumably) come back a lot skinnier, I hope he goes back to the Seattle/Texas long pants. This look was always a little gay.

 

[Donkey Derp]

They really gave up on Nuno way too fast, esp for an OK-ish rental.

Are you new to the Yankees?

It's like you guys don't even know where the Yankees play. Nuno has given up 15 HRs this year. 13 of them came at Yankee Stadium.

Are you new to Brandon McCarthy?

Looking like a genius trade for the pinstripes so far.

McCarthy was mediocre against the Indians in his first start away and pitched well at home against two teams with AAA lineups. I wouldn't define that as "genius" just yet.

Any credit for shutting down a pretty fair Tigers lineup? Looking at 4-0 with a 2.50 ERA if the pen holds it.

I like how you conveniently forgot to bump this when he was getting knocked around for nine hits and a walk against the worst baseball team in the league. 4-0. Two of those wins are against the worst team in baseball and another is against the worst hitting team since the All Star Break. And cool, he got a W barely lasting five innings tonight.

 

[Raider Nation]

4-0, 2.08 is 4-0, 2.08.

But by all means, carry on with the unwarranted hate-fest.

 

[Good Posting Judge]

McCarthy's good at Twitter:

(pic of Manziel wearing backwards hat taking questions)

Brandon McCarthy @BMcCarthy32 · Jul 26
it's actually a perfect example of 'coincidence' RT @ESPN_Colin: No coincidence HOF also stands 4 "Hat On Frontwards"

 

[Good Posting Judge]

Rays with five infielders total, four on the right side of the infield, with bases loaded and one out. Moss k'd. :(

 

[Donkey Derp]

4-0, 2.08 is 4-0, 2.08.

But by all means, carry on with the unwarranted hate-fest.

McCarthy has worse career numbers against left handed hitters than right handed hitters. Everyone knows how much Yankee Stadium caters to left handed hitters. Let's take a closer look at the three teams he faced at home thus far:

Teams & their slash lines batting left

Cincinnati: .237/.310/.362

Texas: .240/.316/.349

Detroit: .245/.323/.377

In three starts by a pitcher with worse L stats than R stats in a park that helps L hitters, he has faced two bottom five teams and a bottom ten team. Those numbers don't even take into account that both the Rangers and Reds were decimated by injuries when McCarthy faced them.

His WHIP in his two road starts as a Yankee is 1.64. His K/9 is 4.42 (awful) and his K% is 10.2% (basically awful). His BABIP is well above league average and considering how bad his K rates are (and looking at his 2014 road stats as a DBack), that's probably not a fluke.

But the important thing is that 4-0, 2.08 is 4-0, 2.08

 

[Long Ball Larry]

4-0, 2.08 is 4-0, 2.08.

But by all means, carry on with the unwarranted hate-fest.

McCarthy has worse career numbers against left handed hitters than right handed hitters. Everyone knows how much Yankee Stadium caters to left handed hitters. Let's take a closer look at the three teams he faced at home thus far:

Teams & their slash lines batting left

Cincinnati: .237/.310/.362

Texas: .240/.316/.349

Detroit: .245/.323/.377

In three starts by a pitcher with worse L stats than R stats in a park that helps L hitters, he has faced two bottom five teams and a bottom ten team. Those numbers don't even take into account that both the Rangers and Reds were decimated by injuries when McCarthy faced them.

His WHIP in his two road starts as a Yankee is 1.64. His K/9 is 4.42 (awful) and his K% is 10.2% (basically awful). His BABIP is well above league average and considering how bad his K rates are (and looking at his 2014 road stats as a DBack), that's probably not a fluke.

But the important thing is that 4-0, 2.08 is 4-0, 2.08

so, why is his xFIP 2.89?

 

[Eephus]

The Tigers are signing Jim Johnson. They're going to challenge the Dodgers in the career SV roto category.

 

[Long Ball Larry]

4-0, 2.08 is 4-0, 2.08.

But by all means, carry on with the unwarranted hate-fest.

McCarthy has worse career numbers against left handed hitters than right handed hitters.

460.2 IP vs. L - .268/.321/.421

468.2 IP vs. R - .262/.310/.420

Virtually even.

 

[Donkey Derp]

so, why is his xFIP 2.89?

His career xFIP is 4.05

 

[Long Ball Larry]

He's also changed how he throws, is throwing his sinker way more, is throwing a couple mph harder this year, his overall K% is 20.3%, and has a career-high K/9.

I'm not telling you he's Curt Schilling, but he definitely has some real stuff underlying the numbers this year.

 

[Annyong]

4-0, 2.08 is 4-0, 2.08.

But by all means, carry on with the unwarranted hate-fest.

McCarthy has worse career numbers against left handed hitters than right handed hitters.

460.2 IP vs. L - .268/.321/.421

468.2 IP vs. R - .262/.310/.420

Virtually even.

virtually

 

[MAC_32]

4-0, 2.08 is 4-0, 2.08.

