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Friday, May 10, 2013

Frustrated by low attendance, Indians players give out free tickets on Twitter, team president follows

The Cleveland Indians have the lowest average attendance in baseball. Lower, even, than the Miami Marlins, who most people would assume own that dishonor. In fact, Miami is only fifth worst.
Cleveland’s average of 14,205 makes places like Miami, Tampa Bay and Kansas City look somewhat decent. The Royals, in fact, are second worst in baseball and average 4,000 more per game than the Indians.

On Monday and Tuesday, the Indians drew 9,514 and 9,474 with the Oakland Athletics in town. This was ...

Read More...
RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: May 10, 2013 at 02:21 PM | 42 comment(s)
  Beats: attendance, indians, progressive field

Catellier: Baseball HOF Discussion: Gil Hodges, Los Angeles Dodgers

Plus he’d wait on line for an Ebinger’s black-out cake just like the rest of us!

Is former Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers great Gil Hodges the best eligible position player not in the Hall of Fame? No, Barry Bonds is…or maybe Jeff Bagwell. But five years ago, the answer very well may have been “yes”.

Without all this newfangled steroid nonsense clouding the picture, Hodges’ case depicts perhaps the most lopsided argument in history regarding a player’s Hall of Fame merit. It seems ...

Read More...
Repoz Posted: May 10, 2013 at 01:12 PM | 45 comment(s)
  Beats: history, hof

Curt Schilling: ‘As a player, this is our fault’ that players like David Ortiz face PED questions

Next he’ll be spray painting “Aus der Traum!” on the ESPN studio wall!

“I love David. I love him to death. And I think a lot of what Dan has done in his life has been personally driven. But he didn’t ask a question that people aren’t asking themselves,” Schilling said. “And I keep going to back to, as a player, this is our fault. We did this. We let this happen. We had a chance to stop it and we didn’t. I think the way it was done was kind of cheesy. But there are people asking ...

Read More...
Repoz Posted: May 10, 2013 at 12:49 PM | 34 comment(s)
  Beats: red sox

Baseball America: Jim Callis: Mock Draft 1.0

More like a Hunter’s guide for big game…

15. DIAMONDBACKS: After an early run on pitchers, position players will be the strength of the middle of the first round. Count Arizona as one of several teams in this area who would love an unexpected shot at Meadows. Renfroe and California high school shortstop J.P. Crawford are better bets to be available.

PROJECTED PICK: HUNTER RENFROE.

30. RANGERS: Since 2006, Texas has used eight of its nine first-round picks on high schoolers. Most of the best ...

Read More...
Repoz Posted: May 10, 2013 at 09:35 AM | 27 comment(s)
  Beats: draft

School teacher dies after choking on hot dog at Wrigley Field

Maureen Oleskiewicz, a 28-year-old middle school teacher, died on Sunday after choking on a hot dog at Wrigley Field, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

Oleskiewicz and her brother, Martin Oleskiewicz, were eating before the game started when she fell to the floor choking. CPR was administered, but she died after undergoing cardiac arrest.

Maureen Oleskiewicz, a 28-year-old middle school teacher, died on Sunday after choking on a hot dog at Wrigley Field.

Before Oleskiewicz passed away, ...

Read More...
RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: May 10, 2013 at 08:46 AM | 65 comment(s)
  Beats: cubs, death, fans, wrigley field

Primer Dugout (and link of the day) 5-10-2013

Washington Times, May 10, 1913:

The United States League will have its formal opening at Union League Park today, when the Brooklyn team meets the Washington team. There will be no admissions charged, Manager Carsey throwing open the gates to the fans and offering the first engagement between the clubs gratis.

The 1913 US League season lasted two days. New York and Newark folded up shop after 100 people showed up to their season opener, and the other six teams gave up after the second game.

Neutral Milk Dotel (Dan Lee) Posted: May 10, 2013 at 06:23 AM | 7 comment(s)
  Beats: dugout, history

ESPN Boston: David Ortiz says PED suggestions discriminatory

“Yesterday, the guy came to see me and asked some questions about steroids, and when you see the writing, it basically focuses on the fact that I’m Dominican and that many Dominicans have been caught using steroids. And what about the Americans?” Ortiz said.

“If you’re from the Middle East, because there are some people there who put bombs and terrorize civilians, I have to see you like that, as well? If you are a white American, I have to call you a racist because white Americans were in the ...

Read More...
Repoz Posted: May 10, 2013 at 06:18 AM | 38 comment(s)
  Beats: red sox

J.R. Gamble: Chill With The Pitcher’s Helmet Talk

Hey, take it easy…probably only Scott Radinsky and Jack McDowell ever discussed early Amphetamine Reptile sides.

