I want you all to do something: Go over to Chop-n-Change and read the first line of comment #15 on AAR’s most recent post.
That may be the single funniest line in the history of the internet. I actually didn’t read anything afterward—I thought that might ruin the hilarity of that line.
Reyes leads off the 8th with an infield single, Castillo bunts him to 2nd, but that’s not enough for TMEPIB. He keeps running to a briefly unoccupied 3B—and is thrown out.
Wright pops out. End of inning.
Stu,
The key part of the phrase for me is “brand new,” as in store-bought with a warranty.
Hate King,
Where is he playing? Nashville?
Of course, you may return from that show with a new handle—we might have to start calling you “Warm, Fuzzy, Love King.”
Not to spoil it, but Sheehan comes out on the side of McCann from a “who will have the better career/is better now” perspective, saying his power is the best tool either of them produce.
if Gameday is correct and the game ended this way, seriously, Randolph better run and hide. There will be some crazy Met fan trying to hunt people down tonight
the prob with a handful of posters on this site is that while most of the willie-haters turned that way in August 2007 (or maybe even june or july) you have been that way since 2005….youve been waiting for him to fail.
According to the Mets’ WFAN beat reporter, Ed Coleman, when Harris finished up with doing his post-game interviews, he walked into the Washington clubhouse & was greeted with cheers and a standing ovation by his teammates.
He also reports some post-game discord in the Met clubhouse—the ongoing Billy Wagner-vs-The Latin Guys feud. Like that charmer LoDuca last year, he’s tired of having to answer for Delgado & Beltran when they have a bad game and are nowhere to be found by the beat reporters.
(Know what this is? It’s the world’s smallest violin playing just for the Mets.)
I have tix for tomorrow night’s Subway Series game—both teams limping along—but I think it’s gonna get rained out.
Tonight’s mound matchup certainly doesn’t favor us, but that’s why they play the games. Let’s go get ’em, Braves.
Willie Harris is such a fun guy to root for unless you expect him to be a star. He’s occasionally a useful hitter, an above-average baserunner and defender, and occasionally he does something just frigging jawdropping.
i’m always amused by the “fire the manager” people. i’m sitting here trying to thging of one mid-season firing that produced any dramatic results………anybody got one? i personally doubt that it would make more than a few games difference if the manager was Bobby Cox, Joe Torre, Billy Martin, Me or freakin’ Pee Wee Herman.
I must say I don’t really understand why Kelly’s not playing. Yes, he’s only 1-11 in his career against Hamels, but Gotay is terrible from the right side (as is Norton, who could conceivably play 3B with Infante shifting to second).
Otherwise, I don’t see the problem with the lineup, since we’re pretty limited without Chipper in there.
If I could help it, I wouldn’t use that lineup in an APBA game.
Off the top of my head, the only managers I can think of who were hired mid-season & made a big turnaround: Bob Lemon with NYY in ’78; Jack McKeon with Florida in ’03; and Phil Garner with Houston in ’04.
It’s an Office/30 Rock/Lost evening for Mr. & Mrs. Stu, too. I’ll check scores on my phone, but I’m betting that I’ll just stop refreshing about an hour or so from now.
Putting Francoeur in the three-spot in previous years against a lefty might not be a bad idea. But his platoon split this year isn’t as big; a lot of his problems are actually that he hasn’t been pounding lefties as he has in the past.
You know, this is actually going about as well as we could possibly have expected. I don’t think anyone thought we were going to win, but hey, at least we’re not being no-hit, and Chuck’s only given up the one homer so far and that a solo shot.
When James comes off the mound, his stuff better be packed in the locker room with a ticket to Single A. Does his ERA have to get to be above 10 before they finally say, “bring up a kid” from somewhere else?
Hey everybody, let’s sing the Chuck James Club Song!
Now’s the time to say goodbye
To the pitcher who got beat
Through the years we’ve all seen bombs
To the hitters he’s just meat
C-H-U-C-K-Y-J-A-M-E-S
Chucky James, Chucky James
Forever let them hit the balls high
C-H-U – See you in the showers!
C-K-Y – Why? Because they killed you!
J-A-M-E-S!!!
Yeah, Chucky had a lousy game but everyone this side of Stevie Wonder could see it coming. Bennett or maybe even Campillo should have gotten the start.
