Too high?

That is just a terrible pitch

Brandon Phillips is unquestionable one of the five best players ever to have the middle name "Emil".

what the hell is up with ryan ludwick being pretty decent

Lately I find myself rooting more for players than teams, especially since the Jays are never competitive enough to really have rivals. So:

1. Ichiro and friends. I'd really like to see Ichiro win the World Series MVP then retire in a blaze of glory. I'm trying to ignore the logo on the front of his jersey, and I've mostly been successful. Also, I can't really find any of the Yankees hateable. Swisher's kind of annoying, Pettitte's borderline, but they're not that bad (or at least that's what I keep telling myself).

[big gap]

2. Tigers. I love going to games at Comerica, Cabrera and Fielder are a great combination, and Austin Jackson's fun to watch.
3. Nationals. I'd be really amusing if they won the WS without Strasburg.
4. A's. Same kind of thing, Billy Beane having success with this team after everyone wrote him off would be a good enough story for a movie sequel.

[medium-sized gap]

5. Reds.
6. Giants.
7. Cardinals. I don't actively dislike any of these teams (unlike watching Ron Washington manage the Rangers), but they're pretty much interchangeable NL teams to me.

Unranked: Orioles. This is pure spite, but after seeing Tampa become a perennial contender that reached the WS, if the Orioles won the Series it'd just be too much for me. At the same time, after years of "We can't compete in the AL East" stories, it'd be funny if every other team in the division had success. Plus, Dan Duquette! They probably rank 5th or 6th, but they're playing against Ichiro and friends so they start at / near the bottom.

Nice dp turn

3. Nationals. I'd be really amusing if they won the WS without Strasburg.

Examples?

Examples?

I assume he's holding it in reserve.

Has anybody done a study of Batting averages after a number of pitches? Seems like when a guy battles for 7 or 8 pitches, he is more likely to get a hit. It may be bias in my mind, though

Oh, Bruce! Dang

Scott Rolen! I remember that guy!

Marty Brennaman sounds like he has a very bad cold.

EDIT:No, it's someone else. They've got three in the Reds' radio booth tonight.

Not easy to homer that far out into Triples Alley.

Has anybody done a study of Batting averages after a number of pitches? Seems like when a guy battles for 7 or 8 pitches, he is more likely to get a hit. It may be bias in my mind, though

don't know who it was(I think it might have been Neyer) but I remember one that said after the 9th pitch(?) there is a slight advantage to the hitter.

Lately I find myself rooting more for players than teams, especially since the Jays are never competitive enough to really have rivals. So:

That at times will figure into my pet team, but generally if I look at a roster long enough I can find a player on any roster that I'm rooting for. Ichiro is of course one of them, but he is more than cancelled out by being on the same roster as Jeter and Teix. (I root for Arod also, especially for him to have a fantastic series)

I mean I am rooting for Dusty, regardless of all the crap we give him on here and any other baseball board(just like I will always root for the Cubs in the post season) What team doesn't have at least one or two players to root for? I guess the Giants have just Sandoval and Cain and that is about it, but every other team I can find 3+ guys I don't mind rooting for.

I was not aware that Hunter Pence has been growing a beard since moving west. With his trademark wild, darting eyes and shortness of breath he looks just like Chris Elliott.

What team doesn't have at least one or two players to root for

See I find myself going the other way. I generally am positive about most players but then each team seems to have one or two guys that piss me off, frequently for no good reason.

Oh and for what it's worth my current rooting order;

Oakland
Cincinnati
Detroit
Baltimore
Washington
St. Louis
Sam Francisco
New York

My rooting order:

Cincinnati
Detroit
Oakland
Washington
San Francisco
Baltimore
New York
St. Louis

See I find myself going the other way. I generally am positive about most players but then each team seems to have one or two guys that piss me off, frequently for no good reason.

That is the fun part, the no good reason to dislike. I don't have anyone like that anymore(except I guess Jeter) but in the past, that was the way I went also.

See I find myself going the other way. I generally am positive about most players but then each team seems to have one or two guys that piss me off, frequently for no good reason.

And I hate this about myself. I like to root for not against and I should be happy for Verlander and Jackson, not pissed because of Valverde.

Anyone playing Bingo on MLB.com/gameday?

I will add (because I know you're all dying to know) that other than the YAnkees I'm pretty cool with the other seven teams. It's a pretty likable group.

Anyone playing Bingo on MLB.com/gameday?

Didn't know about it, I'll probably check it out tomorrow.