The average pitcher is more likely to die in a car crash over his lifetime then get hit in the head by a line drive during his MLB career.

If this is where society is going, then we have a lot of other culprits to fix before we start imposing more safety legislation on baseball.

Let’s ban the X-games, where Snowmobiler Caleb Moore died in January, as a result of injuries he ...

Read More...
Repoz Posted: May 10, 2013 at 05:32 AM | 15 comment(s)
  Beats: history

Simers: Josh Hamilton smiles, but he doesn’t care what fans think

As Alfred, Lord (The Human Eyeball) Tennyson once said about smile splits…“A smile abroad is often a scowl at home.”

Dwight Howard, meet Josh Hamilton.

“I’ve had people screaming at me when I’m at the plate, ‘Wipe that smile off your face,’‘’ said the Angels bust. “If I’m not smiling, you don’t want me out there. I want to play the game how I’ve grown up my whole life playing it, and that’s with a smile. You do your best when you’re relaxed.’‘

Hamilton gets any more relaxed and he really ...

Read More...
Repoz Posted: May 10, 2013 at 04:56 AM | 18 comment(s)
  Beats: angels

mlb.com: Angels file protest after pitching change

[Angels’] Manager Mike Scoscia argued Astros skipper Bo Porter wasn’t allowed to make two pitching changes before the first reliever fired an official pitch.

However, since the Angels came back to win, 6-5, the protest is essentially a non-factor. [...] Rule 3.05(b) states: If the pitcher is replaced, the substitute pitcher shall pitch to the batter then at-bat, or any substitute batter, until such batter is put out or reaches first base, or until the offensive team is put out, unless the ...

Read More...
bobm Posted: May 10, 2013 at 01:08 AM | 118 comment(s)
  Beats: angels, mike scioscia, protest, umpires

OMNICHATTER for MAY 10, 2013

15 games today, and I can’t come up with anything witty to say right now. Sorry. I’ll make sure to have something ready for Saturday.

Gamingboy Posted: May 10, 2013 at 12:46 AM | 95 comment(s)
  Beats: mlb, omnichatter

Thursday, May 09, 2013

Sims: Don’t Count On Roy Halladay Pitching Again This Season

Will the rotator cuff tear be repaired, or will the joint just be cleaned out, referred to as a debridement? The thickness and location of the tear will likely be the determining factors. If the labrum shows degenerative wearing at the edges, it may only require a bit of smoothing out. If a labral tear is evident once they are in the joint, Halladay will require a more robust surgery.  [...]  It is likely that Halladay is looking at a minimum six-month recovery if more than a simple debridement ...

Read More...
bobm Posted: May 09, 2013 at 11:24 PM | 12 comment(s)
  Beats: injury, phillies, roy halladay

Washington Post: Red Carpet Rewards Loses Its Luster For Some Nationals Fans

But with no preseason notice, the Nationals front office for the 2013 season significantly diluted the Red Carpet Rewards program, and the number of points needed to buy extra benefits increased dramatically. For example, a game against the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday, May 25, costs 1,000 Red Carpet points for a field MVP or club seat, which is 10 times what it cost last year. The Nationals also shortened the window in which tickets can be redeemed ahead of time to one month; last year ...

Read More...
The Yankee Clapper Posted: May 09, 2013 at 06:16 PM | 5 comment(s)
  Beats: attendance, economics, tickets, washington nationals

Former Cardinals OF Fernando Tatís Is Good at MS Paint… No, Really

Former Cardinals outfielder Fernando Tatís once famously hit 2 Grand Slams in one inning and set a Major Leage record with 8 RBI in one frame but that may not be his biggest feat. Lately it seems that Fernando has been lighting up the world of graphic design and his all original creations are truly a sight to behold and the world needs to stand up and take notice.

jyjjy Posted: May 09, 2013 at 03:52 PM | 52 comment(s)
  Beats: cardinals

McCain Introduces Cable, Satellite A La Carte Legislation

Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona) on Thursday unveiled legislation that would upend the cable and satellite business, forcing them to let customers pick-and-choose which channels they would like to get rather than take programming in bundles.

“The video industry, principally cable companies and satellite companies and the programmers that sell channels, like NBC and Disney-ABC, continue to give consumers two options when buying TV programming: First, to purchase a package of channels whether you ...

Read More...
RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: May 09, 2013 at 02:43 PM | 82 comment(s)
  Beats: blackout rules, cable, john mccain, mlbtv, satellite, sports media

ESPN: Simon: Andrelton Simmons makes all the plays

Entering Wednesday, Simmons had played 680 innings in his major league career and the Baseball Info Solutions (BIS) numbers have him with 30 defensive runs saved. He had 19 in 426 innings last season and already has a major-league best 11 in 254 innings in 2013.

