Game 126, Yankees at Mariners
Wang vs Hernandez, 7:05 pm.
63.5% of Chien-Ming Wang’s balls in play are grounders, best in the American League. 56.2% of Felix Hernandez’s balls in play are grounders, fourth best in the AL. Felix’s GB% in his 12 starts last year was 67%, which is just off the charts for a starting pitcher. In other words, don’t expect the outfielders to get many chances tonight. Jeff Sullivan and I were joking around last night that both teams should go with 5 infielders and 2 outfielders, and after a night of thinking it over, I’m not sure its that crazy.
This will be an interesting matchup for Felix. No A-Rod in the Yankee line-up tonight, so its not quite the juggernaut it usually is, but they’re still extremely patient hitters, and that can give Felix fits. He gets a lot of swings-and-misses on pitches out of the zone, so if NY isn’t biting at those pitches, he could run up a high pitch count pretty quickly. It will be important for Felix to get ahead in the count, and do so with something besides constant first-pitch fastballs.
The line-up is the same as last night.
1. Ichiro, CF
2. Snelling, RF
3. Beltre, 3B
4. Sexson, 1B
5. Ibanez, LF
6. Lopez, 2B
7. Broussard, 1B
8. Betancourt, SS
9. Rivera, C
Another day off for Johjima. He hasn’t started a game since last Saturday. He’s pinch-hitting late in games, so it’s probably not an injury.
Also interesting, this is Snelling’s fourth start in the last five games after Hargrove proclaimed that he “didn’t expect him to play much”. It’s pretty likely that Hargrove was asked to get Doyle in the line-up more often than he originally planned. And the team is certainly better for it.
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Man alive… what is with Joh sitting all of a sudden?
acording to Hargrove, he’d like Rivera to get some more chances to play (um, ok. so what was the last 4 months then?) plus, he and Felix have a rapport. They both speak Spanish, you know.
” It’s pretty likely that Hargrove was asked to get Doyle in the line-up more often than he originally planned. And the team is certainly better for it.”
That makes me happy in a couple ways.
My hope is that they are pumping up Doyle for marketing purposes. He’s been getting some pre- and post- game face time and I am hoping that they are trying to get him set in fan’s minds so he can be a central part of the team next year.
And boy is he gritty. Whoever said you can’t be gritty AND good?
Also interesting, this is Snelling’s fourth start in the last five games after Hargrove proclaimed that he “didn’t expect him to play much”. It’s pretty likely that Hargrove was asked to get Doyle in the line-up more often than he originally planned. And the team is certainly better for it.
Mike Hargrove, aka “Opposite Man!”
“It’s not a platoon.”
“We sent him [Jones] down to give him more playing time.”
“Don’t expect Snelling to play much.”
Ah ha!
On a related note, I don’t know if anyone read Neyer’s chat on ESPN today, but about two-thirds of the way in, I found this gem:
Derek (CT): Say something about the AL West, just for fun.
Rob Neyer: Willie Bloomquist.
Nick (Mission, KS): Rob, Please answer one Royals question today, blah, blah, blah…
Made me laugh pretty hard.
I don’t know if anybody else noticed last night but when asked Hardgrove said he doubted Jones would be back in September because he would have the same struggles as before. But when Buzvasi was asked about Sepetmber call ups the first name he mentioned was Jones being back. Nice to see neither of these guys are even close to being on the same page or know shit from applebutter.
#3– it has been entertaining to hear the pre- and post-game shows the last few days, because the talking heads are obviously just as happy as we are that ‘the little guy in right field’ (as Dave just put it) is back.
Jeff Sullivan and I were joking around last night that both teams should go with 5 infielders and 2 outfielders, and after a night of thinking it over, I’m not sure its that crazy.
If either team had two true CF on their roster, like the Mets did with Beltran and Cameron, it would make it easier to enact this strategy. The other upside of this strategy is that you would probably throw the hitters a little off of their game trying to exploit the missing outfielder, at least the weaker ones.
One of my favorite parts about playing CF in a 3-man softball outfield is cheating towards LCF to make a bigger gap in RCF, and watching guys hit all kinds of pop-ups and weak ground balls while trying too hard to hit it to the gap. Obviously this has almost nothing to do with what major league hitters can do, but I wanted to get in a slowpitch softball reference while it was on my mind.
This does seem exactly like the sort of strategy you might want to give a serious shot with some extreme groundballers in the minors to see how it works out for a few games. Heck, if it wasn’t for the fact that the Red Sox wouldn’t really want you giving up against the Yanks at this point, it’s not like the Mariners shouldn’t be trying off-the-wall stuff at this point to see what sticks.
who fosters this attitude . . . ” tj bohn – i thought it was a good at bat”
Stuart Smalley?
