So…the Yanks vs. the Reds, huh? Well, okay, then. Cliff has the preview.
This afternoon, Jack Curry tweeted: Brian Gordon on role w Yanks: “If they want me 2 b the official rosin bag guy, I’ll be that guy.”
That’s a good one.
Johnny Cueto won’t start tonight for the Reds but tomorrow instead.
Here’s the order:
Nick Swisher RF
Curtis Granderson CF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Russell Martin C
Andruw Jones LF
Eduardo Nunez SS
Ivan Nova RHP
Let’s Go Yank-ees!
Might miss Cueto altogether. (The closest thing they have to an ace.) He's got a sore neck. If he can't go tomorrow, Homer Bailey could be called up from his rehab assignment in AAA. Or they could move up Leake. (They had an off day Thursday, so even skipping Cueto, they'd all be pitching on normal rest.)
It's awful quiet here.
He kind of fell down. The LF.
Whoo-hoo. 1st inning score truck delivery.
This photo was posted by one of the Reds beat writers. Any guesses on who those players hugging in the background are?
Man, look at all these fabulous hits!
Oh, A-Rod took such a bad line around second base. That's why he didn't score.
[5] Hm, do you know the answer? Is it guessable? (Am I missing something?)
The Yankee is a bullpen player, right?
[8] I don't know. The reporter actually asked. He wants to know who they are.
Hey, speaking of Andruw Jones, any word on Chavez?
Hm, well, the Yankee is a lot bigger than the Red. The Red is a white guy. That's all I can tell from the picture.
[10] Well, they transferred him to the 60 day DL, so he won't be back until August.
That's better.
Don't worry, Ivan, Teix and Rob are on the job.
How was that Nova's first AB since he was 14? The SWB Yankees play without the DH sometimes.
A double K turns into a walk ... I'll take it!
Is it just me or is mlb.tv very wonky this evening?
[16] It's on YES and ESPN. I would guess not many are watching on MLB.TV.
[14] Well, he only played two years in SWB, and in fact he has no AB in MiLB.
[17] It's on ESPN??? Maybe not in my area (or it would be blacked out on mlb.tv). I'm watching the YES feed online.
[18] Was he a relief pitcher in AAA?
[19] It's also on ESPN3.com.
[19] Yes, it's on ESPN. ESPN only does the blockout thing on Sunday night, I think. It's on ESPN in both the NY and Cincinnati markets tonight, even though it's also airing on the local stations (YES and FSO).
[20] No, a starter. Just click that link I included in [18].
Hey, thanks! Much better (although I'd rather hear Paulie).
[22] Surprisingly, I'm getting the ESPN feed. Usually Tigers, Indians and Reds games are blacked out for me. Figured I'd have to go with the Reds feed.
Booooooooo.
Uh ... WHAT THE FUCK was that Jones?
Is he hurt?
Ok, Andrew. Time to take a seat. Fucking Bollocks!
WTF was that? He could have been safe.
Cut his ass!
[23] I just find it hard to believe he didn't get a single at-bat. The IL plays about half its games by NL rules. Half the teams in the SWB Yanks' division are NL affiliates.
Fuck the heck Andruw!
ESPN guys speculating AJ thought there were 2 outs. (Which makes sense, though it's still a fucking screw-up, just not as bad ... I guess)
*bangs head on desk*
[31] Well, Zach McAllister also had 0 PA in 24 starts with SWB last year.
Huh. Drew Stubbs is white. I'd never have guessed.
But it looks like between innings Jones was claiming a rolled ankle case to CoffeeJoe.
And also Jason Hirsch, 0 PA at SWB.
Are you sure they play some NL rules in the IL?
hmmm ankle looked purty good there. (nice play)
[37] If his ankle is rolled, maybe a few days riding the pine would help. Maybe a 15 day DL, I'm sure there's a kid at SWB hungry for some ML ABs. Not like Jones gets that many anyway.
Goddam.
Nunez is SO frustrating. Ugh.
Yay, more base path blunders!
ugh
Nunez with a "Willie Mays Hays"
[38] Interesting. Maybe they play by spring training rules. DH depending on what the teams decide, and the Yankees always insist on having a DH?
[45] sliding in 4' shy of the bag you mean? lol
[46] I listen to Mud Hens games, and the play-by-play guy (4000+ consecutive games) said that is exactly what happens. If it's two NL teams playing, they decide beforehand whether to use the DH or not. If an AL team is playing, both teams use the DH.
Reds have a ridiculous pattern of giving up a bunch of runs in the first, then settling down. Seems to be holding up tonight.
Oh, Rob, very nice.
The Natural.
[48] Thanks. I'd assumed they used interleague rules.
[12] Fuck.
I'm glad Kay stood up for the Hudson! That's nice to hear.
No, Kay, the Hudson isn't cleaned up to the point where you can eat the fish. Shad, blue crabs, etc., you can eat, but that's because they're just passing through. They don't actually live in the Hudson.
Good punch out. Solid 5 innings from the kid. Now some more runs please.
I don't watch too many NL games these days but the Reds new stadium..looks nice but kind of samey to the Phillies one? Did they replace all the cookie-cutter multi-purpose parks with cookie-cutter "retro" parks?
