Bla bla bla

Thought I would write this post while it was fresh in my head.

I was watching Philadelphia at Atlanta, toward the end of the game on a certain network that carries MLB games. Anyway bottom 7, Adam LaRoche in his 11th game back with the Braves, singled to right. I believe Greg Norton was going to PH, but since LaRoche got on, Javier Vazquez, former Expos pitcher instead pinch hit for Eric O'Flaherty. Turns out Javier Vazquez is the league lead in sacrifice hits with 14! Whodathunkit? Not me, as I was not aware he was a good bunter.

In 2004, the last year of the Expos, Livan Hernandez tied (in 5th place) with Kris Benson for most sacrifice hits by a pitcher with 15. The top 4 were all shortstops with Royce Clayton leading with 24. Royce Clayton by the way is now retired. After a stint with the Jays in 2007, the Red Sox picked him up, he signed a minor leagur contract. He was called up in September, and although he did not play, he earned a World Series ring. He retired after that 2007 season.

Back to today's game. The Braves went on to win it in a come from behind walk off fashion in the bottom of the ninth. They were down only 3-2. Garret Anderson singled to right. Matt Diaz sacrifice bunted. Brad Lidge did not field it cleanly, he then threw in the direction of first, where it was very unlikely to be a play. Howard could not get it, that allowed Diaz to get all the way to third, while came in with the tying run. They then walked Adam LaRoche, and kind of sort of unintentionally intentionally walked Greg Norton, who was in for Peter Moylan. Omar Infante was then up. I had a feeling he would end it, and on the first pitch, walk off single to left.

The announcer said how Lidge should have ate the ball after his fielding error. I agree, then it would have been only first and second with no out. Who knows what would have happened then. From my small amount of baseball experience, I have done just that, ate the ball, even on plays where I could have, or should have thrown.

Switching to the Jays at Rays, the announcer said Scott Kazmir leads in the category of most pitches thrown in the first inning on average (not sure if it was the AL or MLB) with 19 I believe it was. I can not look up advanced stats, otherwise I'd try and check. Anyway, his longest outing this year is only 7 IP. And he only did that once, otherwise he is 6.2 or lower. Looks like he is struggling, at 6-7 and 6.50 ERA.
As I write this, Toronto are up 2-0. They scored 2 in the top of the 3rd. They also threatened in the top of the first, but Millar flied out, and Wells struck out swinging. Kazmir threw 21 pitches in the first.

Around the Bigs

I'm sure I have mentioned this before, but one great thing about baseball is there countless different things that can happen. I am sure it is true for other sports, but it resonates most with baseball in my opinion.

Saturday I was watching the Rays at Red Sox. David Ortiz was at bat, the shift was on. He ended up getting a check swing single to left field! Carl Crawford committed a throwing error which allowed Ortiz to advance to second. Dustin Pedroia who walked the AB prior to David Ortiz got to third, but not before partially running into SS Jason Bartlett who was in the right side of the infield, but getting into position for possibly tagging Pedroia out. Pedroia then fell trying to possibly get back to second. Longoria was signalling to Crawford to throw to second all this time once he got to third to cover. Crawford threw said error, which then got Pedroia to third, and Ortiz to second. See the play here, click "Ortiz singles through the hole in the defense."

In the end the circus type play did not cost the Rays, as Jason Bay struck out on a foul tip, and Mike Lowell grounded out to 5-3.

Stealing home is always an interesting play, and Jayson Worth of the Phillies did so last night (May 12) against the Dodgers. Once Russell Martin tossed the ball back to Ronald Belisario, Werth was coming home, Belisario threw the ball back to Martin, but it was too late once the tag was applied. It went down in the bottom of the seventh. Pedro Feliz was at bat when it happened. Feliz bats right, so he was probably blocking Martin's peripheral vision well, until he had to move out of the way. Belisario throws right, but was probably facing forward when getting the ball back from Martin. All in all, it worked perfectly for Werth, scoring the Phillies fifth run.

Prior to stealing home, Werth singled to left. He then stole second (with Jimmy Rollins batting), and third (with Raul Ibanez batting). With Jimmy Rollins batting earlier in the game, Werth stole third. The latter was a double steal, as Ryan Howard stole second. According to this, Werth tied a franchise record, becoming the first Phillie to do so since Garry Maddox against the Pirates May 29, 1978. He was also the first Phillie to steal three bases in an inning since Pete Rose May 11, 1980. I don't remember too much old baseball, but it is reminiscent of Rickey Henderson.