Here’s another reason we’re struggling against lefties, to go with Francoeur (previously mentioned) and Teixeira (you all know about)… Yunel Escobar…
Vs. LHP: .298 .344 .439
Vs. RHP: .322 .422 .448
Kotsay is killing righthanders, but has been awful against lefties (.196 .255 .216). Basically, the only real production they’re getting against lefties is Chipper, McCann, and Diaz. With Chipper out of the lineup and Kotsay sitting after McCann and Diaz…
I’d definitely trade Anderson for Maddux. He’s not highly regarded and there are other CF in the pipeline (Schaefer, Hernandez). Lillibridge is a tougher call–he’s more highly regarded (though his ML cameo this year makes one wonder why) and we’re not deep at SS prospects.
I want you all to do something: Go over to Chop-n-Change and read the first line of comment #15 on AAR’s most recent post.
That may be the single funniest line in the history of the internet. I actually didn’t read anything afterward—I thought that might ruin the hilarity of that line.
How ’bout this?
Every fifth day, we plan on pitching Glavine for five and James for four.
That way, we get a complete game. Kinda.
Oh, those wacky Mets.
Reyes leads off the 8th with an infield single, Castillo bunts him to 2nd, but that’s not enough for TMEPIB. He keeps running to a briefly unoccupied 3B—and is thrown out.
Wright pops out. End of inning.
Stu,
The key part of the phrase for me is “brand new,” as in store-bought with a warranty.
Hate King,
Where is he playing? Nashville?
Of course, you may return from that show with a new handle—we might have to start calling you “Warm, Fuzzy, Love King.”
Exactly, ububba. The word “brand” is the lynchpin to the comedy of that sentence.
For those of you with subscriptions to Baseball Prospectus (well worth it, IMO), here’s a nice profile of McCann vs. Martin:
http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=7526
Not to spoil it, but Sheehan comes out on the side of McCann from a “who will have the better career/is better now” perspective, saying his power is the best tool either of them produce.
Charlotte. I am going to try and keep it reasonable tonight.
are the Mets about to drop 3 of 4 at home to the Nats. Ububba, be careful out on the town tonight
You know, Joe and Jon were having fun last night with the press guide report on Ryan Howard’s weight, but do you think McCann really is 6-3 230?
I’m sorry. I’ll get back to you all in a minute. I just coughed up some coffee at the way the Mets lost today.
And in other news. Andruw just hit his 2nd HR of the year.
if Gameday is correct and the game ended this way, seriously, Randolph better run and hide. There will be some crazy Met fan trying to hunt people down tonight
Whew. Too much.
OK. Beltran singles, then Willie Harris makes a sensational catch in CF for the 1st out.
Beltran steals second. Throw goes into CF & Beltran takes third. Delgado lines out to Aaron Boone’s shoetops & Beltran gets doubled off third. Ballgame.
The Mets basically ran themselves out of the 8th and 9th innings. Met announcer Howie Rose: “An especially excruciating loss for the Mets.”
And now the Met post-game is interviewing Harris & they’re discussing “that great catch you made last year with the Braves.”
Willie Randolph will be the 1st to be fired. Everyone thought it would be Ron Washington, but the Rangers are actually playing pretty well.
Losing 3 of 4 to the Nats at home…yikes!
McCann needs to be careful with his weight…he maybe 6’3 but he ain’t no 230.
Chipper’s scratched for tonight.
http://tinyurl.com/46dv6c
This is the classic give up on getaway day game.
Watch Chuckie pitch 5 scoreless innings
Got to go read Mets Blog.
Fave Met Blog quote:
“Tick-tock, Mr. Randolph. Tick-tock.”
Chipper out against Hamels and Chuck James pitching. God help us…
Whew. Too much.
OK. Beltran singles, then Willie Harris makes a sensational catch in CF for the 1st out.
Beltran steals second. Throw goes into CF & Beltran takes third. Delgado lines out to Aaron Boone’s shoetops & Beltran gets doubled off third. Ballgame.
Now that was a tough loss. I can’t believe we haven’t pulled something like that. Phenomenal catch by Willie Harris.
One guy at Mets blog says:
the prob with a handful of posters on this site is that while most of the willie-haters turned that way in August 2007 (or maybe even june or july) you have been that way since 2005….youve been waiting for him to fail.
And the next poster replies:
SHUT YOUR MOUTH TOOL
Now, there’s a witty rejoinder for ya!
Touché!
Willie Harris’ catch was in LF, actually. My bad.
