Saturday Night Open Thread

September 15, 2012 by Mike Axisa 190 Comments

Curtis Granderson — Five homers in his last six games. (Elsa/Getty Images)

I’m well beyond the point of caring what wins look like these days. I don’t care how convincing they were, how lucky they were, how ugly they were, how RISPFAILy they were, nothing. A win is a win is a win. The Yankees got that win this afternoon, guaranteeing themselves at least a share of first place for another day. I’ll take it.

Here is your open thread for the evening. The Mets are playing the Brewers (Mejia vs. Marcum) and MLB Network will air a game as well. Who you see depends on where you live. There’s also college football on somewhere, I assume. Talk about that stuff or anything else here. Go nuts.

Umbrelladoc

Who do they cut for Pettitte and now Gardner?
- http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike Axisa
  
  Lowe and Ibanez? It’ll never happen. Probably Thomas and … no idea.
  - http://thecarsboneblog.tumblr.com Raul Ibanez AKA Tom Marvolo Riddle
    
    Mike, I’d like to personally (and publicly) apologize for the b/s I started during the game thread.
    - RetroRob
      
      What did I miss? You’re not the person I’d expect to start a b/s thread!
      - http://thecarsboneblog.tumblr.com Raul Ibanez AKA Tom Marvolo Riddle
        
        I made an off-colored joke about Tea Party girls, Rocky Road Redemption took offense, after some back and forth I apologized, then Rocketman came out of nowhere, surely trolling but I bit and went back at him.
        
        Pat D
        
        It wasn’t just your fault. I contributed mightily, too. At least Rocky Road Redemption accepted your apology and moved on.
        
        I’d also like to apologize to Rocky Road Redemption for having a chuckle at that joke. I laughed at it more for the Tea Party aspect than the rape aspect, but it wasn’t a good idea.
        
        http://thecarsboneblog.tumblr.com Raul Ibanez AKA Tom Marvolo Riddle
        
        I blame Rocketman more than anyone. I had apologized and RRR accepted it, I was completely willing to move on at that point. Then Rocketman had to come in and pour jetfuel on a dying fire.
        
        Pat D
        
        I tend to agree, but I don’t want to start something again and have him attack me again.
        
        DC
        
        Agreed.
        
        Rocky Road Redemption
        
        Oh hey, thanks. Consider it a non-issue at this point.
        
        http://twitter.com/Mikhel Mikhel
        
        Sometimes jokes are taken too seriously and even make them a “personal issue”. The next time somebody takes matters too personal, leave them be and move on, otherwise more trolls are “welcomed” to chime in and well, convert a thread in a verbal war.
        
        Pat D
        
        I have a problem letting things go when I feel I’ve been attacked personally, and that’s what I felt happened in that thread. I need to get thicker skin. I’ve always had that need.
        
        You are spot on in this post. Operation: Shutdown.
        
        Heisenberg’s Hat
        
        You can never go wrong with an Operation: Shutdown reference.
        
        Pat D
        
        Well, around the time I first started posting here, sometime back in either ’09 or ’10, O:S was used by several regular posters as a public declaration of ignoring a troll/stupid poster.
        
        Braun
        
        Shut the fuck up you losers, who the hell cares? Don’t apologize. NoMaas is better.
        
        RetroRob
        
        NoMaas? Are they even still around?
        
        Pat D
        
        Then why aren’t you there?
        
        RetroRob
        
        O:S should be brought back, although there are more trolls/stupid posters than there was a couple years back.
        
        Pat D
        
        Yea, a bunch of regular posters like tommiesmithjohncarlos, bexarama, carlosologist and others seem to have moved on as well.
        
        RetroRob
        
        Right. And increase in trolls/stupid posters and a loss of some of the more intelligent posters. The balance is off at times. I was more an observer a couple years back, although I would post but under inconsistent names.
        
        Robinson Tilapia
        
        WHAT DID YOU SAY?!?!?!
        
        I have to go look. What can an “off-color joke about Tea Party girls” possibly sound like?
        
        No offense whatsoever to RRR here.
        
        Pat D
        
        You should be able to find the offending passages fairly easily.
        
        Robinson Tilapia
        
        Never mind. I read it. Not worth rehashing.
        
