Meet a Baseball Fan (Welcome to Anyone)

He never dogged it.  He was always trying.


Mike from South Jersey rocking the kelly green tonight.


Who doesn’t love a Game 7? After 118 years, it’s about time the Phillies had one.


Where did the time go?

Aaron Judge’s May: .406, 1.506 OPS, 306 wRC+



Phillies fans.

https://www.espn.com/video/clip/_/id/40272426

Phillies friends.

https://www.espn.com/video/clip/_/id/40272651

Phillies fans again.

https://www.espn.com/video/clip/_/id/40272683

(As The Philadelphia Inquirer reported it: “This is when the boos began to rain down. He took it all in, sticking his hand up in celebration as he rounded second and third. The boos turned into cheers — and golf claps — by the time his home run trot was over.”)


Congratulations to former Columbia High shortstop Eliot Dix and the University of North Carolina Tar Heels on reaching the College World Series.


With Taijuan Walker starting today’s London Series game, Tim Kurkjian resurrected from three years ago his “all-country team.” (Get it? Taiwan Walker.)

C: Bill Poland
1B: Tim Ireland
2B: Ty France
3B: Germany Schaefer
SS: Jonathan India
OF: Chad Pinder
OF: Turkey Stearns
OF: Brian Jordan
P: Mark Portugal
P: Derek Holland

Pesonally, I’m starting Chili Davis over Chad Pinder. And giving Pat Borders a categorical exemption to replace whoever Bill Poland is or was.


Get Mike Camero(o)n in there.  


jfinnegan said:

Get Mike Camero(o)n in there.

I like the idea of taking some liberties. El Salvador Pérez. Carlos Zambiano. Ron Ceylon.


It was great watching the crowd (on ESPN) start chanting "We want Soto" as Grisham stepped up to the plate last night, batting .082.  Then he stunned everyone with a 3-run homer, as the Yankees came from behind and broke the game open.


Jasmo said:

It was great watching the crowd (on ESPN) start chanting "We want Soto" as Grisham stepped up to the plate last night, batting .082.  Then he stunned everyone with a 3-run homer, as the Yankees came from behind and broke the game open.

Was at the game...Next time up, the place was rockin' with "We want Grisham". A good time was had by all.


DaveSchmidt said:

With Taijuan Walker starting today’s London Series game, Tim Kurkjian resurrected from three years ago his “all-country team.” (Get it? Taiwan Walker.)

C: Bill Poland
1B: Tim Ireland
2B: Ty France
3B: Germany Schaefer
SS: Jonathan India
OF: Chad Pinder
OF: Turkey Stearns
OF: Brian Jordan
P: Mark Portugal
P: Derek Holland

Pesonally, I’m starting Chili Davis over Chad Pinder. And giving Pat Borders a categorical exemption to replace whoever Bill Poland is or was.

not a lot of stars in that bunch, are there?


ml1 said:

not a lot of stars in that bunch, are there?

Other than Turkey Stearnes, no big ones. (Though Brian Jordan and Mark Portugal had memorable careers.)

ETA: And Stearnes is kind of a liberty-taking selection himself, since he was born Norman Thomas Stearnes.


In 309 PAs in 1972, at age 41, he was still 30 percent better at the plate than the average major-leaguer.

R.I.P., Mr. Mays.


I remember seeing this happen during the first pitch-clock spring training. Now, for the first time in a game that counted:

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/40412756/rockies-win-walk-bases-loaded-pitch-clock-violation


First 1-3-5 triple play in MLB in 95 years.

https://www.mlb.com/video/curtain-call-phillies-turn-a-triple-play?partnerId=web_video-playback-page_video-share

ETA: My wife and I once came soooo close to witnessing an unassisted triple play. Runners on first and second breaking on the pitch. Liner hit right to second baseman Randy Ready as he goes to cover the bag on the steal. He steps on second and, with the runner from first pulling up within easy reach — throws to first. Top of the first, too, so we were among the relative punctual few to see it.


I wouldn’t call it a snub, because the position is loaded as always, but is Christian Walker the most qualified player ever to not make an all-star team?


74.

That’s how many 2024 MLB all-stars I count.

Ten years ago, there were 62. Thirty years ago, 56.


Do they still make it where every team has to have at least one All Star? I haven't watched it the last couple of years. I might turn it on to see Skenes.


jfinnegan said:

Do they still make it where every team has to have at least one All Star?

Yup.

More selection details:

https://www.mlb.com/news/all-star-game-roster-rules-faq-c239654292


Best baseball movies that aren’t about baseball (listed chronologically):

Woman of the Year

The Great Escape

Sounder

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

Good Will Hunting


Any ideas out there why this was an earned run? (Snapping Carlos Estévez’s MLB-leading zero-earned-run streak at 20-some innings last night.)

Runner on first, two outs. A pickoff throw gets past Harper, allowing the runner to reach second. Estévez is charged with an error. The batter singles, scoring that runner. The next batter flies out to end the inning.

ETA: Never mind. A day later, the box score no longer lists it as an earned run.


Only Crash Davis gets away with this. Unfortunately, a young man may have just killed his professional baseball career.

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/41238109/sources-twins-cut-derek-bender-catcher-told-opposing-hitters-incoming-pitch

(How, I wonder, did the home plate umpire not notice and do something about it?)


Why I sweat.

On tomorrow’s date in 2007:

Team ………….. GB

Mets 83-62 

Phillies 76-69 … 7

https://www.inquirer.com/phillies/phillies-mets-playoffs-magic-number-standings-schedule-20240912.html

“I’ve gotten to know Jimmy really well over the years — couldn’t be a better guy ― but back then I truly hated him,” former Mets third baseman David Wright said in a recent phone conversation. “When you have your team leader publicly come out and be that confident, and then back it up with the season that he had, incredibly impressive.

“That’s what made that rivalry so great. That’s why I loved going to Philadelphia, and that’s why I loved when Philadelphia came to New York. I loved that intensity, and I loved that feeling. I wanted to beat them so badly that it probably took me out of my game a little bit. But I loved every second of those games because they had that core, we had our core, and I just truly enjoyed it.”


While it remains mathematically possible for the Mets to catch the Phils, it pretty much requires them to win all the remaining games with Philly. 

It's not gonna happen. 


I think the Mets would need a sudden offensive output. And the Phillies don’t seem likely to collapse the way the Mets did in 2007. 

On September 30, 2007, Jerry Ryan and I were seated at Shea to hopefully watch the Mets clinch the NL East. One of the greatest pitchers of all time was starting for us. It was going to be a tense, exciting, competitive game. 

At the end of the game we sat there pretty morose. As we got up to leave there was a young couple and the guy was wearing a Phillies shirt. We congratulated him and then warned him to be careful and maybe turn his shirt inside out. We were genuinely concerned for him. 


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