MLB Wednesday April 14, 2010

[huh?]

Tuesday, April 13, 2010
RESULT	WIN	LOSS	SAVE	ATT.
at Detroit 6, Kansas City 5	Zumaya (2-0)	Hughes (0-1)	Valverde (2)	18,414
at NY Yankees 7, LA Angels 5	Pettitte (1-0)	Santana (0-2)	Rivera (3)	49,293
at LA Dodgers 9, Arizona 5	Kershaw (1-0)	Kennedy (0-1)		56,000
Tampa Bay 8, at Baltimore 6	Cormier (1-0)	Albers (0-1)	Soriano (2)	13,731
at Toronto 4, Chicago Sox 2	Romero (1-0)	Floyd (0-1)	Gregg (3)	12,167
Cincinnati 10, at Florida 8	Owings (2-0)	Meyer (0-1)	Cordero (4)	10,681
at Colorado 11, NY Mets 3	Smith (1-1)	Maine (0-1)		25,110
at Seattle 3, Oakland 0	Fister (1-1)	Ziegler (0-2)	Aardsma (3)	18,043
Pittsburgh 6, at San Francisco 5	Meek (1-0)	Affeldt (2-1)	Dotel (2)	28,030

Wednesday, April 14, 2010
TEAMS	TIME (ET)	NAT TV	RESOURCES	PITCHERS
Kansas City at Detroit	1:05 PM		Tickets | Travel | Stadium	Davies vs Porcello
LA Angels at NY Yankees	1:05 PM		Tickets | Travel | Stadium	Pineiro vs Vazquez
Boston at Minnesota	1:10 PM		Tickets | Travel | Stadium	Lackey vs Slowey
Tampa Bay at Baltimore	1:35 PM		Tickets | Travel | Stadium	Price vs Bergesen
Milwaukee at Chicago Cubs	2:20 PM		Tickets | Travel | Stadium	Bush vs Wells
Pittsburgh at San Francisco	3:45 PM		Tickets | Travel | Stadium	Morton vs Sanchez
Texas at Cleveland	7:05 PM		Tickets | Travel | Stadium	Wilson vs Masterson
Washington at Philadelphia	7:05 PM		Tickets | Travel | Stadium	Stammen vs Kendrick
Chicago Sox at Toronto	7:07 PM		Tickets | Travel | Stadium	Danks vs Morrow
Cincinnati at Florida	7:10 PM		Tickets | Travel | Stadium	Bailey vs Volstad
Houston at St. Louis	8:05 PM		Tickets | Travel | Stadium	Myers vs Penny
NY Mets at Colorado	8:40 PM		Tickets | Travel | Stadium	Niese vs Cook
Atlanta at San Diego	10:05 PM		Tickets | Travel | Stadium	Hanson vs Richard
Oakland at Seattle	10:10 PM		Tickets | Travel | Stadium	Gonzalez vs Vargas
Arizona at LA Dodgers	10:10 PM		Tickets | Travel | Stadium	Lopez vs Billingsley

[huh?]

