Wow, the top four in the Rays lineup averaging 4.6 WAR. That is mighty impressive. How come their tragic number is 8? Their pitching is not that bad.

They’ve had very bad luck this year - I think until fairly recently anyway the more sophisticated metrics had them as the best team.

Eh, both the starters and relievers have been below average in the AL this season.  They got 150+ starts out of their top 5 last season, and weren’t able to replicate this season.  Injuries to Bartlett and Iwamura didn’t help either.

Got a late minute assignment to do the Marlins-Mets game tonight.  The stadium is nearly empty - feels like a minor league game.
Positive things:  Got to see Nick Johnson up close during BP.
Also, met a Marlins scout.  Actually the one that pushed for the Kroenke grab.  He said he thinks they missed him by one year.

A tumbleweed just bounced across right field.

They got worse than expected performances out of Burrell, Upton, Navarro, Sonnanstine and Kazmir.  Even the suprising performances by Zobrist, Bartlett and Niemann couldn’t mitigate that. 

While they’re getting a lot of flack for trading Edwin Jackson, he was a very good sell-high candidate (FIP of 4.88 last year), it just hasn’t worked out.  Jackson’s not as good as he’s pitched this year for Detroit, but he has raised his K rate and lowered his walk rate, and saved about 2/3 of a run off last year’s FIP.

Their bullpen was projected to regress quite a bit this year, and the team in general was also projected to fall back some.  They were projected to win around 90 games, and right now they’re on pace to win 84, but have a Pythagenpat winning percentage equivalent to an 88 win pace.

Why, David Robertson, why?

Jackson’s not as good as he’s pitched this year for Detroit, but he has raised his K rate and lowered his walk rate, and saved about 2/3 of a run off last year’s FIP.

I really hope Jackson regresses come October.

[6] ?

I presume Evony is an ogling competition, right?

Wang isn’t going to impact the 2009 Yankees post-season chances.
Given the expectations of his return to the rotation, I’d say his absence has to count as some kind of impact.

Anyone know what happened to Robertson?  That really sucks.  Wait, damn - sorry, I forgot that we’re not allowed to complain when the team’s playing well!

[7] All pitchers are going to regress this October against the Yankees. Gonna be a might big coincidence.

Pete Abe:

UPDATE, 6:36 p.m.: Spoke to Robertson. He said he’s been pitching with it for two weeks now. There has been no drop in velocity or command, just tightness after he’s done pitching. He had an MRI and said no injury was apparent.

“I’m confident it’s not going to be anything,” he said.

Robertson has never had elbow issues before.

I’m not as concerned as I was an hour ago.

11- Me too, but still…

The Yankees have the luxury of resting Robertson until October.

J- RE Oscars. That sucks, I’m out of that stuff now. Weekend killed it.
Pretzel dipping, buzzed up guests. I could have thrown French’s on the table and no one would have known better.

That was some fun base running.

Anyone understand how Iain Banks arrived at “numbrero sombrero” for “j” in his most excellent novel The Crow Road?

Gaudin still hasn’t fallen over, despite his gameday pic.

Rilke- link not working.

Low. On jeets K.

I don’t think that’s a link.  It’s a scholarly underlining of the name of a novel.

Sorry, that’s just an underline, and apparently a dumb idea too in this medium.

“scholarly”

Really?  Not just how it’s done?

That was a good inning.

And, yes, punctuation is more interesting than this game at the moment.

20- Oh. No wonder I clicked on a scholarly underlining twice and got frustrated. I’m no scholar.

But Rilke is an undeniably scholarly underliner.

I always thought that scholarly underlining was what was done in the days before italics were so readily available to the masses.

Also, OTF is a scholar.
And a gentleman.

Swish!!!!!!

Swisher is confused.  This isn’t a road game.

Nothing but net!  Swish does NYS!

Ah, Swishalicious

Swishalicious?

Swishalicious sounds quite obscene.

Thanks, [32].  A Swish HR isn’t official until Sterling gives it the Swishalicious stamp of approval

[34] All my girlfriends called me this. Is it a compliment?

Price has some very nice movement. Modamn.

[36]
I… I… just… don’t… know.
That’s very strange.

The Texas bullpen is pitching with a great sense of urgency

36- Leaving that one alone.

Given the expectations of his return to the rotation, I’d say his absence has to count as some kind of impact.

Nobody who is absent has any relevance to the question that was under discussion, which was a comparison of the 2003 pitching staff to the 2009 pitching staff.  And given Wang’s mysterious absences from recent post-seasons when he was supposed to be present, I’m not exactly lamenting the fact that he won’t be starting game four of the LDS.

Wang’s mysterious absences from recent post-seasons

SSS?

