2014 April (and a tiny bit of March) Game Thread

axx

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Saw that Pujols hit #5 tonight. Could be in line for a nice bounceback season.
 

soxhop411

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Matt Williams benched Harper for not running out a hit to the mound. In other news Harper did not run out the tapper because he has a quad issue.
He won't be long for the job if he does this more often. (Williams)
 

Madmartigan

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axx said:
Saw that Pujols hit #5 tonight. Could be in line for a nice bounceback season.
 
#6 today, OPSing .960 now.  Meanwhile, Mike Trout had a golden sombrero today, the first of his career.
 

derekson

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soxhop411 said:
Matt Williams benched Harper for not running out a hit to the mound. In other news Harper did not run out the tapper because he has a quad issue.
He won't be long for the job if he does this more often. (Williams)
 
Is that seriously why Harper left that game? What a joke.
 
The best part is that the Nationals went on to lose by 1 run. Great move by Williams, replacing one of his best hitters with Kevin Frandsen, and it might have cost the Nats a shot at that game. Frandsen ended up grounding out with runners on 2nd and 3rd with 4-2 score and 1 out in the 9th.
 

Toe Nash

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SemperFidelisSox said:
Quad or no quad, that was some Manny being Manny level of laziness. Good for Williams benching him.
No. It was a comebacker to the pitcher. He had barely left the box and the play was essentially over. 
 

 
It was not going to be a close play if he was Billy Hamilton. The .0001% chance that the pitcher makes a bad throw or the 1bman bobbles it and sprinting would be the difference between safe and out in an April game was not worth the risk of aggravating his injury. 
 
Edit: Not to mention that Harper frequently like, runs into walls and stuff regularly. He hustles when it actually matters, almost TOO much.
 

jimc

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Of all the plays that Williams could have made a statement with Harper... he chooses that one? Yikes.
 

Jack Sox

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Looked like he benched him because Harper rounded off his "run" and headed toward the dugout prior to hitting 1B. Silly or not - particularly with the injury - that is going to drive just about any baseball person nuts. The video makes me understand Williams' motivation a shit ton more than the description of the play.
 

sean1562

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also, williams went on to say that if he cant run out a groundball for fear of injury he shouldnt be playing in the first place. it is a "play 100% or not at all" kind of thing. davey johnson got a lot of shit for being too lackadaisical with the players last year and they terribly underachieved. williams was brought on to be more of a discipline and order kind of guy
 

Toe Nash

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sean1562 said:
also, williams went on to say that if he cant run out a groundball for fear of injury he shouldnt be playing in the first place. it is a "play 100% or not at all" kind of thing. davey johnson got a lot of shit for being too lackadaisical with the players last year and they terribly underachieved. williams was brought on to be more of a discipline and order kind of guy
So he's Bobby Valentine.
 
Just seems like picking a needless fight with your best player. If that rallies the troops then cool, I guess. Could also backfire pretty easily. Harper said the "right" things after the game so I'd imagine it blows over.
 
Re: Playing if not 100%, don't players do that all the time? I mean, his bat is good enough that you want it in there even if he can't run as hard as normal. Also, Williams is presumably the person who made the lineup.
 
Finally, I personally don't give a shit about PEDs but I'd think players would have a hard time receiving advice on playing the game "the right way" from someone named in the Mitchell report.
 

Pete Williams

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If I was Bryce Harper I'd run so damn hard on everything (including walks) that my quad would explode and land me on the 60 day DL.  Then I'd say to Skipper Williams, "Is that enough hustle for you?"
 

soxhop411

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“@JeffFletcherOCR: The #Angels just made 3 errors on one play. Can't explain in 140 chars, but a walk with a runner at 1B ended up in a run and a runner at 2b”
 

soxhop411

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“@EyeOnBaseball: Brewers-Pirates benches clear, Carlos Gomez throwing punches”
 

MakMan44

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Gerrit Cole gives up a triple to Gomez, who slides in "posing" I guess and Cole doesn't like it. 
 

Just a bit outside

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MakMan44 said:
Gerrit Cole gives up a triple to Gomez, who slides in "posing" I guess and Cole doesn't like it. 
I would talk at Gomez all game long.  Gomez has some trouble controlling his emotions and I think you could get him off his game.
 

MakMan44

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soxhop411 said:
“@JeffFletcherOCR: The #Angels just made 3 errors on one play. Can't explain in 140 chars, but a walk with a runner at 1B ended up in a run and a runner at 2b”
Conger throws to second on ball 4 which skips into center allowing Kinsler to get to third. Trout misses the cut off man and Kinsler takes off. The pitcher throws a wild one to the plate, Kinsler scores, Miggy to second. 
 

rembrat

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MakMan44 said:
Gerrit Cole gives up a triple to Gomez, who slides in "posing" I guess and Cole doesn't like it. 
 
He posed as he hit the ball thinking he jacked one. I think baseball needs to test him. That kid has gotten very ornery as he has developed ahem it a "power" hitter. 
 
A pirate did put him on his ass so that was nice.
 

soxhop411

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Brawl video now up on gameday. Think that we might have a few lengthy punishments
due to the punches
 
M

MentalDisabldLst

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soxhop411 said:
“@JeffFletcherOCR: The #Angels just made 3 errors on one play. Can't explain in 140 chars, but a walk with a runner at 1B ended up in a run and a runner at 2b”
 
Any deeper explanation of this one?  Always love a blooper-reel play.
 

MakMan44

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MentalDisabldLst said:
 
Any deeper explanation of this one?  Always love a blooper-reel play.
 