For a little perspective, that’s an incredible number for what amounts to less than half a season’s worth of play. No shortstop has had 30 defensive runs saved in a full season since Troy Tulowitzki had 31 in 2007.

Simmons has been ...

Read More...
spike Posted: May 09, 2013 at 02:10 PM | 5 comment(s)
  Beats: atlanta, braves, defense

The Read Zone: On Matt Harvey’s Tuesday Night Brush With Perfection, Was It The Best by a Met All Time?

#8 Johan Santana, 2012 – Game Score: 90

#4 Al Leiter, 1999 – Game Score: 86
Leiter threw 135 pitches that day — he threw 120+ pitches eleven times in 1999 — in a performance that should go down as one of the Mets’ best all time.  He was never pretty, walking four, but he sure got the job done.  A little more than a year later, he would throw 142 pitches in Game 5 of the 2000 World Series.

#2 David Cone, 1991 – Game Score: 99

thetailor Posted: May 09, 2013 at 01:25 PM | 14 comment(s)
  Beats: matt harvey, mets

U.S.S. Mariner (Jeff Sullivan): Felix Hernandez and Learning to Pitch

Jeff Sullivan enjoys his semi-retirement with some thoughtful musings on the maturation of Prince Felix into King Felix:

There are throwers, and there are pitchers. Felix has been amazing as both of them.

This is all to set up just a few factoids. The following, courtesy of Baseball Info Solutions, won’t take you by surprise:

2005: 96mph average fastball
2013: 91mph average fastball

Every so often Felix used to rush it up there in or near the triple digits. Somewhat alarmingly, now I feel ...

Read More...
Esoteric throws a 'hard slider' Posted: May 09, 2013 at 01:11 PM | 3 comment(s)
  Beats: king felix, mariners, seattle

Cole: How Much Rope Does Don Mattingly Have Left?

11   13-20   5/09   Blue, pan up from lid of ball cap   End of manager

Exactly how much rope does the Dodgers’ skipper have left? Probably not the best choice of words there, because whatever you think of the way Don Mattingly is going about his business, any and all rope is best locked away safe and sound.

Rope, sharp objects, plugged-in radios near bathtubs, adjacent medicine cabinets, tall buildings, you name it. Not for Mattingly, necessarily, but for the inconsolable fan, because ...

Read More...
Repoz Posted: May 09, 2013 at 12:34 PM | 20 comment(s)
  Beats: dodgers

Glassey: Wannabe Scouts: Show Some Respect

Conor Glassey explains the difference between what writers do and what scouts do:

Yes, we often will write about players we’ve seen and we’ll tell you how fast a pitcher was throwing, what kind of offspeed pitches he throws, or how fast an outfielder got from home to first. That’s not scouting, that’s just reporting. Anybody can sit at a game and hold a radar gun or click a stopwatch.

However, there’s a growing number of people online who think the opposite. It’s baffling to me ...

Read More...
Mike Emeigh Posted: May 09, 2013 at 10:25 AM | 24 comment(s)
  Beats: general, prospects, scouting

Jake Odorizzi, three Bulls relievers no-hit Pawtucket

Jake just made it look easy. Odorizzi.

Jake Odorizzi and three Durham Bulls relief pitchers combined on an historic Sunday performance.

The four Durham pitchers combined to throw just the second no-hitter in the team’s International League history as the Bulls defeated the Pawtucket Red Sox 2-1 at McCoy Stadium.

Odorizzi (3-0) pitched the first seven innings, before Frank De Los Santos, Taylor Yates and Jeff Beliveau kept Pawtucket hitless over the final two innings despite allowing one ...

Read More...

Hayhurst: Blue Jays have ruined Romero

I haven’t seen a Romero ruined this badly…since Cesar Romero’s Pretty Willie Wetzchahofsky got shatzed-on in “Love That Brute”!

The call to return Ricky to the bigs was an absolute mishandling of a career on the part of the Blue Jays.

If you’re going to overhaul a player, and you know that player’s confidence is a factor, how can you, in good conscience, throw him back into the fiercest competition after only a single outing in High A?

Any baseball man worth his salt knows the true test ...

Read More...
Repoz Posted: May 09, 2013 at 09:31 AM | 36 comment(s)
  Beats: blue jays

A B&C Interview with Hall of Famer Johnny Bench

Yadier and the HOF?

