The Tigers have been on the brink of making an important move about 5 times this year. They failed every opportunity but not badly enough to be mortal. One run games are anathema to us. Jones failed to close 3 times in the last 10 days and has been demoted. May be too little ,too late.
Buddha, I think. It’s a very zen game.
The Mets want his bat in the lineup, but I’m not sure any team wants Manny in the outfield. 
You know, I was surprised to see Sidney Ponson pitching last night. Has this guy ever been good? It seems like he should have good stuff, and I recall him having decent months (decent being 3.50 ERA and a 3-1 record), but overall he’s very hittable and often gets creamed.
Why is he wearing a Yankee uniform? It doesn’t really fit other than 3 Yankee starters being out. You’d think they’d call up some kids to see how they’d do in the show.
He’s not a horrible outfielder by any stretch when he’s focused. He’s got a great arm (very underrated) and makes good catches all the time. But it’s that .1% of the time that he’s flaking out that hurts him.
The Red Sox said they’d pay a huge chunk of his salary in trade for prospects in return and no one’s biting. I wonder what that’s about. Is it really age? Is it the weird mood swings?
He’s an odd bird, he make plays that will knock your socks off and then other times it seems like he forgets he’s in the middle of the game.
DudleyGarrett, Ponson has always been a disappointment to every team he has been with. However, until last night, he has pitched well enough for the Yanks to win every game he started. He has been a competent stop gap while waiting for Kennedy, Karstens and Hughes to make their way back. Karstens just got traded so the Yanks are down to Kennedy getting close and a virtually unknown 25 year old Mexican Alfredo Aceves who only has three starts in AAA so far. So Ponson will get a few more starts to erase last night’s debacle.
I think you will admit, that better pitchers than Ponson have been embarrassed by the Red Sox.
All that said, the Yanks are still seriously talking to Seattle about Washburn. Not that I would expect him to fair well in Fenway, but he should do well at Yankee Stadium.
Jim
Yeah, I think the Yankees need a veteran anchor in the rotation. Washburn may be a good fit, but I wonder if he’ll get overwhelmed with the perceived high expectations of playing in New York.
Re: Ponson. Yeah, I always recalled him throwing hard and showing some promise but never delivering. I haven’t been following baseball as closely this year as years passed, so I didn’t know about Ponson actually having success in NY. I just assumed the Yankees’ great play of late was due to offense and bullpen. Shows what I know!
So last night my Cubbies managed to shut down CC Sabathia (well, as far as he can be shut down) leading us into a first game 6-4 win against the Brewers and tonight we get Zambrano facing Sheets. God I love baseball. Last nights game was just about as perfect a game as anyone could hope for. Thankfully Derrek “6-4-3” Lee had his double play ball broken up by Reed “My Respect is Growing Daily” Johnson or else we would have been in deeper doo doo.
Now if I can just figure out how a finger blister can put Kerry Wood on the DL for two weeks…a finger blister.
Chris Carpenter starts tonight for the Cards in Atlanta.
[singing choir]Hallelujah![/singing choir]
Thudlow! cards!, Cardinals fans from the four corners of the Dope! Can I get an Amen!?
Amen!
(Or at least a tentative amen, until I see that the long-awaited return of Chris Carpenter goes more successfully than the long-awaited return of Mark Mulder did.)
And while there’s good reason for there to be much rejoicing in St. Louis these days, we managed to spank Ben Sheets last night and good. This is a huge series for the Cubs and we’ve spoken. Brewers? What Brewers?
Do not tempt the Evil One!
By the way – and I know I have an unhealthy obsession with Yadier Molina – but isn’t Molina having a heck of a year? Hitting .307, striking out once every 16.1 at-bats (best in MLB), and gunning down runners (picked off a guy at third last night). Kinda wish he’d hit a few more HRs, but the guy has developed into a fine all-around player. And he’s still pretty young (26). I just love the guy.
Yadi! Yadi! Yadi!
Would someone please tell the Diamondbacks to quit worrying about matching the Dodgers and just lose outright? We’d sure appreciate it – thanks!
Not going to happen. I hope Micah Owings hurries back to the rotation, but we’re playing much better now. Perhaps you can become a fan of the Angels, they’re looking very much like the AL World Series team right now.
Are you trying to make me ill? If the Dodgers don’t win the World Series this year, I’ll be forced to attend a Dodger game next year in full Angels gear as a result of losing a bet. I am no fan of the Angels, sir.
Amen, brother, Amen!
Let us pray for a better outcome than Mulder.
There you go, tempting the Evil One again. BTW, is Mulder’s career done? It sounded like it after his last start, but I haven’t heard the final word, if there is one.
And, as another aside, does anybody else think Carpenter looks a little like Leo Fitzpatrick, who played a luckless junkie on The Wire?
Pudge to the Yankees. That was unexpected.
Pudge for Farnsworth. They are both playing out the end of their contracts.
I guess Bruney has a spot in the bullpen now.
This was out of the blue and surprises the heck out of me.