alright gang, i'm off to work. gotta play a gig about 45 miles out of atlanta. i'll try to have them turn on tbs during set breaks. and i'm recording the game.
Spent 4.5 hours today finally fixing my leaky toilet. Mostly due to having to run back to the store until I finally bought the right tool. Then I realized I didn't have a new floaty thing. Back to the store, where I got myself a reward: Chimay ale.
I didn't see Scutaro NOT score from second the other nigh. But it could not have been worse than that Jorgie play. Hopefully another good guy is able so step on third again this game.
[117] I do think there are times that call for it, and even then, it can be done in a non-gratutious fashion. Throwing your body at the glove with the ball just makes sense. It doesn't have to be Rose-Fosse.
[137] I've been a huge Cano guy from his first game, but what's with the A-Rod bashing? The guy's one of the best players EVER, seriously....and he's still on the squad!
This is a good time to mention that I listened to a lot of Boston-based sports radio today (had to drive a bunch). Of course, quite a bit of it was just ranting at the Red Sox. (Almost everyone defends Francona and blames either players or now sometimes Theo "and his computer".) But there were some interesting points, too. One guy pointed out that the Yankees have developed a whole lot of Latino players, via the international draft. The Sox have stuck with the domestic draft, almost entirely. And look at our stars. Hitter of the day, pitcher of the day.
Very disheartening to see those empty seats in the first class section of Yankee Stadium. I'm sure those swells are there, just underground eating and drinking and watching on huge TVs. It just looks bad.
Maybe the Yankees should have seat warmers, like the Academy Awards so an empty seat is not seen on TV.
[157] That's weird. Why don't they recruit overseas? Seems like they'd have the same incentive as the Yankees: bad draft picks domestically. And these days, even smaller market teams like the Pirates, Nationals, and Reds are building overseas operations.
[163] They seem perfectly willing to sign international players after someone else has recruited them.
Though really, Robby Cano seems as much luck as anything. No one expected him to be the player he is. Yanks tried to trade him. No one wanted him, which is the only reason we still have him.
Yeah, I dunno. As someone said in comments a few days ago, it's mainly the crowd at Fenway that's not integrated now. And Ortiz is beloved, etc. I dunno.
Of course, they did get Dice-K! And that's worked out well.
[167] Hah. Yeah, the Dice-K thing might put them off international signings.
Maybe it's just complacency. The Sox used to be known for their outstanding farm system, while the Yankees' was barren. The Yanks had to look overseas for players not included in the draft, because they had traded all their prospects and they didn't have good draft picks anyway. The Sox didn't have to. And now they're being left behind.
Speaking of surprise successes, I loved that stuff on Brett Gardner at Was Watching. Not only does he have the highest dWAR in baseball, but he has one of the highest dWARs in baseball history. This season, I mean.
[169] I meant before he was called up. When he was in the minors, he didn't hit all that well, and for some reason had a reputation for bad defense. As RIYank said, he was a stopgap - called up because the Yanks were desperate.
The contrast of Maris celebrating after breaking the homer record and McGwire really pisses me off. Roger wanted nothing to do with a curtain call and McGwire was a douche.
[168] That they do, but given the Yankee roster the past few years, no one should through the slur at the Yankees. Plus Jim Rice said he didn't exactly feel welcome there IIRC.
[190] I watched the Bard a lot this season -- he was setting up for the BoSox. Midsummer nights, he was a dream, but by the end of August he was Tempest tossed.
[189] Sorry, just a old habit of mine. I used to run off with the jibs about that kinda thing here. Now I just give it some serious consideration every now and then...
I bet it would be scary to know how many times the Yankees included Robbie in a trade that was ultimately turned down. The D-Backs had a shot at him for RJ. I know there were others.
[208] Wow. If true, things will be interesting in the NL Central. With even the Pirates showing improvement, and Houston possibly moving to the AL, it's going to be a lot more competitive than in years past.
[245] What difference does it make? I'm not sure what you're asking.
It's a lot cheaper to get them in the draft. Is that what you're driving at?
