Friday, June 5, 2009

Fingerpointing Blamegame


I come here not to bury Brandon League, but to praise him. Do you find yourself wondering why Brandon League was still on the mound to start the ninth? You shouldn't, he's awesome and had been that way for the past 30 days (how does an 2.00 ERA and a 2.60 FIP grab ya?) Obviously League's ninth wasn't fun to watch, and while he took the loss and bore the brunt of the WPA load, it was hardly his fault.

Leadoff batter Howie Kendrick laid down a perfect bunt for a base hit. Hardly League's fault, though the pitch was right down the middle. My thoughts on the bunt: IF GODDAMN JOSE BAUTISTA DOESN'T BUTCHER AN EASY BOUNCER AT THE END OF THE EIGHTH, KENDRICK DOESN'T LEAD OFF. What does this prove? Nothing. It's convenient and suits my anti-Jose, pro-League agenda. But still, leading off with slumping greasy catcher Mike Napoli? Ifs, buts, candy, so forth. PS Jose is hitting .212 over the last month, with 4 extra base hits and 21 strikeouts. PPS. Fuck him.

Next up was Chone Figgans, a bigger thorn in Blue Jay sides than the idiom "thorn in my side" is a thorn in my side. Anyway, Figgans golfed a 94 mile an hour fastball into right field. The pitch was down and in, where lefties love it, but it was out of the strike zone to an extent that I don't expect most hitters to do much with it. Of course the double play follows with Kendricks' late break for home. League eventually strikes out zombie Vlady but the damage is done.

The team scored a bunch of runs but not when they really needed one. Jose Bautista naturally ended the game with a strike out. The Mockingbird covers Rios's struggles in all their grandeur, no mention of Aaron Hill's very quite 0-20 jag. Good thing the Jays only have to face Zack Grienke tonight. Luckily for me, I'll be live blogging it over at the Score. Drop by and we'll heal together.

Real Quick Otherness

9 comments:

  1. I don't think that should have been an ER.. they should have gone home after 2nd or Overbay should have been turning it like a 2b to home for the TP.

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  2. Bautista > League

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  3. What does Brandon Morrow have to do with anything?

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  4. Brandon Morrow = misplaced tag.

    Bautista < almost everyone else on the team, most notably Scott fucking Rolen.

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  5. I'm trying to imagine Jose Bautista's batting practice. He probably stands there while 8 pitches go past, then lets the next guy have a turn.

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  6. Hrm, people are just realizing that there might be a pattern to those 5 straight sub 100 OPS+ seasons coupled with crappy defence for Jose Bautista?

    And shock horror! Kevin Millar is actually old, crappy, and not really that good at hitting lefties! What?

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  7. I was wondering why Bautista was playing so far back in the first place against Kendrick...that play is Rolen's bread and butter.

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