Killeverything's (New)NeverEndingBaseballThread

[killeverything]

RED SOX ARE REALLY GOOD THIS YR. I SEE NO WEAKNESSES.

I know! They shoulda spent half a billion dollars this year, then they too coulda bought a ring.

If only the 2009 Yankees could have put together a team with 100% homegrown talent like the 2004 and 2007 Red Sox, their championship would have been even more satisfying.


Too bad that the Yankees #3 and #4 hitters, which became the best hitting combo in baseball during the 2000's, were caught using steroids. FUCKIN CHEATERS. I wish they could be as clean and pure as the Red Sox roster.


GO RED SOX !!!

Your MVP was on steroids, retard.

[Machado]

Did anybody see this? I saw the report on Sportscenter this morning



http://blog.zap2it.com/thedishrag/2010/ ... force.html

Before 17-year-old Steve Consalvi ran onto the field at Citizen's Bank Park on Monday, where he was Tasered by a police officer, the teenager reportedly called his father for permission to do so.

"He said, 'Dad, can I run on the field? I said, 'I don't think you should, son,'" Wayne Consalvi told the Philadelphia Daily News of the conversation he had with his son.

"This would be a once in a lifetime experience!" Steve Consalvi replied to his father, according to the newspaper.

Wayne Consalvi told the newspaper that his son was not drinking and he wasn't on drugs. Steve Consalvi is "a real good student, heading to Penn State," his father told the Philadelphia Daily News.

The father also told the newspaper that his son didn't run onto the field as a result of a dare or bet, either.

"I don't recommend running on the field, but I don't think they should have Tased him at all," he told the newspaper.

The Phillies and Philadelphia police are investigating whether a police officer's use of a Taser to apprehend Steve Consalvi was an appropriate use of force.

Lt. Frank Vanore, a police spokesman, says Commissioner Charles Ramsey reviewed the tape and felt the officer had acted within the department's guidelines, which allow officers to use Tasers to arrest fleeing suspects. Vanore says internal affairs is still investigating.

Ramsey told KYW Radio in Philadelphia that he supported the officer's decision to use a Taser.

"It was inappropriate for him to be out there on the field," Ramsey said. "Unless I read something to the contrary, that officer acted appropriately. I support him 100 percent."

Consalvi, wearing a baseball cap, red T-shirt and khaki shorts, hopped a fence and scurried around the outfield, eluding two security officers in the bottom of the eighth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals. One officer used a Taser and the fan went down in a heap. Several Phillies placed gloves over their faces and appeared to be stifling laughter at the wild scene.

Phillies spokeswomen Bonnie Clark said the police department is investigating the matter and discussing with the team whether using the stun gun was appropriate.

Police spokesman Lt. Frank Vanore told The Philadelphia Inquirer police internal affairs will open an investigation to determine if the firing "was proper use of the equipment."

Vanore was not made available to The Associated Press when a call was placed to the police department's public affairs office late Monday night.

The team said it's the first time a Taser has been used by police to apprehend a spectator who ran onto the field.

[killeverything]

Did anybody see this? I saw the report on Sportscenter this morning



http://blog.zap2it.com/thedishrag/2010/ ... force.html

Before 17-year-old Steve Consalvi ran onto the field at Citizen's Bank Park on Monday, where he was Tasered by a police officer, the teenager reportedly called his father for permission to do so.

"He said, 'Dad, can I run on the field? I said, 'I don't think you should, son,'" Wayne Consalvi told the Philadelphia Daily News of the conversation he had with his son.

"This would be a once in a lifetime experience!" Steve Consalvi replied to his father, according to the newspaper.

Wayne Consalvi told the newspaper that his son was not drinking and he wasn't on drugs. Steve Consalvi is "a real good student, heading to Penn State," his father told the Philadelphia Daily News.

The father also told the newspaper that his son didn't run onto the field as a result of a dare or bet, either.

"I don't recommend running on the field, but I don't think they should have Tased him at all," he told the newspaper.

The Phillies and Philadelphia police are investigating whether a police officer's use of a Taser to apprehend Steve Consalvi was an appropriate use of force.

