Topic: What a crazy year for baseball...

[Eddie Coyle]

Twenty years later we find the crowd was just asking Canseco to give Clemens some steroids.

   Wish granted. Considering Clemens "resurgence" in the second half of '96(entering into FA) with Canseco as a teammate in Boston, I think that was the likely genesis of their chemical romance, not in '98 in Toronto as the story supposedly goes. It saddens me.     
 
   
     
     

     

[b_dubb]

There was no defense against the Big Red Machine

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Red_Machine

[albrecht]

   Wish granted. Considering Clemens "resurgence" in the second half of '96(entering into FA) with Canseco as a teammate in Boston, I think that was the likely genesis of their chemical romance, not in '98 in Toronto as the story supposedly goes. It saddens me.     
 
   
     
     

     

Hey it was his wife! Because as we all know wives, not professional athletes, use steroids.

[Eddie Coyle]

Hey it was his wife! Because as we all know wives, not professional athletes, use steroids.

   Indeed.It was Debbie.  Not the jailbait country singer who would later blow her brains out.

   Clemens was such a captive of cliche that he'd start interviews with "Like I said...". What a goober.

[Mind Flayer Monk]

There was no defense against the Big Red Machine

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Red_Machine

"
Believe me, after beating Detroit in the playoffs, playing
Cincinnati, the "Big Red Machine," couldn't be any tougher.
Sure they had Rose, Tolan, Morgan, Perez, and Bench. But we
were loose, confident. The night before the first game, Bando,
Tenace, myself, and a couple of other guys went out to dinner.
Whom do we see but Bench, the great Reds catcher, surrounded
by one of those-what do you call them?-entourages. He
musta thought he was a god. Talking real loud at his table about
how they better not throw me this way, that way.
I walked right over to him. "I'll throw it right under your nose
if I want to," I said. Bench just stared at me, like you're not
supposed to talk to a superstar like that. Horseshit. We had some
pretty big superstars on our club. "

From Catfish: My Life in Baseball

[Eddie Coyle]

   I hate what the Mets and Padres have done to their stadiums. Has a team moved actually their fences back in decades? Can't think of any.

[albrecht]

   Indeed.It was Debbie.  Not the jailbait country singer who would later blow her brains out.

   Clemens was such a captive of cliche that he'd start interviews with "Like I said...". What a goober.

Clemens clan is still giving us players etc though. Watched one today against Baylor. I had forgotten, sorta, about the McCready stuff but, considering Clinton and the Epstein lolita flights, BBC/royal scandals,  and worse I figure the press doesn't tend to dwell on that kind of stuff--plus tradition in country music genre for some underage highjinx and marriages! Unless there is a political reason to do so, you can pretty much do whatever you want, if you tow the line, if not then there will be full on scandal.

[Eddie Coyle]

Clemens clan is still giving us players etc though. Watched one today against Baylor. I had forgotten, sorta, about the McCready stuff but, considering Clinton and the Epstein lolita flights, BBC/royal scandals,  and worse I figure the press doesn't tend to dwell on that kind of stuff--plus tradition in country music genre for some underage highjinx and marriages! Unless there is a political reason to do so, you can pretty much do whatever you want, if you tow the line, if not then there will be full on scandal.

   The myriad foibles of The Rocket are offset by his unintentional exposing of Tim Johnson's twisted prevarications about his "Vietnam service". Shining a light on a cockroach like Johnson should put Roger in Cooperstown today.

   Of course, the Epstein allegations are a modern day Dreyfus Affair, that's all. Just ask Dershowitz. His next book should be "The Case For Fleeing to Israel".

[albrecht]

   The myriad foibles of The Rocket are offset by his unintentional exposing of Tim Johnson's twisted prevarications about his "Vietnam service". Shining a light on a cockroach like Johnson should put Roger in Cooperstown today.