According to the Mets’ WFAN beat reporter, Ed Coleman, when Harris finished up with doing his post-game interviews, he walked into the Washington clubhouse & was greeted with cheers and a standing ovation by his teammates.
He also reports some post-game discord in the Met clubhouse—the ongoing Billy Wagner-vs-The Latin Guys feud. Like that charmer LoDuca last year, he’s tired of having to answer for Delgado & Beltran when they have a bad game and are nowhere to be found by the beat reporters.
(Know what this is? It’s the world’s smallest violin playing just for the Mets.)
I have tix for tomorrow night’s Subway Series game—both teams limping along—but I think it’s gonna get rained out.
Tonight’s mound matchup certainly doesn’t favor us, but that’s why they play the games. Let’s go get ’em, Braves.
From DOB:
1. Escobar, 2. Infante (3B), 3. Francoeur, 4, Tex, 5. McCann, 6. Diaz, 7. Kotsay, 8. Gotay (2B), 9. Chuck
Oh, dear.
He does report that Chipper should be back tomorrow.
Willie Harris is such a fun guy to root for unless you expect him to be a star. He’s occasionally a useful hitter, an above-average baserunner and defender, and occasionally he does something just frigging jawdropping.
If we get a 7-HR night from Escobar, we might win.
i’m always amused by the “fire the manager” people. i’m sitting here trying to thging of one mid-season firing that produced any dramatic results………anybody got one? i personally doubt that it would make more than a few games difference if the manager was Bobby Cox, Joe Torre, Billy Martin, Me or freakin’ Pee Wee Herman.
I don’t want to say Bobby’s an idiot, but it’s starting to look more and more that way.
I must say I don’t really understand why Kelly’s not playing. Yes, he’s only 1-11 in his career against Hamels, but Gotay is terrible from the right side (as is Norton, who could conceivably play 3B with Infante shifting to second).
Otherwise, I don’t see the problem with the lineup, since we’re pretty limited without Chipper in there.
If I could help it, I wouldn’t use that lineup in an APBA game.
Off the top of my head, the only managers I can think of who were hired mid-season & made a big turnaround: Bob Lemon with NYY in ’78; Jack McKeon with Florida in ’03; and Phil Garner with Houston in ’04.
And 2 of those guys were “wild card champions.”
@25:
Jack McKeon replacing Torborg in 2003 for the Marlins. I only know that because that is exhibit A for all the ‘Fire Willie’ folks in Metland.
Seems like a good night to take your wife/girlfriend out to dinner to score some points. This should be ugly.
Or tune in to the Office season finale.
I hear you.
Tonight I catalog & box books, CDs & records for an upcoming move. TV on in the other room—just in case.
Surprise me, boys.
The Mets got shut out despite outhitting the Nats 5-4 and leaving 13 men on base. Sound like anyone you know?
Yeah, the effing Mets!
It’s an Office/30 Rock/Lost evening for Mr. & Mrs. Stu, too. I’ll check scores on my phone, but I’m betting that I’ll just stop refreshing about an hour or so from now.
Yeah, this doesn’t look like a good game. Going to spend time with the girlfriend tonight.
And why is Francoeur hitting 3rd? I’d rather just move Teixiera up to 3rd and McCann to cleanup.
I guess it doesn’t matter too much, though.
30 Rock‘s season finale was last week.
I’m trying to decide if the over/under on Chuckie’s HR’s given up tonight should be 2.5 or 3.5, I’ll be generous and set it at 2.5.
Oh yeah…what am I gonna watch from 8:30-9:00? Or is The Office an hour tonight?
Putting Francoeur in the three-spot in previous years against a lefty might not be a bad idea. But his platoon split this year isn’t as big; a lot of his problems are actually that he hasn’t been pounding lefties as he has in the past.
Hour-long Office.
office is from 8-9 tonight, this season went by quick. I’m sure Dwight will be in top form tonight.
since we are basically giving them the game tonight with this lineup, we might as well have Corky in there
hope Bennett’s arm is loose and he can pitch 5 or 6
Be the ball, Chuck.
nuhnuhnuhnuhnuh
hey a hit and two walks and they didnt score, we’ve rubbed off on them!
Split time!