        I very much understood the satire but also would never want an attempt at satire to truly offend someone, as it seemed to have. Better to move on.
    - Big Member
      
      No ofense taken bro
      - Robinson Tilapia
        
        Where you been? We need an UPDATE.
  - RetroRob
    
    I kind of surprised they didn’t bring CoJo up sicne I believe he’s on the 40-man, or am I wrong about that? I’d like to see him swing the bat to see if he can give some power and OBP. Can’t be worst than what we’ve seen from Raul of late.
- Get Phelps Up
  
  I’m hoping for Lowe and Jones. I won’t hold my breath though.
  - http://thecarsboneblog.tumblr.com Raul Ibanez AKA Tom Marvolo Riddle
    
    Fingers crossed for Lowe. He’s been less than useless, Ibanez hasn’t been as bad as Lowe.
    - pepe
      
      I’m hoping Thomas. Lowe can at least pitch some garbage innings at a ~4.50 era. Thomas really isn’t any better.
EDDARD

Hirok
Andy
Supernova
Big Game Dave
King Phillip

That looks like as good a rotation as any for next year. We’ve won 3/4 thanks to those 3 guys at the bottom who came through in big starts. If they’re serious about getting under $189 it might not be a bad idea to let CC go to the Dodgers and clear up that money. 0-3 in his last 4 big game starts isn’t very ace like and not worth $20 million a year.
- radnom
  
  That rotation would be horrific. Four unknowns and 38 year old Hiroki Kuroda coming off a great season. In no universe is that “as good a rotation as any”.
- http://twitter.com/Mikhel Mikhel
  
  Andy is good for half a season, allow him to rest from April to June and bring him when July begins and will be good, otherwise you’re risking more injuries which at his age, don’t heal as quick as 15 years ago.
  
  Kuroda is good, but will also be too old to not think that he could also get injuried and miss time.
  
  Nova needs to learn not to throw cakes in the middle of the plate, only then will he be a good #4 or if you push it, a #3 pitcher who gives you 14-15 wins a season, 9-10 losses, and gets rocked from time to time with homeruns.
  
  Phelps seems to run out of air by the 5th, I think it would be a bad idea to try to pitch him every 4th-5th day for 7-8 innings.
  
  Hughes is Hughes, too HR-prone to be considered anywhere near a 1 to 3 pitcher, unless he learns to use more his offspeed pitches.
  
  But that in my opinion would leave us with three pitchers:
  
  #1 = vacant
  #2 = vacant
  #3 = Kuroda
  #4 = Nova/Hughes
  #5 = Nova/Hughes
  
  A good middle reliever in Phelps who can go 2+ innings. And the cavalry would be Andy, to give the rotation a rest or slot him as #3 and move Kuroda.
  
  As of right now, the Yankees need a good #2 pitcher, I’d say an ace, but aces are dificult to find, and I hope Cashman has learnt to stay away from ‘power’ NL pitchers, fastball pitchers from the NL don’t translate good to the AL, while groundout and lazy fly-out pitchers have more of a chance to succeed in the AL.
- Pat D
  
  What makes you think the Dodgers would still be interested in taking CC in the offseason?
  - Rainbow connection
    
    They took Beckett and Crawford. Might as well add cc and arod.
- jesse
  
  Is this some sort of joke?
- Robinson Tilapia
  
  Holy fucking god, Eddard. You’re writing off one of the best pitchers in baseball for one downright average season. ONE.
  - RetroRob
    
    Do you actually take whatever he writes seriously? I just figured he’s a slightly off-beat troll, or actually several people posting under that name and variations of it.
    
    CC even with the issues (for him) is still having a good season, second best on the staff behind Kuroda. He’s just not up to what he’s been in recent seasons.
    
    My guess is he is injured, and wouldn’t be surprising if the Yankees are aware of it but don’t view it as enough of an issue to take him from the rotation. Pitchers at times have to pitch with more pain than others.
    
    A decrease in velocity and less command of his fastball are both indicators of a pitcher with an injury. The fact that he went on the DL for the first time with an arm problem is another flag. He is probably altered his delivery just slightly to pitch, which may have also led to the arm inflammation.
    
    If so, there’s not much they can do but rest, which won’t be happening until some point in October, or baseball gods willing, November.
Pat D

Sorry for getting the game thread comments closed, everyone.

I’m afraid I get too caught up when I feel I’m being personally attacked. I kind of draw the line at being called “immoral,” but that’s neither here nor there. I don’t want to get this thread closed.

Sorry again, Mike. I seem to keep falling back into this every once in a while.
- EDDARD
  
  I don’t know why people want to talk religion and politics on a baseball blog. There’s other places for that and those conversations rarely end well. We just won, let’s enjoy the win!
  - Pat D
    
    Indeed. I find myself getting pulled into those conversations so often, and usually to everyone’s detriment.
    
    It does show how divisive we are in this country and what a terrible place the internet can be, too.
    - http://thecarsboneblog.tumblr.com Raul Ibanez AKA Tom Marvolo Riddle
      
      I too get pulled into these conversations way to easily…and get way to heated about them.
      - Rocky Road Redemption
        
        I totally understand. Those conversations interest me and tend to draw me in.
        
        On this blog (the only sports blog I frequent except for maybe “In Lou we Trust, where I don’t post), as well as on fb, I make a concerted effort not to talk about politics (on fb I may mention religion, but never to argue about it. Here, it’s not worth the inevitable arguments it will provoke).
        
        In baseball we may get into heated arguments, but no matter how dumb I think people who support the NL not having the DH, the new wild card system, or never replacing umpires with robots are, unless they personally insult me or act in an antagonistic way it would be silly of me to really hate them.
        