Lt. Frank Vanore, a police spokesman, says Commissioner Charles Ramsey reviewed the tape and felt the officer had acted within the department's guidelines, which allow officers to use Tasers to arrest fleeing suspects. Vanore says internal affairs is still investigating.

Ramsey told KYW Radio in Philadelphia that he supported the officer's decision to use a Taser.

"It was inappropriate for him to be out there on the field," Ramsey said. "Unless I read something to the contrary, that officer acted appropriately. I support him 100 percent."

Consalvi, wearing a baseball cap, red T-shirt and khaki shorts, hopped a fence and scurried around the outfield, eluding two security officers in the bottom of the eighth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals. One officer used a Taser and the fan went down in a heap. Several Phillies placed gloves over their faces and appeared to be stifling laughter at the wild scene.

Phillies spokeswomen Bonnie Clark said the police department is investigating the matter and discussing with the team whether using the stun gun was appropriate.

Police spokesman Lt. Frank Vanore told The Philadelphia Inquirer police internal affairs will open an investigation to determine if the firing "was proper use of the equipment."

Vanore was not made available to The Associated Press when a call was placed to the police department's public affairs office late Monday night.

The team said it's the first time a Taser has been used by police to apprehend a spectator who ran onto the field.

Oh fuck you. "I don't think he should've been tasered".

No, he shouldn't have been tasered. He should've been fucking shot. Stay off the Goddamn field. There's a game to play.

Now were gonna have a lawsuit over some jackass's "once in a lifetime oppurtunity".

[Machado]

Kill-
I agree 1,000%. He's lucky there was no bullet being fired.
The idiot got exactly what he deserved. IMO, he got off lightly
with a simple taser shot.
Stay off the fucking field!!!

[tin00can]

God damn, do the Angels suck right now. They can't do anything right.

[JakeYonkel]

God damn, do the Angels suck right now. They can't do anything right.

I gotta think it's mostly the pitching, no? Saunders and Weaver are mid-rotation guys expected to anchor the staff.

Pineiro sucks.. Dave Duncan wonder.

Santana is an enigma, it seems.

And Tampa knew when to cut the cord on Kazmir for a good reason.

After that Scot Shields is no longer untouchable. I guess Rodney and Fuentes are servicable enough, but you gotta get them a lead.

Lackey was going to cost too much, but he meant a lot for that pitching staff.

[TawnyVonJagger]

Firstly...RIP Ernie Harwell, a true sportscasting icon, and Tigers legend. And one hell of a good guy. He will be deeply missed by Tigers Nation.

20 fucking K's tonight...jesus. 11 by The Freak. He done made us look stupid. Thank Lemmy for Hanley, the 3 run jack was the most runs scored on him this year so far! He's SICK! That pen is SICK!

Aaron Rowand...I hated you when you played for Philthy, and I still hate you. Motherfucker has our number, and he made some defensive web gems. Damn, he covers a lot of ground! I grudgingly tip my hat to him, the bastard.

And I blame my old man for the loss! 2 outs, bottom of the 9th, we're up 6-5, and Mr. TVJ points out Nunez's ERA...0.00. "He hasn't allowed a run yet this year!" And up comes Aaron Fucking Rowand...ties the game and off we go in extra innnings, where we ultimately lost. Shit!

Fun game to be at though, a lot of great defensive plays by both teams. The Fightin' Fish fought hard, came from behind twice, but my boy Hopper screwed the pooch again. We had our chances, though...

[killeverything]

Firstly...RIP Ernie Harwell, a true sportscasting icon, and Tigers legend. And one hell of a good guy. He will be deeply missed by Tigers Nation.

20 fucking K's tonight...jesus. 11 by The Freak. He done made us look stupid. Thank Lemmy for Hanley, the 3 run jack was the most runs scored on him this year so far! He's SICK! That pen is SICK!

Aaron Rowand...I hated you when you played for Philthy, and I still hate you. Motherfucker has our number, and he made some defensive web gems. Damn, he covers a lot of ground! I grudgingly tip my hat to him, the bastard.

