Baseball 2014 (1 Viewer)

[maddadicus]

Phil Hughes, ex-NYY pitcher, has gone 16-10 for the Twins this year but the remarkable part of this is he has set the major-league record for strikeout to walk ration. He struck out 186 batters while walking only 16 (that's right, sixteen) batters in 209.2 innings this season. That works out to a 11.63 to 1 ratio. Absolutely amazing. This record is for those with enough qualified innings (162) as opposed to relief pitchers who might have better ratios but not enough innings to qualify, such as Dennis Eckersley in '89 and '90 when he had 18 to 1 ratios. -- Al

Phil more times than not, failed in the glaring spotlight of Yankee Stadium. Was a HR and walk producing machine when he was here and usually a 5 inning pitcher as best. Always had great stuff which failed him 90% of the time in the clutch. Phil and CC Sabathia combined to blow the Yanks chances of the playoffs last year with incredibly sub par efforts. Phil will do fine in a loosing team atmosphere where he cannot cost them anything of note..Michael

 

[jazzeum]

Tonight might be DJ's last game, if they play it (with the rains coming in). He hasn't committed to play in Boston. The asking price for field box seats tonight at Yankee Stadium is $15,000.

 

[lancer]

Phil more times than not, failed in the glaring spotlight of Yankee Stadium. Was a HR and walk producing machine when he was here and usually a 5 inning pitcher as best. Always had great stuff which failed him 90% of the time in the clutch. Phil and CC Sabathia combined to blow the Yanks chances of the playoffs last year with incredibly sub par efforts. Phil will do fine in a loosing team atmosphere where he cannot cost them anything of note..Michael

True enough, Hughes was a bust in NY. It's just a remarkable record, considering all that have gone before. It is interesting, the number of pitchers that fail in the glare of playing for the NYY's. I remember others like AJ Burnett and Jeff Weaver who flopped in the Big Apple. -- Al

 

[jazzeum]

To be honest, neither of those pitchers were really that good. Burnett has always been an enigma wherever he goes and Weaver had some success with the Cards but not too much after that. He will best be remembered as Jared's brother.

 

[lancer]

I'm an O's fan but baseball doesn't get any better than tonight when Derek Jeter got the game-winning hit/RBI in the bottom of the 9th, in his last at bat at Yankees Stadium. You gotta love this game.^&grin:salute:: -- Al

 

[sammy719]

Congrats to Jeter, the game wasn't going to end any other way, I knew that first thing this morning, terrible rain all day and then miraculous it clears off and once the O's tied it in the 9th, well you could feel what was going to happen!! So again congrats to D. Jeter and the Yankees on a good season...Sammy

 

[jazzeum]

I saw the replays and what an ending. You couldn't improve on that! No matter what team you root for, you have to love Jeter.

 

[Panzer ace]

Great night for Jeter, I just saw the highlights.

I also thought it was a class move by the O's players to come to the edge of the dugout and give Jeter a round of applause at the end of the game.

 

[maddadicus]

Imagine if Buck had walked Jeter to set up a DP opportunity..Knowing Buck to be a good XS and OS guy, it is fair to ask, why not, except in respect to the moment..Got to thank him for that:salute::..Michael

 

[maddadicus]

If you go to the MLB Orioles baseball site, most of the O's fans are saying the whole game was fixed and Buck did not try to win..You cannot make this stuff up...Yankee site is just as nuts, after losses..but really? Michael

 

[Warrior]

What a storybook ending to CI's career; game winning hit in the bottom of the ninth that puts the Yankees into the playoffs.

Oh wait............

I heard they are digging up the dirt at shortstop to be sold to Yankees fans; wow, ok then, is the dirt between short and third being offered at a discount as he rarely touched it.

Don't get me wrong, he was a very good player and was the straw that stirred the drink when they won all those championships in the late 1990's, probably one of the top 50 players I'll see in my lifetime.

Why he gets treated as the best is beyond my comprehension, but he's a Yankee, so connect the dots.

Saw Harold Reynolds crying last night on MLB network; is there anyway CI can take him with him once he retires?

 

[lancer]

Imagine if Buck had walked Jeter to set up a DP opportunity..Knowing Buck to be a good XS and OS guy, it is fair to ask, why not, except in respect to the moment..Got to thank him for that:salute::..Michael

Michael, this was the first subject of the post-game shows. The general consensus was that Buck was never going to walk Jeter in that situation (baseball common sense, or not) and was going to go with the moment. Buck had such respect for Jeter that he was not going to take the bat out of his hands. It worked out well for Jeter and the NYY, not so much for the O's, but it is now one of those memorable baseball moments that the game is known for. It made me smile. :smile2: -- Al

 

[lancer]

Phil Hughes, ex-NYY pitcher, has gone 16-10 for the Twins this year but the remarkable part of this is he has set the major-league record for strikeout to walk ration. He struck out 186 batters while walking only 16 (that's right, sixteen) batters in 209.2 innings this season. That works out to a 11.63 to 1 ratio. Absolutely amazing. This record is for those with enough qualified innings (162) as opposed to relief pitchers who might have better ratios but not enough innings to qualify, such as Dennis Eckersley in '89 and '90 when he had 18 to 1 ratios. -- Al