        Baseball is a sport, and while I love it, in the end it’s only a really entertaining diversion from the important issues, as it should be. Let’s hope it stays that way.
        
        Robinson Tilapia
        
        Yeah, I really don’t want to see the politics either sometimes, even though I do my fair share of “wink wink” comments on here. I’m just as guilty.
- RetroRob
  
  I guess by hanging out the bottom of the thread I missed what was going on up above.
- http://thecarsboneblog.tumblr.com Raul Ibanez AKA Tom Marvolo Riddle
  
  Look at the bright side…neither of us got banned, so there is that…but I too would like to apologize to the rest of the boards, not just Mike. The original comment I made was in retrospect disgusting and shouldn’t have been said, especially on a baseball blog.
  - Pat D
    
    We haven’t been banned…yet. I’m almost expecting an angry email from Mike putting me on double secret probation or something since this isn’t the first time I’ve done something like this.
    - http://thecarsboneblog.tumblr.com Raul Ibanez AKA Tom Marvolo Riddle
      
      I hope I don’t…at work I look forward to the start of the yankee game to listen to it, but just as much to come here to shoot the shit about it.
- http://theevilsquare.com handtius
  
  Just went back and read the game thread related to this….damn fellas. That got out of hand. You guys may have gone a little over the deep end, especially for a baseball blog, but I can’t say I disagree with you at all. Guess baseball fans come from all walks of life, err, even the ones I disagree with.
  - Pat D
    
    Yea, it ended up being the Anchorman fight scene.
    - Robinson Tilapia
      
      Plouffy killed a guy.
    - DC
      
      Well, that escalated quickly.
    - http://theevilsquare.com handtius
      
      who threw the trident?
Electric nunez

Why wont the yankees make nunez an outfielder him and dickerson in rf next year not bad.
- EDDARD
  
  Very interesting but too practical. The Yankees will overspend for a 30+ year old declining player and not even try to get younger and quicker. The infield is going to be a year older and they can’t move any of those players so the only place to bring in youth is the outfield but they won’t do it. This is a team that relies on Andruw Jones and Raul Ibanez, they don’t like youth.
  - Herby
    
    Dickerson refused to drop his pants for Joe in the clubhouse so he’ll never get used.
    - Robinson Tilapia
      
      Wow…..do you hang out in the clubhouse? How DO you get these scoops?
      - JohnnyC
        
        Herby drops his pants for anyone.
    - Deep Thoughts
      
      Joe will never forgive him for costing him Sergio Mitre.
- Pat D
  
  Dickerson isn’t much more than a fourth outfielder. I also don’t think you can assume Nunez would make a smooth, quick transition to the outfield.
- WhittakerWalt
  
  There’s no evidence Nunez would hit like a rightfielder.
- http://twitter.com/Mikhel Mikhel
  
  There are more natural OF that can hit and with power, than infielders that can hit. Sure, the Yankees also have Adams, a secondbaseman down at AA but he is old and never will play with the Yankees until he is 28-29.
  
  Remember that this is the team that deemed AJax as “too young” to play with the Yankees three years ago, and now he has two good seasons in his pocket and a third one not so good (his 2nd in the majors).
  
  This is the team that opted to sign Ibáñez, Andruw, Chávez and to keep Martin to fill the DH/C role that was already filled with Montero. Ibáñez and Andruw briefly produced as DH/OF, while Chávez has been good as DH (not so good fielding, at least I don’t like him LOL), and Martin is one of the worst catchers in the majors, even J. Molina bats more than him.
  
  Sure, Montero is not as good catching as Varitek (who was really good at catching), nor he has an Iván Rodríguez throw, but he is serviceable at catching, heck, we had Jorge Posada for what? 14 years? and his throw was weak, never blocked home plate in plays there, couldn’t block throws in the dirt, couldn’t catch wild throws, didn’t run, was all power, good AVG and really good OBP.
  
  The NYY could have opted to sign Vladimir Guerrero, a guy who can still hit 0.280-0.290 AVG and has a really good OBP of 0.380+, occasional power and is a contact hitter. But they went with Andruw who can bat 0.230-0.240, has his occasional homeruns, won’t field (Vladimir can’t, Jones just doesn’t want to), can’t run and his throw is not as good.
  
  This is the team that opted to play everyday Martin with his 0.190 instead of Stewart who bats a bit more, or call up Cervelli who was sent to the minors because he bats 0.200, but unlike Russell, he is not untouchable.
  - This Again?
    