And I blame my old man for the loss! 2 outs, bottom of the 9th, we're up 6-5, and Mr. TVJ points out Nunez's ERA...0.00. "He hasn't allowed a run yet this year!" And up comes Aaron Fucking Rowand...ties the game and off we go in extra innnings, where we ultimately lost. Shit!

Fun game to be at though, a lot of great defensive plays by both teams. The Fightin' Fish fought hard, came from behind twice, but my boy Hopper screwed the pooch again. We had our chances, though...

I just watched the highlights on MLB Tonite. When Uggla went yard on him, the announcers were like "Uggggggllllllllaaaaaaa!!!!!!" It was pretty funny. Looks like a kickfuckingass game to have been at.

Also Austin Jackson was voted April Rookie Of The Month. Some sources ( okay ESPN take that as you will ) are saying that it was a mistake for the MFY to trade him. Granderson is a pretty good pickup, and it's a small sample size and all that. The cat is hitting .377 right now which leads all MLB.

Now he was talked about as being a power prospect. Ranked #41 2008, and #36 2009 by Baseball America ( drafted 8th round 2005 by NY ). He's sitting at .377/.427/.526 0.4WPA 1.7WAR Talk about coming out of the gate firing on all cylinders.

[TawnyVonJagger]

Killy, about the Uggla thing. When we got him in 06, everyone was like, "who?!" So every time Uggla would hit a homer, Rich n Tommy would say, "And his name is...DAN UGGLA!" And they've been doing it ever since.

And I likes me some Austin Jackson.

[tin00can]

God damn, do the Angels suck right now. They can't do anything right.

I gotta think it's mostly the pitching, no? Saunders and Weaver are mid-rotation guys expected to anchor the staff.

Pineiro sucks.. Dave Duncan wonder.

Santana is an enigma, it seems.

And Tampa knew when to cut the cord on Kazmir for a good reason.

After that Scot Shields is no longer untouchable. I guess Rodney and Fuentes are servicable enough, but you gotta get them a lead.

Lackey was going to cost too much, but he meant a lot for that pitching staff.

Thing is, Santana at least has good stuff, his bad performances are all in his head - he's the new Ramon Ortiz for the Angels. Saunders doesn't really have good stuff, so when he can't locate (like right now) he gets bombed. I think Saunders is going to develop another "injury" and have to make some rehab assignments after a DL stint. Weaver is potentially the best starter the Angels have right now, he just needs to get more consistent.

Lackey didn't want to re-up with the Angels, pure and simple. He didn't like it in Anaheim and he wanted to get out. I hope he gets lit the fuck up tonight, but I expect it will be more like a domination of the Angels. And yeah, it looks like Tampa knew what they were doing with Kazmir, big surprise. I like Joe Maddon a lot, I was sad to see him (and Bud Black) go although I'm glad they found managing gigs.

Speaking of which, even though it was against the Brewers, how about the Padres shutting them out three times in four games, and only giving up 2 ER in the other game? That is fucking outstanding! 2 ER in 36 innings. Amazing.

[SkyDog112046]

A .147 BA, 3 HRs, 6 RBIs, and 25 strike outs. This has gotten beyond embarrassing. It's time to call it a career.

[Machado]

Yankees have several key players injured or on the DL.
Last night Joba pitched the 9th for the second day in a row.
Mo is having discomfort on his right side. He has not pitched I believe since last Friday.
Posada is nursing a sore calf. As of today he has not been placed on the DL.

Granderson is already on the DL with the injured groin. He should miss the entire month of May.

Good news is A.J. pitched another gem last night. Getting out of the 2nd/3rd, no outs jam was the key. Not sure he could have done that last year or previous years.
A.J. is now 4-0 with a 1.99 ERA

[WhiteHouseSubsAC]

Milton Bradley starting his shit again. After striking out with the bases loaded in the 6th inning, he left the stadium saying "I'm packing my stuff, I'm out of here."

[Facedown]

Pettitte undergoing an MRI.

[Machado]

Pettitte undergoing an MRI.

Cashman announced Pettitte will be skipped next
Tues vs tigers. Sergio Mitre more than likely to take his spot.

Pettitte not on the DL just yet.

Yankees are probably going to make a move either during the weekend series vs the sox or after the 3 games series.

