Sunday Night Open Thread

July 7, 2013 by Mike Axisa 46 Comments

A few weeks ago, I mentioned Chase the Bat Dog was retiring from active duty for Double-A Trenton. Chase, a 13-year-old golden retriever, has been fetching bats and bringing umpires water bottles since 2002. The retirement ceremony was held Friday night and the plan was to have him retrieve one final bat from the field, but he wasn’t physically up to it. Chase has been battling a form of blood cancer since January.

There has not been a better minor league promotion the last decade than Chase. Fans flocked to the ballpark to see him and everyone who came into contact with him — fans, players, staff, everyone — loved him. I highly recommend this Howard Megdal piece on what Chase meant to people and the team itself. It’s both a happy and heart-breaking story given the recent diagnosis. Chase’s son Derby will assume bat-fetching duties now, but Thunder games won’t be the same without him.

* * *

Here is your open thread for the evening. The ESPN Sunday Night Game is relevant to the Yankees, it’s the Red Sox at the Angels (Lackey vs. Weaver). Talk about that game or anything else right here. Have at it.

pat

Fuuuuuuuuuuck. I had two goldens growing up and lost them both to cancer. WHY MUST YOU MAKE ME FEEL THESE FEELINGS?
- jjyank
  
  Same. My family has had goldens my whole life (4 including the current one) and two of them died of cancer. One of which was the classic “my dog” designation”, meaning the one that we had from when I was 10 until I was 22, so the pretty crucial growing up years. Always breaks my heart to hear about a golden meeting a tough end.
- cheddar
  
  So sorry to hear this.
  
  Just the other day, I overheard a conversation in which someone said a very reputable vet told her it is virtually impossible to get a golden these days that is not predisposed to cancer, heart disease, etc. How dreadful – they are sure beautiful creatures.
RobertGKramer@AOL.Com

I have a poodle mix who was given 6 months to a year to live after an operation to remove a cancerous anal gland in November 2009. He’ll be 12 next month.
- pat
  
  Nice!
- Improbable Island’s Dirty Midget Whores (formerly RRR)
  
  That’s awesome. Goldens get cancer at a terrifyingly extreme rate, over 70%. I had an awesome golden, like 95 pounds, that died of cancer at 6. It was sad.
  - jjyank
    
    That’s terrible. As I mentioned about, this has happened to me too. The one I mentioned died at 12, so that’s not bad, but the second one died at 7. Just awful. They really are amazing dogs though. I’ll never get another breed as long as I live.
Robinson Tilapia

Sometimes Mo gets beat. It doesn’t happen often.
- Dalek Jeter
  
  Yup, I mean this loss sucked, but there have been worse this season alone. After taking the series we’re now tied in the loss column with both the Orioles and Rays, a half game behind them for the second wild card, 3 behind Texas for the first wild card, and 5.5 back of Boston for the Division and best record in the AL. If you had offered me that scenario at the beginning of the season for the end of the 4th of July weekend with the stipulation that A-Rod, Jeter, Granderson, Texeira, and Youkilis would have a combined 188 At Bats I’d sign up in a heart beat.
  - dkidd
    
    i was irrationally upset for an hour, then took a breath and realized we’re basically tied for the second wild card spot. with the line-up they’ve been sending out there for three months, that’s a miracle
    - Robinson Tilapia
      
      If you beat Mariano Rivera, all I can do is tip my hat to you and walk away.
      
      Location was clearly off. Markakis’s foul that just missed was a BAD omen indeed.
      - jjyank
        
        Yeah, this. Even Mo is human, as much as we love to think otherwise. It happens. Not often, but when it does, you just gotta give kudos to the other team.
    - Dalek Jeter
      
      Your process there is basically how I’ve internalized every loss they’ve had this season. It basically comes down to “they’re doing it with smoke and mirrors but they’re keeping it close, so it’s hard to stay mad.” The reason I got really upset about this one for at least an hour is because Mo was on the mound with a lead. Literally 90% of the time that’s happened the past 16 years it’s a win for us.
      - The Real Greg
        
        Exactly. Probably more than 90% if someone checks.
        
        I’ve settled down now but ugh.
        
        Dalek Jeter
        
        No it’s 89.54 something, I checked ;)
        
        The Real Greg
        
        Ah
        
        Well done
  - The Real Greg
    
    I came into today thinking, if they lose it’s fine. They had won 6 in a row.
    
    Then the Yankees “picked” (not on purpose) the one way to lose that would piss me off.
    
    That sweep was in our hands and now it’s gone.
    
    By the way, when was the last time the Yankees went into the All-Star Break not in the playoffs? Was it ’09?
    - LK
      
      Not sure about the ASB, but on July 7th, 2009 the Yankees were in the playoffs as the wild card. The last time they were out of the playoffs on today’s date was 2008.
- BFDeal
  
  But this loss is worse because of newspapers.
  