    The ony reason Adams is a tad old for his level of play is because he destroyed his ankle and needed over a full season to get back to 100%, but please, don’t let that ruin the overplayed narrative that is sure to be repeated by every braindead fucktard with Internet access.
  - Bo Knows
    
    It wasn’t that Jackson was deemed too young as you put it but rather they weren’t sure he would ever develop even average power and an outfield where 2/3 of it combine for 15 homers would not be a good thing. Obviously though Jackson has developed power over this season
Rocky Road Redemption

Go A’s!
- Pat D
  
  Seconded.
  - Get Phelps Up
    
    Thirded.
    - http://thecarsboneblog.tumblr.com Raul Ibanez AKA Tom Marvolo Riddle
      
      Fourth’d
      
      The motion is passed, Yankee fans are officially Oakland Athletic’s fans for the rest of the evening.
      - jesse
        
        Fifth’d. Beat the birds.
        
        jjyank
        
        6th. Green and Gold were are my alma matter’s colors anyways, go Athletics!
        
        Pat D
        
        Green and white were my alma mater’s colors. Which is probably one of the reasons I hate them. Reminds me of the Eagles.
        
        jjyank
        
        So glad mine’s didn’t include red, white or blue. Not being unpatriotic, but those are the three colors the Sox use.
        
        http://twitter.com/Mikhel Mikhel
        
        7th’d… I had never tought about it, but gold and green are also my alma matter’s colours, and a big bighorn sheep is the mascot (oceanography in the Autonomous University of Baja California, in México).
        
        jjyank
        
        Obscure mascots are cool. Mine was a Catamount.
        
        dkidd
        
        then you must read “home land” by sam lipsyte
jjyank

Regarding the apologies above…whoa, I just went back to the ame thread and checked it out. Missed all of it. I got bored with the radio broadcast and decided to do laundry/clean my apartment while using it as background noise.

I’m not going to call anyone out at all. I was not offended, either. This is why I focus on international politics, domestic policy gets way too confrontational. I do, however, have very strong opinions regarding the topic at hand, but I won’t voice them unless someone is really curious. If that is the case, RAB is probably not the forum for it. I know we all appreciate anonymity here, but my email/facebook is an open book for RAB commenters (at least the ones I like). I do enjoy political discussions, but I won’t do it here.
- Pat D
  
  Your absence was conspicuous.
  - Herby
    
    Pat you’ll just have to wear a Red Sox uniform to a Yankee/Red Sox game next year as penance
    - Pat D
      
      I don’t believe in the concept of penance.
      - jjyank
        
        +1
        
        Apparently you and are more kindred spirits than I realized, Pat.
      - RetroRob
        
        What? You have a problem with religion? Let’s talk about that! : -)
        
        Pat D
        
        Let’s just say that after being born and raised Catholic, being an altar server in a Catholic church for 6 1/2 years, and attending a Catholic university for 2 years, I came to a decision.
        
        Electric nunez
        
        Pillow fight in the alter boys room.
        (harold and kumar xmas )
        Just couldnt resist. :)
- Joe
  
  Yes please do share I was calling and asking everyone I know what jjyank was thinking. Thank god you posted I am on this bridge an almost jumped.
  
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mo-ddYhXAZc
  - jjyank
    
    …or you could just be a dick. If you don’t care about my thoughts or my comments, then move along like a big boy. Unless of course, you’re just a dick and can’t help it. In which case, I feel sorry for you, and I hope you can move out of your mom’s house soon.
  - Shawn
    
    Hahaha.
    
    #ethered
tbord

Jeter is amazing. Arod looks like he’s hitting with a rubber bat. Granderson needs to stop hitting like a left handed Dave Kingman. Tex should go back ON steroids.
- Pat D
  
  Teix was on steroids?
- jjyank
  
  Tex did steroids? News to me.
  - http://twitter.com/Mikhel Mikhel
    
    Teixeira used steroids due to his respiratory ailment, but it is prednisone, a non-anabolic steroid used to treat asthma and some types of allergy.
    - tbord
      
      Was this in creme form? Also prescribed to Barry Bonds?
    - jjyank
      
      Or, you mean the kind that is prescribed by doctors everywhere that helps fight illness? The kinda that almost everyone has used before? Got ya. Steroids is a very wide category.
Rocky Road Redemption

In all seriousness, I know this is slightly irrational since it’s only one game, but I get the impression that if we fall completely out of first place that’ll probably be it for us regarding the division race.

I know that the opinion isn’t completely logical, it’s just that right now it always feels like our grip on aplayoff spot is always teetering on the razor’s edge.
- EDDARD
  
  I don’t think so because of the schedule. That road trip through Baltimore, Boston and Tampa and these 3 at home vs Tampa were our last tough stretch. Day off Monday then 16 games left, 9 at home and only 3 games vs a team over .500(Oakland).
  
  A win tomorrow basically finishes Tampa for the division. I know people will still say they’re in it, but a 5 game lead with 16 to play is pretty safe. Baltimore has a similar schedule to us down the stretch except they have to play Oakland out west and finish at Tampa.
- http://twitter.com/Mikhel Mikhel
  
  You are not alone. But look at it this way: if the Yankees fail to win the division or even to make the playoffs, there is a good chance that there will be changes either in the front office (Cashman, though I see it as highly unlikely), and in the manager/coaches.
  
