This Week in Baseball 5/4 - 5/10

[Czech]

I'm pretty sure Diamondbacks ownership is retarded. I get the same vibe from them that I do from the Tampa Bay Lightning's new cadre of idiots: playing with a toy, and then breaking said toy.

 

[geniusMoment]

Cubs trade for Ryan Freel. I wonder if his other personality "farney" is coming too. Yes, he has talked about how he's really two different people: Ryan Freel and Farney. He has said sometimes he becomes Farney on the field, he's the person who does all the crazy stuff. And sometimes he talks to Farney at night. And no, I'm not making this up. These were a few Ryan Freel revelations a few years back.

 

[tekcop]

From Wiki:

Freel gained some notoriety in August of 2006 when The Dayton Daily News reported that Freel talks to an imaginary voice in his head named Farney.[2] Said Freel: "He's a little guy who lives in my head who talks to me and I talk to him. That little midget in my head said, 'That was a great catch, Ryan,' I said, 'Hey, Farney, I don't know if that was you who really caught that ball, but that was pretty good if it was.' Everybody thinks I talk to myself, so I tell 'em I'm talking to Farney."[3] Freel later said that Farney's name arose from a conversation with Reds trainer Mark Mann: "He actually made a comment like, 'How are the voices in your head?' We'd play around and finally this year he said, 'What's the guy's name?' I said, 'Let's call him Farney.' So now everybody's like, 'Run, Farney, run' or 'Let Farney hit today. You're not hitting very well.'"[4]

Huh. Sounds like... fun.

 

[the max]

RE: Announcers. With Remy being out indefinitely, NESN has had Eckersley in the booth with Orsillo. Eck has been great. Interesting insights, good comedy and not afraid to criticise a player on the field, calling Ben Francisco stupid for trying to stretch a hit into a double. He didn't mean it maliciously or anything but he was all over Francisco for making the first out at second when his team was down 11 runs. Not something you hear often.

 

[Czech]

The last North Sider with "Farn" in his name didn't fare so well. But hey, that means we got TWO guys for Joey Gathright!

 

[jimmy no nose]

A Rod's first AB: 3 run homer.

 

[Smues]

Clearly he's still juicing.

 

[jimmy no nose]

That Mets outfield will never stop impressing. This time it was Beltran who did it though, which is rare. Nate McLouth hit a popup into center, Beltran and Church both run to shallow right field, and the ball drops in center nowhere near either of them and a run scores. Of course it's ruled a double since you can't make an error without touching the ball.

 

[Czech]

Hey, don't plant seeds of doubt in Ryan Braun's 1.000 fielding percentage!

 

[Czech]

Well, Aramis Ramirez's shoulder just exploded or something, so I guess Ryan Freel will be needed as soon as possible.

 

[jimmy no nose]

Well, Aramis Ramirez's shoulder just exploded or something, so I guess Ryan Freel will be needed as soon as possible.

It must be a curse. This was ESPN's Fantasy Baseball homepage today:

 

[MFer]

Damn, missed a great pitcher's duel between Verlander and Lee. Also missed Granderson robbing Sizemore of a walk-off HR.

 

[Dobbs3K]

So A-Ram goes down and the Brewers win on a game winning Ryan Braun home run, followed by Hoffman shutting the door. What a night in Milwaukee.

 

[CanadianChris]

I have the Giants-Dodgers game with Vin Scully on Extra Innings. Man, I could just listen to him all day long.

 

[Vitamin X]

And night. That guy fucking puts me to sleep.

 

[treble]

That's insane.

Who would have thought that the Jays first complete game of the season was a 5-3 loss from Scott Richmond. All 5 runs in the 2nd inning, 10 batters came up, and I think the A's only had 3 other men on base the rest of the game.

 

[geniusMoment]

Reds do the impossible, and actually beat the Cards 2 times in a row without Votto.

 

[still fly]

Juan Pierre goes into BEAST MODE and has a couple doubles and RBI's in a Dodger win. Eric Stults with a quailty outing, throwing a complete game shut out.

48 games till Manny gets back. Sigh.

 

[still fly]

And night. That guy fucking puts me to sleep.

What in the blue hell is wrong with you?

 

[Vitamin X]

I'm apparently the only guy on earth who doesn't like Vin Scully.

 

[Czech]

If you don't like Vin Scully, who do you like?

 

[jimmy no nose]

Greinke takes his first after pitching a complete game (8 innings) 4 hitter. The Royals lose 1-0 against a Joe Saunders complete game 5 hit shutout. It's getting to the point where every game Greinke pitches is a must watch.

 

[alkeiper]

Note to the Yankees. Allowing 12 runs is no excuse not to beat Adam Eaton.

 

[jimmy no nose]

Somebody tell the Mets to get a new radar gun at Citi Field. There's no way Ian Snell just threw 97. I hope Ubaldo Jimenez pitches there, they might clock him at 110.

 

[Dandy]

Adam Rosales, rookie infielder for the Reds, hit his first career home run in today's game and rounded the bases in 15.5 seconds. He was nearly at full sprint the entire time, which is how he approaches ever facet of the game. It's refreshing to see, yet awkward to watch.

 

[treble]

The Jays have too many good pitchers. Brett Cecil had another good start, and guys like Jesse Litsch, Ricky Romero, and Casey Janssen are coming off the DL soon, they don't have enough rotation spots to go around.

 

[alkeiper]

Chien-Ming Wang is due to make a rehab start Tuesday in Scranton, but I'll miss that one.

 

[the max]

Hey the Red Sox brought up Daniel Bard and mercifully ended the Javier Lopez experiment.

Anyone want a left-handed sidearm pitcher who doesn't get people out? Anyone?

 

[FFMS]

That bullpen is going to be absolutely filthy over the years with all those young arms. What the Yankees had in the 90s with Mendoza and Rivera the Red Sox now have in Masterson and Papelbon

 

[alkeiper]

After 2007, I looked at Bard's 78 walks in 75 innings and wrote him off. Going to the bullpen completely revitalized his career.