Angie Mentink seemed to be smitten with the Bohn in that interview.
Re- More pt for Doyle
Could it be Bavasi has already canned Grover, and that the only way Grover gets his last month of pay is that he plays the guys the FO wants to see?
Everybody loves the Bohn
Chien-Ming Wang has a rate of just 2.82 strikeouts per 9 innings pitched and a BB/K ratio of just 1/1.15; yet, since 63.5% of the balls hit into play off of him are grounders, he’s an undeniably effective pitcher.
As it was, however, it’d've been nice had the Seattle Mariners acquired Wang and Robinson Cano from the New York Yankees back in 2005 for second baseman Bret Boone, who earned $9,000,000 that year, prior to the season. Of course, during that moment in time almost everyone blasted Wang’s inability to strikeout hitters at a high rate.
ok, you know it has been a long, Hendu-laden road trip when you look up and are actually happy to see Valle.
Abreu looks like he aged six or seven years since last summer. New York will do that to you.
My guess on Johjima is that he’s caught a lot of innings this year and Hargrove is giving him some time off since the M’s are done, done, done.
As it was, however, it’d’ve been nice had the Seattle Mariners acquired Wang and Robinson Cano from the New York Yankees back in 2005 for second baseman Bret Boone, who earned $9,000,000 that year, prior to the season. Of course, during that moment in time almost everyone blasted Wang’s inability to strikeout hitters at a high rate.
I’m not sure Wang would have developed the same way in the M’s system as he did in the Yankees system.
Grounder, Grounder. Good start.
Oh my god what the hell is that thing on Giambi’s face?
Poor 3-1 pitch, still got a grounder out of Abreu.
I didn’t notice, but was the shift still on for Giambi even with a man on?
Felix just shook off Rivera so he could throw a first pitch fastball. No me gusta that.
It’s a trait that increases their value, but I hate the Yankees for their unyielding refusal to swing at anything outside the strike zone. Games take forever to play out, and pitch location is tough to appreciate from most seats in the house. It’s not really very entertaining baseball to watch in person.
25+ pitches already in the first inning for FH – ugh.
My, this game went downhill really fast.
I love the guy, but it could not be more frustrating watching him pitch this year.
FORE!
Oh, impetuous youth.
He has to learn how to pitch. Where’s Crash Davis when you need him?
23 – I disagree, personally. I think it’s great baseball.
And I would enjoy the Mariners a hell of a lot more if they practiced it.
Does he make it through 5ip tonight?
The gun on YES had Felix’s four pitches to Melky Cabrera as 97, 96, 98, 98. Is that right, or is YES’s gun off?
Every single ball hit went between first and second.
Hey look, 3 groundouts!
Add it to the offseason to-do list:
Needs work: Felix’s control.
If I were a Yankee scout:
This kid is hard to beat if you swing at anything that breaks… lay off the curves (swinging and missing is bad for your back anyway) and wait for the fastball when you’re ahead in the count.
Is that right, or is YES’s gun off?
That’s what FSN’s gun has been saying, too.
Meanwhile, Rizzs and Fairly on the radio are going on and on about how Felix “has to establish his fastball” because “it’s his bread and butter pitch” and “he’s hitting 97mph with it.” Then he gets a strike with a first-pitch changeup and they’re amazed.
At least they’re giving Snelling props for being a patient hitter.
He has increased velocity since the All-Star Break
23 – I disagree, personally. I think it’s great baseball.
And I would enjoy the Mariners a hell of a lot more if they practiced it.
It’s great if it’s going your way, but there aren’t enough pitchers around who throw enough strikes to keep the game moving at a reasonable pace. That approach is how we wind up with the 5 hour(!) 9-inning game the Yanks and Red Sox played last Friday.
And when I’m actually at the game, sitting in the only seats I can afford, I basically have to trust that the ump is making the right call all of the time. I might as well be watching someone just flip coins if no one is going to swing. I’d rather see the ball put into play, from an entertainment standpoint.
Of course, it’s not really an issue with a pitcher that can attack the strike zone effectively, but those seem to be in short supply these days.
Listening to them discuss the sum of their knowledge of Australia is painful.
“Walkabout.”
“That what it is?”
“Well, that’s what Crocodile Dundee said.”
“Oh, and a deadly snake.”
Nice little seeing-eye single there.
Plate patience: Good thing.
Doyle sure is making an argument that he’s a for-real major league hitter.