  I know that a lot of fans are ok with JoeG and the way he manages guided by what the binder says, but when the hitting coach acknowledges that they’re having trouble scoring, caused mostly by their incapacity to move runners, and he says that they should change their approach to take advantage of their opportunities, and the manager quickly dismisses it as something idiotic with “we are the bombers not the bronx bunters”, THAT for me says this manager has to go, he doesn’t think that strategy can make you win games, and yet today’s 4th run, the run that marks a difference came via small ball: single, stolen base and single.
  - Rocky Road Redemption
    
    You may be right, but making the playoffs is WAY more important to me; you can feel how you want about that.
    
    But yeah, I like Joe G. And hate bunts. So there’s that.
- https://twitter.com/KramerIndustry Kramerica Industries
  
  Well, for the 2011 Red Sox, losing that playoff spot WAS what finally killed them.
  
  Happened in Game 162, however.
  
  Hopefully, the Yankees don’t face a similar situation the rest of the way.
  - Rocky Road Redemption
    
    True. Amended to losing a playoff spot BEFORE the last five games.
Robinson Tilapia

I was going to keep this hidden from the fine folks here, but I am going to come out an admit it. After all, it seems to have been a tough day around here and, in order to distract a bit, I am willing to fall on the sword for you all.

This will be tough to admit….

My son is going to his first MLB game next weekend…

…

…

…at Citifield.

Let me explain, if it’s even possible….I had pretty much decided he was way too young to handle a game this season and have honestly thought of Opening Day 2013 being his first game, no matter the thought. However, some friends with connections high up in the Mets got a private box for next weekend and invited us along, which is a very different set up and one I think he CAN handle. So yes, not what I expected.

I will just tell him it’s Yankee Stadium. He will be in FULL Yankee garb.
- Herby
  
  That’ll be cool…hope he has a great time…and…gasp, choke…sputter…I hope the Mets win…so at least he can hear a crowd going nuts and remember that as his first game…they still do have crowds don’t they? It’s always a great memory no matter what.
- jjyank
  
  As long as he’s got a Yankee logo on him somewhere, it’s all good my friend.
- JLC 776
  
  Funny – my first MLB game ever was a Met loss to Cincinnati. I was so young at the time that I thought the Reds were a team from Connecticut.
  
  My son’s first MLB game was a Phillies loss to… Cincinnati. My son’s first Yankee game was a Yankee loss to… Cincinnati. But at least it was in YS2 so he technically got to experience that.
  
  I think I’m genetically predisposed now to hate the Reds.
- forensic
  
  My son’s first game will probably end up being at either Petco or Anaheim next season. That’ll kind of suck too, especially at Anaheim where they always seem to lose (not that he’d understand that part of it necessarily though).
  
  Petco might be nice (it’d be our first time there too), but it’s just so removed from anything NY or Yankee related. Guess you gotta start somewhere though. At least it’ll be a Yankee game I guess.
- Joe
  
  That’s unfortunate. I would have given you my Yankees Sox tickets on the final day of the season.
- RetroRob
  
  The first MLB game I even attended was a Shea Stadium. The Mets were playing the Pirates. I was older than your son and was already a Yankee fan so I was fully aware what was happening. All games are good.
  
  How old is he again? The issue you might have when he’s older is he will ask you what was the first game you took him, too, and you will be forced to either lie, or tell him the truth. I recommend the latter!
  - Robinson Tilapia
    
    14 months as of yesterday, Rob. He can handle a lot more than he used to and, if this were regular seats at the stadium, I’m sure we’d spend more time in the concourses than in our seats.
    
    His godfather is a big Met fan. Hell, he was wearing Mets pajamas at six months. Can’t raise him to hate the Mets.
- Tom
  
  Nothing to explain. At all. Taking your son to ANY baseball game for the first time is awesome.
  
  Now if YOU were going to be wearing Mets garb, then you’d have some ‘splaining to do.
Rocky Road Redemption

Here’s a serious question. HGH is used by players to heal from injuries faster, correct?

If so, why is it illegal to use a substance that heals injuries? Aren’t we just stopping players from getting healthy as fast as possible?

I never got that. Why would you not want somebody to heal from an injury faster? Because of a fucking baseball game? Really?
- Pat D
  
  Because it implies giving someone an “advantage,” I suppose.
  - Rocky Road Redemption
    
    Healing from an injury is a health issue, not an advantage. I mean, that’s like denying players the latest flu medicine because cures people faster.
    
    I don’t get it.
- jjyank
  
  That’s my understanding too, but I would assume that it’s detrimental to your health long term. I assume that only because I can’t imagine a a substance that allows you to heal quicker with no side effects being against the rules for anything.
  - Rocky Road Redemption
    
    Shouldn’t it be a personal choice whether or not you want to risk long-term problems for getting better faster?
    - jjyank
      
      I suppose if you phrase it like that. But the same could be said for concussions too. Those are long term health problems that sports leagues are taking more seriously as well. I’m okay with banning a substance that has long term health problems.
      
