# Baseball Thread August 2008 **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** baseball-mlb\ **Created:** [August 1, 2008, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-thread-august-2008/458489 "2008-08-01T14:19:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2008, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-thread-august-2008/458489/41 "2008-08-06T21:59:06Z")
The Yankees’ yo-yo season continues. Losing the first 2 of a long road trip to the Rangers, and Joba going on the DL for who-knows-how-long. There’s still time, but… ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2008, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-thread-august-2008/458489/42 "2008-08-06T22:24:04Z")
Jim I hope you don’t mind my advertising the SDMB Hall of Fame voting rounds. Still over 24 hours to post your votes for the ten greatest shortstops ever - top ten vote getters are inducted! Thread here. Post your votes! [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=478259&page=1&pp=50](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=478259&page=1&pp=50) ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2008, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-thread-august-2008/458489/43 "2008-08-07T00:23:22Z")
[QUOTE=RickJay] Jim I hope you don’t mind my advertising the SDMB Hall of Fame voting rounds. Still over 24 hours to post your votes for the ten greatest shortstops ever - top ten vote getters are inducted! Thread here. Post your votes! [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=478259&page=1&pp=50](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=478259&page=1&pp=50) [/QUOTE] I should have thought to do that. These were just to ensure we had catch all threads that don’t get too long. Linking to any and all other baseball threads should be happening in these threads. I’ve been having a lot of fun with the HOF votes, even if six of you combined to hand me my ass on one point of debate. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2008, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-thread-august-2008/458489/44 "2008-08-07T00:49:56Z")
[QUOTE=RickJay] An interesting thing to watch is A’s rookie Brad Zeigler. He’s now pitched 34 innings. He’s given up exactly zero runs. That is a major league record for the best start to a career, as you might have guessed. [/QUOTE] [Here’s](http://joeposnanski.com/JoeBlog/2008/08/01/ziegler-directors-cut/) a good article on Ziegler. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2008, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-thread-august-2008/458489/45 "2008-08-07T00:52:18Z")
The Yanks appear to be 100% snakebit this year. In a collision at the plate, Pudge just went down hard and had to be helped to the clubhouse. He is out of the game. We already have the Joba shoulder watch ongoing. Our chances at the playoffs could be disappearing quick if Joba is out for an extended period. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2008, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-thread-august-2008/458489/46 "2008-08-07T00:53:11Z")
[QUOTE=Southern Yankee] and Joba going on the DL for who-knows-how-long. There’s still time, but… [/QUOTE] Rumor is that he’s done for the season. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2008, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-thread-august-2008/458489/47 "2008-08-08T02:49:06Z")
Lordy Lordy, the A’s are a bad team. They were doing fine until they inexplicably traded away their two best pitchers, neither of whom was due to become a free agent. Now they’re just horrible. ’ ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2008, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-thread-august-2008/458489/48 "2008-08-08T03:04:16Z")
[QUOTE=Telemark] Rumor is that he’s done for the season. :eek: [/QUOTE] Not the rumors I am hearing thankfully. I hope my rumors are right. Yanks won a 3-0 games tonight. It was a crazy game with some odd running plays. Both teams had runners caught off second and I saw something I don’t recall seeing. In the 9th Betemit was on first, Molina hit a sharp one to second that was grabbed on one bounce and the throw went to first as Betemit retreated to first. The first baseman got the force out on Molina at first, which removed the force from Betemit, so he was safe on first. He went on to score the 3rd run. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2008, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-thread-august-2008/458489/49 "2008-08-08T04:01:49Z")
Yay, so the number one and two teams in terms of payroll get incredibly snakebit this year and have a nagging case of Teh Suck. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2008, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-thread-august-2008/458489/50 "2008-08-08T13:49:57Z")
[QUOTE=Least Original User Name Ever] Yay, so the number one and two teams in terms of payroll get incredibly snakebit this year and have a nagging case of Teh Suck. [/QUOTE] Well, the #2 team is currently in the wild card and the #1 team is not far behind, so let’s not break out the party supplies just yet. It’d be wonderful for both to miss the playoffs but don’t jinx it. ---
**Author:** ![Hawkeyeop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/958977/32.png) [@Hawkeyeop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hawkeyeop)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2008, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-thread-august-2008/458489/51 "2008-08-08T13:58:31Z")
[QUOTE=RickJay] Well, the #2 team is currently in the wild card and the #1 team is not far behind, so let’s not break out the party supplies just yet. It’d be wonderful for both to miss the playoffs but don’t jinx it. [/QUOTE] I think Detroit was number 2 ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2008, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-thread-august-2008/458489/52 "2008-08-08T15:22:58Z")
