Pence is playing, not traded?
Top 3, a pair of singles by Rollins and Bourn...2-out double by Ryan Howard ties the game at 3.
another Oswalt inning. damn, he cannot put up zeroes. quit bitching about offense and pitch!
Dobbs with a broken bat single in the hole between Berkman and Biggio. Someone needs to plug that fucker.
Good thing Eaton is not looking too sharp. Lots of runs still out there to be scored.
Anyone else lose sound?
lost audio as well. anybody catch the trivia answer - mine was late coming out of the break...
Biggio or Berkman...or Dobbs?
WooHoo!!! Yvette's in the booth!!!!
Not sure what happened, as I was imagining Yvette naked in my hot tub, but I'm pretty sure the Phils didn't score. Headed to the bottom of the 5th, still tied 3-3.
No!!!!!!!!!!! Yvette is moving to Boston for a year!!!
this mlbtv thingy is pretty cool. feel free to welcome me to the century. this is only the second or third game I have gotten to watch this season.
Did they show Yvette on mlb.tv?
Don't we get into their bullpen soon?
Should do now, Eaton's up 3rd.
Of course, they're going to get into our bullpen soon, too.
Scott looking like Burke out there tonight!
and based on this game alone, i have not been blown away with the infield arms. i think i have seen three digs in the dirt so far. I know all about the complaints on Lamb's glove, but is his arm typically a problem?
you haven't seen the outfield arm goodness yet
Ensberg singles to rightBidge bunts him overPence walks.
Berkman K's.Lee lines to right, Morgan gunned at home. Damn.
OK. That was a good catch.
PENCE!! corralls a Ryan Howard drive while hugging the flag pole.
I thought fucking Victorino was supposed to be sore tonight.
okay, genuine question, even if it sounds stupid to you. what is the rule/ custom with regard to 'blockig a base" the way a catcher blocks the plate? not allowed, or jsut not done as curtesy? it has never really occurred to me before, but seems like it woudl be pretty useful on steals.
You obviously have never faced spikes.
JD: Maybe we can get the President to commute his (Qualls) sentence
I take it they've yet to rule on his appeal?
If nothing else the guy is an athlete.
no, i haven't. at least not metal spikes. point taken.
okay, genuine question, even if it sounds stupid to you. What is the rule/custom with regard to "blocking a base" the way a catcher blocks the plate? not allowed, or just not done as courtesy? It has never really occurred to me before, but seems like it would be pretty useful on steals.edited to edit
Since the pole is in play, is a deflection off the pole that is caught before it hits the ground an out?
Ball hits flagpole and leaves field - HOME RUN.Ball remains on field - IN PLAY.Ball hits flag pole, bounces on ground and then over fence - TWO BASES.
http://houston.astros.mlb.com/hou/ballpark/groundrules.jsp
Doesn't really answer the question. (The quote doesn't, I didn't investigate the link)"In play" doesn't mean a catch before it hits the ground is an out.
I took 'in play' to mean not an out. Like if it hits the roof in fair ground also 'in play'.
Like what Lurch said.
Yeah, but he didn't have an authoritative source. So suck it.
"Check out the big link on homer."
Don't be a hater.
Nah, fuck it, don't answer that. Let's just wait until it happens in 2021 and see what the ruling is.
Fantastically dumb baserunning by Ruiz.
The SeligTron Automated Robotic Umpiring Unit will know what to do.
Do you know why they call it a Royale with cheese?
Ok, I'm risking beating this meaningless question into the ground, but if it hits the roof in fair ground and is caught, isn't that an out? If so, wouldn't a pole rebound be an out too?Nah, fuck it, don't answer that. Let's just wait until it happens in 2021 and see what the ruling is.
The Phils remind me a lot of the Astros
Competitively mediocre?
last night in the gz, there was a question about the glass panes that make up the wall in the outfield...i did some digging, and got this info:each glass pane weighs 480 pounds and is 5 feet x 12 feet. each pane is 3 layers thick - the inner and outer layers are glass, the middle layer is laminate.i know this doesn't address the flagpole debate, but i like to tie up loose ends when i can.
Carlos busted his ass down the line on that play. He looked out, but what the hell.
If Alfonseca gives someone the middle finger, which one is it?
No lack of hustle there. Gave the team an opportunity by busting his ass. Good stuff.
Hey, that was me. Thanks!
Good question from my wife: I wonder if he (Alfonseca) has six toes?
" Alfonseca was born with six fingers and toes on each hand and foot, an oddity that led his teammates to nickname him "Pulpo" -- Spanish for octopus."http://www.baseballlibrary.com/ballplayers/player.php?name=Antonio_Alfonseca_1972
Maybe he'll take the lesson to heart. Good things happen when you hustle.
Lance had enough pressure that Utley couldn't step into the throw.
It's amazing to think that a professional who makes a minimum of $350k a year and who gets a month off during a six-month working year could fuck up such a simple call. It was not particularly close.The quality of umpiring really seems to be deteriorating quickly.
I think it's more that the quality of broadcasts and replays has improved.
quick set up, quick throw from Pence.
Hunter did a better job setting up for that throw, and then nailed the cutoff man.
fancy footwork too.why did he stop using two hands when he catches the ball?
phucking steel ribs strikes again.
Shit. I thought it was a cup check at first.