      But like I said, I have no idea if that’s the case with HGH. I’m just assuming because there has to be some reason for it to be a banned substance.
- Tom
  
  I think there’s some debate as to what HGH does / what the impact is.
  
  It certainly helps in the healing process – if done under doctor supervision I think it should be allowed by baseball (for just this application); this is no different than using steroids or some other banned substance in specific applications under medical supervision.
  
  The problem is it’s also used beyond that – some have used it for anti-aging, so in theory (or reality?) this is performance enhancement as opposed to simply recovery from injury. So even if it is not increasing your strength above and beyond 100%, it is lowering the rate of natural decline. (I think there is also some debate as to whether it does improve strength)
- forensic
  
  Because they threw the names of some things in a hat and picked them out randomly as what’s good or not. Cortisone is a steroid too and quickens healing and lessens pain. It can also cause long term issues. No problem with that at any time though.
- Rocky Road Redemption
  
  Well at any rate, this is the reason I was willing to forgive Pettitte so quickly. HGH still seems to be less about performance enhancement and more about accelerating healing from injuries.
  
  It’s illegal and he shouldn’t have done it, but it’s not as if he was doing anything like Bonds or A-Rod.
  - RetroRob
    
    I am convinced steroids help a player’s performance, although I think it’s much less than most people belive, I don’t think it’s consistent from player to player, does the same at all ages, and probably is influenced by other things, too.
    
    HGH, however, is a different story. I’m convinced it does zero to enhance performance or to speed recovery. That doesn’t mean players don’t believe it. Players put lots of supplements in their bodies that do nothing. They’re simply for an edge and if they believe it might help then some will try it. I think Pettitte’s use of HGH falls in that category. He believe it might help him come back faster, but it did nothing.
    - Rocky Road Redemption
      
      Well maybe it helped as a placebo, right?
      
      I think it would be interesting if trainers just injected fake HGH into somebody. The players would be happy, no rules would be broken, and maybe the placebo would help.
Brian S.

So guys, how about that rape?
- Robinson Tilapia
  
  I just finished watching “The Dictator.” I’ve actually had more rape jokes today than I ever could have expected.
Joe

Just registered for an account. Sorry for asking a dumb question before. Didn’t see my comment publish though. So maybe not sorry. Forget it!

What’s with Grandy’s recent surge? I’m happy he’s finally hitting again, but does anyone seeing the Yankees bringing him back after his contract expires? I see us accepting the option for sure this off-season.
- Herby
  
  We’re going to resign Derek Lowe and trade him for Jason Heyward.
  But yea, they’ll pick up the option I’m sure, but beyond that I’m not sure he’ll be with the Yankees.
  - Joe
    
    Can we swap Nunez for Tulo while we’re at it?
- RetroRob
  
  You have to register for RAB?
  
  Grandy’s a streaky hitter. Figuring out why hitters like him go hot or cold is never easy. I’m just hoping what appears to be the start of a current hot streak carries forward through October.
  
  Picking up his option is a must and a no-brainer as he’s about to have his second straight 40+ HR season. Whether the Yankees bring him back will be determined by what he does now through the end of next season and how much he wants. My guess is he doesn’t return.
  - Joe
    
    I guess so! It’s an awesome site and I should have registered earlier. Though, I got a hard password to memorize in the mail.
    
    Remember his 2010 season when he went cold until about September and October?
    
    Situation :
    
    Would you rather Granderson hit 40 home runs 100 RBI? Or…
    
    .300 BA with 80 RBI?
    
    I’m guessing he doesn’t return either. I really like the outfield depth in our farm system too. I’d really like to see CDick (my nickname for Dickerson) possibly start in RF next year if Swisher wants Jayson Werth money. Slade Heathcott, Mason Williams, and Tyler Austin are on their way. One of them should make the show.
    - RetroRob
      
      If he maintains his power, I’ll certainly take the .300 BA. RBIs are situational, yet if he hits .300 with 40 HRs, he’ll drive in and score over 100 easy. Most likely though is his average goes up his HRs are going down, so then it’s a balance between the two.
      
      As for registering, you don’t need to register to post, as you’ve discovered, but if you want to have your name link to another blog or a twitter account of yours, then registering is the way to go.
      - Joe
        
        My hypothetical forgot to mention the home runs drop to like 25.
        
        I registered because I thought you needed to. It’s cool to have anyway. I’m going to be posting on articles and game threads here a lot. It’s worth it.
        
        RetroRob
        
        I would take the Curtis Granderson model 2007 above all others when he slashed .302/.361/.552/.913. His 2011 season was probably the most productive of his career, marginally higher than 2007, but I’ll take some loss in HR power with an overall increase in other hitting areas, hoping that leads to more consistency. Yet 2011 was great. 2012 has been much too streaky, but still highly productive.
        
