# Baseball Thread September 2008 **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [September 4, 2008, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-thread-september-2008/461994 "2008-09-04T15:20:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-thread-september-2008/461994/41 "2008-09-05T20:44:27Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > Once the D-backs sweep the Dodgers, we’ll take the NL West division win on to a World Series victory. Dude, you’ve **got** to cut back on the cough syrup. It’s making you delusional again. 😃 ---
**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:** [September 5, 2008, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-thread-september-2008/461994/42 "2008-09-05T20:45:30Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Dude, you’ve **got** to cut back on the cough syrup. It’s making you delusional again. 😃 Let him enjoy his fantasies for now. Reality is going to hit him hard enough this weekend as is. ---
**Author:** ![Ichbin\_Dubist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/51bf81/32.png) [@Ichbin\_Dubist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ichbin_Dubist)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-thread-september-2008/461994/43 "2008-09-05T20:46:43Z")
> [@Jello](#): > > I have a (perfectly rational, I assure you) hatred of Francoeur, so in a season like this, when the difference between first and (ugh) fourth place is greater than the difference between a lousy right fielder and a good one, I’m happy to watch him suffer. Well, as a Mets fan, I’m pretty unobjective about current crop of Braves (though I dig McCann). Why do you hate Francoeur? And hey! It looks like Mike Hampton is on track to pitch more innings than he has since 2004! Not that it’s hard: Year … IP 2005 … 69.3 2006 … 0 2007 … 0 2008 … 46.0 ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-thread-september-2008/461994/44 "2008-09-05T22:12:39Z")
> [@Asimovian](#): > > Let him enjoy his fantasies for now. Reality is going to hit him hard enough this weekend as is. The only thing getting hit hard this weekend will be the Dodgers pitching staff!😃 ---
**Author:** ![Jello](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f05b48/32.png) [@Jello](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jello)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-thread-september-2008/461994/45 "2008-09-05T23:06:17Z")
> [@Ichbin\_Dubist](#): > > Well, as a Mets fan, I’m pretty unobjective about current crop of Braves (though I dig McCann). Why do you hate Francoeur? > > And hey! It looks like Mike Hampton is on track to pitch more innings than he has since 2004! Not that it’s hard: > > Year … IP > 2005 … 69.3 > 2006 … 0 > 2007 … 0 > 2008 … 46.0 Oh yeah, I forgot all about Hampton. I was trying so hard to keep my thoughts away from anything involving the disabled list that I neglected to remember the one guy who came _off_ the list this year. Another positive - his contract ends this fall. To be fair to Francoeur, when I first started disliking him it was mostly in reaction to the fans who thought he was the best new Brave since David Justice. But he’s shown an inability to learn from his mistakes and improve as a player in a way that’s eerily reminiscent of Andruw Jones’s problems beginning last year. He still doesn’t walk very often, and has no clue how to work a count - he’s always behind, and even when he finds a way to get it to 2-0, which is surprisingly rare, he still has trouble working it to his advantage. Like a lot of the fans, he still thinks he’s as good as we thought he was in 2005 - witness his pouting when we sent him down to the minors in July for an all-too-short visit to correct his swing and psychology. He’s also a fundie. I can forgive that in John Smoltz, since he’s been so good for so long, but everyone else has a lot of work to do to overcome my prejudices. (Not that I imagine they care too much about that.) That said, I hope the team doesn’t sell low on him and trade him this off-season unless they’re sure he’s done for, which isn’t a complete certainty. There are several outfield prospects who’ll be ready by 2010, if not next year, and once they come along I’ll be more than happy to see Francoeur go. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-thread-september-2008/461994/46 "2008-09-05T23:23:49Z")
> [@Jello](#): > > Oh yeah, I forgot all about Hampton. I was trying so hard to keep my thoughts away from anything involving the disabled list that I neglected to remember the one guy who came _off_ the list this year. Another positive - his contract ends this fall. Yeah, that’ll make room for his logical replacement - Carl Pavano. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Jello](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f05b48/32.png) [@Jello](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jello)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-thread-september-2008/461994/47 "2008-09-05T23:41:51Z")
Fortunately, Atlanta suffers more from bad luck than GM incompetence. I doubt the Braves intend to go after anyone with even a hint of injury risk, which probably means they’ll pass on Ben Sheets, too. A much more likely scenario, in my opinion, is that they sign a known innings-eater (Derek Lowe?) who starts to feel extremely minor discomfort in his arm during spring training, goes to James Andrews to check on it, just to be safe, and ends up having to have it amputated. It’s too bad Bill Bavasi got fired. If he hadn’t, Pavano would be a perfect fit for the Mariners. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2008, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-thread-september-2008/461994/48 "2008-09-06T02:47:22Z")