That at times will figure into my pet team, but generally if I look at a roster long enough I can find a player on any roster that I'm rooting for. Ichiro is of course one of them, but he is more than cancelled out by being on the same roster as Jeter and Teix. (I root for Arod also, especially for him to have a fantastic series)

I mean I am rooting for Dusty, regardless of all the crap we give him on here and any other baseball board(just like I will always root for the Cubs in the post season) What team doesn't have at least one or two players to root for? I guess the Giants have just Sandoval and Cain and that is about it, but every other team I can find 3+ guys I don't mind rooting for.

That's true, but I usually try to find someone I like who's near retirement and hasn't won anything before. Ichiro's the reason I started watching baseball again, so I wouldn't care if he was on a team led by Shea Hillenbrand and managed by Pete Rose.

Didn't know about it, I'll probably check it out tomorrow.

It's fun, go to game day, you get a card, if you share the link on facebook you get two more cards. It doesn't matter when in the game you do it.
I just shared my card and got two more cards immediately and one of the two cards I got had four out of five in line already(just need the Giants to score two runs in an inning for bingo) Drawback is you have to claim within 10 minutes of the game ending, and the claim just puts you into a drawing that will take place in half an hour.

I will add (because I know you're all dying to know) that other than the YAnkees I'm pretty cool with the other seven teams. It's a pretty likable group.

That's also my opinion.

My rooting order:
Oakland
Washington
Cincinnati
Baltimore
Detroit
San Francisco
St. Louis

big gap

Players go on strike, no more playoffs

big gap

New York

Did the announcer just say Rolen had a relatively healthy year??? I think the other announcer tried to quietly fix that mistake.

I would much rather see the Yanks win another World Series than the Cardinals. They've only won one since 2000. If this goes on much longer Yankee fans will start bellyaching about how tortured they are by constant playoff heartbreak. Do you want that to happen? Is that what you want? Do you know how unbearable they will be if that starts happening?

If the TBS guys want to laud Jocketty for his acquisition of Rolen it seems they should at least acknowledge what Encarnacion has done for Toronto. It's not like he gave up chump change.

I would much rather see the Yanks win another World Series than the Cardinals. They've only won one since 2000. If this goes on much longer Yankee fans will start bellyaching about how tortured they are by constant playoff heartbreak. Do you want that to happen? Is that what you want?

Yes please.

My rooting order:

Washington
San Francisco
gap
Baltimore
gap
Cincinnati
Oakland
Detroit
big gap
St Louis
New York

Jose, I was thinking exactly the same thing (#181). The only guy who has looked older than Rolen tonight is the carcas which used to be Aubrey Huff.

Buster Busts One!

Jose, I was thinking exactly the same thing (#181). The only guy who has looked older than Rolen tonight is the carcas which used to be Aubrey Huff.


And Delmon Young.

Rooting order:

Reds
San Francisco
Baltimore
Oakland
St. Louis
Detroit
Nationals
Meteor
New York

Buster!!!!!

I need the Giants to score one more run for Bingo. :)

Ah, I love seeing the Yankees at the bottom of all those lists. We don't need you people!

If the TBS guys want to laud Jocketty for his acquisition of Rolen it seems they should at least acknowledge what Encarnacion has done for Toronto...

...and Zach Stewart!

Nats
O's/Tigres
Reds/Gints
...
A's
Cards
...
...
Yanks

Jose, I was thinking exactly the same thing (#181). The only guy who has looked older than Rolen tonight is the carcas which used to be Aubrey Huff.


And Delmon Young.

I must agree, if you include the first game.

RYAN GLUDWICK FLASHING THE LOVE!

If the TBS guys want to laud Jocketty for his acquisition of Rolen it seems they should at least acknowledge what Encarnacion has done for Toronto. It's not like he gave up chump change.

Really, that was the trade.... If I'm the announcers, I never bring that trade up. I mean the Reds with Encarnacion somewhere on the roster, probably would be the best team in baseball without debate.

G-men need to get to Latos this inning

...and Zach Stewart!

Hey he's good too. I mean the Sox gave up Youkilis for him.

I feel bad hating Stewart, it's not his fault that he was part of a terrible trade for one of my favorite players but...#### him.

Boy, you look away from this mlb.com feed for two seconds, you're ######.

...the Reds with Encarnacion somewhere on the roster, probably would be the best team in baseball without debate.

As long as he's at first...

...it's not his fault that he was part of a terrible trade for one of my favorite players but...

I know, I hated Bartolo after the Omar Minaya Talent Giveaway.

OK, I saw that ball go up and thought about the play from last night.