Right, there is no international draft. Getting good international players is a matter of having a good scouting network and having the money to land the prospects you want. The Yankees are doing it a lot better than the Red Sox.
[231] I feel you - I wanted to punch Ayala in the knob.
I was starving, and was not switching positions until the last out.
Watched this game in the most absurd manner - four bucks to watch a feed from behind the plate and a feed from center - with tbs sound - figuring out exactly what is happening is clearly an acquired skill.
Hated everything as the game was going - before Darling said Pfister was "carving" the line up, all I was thinking is that he was carving the fucking plate. And my head was exploding that the league, including us let the Tigers get that guy for what I may not recall was not fucking much. I had liked not just his results, but his stuff when we faced him.
CC with serious ace stuff and Verlander with 25 pitches in the 1st, their guy looking better than our guy, Gritner's ball getting knocked down by the wind, even Robbie's ball not making it out - I had a terrible feeling. Still going to be sweating all this out.
Man, Robbie was awesome tonight. He made all that bad feeling go see-ya!
[245] It makes a difference because we were wondering if the Sox had a good international recruiting system. The allegation was made (supposedly by a Sox fan) that they do not.
So far as I know, there isn't an international draft. If there is one, it's so recent it can't have made a difference yet. Robby Cano was an undrafted free agent. Aroldis Chapman, the Cuban fireballer, defected to Andorra, specifically so he would not be subject to the draft, as he would if he were a US resident.
[247] I would think it would be cheaper to get players as IFA's vs the draft, maybe it evens out in the later rounds.
[251] The Sox do have an international recruiting system. They, like the Yankees, have their pulse on interntational players.
I suspect many Sox fans aren't thinking clearly or rational. The Sox usually have had a top 10 farm system, featuring a mix of IFA's, drafted players and prospects traded to them.
[253] That's how it looks to me. I'm sure the Sox must have an international recruiting system. Even the Pirates do, fer crissakes. But it doesn't seem to be notably successful.
Where's the Red Sox Robby Cano or Chien-Ming Wang?
[254] Appears as though the resources that would be used to sign international free agents were instead diverted to signing other free agents like Pedro, Manny, Drew, Matsuzaka, Gonzales, Crawford, et al... there is the other aspect of whether international free agents even want to play for certain teams in certain regions. A free agent can choose his destination like any other free agent, though the circumstances dictating those choices might be very different.
[253] Overall, it doesn't matter if a player is latino, drafted, traded, or otherwise developed. Would we like Robinson Cano more if he were white?
The point that the Red Sox problem isn't Latino players in their system. The problem is that the Red Sox's pitching took a dump at an inopportune time.
[254] Playing for Florida? (Hanley Ramirez & Anibal Sanchez). Or playing for the Sox (Pedroia & Lester/Buchholz)?
Hmph.
You aren't tricking me again, AB. I'll come back when we know they'll play a real baseball game.
alright gang, i'm off to work. gotta play a gig about 45 miles out of atlanta. i'll try to have them turn on tbs during set breaks. and i'm recording the game.
have fun and...
GO YANKS!!!
What IS the deal right now?
I don't see any updates on LoHud, is the tarp still on?
Spent 4.5 hours today finally fixing my leaky toilet. Mostly due to having to run back to the store until I finally bought the right tool. Then I realized I didn't have a new floaty thing. Back to the store, where I got myself a reward: Chimay ale.
game on
jorge leads off in in the bottom of the second...base hit. hip hip
Jorge!
Whoo to the fucking hooo!
Hustling catchers!
More catchers! We need more catchers!
Obviously. FUCKING JORGIE!
Of course.
Boo. Fewer outfielders!
Balk. Weird.
Sure, Russell Martin on second base would make anyone nervous.
For the love of Mo, Curtis. Cash these guys in!
FUCKING Posada ... how can how lived and played so long and STILL having NO FUCKING CLUE how to run the bases???
Epic fucking failure. What a waste.
That could have worked out better.
Nerts, thanks Jorge.
Well there's one missed strike.
Still a nice 1,2,3. Atta boy, Nova!
The strike zone is shifted to the catcher's left.
