Just keep your eyes forward and try not to laugh

by drerikbrady on Jun 1, 2007 12:55 PM EDT

Does it seem like some of the other typical AL contenders are just having freak occurrences repeatedly knock them down this season or what?

With all of the random injuries floating around kicking the Yankees (while they're down no less), who would have possibly expected Giambi to wind up out for three weeks and possibly the season after a HR trot.

And then Sheff, who has always been something of a powder keg, totally loses his temper and chucks the shards of a bat at the ump last night.

Did Delmon Young teach you nothing Sheff? Your team was already pinched by the injury bug. How long do you think they can afford to have you out of action for? Dumb ass.

You just can't make this stuff up. Anyway, just thought I'd open a diary to for LGT'ers to post how long they think Sheff will be suspended for (if at all), and also as a place where we can list the other freak injuries of the year.

Remember, we aren't allow to laugh at our opponents over this. This would ultimately anger the baseball Gods, who would be forced to smite us for our cheek.

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and try not to laugh

Boston is so stacked so I'll take it.

In other scary news, the Twins called up Kevin Slowey. Bad news for Indians fans.

by Joe. on Jun 1, 2007 1:02 PM EDT 0 recs

Re: and try not to laugh

Slowey's fine but the Twins can't hit. Hunter's due for a correction and if that happens, ouch.

Plus, Ryan's magical bullpen dust appears to have finally run out.

by afh4 on Jun 1, 2007 1:07 PM EDT up 0 recs

Re: and try not to laugh

While Hunter is hitting at a very good clip, the rest of their hitters are hitting below what they are capable of. Even if Hunter has his correction and I am not sure that is going to happen because he is in a contract year the rest of the team will pick him up. I am not sold on the twins but you can never count them out.

Champion of the Kelly Shoppach for Catcher campaign.

by E5 on Jun 1, 2007 1:11 PM EDT up 0 recs

Re: and try not to laugh

Who is underperforming? I just looked at all the numbers and:

Morneau is Morneau.

Hunter is outdoing his career OPS by 130 points.

Cuddyer is right in line with last year.

Nick Punto might be the worst hitting regular 3B ever and is hitting like it.

Luis Castillo is having a great year considering his age.

Kubel has never hit much in the majors and continues to try to. He might see some improvement as his BABIP is low and LD% is high, if I remember correctly. Still, Gardenhire isn't too great at sticking with these sorts of guys.

Bartlett is struggling but it's his second season as a full on starter and he was over his head last year. He might see some improvement but this happens to guys trying to become full-timers. See Peralta, Jhonny.

Mike Redmond is probably overperforming if anything.

Mauer is Mauer when he plays.

Jason Tyner is hideously bad to be getting any ABs as a DH.

It's basically Hunter in line for a regression and the a mixed bag of guys who look to be on target. What are you talking about?

Plus, the Twins problem isn't "underperformance." Even if these guys correct to their "capabilities" they still suck. Punto is killing them, as is the Tyner/L. Rodriguez/J. Cirillo/L. Ford combo.

I'm not "counting the Twins out" because they have the best pitcher in baseball and some truly awesome prospects. But the offense is the problem in Minnesota and has been for a while. It's not underperforming, it's just lousy.

by afh4 on Jun 1, 2007 1:22 PM EDT up 0 recs

Re: and try not to laugh

Don't forget their starting rotation. They have Santana, no one denies that. But losing Liriano and Radke is really hurting them on the front end of their rotation. Silva has began to regress to who he is. And after that, they have a very young rotation. Over the long haul, that's what makes me think that the Twins will eventually fade.

-Erik

by drerikbrady on Jun 1, 2007 1:25 PM EDT up 0 recs

Re: and try not to laugh

Yeah, I feel that, but I don't want to bet against those young pitchers quite yet. Garza, Slowey, Baker, and Perkins could all end up being pretty good. Plus, Bonser is pretty damn impressive.

