Geoff Grace Posted September 12, 2022 Author Share Posted September 12, 2022 This was a nice consolation, after a rough Week 1 for my two favorite NFL football teams (Packers and Rams): Dodgers 1st team to clinch a playoff spot, rout Padres 11-2 Justin Turner hit a both grand slam and a solo home run in the win. Best, Geoff Quote My Blue Someday appears on Apple Music | Spotify | YouTube | Amazon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Grace Posted September 21, 2022 Author Share Posted September 21, 2022 Aaron Judge ties Babe Ruth: New York Yankees' Aaron Judge hits 60th home run, one shy of Roger Maris' AL single-season record And a Dodger great passes on: Los Angeles Dodgers great Maury Wills, NL MVP in 1962, dies at age 89 Best, Geoff Quote My Blue Someday appears on Apple Music | Spotify | YouTube | Amazon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Grace Posted September 24, 2022 Author Share Posted September 24, 2022 Yes, congrats Albert! It's great that it happened in a Cardinals uniform, in LA, where his family could be there to see it. Best, Geoff 1 Quote My Blue Someday appears on Apple Music | Spotify | YouTube | Amazon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adan Posted September 24, 2022 Share Posted September 24, 2022 If the Pujols story was just 700 homers right at the end of his career, that would be good enough. But it's also that he somehow found a spark at the end of his career long after everyone thought it had gone. Turns out he just needed to get away from Disneyland. Watching replays of his home runs is really amazing. How is he doing it with that old beat up body? His willpower to get it done seems to jump off the screen. Stories like this are particularly inspiring to those of us getting up in years. We all like to think there's something more in the tank that hasn't been tapped yet. 4 Quote Gigging: Crumar Mojo 61, Hammond SKPro Home: Vintage Vibe 64 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Grace Posted September 26, 2022 Author Share Posted September 26, 2022 Los Angeles Dodgers beat St. Louis Cardinals to clinch No. 1 seed in NL, tie franchise record for wins (106) Best, Geoff Quote My Blue Someday appears on Apple Music | Spotify | YouTube | Amazon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Grace Posted September 29, 2022 Author Share Posted September 29, 2022 Bizarre... Miami Marlins' Richard Bleier only pitcher since 1900 with 3 balks in same at-bat, gets tossed vs. Mets Best, Geoff Quote My Blue Someday appears on Apple Music | Spotify | YouTube | Amazon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Grace Posted September 29, 2022 Author Share Posted September 29, 2022 I guess pitchers finally stopped walking Aaron Judge. Good for him! New York Yankees star Aaron Judge hits 61st home run of season, tying Roger Maris' mark Best, Geoff Quote My Blue Someday appears on Apple Music | Spotify | YouTube | Amazon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Synthaholic Posted September 29, 2022 Share Posted September 29, 2022 I'm cool with Aaron Judge hitting 62. I'm cool with Albert Pujols hitting 756. Both would be legit, with no controversy, no cheating. The Braves - no, Brian Snitker - frustrates the hell out of me. Did you know that the Braves have not had a single sacrifice bunt all season? They may set an MLB record. I've never heard of a manager who disregards whole facets of the game: bunt, sacrifice, hit& run. I've said it a million times: The Braves win despite Snitker's managing, and never because of it. Tonight, the Braves went into the 10th tied with the Nationals and had the new rule guy on second to start the inning. First batter, Ronald Acuna, Jr. He hasn't been himself this year, coming back from his ACL tear. He's tentative in the field (a good thing) and hasn't found his swing (a bad thing). Perfect opportunity for him to surprise EVERYONE and drop a bunt. Even if he's out at first, we have a runner on third with one out, and a fly out brings him home. Snitker would never even consider this. Ronald swings away, flies out. Dansby Swanson swings at the first pitch, grounds out. Harris flies out. Wasted opportunity, Nats score on a walk-off. Braves are back to one game behind the Mets, with six games to play. I do not like Brian Snitker. 