Home Run Derby

It’s not like we don’t enjoy pointing out each other’s bonehead statements (we do), but I take particular joy in pointing out that Richie was much too quick to to lump Mark into the “not so great after the fat contract” category.

Yes, Buehrle was mediocre at best through May 8th when Richie penned his observation, even his next three starts after Richie’s post fell into that Mediocre blah.   But come the beginning of June,  things have changed and Mark is earning his paycheck.

Since June 1, Mark has had 10 starts, 9 of them quality starts.  He failed to go 7 innings only twice and pitched 8 innings 4 straight games.  He gave up more than 3 ER once.

His June stats: 6 Starts, 4-0, 1.60 ERA, 45 IP (out of 54 total innings for those 6 games, the bullpen thanks you Mark), 1.02 WHIP. His July stats:2-2, 2.63 ERA, 27.1 IP (out of 36 possible), 1.17 WHIP

So put that in your pipe and smoke it, Richie

FYI…Nick the Greek is headed to our Northern Neighbors for a two week vacation with very little access to the internet. So I will disappear again for a while.

I know the Twins are a good team, but anyone who thinks they have a shot at the AL Central is insane, and it has nothing to do with four of their starting pitchers never pitching 200 innings in a season (Blackburn, Baker, Perkins, Slowey - Hell, Baker is the only one with 100 IP in the Bigs prior to this season). 

Nope, like most things in this country, you can blame the Republicans.

Check out the Twins’ Schedule from August 21st - September 21st.  It is a nut buster. 

Starting August 21st, they go on the road for 15 straight in 16 days (LA, Oak, Sea, Tor) because of the GOP convention (Sept 1-4), then get to come home for 6 games (Det, KC) before heading out for another 10 games on the road in 10 days (Bal, Cle, TB).  That is 25 road games in a span of 33 days with only two days off with six days at home.

So blame the Republicans, Twins fans. 

Unless you are up 5-6 games by August 21st, chances of holding the division will be poor.  This team (like most) is below .500 on the road.

Everybody remember that old SNL feature back in the 90’s, Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey.  My favorite went something like…”I think it would be funny that if you were skydiving and your parachute didn’t open that you pretend that you were swimming.”

Anyway, since it seems like I don’t have the time to be too creative or lengthy in my posts, I figure I could at least put a thought or two down for people to ponder.

As a follow up to my Washington N-ASS-ionals post from Thursday, This week’s ESPN’s Power Rankings hit the nail on the head when they ranked Washington dead last.

“Here’s all you need to know about the Nats: Austin Kearns is hitting cleanup, with a .297 slugging percentage.”

Yep, that confirms it, the Nationals suck.

Nick the Greek is taking sometime away from his new job to take a look at an old hobby.  Life gets busy sometimes, but that doesn’t mean we should take some time for baseball, right?  We are at the halfway point of the season (well technically a little more than halfway), and before I blink, the rest of the season might be over and I will have missed my chance to say so many things.

Anyway, Home Run Derby got some fan mail the other day, and it basically beckoned me to return.  HRD reader Ted writes:

“Hey guys, how about an update about your prediction that the Nationals would be the worst team in baseball. It’s the All-Star break and guess what? They are the worst! Let their fans know it.”

Well, Ted…ask and you shall receive.  Not that this shocks anyone,  well except the delusional Nats Fans that were pissed by my prediction of them being the worst team in baseball, but the Washington Nationals are exactly that.  THE. WORST. TEAM. IN. BASEBALL.  Before going to the stats, let’s review the Greek’s preseason prediction for the Washington Nationals.

Reader’s Digest Version of my predictions: The line-up stinks; the pitching sucks; the team will win 65 games; Elijah Dukes will outperform Home Run expectations, Austin Kearns will underperform them and my personal  favorite, the team will go 0-18 vs the Mets.

Well starting at the end, the have 4 wins against the Mets so far with 9 more games to play.  So much for bold predictions.  Austin Kearns? 4 HR in in 185 ABs. Check.  Elijah Dukes? not much better 6 HR in 172 ABs.  Injuries kept out the entire month of April and he is now again on the DL. Missed that one.

Now to the meat and potatoes.  65 Wins.  At 36-60, the Nationals are on a torrid pace for 61 wins.  Ugh. 61 Wins.    While the MLB record of futility is safe, there is a real chance this team won’t win 60 games.

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If you know the name of this blog, you’ll know that we here at Home Run Derby LOVE the Home Run Derby.  It’s the most wonderful day of the year.