We all know when those two teams play, the bullpen is very likely to get a lot of work.

[Machado]

Saw this on Yahoo. Good article to debate.

The 'Code': Ten unwritten baseball rules you might not know

Ed. note: Jason Turbow is author of the new, critically-acclaimed book "The Baseball Codes."
Last month, when A's pitcher Dallas Braden(notes) called out Alex Rodriguez(notes) for cutting across the Oakland Coliseum mound, the country was informed of a small slice of baseball's Code that had lain mostly dormant in recent memory.

It was only one of a litany of unwritten rules that covers major leaguers' actions, designed essentially to preserve a baseline level of respect between competitors. They constitute the moral fabric of the game.

The best known of these rules tells players not to steal a base when their team holds a big lead in the late innings of a game. Others include barring overt displays of exuberance in all but the most extreme circumstances; the hitter who watches his own home runs is the most egregious of violators in this category.

Many fans have heard of these rules (Alex Rodriguez himself was unaware of one). Some sections of the Code, however, fly under the radar (even for baseball insiders, to judge by the number of people within the game who had never heard the rule about restraint from crossing the pitcher's mound).

So, without further delay, here are 10 of baseball's more obscure unwritten rules:

1. Don't swing at the first pitch after back-to-back home runs
This is a matter of courtesy, respect for a pitcher who is clearly struggling, offering just a sliver of daylight with which to regain his senses. When Yankees rookie Chase Wright(notes) gave up back-to-back-to-back-to-back homers against Boston in 2007, the guys who hit numbers three and four — Mike Lowell(notes) and Jason Varitek(notes) — each watched a pitch before taking a cut.

"Let him know, okay, I'm not swinging," said Hal McRae. "I know you're out there trying to do a job, and I have to do a job — but you've just given up back-to-back home runs. So I take the first pitch."

2. Don't work the count when your team is up or down by a lot
This is true for both pitchers and hitters. Nobody wants to see the fifth guy on a bullpen's depth chart nibbling on the corners in the late innings of a blowout. Similarly, hitters are expected to swing at anything close. It's an effort to quickly and efficiently end a lopsided contest.

3. When hit by a pitch, don't rub the mark.
This one is all about intimidation or lack thereof. It's a hitter's way of telling the pitcher that his best shot — intentional or otherwise —didn't hurt. Pete Rose made a point of sprinting to first base after being hit, to ensure that he stripped all satisfaction from the pitcher.

"It's a macho thing, like a fighter who gets clocked in the mouth and shakes his head like it didn't hurt him," said Rich Donnelly. "But believe me, it hurts."

Lou Brock was the only hitter Sandy Koufax ever threw at intentionally, and despite the fact that his shoulder was fractured by the pitch, forcing him from the game, never once did he rub the spot. The Washington Post once reported that Don Baylor "was hit by 267 pitches yet never rubbed, even once. Of course, several of the balls had to be hospitalized."

4. Don't stand on the dirt cutout at home plate while a pitcher is warming up
Just as Braden dismissed A-Rod's attempt to enter his sacred space, the area around the plate is meant only for the hitter, and then only when it's time for him to hit. Should a pitcher be getting loose before an at-bat, it's strictly off-limits. "I stay as far away from the cutout as I can when the pitcher is warming up," said Ken Griffey Jr.(notes) "If they could, they should put the on-deck circle in left field to make me happy. I don't want anything to do with messing with the pitcher when he's getting ready."

5. Don't walk in front of a catcher or umpire when getting into batter's box
This is respect, pure and simple. If the line from your dugout to the batter's box takes you between the pitcher and the catcher, walk around. Like the A-Rod incident, you'll likely never hear about this one until a player is called out for brazenly violating it.

6. Don't help the opposition make a play (bracing them from falling into the dugout, etc.)
In 1998, Dodgers left fielder Matt Luke braced Arizona's Andy Fox as the third baseman staggered into the Los Angeles dugout while chasing a pop fly. He knew the Code, but he had also been Fox's roommate in multiple levels of the Yankees' minor-league system, and was so tight with him that Fox had served as an usher in his wedding. Even then, he had his limits. "I waited until he made the play," said Luke in the Riverside Press Enterprise. "I wanted to prevent an injury. We're competing out there, and not for one second do I want to help the opposition."