[QUOTE=What Exit?] In the 9th Betemit was on first, Molina hit a sharp one to second that was grabbed on one bounce and the throw went to first as Betemit retreated to first. The first baseman got the force out on Molina at first, which removed the force from Betemit, so he was safe on first. He went on to score the 3rd run. [/QUOTE] How do you folks like Betemit, anyway? He had some tough times in LA, but there was something about him I liked regardless. He’s one of the few former Dodgers that I actually wanted to see succeed elsewhere. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2008, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-thread-august-2008/458489/53 "2008-08-08T15:37:13Z")
[QUOTE=Asimovian] How do you folks like Betemit, anyway? He had some tough times in LA, but there was something about him I liked regardless. He’s one of the few former Dodgers that I actually wanted to see succeed elsewhere. [/QUOTE] He is an interesting back up. He has a decent bat with some pop. He can hit a mistake out easily. He is not great at fielding any position and yet put on a small exhibition last night at short, normal one of his weaker positions. He plays a solid third and first and a weak second. Overall I usually prefer a really good glove as my utility infielder but with injuries, age and seriously long hitting droughts, I am happy to have a decent fielder with a decent bat. I think he is a good fit for the Yanks this year and could be a starter on a team getting nothing out of third. Once he got his glasses, his hitting eye did improve. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2008, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-thread-august-2008/458489/54 "2008-08-08T22:54:05Z")
I BELIEVE!!! [Cubs win in the 11th against the Cards](http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=280808116). Two solos by Edmonds and the Cubs cut down Cardinal runners at the plate TWICE (fifth and sixth innings), as well as throwing out Pujols stealing 2d in the 10th. Tampa’s an interesting story, but the Cubs are gonna rock the baseball world this year. 100 years of futility END. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2008, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-thread-august-2008/458489/55 "2008-08-11T20:15:31Z")
D-backs pick up Adam Dunn! Nice move, we need some more offense. ---
**Author:** ![storyteller0910](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecae2f/32.png) [@storyteller0910](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/storyteller0910)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2008, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-thread-august-2008/458489/56 "2008-08-11T20:25:25Z")
[QUOTE=dalej42] D-backs pick up Adam Dunn! Nice move, we need some more offense. [/QUOTE] Wow. OK, is someone going to come in and defend this one from the Reds perspective? The guy coming back to Cincy, Dallas Burk, is 24 years old and pitches in Single A, so that gives you an idea of how much of a prospect he really is. That’s what they got for Adam Dunn? That’s it? Nobody would have topped that? I don’t get it. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2008, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-thread-august-2008/458489/57 "2008-08-11T20:29:58Z")
Needless to say, this was a depressing weekend for Yankee fans. The Division title looks nearly unreachable now and the Wild Card spot will be tough. ---
**Author:** ![Hawkeyeop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/958977/32.png) [@Hawkeyeop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hawkeyeop)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2008, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-thread-august-2008/458489/58 "2008-08-11T20:33:23Z")
[QUOTE=storyteller0910] Wow. OK, is someone going to come in and defend this one from the Reds perspective? The guy coming back to Cincy, Dallas Burk, is 24 years old and pitches in Single A, so that gives you an idea of how much of a prospect he really is. That’s what they got for Adam Dunn? That’s it? Nobody would have topped that? I don’t get it. [/QUOTE] Well, at this point they had to deal him to Arizona or keep him. Still it begs the questions why not trade him before the deadline, and why didn’t the Mets make an offer good enough to have Dunn patrolling left in Shea. ---
**Author:** ![storyteller0910](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecae2f/32.png) [@storyteller0910](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/storyteller0910)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2008, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-thread-august-2008/458489/59 "2008-08-11T20:37:18Z")
[QUOTE=Hawkeyeop] Well, at this point they had to deal him to Arizona or keep him. Still it begs the questions why not trade him before the deadline, and why didn’t the Mets make an offer good enough to have Dunn patrolling left in Shea. [/QUOTE] You would think they could have done better than a 24-year-old right hander coming off Tommy John Surgery who’d never thrown a pitch in anger above Single A. If the Mets wouldn’t have topped the D-Backs offer in this season, with Nick Evans, Endy Chavez, and Marlon Anderson chewing up big tasty gobs of at bats in left field, then Omar Minaya is stupid. Of course, I’m on record as not understanding the urgency to trade the man in the first place. He’s a great hitter with patience and power who is only 28 years old; a four-year contract at market rate wouldn’t have been a bad investment, if Dunn produces a .900+ OPS every year until he’s 32 (and I wouldn’t bet against it). If you get a good prospect for him, and you feel you can’t afford a one dimensional outfielder, OK. But this? Whew. ---
**Author:** ![mazinger\_z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@mazinger\_z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mazinger_z)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2008, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-thread-august-2008/458489/60 "2008-08-11T21:33:45Z")
White Sox are still in first, but I don’t think it will last that much longer now with Contreras hurt. Ugh, the Sox need a fifth starter. I like Carasco, but apparently he doesn’t pitch more than 3 innings, like 1 on average. Griffey was good, but he seems to have mellowed out. Sox batting needs to get hot if they want to make any sort of run into the post season. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-thread-august-2008/458489.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-thread-august-2008/458489.md?page=4)