American League
EAST	W	L	PCT	GB	HOME	ROAD	RS	RA	DIFF	STRK	L10	POFF
Toronto	6	2	.750	-	1-1	5-1	40	28	+12	Won 1	6-2	0.0
NY Yankees	5	2	.714	.5	1-0	4-2	43	31	+12	Won 3	5-2	0.0
Tampa Bay	5	3	.625	1	3-3	2-0	37	38	-1	Won 2	5-3	0.0
Boston	3	4	.429	2.5	1-2	2-2	35	34	+1	Lost 1	3-4	0.0
Baltimore	1	7	.125	5	0-5	1-2	26	40	-14	Lost 5	1-7	0.0
CENTRAL	W	L	PCT	GB	HOME	ROAD	RS	RA	DIFF	STRK	L10	POFF
Minnesota	6	2	.750	-	1-0	5-2	37	23	+14	Won 1	6-2	0.0
Detroit	6	2	.750	-	4-1	2-1	46	37	+9	Won 1	6-2	0.0
Chicago Sox	3	5	.375	3	2-4	1-1	31	31	0	Lost 1	3-5	0.0
Kansas City	3	5	.375	3	2-4	1-1	38	47	-9	Lost 1	3-5	0.0
Cleveland	2	5	.286	3.5	0-1	2-4	24	34	-10	Lost 4	2-5	0.0
WEST	W	L	PCT	GB	HOME	ROAD	RS	RA	DIFF	STRK	L10	POFF
Oakland	6	3	.667	-	3-1	3-2	43	28	+15	Lost 1	6-3	0.0
Texas	4	3	.571	1	3-3	1-0	32	24	+8	Won 2	4-3	0.0
Seattle	3	6	.333	3	1-1	2-5	24	39	-15	Won 1	3-6	0.0
LA Angels	2	6	.250	3.5	2-5	0-1	29	51	-22	Lost 2	2-6	0.0
National League
EAST	W	L	PCT	GB	HOME	ROAD	RS	RA	DIFF	STRK	L10	POFF
Philadelphia	6	1	.857	-	1-0	5-1	50	22	+28	Won 4	6-1	0.0
Florida	4	4	.500	2.5	2-3	2-1	40	48	-8	Lost 2	4-4	0.0
Washington	3	4	.429	3	1-2	2-2	26	44	-18	Lost 1	3-4	0.0
Atlanta	3	4	.429	3	2-1	1-3	35	39	-4	Lost 2	3-4	0.0
NY Mets	2	5	.286	4	2-4	0-1	30	33	-3	Lost 3	2-5	0.0
CENTRAL	W	L	PCT	GB	HOME	ROAD	RS	RA	DIFF	STRK	L10	POFF
St. Louis	5	2	.714	-	1-0	4-2	42	24	+18	Won 1	5-2	0.0
Cincinnati	5	3	.625	.5	3-3	2-0	38	40	-2	Won 3	5-3	0.0
Pittsburgh	4	4	.500	1.5	2-1	2-3	39	59	-20	Won 1	4-4	0.0
Chicago Cubs	3	4	.429	2	1-0	2-4	27	35	-8	Won 1	3-4	0.0
Milwaukee	3	4	.429	2	3-3	0-1	33	42	-9	Lost 1	3-4	0.0
Houston	0	7	.000	5	0-6	0-1	13	42	-29	Lost 7	0-7	0.0
WEST	W	L	PCT	GB	HOME	ROAD	RS	RA	DIFF	STRK	L10	POFF
San Francisco	6	2	.750	-	3-2	3-0	45	29	+16	Lost 1	6-2	0.0
Arizona	4	3	.571	1.5	4-2	0-1	46	34	+12	Lost 1	4-3	0.0
Colorado	4	3	.571	1.5	3-1	1-2	40	25	+15	Won 2	4-3	0.0
San Diego	3	4	.429	2.5	1-0	2-4	36	31	+5	Won 1	3-4	0.0
LA Dodgers	3	4	.429	2.5	1-0	2-4	45	38	+7	Won 1	3-4	0.0

[B.A.]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/201...&xid=shareDigg

Posted: Tuesday April 13, 2010 11:22AM; Updated: Tuesday April 13, 2010 11:22AM

Tom Verducci>INSIDE BASEBALL

How commissioner Selig is trying to address pace of play problem

Bud Selig is trying to eliminate unnecessary wastes of time
The Yankees and Red Sox typically play much slower games than other AL teams

Baseball, despite what you may be hearing and reading, does not have a time of game problem. It has a pace of play problem. And good for umpire Joe West if it took his big mouth to wake up the players about it, even if it really should not be an umpire's place to rip games between the Yankees and Red Sox as "pathetic and embarrassing."

The problem is not that the Yankees and Red Sox play long games. It's that they take way too much time between pitches. You'll find less preening and adjusting of personal equipment backstage at a Rockettes show. Here's just one example: Nick Swisher of the Yankees will take a pitch, step out of the batter's box, adjust each batting glove, raise his bat in front of his eyes and study it carefully, then step back in -- a meaningless habit that takes 20 seconds or more. That's not to pick on Swisher; most players leave the batters' box between pitches for their own version of this "mental preparation."

"I spoke to Hank Aaron," commissioner Bud Selig told me yesterday. "He said he never got out of the batter's box [between pitches]. Joe Torre said the same thing. My gripe is that a guy gets in the batter's box, looks at one pitch, and then has to get out and adjust his equipment -- and he hasn't even swung at anything."

Selig has given umpires the green light to crack down on slow-poke hitters, the sport's equivalent of those drivers cruising at 45 mph in the left lane with their turn signal perpetually on. Umpires in the first week of the season sometimes refused to grant time to some hitters that asked for it, a practice that almost never happened in the past.

"I do think we have rules in the books that need to be enforced," Selig said. "I've talked to a lot of people in uniform and there has been no pushback."

Many people, including some players, were quick to jump on West for speaking out of turn. The beauty of the game, goes the argument, is that there is no time clock, and some of the greatest games run well past three hours. All true. But as Selig said, "We have to do things to pick up the pace."

And pace, not time, is the problem. The Yankees and Red Sox, on average, add an extra 21 minutes of pure nothingness -- Velcro pulling, cup adjusting, bat studying, helmet wiping, phantom swinging -- to the average American League game.

