I thought the actual throw itself was great. Strong, accurate, on-line.

But watching carefully, Ichiro didn't really charge the ball at all. He kind of pulled up and allowed it to come to him. I am not saying his approach was wrong, necessarily -- perhaps he has a better chance to get off a more accurate and stronger throw this way, or, more likely, has a better chance to field it cleanly so that he can at least get off an attempt. But his approach seems to be _different_ from what I typically see major league outfielders do.

Ray, like you, I probably shouldn't question how Ichiro! played the ball, but I think you're right. I think he dind't charge fully because he took a bad line to it. It looks like the ball got to him quicker than he thought so he was in danger of over-running it. So he slowed up and adjusted to his left.

Either way, I'm not sure he could have played it in such a way to get the runner. He might have made it close and, hey, you never know, but I don't think he was getting the runner either way.

And, of course, I could be way off on what he was doing/thinking.

Meanwhile the Rangers improve to 17-8 in their last 25 games … during which stretch, they've lost three games of their lead on the A's. This is like trying to resist the zombie uprising.

by WPA, Blevins' save last night was the second toughest in the last 10 years.

What was the toughest?

Meanwhile the Rangers improve to 17-8 in their last 25 games … during which stretch, they've lost three games of their lead on the A's. This is like trying to resist the zombie uprising.

Ya know it!
*moves like Bernie*

This game, I guess, was a tougher 3 out save.

According to BB Ref. Honestly, I don't understand WPA enough to know how it's calculated. Here's the all time list someone else generated so I can't completely vouch for it's accuracy.

Belvins' WPA for the game was 0.651 which, thankfully, overcame Grant Balfour's -0.615.

Speaking of announcers it is time once again to vote for the candidates for Ford C Frick award for the Baseball Announcing Hall of Fame. Local candidates for the Bay Area include Ray Fosse, Bill King, Hank Greenwald, and yes Krukow and Kuiper.

This game, I guess, was a tougher 3 out save.

According to BB Ref. Honestly, I don't understand WPA enough to know how it's calculated.

I don't know how WPA is calculated either, but it looks like Sonnanstine came into the game in the exact same situation as Blevins: 1st and 3rd, nobody out, up by one run. But check out who Sonnanstine had to face:

1. Brian Barden - Backup shortstop, 26 OPS+ in 2010, 52 OPS+ for his major-league career.
2. Anibal Sanchez - A pitcher pinch-hitting for another pitcher, and he's a bad hitter even for a pitcher (for his career: .245(!) OPS, 1 extra-base hit, 105 K in 276 PA).
3. Dan Uggla - OK, Uggla was very good in 2010.

Gaby Sanchez, not a particularly fast runner, was on first. (He did steal a base in the inning.)

Blevins, on the other hand, faced:

1. Kendrys Morales - Good power hitter; career line of .282/.334/.490 (slightly worse this year but his OPS+ is better).
2. Howie Kendrick - Career .291 average, doubles power, reasonably fast (but does ground into a lot of DPs).

The runner at 1B was Peter Bourjos, maybe the fastest guy in the league.

I'd say Blevins' save was more difficult. Sonnanstine had two near-automatic outs before Uggla came up, and Uggla batting with two outs is easier to survive than Morales with no outs or Kendrick with one out.

The best save I can remember was not actually a save because the game was tied (which is even tougher, really): John Rocker in Game 3 of the 1999 NLDS against the Astros: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/HOU/HOU199910080.shtml

Bottom of the 10th, tie game, Russ Springer loads the bases with no outs and Rocker is summoned to replace him. The first batter he faces (Carl Everett in his best season) hits a grounder to first base; the runner is thrown out at home. The next batter (Tony Eusebio, decent hitter for a catcher) hits a grounder to shortstop; the runner is again thrown out at home. Rocker then strikes out Ricky Gutierrez to extend the game. His WPA, however, was "only" 0.587. But given the circumstances (extra innings, playoff game) I'd say Rocker out-Blevinsed Blevins.

Speaking of announcers it is time once again to vote for the candidates for Ford C Frick award for the Baseball Announcing Hall of Fame. Local candidates for the Bay Area include Ray Fosse, Bill King, Hank Greenwald, and yes Krukow and Kuiper.

King and Greenwald both deserve it.

The best save I can remember was not actually a save because the game was tied (which is even tougher, really): John Rocker in Game 3 of the 1999 NLDS against the Astros: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/HOU/HOU199910080.shtml

Bottom of the 10th, tie game, Russ Springer loads the bases with no outs and Rocker is summoned to replace him. The first batter he faces (Carl Everett in his best season) hits a grounder to first base; the runner is thrown out at home. The next batter (Tony Eusebio, decent hitter for a catcher) hits a grounder to shortstop; the runner is again thrown out at home. Rocker then strikes out Ricky Gutierrez to extend the game. His WPA, however, was "only" 0.587. But given the circumstances (extra innings, playoff game) I'd say Rocker out-Blevinsed Blevins.

Am I remembering right that Walt Weiss made a spectacular diving play on the grounder that he fielded? I remember Weiss doing that with Atlanta in a big spot, not sure if this was the one.

You guys get really down on your team--it's baseball and there's always another day.

THIS was their day. THIS was the series they had to win. If you're always dropping games against the teams that you have to beat, AND you're dropping games against teams you're supposed to beat, then a few things become obvious:

1) They're better than you.
2) You're not as good as you thought.

Both are true for the Angels. Given how high the expectations were for them before the season, I'll say it again: this season hurts more than 1995.

Am I remembering right that Walt Weiss made a spectacular diving play on the grounder that he fielded? I remember Weiss doing that with Atlanta in a big spot, not sure if this was the one.

According to a game report "the second out was courtesy of a shortstop Walt Weiss, whose diving, game-saving stab permanently etched his name in the lore of Houston Astros infamy."

According to a game report "the second out was courtesy of a shortstop Walt Weiss, whose diving, game-saving stab permanently etched his name in the lore of Houston Astros infamy."

Oh, he'd have to do some steppin' to catch up with Garry Maddox or Jesse ####### Orosco in 'Stros infamosity.

Nate McClouth wins it for the Orioles with Manny Machado making a hell of a defensive play in the top of the 9th and then scoring the winning run.

Amazing.

This team! This incredible *%$%&#$ing team!

This team's starting to play the kind of baseball that Orioles fans from the 70's and early 80's were taking for granted. What's even more amazing is the thought that the Orioles, the Ravens, the Nats and the Redskins could all actually be in the postseason. The Redskins and the Colts both made the playoffs in 1971 and 1976, but only the '71 Colts even made it out of the first round.

(Well, the Redskins still have 15 games to go and I hope they lose all 15 of them, but that new kid at QB was a wonder to behold down in New Orleans, and they've got an easy schedule.)