   Of course, the Epstein allegations are a modern day Dreyfus Affair, that's all. Just ask Dershowitz. His next book should be "The Case For Fleeing to Israel".

for those without the didactic memory of EC
http://www.bluejayhunter.com/2012/09/flashback-friday-tim-johnson.html
ps: ever thought of Jeopardy!?
pps: other countries (and maybe international airspace and islands) have different age-of-consent though I though PROTECT Act (Pub.L. 108–21, 117 Stat. 650, S. 151) would cover that (though, weirdly, certain states and many countries have lower consent laws, so a WTO and 10th Amendment fight by Clinton and Dershowitz coming )

[Eddie Coyle]

for those without the didactic memory of EC
http://www.bluejayhunter.com/2012/09/flashback-friday-tim-johnson.html
ps: ever thought of Jeopardy!?
pps: other countries (and maybe international airspace and islands) have different age-of-consent though I though PROTECT Act (Pub.L. 108–21, 117 Stat. 650, S. 151) would cover that (though, weirdly, certain states and many countries have lower consent laws, so a WTO and 10th Amendment fight by Clinton and Dershowitz coming )

  One of the funniest things I've ever seen was an ESPN "Outside The Lines" feature during Johnson's exile in Mexico, and his delusional goal of getting back into MLB managing. The attendance at his team's game that day was less than 50. 15 years later...he still ain't back.

    My grand fear of going on  Jeopardy is getting destroyed because of a series of questions on something simple like Disney characters or references to blockbuster films. My utter ignorance of massively popular things that every American loves would be my ruin.

[albrecht]

  One of the funniest things I've ever seen was an ESPN "Outside The Lines" feature during Johnson's exile in Mexico, and his delusional goal of getting back into MLB managing. The attendance at his team's game that day was less than 50. 15 years later...he still ain't back.

    My grand fear of going on  Jeopardy is getting destroyed because of a series of questions on something simple like Disney characters or references to blockbuster films. My utter ignorance of massively popular things that every American loves would be my ruin.

I TOTALLY understand you on the last. I win in my personal games on Jeopardy! But also fear the 'popular' categories...ps: I sorta hope he gets back. Thats America, for good or ill. Many have done worse lying and making bank.

[PB the Deplorable]

... My grand fear of going on  Jeopardy is getting destroyed because of a series of questions on something simple like Disney characters or references to blockbuster films. My utter ignorance of massively popular things that every American loves would be my ruin.

I would do very badly in opera, 'literature', British royalty, movies, Oscars, Grammys (any awards, really), ...  I know they'd plant one of those in Final J just to be rid of me...

[Gd5150]

Giants with their second sweep of the Dodgers this year. This time the Dodgers didn't score a single run in 3 games. Good times!

[Eddie Coyle]

I TOTALLY understand you on the last. I win in my personal games on Jeopardy! But also fear the 'popular' categories...ps: I sorta hope he gets back. Thats America, for good or ill. Many have done worse lying and making bank.

   

I would do very badly in opera, 'literature', British royalty, movies, Oscars, Grammys (any awards, really), ...  I know they'd plant one of those in Final J just to be rid of me...

   Brian Dennehy's Vietnam fibs didn't hurt him, so there is a bit of a unfair sliding scale.

   Oscar/Grammy winners of the last 20 years would absolutely wipe me out. Poetry, especially the non-ryhming American type practiced by Oprah Book Club heroes also a potential killer. As my ex-wife would frequently point out when she watched "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" I'd probably get every opening 100 dollar question wrong. I don't kid around when I say I've never seen The Wizard of Oz, but I own Bad Ronald on DVD.

   

[PB the Deplorable]

... I own Bad Ronald on DVD.

Heh, I have Bad Santa (actually the unrated Badder Santa).  My kids loved it

[Eddie Coyle]

Heh, I have Bad Santa (actually the unrated Badder Santa).  My kids loved it

   That's one of those rare films of the past 12 years I've actually seen! Same reaction here as well. My kid's always quoting Sling Blade, and it makes me proud.

