Mid-season? Really?
As expected, MLB today announced it will begin using instant replay for “boundary calls”–basically, wether or not home runs were fair or foul, interfered with, or went over the wall at all. The unexpected part is that the new system begins… Thursday. (Wire story here, more detailed MLB.com story here)
Not during spring training, not to be tested during the Arizona Fall League, not put in place over the All-Star break… Thursday. Right in the middle of the season. It’s unclear to me from these stories how much testing has taken place. I hope it’s a least a little bit, because starting something like this on a random day in the middle of the season seems, well, like something only MLB would do.
Game 131, Twins at Mariners
Oh man, Liriano v Batista? This is going to be so awesome!
It could, of course, be a fine pitching matchup. But I can’t be the only one who looks at tonight’s game with some degree of dread. Batista facing a good-hitting Twins team? Ugh.
Mark Lowe was optioned to Tacoma, and Randy Messenger is up in his stead. Lowe’s foot is injured after taking that liner off it Saturday, and he was reportedly on crutches yesterday, so there you are.
Ahhh, Minnesota
The M’s just managed as many victories against the A’s that series as they did all of 2006. Now, welcome to the Twins– Check out these probables.
Liriano vs Batista (in his re-re-re-return to the rotation)
Baker v RRS
Perkins v “TBA”
Yeah, this could get really, really ugly. Like spend a couple bucks on a gas mask ugly.
Tragedy or comedy
Good things
Ichiro, three games in first place, McLaren fired, Bavasi fired, the improvement of Riggleman, Morrow’s development, Morrow going to start, Felix starts, nice return on Rhodes trade, RRS ascent to rotation, Vidro release, Sexson release, Beltre, Clement promotion, Clement re-promotion, Ibanez’s hitting, continued if diminished fan support, anger of the Lincoln/Armstrong post-Bavasi-firing conference, Lopez’s hitting, improved outfield defense, the most valuable Bloomquist season in years, Burke pitching, LaHair getting a shot, the return of a healthy Mark Lowe, the July 28th game where the M’s hit four home runs, three walk-off wins, Wilkerson released, Sean Green, four shutouts, twelve wins by five or more runs, hope (however small) for a organizational overhaul this winter, and 48 wins.
Bad things
McLaren started the season as manager, team offense, team pitching, team defense, Washburn versus Johjima (one and two), personal catchers, Bedard hurt, Silva starts, Batista appearances, Washburn not traded, Baek traded for no reason, Putz injury, Putz ineffectiveness, Putz re-injury, Vidro, Sexson, Johjima extension, Johjima’s season, Clement demotion, Ibanez’s defense, some Dickey appearances, continued if diminished fan support, Lincoln-Armstrong still in charge, Lopez’s defense, Betancourt’s collapse, Reed not hitting after promotion, Wlad not hitting after promotion, Clement not hitting after promotion, no towel service day, Bloomquist injured, Morse injured, Cairo, the division cellar, three seven-game losing streaks, eight times being shut out, twenty three losses by five or more runs, the 15-3 loss to the White Sox this last week, winless against the goddamn Yankees on the season, swept by the Nationals, “funk blasts,” the fifteen-inning 1-2 loss on July 6th, the thirteen games where no Mariner collected an extra-base hit, the thirteen games where no Mariner drew a walk, the one game where no Mariner had an extra-base hit or a walk, Valle and Fairly guesting in the broadcast booth, the Moose, 1-71 record when going into the ninth behind, nine walk-off losses, Drayer fired, Rally Fries, Bloomquist’s quest for historical futility in the field of hitting thwarted, and “no question about it” the 82 losses.
Game 130, Athletics at Mariners
Meyer v Hernandez.
Felix has been more valuable than every other pitcher who started the season in the rotation combined, even if you consider negative value starters as zero. Discuss.
Bloomquist out for season?!?
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO WHY GOD WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY
Game 129, Athletics at Mariners
Eveland versus the Bus.
Number of starts Bus has had this season as good as RRS’ last: one, maybe two (July 27th, then pick ’em)
Number of starts Bus has had this season as good as Feirabend’s last one: nine? ten?
Game 128, Athletics at Mariners
7:10. Gonzalez v Feierabend
Wlad to center!
LaHair to DH!
Cairo to first!
Now that… that’s excitement.
Good News From T-Town
Brandon Morrow in Portland last night – 4 2/3 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 10 K, 72 pitches, 52 strikes.
In his last couple of starts, Morrow has begun to mix in his breaking ball and not just depend on the fastball, and well, the results are obvious. He faced 18 batters yesterday, punching out 56% of them. Almost three quarters of his pitches were strikes. He was dominating.
The M’s will probably give him one more start in Tacoma, getting him up to 85-90 pitches before bringing him back to Seattle when rosters expand. With Rowland-Smith succeeding last night and Morrow flashing his potential, there is some hope for this rotation yet.
I’m a Sims fan
Sims, talking about Andy Devine (“that name will ring a bell…”)
Blowers, in standard-issue flat Blowers voice: “It will?”
Long, long pause and then you can barely hear Sims cracking up. Then Sims — not acknowledging the break at all — picks up calling the game.
Unlike many other broadcasters, if you really listen to Sims through a game, you’re rewarded: you’ll hear him throw a couple of gems out there for those of us paying attention. Sometimes it’s a gentle self-deprecating joke, or mocking the amount of commercial endorsements they do, or the game, and sometimes it’s a winking pun (“…an explosion out of his lower body” or yesterday’s repetition joke) but I have to say, as much as the “no question/no doubt” thing he’s picking up from Blowers annoys me, Sims has helped make this year a lot easier to watch.