How is Alex watching a 1-1 heater right down the pipe?
See, there's a shifted called strike right there.
[23] He would have just swung and missed it anyway ...
sigh.
Wow, Teix struck out fast!
Ugly inning there. Let's go Ivan.
3 ab's in the 2nd with a man on third and jack squat. Yeah, that won't come back to bite 'em in the ass. Bollocks!
Such a promising start, and Fister could have been rattled. Now he's dealing.
Nova will answer.
[29] Nova is a keeper. For sure.
Nasty! Cabrera stands reall tall in the box and Jesus has the crouch to him. Can't decide which one I like beter. I think the crouch.
I'm thinking, swing at the first pitch.
Watch Posada hit a double and get thrown out trying for third when he comes to a full stop in the base path.
I didn't see Scutaro NOT score from second the other nigh. But it could not have been worse than that Jorgie play. Hopefully another good guy is able so step on third again this game.
Nova's been fantastic, but if they don't figure out Fister...
That's payback for Russell.
Yoiks.
Does he need to hold the ball tighter or something??
Just nasty.
Amazing. Missed the zone by a foot, three times, and struck out a Professional Hitter.
Ouch!
Rub dirt on it!
Lock it down, Rook. Throw a 6-4-3.
HOLY SHIT! NICE!
Tigers can do bad base running to!
Wow! True to form, whenever a guy is thrown out at home, I yell "FUCK YOU!"
That seems fair.
[46] Wow, I thought I was the only one!
Pheww.. Seeing Betemit come through there would have been sub-optimal.
He's good. He really is. He can reach down and dredge up good pitches when he needs them.
[48] It's shortened from "FUCK YOU! YOU'RE FUCKING OUT!" However, I do still point a finger at the TV while yelling.
[50] Yeah, we all remember. Now the Yankees must pound Fister. Tee-Hee.
One good thing to be thankful for, we got October Baseball in NY.
The booth likes Nova's pace. But they're gushing over Fister. Or is it just me?
Is John Flaherty in the booth for the game tonite?
[50] All due to all the special rules they put on him.
[53] Not on TBS.
C'mon, Robbie. Hit one in the seats.
[55] Right, the _o_a Rules!
One Modamn inch!
Oh, man, I thought it was out. Dang! But awesome shot.
Robbie!
Wow, that is amazing. An inch, or just a tiny change in the spin, or anything.
Needed help from the fans there for the HR. Hit the top of the wall, and was fair game to brought in to the stands. Wimp holding is arms back.
Top of wall not a home run?
[63] Yeah, this sounds like bullshit.
The put Cano in "A cocoon of Excellence." Ha.
[65] It's the hitmen that surround him!
[63] Apparently not. The whole wall is in the field of play? I guess.
Shit.
R.A.T.S. Looked like it had a chance.
Well, they're hitting the shit out of Fister, anyway.
Oh well, least we got one
Let down by a fan in the temperance section.
Can't walk AJ. Shite.
Whoa, that was kind of surreal.
Did that happen to everyone, or just me?
o.k. That was weird, getting the other game feed.
Happened here. My wife yelled at me for changing the channel.
There was a definite glitch in The Matrix.
Whew. So it's not something to do with my brain, then.
Ivan has to ignore A-Jax.
Ha!
Fucking genius, Leyland.
Well that was nicely placed.
Swish!
That is a Fucking Beaut!
Love that! The attempted steal caused the DP, it would have been up the middle.
Nice production. Didn't see the Swish catch live. booooooooooooooooooooooooo
And I'm not the only one who actually couldn't see the Swisher play live, right?
Okay, whew. :-)
Hm, second time through against Fister is very different, huh?
[86] Solar flares or some shit. Teix!
tbs really blowing the coverage
Three run homer by Longoria. Man, you can never count the Rays out.
As always, a guy make a great catch that no one on tv sees and then hits second after a lead off double.
Eat shit, blue!
[91] As So Often Happens.
No one in the booth has the onions to say that wasn't a fucking stirke. Too close to take my ass.
Yeah, it might have caught the edge. And that's how he's been calling them -- the strike zone is wide on that side and narrow on the other side.
