Game 131, Yankees at Mariners
JMB · August 30, 2005 at 6:41 pm · Filed Under Game Threads
RHP Jeff Harris vs. RHP Shawn Chacon, 7:05pm, FSN & KOMO.
RF Ichiro
CF Reed
DH Ibanez
1B Sexson
3B Beltre
LF Morse
2B Lopez
C JoeJessica
SS Betancourt
There’s much to like about tonight’s lineup: Reed hitting second, Bloomquist’s absence, Lopez’ presence, Morse in left, Ibanez back to DH, Betancourt in there to haul in everything hit his way, and so on.
Chacon has been something of a savior for the Yankees and their depleted starting staff, going 3-1 with a miraculous 1.80 ERA in six starts since being acquired a month ago. Even factoring in that he’s spend his entire career at Coors Field, he’s obviously in way over his head, but you gotta stick with the hot hand. Right Mike Hargrove?
Comments
242 Responses to “Game 131, Yankees at Mariners”
Ron Fairly you have upset me for what I suspect is not the last time. If there’s a passed ball, it is important that you describe what the runner on first did.
Sorry to intrude off-topic… But I just moved to NYC and I want to know a good place to watch King Felix tomorrow–could the matchup be any more sublime?–on a student budget. (preferably Washington Park-Union Square area or even all the way out in Queens/Astoria/Woodside) If anyone wants to email me directly with recommendations, I am at andrewthomasfisher@yahoo.com. Thanks.
Rick Rizz just commented on the nice job Sherrill is doing in relief. Does that mean he is now jinxed?
Um, isn’t that like the 2,435th time that’s been said around here?
That, in no way, is expressing “hate” for Bloomquist.
I’ll bet Bellhorn’s hair is shorter tomorrow.
I vote for putting all Bloomquist talk on the 15-day moderation list.
I do like watching the Pear get to pitch to more than one batter. It is very gratifying.
Long Suffering said:”I don’t know. If I thought the throw was going to pull the 1B off the bag, I’d slide everytime to avoid being tagged out. I don’t see it as any more of an injury risk than sliding into 2nd or 3rd so I don’t think it’s worth worrying about.”
I suddenly am reminded of the tumbling act that ensued when Moyer got to the bag just as Pablo Ozuna slid into it…
SECOND
Uh, Mr. Valle, I know you’re not a football guy, but Oklahoma is not in the Big 10 and never was. It’s in the Big 12 and was in the Big 8.
Hope Kevin Cremin reminds him of that before he goes on radio tomorrow.
msb, I’m suddenly reminded of what put WFB on the DL.
btw, how did that whole thing with Moyer & Ozuna look on tv? they never did show it in the game highlights… it happened so fast on the field
Quick, when was the last ime the Mariners scored in double digits against the Yankees? Beltre can do it with a dinger right now.
Moyer basically ended up with his calf on Pablo’s back and just rolled over him.
200 Long Suffering, my point is it slows the runner down. You don’t see world class spinters sliding into the tape. If the slide was faster to the tape they would certainly use it for an advantage. If there was a tag play at 1B the slide may have made sense but that wasn’t the case with Morse and most of the time that doesn’t apply when the runner slides.
I’d LOVE to see Jamal do something sweet here.
As little credit as I’ve given him, props to Lopez for a great game tonight. It looks like he upgraded his game during his last stint in Tacoma.
NOW we can put The Ignitor on the bench. When he comes back, of course.
214: You don’t see sprinters diving into the tape at the 100m becuase they run on a (hard and gritty) track and at those speeds you’d likely do considerable damage. If you know of a study somewhere that determines whether sliding is faster or slower, I’d gladly look at it, but so far, I’ve only heard the “sprinters dont do it” ad hoc evidence.
But beyond whether it slows them down or not, I agree they shouldn’t do it unless the throw is going to pull the 1B off the bag. But if it was, I’d slide every time.
Um, isn’t that like the 2,435th time that’s been said around here?
Yes, and apparently it needs to be said again and again. It was my turn today. And yes, only a Williephile could construe it as hate.
I was just kind of allowing myself to lament Beltre’s season, and then went and looked at Beltran’s numbers because I hadn’t been keeping up. Ouch. Don’t know why, but I’m feeling a little better now.
So they did it again — on the radio, Dave just retroactively dubbed Ichiro’s HR as “the Magnolia Moment” for the game.
Great game Ms. Keep that offense around tomorrow.
Would’ve been nice for A-Rod to be the last out. Anyway, to mock Yankees radiocaster John Sterling: “Ballgame Over, Yankees Lose, Thuuuuuhhhh Yankees Lose!!”
#217 — Long Suffering — I think that if world class sprinters could shave a tenth by sliding at the tape they would take a face full of grit with pleasure.
I heard Sterling getting spastic on (I think) Saturday when the Yankees won. Over the Royals. No offense, guys, but beating the Royals isn’t exactly a big deal.
Yeah, I was surprised when I looked it up in early August (pretty decent from June onward). Which goes to show you how BAD his April and May were. And it’s pretty much part of his career pattern…slow in spring, heats up in the latter part of the season…
I think a lot of folks still think of Beltre as a bust. I think it’s more accurate to think of as a disappointment (there is, after all, April and May to consider). In total, even with the first two months, he’s just that–a disappointment and not the crap player the casual fans think he is. Wonder what happens next year if he has only one bad month….