Of course, the common observation is that the Yankees and Red Sox are such ferocious, well-schooled offensive teams -- fouling off pitches, refusing to bite on bad ones -- that they see more pitches and that's what causes the length of their games. That is only partly true. It doesn't explain the terribly slow pace of their games. This can be demonstrated with statistics. Take a look at how Yankees-Red Sox games compared to all other AL games from last year:

Pitches Per Minute
Game Time Pitches Pitches Per Min.
Yankees vs. Red Sox 3:40 336 1.53
All other AL games 2:52 290 1.69

What does it mean? The Yankees and Red Sox see 15.9 percent more pitches than the average AL game, but they take 28 percent longer. If the Yankees and Red Sox just played at the same pace as an average AL game -- with their same 46 extra pitches per game -- they would instantly cut 21 minutes from their games. And that's not 21 minutes of action, folks. That's 21 minutes of pure down time.

Just for fun, I decided to check what happens to a Yankees or Red Sox game when those teams face the most efficient, best pitcher on the planet, Roy Halladay, a guy who doesn't dawdle between pitches. They faced him nine times last year. You would expect those games to be quicker than an average AL game. In fact, they averaged 2:53, three minutes below a typical AL game, in part because of 19 fewer pitches per game. But even then, even with the fast-working Halladay on the mound, the pace of the games lagged. The games still were slower paced than an average AL game, clocking in at 1.60 pitches per minute.

Why is pace of games important at all? I asked Selig that very question.

"I think it's important because more than the time of game is the fact that you need to keep games moving," Selig said. "You want to keep the game moving with action, and it doesn't need unnecessary delays."

The key word is "unnecessary." Baseball is moving in the wrong direction. It was a faster game when people had fewer entertainment options and longer attention spans. But now as the world is speeding up, baseball is slowing down for no reason at all. The three and a half hour game isn't a bad thing for baseball; it's the slow-moving three and a half hour game that is the audience-killer. And if things continue to play out at the current rate, and a generation of young hitters crib from such a style, games will continue to have more and more dead time added.

This is not about Selig, his 14-person "on-field matters" committee or West and his umpire friends. The responsibility falls mostly to the players for getting out of some very poor habits. They need to understand that somehow people managed to hit for a hundred years without drifting into a meditative state between every pitch. Unfortunately, it will be left to umpires such as West to help break them of this habit by refusing the grant them time and encouraging the pitcher to fire when ready.

The rules, however, also may need a tweak or two to make sure the games move. For instance, baseball must seriously consider limiting the number of visits to the mound by players on the field, particularly after last postseason when Yankees catcher Jorge Posada once visited CC Sabathia eight times in an inning. A pitcher must be removed when a manager or coach makes a second visit in an inning. Why should it be any different for a catcher? Why does every new hitter have to bring about a review of the scouting report, a change of the signs and a vigorous debate about whether Kierkegaard is the George Washington of existentialism?

The pure baseball fan doesn't care how often Posada walks to the mound; he or she will watch no matter what. But to the casual fan, Fox might as well flash a graphic with one of those cool audio effects that screams, "Go ahead and change the channel!" And the casual fans -- above and beyond the core audience -- are where the big money can be found.

For rules changes, that's where Selig and his crack committee have to step in. When I asked him if they were prepared to limit catchers' visits to the mound, Selig said, "We're talking about all those things. We've talked about it on the committee. All I've said to people is, 'Look, we have to do these things to pick up the pace.' Picking up the pace, not the time of game, is important."
____________________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________

Most people I know have been complaining about this for years. It's about time that they do something.

[Luds]

Another nice win for the Yanks, and the opening day ceremony was outstanding.

[dvd-4-life]

I have said this before-if you made the hitter stay in the box-it would make the average game about 2 hrs and 30 minutes. Will baseball ever do this???

[bunkaroo]

Originally Posted by dvd-4-life

I have said this before-if you made the hitter stay in the box-it would make the average game about 2 hrs and 30 minutes. Will baseball ever do this???

I noticed this a lot Sunday since the games Buehrle pitches usually move fast. I think the Twins were stepping out a lot to break up his rhythm since there was definitely more time between pitches for him than usual.

[NORML54601]

Line of the day from one of the guys calling the Twins game: "It's been raining here so the grass is going to be wet".

[Flashback]

Originally Posted by dvd-4-life

I have said this before-if you made the hitter stay in the box-it would make the average game about 2 hrs and 30 minutes. Will baseball ever do this???

I thought there was a rule in place already - time from when the pitcher received the ball. Maybe I am wrong but it is definitely abused by many players and the umps do not do anything about it. Personally I find West a waste of space but I feel that there are also a few reasons for games going on longer.

First - NY and BST have to be some of the best hitting teams that wait out pitches, hit well etc which adds time. Not to mention an intense rivalry.

- every ball that hits the dirt replaced after inspection.
- strike zone is the size of a postage stamp. I think that may add time.
- too many trips to the mound from the catcher/coaches/managers. Geez, it takes Pinella 5 minutes just to walk to the mound.
- relievers are used for only one batter then a new one comes in.