Also last night, Chipper Jones was fairly irate about a call that went in the Mets favour. Carlos Beltran appeared to possibly be barely out on a tag by Chipper Jones, however the umpire looks like he did not have a perfect angle. Beltran then scored on a Luis Castillo sacrifice fly to LF Garret Anderson. That was the tying run, and the Mets went on to win with a walk-off walk, hence Chipped being irate about the call.

Finally, former Expo (also former Ranger, Cardinal, and Oriole) Fernando Tatis hit a grand slam today in the game the Mets went on to lose. Tatis is one of only a few players to have hit two grand slam in one game, he did it as a Cardinal April 23, 1999 as a Cardinal. Since then, Nomar Garciaparra and Bill Mueller have done so for the Red Sox, May 10, 1999, and July 29, 2003 respectively. The others.

Atlanta Braves Acquire Javier Vazquez

Javier Vazquez has returned to the NL East after five seasons outside the NL East. He played six full seasons with the Montreal Expos. Then 2004 with the Yankees, 2005 with the Diamondbacks, and 2006 to 2008 with the White Sox. He has still played more games with the Expos (192) than outside the NL East (163).

Bobby Cox gained an appreciation for him while being the manager of the All-Star team that toured Japan in 2000. Read the full article here. Not surprisingly, the article has no mention of the Montreal Expos. They do make reference to another former Expo though:

Since the start of the 2000 season, Livan Hernandez is the only Major League pitcher to have thrown more innings than Vazquez, whose 208 1/3 innings this past season were 20 more than any Braves pitcher completed.

The Braves also acquired LHP Boone Logan (sounds like his name should be reversed as Logan Boone!).

Here is the official transaction from the Braves perspective:

Acquired RHP Javier Vazquez and LHP Boone Logan from the Chicago White Sox in exchange for C Tyler Flowers, INFs Jonathan Gilmore and Brent Lillibridge and LHP Santos Rodriguez.

Based solely on his win loss record, looks like 2007 was his best year to date. Then looking at his ERA, it would look like it would be 2003 then 2001 and 2007. I recall he was pitching well in 2003, surely much better than his record would show. And of course if the Expos didn't have to travel to San Juan for 22 games... well, that is another story.

Looks like he'll be in the middle of the Braves rotation.

In other Braves news, Braves make offer to Burnett.

Also I'll try to post more with the 2008 Baseball Winter Meetings coming up December 8th through to the 11th.

Five rain delays (Two postponed)

Was watching a bit of the start of the Nationals at Marlins, as the Jays Red Sox game is rain delayed, and the announcer brought up all the rain delays. So I thought I'd write a brief post about it.

Minnesota at Baltimore (7:05)
St. Louis at Pittsburgh (7:05)
Tampa Bay at New York (7:05)
Toronto at Boston (7:05)
Atlanta at New York (7:10)

All of the above are rain delayed games, and below are the postponed games.

Milwaukee at Philadelphia (7:05) has been postponed
Chicago at Houston Friday and Saturday (7:05 CDT and 6:05 CDT) both postponed due to Ike.

Edit 2:25 AM EDT:

Of the five rain delayed games above, they were all postponed save for the Toronto at Boston game. It was delayed 41 minutes, and in said game rain came down steadily until the seventh or so. Toronto and Boston already has a doubleheader slated for Saturday, a makeup for an August 15 rain postponed game. The Tigers at White Sox (7:11 CDT) ended up being postponed as well.

Turns out it isn't quite a record:

It was the most major league postponements in one day since six games were wiped out on April 15, 2007. Prior to that, there hadn't been that many since April 12, 1997, when eight games were postponed, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

From tsn.ca.

Also:

It also set up an unusually full slate of games for Saturday. If the schedule holds, there will be 12 games in the American League for the first time since Aug. 8, 1985, and 20 games in the majors for the first time since Aug. 4, 1974, according to Elias.

And:

In New York, both the Mets and Yankees were postponed, setting up two doubleheaders Saturday. According to Elias, only twice before have Mets and Yankees both played two games at home on same day - on Sept. 21, 1982, and April 13, 1997.

More for the baseball mind at said tsn link above.

Official MLB news pieces:

Rain drops fallin', onto doubleheaders
Six games postponed Friday; six twin bills set for Saturday (here)
and
Baseball reigns with 20-game day
Fifteen of the games will have postseason implications (here)