• The best thing about the MLB Home Run Derby is that it’s all just fun. 
  No pretentiousness about the sanctity of the game. 
• No forced urgency about home-field advantage during the World Series. 
• Heck, even the incoherent ramblings of Chris Berman and Joe Morgan on ESPN can’t ruin Home Run Derby for me.

But if you can’t stand the ESPN telecast… maybe you need a little something to take the edge off … like Home Run Derby’s Second Annual Home Run Derby Drinking Game!! 

We did this last year for the Home Run Derby in San Francisco and it was so much fun I had to call in sick the next day.  My arm hurt from raising my glass so much. 

I’m always in need of a day off from work … so let’s do it again !! 

Short Version

• Put 911 on speed dial
• Take a drink every time Chris Berman says “Back” as in “Back-Back-Back”
• Take a drink every time Joe Morgan says something stupid.
• Wake up next week

Longer (and more fun) version

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I enjoy the human element to baseball. 

The decisions the manager has to make.  The mental showdown between a pitcher and a slugger.  Sending a runner from third against a left fielder with a cannon arm.  Unique ballpark dimensions and quirks. The double switch.  A strike zone that varies by umpire. 

It’s what makes baseball different from a lot of sports.

But there’s one element of baseball which should be cut and dried.  Whether a ball clears the fence or not.  And after three umpire screw-ups this week … it’s time for replay for Home Run calls. 

On Sunday … this Carlos Delgado bomb hit the foul pole at Yankee Stadium - that’s a Home Run.  But the umpires called it foul.

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Baseball fans of all allegiances flocked to Camden Yards on Wednesday hoping to see Manny Ramirez make history by hitting two home runs to reach the 500 home run milestone.

He did make history in one sense, but not in a manner anybody expected.  He did so by turning late Orioles PA Announcer Rex Barney’s famous saying “Give that fan a contract” into “Give that fan an assist.”

Manny turned what could be seen as the first 7-10-4-3 double play in baseball history in the bottom of the fourth inning by high-fiving a fan between making a running catch on a Kevin Millar fly ball and firing the ball into cut-off man Dustin Pedroia.  Pedroia then relayed the ball to first-baseman Kevin Youkilis to complete one of the funniest successful plays you will ever see.

I say “successful” because it’s hard to top Jose Canseco’s Zidane-esque home run helper with the Rangers, Jack Cust’s ‘03 home stretch stumble with the Orioles, or Ruben Rivera running the bases for the Giants like a squirrel crossing a busy street (unfortunately I couldn’t find a picture or video of the last play).

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For the third Mother’s Day in a row, Major League Baseball will be partnering with the Susan G. Komen Foundation to raise awareness for Breast Cancer Research by allowing players to take their whacks with Pink Bats while wearing Pink Ribbons, Pink Wristbands, Necklaces, etc..

From the Komen Foundation:

… an estimated 182,460 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed in American women in 2008 alone.

Last year, about 200 Major Leaguers swung away with the Pink lumber provided by Louisville Slugger.  I’d expect that that number will be even higher this season. 

Home Run Derby loves this effort.  And so, for the third season in a row, Home Run Derby will go Pink. We’ll be making our annual pledge to the Komen Foundation - $10 per Home Run hit in MLB this Sunday (Mother’s Day, May 11, 2008) whether it’s hit with a Pink Bat or not.  And since Nick Swisher dyed his soul patch pink … we’ll up that pledge to $25 for every Home Run hit by Swisher on 5/11/08.

Last season, we donated $280 to the Komen Foundation for the 28 Home Runs hit on Mother’s Day 2007.  In 2006, we donated $150 - we only pledged $5 per Home Run and there were 30 hit that Mothers Day 5/14/06.

You can help the cause by donating at The Komen Foundation’s website.

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David Dellucci, take a bow. 

Pinch-hitting is hard enough.  Sit on your duff for 7+ innings, get the notice that you are probably going to get at bat if the situation is right, go take a couple swings in the cage behind the dugout, swing the donut a bit, and go out there down by 1 run and 2 runners on and 2 out.

Oh, and you get to face Hank Steinbrenner’s favorite Yankee (but not Erin Andrews), Joba Chamberlain.  A single ties the game, but why not over-deliver?  Second pitch he sees … ding dong, the pitch is dead.  

And while Joba had a bad night last night, “his” team in the HRD, The Joba Rules, is building a nice cushion in our contest.  Through May 5th,  The Joba Rules had a seven Home Run cushion in the contest and was on the doorstep of breaking 100 Home Runs to date.

I think we might have found a new HRD whipping boy.