The Major League Baseball thread....

[Flipper]

Yep...the Tigers are going to find it difficult to catch the Twins if the they continue to get nothing offensively from the 7-8-9 spots in the line up. The guy I cannot figure out is Alex Avila..he has a nice approach at the plate...a compact stroke and decent power...but he's struggling to get to above .200

If Avila and Inge were to somehow get those OPS up to 750+...I'd like our chances a lot more. You can carry one offensive black hole (Adam Everett), but niot three...

[hammb]

Yep...the Tigers are going to find it difficult to catch the Twins if the they continue to get nothing offensively from the 7-8-9 spots in the line up. The guy I cannot figure out is Alex Avila..he has a nice approach at the plate...a compact stroke and decent power...but he's struggling to get to above .200

If Avila and Inge were to somehow get those OPS up to 750+...I'd like our chances a lot more. You can carry one offensive black hole (Adam Everett), but niot three...

Avila will hit. I wish they'd just make hit a straight up platoon and let Alex play against all the right handed starting pitchers. He's hit at every level, and just needs some consistent ABs, IMO.

Most importantly if you look at the underlying stats he's not doing that poorly. As you stated his approach at the plate has been fantastic and his walk rate is pretty similar to last year. His K rate is about the same. I think the biggest problem thus far has been bad luck in a small sample size. He has been hitting a lot more ground balls than he did last year and the flyballs he has hit have not been hit nearly as hard (HR:Flyball ratio is in the tank).

Overall though I still think if he gets the ABs he'll hit...he always has.

[Redwingtom]

Yeah...if they have any shot at all at the post season, they need to scrap the "better" defense of Inge, Laird and the flavor of the day at short and bring in some hitters with at least a pulse.

[Columbus Falcon]

Falcon alumni costs Tiger pitcher perfect game tonight!! Perhaps he is an Indians fan. . . .

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Joyce

[tiznow]

I got home in time to see the top of the 9th. Unfortunate. Galarraga handled it with class, so did Joyce. Most umpires would not admit they blew it.

[Flipper]

Yep...there are a lot of umps who would have rung Cabrera up for jawing at him after the play and there are a lot of umps who would have run and hide after the game but Joyce let Leyland have his say and then left the field.

Doesn't change the fact that he blew the call...but that's baseball...


That Austin Jackson is a keeper though...

[Warthog]

I know that MOST calls are not correctable as they have implications further down the road in the game. But in this case, if the correct call is made, the game is over. Why can't MLB show some fortitude and actually reverse the call and get it right. If the correct call is made, the game is over, no further implications from the correction.

[NWLB]

Has to be said, it was a game-ending call, the Ump stated it was incorrect, and they've taken to adding replay in some circumstances anyway. Seems to me that this would be an appropriate situation to take action on. Hurts the game more to let it stand.

[Redwingtom]

Regardless of what eventually happens. The poise in which Galarraga handled the whole situation needs to be commended and used as a blue print for kids playing the game everywhere.

MLB is at least looking at the matter! Hopefully it is a serious look and not just a dog and pony show appeasement.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=5246454

[Flipper]

MLB approached Joyce and asked him if he wanted to take today off...he said no, I'm not going to hide. The Tigers are sending Galarraga out with the line up card so the two can publicly shake hands and...hopefully...take some of the heat off of Joyce.

Totally agree with RWT on the character aspect of this story. I think Galarraga, his teammates, Jim Leyland and particularly the umpire, Jim Joyce are showing a tremendous amount of character in how they're handling the situation and I'm thankful to them for doing so...it gave me quite the teachable moment for my daughter...

[hammb]

A few thoughts:

I hope MLB does decide to put Galarraga's name in the record book with a perfect game. He deserves it, and replay CLEARLY shows that the call was incorrect. The umpire agrees that the call was incorrect. I'm a big proponent of adding replay in some capacity to baseball (even if it is just one or two managerial challenges per game). This is a situation where it has no bearing on the actual game, just putting Galarraga's name in the record books. They should do the right thing, and make sure he gets his recognition. That said, the most important part of it has already been lost...that immediate celebration by the team and the fans; and it can never be rekindled.

I agree with Flipper, Austin is a keeper. Judging by the radio, he just made another similar catch in RCF last inning of today's game. I have seen Jackson get to at LEAST 6-7 balls this year that I thought were sure doubles or triples off the bat. Even better is that a few of those he's actually gotten to them in time to settle underneath them. He's the best defensive CF I've watched in a LONG time...he's going to be a good one. The fact that he's hitting .330+ isn't too bad either

Finally, I have to completely agree with the class comments. The way Joyce & Galarraga handled the entire situation last night was just fantastic. Galarraga should give a speech on sportsmanship. I don't know HOW he didn't get upset and throw a tantrum, I know I would have. To just smile and shrug it off is just pure class. The same goes to Joyce who could have taken the standard official hardline stance, but instead he went up to the mic and admitted that he made a colossal error. Kudos to both of them for handling things in as classy a manner as you could ever hope. As Flipper said, it made for the perfect teaching moment for anyone with children. I bet Galarraga has earned himself more fans for the way he handled the situation than he did for pitching so well...I've got even more respect for him, I know that.

[Redwingtom]

All I know, is the pitching coach in Toledo probably needs some recognition thrown his way. Whatever he did to fix the delivery of Scherzer and get Galaragga in line was simply awesome!

[BGorDeath]

Go, Reds, Go!

[VDub26Falcon]

While the Indians season has been over for about a month now, it's officially ended now that Grady is having/had season-ending surgery.

As for things being bad when Shin-Soo Choo is your big bat...how is that a bad thing? The dude can rake and he has a cannon for an arm. I'm pretty sure he's tied for the league-lead in Outfield Assists. He is a great all around player who can hit for power and average. I just hope he doesn't get sucked into the current battle looming in the Koreas.

Justin Masterson FINALLY got a win...good God is he horrible as a starter. I know Laffey hasn't looked great in his last few relief outings but the kid is a starter and always has been. Shapiro is a joke. Since he's taken over as GM he's only had THREE of his pitching draft picks get Major League experience and the names aren't exactly dazzling...Huff, Sowers and Jeremy Guthrie.

I was in a bar in Michigan when Galarraga lost his bid for perfection. I couldn't help but laugh as all the Tiger fans flipped their collective lids. I am honestly surprised a bottle wasn't thrown through the television.

How does the Tribe absolutely OWN the ChiSux? It just doesn't add up. Oh well, the Sawx head into C-Town tonight for a four game set which we will be lucky to win ONE game of. I will be heading to my first game of the season this Saturday which is a record of some sort. I have NEVER waited this long to get to a game. I just can't get behind this year's version of the team. I love Choo and I love Azzy but of course, he's done for a little while thanks to Jhonny Peralta. Oh well, there's always next year!

[VDub26Falcon]

I don't know who the guys wearing the Indians' uniforms are but they sure are playing out of their minds! Jeanmar Gomez went 7 innings, giving up 2 runs, both unearned, against a staggering Tigers lineup. That completed a four-game sweep...and then started off their series against the Twins with a win! Five in a row right now for the Tribe.

Also, went to the Aeros game last night in my first trip to Canal Park and got to see my two favorite Indians playing! Asdrubal Cabrera and Shin-Soo Choo were rehabbing. Choo was 1-3 with and Azzy was 2-4 with a home run. I hope they get back to the big team soon!