Texas letting Tampa back in.
Who is this crew -- Flaherty and who?
Posada owes us! Big hit here Jorge!
Still got it, old man.
Interesting, bullpen call! Verrrrrry interesting. Smart, I think.
[97] One of them is a Met announcer.
Sounds like Darling, Smoltz and a play by play guy. GO BRETT!
HUGE!
GRIT ME TO DEATH, BABY!!!!
Ron Darling is one, but no Flaherty.
Yay gardner!
I happen to like Darling a lot as an announcer. I've heard his book is good too.
Proctor proof 'em, Grandy!
[102] Oh, thanks -- I thought someone said Flash.
Ron Darling, right.
The attempted steal that time allowed the hit.
It's supposed to be Brian Anderson, John Smoltz and Ron Darling working the Yankees series.
[102] Ah, Smoltz must be the one who sounds a bit like Flash.
Bullshite call there. Ball one.
The ump is 1 for 3 so far on the tv box strike zone.
They're doing pretty well in the booth, but I did not like that crap about how Avila should have slammed into Martin on that play at the plate.
[114] Yeah, but if you're a Tigers fan, you were probably thinking it
I hate this coverage.
[115] Not me. I hate that shit.
Anyway, Russell played it perfectly, I thought.
I've had no beefs with the booth tonight.
And the young phenom is all done.
Bases loaded. Robbie up. Love it!
[117] I do think there are times that call for it, and even then, it can be done in a non-gratutious fashion. Throwing your body at the glove with the ball just makes sense. It doesn't have to be Rose-Fosse.
Robinson Cano salivating, bases loaded, new pitcher. Slam that first pitch strike please.
This is what they play when he warms up, right?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqqaIQam8l0
[121] Well, it's legal, and this is the post-season, so you have to do it. But it shouldn't be legal. Ask Buster Posey.
[118] Talking about the direction, camera selection.
[121] I'd be perfectly fine with outlawing both sides of the play.
No blocking the plate without the ball, runner has to attempt to score.
The play that gave Frankie Brains a concussion, yet again, is exactly the play I'd outlaw, with extreme prejudice.
Hell fucking yeah! Love me some Robbie!
Robbie! Robbie! Robbie! Robbie!
Oh, man.
Fuck.
Bow down.
And Robby does it again.
Unreal. Especially when you remember early in his career, when he used to struggle with runners on.
WHAT DO YOU KNOW?
Happiness, less drinking needed.
What a Yankee.
The ARod is Dead. LOng live the Robbie.
Robbie took the left turn at Albuquerque >;)
YESYESYES!!!
RIPPER!!!!
Mad love for Robinson. The dude is otherwordlly. And he does it wall with that smile. : )
[132] It's true. A-Rod is an afterthought.
[135] Because he's The Natural, which A-Rod could never be. I almost thought that drive was going to smash the lights...
[123] This is more like it
youtube.com/watch?v=nzR9Dwh4erk
Shut 'em down, Nova. 1,2,3 baby!
[137] I've been a huge Cano guy from his first game, but what's with the A-Rod bashing? The guy's one of the best players EVER, seriously....and he's still on the squad!
[138] Nice!
Time to bat Teix 4th and ARod 5th?
[133] Well played.
Listening on the car stereo. Sounded like it was more of a matter of When the ball would come down as opposed to where. Was it a Prolific Shot?
[144] Indeed it was. It had the right stuff.
[140] Not A-Rod bashing. It's just that Rob's time is here.
No sympathy for Randazzo. He sucks.
[144] Or if.
No, Ivan. No walks!
Thank you, Tony Womack, for giving us Robbie Cano!
[146] Without a doubt! He's the man now.
YES HE DID.
Very nice, Ivan!
I agree with the Cano > Alex stuff. In the meantime, Nova is doing what he does. And that's pretty damn nasty.
Hmm, who pitches the eighth & ninth? Save Mo for tomorrow.
Very nice, Robbie.
[145] Classic...
