first pitch: 7:05 p.m., PT
television: Channel 4SD
matchup: Chris Young vs Ervin Santana (hat tip to Friar John)
Two weeks until Opening Day. Tonight we’ll have to settle for baseball in Peoria. Go Padres!
first pitch: 7:05 p.m., PT
television: Channel 4SD
matchup: Chris Young vs Ervin Santana (hat tip to Friar John)
Two weeks until Opening Day. Tonight we’ll have to settle for baseball in Peoria. Go Padres!
Well there’s something you don’t see every day: a strike ‘em out throw ‘em out triple play.
Hey, I have a question I was thinking about….
We all know how great Kevin Towers is in finding great pitching talent. So other managers out there must know too. So do you guys think this situation would come up?
[RING RING RING]
Random MLB G.M.: Hello?
Kevin Towers: Yes, is this a Random MLB GM?
Random MLB G.M.: Speaking.
Kevin: This is Kevin Towers with the Padres. I wanted to see if you were interested in a trade.
RMLBGM: Oooooohhhh… a trade huh? Who are you thinking about?
Kevin: Well I’ll give you Khalil Greene if you give me two of your minor league pitchers.
RMLBGM: What?! You’d be getting ripped off! Khalil Greene is only like the thirteenth best short stop in the league! Which two pitchers anyways?
Kevin: I want Throwy McThrowerson and Slider O’Fastball.
RMLBGM: What?! Those guys suck!
Kevin: So we have a deal then? Khalil Greene for those two guys.
RMLBGM: Sure we’ve got a d— HEYYYY!!! WAIT A MINUTE!!! You must see something in those guys!!!
Kevin: What? Uhhhh… no we don’t. We just like their names. They’re catchy. Marking, it’s all about marketing.
RMLBGM: Noooo! You’re doing your magic super scouting thing again! NO DEAL!!!
[CLICK]
[RING RING RING]
Random MLB Head Coach: Hello?
RMLBGM: Head Coach! Listen! You’ve gotta bring Throwy McThrowerson and Slider O’Fastball up from the minors!
RMLBHC: What?!?
RMLBGM: Kevin Towers just called me and wanted to make a trade for them. They MUST be good!
RMLBHC: Damn it General Manager, I can’t do that!
RMLBGM: Why the hell not!??!?!
RMLBHC: Because those aren’t real players!!! They’re just ridiculous names made up by some Padres fan in some random sports blog comments box.
RMLBGM: AH CRAP! I knew I should have taken that deal!!! We could have gotten Khalil Greene!
RMLBHC: Ug. You’re not getting it.
RMLBGM: Not getting what?
RMLBHC: Goddamn it. No wonder we’re in last place.
Woohooo! Giles brothers wreaking havoc at the top of the order. Chris Young looks pretty good so far.
And, um, wow, what the hell? Never seen a triple play, so that was exciting. As long as these are just happening in spring training.
A triple play and a Geoff Blum home run IN THE SAME GAME?!!?!? What is going on?
Damn my not living in SD television area (and I have my issues with paying for spring training broadcasts…). What’s this triple play business? What happened?
Chris Young uses his new and improved hitting ability to pop up instead of striking out. All that bp paying off!
4: Yeah, I’m away from San Diego at college, but I’m such a sucker for baseball I already bought the mlb.tv package for the year.
Walker was on first, OG (Orange Giles, aka Brian) on third. On a full count, Bard swung and missed at a high fastball to strike out. Walker left on the pitch, but stopped about halfway and retreated to first on the throw down. Shorstop took the throw and threw to first, who ran down Walker for the second out. The first baseman saw OG too far off third base and threw over there top pick off Giles and complete the triple play. Very ugly baserunning all around.
Yikes.
I had already purchased my MLB.TV subscription as well (which worked without issue all year last year), but for kicks I checked the blackout area. Lo and Behold, if you get the Angels and Dodgers on basic-freaking-cable, you’re not allowed to PAY for an OPTIONAL subscription to a team in a different county.
Go figure.
When I called MLB.TV, they kindly informed me that last year was a fluke and I should have never gotten video service. I got my subscription refunded but Im really, really, really hoping that the fluke continues this year when April rolls around. For not having the subscription now, I lose out on ST, but I at least save myself the hassle of arguing for $120 if my service is indeed blacked out.
So upset about the TV situation, you have no idea.
It’s amazing Vlad can be as successful as he has been with his horrible plate discipline.
Yes, blackouts are horrible. I’ll be in San Diego over the summer, so I guess I’ll get blacked out of Padres games then. Last year I did manage to somehow escape it at times, for no apparent reason, but hopefully my good luck continues this year.
Wow, another blast by Sledge. Need to save some of those for the regular season.
Angels announcers are extremely excited about rallying against Trevor Hoffman, despite this run was scored via four ground balls to middle infielders. Interesting that Hoffy got 5 grounders, none of them hit particularly well, when he’s been a fly ball pitcher.
Strickland looked awesome. Got ahead on every batter and 3 K’s in the inning.
I know the move hasn’t been talked about much, but I am excited about getting Germano back. If anything he will provide some much needed depth at Portland. Stauffer hasn’t given me the warm and fuzzies since he left town almost two summers ago (and he might be hurt again), and as well as he pitched in last summer, I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop with Michael Thompson. Carillo is still recovering, if at all, from his arm injury. At least Germano gives us another option when we need to call someone up. I was disappointed to see him go the first time, and I am glad we got him back for a waiver claim.
Manny being Manny. Pads win…
atta boy Manny!!!! He’s been doing that his entire 30 year career! (seriously, how long has this guy been around)
The Angels’ announcers were talking about the Orioles wanting to move Cal Ripken Jr. to third base to accomodate Manny, back in the day. So Manny was a hot prospect when Ripken was still at SS.
Fine, don’t answer my very thought out and completely serious question.
#2: It’s a good question. I doubt this scenario arises much because you’ve to figure that most GMs got into that position at least in part because of their conviction that they know what they’re doing. Anything is possible, but for the most part, I just don’t see these guys being intimidated by their peers.
Also, I wish we had a pitcher named Slider O’Fastball.
That’s my $0.02. Other thoughts?
#2, #19:
I think Geoff is right in this case. Most GM are not going to make deals because they think the other GM knows something they don’t. They’d make deals only if after all considerations, they think they’ll come out ahead or a win-win situation for both clubs. KT, after all, isn’t perfect. The sting of picking Randy Myers off the waiver is still felt after all these years. There really aren’t that many Scott Linebrink cases around.
Of course, this is not nearly as much fun as the scenario presented.
Other note:
I’ve been reading The Neyer/James guide to pitchers, and I’m wondering why a knuckleball is not part of a regular repertoire. I know Woody tinkered with it last season before abandoning it. Could it be that a good knuckleball is hard to master? The same question was mentioned in the book but no satisfying answers were presented.
Anybody?
Oh, the book did mention that perhaps the change-up was the pitch to learn instead of the knuckleball that behaves just as good as the knuckleball.