MakMan44 said:
Conger throws to second on ball 4 which skips into center allowing Kinsler to get to third. Trout misses the cut off man and Kinsler takes off. The pitcher throws a wild one to the plate, Kinsler scores, Miggy to second. 
 

mabrowndog

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soxhop411 said:
“@EyeOnBaseball: Brewers-Pirates benches clear, Carlos Gomez throwing punches”
 
Just a bit outside said:
I would talk at Gomez all game long.  Gomez has some trouble controlling his emotions and I think you could get him off his game.
 
rembrat said:
He posed as he hit the ball thinking he jacked one. I think baseball needs to test him. That kid has gotten very ornery as he has developed ahem it a "power" hitter. 
 
A pirate did put him on his ass so that was nice.
 
Yeah, this ain't his first rodeo as a trash-talking, show-up-the-opponent punk-ass bitch. He did it to the Braves in the final week of last season.
 
I really wish McCann had royally kicked the shit out of him.
 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 
 

Toe Nash

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Just a bit outside said:
I would talk at Gomez all game long.  Gomez has some trouble controlling his emotions and I think you could get him off his game.
With how the Pirates and last year the Braves reacted, maybe it's the other way around. McCann looks "off his game."
 

templeUsox

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mabrowndog said:
 
 
 
Yeah, this ain't his first rodeo as a trash-talking, show-up-the-opponent punk-ass bitch. He did it to the Braves in the final week of last season.
 
I really wish McCann had royally kicked the shit out of him.
 
There's a big distinction between what he did last year and what he did yesterday.  Yesterday was tame compared to anything Gomez (or any other hitter in the majors for that matter) does. He didn't pay Cole a second of mind until Cole came at him on third base.  In addition to being a great player, Gomez is one of the funnest players to watch because of his exaggerated antics on the field.  I hope he never changes who he is.
 

cromulence

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templeUsox said:
There's a big distinction between what he did last year and what he did yesterday.  Yesterday was tame compared to anything Gomez (or any other hitter in the majors for that matter) does. He didn't pay Cole a second of mind until Cole came at him on third base.  In addition to being a great player, Gomez is one of the funnest players to watch because of his exaggerated antics on the field.  I hope he never changes who he is.
 
Bleh, agree to disagree. I find him to be extremely irritating, as if every time he gets a hit he feels he's proving someone wrong and needs the world to know it. Shut the fuck up and play baseball.
 

templeUsox

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cromulence said:
 
Bleh, agree to disagree. I find him to be extremely irritating, as if every time he gets a hit he feels he's proving someone wrong and needs the world to know it. Shut the fuck up and play baseball.
I find what Jake Peavy does to be much more annoying.  Gomez just seems like a lunatic who enjoys playing with a little mustard.  I find nothing wrong with that. 
 

Red(s)HawksFan

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Rough Carrigan said:
I saw a locker room interview with Gomez and he pointed out that McCutcheon and someone else on the Pirates stood and watched their homers but the Brewers didn't get pissed off. 
 
I have no problem with pitchers getting shit on for getting butt-hurt when a batter cadillacs a home run (certainly the idiot pitchers who throw at guys after they get taken deep).  But I would applaud Cole if what he was doing was making fun of Gomez for styling like he hit it 20 rows deep when the ball ended up staying in the yard.
 
Regardless of what Cole said though, Gomez's reaction to it seems extremely over the top.  He obviously took exception to whatever Cole said, but really seemed to get incensed when Cole turned his back and walked away.  That to me is a sign of at the very least, an immature man and at most, someone who's a bit unhinged.  There's a fine line between playing with open emotion and acting psychotic.  Gomez in that spot certainly seemed to be more on the psychotic side.
 

rembrat

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Rough Carrigan said:
I saw a locker room interview with Gomez and he pointed out that McCutcheon and someone else on the Pirates stood and watched their homers but the Brewers didn't get pissed off. 
 
That would be the reigning NL MVP. He can style.
 
 
mabrowndog said:
Yeah, this ain't his first rodeo as a trash-talking, show-up-the-opponent punk-ass bitch. He did it to the Braves in the final week of last season.
 
I really wish McCann had royally kicked the shit out of him.
 
-snip-
 
 
 

Lowrielicious

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Turns out leaving Sale out for 127 pitches in his 4th start of the year in a cold april game against the Redsox really was a dumb idea. Who knew? Other than just about everyone other than Robin Ventura that is....
 
DL'ed with a flexor muscle strain.
 

MakMan44

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Another loss for the D'Backs. Digging a hole that they're not likely to crawl out of. 
 

cromulence

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Apparently being grindy grinders who grind and throwing at opposing hitters doesn't win ballgames. Interesting.
 

canderson

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MLB issued suspensions for that Brewers-Pirates scuffle. Seems light for Gomez but these never make a ton of sense to me really.
 
- Brewers catcher Martin Maldonado (5 games)
- Brewers outfielder Carlos Gomez (3 games)
- Pirates outfielder Travis Snider (2 games)
- Pirates catcher Russell Martin (1 game)
 
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MentalDisabldLst

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Maybe if the D-Backs call the Dodgers classless for celebrating in their pool some more, it'll give them the, uh... motivation they need to win!
 

MakMan44

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LogansDad said:
I feel like I'm repeating myself at this point, but this Jose Fernandez kid has figured out this pitching thing.
What's rough is that Alex Wood was nearly as good. 
 

MakMan44

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Mariners back to sucking. Down 0-3 to the Astros having K'd 9 times by Colin McHugh who has a career ERA nearing 9.