Oh yeah, the infamous Astros play, back when they were really embarrassing.
EDIT: Grant Brisbee had a good article about that one: The 5 best things about the worst play you'll ever watch - SBNation.com
My favorite thing about that play - well, second favorite, after the third baseman mimicking a volleyball save - is that the Astros almost completely got away with it. The runner on first had to run a stop sign to score, and the batter ended up on third, w/nobody out, and never came home. Washington got only one run out of all that.
Just going to take a minute to soak in the fact that, at the moment, a Royals player is co-leading the majors in HRs, and another Royal is leading the big leagues in walks taken. A happenstance which has the approximate lifespan of a lit match in a hurricane, so I’ll be quick, and Praise Be to SSS.
Pirates announce Starling Marte is suspended 80 games and also ineligible for postseason due to a PED violation, his first.
That’s a huge loss for them.
Haha, ouch. So glad I traded him for a pick at the end of my out-of-contention 2016 fantasy season.
He picked a good one to start with. No namby-pamby decongestant or something. Nandrolone was Clemons PED of choice.
Wow, yeah. That kind of puts the whole “I didn’t know” implication of his statement in question.
Really enjoying the Eric Thames show here in Wisconsin. So happy that it seems like his time in the KBO was spent getting his game to an MLB level, because, 13 games in, (small sample size, I know) he is crushing it right now.
First time to be excited for Brewers ball in a while. We are still in a heck of a tough division, and our pitching staff lacks any real pop. But we get Thames hitting dingers like mad, and that is fun to watch.
CB Bucknor had himself a night last night in the Nats-Braves game.
Problem: CB Bucknor is an umpire. Probably best if they’re not the headline story.
I mean there are a handful of umps whose name I know. It is almost never a good thing.
Bucknor is on that list, and for a reason. Angel Hernandez is another. Both have well earned reputations.
Don’t think I’ve ever heard someone speak about either Bucknor or Hernandez in a complimentary fashion. at least as regards their skill at umpiring.
First, Bucknor calling strikes on Jayson Werth. This went over well.
I mean Joe West, for as much flack as he gets for being confrontational/ quick to throw the hook, seems to at least watch the game. Most of the complaints are about how he seems to crave being the story, not that he can’t call a strike zone (though, to be fair, I don’t think he’s great at that either).
Nats were ahead 3-1, and were trying to close the game out with two down in the 9th, bases loaded. Chase D’Arnaud was down 1-2 in the count, and then this happened:
Yeah, Country Joe is obnoxious and wants to make the game about himself way too much, but his zone is at least close to average and his other calls are generally good. Still a lower tier ump but not the worst.
Laz Diaz is pretty terrible across the board. Bob Davidson retired or he’d definitely be on the list.
Balkin’ Bob!
Diaz is another who seems to get his name mentioned…a lot.
Having done a lot of umping myself (Pony League and American Legion), an ump who sets up so low on the inside of the catcher is just guessing at the outside corner. There’s no way you can actually see the pitch as it passes the batter. It’s one of the biggest drawbacks of the inside chest protector. Of course there’s a trade off. With a balloon protector, standing behind the catcher, you can see both corners, but you’re pretty much guesstimating the low pitch.
Bumgarner to the DL with a left shoulder sprain and bruised ribs from a dirt biking accident.
Jesus Christ on a trampoline, @wumpus, in what universe are autoplaying video embeds good UX?
Shame!
Not auto-playing on my iPad?