So there are kangaroos, wallaroos, wallabies, tree-kangaroos, pademelons, and hare-wallabies.  Oh, and quokkas.  Funny that everyone knows the first.  I was rather surprised yesterday to learn that several of the above are apparently scaled-down kangaroos.  Also note that wombats are vombatiformes.

Rilke- Are you visiting a land down under? It gets early, early there.

Also cool: the flying phalangers, which eat “manna and honeydew”.

Out here in the woods, we’re pretty sure that cottontails are scaled-down ‘roos.  What else would they be?

Mann and honeydew is a good name for a novel.

manna

No, just saw a wallaby or a wallaroo at the SF zoo yesterday, and now I’m just watching data fill up a disk and wondering what to do about it.

what happens when it’s full?  Do the data come out and conquer the world?

SSS?

IMO, no.  I’m guessing that the arm was already hurt, and would have fallen apart in the second half of last season had it not been for the foot injury.

Meanwhile, the Rangers lineup is trying to bullpen-proof their game.

All that this data is doing is conquering me.

I’m sticking with the Forest Katt from Norway. Phalangers don’t react to the “Get off the effen table you Norse bastard” nearly as well as Thurmm the Katt.

we’re pretty sure that cottontails are scaled-down ‘roos.  What else would they be?

That’s my sense, big rabbits. Or one step away from big rats.

But I’m not much of an animal lover.

Gaudin and Price have combined to allow 0 flyouts.  Impressive or freakishly impressive?

“Meanwhile, the Rangers lineup is trying to bullpen-proof their game.”

Baltimore says, “Oh yeah?”

54- Animals have no agenda, but food.
I love my friends and family more than I love Thurmm (somewhat).
He, on the other hand, will hurt himself to do entertain me and seek my praise.
And food. And did I mention food.

kangaroos, wallaroos, wallabies, tree-kangaroos, pademelons, and hare-wallabies.  Oh, and quokkas

Did we ever figure out whether the blinkie-took was a fish, a bird, or what ?

not much of an animal lover

Understandable. I have a neighbor, for instance, who dislikes cats.

But it turns out he was just overcooking them.

Gaudin and Price have combined to allow 0 flyouts.  Impressive or freakishly impressive?

The RLRB snarks, “Cy Gaudin.”

58- Nyuk nyuck nyuck.

to do entertain. Alley Oop.

Big Train Chad.

Gaudin is pitching like the #7 starters that usually shut us down.

Animals have no agenda, but food.
When the mice run out their equation you won’t be laughing, Thurm.

Hippo Gaudin.

Birds Pete. Delicious feathery tender chirpers.

Has Price been pitching as effectively as the score says? Or it’s just one of those days for the Yankees.

[66] back to [64]

Forty-two.  (But what is the question?)

67- It seems to be avery well pitched game by young Vincent Price.
He’s certainly scaring me.

Brown.

We got us another Louisiana Lightnin’ !

Hey thurm, did you see my note about Oscar’s Smokehouse? Burnt down. No more mustard for a while.

Definitely not Crawford’s best day on the basepaths.

So, Gaudin has struck out 6 and given up 4 hits through 6—and done it in only 65 pitches.

Meanwhile, Price has given up only 1 hit and 1 walk, and is on the short end.

Three-plus finger Gaudin-Brown?

J see 14. How does a smokehouse catch on fire? WTF.

Dizzy Gaudin. Or Dazzy.

RLRB laments, “What does the gun say about Price?”

77- 94 to 96 all night. Lad has an incredible armory.

That still counts as padding, no ?

Bitch tits with the 2 out rbi.

[80]
New York got Ortiz?  Why?

“What does the gun say about Price?”

Your Money or your Life?

Thurm, I don’t know what I love more: your hatred of A-Rod, or that he thrives on it so mightily.

Those are porn tits Pete. Nimrod with the solid 32 single A’s.
Ortiz….. 42 DD’s.

Who pinched Gaudin ?

Sergio Gaudin?

Nine o’clock is apparently the new midnight.

Hanging (Curveball) Chad

83- He does challenge me at times.  The next month begins with 10. I hope he makes me STFU.
BTW why is Chad Hunter still in this game?

Chad Goudsworth?

Now’s the time for the hook, Girardi.  Let him get his cheers, pat him on the back, and get him off the field before he turns into a pumpkin.

Still took too long with the hook.

Tough spot for Marte. Good 1 down.

Gaudin has become food.

Girardi has confidence in Marte.

92- Agreed.

Oh noes, Brunhilda!!!!

Let’s see what Bruney can do in a tough spot.

98- He can piss like an abused dog.

Girardi has confidence in Bruney?

Wouldn’t this be a good spot for Phil of the Phuture?