However, losing Crain hurts them a lot.

by afh4 on Jun 1, 2007 1:28 PM EDT up 0 recs

Re: and try not to laugh

But that crappy offense won them the division last year. I just want nothing to do with a Santana, Bonser, Slowey rotation.

by Joe. on Jun 1, 2007 1:28 PM EDT up 0 recs

Re: and try not to laugh

I keep saying I'm afraid of the pitching. I really am.

But it took an absolutely historic effort to do what they did in the second half last year. Plus, it took Liriano; I like Slowey a lot but Liriano is a whole different beast.

Things are different now. The bullpen isn't what it was and the offense might be even worse, especially if Mauer can't shake the injury bug.

by afh4 on Jun 1, 2007 1:32 PM EDT up 0 recs

Re: and try not to laugh

The Twins bullpen has logged a lot of innings the last few years. Added to that, this year's starting rotation has placed even added pressure on the bullpen and I think they are finally snapping. The Twins aren't a terrible team, but they are a lot more thinly constructed this season than either Detroit or Cleveland.

by APV on Jun 1, 2007 1:25 PM EDT up 0 recs

Re: Just keep your eyes forward and try not to lau

it can only be force of habit that compels you to describe the Yankees as "AL contenders" at this point. and an injury to a musclebound 36-year-old is anything but a freak occurrence.

for that matter, Gary Sheffield being an asshole isn't very freaky either.

by nctribefan on Jun 1, 2007 1:09 PM EDT 0 recs

Re: Just keep your eyes forward and try not to lau

You're right, I guess I'm infected with ESPN's Yankee disease. It's an ailment that makes everyone believe that the Yankees are always a contender. I guess by freak occurrences I really am talking about the timing of these things. It's just curious that so many injuries have nailed the Yankees and the Blue Jays and the Tigers.

-Erik

by drerikbrady on Jun 1, 2007 1:21 PM EDT up 0 recs

Re: Just keep your eyes forward and try not to lau

Freak injuries nailing the Yanks, Jays and Tigers? Could it be Pronk's freeranging mojo at work?

Pronk Needs You

by woodsmeister on Jun 1, 2007 1:23 PM EDT up 0 recs

Re: Just keep your eyes forward and try not to lau

Pronk's mojo is a benevolent, creative force that, like Wheaties, serves to bring out the greatness in those upon whom its grace is bestowed.

if Sheffield had been ejected for whipping off his jersey top in celebration after a walk-off grand slam and beating his chest like Tarzan, i could see that as the work of Pronk's mojo. but the mojo does not deal in weak groundouts... that's how we can tell it's been missing.

by nctribefan on Jun 1, 2007 2:43 PM EDT up 0 recs

Re: Just keep your eyes forward and try not to lau

I have added the first sentence of this post to the header section of Pronk Needs You - with appropriate attribution, of course.

Pronk Needs You

by woodsmeister on Jun 1, 2007 3:10 PM EDT up 0 recs

Re: Just keep your eyes forward and try not to lau

glad to help out!

by nctribefan on Jun 1, 2007 5:18 PM EDT up 0 recs

Re: Just keep your eyes forward and try not to lau

Gary Sheffield with get a 3 game suspension with a heavy fine from MLB.

Champion of the Kelly Shoppach for Catcher campaign.

by E5 on Jun 1, 2007 1:12 PM EDT 0 recs

Re: Just keep your eyes forward and try not to lau

Just 3 games huh? I'm thinking more like 10. But it's folly to try and predict it.

-Erik

by drerikbrady on Jun 1, 2007 1:22 PM EDT up 0 recs

Re: Just keep your eyes forward and try not to lau

How long will it take to get handed down?

by afh4 on Jun 1, 2007 1:25 PM EDT up 0 recs

Re: Just keep your eyes forward and try not to lau

It's a fair question. I don't have a clue. I'll be surprised if it effects this series, since he will appeal any suspension anyway.