This is a good time to mention that I listened to a lot of Boston-based sports radio today (had to drive a bunch). Of course, quite a bit of it was just ranting at the Red Sox. (Almost everyone defends Francona and blames either players or now sometimes Theo "and his computer".) But there were some interesting points, too. One guy pointed out that the Yankees have developed a whole lot of Latino players, via the international draft. The Sox have stuck with the domestic draft, almost entirely. And look at our stars. Hitter of the day, pitcher of the day.
[157] Domestic players have more hawt!
[158] Aw, gawd, crawfud. Gawnzawlez. They ah loozuhs. I wanna pull my fuckin hair out. And Lackey, pile of shit. Fuck him.
[157] Not to mention a certain closer.
Very disheartening to see those empty seats in the first class section of Yankee Stadium. I'm sure those swells are there, just underground eating and drinking and watching on huge TVs. It just looks bad.
Maybe the Yankees should have seat warmers, like the Academy Awards so an empty seat is not seen on TV.
[157] That's weird. Why don't they recruit overseas? Seems like they'd have the same incentive as the Yankees: bad draft picks domestically. And these days, even smaller market teams like the Pirates, Nationals, and Reds are building overseas operations.
[162] Racism?
[163] Frwom the last team to integrate?
[159] Did you ever see Jimmy Fallon's skits about the Red Sox on SNL? Rachel Dratch was his girlfriend. Those always cracked me up.
[163] They seem perfectly willing to sign international players after someone else has recruited them.
Though really, Robby Cano seems as much luck as anything. No one expected him to be the player he is. Yanks tried to trade him. No one wanted him, which is the only reason we still have him.
Yeah, I dunno. As someone said in comments a few days ago, it's mainly the crowd at Fenway that's not integrated now. And Ortiz is beloved, etc. I dunno.
Of course, they did get Dice-K! And that's worked out well.
[164] Things change in 55 years.
[166] I expected him to be the player he is when he came up. The talent was always there.
[166] Yeah, good point. He was supposed to be a stopgap. Sobering thought.
But that's how you do it -- you go get a whole bunch of guys who might pan out, and then one or two turn into stars.
Sit down Johnathan.
Heh.
So, Ivan is getting the benefit of the wide zone too, no doubt about it.
[171] Jhonathan. Pay attention, Jhust Fair.
Wow.
[173] It was my stupid way of razzing him. I know how his jname is jspelled.
You the man, IVAN!
[167] Hah. Yeah, the Dice-K thing might put them off international signings.
Maybe it's just complacency. The Sox used to be known for their outstanding farm system, while the Yankees' was barren. The Yanks had to look overseas for players not included in the draft, because they had traded all their prospects and they didn't have good draft picks anyway. The Sox didn't have to. And now they're being left behind.
And Nova wasn't exactly one of the most highly touted Yankee prospects either.
Speaking of surprise successes, I loved that stuff on Brett Gardner at Was Watching. Not only does he have the highest dWAR in baseball, but he has one of the highest dWARs in baseball history. This season, I mean.
Cushman, et al. This is how to develop a pitcher. Back of the rotation, pull him when he gets in trouble, push him an inning more to figure it out.
[163] DID SOMEBODY SAY >>RACISM<;)
Hey everyone! Hell of a game so far. Much better than what I expected after last night.
[178] Which is nice, if you believe in dWAR.
Don't think I do, though obviously GGBG is a fantastic glove in LF ...
[169] I meant before he was called up. When he was in the minors, he didn't hit all that well, and for some reason had a reputation for bad defense. As RIYank said, he was a stopgap - called up because the Yanks were desperate.
[180] Crap. WordPress blunted my joke because it took my signs as html tags. Probably better off; would've gone over most of your heads anyway...
[180] Damn, Will, that echoed.
[184] You mean, like usual? Or further over my head than usual?
[183] Hell, who was the last guy they said about that? Certified Hall of Famer perhaps?
The contrast of Maris celebrating after breaking the homer record and McGwire really pisses me off. Roger wanted nothing to do with a curtain call and McGwire was a douche.
[180] It was a question, not a statement. Getting Chylly round here.