        What I hope they do in 2013 is move Curtis to left and Gardner to center to maximize the defense both can provide. Curtis at this point probably will be an above average defender in left where he is no in center, while Gardner will maximize his skills in center.
    - Rocky Road Redemption
      
      I find it weird you needed to register. I was able to post immediately after putting in my username and e-mail.
      - Joe
        
        I’m just not as internet savvy as you guys are then! Which makes no sense because I’m the computer generation.
        
        Rocky Road Redemption
        
        Yeah, wow, I just found the register link. Barely noticed it before.
        
        Robinson Tilapia
        
        I heard the name “stuart a” is available for registration.
RetroRob

So I see B-R is tracking MLB’s stumble toward 500,000 errors. Currently at 496,000 with an error by KC’s Johnny Giovatella and on target for #500,000 this evening.

Part of me, though, wants it to end at #499,999 tonight, with E-Nunez getting his shot at history tomorrow. I mean, I don’t want him to make an error, but he made it through today’s game without one, so he’s probably due tomorrow!
Joe

There’s more than one Joe. Dang. I figured that would happen. That always happens in anything I do. Such an awesome and popular name! Making RAB my new Yankees home.

Is anyone else on?
- Herby
  
  so just call yourself Above Avg Joe.
  - Joe
    
    That would require the making of a new account. I don’t know if Mike and his staff would appreciate that.
    - Pasta Stumbling Sojo
      
      What accounts are you talking about? You can just type in your name in the Name field. People change their names around here from time to time. I think Mike just doesn’t like it when you try to post under someone else’s name.
      - Joe
        
        I registered because it said register below.
        
        Pasta Stumbling Sojo
        
        Whoa, I never noticed that before. I just registered. I wonder what the point of registering is if you can just comment without logging in.
        
        Joe
        
        Herby explained above. I’m a noob in the comment section, but read RAB all the time.
        
        But yea from my half hour on here I feel no difference.
        
        Joe
        
        Hey, sorry I meant RetroRob gave me the explanation above.
        
        RetroRob
        
        Well, if nothing else, you mentioning registering got me to go look at the link and register my account. There was the possibility I had done it a year or so back and forgot, but apparently not.
        
        I’m still not sure what I gain since I’m not linking to any other account, but at least I locked it in. I seem to remember when RAB introduced the feature there was the capability to also edit your posts. Might have even been a spelling check. Both nice additions, but I think they went away. Probably too much of a resource and management hog.
        
        I wasn’t posting too much then so that’s probably why I never did it. I would welcome the ability to edit, though.
https://twitter.com/KramerIndustry Kramerica Industries

Billy Butler ties the game in Kansas City!
- Joe
  
  KC 3 LAA 2 F
swishers fauxhawk

Mike Scioscia: Best manager
https://twitter.com/KramerIndustry Kramerica Industries

So glad I dropped Frieri.
Joe

Anyone else agree with Dickerson should be playing over Ibanez or Jones?
Joe

Stephen Drew is an A? Oh.
Electric nunez

2-1 Os in 3rd
Joe

Reddick or Werth’s nasty beard? Reddick wins because he’s kicking arse this year.

2-2.
Electric nunez

Cepesdis should have been a yankee
Cashman really needs to not worry about bust as much darvish is another guy yankees could have had.
- Joe
  
  With a $189 million self-imposed salary cap I don’t believe making risky signings is the smart thing to do.
Electric nunez

5-2 As as britton imploding lol
- RetroRob
  
  I like it. Implode more!
  - Joe
    
    The Orioles had a sense of magic with them when we played them. Now that magic seems to be siding with the A’s. The A’s have the most magic.
    
    We need a stat for this. Quick fellow sabermaticians.
    - Pasta Stumbling Sojo
      
      Wins?
      - RetroRob
        
        Wins? What are they? I need a breakdown on this startling new stat!
        
        Pasta Stumbling Sojo
        
        It’s a very accurate measurement of how much Magic (TM) a team has. The sophisticated part of it is that it’s weighted by the amount of games a team plays so as to account for the total amount of Magic a team achieves. So in our last O’s series, the O’s were at 50% Magic, which translated to 2 “Wins” out of the 4 games.
        
        To illustrate the extreme end of the scale, the A’s were at 100% Magic level in our 4 game series with them earlier in the season, which is the most Magic a team can have. This resulted in them getting 4 “Wins” out of a possible 4. On the other hand, the Yankees were clearly at 0% Magic level for both that series and the White Sox series, and they earned 0 “wins” in each of those series.
        
        The hope is that old-school establishments like ESPN and Fox will begin to adopt this new Wins metric over time, but for now the best we have is Coney lecturing a bewildered Michael Kay on its usefulness during Yankees broadcasts.
        
        RetroRob
        
        I think the Bill James and the Fangraphs crowd will declare a win a loser, but I’m willing to give it a try.
        