7. Relievers take it easy when facing other relievers
The caveat to this piece of the Code is that for the most part, relievers don't step to the plate in close games, which gives their counterparts on the opposing team some leeway in their approach. "You'd probably give them all fastballs," said Dave LaRoche. "It was just a professional courtesy type of thing. Here it is — I'll give you a chance to hit it if you can."

8. Follow the umpire's Code when addressing them on the field.
This is a book in itself. How one talks to umpires goes a long way toward getting favorable calls, or at least not getting thrown out of a game. ("That call was horse----" is generally acceptable; "You're horse----" is never acceptable.) Some savvy teams go so far as to post headshots and bios in the clubhouse for the umps working that day's game, so that players can butter them up a bit.

Still, there are ways to express anger without getting tossed. After umpire Shag Crawford called Dick Groat out on a play at second base, Groat told him, "You're still the second best umpire in the league." Then he added that the other 19 umpires were tied for first.

9. Pitchers stay in the dugout at least until the end of the inning in which they get pulled
This is purely about respect for one's teammates. "I know you're having a tough day, but give your teammates the respect to stay out here until the end of the inning," said Sean Casey(notes). "You don't want to show that you think the game's already lost."

10. Pitchers never show up their fielders
This doesn't happen frequently, but when it does, players notice. One pitcher who made a habit of excessive body language on the mound was Gaylord Perry, who would put his hands on his hips and stare down fielders who made errors behind him.

"That bothered me because nobody glared at him if he gave up a home run or something like that," said Dave Nelson, Perry's teammate on the Rangers. "I always felt like I deserved the same respect because I'm out there busting my butt just like he is, and if I make an error, it wasn't because I was doing it on purpose."

Perry's teammate in Cleveland, Oscar Gamble, had a different take: "If you don't do right, if you miss a ball you should have caught, you expect the fans to boo you," he said. "And this fan, Gaylord, was a player. That's the way I looked at it."

Perry, however, was occasionally able to find his fielders innocent of wrongdoing. Once, after shortstop Todd Cruz fielded a grounder and air-mailed the ball into the stands, Perry withheld judgment. "Too much stuff on the ball," he said after the game.

For more on baseball's unwritten rules, visit TheBaseballCodes.com

[LAglamrocker]

what the reason for no cheerleaders or dance team in baseball?

[SkyDog112046]

The Red Sox are finally back to .500. The Angels in Fenway is usually a good prescription for them. If I'm the Angels, I'm not feeling too good about Ortiz going 2 for 3 with a walk and an HR last night.

[tin00can]

The Red Sox are finally back to .500. The Angels in Fenway is usually a good prescription for them. If I'm the Angels, I'm not feeling too good about Ortiz going 2 for 3 with a walk and an HR last night.

As an Angels fan, I'm not feeling too good about anything right now, in particular the offense. They look fucking horrible. The bullpen has four guys - Bulger, Shields, Stokes and Shields - who are completely unreliable. The starting pitching is inconsistent at best, and Saunders looks like he's done. The offense is terrible.

I'm hoping that seeing Dice-K will help them get back on track.

[SkyDog112046]

Should MLB change the draft format?

I saw a mock draft and couldn't help but notice that it's pretty much always the teams that refuse to spend money picking near the top of the draft. Does the current system reward them by giving them the best prospects for being cheap?

Every other sport has either a salary requirement or lottery to keep the worst teams from tanking to get the best prospects except baseball. Is it really fair that KC and Pittsburgh are perennially picking near the top because they don't spend money on the field? Those prospects are going to be brought through their farm systems and eventually traded or lost to free agency, but because they are almost always shitty they are going to get good picks to replace those players and keep their farm systems stacked.

Should MLB penalize teams that spend less than a certain amount on the field over a few year period by moving them to the bottom of the round? Or at least put in a lottery system similar to other sports where the bottom 10 or 12 teams have to draw for the first 3 or 4 picks to keep the teams somewhat honest? Or maybe both?

