Hillman said he'd be aggressive in pitching to Pujols. How did that work out? It didn't help that it seemed like Pujols was up with the bases loaded every single time. God what a depressing weekend of baseball.

God what a depressing weekend of baseball.

depends on your point of view.

I thought there was a possibility Pujols was going to get a shot at two grand slams in one inning.

I thought there was a possibility Pujols was going to get a shot at two grand slams in one inning.

Tatis vs. Chan Ho was playing on a loop in my head about 5 batters away. Damn you Skip Schumaker!

Chan Ho Park = Closest Thing to a "easy" Pitching Machine this side of Adam Eaton. I mean, I can count at least 5 semi-notable HRs hit off the guy: The two Grand Slams, Barry Bonds' 71st and 72nd and the Ripken HR in the 2001 ASG.

This is a fun little nugget too:

His third grand slam of the season — in just his fourth at-bat with the bases loaded — equaled a franchise record.

By my reckoning, this is the first time since June 9, 1931, that a manager (Mack then) has won his 2,500th game. McGraw had accomplished the feat only two years earlier. I wonder if there were any articles back then about the coming proliferation of future 2,500 game winners.

I've always kinda wondered if Chan ho served that first one up to Bonds on purpose. I mean, it was already like 6-0 and the bases were empty.

Pujols has hit 3 grand slams in 4 ABs with the bases loaded? That's...unpossible.

Pujols has hit 3 grand slams in 4 ABs with the bases loaded? That's...unpossible.

He has 5 PA with the bases loaded this year. Other than the three grand slams, he's hit an RBI single and a sac fly.

for his career, he's hitting .404 w/ bases loaded (enough sac flies that is OBP is actually lower at .387)

So was Puj being objective-subjective in predicting this?

Used to be a guy with the Indians -- Pat Tabler I think -- who had these incredible stats with the bases loaded. Then I came to realize that the overall numbers for all batters with the bases loaded are significantly strong, probably because the pitchers don't have the leeway to work them in and out, up and down. Of course, Tabler -- and now Pujols -- are still ahead of the curve, but if you just compare the numbers to the all-situations norms, they look more extraordinary than they are.

Tabler was unreal with the bases loaded. Small sample size, but he was 8-9 one year with the bases loaded. I think over an eight year stretch he hit over .500 in something like 50 ABs with the bases loaded.

According to BBRef Tabler hit .489/.505/.693 with the bases loaded in his career. Just two grand slams but three triples, interestingly enough. That is a damn impressive line.

small sample sizes can give ya some strange ##s. Like Tabler's above, or Terry Foster's
career batting avg of .397 (!!).

Hillman was such a ####### moron for pitching to Albert with the bases loaded.

#### that. IBB Albert and pitch to Ludwick. 5-4 beats 8-4

With every at-bat this year Puj is emphatically settling the argument of "Best Hitter of the Decade." (Dopey concept I know, but this type of bookend campaign is just the sort of thing that people might use to debate it. Plus I just love lauding the guy.)

Of course there are specific case by case reasons as to why Pujols has more homeruns this year than A Rod (washed up turd), Manny (goofball hitting savant, now with steriods), Papi (corpse come zombie) and Vlad (yikes) combined. But it's still impressive: who would have thought that could be possible in 2007, when Albert was struggling to slug .570. :)

cfb, or whoever, I haven't heard much talk about the elbow surgery? Homeruns aside, this looks like another vintage Albert year. His BABIP is a little low and he was tracking behind with 2Bs, but not really anymore.

Any theories about where the surgery left him? Has he commented on it?

the overall numbers for all batters with the bases loaded are significantly strong, probably because the pitchers don't have the leeway to work them in and out, up and down

Indeed, and also because if you've loaded the bases, you probably aren't pitching like Sandy Koufax at the moment to start with.

I could see it when Showalter IBB'd Bonds with a two-run lead, bases loaded and one out left to end the game. But I don't know that I can get behind an intentional BB with the score tied in the fourth inning. Fact is, if you reconstruct that inning with an IBB for Pujols and everything else the same, it's still an 8-run inning, same as it was.

By my reckoning, this is the first time since June 9, 1931, that a manager (Mack then) has won his 2,500th game. McGraw had accomplished the feat only two years earlier. I wonder if there were any articles back then about the coming proliferation of future 2,500 game winners.

No, the stories were about there never being any more 2500 game winners.

No, the stories were about there never being any more 2500 game winners.

My kingdom for Jack Keefe!

Hillman was such a ####### moron for pitching to Albert with the bases loaded.

#### that. IBB Albert and pitch to Ludwick. 5-4 beats 8-4

Of course, Ludwick hit a grand slam this weekend too.

The KC-STL baseball rivalry appears to be about as competitive these days as Duke-UNC's is in basketball!

-T.J., UNC B.A. '91, J.D. '94

I was wondering what Mike Aldrete was doing these days!

-T.J., UNC B.A. '91, J.D. '94

A lawyer and a Tar Heel? Boo!

What the hell does an "assistant" hitting coach do?

You know what is going to suck? When Pujols' name gets leaked from some 'roid list in a couple of years.

-T.J., UNC B.A. '91, J.D. '94

A lawyer and a Tar Heel? Boo!

AND a politician!

Oh, and BTW: Richard Milhous Nixon, J.D., Duke, '37

cfb, or whoever, I haven't heard much talk about the elbow surgery? Homeruns aside, this looks like another vintage Albert year. His BABIP is a little low and he was tracking behind with 2Bs, but not really anymore.

more or less this is Alberts first healthy season in about 4 years. The elbow, the plantar facentious(sp) hasn't been a problem.

anything that indicates he has struggled this year, is purely a result of him expanding his strike zone to generate offense for a team that completly forgot how to generate two base hits within two innings of each other.

fasciitis -- an inflammation of the fascia

plantar fasciitis -- an inflammation of the plantar fascia

I only know because I've had it.

I've never actually seen it in print, at least when I was paying more than a casual attention. I've heard it a ton but for some reason have been able to avoid seeing it in print.

cfb, or whoever, I haven't heard much talk about the elbow surgery? Homeruns aside, this looks like another vintage Albert year. His BABIP is a little low and he was tracking behind with 2Bs, but not really anymore.

more or less this is Alberts first healthy season in about 4 years. The elbow, the plantar facentious(sp) hasn't been a problem.

anything that indicates he has struggled this year, is purely a result of him expanding his strike zone to generate offense for a team that completly forgot how to generate two base hits within two innings of each other.

Thanks for the info.