A leadoff double is not as bad as a leadoff home run.

It’s amazing that even when an umpire is literally two feet from the plate, he can’t recognize that a player did NOT touch it.  Wonderful job these guys have where they can be so terrible and yet never be held accountable.

okay, maybe rally killing would have helped.

[2] I’m going to blame penny pinching owners, but I have no clue what the real source of stupidity is. Apparently the minor league umpires are funded entirely through the minor leagues.

Well, there goes any chance of another hit in this inning.

bases loaded, no outs, why bother?

Unbelievably atrocious.

Is there any stronger omen of impending WOE than blowing bases loaded and none out in the first? I’d be shocked if they got four more hits in this game.

Pathetic.

bases loaded, no outs, why bother?

Apparently, they don’t.

0-2 count to Ramirez, so naturally Hughes walks him.

Way to hold that runner.

Chavez with a homer! Not off Hughes!

Well that’s a pleasant surprise.

6 Missed start.  Not again!  Really?  If they kept stats for that…..

Cano may be terrific but sometimes he sure can suck. Why do I have the feeling that he’s only achieving to like 80% of his talent.

If Cano was 20% better…wouldn’t he be approximately the best player ever?  He’s pretty damn good as it is.

EDIT: I meant 25% better of course.

[16] someone tried to tell him about 80% projections and failed.

Zombie Chavez is awesome!

From last thread, why exactly is Kuroda anything less than a number 2 starter?

80%!

That HR really should have been worth 2.5 runs.

OTOH….walks are for singles hitters

Right down Hawk’s throat

Holy crap Cano is insane right now.

Also, Robinson Cano is good at baseball.

They are truly hammering Floyd today.

It’s a bit worrisome that CHavez and A-Rod are basically the same player this season.

If Chavez had stayed healthy he’d have a shot at the hall of fame.  He’s always been terrific when he’s been able to play.

Man, Cano.  That guy is alright.

66 pitches through five is promising for Phil.

who needs a center fielder?

thought maybe this was the year Jeter wasn’t named to the allstar team.  no such luck.

Yanks acquire Qualls from the phillies for a ptbnl.

Hughes continues to toy with our emotions.

Is Phil Hughes…good?

So maybe Hughes doesn’t suck?  How many good starts in a row does he need to keep us from freaking out the next time he gets shelled?

[34] No amount is enough. That four home-run display a few starts back was pretty emotionally debilitating.

32 why? He hasn’t been any good since 09.

Walking a guy in that situation inexcusable

Death, taxes and Soriano

kneel!

I’ve been inattentive this season.  What is the RLYW peanut gallery take on Soriano’s shirt-untucking act?

[40] Charmingly less creepy than staring into his hat at naughty pictures of his teammates.

41 naked Phil?

Bases loaded, tie score, Montero grounds into a DP.  Like he still belongs here.

[40] Love it to death. My new favorite player. Him and Dewayne.

[44] The team’s two best relievers.

Just got back from the game.
It was really, really hot, even without looking into Soriano’s hat.
Hughes consistently holding them down with a two-run lead was impressive.
The curve looked good.
The umpires looked bad.  Human, all too human.
Low pitch count for Hughes because of aggressive batting; aggressive batting obviously - if you were there - because of the heat.
Came up on Paul O’Neill exiting the stadium after the game. I’m always taken aback by just how huge these guys are in real life. He signed all the autographs, even for those who ran up as he was getting into his car to be driven away.
Jeter’s 1st-inning play looked pretty great in person.

Do you guys have recommendations for a DVR or something that will function like one, allowing recording and skipping of commercials on playback?

Also, the reaction in the stands really showed the extent to which Torre managed to screw up the godlike status he’d achieved in New York.
For a few more dollars for that book.
Idiot.

[47] I had a kick-ass DVR back in the pre-digital days. It had a DVD burner built in alongside the hard drive. So if you wanted to put something special on long-term, burn it off to optical. It had a 30-second forward button to push through commercials, and basic editing that would allow you to cut the commercials permanently from any recording, too. No such thing since the digital transition that I’ve found.

You could, I suppose, build one yourself out of a computer. But even with a cable card you won’t be able to pull in any of the premium/pay channels or on-demand, I don’t think.

Most cable and sat companies provide a DVR option, first one free.

[48] “For a few more dollars for that book.”

Maybe he wanted to settle scores.  Maybe he thought he was saying the good stuff off the record, then it was a bit late to back out.  Maybe Selig called in his markers.

[50]
Yes, all possible, I agree.
What really hit home today was the extent of the damage.

[46] I shook cal ripken’s hand at a charity event a few years ago. Hes a giant man.  And his hands are huuuuge. I felt like he could have crushed my skull like a piece of ripe fruit if he wanted to.  And I’m not a lightweight.  Couldnt fathom that he played shortstop.

[52]  Couldnt fathom that he played shortstop.
Moose agrees. Cal was an excellent third baseman.

[53]
There was a tribute to Moose at the stadium today, since he passed away since the last OTD.

Just saw an earlier interview with Torre who said he hopes GMs will trust him with their players in WBC and if I’m a GM with a good middle relief/set up guy no way do I let Torre get a hold of him.

Phil is 16th in K/BB among MLB qualified starters. The guys in front of him are Hamels, Sale, IPK, Verlander, MadBum, Peavy, Arroyo, some guy named Wade Miley, Strasburg, Greinke, Dickey, Lee, Cain, Blanton, and Colby Lewis. Phil is just ahead of Kershaw, Haren, Weaver, Buerhle, CC, and King Felix.

So maybe the lad is good after all? He’s like Arroyo in that they’re both held back by giving up too many homers, but Bronson is old and declining while Phil has shown increased velocity lately so I’m not too concerned about the comp there.

From last thread, why exactly is Kuroda anything less than a number 2 starter?

He’s clearly good enough to be one, but I don’t think the Yankees view him as their #2 starter. I think Pettitte has that distinction. It is not a big deal, of course. CC, Pettitte and Kuroda would all be the #1 starter on a bunch of teams.