sOx and nats and Team

Ted Williamsburg: What's wrong with yer savior?
Wayward O: Nick?
Ted Williamsburg: Matt
Wayward O: Matt is not the savior. Matt is God
Ted Williamsburg: So God is a .234 hitter?
Wayward O: He has to scale down his immortal strength to fit the ballfield. Give him time. Tonite I think we do battle with the Red Sux
Ted Williamsburg: I got to watch the Smoltz implosion from the comfort of a box seat in DC last week. I look forward to feasting on yer pitchers in yer house
Wayward O: I predict you will tee off on Berken tonight .... we'll win Tues. and Wed. will be a good one
Ted Williamsburg: What makes you think you'll win Tues.? Hill's 6.03 ERA?
Wayward O: Hill can be eerily good every now and then. So ... that is the basis for my prediction. I would not put the college fund on it
Ted Williamsburg: That kid Zimmermann that manhandled to Sox on Thursday is the real deal
Wayward O: The Narts could conceivably get good in a hurry. Esp. in NL Least
Ted Williamsburg: How's that?
Wayward O: If those Young Fellas in the rote turn out to be decent
Ted Williamsburg: They ain't got enough bats. And man are they station-to-station on the basepaths
Wayward O: Well they can always buy a few more bats. No reason for them to share bats
Ted Williamsburg: Zing!
Wayward O: No I think Zimmeman / Dunn and potentially one more guy would be a decent power / RBI trio. But I got my own problems
Ted Williamsburg: Like Nick the Stick Johnson
Wayward O: He might be done
Ted Williamsburg: You'll see just how done Johnson is when the Sox pick him up at the deadline
Wayward O: I hope Nick Johnson isn't done. He's Okay. That broken leg business was ugly
Ted Williamsburg: He's having a pretty decent season
Wayward O: So what happens to Ortiz if you get N.J.? PH for NL games? Situational?
Ted Williamsburg: Nuthin' -- Nick plays first twice a week while Yuke moves over to third to spell Lowell's hip and picks up odd starts at DH. And first. And PH
Wayward O: That's a lot of slow left handed beef but OK. I'd stick Papi at short just once. After wrapping up division of course
Ted Williamsburg: Natch

wayward jiwOn

Wayward O helps translate Tremblese for Koji!!!

what manager told balt. sun:

"I talked to Koji [Saturday], and I know it's difficult to have a dialogue with him unless you get through his interpreter, but this guy feels like he's let me down, feels like he's let us down. And I had to tell him that's not the case. There is a lot of baseball to be played. What we want to do is get him 100 percent healthy and get him out there to pitch. He feels better today physically, and I hope that continues so we'll get him back as soon as possible."

what manager meant:

"david hernandez gets three cracks, starting today, to win a job in rotation."

Arigato and have nice day! GO TEAM USA BEAT BRAZIL. Hahaha. Yeahp.

rOad trip

so much for all that talk about owning the NL East ... Wayward O is guessing most fans saw that sweep coming ... just you know because.

nevertheless, a .500 road trip.

if Team can win at home and manage not to get annihilated on road, that's all we can ask for really.

high dudgeOn

phillies fans are mad about fact that wiggy didn't quite tag jimmy rollins yesterday during eighth inning.


Image: myphil17 via MLB.tv
rollins arguably would have scored (if you're into "what might have happened" scenarios) because next batter hit a double. that would have tied game.

but let's face it ... that's a vicinity play if ever there was one. he could have been called safe, it's true, but umpire has obstructed view there and would punch anybody out.

get shOrty

Wayward O always thought an Andino was something scientists in first Bush administration made in GIANT PARTICLE COLLIDER.


Look ma, I'm on the TeeVee!

But apparently Andino actually is Major League Ready short stop!

Oh Mr. Andy MacPhail you are a clever, clever devil.

Blog was very worried about Andino back in late May when he crapped pants booted ground ball against Yankees. But in recent weeks these fears have faded. Now we're just wondering where Cesar Izturis will wind up at trade deadline.

OK, OK that's a stretch but it sure is nice having guy who is developing into spark plug. And Yes, Wayward O still kind of misses Freddy the Bee. So there!

Does Team own NL East? So far Team has series wins against Nationals, Braves, Mets and Phillies. But let Team hold own against unpredictable Marlins and then finish job against Nats at home before proclamations are made.

taming manhOrse: a 3-step guide, by wiggy

STEP ONE
Pretend You're Going For "High Five"
Images: MASN via MLB.tv
STEP TWO
Go Low
STEP THREE
Hang On And Get Help!