  /Greg’d
  - The Real Greg
    
    You obviously didn’t get what I said. I said the loss would just be a loss in the newspapers, but emotionally it stings.
  - Steinbrenner’s Ghost
    
    you’re kiddin, newspapers still exist?
dkidd

hate that mf-er, but john lackey has been great this year. best season of his career, peripherals-wise, they just aren’t scoring for him.
- Robinson Tilapia
  
  Fuck John Lackey.
  - The Real Greg
    
    Fuck the Red Sox for being a better drafting organization and finding a get out of jail free card to save them from what we’re going through right now.
    
    We never get that kind of luck. In terms of the business side, not the game side.
    - pat
      
      The same Sox that finished 74-88 last year?
      - pat
        
        Ah, reference over my head.
      - dkidd
        
        i’d take a year like that in exchange for ZERO guaranteed payroll commitments starting in 2015
        
        Need Pitching & Hitting (but mostly hitting)
        
        *2016
        
        dkidd
        
        whatever!!!
        
        :)
    - dkidd
      
      that trade = “instant rebuild”
    - Steinbrenner’s Ghost
      
      Sux are so great! 2 titles in 95 seasons!
      
      Casey Kelley forevahs!
Mickey Scheister

Anyone listened to magna carta holy grail? Already platinum status before the release. Hov is all about that paper, it wouldn’t surprise me at all to see Robbie wind up with the highest bidder.
- Cool Lester Smooth
  
  It’s about the end-game. There’s much more money to be made in endorsements as a New York Yankee than on any other team in the country.
  - Need Pitching & Hitting (but mostly hitting)
    
    I don’t think baseball players get much in endorsements, especially compared to their contracts.
    Jeter’s an exception, but even in NY, most don’t get big endorsement $$.
    - Cool Lester Smooth
      
      Why else would Robbie have signed with Jay-Z, though, if not for the endorsements? It’s not like he’s gonna get a big contract than he would have with Boras.
  - Need Pitching & Hitting (but mostly hitting)
    
    I don’t think baseball players get much in endorsements, especially compared to their contracts.
    Jeter’s an exception, but even in NY, most don’t get big endorsement $$.
    - Need Pitching & Hitting (but mostly hitting)
      
      ?
    - Dalek Jeter
      
      Yeah, it happens sometimes (the double comments)
trr

we lost , Mo got beat.
Let’s move on.
Sometimes, it’s that simple
Oy

Been away and this was probably discussed, but what do you guys make of Logan Morrison? He’s hit well in 2010 and 2011 and had a downer last year. Bad fielder but playable. He’s hitting arbitration for the first time so 3 years of control left.

Marlins seem to prefer quantity over quality, maybe Nuno and a washed up prospect/PTBNL?
- Dalek Jeter
  
  If LoMo could be had for Nuno and like a Neal or a PTBNL I’d do it in a heartbeat. Even his down year last year he was still as good or better than what we’ve gotten from Wells, Overbay, Ichiro, and even Pronk. The only downside to him is he’s another LHH that’s average at best against LHP. I’d much rather a Soriano or Rios if either could be had with their teams eating a chunk of the contract.
  - Oy
    
    Soriano’s age scares the shit out of me. I get goosebumps when trying to imagine Soriano, Wells and Ichiro on the same team in 2014.
    
    I like Rios, but I don’t see Chicago eating parts of his contract and not demanding top prospects. He’s pretty much being paid fair market value for his production, his $12.5 mill for next year is durable considering that he’ll be Granderson’s replacement. I would give up Austin and a PTBNL straight up.
jjyank

I just got home work. Decided to peruse the game thread at my own peril. I see that we took an interesting turn down into Greg Country. I don’t think I need to comment further, since I’m sure you all know what I’m thinking.
forensic

This is my first time ever doing a keeper fantasy league, so I figured I’d check with some experienced people and see if anyone wanted to offer some opinions.

How much value do you put in a prospect when considering them included in a trade? The prospect in question is Oscar Taveras, so obviously a great one, not just any old prospect.

The reason I ask is that I’m being offered Taveras and Darvish for Votto and Alex Cobb. Obviously I’m not going to do that one as it is because Votto and Cobb are too much (IMO), but if I was able to lower the quality of the second player included (maybe to a Gallardo or Lohse? a Cashner may be too low for him?), would it be worth making the move? I have some other 1B and could use a top-of-the-line starter like Darvish.
http://www.twitter.com/mattpat11 Matt DiBari

Well that story just about destroyed me. Good boy Chase.
dkidd

jose iglesias is now batting under .400

our long national nightmare has ended