As long as they hustle, are in position to make the call/play, and (in the case of umps) don't try to enourage confrontation and make the game about them, I'll give 'em a great deal of slack.
I'm with you. As long as they do what they can and keep their ego out of it I'm OK with the occasional missed call. I just don't understand how someone who has such a huge amount of training can fuck up a call like we just saw. I mean, it was not close. Close, OK. Not close, I don't get it.
ANy chance Howard's foot was off the bag?
Victorino is really starting to piss me off.
I don't think that was the call.
Have you ever umpired? I phucked up several calls in my time, knowing I missed it, but you CANNOT change your call. They are human.
He was really starting to piss Biggio off too.
did you ever make up for it later in the game?
Not really consciously, but on close ones it can't escape the back of your mind. However, you always try to make the right call every time. It might not work out that way, but you don't keep a ledger in your head.
Missed most of the game--How did Oswalt look?
Have you ever umpired?
Needless to say, I was much better arguing with umps instead of portraying one.
Yes, and I missed calls, too. But I wasn't the the world's highest paid professional in my given field fucking up a routine call.Listen, I'm happy the call worked out to the Astros' benefit, but I despair for the level of umpiring we've seen over the last five years or so. It is bad and getting worse.
Balls and strikes is what I have most problems with several of the current umpires.
wow - you and bench posted your replies to my question at the exact same time - would you call that yin yang?
On three different occasions he gave up runs on 2-out doubles. I'm sure it's selective memory, but he doesn't seem to close the deal as effectively as he used to. FWIW, two of those doubles probably would have been caught by a more proficient right fielder.
Its the missing hook.
omigod!!!peeennnnnnnnccccceeeeee!!!!!
You may be right--the umpiring may actually be getting worse--but until the SeligTron is unleashed after the Great Robot Rebellion of 2020, we're stuck with what we have.
I don't like when they miss calls on slides that avoid the tag. Devalues an important and exciting part of the game.
speaking of this, i only got to see it once, but i thought Ruiz might have gotten in under Ausmus' tag.
Phillies carry three catchers, and Ruiz just came up lame. Yes I'm chuckling. Sorry BBGs, I couldn't help it.
has no standing to bring a complaint (channeling my inner Roberts court voice).
uggh, too much legal jargon for a guy taking a break from bar exam studying tonight
Nice job Bork.Now make him a winner.(It's like deja vu all over again)
Bench - PM
Carlo'Lee is going to win this game. Hell yeah.
...with his wheels!
Carlos doesn't have wheels. They are more like tracks.
Not that I don't believe in Luke, but what's the bench/pen situation?
Radio says just Munson on the bench.
MunsonMoehler and ??
Moehler and ??
Albers
JD said Sampson earlier, if need be.
My neighbors went to the game tonight. They have 2 kids, approx. 3 and 1.5 years old. They do not seem to have come home yet.I'm impressed.
Who was the big boy catcher that used to sit on his ass with the leg extended when no one was on base?
Tony Pena.
And befor that, Manny Sanguillen for the Pyroots.
Irrelevant factoid: in my Strat-O-Matic replay of the 1996 Indians and Astros seasons, Tony Peña has 169 ABs and zero extra-base hits. Real life: .195/.235/.236Strat: .148/.196/.148Talk about offensive futility.
I've decided I hate this fucker.
Okay so, spill the Biggio/Bagwell numbers.
Cards 67 59 --Cubs 65 60 1.5Reds 62 62 4Roots 63 63 4Stros 58 68 9
No shit. He's definitely moving into piss-ant status.
IBB Ruiz? I think so.
Guess not.
Moyer is a bitch.
Wow. Trying to give me a heart attack here. And I'm out of beer.
I stopped drinking hours ago, but am fixing to resume at this rate.
I have to get up at 4:45 and get to work tomorrow.
fucking rookie of the year...
Six shutout innings from the bully tonight. Bravo.
Wife during postgame interview:"Hey, he blinked!"
and did you see him put his head down and haul ass around the bases and then deflect all praise to the bullpen and others? nice.
Which is all PENCE!! talked about during his player of the game interview. Man, he's a likable kid, just a great attitude.
Biggio's teaching the kid right.
And if you saw his mom's answer to Alkie's GZ inquiry a few nights ago, you'd know it started long before he ever met Bidge.
Good point.Link?
http://www.orangewhoopass.com/forums/index.php?topic=102757.msg138931#msg138931i think
Just thinking out loud: I can't believe that Hunter Pence's mom's title is "disappointing rookie". Shouldn't she be, like, "Hunter Pence's Mom!!!" or something? Missed that exchange; thanks for the link.
Our new software doesn't give us the same opportunity to change the title on individuals, just in member groups. And it's tied to number of post. I missed being able to ascribe certain titles to folks, for the very reason you mentioned. Fredia had the title "one of a kind" and it was perfect.
With that last atbat homer Pence now has enough atbats to be among the league leaders in hitting. He is now officially 2nd at .345. His catch on the hill even made web gems.
MLB.com hasn't updated the league leaders yet, but his .590 slugging percentage is the fifth-best in baseball behind Arod, Barroid, Ordonez, and Fielder. Good job, rook.
In the NL, he is #2 in batting average, #3 in slugging, tied for #5 in triples, #8 in OPS and tied for #11 in doubles.Qualified leaders