You are widely considered the greatest catcher in major league history, which makes you more qualified than to weigh in on the subject: With his steady improvement at the plate, combined with his prowess behind it and the championships he’s helped the Cardinals win, do you feel that Yadier Molina is worthy of having a plaque next to you and Fisk and Yogi Berra at Cooperstown?

(Molina) is really one of the best defensive catchers that you’ll see, and he’s swung the ...

Read More...
Repoz Posted: May 09, 2013 at 09:15 AM | 17 comment(s)
  Beats: history, reds

Shaughnessy: David Ortiz rejects talk of steroid use

vivaelpujols, it might be time to update…“That was possibly the worst thing I’ve ever read. Not even kidding.”

But you fit all the models. You are from the Dominican Republic. You are an older player. Older players don’t get better. You’ve had injuries consistent with steroid use. You showed up on the list from 2003. You fit all the formulas.

“[Expletive], I’m a human being just like everyone else,” said Ortiz. “You can get worse or you can get better. One or the other.’’

But ...

Read More...
Repoz Posted: May 09, 2013 at 06:51 AM | 37 comment(s)
  Beats: red sox

Primer Dugout (and link of the day) 5-9-2013

Milwaukee Sentinel, May 9, 1913:

While the [Milwaukee-Minneapolis American Association] game was bad enough in itself, the fight between [Brewers manager/third baseman Harry] Clark and [Millers shortstop Dave] Altizer was one of the most disgraceful ever witnessed on a Milwaukee ball field. Sliding into third base in the seventh inning, Altizer deliberately cut Clark down with his spikes, leaping high in the air and planting both feet on Harry’s anatomy. The Brewer leader…jumped onto the runner ...

Read More...
Neutral Milk Dotel (Dan Lee) Posted: May 09, 2013 at 06:21 AM | 12 comment(s)
  Beats: dave altizer, dugout, history, pep clark

Passan: Sources say sunscreen trick is pitchers’ latest method to gain an edge

And Clay Buchholz loads up and fires back…Sunscreen, rosin controversies ‘doing me an injustice’

The secret trick that led to accusations of Boston Red Sox starter Clay Buchholz throwing a spitball has an ancillary benefit: It prevents skin cancer, too.

Two veteran pitchers and one source close to the Red Sox told Yahoo! Sports that about 90 percent of major league pitchers use some form of spray-on sunscreen – almost always BullFrog brand – that when combined with powdered rosin ...

Read More...
Repoz Posted: May 09, 2013 at 05:49 AM | 10 comment(s)
  Beats: red sox

Pedro Guerrero introduced as manager of Vallejo Admirals

Wonder if OJ will offer a congratulatory phone call…

The former five-time All-Star was known for getting into trouble in the past. In maybe the most publicized case, he was charged with guaranteeing payment for a $200,000 cocaine shipment. He was, however, acquitted of drug conspiracy charges in June 2000.

“I feel like that was a long time ago,” Guerrero said. “I wasn’t charged; I walked free. I feel like I was set up for some reason. I don’t like to look back. I hit 15 home runs in June of ...

Read More...
Repoz Posted: May 09, 2013 at 05:41 AM | 23 comment(s)
  Beats: history

CBS Miami: Marlins Close Upper Deck For Weekday Games

The higher deck seats will be off limits starting with the Marlins next home games series which starts Tuesday. That will reduce the attendance capacity by about 10,000 . . . The team may consider closing the upper bowl for remaining weeknight games this season, but has yet to determine if it will do so. Fewer than 500 people own season tickets in the upper bowl, and those fans are being moved — with no additional charge — to seats in the lower bowl for all Monday-through-Thursday games.

...Read More...
The Yankee Clapper Posted: May 09, 2013 at 01:30 AM | 42 comment(s)
  Beats: attendance, bad teams, economics, evil, jeffrey loria, marlins, midgets

OMNICHATTER FOR MAY 9, 2013

Will the Angels somehow get swept by the Astros?
Will the Athletics come after Angel Martinez with torches and pitchforks?
Will Dickey or Price finally find their groove?

Find out today in the OMNICHATTER!

Gamingboy Posted: May 09, 2013 at 12:04 AM | 188 comment(s)
  Beats: mlb, omnichatter

Wednesday, May 08, 2013

Angel Hernandez denies game-tying home run, Athletics robbed in 4-3 loss to Indians

A’s infielder Adam Rosales hit a heroic game-tying solo home run in the top of the ninth inning Wednesday against Indians closer Chris Perez, stunning the crowd at Cleveland’s Progressive Field and injecting new life into an Oakland club that has hit a few road bumps since the calendar flipped to May.

Except Angel Hernandez and his umpiring crew blew the call … twice.


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