Totally OT, but has anyone else noticed that during the post-game show on radio Ron Fairly always says “Marcy Jewelers – more money for your diamond”. Cracks me up every time.
224. Sterling is infamous for being spastic on the air. Unfortunately, I remember his TV call of the Rick Camp home run in the 19 inning Mets-Braves game because ESPN Classic likes to replay it. “Holy Cow, Oh My Goodness, I Don’t Believe It, I Don’t Believe It, Rick Camp, Rick Camp!!”
With phrases like “Back to Back and a Belly to Belly”, a pompus attitude on and off air, and a weird habit of singing show tunes every now and then, he certainly ranks as one of the least liked broadcasters.
I humbly retract my criticism of the Church of Harris the Starter — which after tonight is clearly the one, true church of Mariner baseball.
Ahh, we could go for days just talking about Bloomquist. Nothing needs to be added here of course. We sort of like Willie as our 25th man, we just hate Rick Rizzs, John Levesque, Ron Fairly and Mike Hargrove for harbouring bizzare crushes on the scrappy one, and dishonestly building him as something he isn’t – a starting hitter.
Kudos to Yaktown for attempting to defend the indefensible. You never had a chance, but we appreciate your trying. Kinda like Willie.
The Bloomquist bashing is catching attention. I went bowling with workmates tonight at Leilani Lanes, and before I arrived they had logged me onto the game as Willie B, just to tease me.
Even though Willie is now on the DL, he can still fill in
as a Mariner Moose substitute on the weekends.
Willie is that gritty! He’s always is willing to take one for the team, even if it’s just as a mascot!
Sliding is always slower than running through a base. Always. This isn’t a matter that requires a lot of study or anything. They teach this at baseball clinics — in fact, if Dave’s still around on this thread, I think he’s got a story about this.
Rather than post this tomorrow and throw a wet blanket on the Felix party, here’s a transcription of a conversation I participated in while lineups were being announced at the game today:
Me: “Looks like Bloomquist may have been DL’d since Lopez got called up.”
Friend: “Really, that’s too bad, because he was doing really well lately.”
Me: Blink. Blink.
It’s not even worth getting in this debate with people who have simply been fed the company line over the balance of the season. If Bloomquist’s hustle was really all that valuable it would show up in the numbers. (For instance, maybe he would be hustling out a lot of infield hits, that would increase his average.)
Thinking on more of a postiive note, I just hope Lopez knocks everyone’s socks off in September, so we can hear all winter about how Lopez “turned the corner in Tacoma” and will help the team next year. Tonight was a good start at the plate.
Sliding is always slower than running through the base, but as someone mentioned above, there can be an advantage to sliding if the first baseman gets pulled off the bag and there’s a tag play on. I don’t know that a baserunner could figure this out far enough in advance to make the decision to slide, but perhaps the first base coach could relay the information far enough in advance?
I agree that this is almost never why anyone slides into first, but if the baserunner can somehow deduce that the throw might be off line on his way to the base, a slide here or there might be helpful.
Regarding the whole running through the bag vs. sliding into it (or stretching for it):
A sprinter’s progress is measured at chest level. His chest moves forward at a steady speed, and running through the tape is the best way to maximies that speed and get there sooner.
A baserunner’s progress is measured at ground level. When running, his progress is a sort of series of punctuated equilibria. His foot, on the ground, is not making ANY progress toward the bag. Then, as the other foot passes it, forward progress is very fast, and very brief, before another period of zero progress.
If footfall is going to happen less than one stride from the bag, then running through the bag may well be a suboptimal approach.
It might not, but any analysis that relies on looking at any progres of the runner above ground level is ignoring an important aspect of the circumstance. It doesn’t matter when the baserunner’s chest passes over the bag; it matters when he touches it.
Someone give me a grade of how Morse did in left?
Anywhere from A to F
Morse’s grade : INC (Incomplete)
The only chance he had was picking up a base hit and tossing it in.
It might not, but any analysis that relies on looking at any progres of the runner above ground level is ignoring an important aspect of the circumstance.
Analysis of actually having people run to first against slide into first reveals it’s slower to slide, and it’s not that close.
Heart-tugging sight of the game – Little Willie Bloomquist, the Pride of Port Orchard, leaning against the dugout rail in his warmup jersey and cap, holding a bat on his shoulder. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a player hold a bat while leaning on the rail/standing on the top step. Certainly not on the shoulder. If Charles Schultz were still alive, he would have had the perfect image to capture Charlie Brown on the rainy days standing alone at the mound. I think finally someone suggested he put the bat down and sit quietly.
So, if Jose Lopez buys a house in Port Orchard, can we put the Willie pro/con talk behind us?
And two comments on Harris:
Gritty comeback, he sure got away with some crappy pitches the first two or three innings. Not sure if the Yanks’ intensity dropped a notch, or if Harris found his groove (pitch locations harder to see from the seats than TV). It was satisfying to see him persevere but I can’t believe he was sent out to start the 7th with 104 pitches and, more importantly, two grueling innings.
Second, his delivery scares me. The arm extension toward 2nd and the 3/4-slot delivery seem at odds with what I’m learning about injury-resistant mechanics. Maybe the low arm slot saves the shoulder? The guy is 31 and still going, I’d like to see him as a 5 or a long reliever next year.
Ron,
Please, please, PLEASE. No more talking about ARod. I’m really tired of hearing it. We all know how much you miss him. Get over it, RON! PLEASE!
Ernie
(closing)