🤬 Quote The fact there's a Highway To Hell and only a Stairway To Heaven says a lot about anticipated traffic numbers People only say "It's a free country" when they're doing something shitty-Demetri Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Grace Posted September 29, 2022 Author Share Posted September 29, 2022 I'd be unhappy with Snitker's strategy too, Synthaholic. No sacrifice bunts ever is baffling! Best, Geoff 1 Quote My Blue Someday appears on Apple Music | Spotify | YouTube | Amazon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Grace Posted September 29, 2022 Author Share Posted September 29, 2022 Speaking of records, on the same day that Aaron Judge hit his 61st homer of the season, the Dodgers reached a new high: Freddie Freeman delivers Los Angeles Dodgers franchise-record 107th win "If you think about it, it's the pitching," Freeman said on a night when Julio Urias, one of the leading contenders for the National League Cy Young award, pitched six scoreless innings. "Our pitching has been absolutely phenomenal all season long. They give us a chance. We haven't done really well with runners in scoring position in the last couple of days, and they put up zeroes all day until we got one in." Freeman wasn't just being modest: the Dodgers won 1-0 in the tenth inning. Best, Geoff Quote My Blue Someday appears on Apple Music | Spotify | YouTube | Amazon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harmonizer Posted September 29, 2022 Share Posted September 29, 2022 I don't know if the relevant Braves players who were batting know how to bunt. I recall being very frustrated over multiple issues with Davey Johnson as the manager of the Mets during the late 1980s. I recall him calling for the 3B Howard Johnson to sacrifice bunt when he did not know how to bunt, so of course the bunt attempt failed (I knew this was going to happen), he made an out without advancing the runner, and the Mets gave their opponent a free out. According to Acuna's stats, he has zero sacrifice bunts in his 5 year major league career: https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/acunaro01.shtml Now maybe this is because Snitkar has been his manager for those 5 years. But if Acuna does not know how to bunt, asking him to attempt a sacrifice bunt would be a bad call. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Synthaholic Posted September 30, 2022 Share Posted September 30, 2022 On 9/29/2022 at 10:08 AM, harmonizer said: I don't know if the relevant Braves players who were batting know how to bunt. I recall being very frustrated over multiple issues with Davey Johnson as the manager of the Mets during the late 1980s. I recall him calling for the 3B Howard Johnson to sacrifice bunt when he did not know how to bunt, so of course the bunt attempt failed (I knew this was going to happen), he made an out without advancing the runner, and the Mets gave their opponent a free out. According to Acuna's stats, he has zero sacrifice bunts in his 5 year major league career: https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/acunaro01.shtml Now maybe this is because Snitkar has been his manager for those 5 years. But if Acuna does not know how to bunt, asking him to attempt a sacrifice bunt would be a bad call. This is a failure of organizations, and especially the minor leagues, whose main function is to teach and refine fundamentals, molding young talent into complete ballplayers who can compete at the major league level. Sending a guy to the big leagues without the ability to bunt, or even choke up when necessary to at least make contact - required in certain situations - is negligent and defeating. Small ball is an integral part of baseball, whether today's players think it's macho or not. And that is definitely a factor. They've convinced themselves that it's weak to lay down a bunt. But they have no problems striking out on three pitches while swinging for the fences. I get annoyed. Great example. It's obvious to me what Ozzie Albies should do in this situation but it never occurred to him or the coaches. Quote The fact there's a Highway To Hell and only a Stairway To Heaven says a lot about anticipated traffic numbers People only say "It's a free country" when they're doing something shitty-Demetri Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Grace Posted October 5, 2022 Author Share Posted October 5, 2022 Two for the record book: New York Yankees star Aaron Judge launches 62nd home run, sets AL's single-season record Pujols hits 703rd HR to pass Babe for 2nd in RBI; Cards lose Best, Geoff Quote My Blue Someday appears on Apple Music | Spotify | YouTube | Amazon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Grace Posted October 5, 2022 Author Share Posted October 5, 2022 Congrats, Synthaholic: Atlanta Braves clinch fifth straight NL East title with win over Miami Marlins Best, Geoff 1 Quote My Blue