What a precious win that was last night! What made it extra special was it was heard via dulcet, crackling tones of ACTUAL AM RADIO. Wayward O wants to congratulate lately maligned manager David Q. Trembley for inserting pinch runner Felix Pie for Godly Catcher who hit clutch double in ninth inning.

Wayward O would like to gently chide Pie for clapping not once, but six times, when he was called safe at third base on Brian Roberts' bunt in ninth. Mr. Felix, that is a ONE CLAP situation. Six claps there is too many. But you are young and Wayward O is apparently one of few who is still glad you are on Team so you get the special one-on-one advice from Blog.

There is no real need to go on at length about Mr. Aubrey because greatness speaks for itself.

Wayward O will leave you with interesting little nugget from haughty New York Times report about last night's game, which will give you clear idea of how League regards Team:

[W]hat surprised [K-Rod] and catcher Omir Santos was how selective the Orioles
had suddenly become. “They swing at almost everything” is how Santos described
their approach.

Incidently, since Times openly speculates a Huff-to-Mets trade, who exactly on Mets or in Mets organization does newspaper think is going to be counterparty?

seniOr circuit seeks batters, any age

The Giants, Cardinals, Braves, Cubs and Reds are among at least five National League teams within 2 games of Wild Card with team batting averages and RBI totals at or below league average.

The Aubrey Huffs* of the world, the Jermaine Dyes and the Alex Rioses all are candidates to be on the move from AL to NL. They are legitimate RBI guys and they can play more than enough defense to get starts.

There are dozens of candidates. I mention these three because they have been openly coveted by NL teams in recent weeks.

Miguel Tejada is going to be in Houston for about another five minutes.

Stars are aligning for busy trading season.

* Personally Wayward O thinks Team would be nuts to trade Manhorse but in unlikely event somebody is going to give up -- say -- a young major league ready third baseman or something like that -- somebody like this guy -- then Team has to listen

cast-Off

and you thought Team had bad night


Yankees 9, Mets 8
still, which is worse .... losing a stunner in 9th or never being in the game at all?

wait just a mel-mOment!

Memlo has been trying very hard not to be old man! He takes field each day in hopes of regaining youthful form!


Old Guys In Dugout
Images: MASN via MLB.tv
And last night he hit baseball almost over fence!!


Scene of Crime
But cheeky fan -- wearing MEMLO TSHIRT NO LESS -- was found by umpires to interfere, knocking ball from Endy Chavez's baseball mitt!!!


Punch Out! Trembley tries not to blow gasket.
Ok, Ok, so it was pretty much right call. Anyway "Three E" finally got team off losing shnide and dumb Mariners still lost anyway.

Also fans of Team believe in LONG RUN this will benefit them. Because you know .... some day it could happen to US. You know. In Playoffs.

walks will kill yOu

or will they? high-flying los angeles dodgers, who right now far and away are class of baseball, and who have 2nd best era in NL, lead majors in issuing free passes. they also lead majors in intentional walks with 29.*

despite leading universe in walks, they are 4th in majors with a 1.316 WHIP.

they are 2nd in majors in strikeouts.

while issuing more hall passes than a pushover substitute algebra teacher, they're on pace to win 109 ballgames.

their closer, jonathan broxton, truly is leading charmed life. he has 13 saves and a 6-0 record. he racks up close to 5 Ks for every free pass issued.

ramon "megatron" troncoso, too, is walking on water: his era so far is fully 2.5 points lower than last year. yesterday troncoso pitched the 8th and 9th innings in L.A.'s extra inning walkoff against philly. troncoso -- who sort of has been given title of setup man but not quite by manager joe torre -- gave up hit and walk in 2 innings, struck out nobody and escaped unscathed.



More than meets the eye?
Image: Dodgerblogs.net
torre has talked a lot about "matchups" being responsible for success. if you say so joe ... and who knows? it could even be true.

there are two ways for L.A. fanz to understand this, Wayward O guesses:

1) enjoy it while it lasts because phenomenon suggests dodgers have gotten some inexplicable good luck or

2) if walks start to come down (or "regress" as seamheads are so fond of saying) then L.A. is bug-eyed juggernaut and will run away with NL West by 20+ games

* guess which Team leads AL in intentional passes? yeahp. you guessed it...

diaspOra, part XIII

name: doris
status: Os usher & Os fan; local celebrity
gear of choice: white Team polo shirt with knit official insignia, lanyard and name tag

Local celebrityquote: "a lot of people recognize me these days."
wayward o says: doris is famous for making Luke Scott MASN ad. if you're ever near Section 272 club level make sure you say hi.