I hear Snelling’s great-grandfather was an officer in the Australian-Hungarian Army during the Great War.
I didn’t notice, but was the shift still on for Giambi even with a man on?
Yes.
Snelling is now 5 for 11 with a few walks in late August. Snelling really wears out late August. Next time late August comes around, the M’s better make sure to get his bat in the line-up.
39 – I get what you’re saying. I guess I’d just phrase it differently. Like, I hate watching pitchers that won’t throw strikes.
I put the odds at Snelling making it through Sept healthy at 25-1…any takers?
Snelling is so patient because he grew up taking swings at drop bears.
pete, don’t even joke about it, let alone talk about taking bets. Let him have a season before you dance on his hospital bed, ok?
Craig Wilson, meet Felix Hernandez.
What joser said, a damned sight more politely than I would have.
#47: $25 of yours to $1 of mine? I’ll take that. In fact, I’ll put down $20 to your $500 that Snelling makes it through the end of September healthy. How do I get a hold of you to collect?
Wrong game, I know, but Salt Lake is losing 8-0 which means the Rainiers might be able to make up some ground (their game is postponed due to rain, so they can’t make up that ground tonight…)
hey! it’s Julio Franco’s 115th birthday!
Though we’re losing… It’s sooo nice to see Felix pitching a ton of ground balls (that one for a DP) and Snelling taking a bunch of pitches, then getting a hit. Makes me happy to be an M’s fan… For once.
I don’t know how great Snelling could end up being at the dish, but DANG its nice to see SOMEONE FINALLY work the effin’ count!!
Ichiro, Yubet, Lopez, Rivera, Jojima, Willie and sometimes Beltre have stretches where you can bet the ol’ farm that they’re hacking at the first pitch in every at bat on a given day.
hey! it’s Julio Franco’s 115th birthday!
My grandfather told me he saw Franco barnstorming with House of Israel when he was a young man.
Er, House of DAVID.
I ruin so many of my own jokes.
bet he looked good in those whiskers.
speaking of whiskers, I think I have it figured out. Giambi is trying to grow Tom Selleck’s mustache. Trying being the operative word here.
Giambi should have read my scouting report.
Good Felix!
Franco really did have trouble hitting Satchiel Paige in Satchiel’s prime
But hey! Who didn’t?
where was that breaking ball?
Grounder, K, K, 11 pitches. Hello good Felix.
looked PERFECT to me
Whiplash Wang.
This is the inning we’re tying it.
betancourt is freakin awesome! even thogh he got out here
Of course he is…
Dave, how has your charting Felix project been going? Any updates?
43, Bobby Valentine’s Porn Mustache: I got it, funny! Australians love those kinds of jokes. Ask ‘em about Arnold Schwartzenegger.
Yeah…like Rene had any chance
This guy seems like the perfect guy to shut us down. Throws strikes, keeps the ball down and is used to getting low pitch counts.
He got hit really hard in his last start though. But unfortunately, our over aggressive, unselective philosophy or whatever (except for Snelling) plays right into Wang’s style.
Re: John in LA-LA, #29, yes, my ideal team has _no_ one who swings at a pitch outside the zone, except a bordreline fastball with men on base that they’re looking for. And I love watching games like that. And this quality is one of the few things I enjoy about the recent iteration of the Yankers, but I do respect that much. And it’s a significant part of the reason why their lineups are so tough and relentless.
I’m totally psyched to see/hear Doyle getting PT, and having good ABs. I’m glad Bohn is up, too. I’d been hoping that TJ would round into a servicable 4th OFer, though he hasn’t hit enough this year to make that very likely. Still, let’s give him some PT and find out.
why didnt ichiro run??!!!
OK, that didn’t work out as I had hoped.
Oh, Ichiro. The giving up makes my heart hurt.
Ichiro is now ___ hits off his 2004 pace!
76. That did make mine too. that is unacceptable
uhh, good felix where did you go?
Re: Beltre, the biggist difference I see in him now as opposed to in his bad stretches is that he’s keeping his head on the ball really well. Early this year, Adrian was lunging at the outside pitch, snatching at the inside pitch, and was generally poorly balanced. Now, his upper body is completely still, and his head is on the ball, allowing him to torque his bat through the zone with consistent authority. In consequence, he’s commanding the middle and inner parts of the zone pretty well. Last night, Beltre nailed a couple of mistakes—but he’s supposed to be able to do that, and now is swinging well enough to do so.
I suspect we are seeing ‘good Adrian’ at his best right now: this is his optimum package.