[186] You've got to brush up on your Chyllspeare, young man...
You just can't stop him. His last 5 playoff game #'s have to be outrageous.
[168] That they do, but given the Yankee roster the past few years, no one should through the slur at the Yankees. Plus Jim Rice said he didn't exactly feel welcome there IIRC.
[190] I watched the Bard a lot this season -- he was setting up for the BoSox. Midsummer nights, he was a dream, but by the end of August he was Tempest tossed.
[189] Sorry, just a old habit of mine. I used to run off with the jibs about that kinda thing here. Now I just give it some serious consideration every now and then...
[194] :-)
Serious.
Oh, hey, time for a drink!
Gin and tonic, or vino?
Vino.
[193] Theo was ready to give his kingdom for a (work)horse, but now the king is ded.
[196] Vodka here.
[197] Et tu, Theo?
I know he's got a tad bit more experience that Matt Moore, but how bout some more love for the kid!
Uh, yeah. How about STOP FUCKING AROUND WITH THE FUTURE.
Okay, he's laughing. Still.
He's fine.
[198] In honor of Ivan! Or you could have Supernova Champagne, of course.
Mo? 9-1 one out?
Not quite Moose sending Torre back, but amusing nonetheless.
Nova's got this one.
[199] Ded for a ducat! (particularly with a Duquette)
Ripken, Eckersley, and Wells. Yikes.
Wow, this is quite the rumor from a Joel Sherman tweet:
I am shocked, but in last 36 hrs every exec talk to says believe #Redsox will give permssion and Theo will go to #Cubs to be GM
[205] Not so sure he's got this.
Better ded than red (socked)?
So if Ivan can't get out of this, is it Mo?
[203] Of course! Though I pair it with tonic, not milk or Baileys. Last batter.
[208] Yep, saw that.
Now that would be very good for the Yankees.
Cano used to not hit with RISP and Ivan used to spit the bit after 5 innings.
Good reversals.
Kinda wish he hadn't pitched this inning. But, no real complaint. I can see why Joe did it.
I bet it would be scary to know how many times the Yankees included Robbie in a trade that was ultimately turned down. The D-Backs had a shot at him for RJ. I know there were others.
[215] Think of the times the Yankees involved Bernie or Mo in trade talks way back when ...
[216] Or Ian Kennedy, can you imagine if we'd traded him?
[208] Wow. If true, things will be interesting in the NL Central. With even the Pirates showing improvement, and Houston possibly moving to the AL, it's going to be a lot more competitive than in years past.
FWIW, the Red Sox do have a summer academy. And it wasn't too long ago that Papi, Pedro and Manny were big components of the team in Boston.
If the Sox's system is barren, it's because they traded a bunch of prospects away to get Jason Bay, Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett, etc.
Oh, the strike zone isn't big anymore. That's a shame. Could be 0-2 instead of 2-0.
[217] Yes, every time Curtis Granderson does something AWESOME ...
Don't walk in a run.
[219] But the Red Sox didn't develop any of those players, that was the point. Obviously, every team has Latino players!
1 more. Let's do it.
[215] William had a nice article on his site on that very subject;
http://captnsblog.wordpress.com/2011/01/05/better-to-be-lucky-or-how-the-yankees-tried-to-trade-robinson-cano-but-failed/
[220] Looks like he didn't stretch enough this inning...
[226] Why I've thrown Russell Martin out of the game for less than that, friend!
Lame. Fucking Lame! Just Fucking Lame!
Joe, this is not give-away-free-turkeys day. You do that next month, or maybe at the earliest while you're on the parade float...
And Joe calls in the big gun.
I FUCKING HATE Luis Ayala.
Uh.
Okay.
Yeesh mageesh.
FINISH HIM!
Well... I guess we won't see him in Rush Hour 3...
Thanks be to Mo.
Praise be to Mo.
All rise.
Still annoyed that he even needed to take his coat off in this game.
Praise be to Mo ...
Ten to go.
Good might all. SNL time.
[238] Indeed, but that's what you deserve if you bring Luis FUCKING Ayala into the game, regardless of the score ...