Brian McCann, 2008, versus LHP: .354 .404 .521
Jeff Francoeur, 2008, versus LHP: .288 .362 .442
over/under on our baserunners tonight is 6, I’m going under
You know, this is actually going about as well as we could possibly have expected. I don’t think anyone thought we were going to win, but hey, at least we’re not being no-hit, and Chuck’s only given up the one homer so far and that a solo shot.
its only the 3rd
I picked the wrong time to tune in.
Seriously, why is he still pitching for a major league club? I think I might be able to hit James.
LOOOOOOOOOOOOOAD UP THE BASE!
FIRE UP THE CROOOOOOWD!
HEEEEERE COME THE BRAAAA-HAAAAVES!!!
WE’RE GONNA GET REEEAL LOOOOOUD!
JUST THROW ME A FASTBAAAWWLLL!
*kills self*
send Chuck down, call up Stockman, and make Bennett your 5th starter
When James comes off the mound, his stuff better be packed in the locker room with a ticket to Single A. Does his ERA have to get to be above 10 before they finally say, “bring up a kid” from somewhere else?
Five walks, no strikeouts, three homers. Horacio wouldn’t sign for this line.
Is that Matt Diaz’s “I gotta get a hit” beard?
Cole retired 13 straight, I bet Jeff hits a useless HR in the 8th or 9th tonight
seriously, give Tex and McCann the rest of the night off also
I don’t know what the heck has happened to Chuck, but I can say that I never want to see him on the mound for us again. He’s terrible.
Hey everybody, let’s sing the Chuck James Club Song!
Now’s the time to say goodbye
To the pitcher who got beat
Through the years we’ve all seen bombs
To the hitters he’s just meat
C-H-U-C-K-Y-J-A-M-E-S
Chucky James, Chucky James
Forever let them hit the balls high
C-H-U – See you in the showers!
C-K-Y – Why? Because they killed you!
J-A-M-E-S!!!
I think KC was showing some interest in Chuck James. Maybe we can get a ball girl for him.
It’s a tough night for Chuck James every night, Joe Simpson.
Yay! a pitcher that doesn’t suck!
If you’re Chuck James you strategically give up that critical walk just before floating a meatball over the plate.
You have to really know how to give up as many runs as possible with as few innings as you can. He’s a master.
I can’t remember such an obvious punting of a game. Should have given McCann the night off.
Mac,
Thanks for the CSN. Always love it.
But I must say, it’s not just getting to the point…it’s past the point of no fun anymore.
here’s a terrible stat –
last 14 pitches = 6 outs and a hit
take a freakin pitch ladies
Yeah, Chucky had a lousy game but everyone this side of Stevie Wonder could see it coming. Bennett or maybe even Campillo should have gotten the start.
say what you want about Chucky, but this lineup would give John Smoltz on his best day a chance to win. 7 IP – 3 baserunners
hopefully Bobby just noticed that a lefty got a hit off of a lefty and Infante and Gotay will stop getting starts in the field
***wouldnt give***
Here’s another reason we’re struggling against lefties, to go with Francoeur (previously mentioned) and Teixeira (you all know about)… Yunel Escobar…
Vs. LHP: .298 .344 .439
Vs. RHP: .322 .422 .448
Kotsay is killing righthanders, but has been awful against lefties (.196 .255 .216). Basically, the only real production they’re getting against lefties is Chipper, McCann, and Diaz. With Chipper out of the lineup and Kotsay sitting after McCann and Diaz…
would you trade Anderson or Lillibridge for Maddux at this point?
Escobar’s line doesnt look that bad
No, but I’d trade a lower-level prospect for him. I might consider one of those for Maddux + cash.
78 points of on-base is a whole lot. He’s been a star against righthanders, only ordinary against lefties. Which is weird from a righthanded hitter.
I’d trade Chuck James for Maddux
I’d trade Chuck James for a mad dog.
Well James was bad, but Hamels has been dominating
Can we trade for Hamels?
See, this is the sort of game when a Resop comes in handy.
Tex sucks. Let’s trade him, Thorman could do this on the cheap
I find it hard to believe that this is the first complete-game shutout Hamels has thrown.
has Tex always run like he’s pulling an 18 wheeler behind him?
Free Phil Stockman/Collins.
Stu, what flavor? I’ll take Orange Jubilee.
Recap up.
I’d definitely trade Anderson for Maddux. He’s not highly regarded and there are other CF in the pipeline (Schaefer, Hernandez). Lillibridge is a tougher call–he’s more highly regarded (though his ML cameo this year makes one wonder why) and we’re not deep at SS prospects.