Diamondback, Diamondbacks, Diamondbacks. What are you doing to me? This is not the way we need to start this series. Yet another weak outing from Dan Haren. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2008, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-thread-september-2008/461994/49 "2008-09-06T02:49:46Z")
Fuck it. I can’t even get the board to let me post a grin. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2008, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-thread-september-2008/461994/50 "2008-09-06T03:12:33Z")
Hmmm … Seattle’s Brandon Morrow has a no-hitter through 4 against the Yankees … 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2008, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-thread-september-2008/461994/51 "2008-09-06T03:25:14Z")
> [@Mister\_Rik](#): > > Hmmm … Seattle’s Brandon Morrow has a no-hitter through 4 against the Yankees … > > 😉 Five innings … ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2008, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-thread-september-2008/461994/52 "2008-09-06T03:57:29Z")
Typical. Now the Jays are eating up the teams that have to win to keep the Red Sox and Yankees out of the playoffs. Since Cito Gaston took over as manager the Jays are playing .600 ball. That’s what we get for J.P. Ricciardi keeping his old buddy on as manager long after it was obvious he was a loser. Christ, Ricciardi needs to be fired. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2008, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-thread-september-2008/461994/53 "2008-09-06T04:13:59Z")
Dang, Morrow lost the no-no with 2 outs in the 8th ☹ Still, pretty damned impressive for his first Major League start 🙂 ---
**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:** [September 6, 2008, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-thread-september-2008/461994/54 "2008-09-06T04:17:20Z")
> [@Mister\_Rik](#): > > Dang, Morrow lost the no-no with 2 outs in the 8th ☹ > > Still, pretty damned impressive for his first Major League start 🙂 “It ain’t over until it’s over” ---
**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:** [September 6, 2008, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-thread-september-2008/461994/55 "2008-09-06T04:35:20Z")
It’s over and the Yanks are fading fast now. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2008, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-thread-september-2008/461994/56 "2008-09-06T06:39:56Z")
For the D-backs, tonight looked like it was over. We need to come back and win the next two. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2008, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-thread-september-2008/461994/57 "2008-09-06T14:16:41Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > It’s over and the Yanks are fading fast now. ☹ Dude, it was over when they let the Blue Jays beat them. The Yankees were 7 behind on Sept. 1. If I am not mistaken, **no team in the entire history of baseball has ever come back from seven games or more on the first of September.** If you also have to pass more than one other team, it just cannot be done. At this point they’re in a dogfight just to finish third. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2008, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-thread-september-2008/461994/58 "2008-09-06T15:13:58Z")
In a miracle, Fox is actually televising the Diamondbacks/Dodgers game today. I thought for sure we’d get the East Coast game. D-backs need to take these last two. ---
**Author:** ![Hawkeyeop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/958977/32.png) [@Hawkeyeop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hawkeyeop)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2008, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-thread-september-2008/461994/59 "2008-09-06T15:28:20Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > The Yankees were 7 behind on Sept. 1. If I am not mistaken, **no team in the entire history of baseball has ever come back from seven games or more on the first of September.** If you also have to pass more than one other team, it just cannot be done. You can blow 7 game leads past Sept 1st. I would know… ---
**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:** [September 6, 2008, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-thread-september-2008/461994/60 "2008-09-06T15:40:58Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Dude, it was over when they let the Blue Jays beat them. > > The Yankees were 7 behind on Sept. 1. If I am not mistaken, **no team in the entire history of baseball has ever come back from seven games or more on the first of September.** If you also have to pass more than one other team, it just cannot be done. > > At this point they’re in a dogfight just to finish third. How far back were the Phillies last year in September? Look leave me my delusions. 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-thread-september-2008/461994.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-thread-september-2008/461994.md?page=4)