Ayala - that's how you do it. 3 pitches - boom.
See ya all tomorrow!
Wait, is Dennis Miller doing the post-game interview?
[223] What difference does it make if a player @ the ML level is drafted, signed as a FA or traded?
A quick look at the Sox prospect list shows they have a handful of players from the DR and VZ. Then again, who doesn't I guess?
Is there an international draft? I haven't been paying attention to the CBA, I didn't think it went through.
1-0 series lead. It doesn't guarantee that the Yanks win the series, but I'd rather be the team up 1-0 than down 0-1.
[245] What difference does it make? I'm not sure what you're asking.
It's a lot cheaper to get them in the draft. Is that what you're driving at?
Right, there is no international draft. Getting good international players is a matter of having a good scouting network and having the money to land the prospects you want. The Yankees are doing it a lot better than the Red Sox.
[231] I feel you - I wanted to punch Ayala in the knob.
I was starving, and was not switching positions until the last out.
Watched this game in the most absurd manner - four bucks to watch a feed from behind the plate and a feed from center - with tbs sound - figuring out exactly what is happening is clearly an acquired skill.
Hated everything as the game was going - before Darling said Pfister was "carving" the line up, all I was thinking is that he was carving the fucking plate. And my head was exploding that the league, including us let the Tigers get that guy for what I may not recall was not fucking much. I had liked not just his results, but his stuff when we faced him.
CC with serious ace stuff and Verlander with 25 pitches in the 1st, their guy looking better than our guy, Gritner's ball getting knocked down by the wind, even Robbie's ball not making it out - I had a terrible feeling. Still going to be sweating all this out.
Man, Robbie was awesome tonight. He made all that bad feeling go see-ya!
He's such a beast. That GS was jaaaaacked.
Loving Gritner with that enormous hit, btw. That was muey fantastico.
Oh, shit - the game lead in, Alex - is that a Stoney End reference?!!!
No, never mind the forecast... because the sky has lost, yeah the sky has lost, yeah the sky has lost CONTROL!
[245] It makes a difference because we were wondering if the Sox had a good international recruiting system. The allegation was made (supposedly by a Sox fan) that they do not.
So far as I know, there isn't an international draft. If there is one, it's so recent it can't have made a difference yet. Robby Cano was an undrafted free agent. Aroldis Chapman, the Cuban fireballer, defected to Andorra, specifically so he would not be subject to the draft, as he would if he were a US resident.
[247] I would think it would be cheaper to get players as IFA's vs the draft, maybe it evens out in the later rounds.
[251] The Sox do have an international recruiting system. They, like the Yankees, have their pulse on interntational players.
I suspect many Sox fans aren't thinking clearly or rational. The Sox usually have had a top 10 farm system, featuring a mix of IFA's, drafted players and prospects traded to them.
[252] The Sox do have an international recruiting system. They, like the Yankees, have their pulse on interntational players.
Do you think they're doing a good job? Who are their big successes?
This was the original point. I have a feeling you are making an entirely different point, but I can't figure out what it is.
[253] That's how it looks to me. I'm sure the Sox must have an international recruiting system. Even the Pirates do, fer crissakes. But it doesn't seem to be notably successful.
Where's the Red Sox Robby Cano or Chien-Ming Wang?
[254] Appears as though the resources that would be used to sign international free agents were instead diverted to signing other free agents like Pedro, Manny, Drew, Matsuzaka, Gonzales, Crawford, et al... there is the other aspect of whether international free agents even want to play for certain teams in certain regions. A free agent can choose his destination like any other free agent, though the circumstances dictating those choices might be very different.
[253] Overall, it doesn't matter if a player is latino, drafted, traded, or otherwise developed. Would we like Robinson Cano more if he were white?
The point that the Red Sox problem isn't Latino players in their system. The problem is that the Red Sox's pitching took a dump at an inopportune time.
[254] Playing for Florida? (Hanley Ramirez & Anibal Sanchez). Or playing for the Sox (Pedroia & Lester/Buchholz)?
http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/red-sox/post/_/id/12740/soxprospects-past-trades-where-are-they-now