God I hope not. I heard it was just a strain and they're being cautious. EDIT: Yeah, he's playing right now.
When's the last time Yankees pitching has shut out a team for two complete games on the same day? Has that ever happened? I know its just the Cubs, but still....
I like walkoffs. Also, that Yankees meltdown vs the Rays the other day was fucking hilarious to watch. Especially with all the grief the commentators were giving the pitcher.
I usually like to wait until after the all star break before taking shots at the rest of the American League West teams, but Since they are all playing well I may not get a chance later. So, take that Rangers, met your sweep of the A's last week with a sweep of our own this week. It is nice to be 3 games up at the end of April with the best record in the American League. If the A's collapse in June, July with injuries or whatever, at least I will always have April 2014. Shimmered, we outscored you 25-4 in that three game series, going against your three best pitchers. Sorry, I had to take the shot
Speaking of records,* my Beloved Yankees have the best record in the AL East! Granted, that's not going to last, and the entire division is kind of playing like shit right now, but whatever! Let me have this! *If anyone says they predicted the Brewers would have the best record in baseball a month into the season, they are fucking lying.
I know the bullpen is always the most unstable part of the roster, but how in the flying fuck has every single Blue Jays closer managed to fuck up so massively in the last couple weeks? Morrow just got sent to the 60 day DL and they're calling Stroman up to the bullpen, plus we get Janssen back this week, but fuck.
Sweeping the Tigers in Detroit. This shit is really happening, I can only pray they don't Toronto the back half of the season in the most Toronto way possible.
Didn't more-or-less their entire starting rotation hit the DL within four days in August a couple of seasons ago?
So...fuck the Diamondbacks. <a class="postlink" href="http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/06/18/diamondbacks-intentionally-drill-ryan-braun-give-up-go-ahead-grand-slam/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/ ... rand-slam/</a>
I don't care what anybody says, blasting somebody with a stone-hard leather bound ball of twine is fucking wrong. It isn't funny, or cool, or part of the game whatsoever. You're right. Fuck the diamondbacks and any pitcher/team that intentionally beans. They should dish out heavy-duty fines and suspensions for it.
I don't agree with them hitting Braun, but I disagree with you. It is a part of the game. It always has been. I don't agree with hitting a batter because he takes to long to jog the bases after he hits a dinger, or does a bat flip, or talks shit.... I don't like it, but the pitcher needs to sack up and say, "dude got me" Its not his fault he's happy he just hit ding dong off of me,, its my fault for giving him the ding dong. BUT,, when a you are trying to pitch in so he can't hit the outside pitch and he doesn't move. Fuck him. There has always been retaliation for going up high. Whether it was intentional or not. I don't think Owings got hit intentionally, but you knew the Brewers were expecting retaliation. And you know what they did, they took advantage of it. Good on them. There are some pitchers that have made a living being intentionally wild, because the purpose of pitching is to upset the timing and make the batter feel uncomfortable at the plate. Its the reason they say the hardest thing to do in professional sports is to hit a major league fastball. Part of the game. Always has been, always will be.
To try and hit a batter in retaliation I think is wrong. The batter is paid to try and hit the ball and sometimes you are just happy you did so and it shows. At the same time if a batter is digging in at the plate and he gets hit because a pitch got a little too inside, well do not get all pissed off about that either. Luke 17 said it much better than I did, but any great pitcher threw inside and basically said either move or get hit.
Unwritten rules and the teams that live by them are stupid, however, I will never look down on someone drilling Ryan Braun for whatever reason. Fuck that douchebag.
I took a self-bet on how long it would take before somebody remarked on how it was okay because the target was Braun. Surely that says something about the guy.
Total agreement. However. I love a good baseball brawl. I love that in a timeless, clock-less game tempers run so high and boil over like they do. I love dirt getting kicked on the ump, I love ejections, and I lovers me some mound charges. Yay summer!
By some wonderful coincidence, the first MLB game I ever attended was the Jays vs. Red Sox in 1985. Red Sox pitcher Bruce Kison beaned George Bell right square in the head with a fastball. Bell charged the mound full speed, drop-kicked Kison with serious Van Dammage and then turned to crank a real sweet left hook into the jaw of Sox catcher Rich Gedman. Later that game Kison was still pitching when Ernie Whitt hits a Grand Salami and in a huge addition to that "fuck you" he relentlessly barked and pointed at Kison rounding the bases. I didn't even understand what trash talking was at that age. You don't forget shit like that, the Jays won their first division championship later that year on my birthday. Best game I ever saw.