Blue Jays narrowly miss no-hitting ChiSox - FOX Sports on MSN
Romero became the latest Toronto pitcher to take a no-hit try into the late innings, losing his bid in the eighth when Rios homered in the Blue Jays' 4-2 win over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night. Toronto's Ricky Romero has had two strong starts in 2010. Frank Gunn "It just wasn't one of those nights where it was destined to happen for me and maybe it never will be,'' Romero said. "To come that close, it's pretty cool. It's an awesome feeling.''
Anyone else surprised about how good the Toronto pitching has been this year (4th in A.L. in ERA+)? Can they keep it up?
Sorry O-Dog there is no racism in free agency - FOX Sports on MSN
I would never argue that baseball is colorblind. Scrappy utility infielders, many of whom are white, routinely are over-valued. White players with tempers often are perceived as intense. African-American players with tempers often are perceived as hotheads. And we can talk about other examples, too. As I’ve written before, those conversations are important and necessary for a sport that needs not only more African-American players, but also more African-American fans. Alas, Hudson’s misguided remarks will do more harm than good, serving only to inflame the closed-minded.
Good response to a stupid accusation.
M's Bradley breaks scoreless tie with decisive three-run jack - CBSSports.com
Two pitches later, Bradley golfed Ziegler's low fastball five rows into the right-field bleachers. As he stepped on home plate following his second home run of the season, Bradley raised both hands above his head. He pressed his palms together and jabbed them toward the sky. "Don't read anything into that. That's personal," Bradley said of the celebration. "If you keep working hard, talent is going to surpass bad luck."
Bad luck? Is that what Bradley thinks has been happening to him all this time? Yesterday's home run may have re-filled his baseball-karma tank for a short time, but the meltdown is still inevitable.
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Angels players witness Manhattan man jump to his death - FOX Sports on MSN
A Manhattan man jumped to his death on Tuesday from the roof of the hotel where the Los Angeles Angels were staying for their series against the Yankees. At least two players, pitchers Jered Weaver and Matt Palmer, witnessed the suicide. "Weaver actually saw him splat," Palmer told the New York Daily News. "I felt kind of sick to my stomach...It's hard to see something like that and hard to take it." "It's obviously traumatic when you witness something like that, but these guys understand the privilege of playing baseball." said Angels manager Mike Scioscia.
Does Scioscia's odd quote here make anyone else think he's a pre-programed replicant? He couldn't go the "He's in the best shape of his life" route. Or the tired "We're just going to play one game at a time" response. So he went down the "We're just fortunate to be here" road.
Terry Francona: Too soon to talk about sitting David Ortiz - ESPN Boston
After struggling mightily the first two months of last season, Ortiz is off to another slow start in 2010. He is hitting .136 (3-for-22) with just 2 RBIs and 11 strikeouts. He has missed on 44 percent of his swings this season, more than double the league average of 20 percent. "I don't know if anybody has the exact right answer," Francona said. "But until you do ... as a manager you better err on the side of caution. Because you can't just treat these guys like chess pieces. I don't think that works. There's a human element to this, and probably a lot more than people realize. And sometimes we struggle. With each passing game, Ortiz is faced with more scrutiny from fans and media as comparisons to last season mount.
Why is it too soon? I understand the "human element", but Ortiz is striking out in half of his at-bats.
Phillies hold off on DL decision for Rollins - The Phillies Zone
Jimmy Rollins has a strained right calf that has required him to be placed in a protective boot, but Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro said the team will not make a decision on the shortstop's status until Wednesday. Rollins suffered the injury during warmups before Monday's home opener against the Washington Nationals. The severity of the injury was confirmed by an MRI examination Tuesday at Jefferson's Rothman Institute.
How to Fix the Astros Offense: Carl Crawford, Anyone? - The Crawfish Boxes
He and Michael Bourn played on the same Little League team, which is a great recruiting tool to get Crawford to sign long-term. Bourn, Pence and Crawford would instantly give the Astros the best defensive outfield in the National League and would surpass the Mariners combo of Franklin Gutierrez, Ichiro and whoever they throw out in left field. Balls just wouldn't fall to the ground in MMP's outfield, even with that wide expanse in right center. Think about it. With someone as fast as Crawford in left, Bourn could shade towards Pence and cut off all those doubles against the bullpen.
Interesting article by the Astros' SBN blog. The problem with this scenerio, do the Astros have the cash to compete with the other 5 or 6 teams looking to add Crawford once he hits free agency?
Scott Ullger: Third-base coach, baserunner? - Sox Machine
As Teahen makes the exchange from glove to hand and begins his throwing motion, Ullger is clearly within the lines (Fig. 3), and not to get a good view of the action at home, because he’s not looking that way. He’s looking at Teahen, and one could gather from his positioning that he’s trying to imitate a runner who has pulled into third and is seeing if the ball gets away. If Ullger was trying to fool Teahen, Teahen didn’t bite. He makes the throw home, while Ullger is slow to turn (Fig. 4) and watch Hardy’s demise at home.
How weird is this?