Apparently there are some players in baseball with a sense of integrity. Hughes had a contract incentive worth $500K if he reached 210 innings pitched for the season. Rain cost him his final scheduled start the other night, meaning he would finish the season with 209.2 innings pitched, 1 out short of his $500K bonus. He has turned down the offer to be inserted as a starter or reliever, made by the Twins, to reach his goal. Because the Twins were not involved in a pennant race, Hughes did not feel it correct to take someone else's spot in a game just to get that 1 out. Bravo, Mr. Hughes.:salute:: -- Al

 

[Warrior]

Apparently there are some players in baseball with a sense of integrity. Hughes had a contract incentive worth $500K if he reached 210 innings pitched for the season. Rain cost him his final scheduled start the other night, meaning he would finish the season with 209.2 innings pitched, 1 out short of his $500K bonus. He has turned down the offer to be inserted as a starter or reliever, made by the Twins, to reach his goal. Because the Twins were not involved in a pennant race, Hughes did not feel it correct to take someone else's spot in a game just to get that 1 out. Bravo, Mr. Hughes.:salute:: -- Al

If that's the case, then the Twinkies should give the kid the dough, integrity is a two way street.......................

 

[lancer]

The Nats Doug Fister just finished a fine 3-hit ,(all by the same guy), complete game shutout of Miami to give the Nats their 94th win of the season and HFA throughout however long their playoff run lasts. Fister finishes 16-6 with a 2.41 ERA. Not bad for a pitcher who missed the first 5 weeks of the season. -- Al

 

[Panzer ace]

The Nats Doug Fister just finished a fine 3-hit ,(all by the same guy), complete game shutout of Miami to give the Nats their 94th win of the season and HFA throughout however long their playoff run lasts. Fister finishes 16-6 with a 2.41 ERA. Not bad for a pitcher who missed the first 5 weeks of the season. -- Al

Al:

That should really help the Nats in the playoffs, and it looks like the Giants will play them if they win their wildcard game.

-Jason

 

[lancer]

Don't particularly care for the way the O's took their foot off the accelerator once they clinched. They have gone only 5-6 since clinching and the whole team has been a bit sloppy. Hope they can get it back together on demand.
The Nats have taken the opposite tact and kept the pedal to the metal. They have gone 8-3 since clinching. All 3 losses were games started by minor-league call ups. The regular starting pitchers have won 12 straight decisions.
I hope there is nothing significant in the O's ending on a so-so note and that it is just a form of cruising but I still don't like it. By the same line of reasoning, I hope the Nats aren't over-prepared and overconfident. -- Al

 

[lancer]

Boy, I love baseball. Nats saved the best for last. Jordan Zimmermann, IMO the best of the Nats starting pitchers, won a 1-0 no-hitter to close out the regular season. He fanned 10, walked 1, and the only real danger was, naturally, the last hitter of the game, who sent a shot into the left-center gap. It was run down and caught on a diving play by the left fielder, who had just entered the game as a defensive replacement. It is worth mentioning that the Nats played the last half of the game with second and third stringers, as the regulars were rested. This includes the left fielder who saved the no-hitter, who was a late season call up. This is the first no-hitter in Nats history. Zimm's opposing pitcher was the Marlin's Alvarez, who had thrown a no-hitter on the last day of the 2013 season. What goes around... At any rate, this was a terrifically pitched game, on both sides, and was a real pleasure to watch. Congratulations, Jordan Zimmermann. :salute:: -- Al

 

[Panzer ace]

Boy, I love baseball. Nats saved the best for last. Jordan Zimmermann, IMO the best of the Nats starting pitchers, won a 1-0 no-hitter to close out the regular season. He fanned 10, walked 1, and the only real danger was, naturally, the last hitter of the game, who sent a shot into the left-center gap. It was run down and caught on a diving play by the left fielder, who had just entered the game as a defensive replacement. It is worth mentioning that the Nats played the last half of the game with second and third stringers, as the regulars were rested. This includes the left fielder who saved the no-hitter, who was a late season call up. This is the first no-hitter in Nats history. Zimm's opposing pitcher was the Marlin's Alvarez, who had thrown a no-hitter on the last day of the 2013 season. What goes around... At any rate, this was a terrifically pitched game, on both sides, and was a real pleasure to watch. Congratulations, Jordan Zimmermann. :salute:: -- Al

Al:

The one two punch of Zimmermann and Strasburg is going to be tough for anyone to face in the playoffs. I think the Giants can beat the Pirates in the one game wildcard but facing the Nats after that is a whole different story.

-Jason

 

[lancer]

Al:

The one two punch of Zimmermann and Strasburg is going to be tough for anyone to face in the playoffs. I think the Giants can beat the Pirates in the one game wildcard but facing the Nats after that is a whole different story.

-Jason

Hope we get to face the Giants, as well, although it's a tough playing against my second favorite NL team. Been a Giants fan since the early 60's. The Nats pitching is in good shape. We have 5 guys that the manager has complete faith in. There is a good chance that our second winningest pitcher, Roark (15-10), will be in the bullpen. I expect to see a 4 man rotation of Strasburg (14-11), Zimmermann (14-5), Fister (16-6), and Gonzalez (10-10). The starters are on a roll and went 18-4 as a group in September, and come into the playoffs having won their last 13 starts with a sub 1 ERA. The Nat's biggest weakness lays in the offense which has a bad habit of leaving runners on base. They sometimes make it harder on their pitchers than need be. In today's no-hitter, the Nats got 11 base hits and 1 run. As a further example, in the last 4 games against Miami, the Nats left a total of 37 runners on base. It is a weakness that can be exploited if an opponents pitching can do it. We'll see. -- Al