But by all means, carry on with the unwarranted hate-fest.

McCarthy has worse career numbers against left handed hitters than right handed hitters. Everyone knows how much Yankee Stadium caters to left handed hitters. Let's take a closer look at the three teams he faced at home thus far:

Teams & their slash lines batting left

Cincinnati: .237/.310/.362

Texas: .240/.316/.349

Detroit: .245/.323/.377

In three starts by a pitcher with worse L stats than R stats in a park that helps L hitters, he has faced two bottom five teams and a bottom ten team. Those numbers don't even take into account that both the Rangers and Reds were decimated by injuries when McCarthy faced them.

His WHIP in his two road starts as a Yankee is 1.64. His K/9 is 4.42 (awful) and his K% is 10.2% (basically awful). His BABIP is well above league average and considering how bad his K rates are (and looking at his 2014 road stats as a DBack), that's probably not a fluke.

But the important thing is that 4-0, 2.08 is 4-0, 2.08

so, why is his xFIP 2.89?

Spikes in GB%, swstrk, K %, dip in o-contact.

His HR:FB is the varaible. Is it bad luck? Or is it a product of him attacking the zone more and missing too often? If it's the latter then his ERA will remain a lot higher than his xFIP. If it's the former then buy him.

 

[Long Ball Larry]

yes, that is HF/FB is the major problem.

 

[Long Ball Larry]

His z-contact % is 12th-highest.

 

[Donkey Derp]

He's also changed how he throws, is throwing his sinker way more, is throwing a couple mph harder this year, his overall K% is 20.3%, and has a career-high K/9.

I'm not telling you he's Curt Schilling, but he definitely has some real stuff underlying the numbers this year.

Right, this was outlined in this article:

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/the-yankees-bet-on-brandon-mccarthy-and-xfip/

His career xFIP is 4.05 and even though it has been declining, it still averages about 3.7 over the past four seasons even with the 2.89 thus far this season.

Maybe the numbers are real this year, but talking about his W/L and ERA are the last two measures I would use to do so especially when you factor in who his opponents have been.

 

[Good Posting Judge]

Yankees let Matt Thornton go to the Nats via waivers. Don't really get that.

 

[Donkey Derp]

4-0, 2.08 is 4-0, 2.08.

But by all means, carry on with the unwarranted hate-fest.

McCarthy has worse career numbers against left handed hitters than right handed hitters.

460.2 IP vs. L - .268/.321/.421

468.2 IP vs. R - .262/.310/.420

Virtually even.

virtually

Next time when I read:

"And though McCarthy has been looking for a better change up ever since he switched to featuring the sinker, his home run problem this year hasn’t been a function of a platoon split. He’s had a better strikeout, walk and home-run rate against lefties than righties this year. Not that the split is sustainable — he still has slightly worse numbers against lefties than righties for his career — just that lefties can’t be blamed for his homer rate this year.

I will be sure to write "virtually even" instead of "worse" even though "worse" is still a literal translation of "slightly worse"

 

[Long Ball Larry]

dude, you tried to make a grand case about how Yankees stadium was going to be so terrible for him due to it favoring left-handed hitters when the platoon splits for McCarthy don't really suggest that he has a problem with lefties.

I will not abide by the king of twitter being spuriously derided!

 

[Long Ball Larry]

"worse" is still a literal translation of "slightly worse"

I'm not sure that's right.

 

[Donkey Derp]

"worse" is still a literal translation of "slightly worse"

I'm not sure that's right.

Are his career stats vs. left handed hitters better than vs. right handed hitters?

 

[TobiasFunke]

Good stuff from the Royals and their fans to welcome a die-hard fan from South Korea

 

[TobiasFunke]

dude, you tried to make a grand case about how Yankees stadium was going to be so terrible for him due to it favoring left-handed hitters when the platoon splits for McCarthy don't really suggest that he has a problem with lefties.

I will not abide by the king of twitter being spuriously derided!

Joel Embiid is coming for the throne

 

[Donkey Derp]

dude, you tried to make a grand case about how Yankees stadium was going to be so terrible for him due to it favoring left-handed hitters when the platoon splits for McCarthy don't really suggest that he has a problem with lefties.

I will not abide by the king of twitter being spuriously derided!

I would think pitching in Yankee Stadium against a team with good left handed hitters is a problem for any pitcher no matter his L/R splits. I don't think McCarthy has had that opportunity yet this year. Do you?

 

[shadyridr]

Ok enough of this mccarthy chat.

Wtf did the yankees just let go thornton. Makes no sense.

Also, mccutchen has a fractured rib but is not hitting the dl... Yet. Perhaps thats good news. Sounds more like the HBP could have caused the issue. Unreal i lose goldy to a hbp and then the next night they retaliate vs cutch and i lose him too. And some guy in here predicted it might happen as well.

 

[Donkey Derp]

Good stuff from the Royals and their fans to welcome a die-hard fan from South Korea

that's definitely cool. Maybe you should become a fan of the Hanwha Eagles or something?