I hate to see teams buying titles, but at the same time I hate seeing teams making more money from revenue sharing than they spend on the field and then being rewarded with the best draft picks. It just seems like baseball needs an overhaul(and a real commissioner).

[killeverything]

The Red Sox are finally back to .500. The Angels in Fenway is usually a good prescription for them. If I'm the Angels, I'm not feeling too good about Ortiz going 2 for 3 with a walk and an HR last night.

As an Angels fan, I'm not feeling too good about anything right now, in particular the offense. They look fucking horrible. The bullpen has four guys - Bulger, Shields, Stokes and Shields - who are completely unreliable. The starting pitching is inconsistent at best, and Saunders looks like he's done. The offense is terrible.

I'm hoping that seeing Dice-K will help them get back on track.

Well, they're gonna walk......a lot.

[Machado]

Kill
Give me your thoughts about the upcoming 3 game
series this weekend vs Yankees

Hughes vs beckett

C.C. vs buchholz

A.J. vs lester

**not sure if the Friday match-up is legit. i heard dice k was going to make a start Friday**

[tin00can]

The Red Sox are finally back to .500. The Angels in Fenway is usually a good prescription for them. If I'm the Angels, I'm not feeling too good about Ortiz going 2 for 3 with a walk and an HR last night.

As an Angels fan, I'm not feeling too good about anything right now, in particular the offense. They look fucking horrible. The bullpen has four guys - Bulger, Shields, Stokes and Shields - who are completely unreliable. The starting pitching is inconsistent at best, and Saunders looks like he's done. The offense is terrible.

I'm hoping that seeing Dice-K will help them get back on track.

Well, they're gonna walk......a lot.

I just noticed I mentioned Shields twice in my OP. That should have been Palmer, who, to be fair, is the mop-up guy.

[Machado]

the oakland a's pitcher continues to speak about ARod
If you thought the little feud between Oakland Athletics pitcher Dallas Braden and New York Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez was over, you're wrong.

Braden took umbrage with Rodriguez crossing over the pitcher's mound during a game on April 22. The two exchanged words on the field, and after the game Braden kept going at A-Rod, saying that he should "take a note from his captain over there."

Well, upon hearing of Braden's comments on the situation, Rodriguez said he wasn't aware of any unwritten rules about crossing the pitcher's mound, and that he was surprised somebody with so few career victories under his belt would challenge him. So naturally when CSNBayArea's Mychael Urban asked Braden about the situation again on Wednesday, Braden and his low win total kept on talking.

Even intimating that the only way to settle this feud would not be with a pitch up and in, but with a fist directly to his face.

Braden was asked by CSN if he felt that he and Rodriguez might have to exchange blows for this to come to an end, and well, he basically said yes.

"There are things that are going to have to happen," Braden told Urban. "Out of respect to my teammates, out of respect to the game. I think he's probably garnered a new respect for the unwritten rules and the people who hold them close to their game. But I think you're right, we don't do much talking in the 209 (a reference to Stockton, Calif., where Braden went to high school)."

Which is obviously a lie because Dallas Braden has been doing a lot of talking in the 209 lately. In fact, he kept talking and had even more to say about Rodriguez.

In response to Rodriguez's comments about his career resume, Braden said he didn't realize he needed qualifications to comment.

"There's two ways that I can comment on that, and I'll give you both of them," Braden offered. "One, I was always told if you give a fool enough rope, he'll hang himself, and with those comments, he had all the rope he needed. Two, I didn't know there was a criteria in order to compete against A-Rod. I didn't know that."

The pitcher didn't stop there, either, discussing Rodriguez's real motivation.

"He's an individualistic player. He plays for the name on the back of the jersey, not the front. I don't know if he's noticed, but he doesn't have a name on the back over there so he should play for the name on the front over."

Needless to say, things could get pretty interesting the next time Braden and the Athletics face the Yankees. Circle your calendars: New York returns to Oakland on July 5 for a three-game series.

[JakeYonkel]

Wow, that guy is a douchebag of the highest order.

Wow.

[killeverything]

Wow, that guy is a douchebag of the highest order.

Wow.

You know it's fucked up when something pertaining to A Rod, and "douchebag" is used to describe the other guy.