        Joe
        
        Brilliant. Pure brilliance.
    - Deep Thoughts
      
      Actually two calls went the O’s way at first base with Reddick and Carter, killing 2 potential A’s rallies, but then they put up the five-spot starting with a homer–pretty good way to ump-proof your base hit.
Joe

Britton meltdown this inning!
- RetroRob
  
  The Orioles as a team should meltdown, but I’ve finally come to accept they’re not going away…this season! I still don’t know what Showalter has done, and I’m not convinced it can be repeated, but credit where credit’s due. I’m more impressed by the A’s, meaning I think their young pitching and some of their hitters can repeat again in 2013.
  - Joe
    
    My friend, that writes for my site wrote a piece on how the Orioles can’t sustain playing this well with a run differential below zero.
    
    The A’s however, lost Anderson, McCarthy, Gonzalez, and Cahill. All to injury or trade, and yet they have been pitching pitching amazing. Combined with just enough hitting.
    
    It’s a great story.
    - RetroRob
      
      Their run differential has been poor all season, in the red. Yet they were at minus 65-70, perhaps as recently as six weeks back, where now they’re at about -20. That does indicate they’ve been playing much better, but yet they are still in the negative on the season. They should not have played this well all year long, yet they have.
Hall and Nokes

A’s 3-3 with RISP tonight.
Electric nunez

Jones SIT DOWN,,,
Joe

Adam Jones the every other year star just got gunned at the plate!
RetroRob

That was a stupid play by Adam Jones. I fully approve.
Joe

Man down. The Yankee killer.
Electric nunez

Reynolds hurt ! Os falling appart.
Electric nunez

I hope baltimore shot its wad against us and goes into a nice funk now.
RetroRob

Angels lose to KC. That’s good. I think as Yankee fans we’re focused on the AL East, but it’s also good to keep an eye on any potential teams for the second wild card slot if, for heavens sake, the Yankees end up needing it!

Weren’t the Yankees the very first Wild Card team back in ’95? Hopefully they’re not the very first second Wild Card winner in 2012…unless they need it.
- Joe
  
  That one and out game is scaring me.
RetroRob

Man, I think the Dodgers are crazy reupping Colletti. They can do better. Even if he’s better than I think he is, there is something to be said for when a new management team comes in and putting all their guys in place.
- Joe
  
  That deal might have helped Boston out more than it did LA. In hindsight the Red Sox dumped salary and LAA gained a lot of it. With the extensions of Kemp and Ethier piling on top of that. Oh, and I didn’t mention that Kershaw is sniffing at a new deal too.
  
  Giant fans are probably happy they took on such a horrible load of contracts with only one star player when they could have gone after a couple guys this off-season. Like Josh Hamilton, even if he’s only going to give you three good years
  - RetroRob
    
    It allows Boston to attempt a re-build. They weren’t winning with their expensive roster, and most of them seemed to be complaining and sabatoging management, so might as well blow it up. Yet now they have to do the re-build. That’s a pretty bad team right now.
    
    Some of the issues Colletti had no doubt were caused by the prior management, but he’s just not the guy I’d want running my team in 2012 and beyond.
    - Joe
      
      If they sign Hamilton I’ll laugh. (Regarding Boston.)
      
      That’s basically just a cyclic signing.
    - JohnnyC
      
      I think Henry & Werner are selling. Probably to a group fronted by Lucchino. Just my guess. It’ll be a lengthy rebuilding process and John Henry would be close to 70 when that was accomplished.
- Joe
  
  I meant LAD.
Electric nunez

So what did Cervelli do to not get any play time.
I know the guy was horrible last year but it seems they
Dont want to play him .
- Pasta Stumbling Sojo
  
  Sweet Haiku.
  - Electric nunez
    
    There once was a catcher named frankie
    Who threw the ball to second like a wankie
    To triple a he was banished
    Where player go to perish
    Now frankie only dreams of playing for the yankees.
    - Pasta Stumbling Sojo
      
      Wow, very impressive :)
      
      A sonnet in iambic pentameter next, pls.
      - Electric nunez
        
        Too many beers man.
        
        Electric nunez
        
        My shakespeare suxity.
RetroRob

Congratulations to Jose Reyes for making the 500,000th error in MLB history. I was hoping for E-Nunie tomorrow.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/
- JohnnyC
  
  I wonder if Reyes’ agents were smart enough to include a bonus for that in his deal with the Marlins. Also, hard-luck Mets look like they missed out on another marketing opportunity. Although I imagine Reyes would have taken himself out of the game immediately thereafter if it happened at Citifield. BTW, how are those 3-pack tickets for Dickey’s remaining home starts selling?
- Robinson Tilapia
  
  More playing time for Nunez = quicker turnaround to # 1,000,000.
dkidd

if tonight’s scores hold up, oakland will be only 2 games back of texas and they play 7 more times

baseball rules
Joe

I love Reddick right now.