[Mind Flayer Monk]

   I hate what the Mets and Padres have done to their stadiums. Has a team moved actually their fences back in decades? Can't think of any.

I think someone did, but I can't remember who. These days they just build new stadiums.

I've got to dig around for the Bill Veeck quote where they would move in and out the fences in Cleveland depending on who was in town.

[3OctaveFart]

Th only one I could think of was the old Astrodome, and it was still an extreme pitcher's environment after they moved in the fences.

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/moving-in-the-fences-a-history/

[albrecht]

Stros get a triple-play against the Tigers about an hour ago! Didn't want to jinx game by posting right after it happened. First since 2004.
http://m.astros.mlb.com/news/article/126190694/astros-turn-triple-play-vs-tigers
http://screengrabber.deadspin.com/hey-the-astros-pulled-off-a-triple-play-1706559484

[3OctaveFart]

I don't think distance is really the issue in San Diego.
It's the marine layer. And that's not negotiable.
Same deal at Dodger Stadium, but to lesser extent.

[Eddie Coyle]

  Lloyd McClendon should get a 10+ game suspension for his "I'm getting fired soon, last chance to get on Sportscenter" antics last night. Arguing with every umpire, a straight minor league move(his future in managing anyhow) meant for attention and that's all. Easier to yell at an ump than your second baaseman who appears to be headed to Carl Crawford/Joe Mauer land with that onerous contract and stunning lack of production.

  At least McClendon didn't crawl and throw a fake grenade like that jerkoff Phil Wellman did.

[3OctaveFart]

Giancarlo Stanton is so good it's a joke.

[Mind Flayer Monk]

The FBI is investigating the Cardinals hacking into the Astros databases.
"Agents soon found that the Astros’ network had been entered from a computer at a home that some Cardinals officials had lived in. The agents then turned their attention to the team’s front office."

Jeff Lunhow advertised himself as a "tech-genius" and his extensive career in "tech":
"Prior to baseball, Luhnow worked as an engineer, management consultant, and technology entrepreneur.[2] He worked for McKinsey and Company, a global management consulting firm, for five years. He founded and served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Archetype Solutions, and served as General Manager and Vice President of Marketing for Petstore.com.[5]"
"He was derided with nicknames like "the accountant" and "Harry Potter."[2]"

So how was Lunhow, the tech genius hacked?
"The Cardinals officials are believed to have used those passwords to gain access to the Astros’ network, law enforcement officials said."
Lunhow didn't change his password.

http://nyti.ms/1GKNegT

[Eddie Coyle]

  And then Robinson Cano turned into Chone Figgins.  .237/.277/.327/.604  w 2 homers 20 RBI.

[albrecht]

That walk-off balk last night for the Dodgers against the Rangers was a disappointing end to a tight defensive duel.

[Autistic Star Children]

supposedly 60 million All Star votes were cancelled... yet Omar Infante still leads AL 2bs.

Think the internet ruined this fun. There was something about going to the park and punching your all -star ballot. Now you can pay kids to vote over and over who've never watched baseball.

[Eddie Coyle]

  The beautiful part is that this isn't photoshop.

[PB the Deplorable]

This isn't baseball but WTF was Nancy Pelosi doing riding along in the Warriors celebration parade?  She represents San Francisco, not Oakland.  I think SF mayor Ed Lee might have been there too, but he isn't nearly as reprehensible.

[AvDaBr]

It must really suck to lose a perfect game by hitting the last would-be batter.

[Eddie Coyle]

It must really suck to lose a perfect game by hitting the last would-be batter.

  Scherzer got cute during that at bat and threw two off speed pitches well off the plate. The second one Tabata got hit by. Sucks to lose it that way.

  But Milt Pappas getting squeezed out a perfect game by Bruce Froemming in September, 1972 takes the cake. Pappas got the no hitter but never forgave Froemming...who reveled in pissing off Pappas.