[WhiteHouseSubsAC]

Wow, that guy is a douchebag of the highest order.

Wow.

You know it's fucked up when something pertaining to A Rod, and "douchebag" is used to describe the other guy.

haha, that's so true.

[killeverything]

W vs. QS

Dice got a win today. 5IP 5ER 5H is good enough for a win.

Unfuckingreal.

[JakeYonkel]

I don't think A-Rod's a douche as much as he is just a clown.

This guy though.. is he serious? Acting all gangster? "We don't do much talking in the 209?" Get the fuck outta here with that shit.

A-Rod shouldn't waste another second discussing this guy. Braden doesn't get it - he doesn't have the right to open his mouth because he's a nobody. It's called respecting a future Hall of Famer.

[killeverything]

SONOFAGODFUCKINGDAMNPIECEOFSHITMOTHERFUCKDEADKITTENSEVERYWHERE!

Robinson Cano has a 1.100 OPS against Beckett. If there was ever a time to put one in the ribs. Now is the time.

I wanna talk about Hughes.

I ran across some interesting data that compliments my theory, he is the motherfucking man.

In mid-2006, Hughes became less reliant on his slider and began developing his 1-7 curve, which he threw in the low 80s. His fastball sat in the 91-95 range, but he struggled to control his changeup, which posed a significant hurdle to his advancement the next two years.

Two big things happened in 2008 for Hughes: First, he developed a cutter ):

Did you know Phil Hughes (left) has scrapped his slider in favor of a cutter? I did not. But once I found out, tonight's outing made a lot more sense.

Throughout the game, Hughes kept having success with an 87-89 mph pitch that seemed to have more movement than his regular fastball but too much velocity for a slider. He used it to strike out George Kottaras in the first inning, he used it to get a double play in the second, and he threw it off the plate to setup a 93 mph fastball for his final strikeout in the fifth. I thought he might be taking something off his fastball and getting a little extra movement, but no. New pitch. New to me, anyway...

My own ignorance of the Phil Hughes arsenal aside, the guy pitched pretty well tonight. His fastball touched 95 four times in the first inning, and regularly sat 93-94 most of the night. He leaned heavily on the fastball and cutter through the first three innings before mixing in his other pitches more often in the fourth and fifth. He threw three straight changeups the second time he faced Chris Carter. The first two missed up. The third got a routine popup.


http://www.pinstripealley.com/2008/8/8/ ... for-hughes

Second, later that fall, as he told Peter Abraham, he shifted gears with his curve and change:

Hughes explained that he’s throwing his curve with the same arm speed as his fastball. So instead of a big loop (picture Mike Mussina’s curve), it goes to the plate on a straighter plane but still has some action as it gets there. It’s how A.J. Burnett throws his curve.

Hughes devoted a lot of time in the Arizona Fall League to working on that particular pitch. “It’s hard to change because you get used to throwing a pitch a certain way,” he said. “In games, you tend to go back to what is comfortable. But they’ve been staying on me to throw the power curve more. I have to trust it and I do.”

Hughes also has changed the grip on his change-up. He throws it like a splitter.

http://yankees.lhblogs.com/2009/03/03/t ... il-hughes/

The results were a curve that jumped from 72 to 77 mph, and a change that went from 80 to 83. The approaches made them easier to control and throw for strikes, as well as deceive batters with more uniform motions and release points. But the cutter is what's made the biggest difference. Even when hitters guess correctly that a fastball is coming, they're having trouble discerning the cutter from the four-seamer. The overhead view of the pitch trajectories tells a lot of the story – their paths don't diverge until the ball's about 25 feet from the plate.

There's more on fangraphs. He throws it 25-30% of the time. It's become his most effective pitch. RHH are at .077/.122/.077/.199 against him, with just 2 walks in 41 PA. And LHH his control hasn't been as good with 10 walks in 53 PA and a .163/.321/.233/.553 line.

Dayum. Where I think Boston was fucked to begin with is their unfamiliarity in facing him. Without digging too deep into retrosheet and fangraphs. I believe they don't average more than 6 PA against him. None since he's upped his repetorire.