[55] He did say he didn't know if he'd actually fish there, but his larger point, that this is not the same river of death of our childhood, is one that deserves to be made. :)
Paul!
[57] Reds "new" stadium actually isn't that new. It was built before the Phillies' park.
[60] I'm behind the times..only "new" park that really stood out to me was the new Candlestick. Really beautiful stadium. But part of me still misses artificial turf..Willie Wilson bouncing triples at Roylas Stadium, Cardinals winning the WS with less than 100 total team home runs..
Six full good innings from Nova. Could our young Ivan be growing up?
Might this be the way you break in a young pitcher. Cashman, et al., I'm looking at you.
[62] No! I demand vaguely stated and contradictory "rules", alongside highly publicized pitch counts and innings limits that result in 3-inning debut starts (Joba!)!
[63] LOL!
Ah, looks like it's not only the Yankees who can play crappy.
More bullshit rulings from the "Official Scorer." Stolen base? Nonsense.
Well, thanks very much Reds!
A Grandy run. All by himself.
Small ball doesn't get much smaller than that!
Now all Curtis needs to do is teach Gardner his Jedi Mind Trick of making the middle infielder completely flub a throw from the catcher.
Ugh. Cano.
Man, that's a remarkably ignorant question for Sutcliffe to ask when he's broadcasting a game in Cincinnati ...
[70] Sutcliffe may be the single worst announcer I've ever heard..don't have sound on here now, what he day?
I wonder what O'Neill was like socially in his younger days as a Red. Wild man? Quiet
mid-western kid?
[70] Yeah... Robbie had a great 142 OPS+. Joe Morgan bested that SIX times, including a (.974) 169 and (1.020) 186 OPS+ in '75 and '76.
awesome jorb, kid!
[73] But Morgan tarnished his image by announcing for 20+ years. : )
Beautiful start by The Kid!
Sorry I'm late to the party but nice start from young Nova. Quick game too.
Hey, when is Cone coming back? All this Paulie O is making me dopey.
Gosh, don't make this painful now.
[78] The ol' Red has done a good job tonight. He's made me laugh a few times.
You suck Boone!
Fucking NOgan ...
Mo, please get warm fast.
"And Boone Logan, who has had very little success against lefties..."
Yes. Exactly.
Boone. You fail.
Whoa. Girardi has little faith in Logan.
ONE OF the greatest closers of all-time???
puh-leeze...
I hate middle relievers
[2] i had the noise with me at the drum studio...
[87] The sun is one of the stars that the earth orbits.
Is it just me, or should they have just run Nova out for the ninth? This game would be over by now.
Is Boone Logan's real name Rune Cashman? If not, why else is he on tthe team?
[91] It's not just you. Michael Kay said something similar.
[91] I think 105 is the new 100. I would have like to seen him finish, too.
Nice of Girardi to contrive a situation for the good people of the fair city of Cincinati to see the great Mariano do his greatest of all time thing
strike. fucking - three. at...
He went on the first one. Fucking guy turned back to the dugout...Good, hope that foul ball hurt.
One out. Nice rip, Brucie.
Smart.
Screw Boone and Ayala's ERA. Just get the W.
Ah, shoot.
Damn.
[97] I can't hate on Jay Bruce. He's a good guy.
Oi!
Put that in your back pocket Nunie.
True dat, Paulie. Not smart to throw the ball there.
Goddamn, that was some range!
nice stop, at least...
announcer is a liiiitle too happy about that run scoring.
that jackass kid has the dumbest hat ever. stop showing him.
oh, and someone shut sutcliffe up...
OH!
First glance: horse shit call.
WHAT??? We have to see that replay.
Huh. Safe by about an inch.
mo did great on that. i thought he was out in real time. but he was indeed safe.
end the game here.
[108] i nominate that for the worst comment in banter history.
Sorry Edgar, that's the MO-Zone!
The reliable k-zone?
0-2 pitch, YIKES, he missed, PHEW!
of course, the shit sox have scored 3 runs in the 10 minutes i've been home... : /
I'm not Edgar Renteria
Don't got no crystal ball...
Renteria's batting .221. I'm kind of surprised they pinch hit him for Hanigan.
And that's why he's the Master. Big win for Nova.
Mariano Rivera, ladies and gentlemen.
Thanks be to Mo.
All Rise!
NICE!
MO! praise.
sutcliffe talking about cairo being a bench master. ugh...
Miggy Cairo sighting!!,!
Nice mo! Cue Frank!
[118] Nice.
[118] when you're sliding into first, and you're feeling something burst...
renteria - bop, bop - reneteria...
the banter, as great as it is for so many things, is not a good way to follow the last few outs. especially when combined with the delay in gameday...
Alex: OH!
Gameday: In play run(s)
He's a tough guy to hit off of.
-Russell Martin.. : )
[117] Red Sox got six straight against the Padres AND the Pirates..that is not fair.
[113] :)
By the way, Michael Kay, the Yankees weren't in the '75 Series.
[129] Oh, yeah, that must have been a bad feeling. Jeez.