77. ichiro got #200 in game 126 in 2004, same as tonight, 172 as now
I’m sorry, but is Craig Wilson bunting?
so 28 off pace
82. i have no idea
6 pitches to Mr. Wilson, 2 strike-outs.
nive play doyle…..o crap!
nice not nive
Hmmmm…
Are we doing ANYTHING well tonight as a team?
Throwing error by Snelling?? What the hell?
wtf…error on snelling…..my god!
yu bet!
I don’t recall ever seeing a play like that scored an error on the outfielder. That’s nuts.
#52 $5 minimum $25 max
Its not that I want him to get injured. I just see a money making opportunity here. Do you honestly believe he will be healthy the rest of the year or do you just like the odds?
*sigh* Felix is going to be soooo good some day. Now . . . R-O-O-K-I-E is how you spell him.
93 – Personally, what I don’t like is you talking about it.
Sweet. We see both the bad Felix (comparatively of course) and Pinero back to back.
this is a good day!
sigh
Funny how now that its 6-0, he FINALLY gets a borderline strike called. Actually the pitch looked really low.
Great…now we need a td AND an extra point. Hopefully Grover will go for two.
now if there was any chance of winning, …its gone
95 – Me talking about it has nothing to do with whether or not it will happen. Whatever, I’ll drop it…
Felix has had terrible luck all year. Every bad pitch has been spanked, grounders have found holes with ungodly precision, and the organization has pounded a poor pitching philosophy into his head. This is miserable to watch.
anybody here ever checked out http://www.patneshek.com? its sweet
umm… at least he’s still getting grounders, maybe we should have tried that five infielder thing
104. yep
pineiro delivery is differant
96: You really have this thing figured out.
101. Thank you for dropping it. It’s an odious subject.
Uh, never mind 107, I’m not quite sure what I was thinking.
101 – I know you’re right, but thank you.
I wonder how long it’s going to take before Felix really gets his head screwed on, learns to pitch, and brings it all together. It took Randy Johnson five seasons. Johan Santana had his Cy Young year in his fifth year in the majors (though it was his first year as a full-time starter).
He’s still young. But it make take a few years.
crap. I’m gone for 30 minutes and what the hell happened? 7 runs? Joel? Error on Doyle? huh? so, did Felix pitch count get up too high that he got pulled? Did he give up all his own runs? What was Doyle’s error?
#111- it took RJ more than 5 years. He pitched in college, too. Felix is still 20.
What bothers me is that Sleep Country lady just rattles on happily as if she doesn’t even care the M’s are down 7-0
King does seem extremely unlucky. And I know that happens when you are a sinker-baller, but its been very discouraging to watch. Not too mention he doesnt get ANY calls..and I wonder if thats because he is young and hasnt “earned” it yet or because he never shows displeasure with an umpire. Maybe if he pounded his chest a little more and was a whiner like RJ he would get a few more calls.
Julio Franco played with Mike Hargrove, you know. Not for, with. Julio Franco played with Toby Harrah and Andre Thonrton. Julio Franco played with Bake McBride and Bert Blyleven and Steve Carlton.
Julio Franco played with Pete Rose.
Remember Neal Heaton? Neal Heaton played with Julio Franco. Neal Heaton is younger than Julio Franco. Brook Jacoby is younger than Julio Franco. Mel Hall and Joe Carter are younger than Julio Franco. Jesse Barfield, Lloyd Moseby, and George Bell are all younger than Julio Franco. Jimmie Key is younger than Julio Franco. Tony Fernandez is three years younger than Julio Franco. Cecil Fielder is five years younger than Julio Franco.
Alvin Davis is younger than Julio Franco. So is Jim Presley. Spike Owen, Ivan Calderon, Harold Reynolds, Darnell Coles, Mike Moore, Mark Langston, and Mike Morgan are younger than Julio Franco. Danny Tartabull is four years younger than Julio Franco. So is Edwin Nunez.
Don Mattingly is younger than Julio Franco. Henry Cotto is younger than Julio Franco. Did you know that Bob Melvin is younger than Julio Franco? Cal Ripken is younger than Julio Franco. Larry Sheets and Storm Davis are younger than Julio Franco. Roch Gedman and Oil Can Boyd are younger than Julio Franco. Mike Greenwell is five years younger than Julio Franco. So is Bret Saberhagen.
Mark Gubicza is younger than Julio Franco. Devon White and Dick Schofield are four years younger than Julio Franco. Mike Witt and Kirk McCaskill are younger than Julio Franco. Ozzie Guillen is five years younger than Julio Franco.