I am sure there are more example but in reality is baseball really that "much" longer than in the past? 20 minutes here or there for a great game or matchup is not going to upset me.

[NORML54601]

Fucking Papelbon can't throw a strike to save his life

[frenchy]

At work while the Giants play a day game. Aubrey Huff hit an inside the park home run. He almost died going from first to home the other night, I will be most curious to see this home run when I get home.

[mgbfan]

Originally Posted by NORML54601

Fucking Papelbon can't throw a strike to save his life

At least he's not named Jessie Crain.

[Goat3001]

Vasquezs line looked worse than he actually pitched. Hopefully as he gets stretched out he'll be better. Very interested to see how Hughes pitches tomorrow.

[cardsfan111]

St. Louis the beneficiary of the Astros' offensive ineptitude tonight.

[Deftones]

This Dbacks / Dodgers game is the game that won't quit.

[CRM114]

Phils on fire!

[cardsfan111]

Originally Posted by CRM114

Phils on fire!

Playing the Nationals/Astros to begin the season, I'm shocked that they're not 8-0.

[bunkaroo]

So glad to see the White Sox get a breakout offensive outing. Danks looked good too. Really hope we can get 3 out of 4 against the Jays. Then sweep the damn Indians - we'll be in OK shape then.

[CRM114]

Originally Posted by cardsfan111

Playing the Nationals/Astros to begin the season, I'm shocked that they're not 8-0.

This is baseball. Logic doesn't always work.

The Phils BATS are on fire, put it that way.

[cardsfan111]

^ Oh I know. 7-1 is a good start no matter who the competition is.

[mgbfan]

Originally Posted by bunkaroo

So glad to see the White Sox get a breakout offensive outing. Danks looked good too. Really hope we can get 3 out of 4 against the Jays. Then sweep the damn Indians - we'll be in OK shape then.

Not if you're gonna get stomped on by the Twins and Tigers, which I think will be the case. I see this division as a two-horse race.

[bunkaroo]

Originally Posted by mgbfan

Not if you're gonna get stomped on by the Twins and Tigers, which I think will be the case. I see this division as a two-horse race.

I don't think the Tigers' pitching will hold up. Their offense has been bailing them out of deficits so far - but those bats will eventually cool a bit. The Twins always find a way, just like they are with their new closer. I agree it'll be a two horse race - Sox and Twins.

Pretty much all the games we've had so far with the exception of Tuesday were winnable - we haven't been blown out yet. Starting pitching with the exception of Peavy has been solid. Bullpen better than I thought with an exception (Williams). The offense was the biggest worry in week one, but it's showing signs of life now. I like our chances.

I also like the Sox' chances against the Twins' bullpen if we can get to the starters. Plus this year the "House of Horrors" has been removed. We'll find out next month if Target Field becomes an all new House of Horrors for them.

Hey I gotta stay positive y'know?

[Nefarious]

Stay classy, Philly. Stay classy.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=5098407

Twenty-one-year-old Matthew Clemmens, of Cherry Hill, N.J., was arraigned Friday on charges stemming from his behavior at Wednesday night's Phillies-Nationals game.

Police say Clemmens made himself vomit on an off-duty police captain and his daughter after a companion was kicked out of Citizens Bank Park for unruly behavior, which included cursing, spitting and spilling beer by Clemmens and a friend.

According to an account in the Philadelphia Daily News, Clemmens and his friend were asked by the 15-year-old daughter of Easton police Capt. Michael Vangelo to stop cursing and spitting. A short while later, Vangelo said, it started again.

"One guy started spitting ... first it landed on the back of my daughter's chair. Then it landed on her hooded sweatshirt," Vangelo said, according to the Philadelphia Daily News.

After Vangelo reported the incident to stadium officials, Clemmens' friend was led out of the stadium. At that point, Vangelo said Clemmens said he would be sick and "put two fingers down his throat."

He then "leaned forward and started vomiting on us," Vangelo said, according to the Daily News.

Philadelphia police say Clemmens also punched Vangelo and vomited on an arresting officer.

[mgbfan]

Originally Posted by bunkaroo

Pretty much all the games we've had so far with the exception of Tuesday were winnable - we haven't been blown out yet. Starting pitching with the exception of Peavy has been solid. Bullpen better than I thought with an exception (Williams). The offense was the biggest worry in week one, but it's showing signs of life now. I like our chances.

Hope springs eternal, I guess. Stranger things have happened. I just don't see that Chicago has the bats to keep up with Minnesota and Detroit. For them to have a chance, Peavy is going to have to be lights out and they're going to have to find some more offense somewhere.

[starman9000]

I like Chicago better than Detroit actually.

[mgbfan]

Yeah Chicago is a far cooler city, no question. But Detroit has a better baseball team.