-Erik

by drerikbrady on Jun 1, 2007 1:26 PM EDT up 0 recs

Re: Just keep your eyes forward and try not to lau

Yep, I think it'll be five and Sheff will have his hearing and MLB will shorten it to three.

by JK in CBus on Jun 1, 2007 2:12 PM EDT up 0 recs

Schadenfreude

Tempting the baseball gods by committing schadenfreude is a dangerous business, my friends. That being said, it's a shame that Sheff didn't save his bat shard throwing episode for an appearance against Clemens, who would have been more than happy to throw it back.

This is, after all, the same guy who admitted to making errors on purpose to get out of Milwaukee early in his career, yet powered the Fish to a WS win. Sheffield is due some wicked bad karma, my friends, and I hope this is the beginning of cosmic payback.

Pronk Needs You

by woodsmeister on Jun 1, 2007 1:13 PM EDT 0 recs

Re: Schadenfreude

That errors thing is overblown. I've seen someone go through the box scores and look for the errors and there aren't any to be found. The fact that he was willing to make it up, after the fact, is pretty insane but it appears Sheffield is to competitive to have actually done such a thing.

by afh4 on Jun 1, 2007 1:24 PM EDT up 0 recs

Re: Schadenfreude

We may not be able to point to an uptick in errors per se, but I don't think his level of effort is always the same. At the plate, I don't think he can help himself, he just loves to hit too much to mail that in. But his play in the field seems more lackadaisical at times. I have no data to support that, just a perception/feeling. And he's always frowning. It's sad. He gets to play baseball for a living. I can't imagine playing the game with anything less than the joy on Big Papi's face if I got to do that as a way to pay the bills.

-Erik

by drerikbrady on Jun 1, 2007 1:29 PM EDT up 0 recs

Re: Schadenfreude

I'm a vague defender of guys like Sheffield. I don't really know why; I guess I'm more like Sheffield than unlike him. I'm really emotional about competition and I can relate to somebody else who is. While we'd love to see all these guys have fun, Sheffield probably wouldn't be nearly as good if he didn't go to that place mentally every game.

As for his effort, it's hard to say, but again, I mail it in all the time in parts of my life. It's easy to say you wouldn't do it if you were paid millions of dollars to play a game, but perspective changes really fast.

Plus, I am more understanding than most people of guys who feel like they're being screwed by ownership. There's not any rational defense-they're being paid millions of dollars and agreed to the contracts. But on a human level, I see how he has felt trapped, undervalued, dehumanized, etc. Obviously, to feel that way means your missing the forest for the trees (you can't be any of those things when you're cashing a 6 digit check every two weeks) but that loss of perspective is something that happens to people in all walks of life. The contrast is just starker with millionaires.

Rasheed Wallace is my big guy in this instance. Despite being a Duke graduate, I adore Rasheed Wallace. Watch Wallace on MTV's Cribs here in an additional video link in the right column and try not to think he's great.

These guys are different people near the game and away from the game. The kind of pressure on them is bizarre and bends people in weird ways that they can't necessarily control.

Cue responses about "I would never act that way!" I guess my point is that I'm not sure I wouldn't act that way and so I don't usually jump on guys for it.

Hmm. I'm not really sure what all that means but it's got that 'Sheed on Cribs link in there, so it's staying.

I keep all my cars dirty.

by afh4 on Jun 1, 2007 1:47 PM EDT up 0 recs

Re: Schadenfreude

Andrew, what you're saying rings true, especially the bit about feeling like you're being screwed by ownership and how that effects a person. That, in particular, hits very close to home for me too. My last day in my current gig is next Friday and it's safe to say that I'm mailing it in at this point. I'm not trying to rag on Sheff here, just note that it sometimes seems like he's not exactly leaving it all on the field. I'm currently doing the same thing. So it's not intended as a criticism, just an observation that makes sense, particularly in light of your comments.