Kent Hrbek is younger than Julio Franco. So are Greg Gagne and Tom Brunansky and the late Kirby Puckett. Frank Viola is younger than Julio Franco. Mickey Tettleton is younger than Julio Franco, and so are Curt Young and Steve Ontiveros. Jose Rijo is six years younger than Julio Franco.
Steve Buechele is younger than Julio Franco. Oddibe McDowell is four years younger than Julio Franco. Terry Pendleton, Vince Coleman, and Andy Van Slyke are younger than Julio Franco. Willie McGee is younger than Julio Franco. Wally Backman, Howard Johnson, Daryl Strawberry, Ron Darling, Rick Aguilera, Roger McDowell, and Calvin Schiraldi are younger than Julio Franco. Lenny Dystra and Sid Fernandez are four years younger than Julio Franco. Dwight Gooden is six years younger.
Jesse Orosco is not younger than Julio Franco.
I could go on, but I’m tired.
God bless Julio Franco.
heck, Jamie Moyer is younger than Franco.
how did Doyle get a throwing error?
Also, I’m pretty new to this site. Does Johjima get slammed for the way he catches King? He is hopeless trying to frame Kings 97mph sinker.
Only when he’s wearing his Rene Rivera suit.
you did notice that Joh wasn’t catching Felix, right?
116
Now THAT is some great research! Pretty sure Orosco played his first MLB season under John McGraw
Anyone see that the Royals are trying to pull a rarity? Getting ten runs in the first and possibly NOT winning. 13-13 in the 9th vs Cleveland.
Scraps: wow. take a well-deserved rest.
Hey! Pineiro in relief gives up fewer runs than Pineiro as a starter. So far.
Tonight, yes. I’m talking in general…like I said I’m new here so it was more of a question about what peoples opinions were on Joh’s receiving ability…especially for Felix.
I know KJ should be out there…just wondering if I was on an island with this one.
wtf…error on snelling…..my god!
It’s like….like….he’s human! OMGWTF?
124. i meant that shood not have been an error. think befor you speak!
Doyle threw a fine one-hopper to Yuni, the cutoff man, that the latter ole’d on between his legs. Why that was E-9 I don’t get. Also don’t get why Betancourt’s defense has fallen off so noticeably. And don’t get why Ichiro is swinging at bouncers. Check the water cooler.
Re 125… um. Yeah.
Think.
#115 – Sometimes you just need to chalk it up to inexperience. Face it, he’s a 20-year-old being a 20-year-old. In the history of baseball, how many 20-year-old’s have dominated the way King was expected to this year? I can count them on one hand. Also, as for him being “unlucky” and “not getting calls”, sometimes it helps to be objective and state the obvious. He’s not yet a pitcher and to date has got by on pure stuff. Against a team like the Yankees, “stuff” without “pitching” doesn’t translate well.
Will someone just fire Hargrove and Bavasi now?
With them at their respective helms, the “Good Ship Mariner” is turning (or turned) into the “Titanic”.
I have a feeling though Bill Bavasi might be seeing the iceberg up ahead ever since the 0-11 roadtrip if you know what I mean.
I think the question right now would be if Mike Hargrove will be soon to follow.
And I think we all know how that is going to turn out because of the OBVIOUS public outcry for the pink slip to be issued in the papers and on message boards like this.
Certainly Mike Hargrove doesn’t care enough right now to put Kenji Johjima in the game and instead hit Renee Rivera.
Yuck!
Rene.
and having now seen the play, I am not sure how that was a throwing error. Was he supposed to hit Betancourt’s mitt?
as for Betancourt’s defense declining, he may well be tired as he (and everyone else) have been given few days off by their manager.
I keep searching, in vain, for signs that Abreu is having problems adjusting to the hot house of American League pitching. Why is it *our* trades have this problem and the Yankees ?
That’s an essentially rhetorical question, of course, but still.
‘and not the Yankees’ is what that was supposed to say.
You know…I’m just not ready to jump on the fire Bavasi bandwagon just yet. Clearly, Grover needs to go, but Bavasi has his good and bad points.
I’ve never been so happy to see a player’s bat not move off his shoulder.
Sniff.
If there was a statistic titled “best AB’s”, Abreu would be at the top of the list. He knows the zone like few hitters in the game.
Aaaannnd I manage to jinx it. Sorry.
Any team that can get a base hit in an inning yet still only take 5 pitches in the whole inning like the beloved M’s did in the 5th should be publicly flogged between innings.
By the way sorry for bringing up Johjima’s receiving ability. I wasnt able to get any responses for that. Next time I want a response I’ll just type “DOYLE” over and over again, that seems to get people talking.