[130] Whoa, two prepositions stranded together! That is really going to piss thelarmis... off.
[127] "Nice" nothin', it was sublime!
[133] i started a new student this afternoon. the dad had the worst sense of speech i've ever heard in my entire existence. i don't understand how someone can get to that age and not have any idea how to string a sentence together.
my head was spinning so fast, i couldn't even commit his crimes to memory. i definitely heard "brung" in there a few times and other insanely egregious words. it was awful.
[134] Better than thelarmis'. [128] That was just shitty.
[135] I love 'brung'. There's something so... creative about it. It's so logical. Swing, swung. Sting, stung. Bling, blung. No. But still.
[134] "I had a million dollars, but I... I spent it all!"
Yeah, I caught the reference. I'm here in Long Beach, the home of Sublime!
[134] eh eh eh. i never heard them or of them when they were popular. i did play that tune - and a coupla others - in a few bands and enjoyed the grooves. how you like my "em" dashes?!
oh, and i don't always mind ending sentences with a preposition. hell, they even allow "we have a lot to be thankful for," in the dictionary.
it's the "at" thing that kills me. there's just NO fucking need for it. none, at all. where is IT? period, the fucking end. it's not AT anywhere, it's just there...
[136] i think mine was actually Emma's. someone wrote that here a coupla years back, when edgar was on the shit sox...
[137] his tenses were all over the place. it was brutal. "should have went," makes my fucking skin crawl.
Dude [139] those are ens. Sheesh. That's like mistaking a quaver for a semiquaver! Or vice versa.
I think the "at" is there because some folk don't like just "is". They think it should be something. Like, it is red. It is high, it is far, and it is gone.
[140] "Should have went" is not logical.
"Brung" is, and so is "slud". For that matter, did you know that British people think it's idiotic to say "dove" as the past tense of "dive"? One told me, "Er, no, it's 'dived'." As if I were an idiot. As if I was an idiot.
[141] you said "m" earlier. i know about ems & ens, as my dad was in the paper industry for a spell. (and they come up in crossword puzzles.) now i'm confused! (as opposed to normal...)
i'm not a fan of crotchets, quavers or minims. really makes no sense. MUCH easier to call them what they actually are: 1/4, 1/2, 1/16th notes, etc...
[142] yeah, i don't like "dived." and the were/was thing can be confusing!
brung is kinda logical. but no one ever seems to know when to use swum or drunk. i'll say, "i haven't drunk a beer in ages" and people think i'm a dummy. not so! i'm a dummy for other reasons ; )
[143] An em dash is two en dashes together. Alex was posting about em dashes. Those are the ones you're supposed to use in that parenthetical way. You got lazy and did en dashes instead.
I like that, the idea that it's easier to call them what they actually are. When I lived in Australia, I read a great letter to the local paper complaining about the crazy American habit of calling those things on the sink "faucets", instead of what they are, which is taps. I wish I had cut that out and saved it.
this is fucking INSANE!!!
it is now THIRTEEN to fucking 3, shit sox.
fuck the heck?!
it was 3-3 when i got home. they scored TEN fucking runs in a half-inning. total fucking bollocks. and goddamn do i HATE the Fens.
they score double digit runs every fucking game. i can't stand it...
[145] i've never been accused of being lazy before!
i'd love to hear about your time in Oz one day. the parents of a long time student of mine, are moving (back) there this summer. i have another student who spent a summer in New Zealand (middle earth!).
i toured the UK a few times with a band a few years back. i joined just as they were finishing up a 2-week tour of Australia. wish i got to go there, though i wouldn't enjoy the flight. my bass player buddy played there a year or two ago...
Well, I lived there twice, once in Melbourne, once in Canberra. The newspaper letter was the second time. I loved it. No baseball, though. Cricket is very odd. But I liked the football.
My oldest son is in Oz right now! Studying. Physics. Coming back very soon, actually.
You're right, the flight really, really sucks.
awww, they allowed the friars to score another run, so it's not a double digit deficit. how nice of the fucking scumsuckers... : /
[148] wow. very cool! physics. that's easy stuff. it's like triplets grouped in 4's, or indian tihai's.
i bet you can't wait for your son to get back. that's a nice belated dad's day gift! : )
[148] wait. canberra - i think that's why my students' parents are going to live. it's their 2nd time there, too. (i believe i just used an "en" dash...) the mom's british and the (very HOT, very cool, very smart, very worldly, very musical, very blonde, very young) daughter goes to school in the UK. actually, i think she's about to graduate. my student may stay here and go to georgia tech, for engineering.
did you know that tech created a marimba playing robot? as if drum machines didn't already take half of my work. named it Moshe. my mom said, i was cuter, but at least the robot was one of us! : )
per the excellent chad jennings at lohud:
Nova was hilarious talking about his first big league at-bat. He said the first fastball looked like it was 100 mph. “The first pitch he threw me was 85,” Nova said. “The second one was 90-91. I was like, ‘What the hell? What are you trying to do with me? Keep throwing 85.’ I got a chance to hit and pitch in the big-leagues, so I’ll take that. It was a really good experience.”