Someday appears on Apple Music | Spotify | YouTube | Amazon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Synthaholic Posted October 5, 2022 Share Posted October 5, 2022 Thanks, Geoff! I really enjoyed the weekend series with the Mets, who just keep on Metsing. Taking it away from them at Game 161 after they have basically been in first place all year was sweet. (Apologies to any Mets fans on the board for my ungracious gloating). But I'm glad to have the bye week to rest everyone and reset the rotation, and not to have to face the Padres and then the Dodgers. Now we have either the Cardinals (likely) or the Phillies. Based on past experience playing St. Louis in the playoffs, I'd rather have Philadelphia, thank you very much. Plus, we did well against them this year, and I don't believe that Nick Castellanos is back in the lineup (is he done for the season?), but Bryce Harper can still ruin your day. The Dodgers, as good as they are, may have a tougher time against the Padres/Mets winner than the Braves do with their series. Good luck! 1 Quote The fact there's a Highway To Hell and only a Stairway To Heaven says a lot about anticipated traffic numbers People only say "It's a free country" when they're doing something shitty-Demetri Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Grace Posted October 6, 2022 Author Share Posted October 6, 2022 I agree with you, Synthaholic. The Cardinals are tough postseason opponents. I'd like to avoid them if possible. Would I rather see the Dodgers face Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom or Yu Darvish and Blake Snell? Tough choice. I guess I'd prefer that they face the Padres, but both teams are capable of beating anyone in the league. It looks like an exciting postseason ahead. Good luck to you too! Best, Geoff 1 Quote My Blue Someday appears on Apple Music | Spotify | YouTube | Amazon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harmonizer Posted October 6, 2022 Share Posted October 6, 2022 Congrats to the Angels' Shohei Ohtani for an amazing 2022; he finished in the top 10 in the so-called "triple crown" statistics categories for both pitching and hitting. In pitching, he was 4th in the AL in ERA, tied for 4th in the AL for wins, and was 3rd in the AL in strikeouts. In batting, he was 4th in the AL in HRs and 7th in the AL in RBIs. The last time a player finished in the top 10 in these "triple crown" statistics for both pitching and hitting in the same year was when Babe Ruth did it in 1918, when as a pitcher he was 9th in ERA, and as a hitter tied for the AL lead in HRs, and was tied for 6th in RBIs. Being 9th in ERA might not sound that impressive, but Ruth was actually an All-Star level pitcher for a few years before he set the baseball world on fire with his hitting: In 1917 Ruth was second in the AL in wins, and in 1916 Ruth led the AL in ERA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Grace Posted October 6, 2022 Author Share Posted October 6, 2022 Shohei Ohtani is amazing. He's the 21st century Babe Ruth, maybe even better. Best, Geoff 1 Quote My Blue Someday appears on Apple Music | Spotify | YouTube | Amazon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Grace Posted October 6, 2022 Author Share Posted October 6, 2022 As the regular season closes, here are some numbers of note for the Dodgers: • Their 111th victory today was the National League's best in more than a century, since the 1906 Chicago Cubs went 116-36. Of course, the 2001 Mariners reached 116; so the Dodgers 111 wins is only the best in MLB in the last 21 years. Still, it's tied for fourth best all-time with the 1954 Indians. • Freddie Freeman and Trea Turner each totaled 100 RBI, and Freeman narrowly missed the NL batting title. He needed to go 4 for 4 to catch Jeff McNeil but "only" hit 3 of 4 today. • Clayton Kershaw passed Cy Young today for 24th all-time on the career strikeout list. Best, Geoff Quote My Blue Someday appears on Apple Music | Spotify | YouTube | Amazon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Grace Posted October 9, 2022 Author Share Posted October 9, 2022 My condolences, Dave (@Dave Ferris), on your Cardinals' loss in the Wild Card round. I'm glad at least that Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina both reached base on the final at bats of their careers. On 10/4/2022 at 11:35 PM, Synthaholic said: Based on past experience playing St. Louis in the playoffs, I'd rather have Philadelphia, thank you very much. Plus, we did well against them this year, and I don't believe that Nick Castellanos is back in the lineup (is he done for