If you want a response in a game thread, you’re more likely to get one if you bring up something that’s relevant to the current game. Just sayin’.
#116 — that’s riffing on something Bill James once wrote, isn’t it?
I guess now I know the rules. Its not really consistent with the other 130+ posts…but OK, now I know.
I hadn’t actually checked lately– here in game 126, we can see the games played this season. Can’t think why any one might need a day off:
Ichiro!, 125
Beltre, 124
Ibanez, 123
Betancourt, 123
Sexson, 121
Lopez 116
Johjima, 113
Rivera, 27
I just got home. What is up with Felix? He’s had no command lately. With stuff like his he should be pounding the strike zone Jake Woods style.
#138 – Here’s your answer, because the real question you want answered has nothing to do with KJ’s receiving ability and everything to do with King’s disappointing year. King has struggled this year because:
A) He’s 20
B) He’s pitching in the AL against the best hitting teams in baseball.
C) He’s 20
D) He doesn’t control the strike zone.
E) He’s 20
#141– it is a subject that has come up before– most recently just a week ago here after Finnigan’s odd column equating ability to catcher ERA
Why did WFB hit for Beltre? I just got in a few minutes ago so I didn’t see.
145- thank you MSB
#143 Jake Woods style? I hope that was a joke?
140: Yep. Though I don’t now remember who James was writing about.
Pete, of course game threads meander. You were complaining about not getting a response; I explained why. Nothing to do with “rules”.
Nice stroke, Richie. So, that puts the go ahead run where, in the neonatal ward at Harborview?
Tying run in the (black) hole.
Great to see Grover makes another abortion of a move by having WFB inserted into the game as our white flag. Naturally he had to make an out before we got four straight hits. Nothing like trying to start a rally with an automatic out.
Hard to believe we suffered through Everett for all those months. Broussard and to a lesser extent Perez have been a breath of fresh air.
#116 What did you do, go through your old baseball card collection to pull all those names out? It’s like I just opened a box of 1986 Topps wax packs, only I would never be given a whole box!
mmmm! the gum is still fresh and just crumbles in your mouth.
155, I just spent a bit of time at baseball-reference.com.
btw, nice article on Doyle by Corey Brock today, plus a paragraph on Mateo the Vulture.
144 – Thanks. Thats what I wanted to know.
oh, hey, I remember this pitcher.
Here’s a question (watching Red Sox/Angels game right now too), what would you rather. A full season of Grover at the helm or a full season of the Red Sox bullpen. They’re just awful.
#158 – you’re welcome Dot rat.
not that watching Joel implode again isn’t inspiring, but the top All-Time play for the Orioles is Brooks Robinson ranging about 10-15 feet to his right during the 70 WS, and throwing out Lee May as he races down the line to 1st. Nice pick by Boog at the other end. Nice.
161 – it took me two posts, but I figured it out.
The Mariners really are better than many of us have given them credit for. After all the Yankees are only beating us by about the same margin they beat the Boston Red Sox, a legitimate pennant-contending team.
Julio Franco played with Mike Hargrove, you know. Not for, with.
The first major league I went to was the summer before my high school senior year. 1989, Arlington Stadium. And who was playing second? Julio Franco.
He was in his eighth year in MLB.
bohn on deck
So, with Randy pitching tomorrow, and taking into account that Doyle only has 1 hit today and made an “error”, there’s probably no way in hell Hargrove lets him play tomorrow. Glad to have you back Willie.
166 – God I hate you Grover.
well, of course, wouldn’t want to send a lefty batter up against a lefty pitcher. oh, wait, Ichiro is a lefty. um. hmn.
mmmm! the gum is still fresh and just crumbles in your mouth.
Sorry, I want to keep my teeth intact.
Unlike some of you, I remember when the gum was the size of the card. It was huge. Try fitting that in a six year old’s mouth.
Still mad at mom for tossing my ‘79 Topps collection, but with the collapse of the market, not as much as I used to be.
Apparently Bohn for Snelling is de rigeur for the 8th inning whether the game is tied or we’re down by seven.
Hmmm…big shocker here:
Yanks have drawn EIGHT walks, M’s with their usual amount of zero.
I’m so fucking sick of that slow mo dark piece of shit camera that is supposed to show us the batters swing. WORTHLESS
Good thing Angie thinks he’s hot because otherwise Bohn…is not.
Ataboy Bohn. Twice you’ve pinch hit for a real hitter, and twice you’ve struck out.
vintage willie.
it was a big piece of gum & it had an alluring smell, but it had no taste, it was darned hard to chew, and once you had successfully chewed it a few times, it turned to cement and your jaw muscles froze.
it did make the baseball cards smell good, though.