I didn't know you were a Duke grad. I'm a Vanderbilt grad. As a group, Vanderbilt students like to think that we have a strong rivalry with Duke. The reality is more likely that Duke people don't even recognize Vanderbilt as a rival. I think it has to do with the soreness that a lot of Vanderbilt undergrads have because they didn't get into Duke.

-Erik

by drerikbrady on Jun 1, 2007 1:58 PM EDT up 0 recs

Re: Schadenfreude

Yeah, I didn't mean to turn you into a critic. It's just something I think about a big so I went ahead and typed. I get nauseous when athletes are villified for doing things that are non-criminal.

If you want to villify someone for dogfighting, spouse abuse, whatever, that's one thing. But the amount of heat that someone like A-Rod takes (just the other day someone here called him "scum") is just stomach turning to me. I feel largely the same way about the guys in sports grouped as "malcontents"-Sheffield, Wallace, etc.

I wouldn't have ever thought we had a rivalry with Vanderbilt but that's probably because I associate rivalries with sports pretty exclusively. I knew a few people who went there and everyone seemed to like it. Very, very, very pretty girls.

Plus Matt Freije. He was pretty sweet.

by afh4 on Jun 1, 2007 2:05 PM EDT up 0 recs

Re: Schadenfreude

That's true about the girls. I was a married graduate student at Vanderbilt, so I got to flunk several of those would-be pre-meds girls in organic chemistry. So sad to look at the numbers and say "I'm sorry, you have a D-average. Perhaps you should consider another major. Do we have a modeling department on campus?" Freije was awesome, it was a crime that he didn't get to play in more NCAA tournaments.

As for A-Rod, he's a great player, can't deny it. I just think he's bush league owing to his behavior. Cheating on his spouse is pretty low though.

-Erik

by drerikbrady on Jun 1, 2007 3:41 PM EDT up 0 recs

Re: Schadenfreude

You guys are hitting upon something I tried to convey in my posts about Roger Clemens. He's a regular guy, not the douche he's portrayed as in the press. I'm sure that I'd love to have a beer with Sheff or go jogging with Rasheed. It's a mighty tough fish-bowl for these guys.

Sometimes you just gotta be lucky

by mauichuck on Jun 2, 2007 1:56 PM EDT up 0 recs

Re: Schadenfreude

I thought wallace went to UNC.

And there are hundreds of guys in sheffield's position that don't act like sheffield. he has no excuse in my book.

by Brick. on Jun 1, 2007 2:04 PM EDT up 0 recs

Re: Schadenfreude

That's my point about UNC. I shouldn't like him, based on the rivalry.

by afh4 on Jun 1, 2007 2:06 PM EDT up 0 recs

Re: Schadenfreude

I guess it could read "despite my being a Duke graduate"

by afh4 on Jun 1, 2007 2:06 PM EDT up 0 recs

Re: Schadenfreude

i see. read too fast or just didn't think about it...

by Brick. on Jun 1, 2007 2:10 PM EDT up 0 recs

Just keep your eyes forward and try not to laugh

3 games

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070601&content_id=1998854&vkey=news_mlb&fext=. jsp&c_id=mlb

by Brick. on Jun 1, 2007 6:40 PM EDT 0 recs

Re: Just keep your eyes forward and try not to lau

You have to love this quote.
"I don't like getting like this," he said, "because I know how far I can go. That's why Major League Baseball had better be careful, too. I'm trying to restrain myself, and they'd better restrain themselves, too, with how this stuff goes. Because I get tired of being in the right, and then it always comes out wrong. If you want to expose me, then I'm going to expose you."

Asked what he meant a couple minutes later, he said, "Just read into that however you want. But it won't be pretty. I promise you that."

Was I right?

Champion of the Kelly Shoppach for Catcher campaign.

by E5 on Jun 2, 2007 12:41 AM EDT up 0 recs