the season?), but Bryce Harper can still ruin your day. Congratulations, Synthaholic, on getting the opponent you hoped for. I hope Bryce Harper won't have too many nights like tonight. Best, Geoff 1 Quote My Blue Someday appears on Apple Music | Spotify | YouTube | Amazon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adan Posted October 9, 2022 Share Posted October 9, 2022 I like the new playoff format. Being well-rested and queuing up the top of the starting rotation is the advantage a division winner deserves. If a wild card team can overcome that, there's a better argument they really deserve it. Rooting for my hometown Padres, but there's no question the Mets are a better team right now. Quote Gigging: Crumar Mojo 61, Hammond SKPro Home: Vintage Vibe 64 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drawback Posted October 9, 2022 Share Posted October 9, 2022 In other news, the Blue Jays’ immaturity and inconsistent play weren’t going to take them deeper into the playoffs anyway. Quote ____________________________________ Rod Here for the gear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAJUSCULE Posted October 9, 2022 Share Posted October 9, 2022 It was 8-1 when I checked the score. It was 8-5 when I left for my gig. 10-9 by the time I checked again after soundcheck. Quote Eric Website Gear page Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Polychrest Posted October 9, 2022 Share Posted October 9, 2022 40 minutes ago, drawback said: In other news, the Blue Jays’ immaturity and inconsistent play weren’t going to take them deeper into the playoffs anyway. And management’s failure to address their pitching needs at the deadline didn’t help. Given the cutthroat corporate culture at Rogers, I wouldn’t be surprised if interim manager Schneider is sacrificed as the official scapegoat for yesterday’s meltdown. Quote “For 50 years, it was like being chained to a lunatic.” -- Kingsley Amis on the eventual loss of his libido Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Grace Posted October 10, 2022 Author Share Posted October 10, 2022 My condolences, Blue Jays fans. Best, Geoff Quote My Blue Someday appears on Apple Music | Spotify | YouTube | Amazon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAJUSCULE Posted October 10, 2022 Share Posted October 10, 2022 And I can’t even cheer for my NL team (the Mets)… Quote Eric Website Gear page Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Synthaholic Posted October 11, 2022 Share Posted October 11, 2022 On 10/9/2022 at 10:41 AM, Dave Ferris said: Pathetic. You don't hit, you can't possibly win. A terrible showing. But they padded their wins against weak teams in their own and other divisions but when faced with more competitive teams, they couldn't hang. But yes, at least Albert and Yadi got a hit in their last at bat. Both future HOFers, Albert first ballot. I just cannot believe Albert isn't going to come back for half a year, then retire for good at the All-Star break. He's so close to 715. Quote The fact there's a Highway To Hell and only a Stairway To Heaven says a lot about anticipated traffic numbers People only say "It's a free country" when they're doing something shitty-Demetri Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GovernorSilver Posted October 12, 2022 Share Posted October 12, 2022 My brain is still processing the Padres not only stumbling backwards into the playoffs, but actually knocking off somebody to advance. No doubt the Dodgers will soon put an end to their season but my mind is blown they got in, in the first place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Grace Posted October 12, 2022 Author Share Posted October 12, 2022 The Padres have a lot of talent. I'm surprised they haven't fared better. Last night, the pitching matchup favored the Dodgers. Tonight, not so much. Regardless of how well the Dodgers have performed against the Padres this season, I don't take San Diego for granted. I hope the Dodgers don't either. Best, Geoff Quote My Blue Someday appears on Apple Music | Spotify | YouTube | Amazon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Grace Posted October 13, 2022 Author Share Posted October 13, 2022 What did I say? I hope you're feeling better about the Padres now, GovernorSilver. I presume that Bobby (@Bobadohshe) will be performing at the next playoff game in San Diego. How cool is that? Have fun, Bobby! Best, Geoff 3 Quote My Blue Someday appears on Apple Music | Spotify | YouTube | Amazon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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