I’m glad I watched “F for Fake” instead of “K for Krappy Team.”
what happened to bubela?
If we make a comeback to tie the game by the next 7 batters scoring, capped by an Ichiro! homer, that would leave Bohn and Bloomquist up to bat…
I would rather they go down 1,2,3 then even have the possibility of that scenario begin to play out.
#178– so, now you are all set for The Hoax…
181… except I loathe Richard Gere.
I’ll go see Black Dahlia and Hollywoodland, though.
sadly, I don’t envision a mighty comeback this inning.
#182– but, he has dyed hair! he must be Acting!
Unlike some of you, I remember when the gum was the size of the card.
It’s not anymore?
I’m so fucking sick of that slow mo dark piece of shit camera that is supposed to show us the batters swing.
On the other hand, I would LOVE to have it right behind the catcher, so we can watch the delivery and the spinning seams on the ball…
I bet the gum isn’t allowed to actually touch the baseball cards these days, either
BTW, that crazy KC-CLE game where KC jumped out to a 10-1 lead in the first and then spent the rest of the game gradually giving it up? The Indians tied it at 13 with four runs in the 9th; the tying run was driven in by a triple hit by a pinch-hitting Choo. And then Cleveland got 2 in the 10th to win it, 15-13.
179. He’s not in the minor league database, and a quick google search only had information up to last year.
What did happen to Bubela?
Awkward television moment with Brad Adam on FSN: “The 4th inning was [Felix] ‘coming out… uh, I guess ‘coming undone’ inning….”
Careful Brad. Better pencil-neck geeks than you have lost their jobs over such verbal miscues.
That pink stuff always seemed like a vague simulation of gum anyway, like it was produced by Martians who had only seen photos of double-bubble and didn’t know its actual purpose. I mean, what kind of gum shatters when dropped? Isn’t “brittle gum” kind of oxymoronic? The smell was nice, though.
what happened to bubela?
I believe he retired last autumn.
I’d love to see a reporter ask Hargrove:
“Mike, twice you’ve pinch-hit for Snelling with Bohn against a left-handed pitcher. Do you really think Snelling can’t hit lefties? Do you think he’d do any worse than Bohn? Could you give us some sort of insight as to your mindset? Do you hate Snelling?”
Re #149: I dug up This Time Let’s Not Eat the Bones to check, and it was Phil Niekro, in 1986.
Though I disagree with your listing Puckett as younger than Franco; I think James got that right when he wrote, “Phil Niekro is older than Tommie Aaron, except that Aaron is dead and you can’t get any older than dead.”
you know… Wang is one of the lowest strike out pitcher in the league.. and the M’s wiffed 5 times in 7 innings against him….
Bubela was at ST, but was released after the spring… haven’t heard anything since then…
oh, it’s a good night for the postgame show. the first caller who was mad the Mariners used advertising to try to get you to come see Felix pitch, because obviously he couldn’t and who also wondered how soon the Ms would say Safeco was outdated because Steinbrenner was building a billion dollar stadium. He was followed by the guy who wanted to get rid on anyone over 30, because player obviously declined at 30 and they needed to get rid of Meche & Pineiro & Ichiro & Ibanez while they still had value.
Well, yeah. I forgot Ivan Calderon was dead, too.
Phil Bradley is younger than Julio Franco. Phil Bradley has been out of baseball for sixteen years.
Bo Jackson is four years younger than Julio Franco.
poking around a little, I’d forgotten Bubela had just started the new quarter at Houston Baptist last year when he was called up after Jamal got hurt in Sept.; I bet he’s finishing his degree.
Okay now, that’s enough of T.J. Bohn pinch hitting for Snelling.
With The Unit on the mound for the yanks tomorrow, I assume Bohn gets the start over Doyle. Oh well.
The Voice of the Mariner Fan:
A caller just said he wants to bench Sexson in favor of Bloomquist at first base.
Since Franco made his debut, MLB has added four teams and moved one franchise.
Of the 26 stadiums in use when Franco made his major league debut, 9 are still standing (though Anaheim has been extensively remodeled, Kauffman got a name change, and the Coliseum has had three sponsors).
The Giants have lost 100 games once and won 100 games twice during his tenure.
The entire Marlins existence (creation, two World Series titles, two selloffs, and a possible move out of town) didn’t start until two years after Franco collected his 1500th hit.
ok, I didn’t think it could get any better, but a guy waited and waited on hold to say that he was much more imoressed by Willie Bloomquist than Richie Sexson — and he’d gone to the game tonight– and why not put him on 1st and let him play and his average would surely rise.
I seem to remember a line where Franco played with somebody who played with somebody who played with Ruth (or maybe Gehrig).
201:
Ruth –> Elbie Fletcher (’35 Boston Braves) –> Warren Spahn (’49 Braves) –> Phil Niekro (’64 Milwaukee Braves) –> Franco (’87 Indians)
Gehrig –> Bill Dickey (’28 Yankees) –> Yogi Berra (’46 Yankees) –> Tug McGraw (’65 Mets) –> Franco (’82 Phillies)
There are at least six managers younger than Julio Franco: Ozzie Guillen, Bob Melvin, Mike Scioscia, Eric Wedge, Terry Francona, and John Gibbons.
I wonder how John Franco felt to be pitching at 45 as the second-oldest Franco in the game.
One more: Rafael Palmeiro played twenty years in the league before being disgraced and out of a job this year. He debuted four years after Franco.
His brother is a fourth outfielder and pinch-hitter for Houston and is 11 years younger than Franco, but he has 86 PA to Franco’s 124. Franco’s VORP is 1.7, Palmeiro’s is -7.0. Again, Franco is 47 years old.
48!
191: From the Corey Brock article in 157:
Rookie outfielder T.J. Bohn, recalled from Tacoma on Tuesday, didn’t exactly get a soft landing in his first game. Bohn struck out in the eighth inning as a pinch-hitter with the game tied and with two runners on. “It’s a tough first at-bat in the big leagues but he came to play. I felt like it was the right move to make and I’ll do it again,” said Hargrove.
All I can say is “…”
From the David Andriesen P-I Article this morning:
“‘I know Hargrove uses his bench guys a lot and I knew it was a possibility,’ Bohn said Wednesday.”
Obviously, a new callup.
Theis by B.S. err..B.F. Finnigan
“With catcher Rene Rivera trying hard to establish Hernandez’s considerable fastball (one problem regular catcher Kenji Johjima has had is calling too many off-speed pitches), the youngster’s first 16 pitches were all heaters.”
208, AAAAHHHHHHHH! How are paid journalists allowed to disseminate such trash? And, in reference especially to Hargrove’s quote referenced in comment 206…
…How much would you guys pay to fire him yourself? I really, really wish I could be a fly on the wall to hear Bavasi really dress him down sometime. I know I wouldn’t want to get yelled by Bavasi; he seems like he could be pretty damn intimidating if he wanted to.
From Larry Stone this morning, re:Doyle
“Speaking before the game, Rohn had said, “He’s (Doyle) probably seen more pitches in the last week than some of our guys have seen in two weeks.”"
210 – All the more reason to sit is ass down in the middle of big spot, right? Because lefties can never hit lefties, right?
Wow, #116…that took me back to childhood and the Chuck Cottier years.
Ok so I’m getting convinced that Jered Weaver is 5X better than Felix Hernandez. I think Felix will be a 20 game winner in a few years though.
No, Jered Weaver isn’t better, he’s simply older, more developed, more polished (and somewhat luckier). He has thus been more effective this season, but that doesn’t make him better in any meaningful way.
#201– the Mets came up with a 6-degrees for Franco… “Six degrees of separation connecting Franco to Deacon White, recorder of major league baseball’s first-ever hit. That’s right: Franco played with Tug McGraw, who played with Yogi Berra, who played with Bob Newsom, who played with Charley O’Leary, who played with Sam Thompson, who played with White — who, in 1871, inaugurated this league.”
oh, and I guess it is Doyle Day. Dave Boling, Corey Brock, and Larry Stone all have articles.
When Julio Franco finally retires, I will, for the first time in my life, be older than anyone playing Major League Baseball.
. . . sigh . . .
True #213..age has a lot to do with it…like a bottle of wine or Jamie Moyer….so yeah King Felix will be a force in his late 20’s and early 30’s, I hope he becomes a career Mariner but doubt that, nice to see him still throwing hard stuff in his early 40’s.
#198 and #200. RE: fan calling in to suggest Willie Bloomquist take Richie Sexson’s place playing 1B.
Has to be a Yankee-fan transplant living in Seattle who called in…when you visit nyyfans.com you see all kinds of brilliant suggestions like that. The Mariners don’t need any more idiotic lineup/fielding changes (#206/191/157) scuttling their season than they already get from their manager.
Brian Rust: me too. That’s when you’re officially old. Franco’s had me holding on FOREVER, though; it was YEARS ago I started tracking this. “Charlie Hough retired? Damn, there’s another one”.