# MLB: April 2011 **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [April 1, 2011, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april-2011/576712 "2011-04-01T02:42:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 15
**Author:** ![Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2011, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april-2011/576712/281 "2011-04-18T00:22:38Z")
Joe Nathan has been majorly unimpressive for the Twins in the closer role, and has been (temporarily? permanently?) replaced by Matt Capps. Ryan Franklin has been, if anything, worse for the Cardinals. He has one save in five opportunities–that’s right, he’s blown four, including today’s game, all games that the Cardinals went on to lose. The Cards are 8-8; they’d be 12 and 4 if he’d nailed down all five of those games, 11 and 5 if he’d blown just one. Not a good year for closers along the Mississippi. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2011, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april-2011/576712/282 "2011-04-18T00:43:18Z")
> [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](#): > > Not a good year for closers along the Mississippi. The Rockies have started out like a house afire, but closer Huston Street has the most deceptive stats in baseball. He leads the league with six saves in six opportunities and has a low ERA, but he has been anything but impressive. Today he got in some work in the ninth with a four run lead, and what happened was a line single, a really hard liner to shortstop that resulted in the runner getting doubled off first, followed by another liner smoked down the third base line that was snared on a great diving play by Jose Lopez. Street really worries me. ---
**Author:** ![Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2011, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april-2011/576712/283 "2011-04-18T01:18:54Z")
> [@Lamar\_Mundane](#): > > The Rockies have started out like a house afire, but closer Huston Street has the most deceptive stats in baseball. He leads the league with six saves in six opportunities and has a low ERA, but he has been anything but impressive. Maybe it’s open season on closers in general. (Closed season on openers?? Never mind.) Actually, I think it’s worse for Street than you’re suggesting. Didn’t he have a game against the Mets in which he got hit so hard in the ninth that they had to pull him? I think the Rockies held on to win anyway, so it didn’t count as a blown save, but 6 saves out of 7 opps seems more accurate than 6 out of 6. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2011, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april-2011/576712/284 "2011-04-18T01:59:22Z")
> [@MOIDALIZE](#): > > Manny Acta deserves major props. This is the first Indians team I can remember in a long time that came out ready to play in April. Maybe there was even less talent in Washington for him to work with than it appeared. I understand Grady Sizemore is looking good in Columbus on rehab, too, right? ---
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2011, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april-2011/576712/285 "2011-04-18T02:28:02Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Maybe there was even less talent in Washington for him to work with than it appeared. > > I understand Grady Sizemore is looking good in Columbus on rehab, too, right? He looked even better cracking a home run and a double in his first game back. ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2011, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april-2011/576712/286 "2011-04-18T15:22:13Z")
Acta’s problem in D.C. was that his managerial philosophy is to let players work themselves out of their problems. But when the talent level is as thin as it was, you can’t afford to have a couple slumping hitters out there every day, and Acta would never bench anybody in favor of someone who might hit the ball. –Cliffy ---
**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:** [April 18, 2011, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april-2011/576712/287 "2011-04-18T18:13:04Z")
> [@Mister\_Rik](#): > > Rookie starter Michael Pineda continues to impress: 6 innings, 1 run, and according to the announcer during the game, he’s the first pitcher since somebody whose name I now cannot recall in 1980 or '81 to start his career with three consecutive quality starts. I’m not sure if that’s “first _Mariner_ pitcher since…” or “first _Major League pitcher_ since…”, and the game recap on the M’s site doesn’t mention it. Okay, the story on the Mariners’ site has been updated, and includes the following: > [@](#): > > Pineda (2-1) has 40 percent of the Mariners’ wins and became just the second pitcher in club history to record a quality start in each of his first three career outings – joining Bob Stoddard in 1981. So yeah, club thing, not MLB thing. ---
**Author:** ![KennerTheGreat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a8b319/32.png) [@KennerTheGreat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KennerTheGreat)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2011, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april-2011/576712/288 "2011-04-18T18:57:31Z")
The Jays have [traded David Purcey](http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110418&content_id=17941760&vkey=news_tor&c_id=tor) to Oakland for RHP Daniel Farquhar. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2011, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april-2011/576712/289 "2011-04-18T19:46:48Z")
The Red Sox have awoken! Finally. Check out Dice-K’s last two game lines: ```auto IP H R ER BB SO HR 2.0 8 7 7 2 2 2 7.0 1 0 0 1 3 0 ``` It’s like having Two-Face on your pitching staff. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2011, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april-2011/576712/290 "2011-04-19T00:19:58Z")
It’s maddening. Every time you’re ready to deport the guy, he turns in a beautiful game like today’s. Then it’s half a dozen more where he pretty much just tosses BP. Maybe adjusting his throwing schedule is starting to pay off now, or maybe it’s the same old story with him once again. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2011, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april-2011/576712/291 "2011-04-19T01:40:31Z")
Wonder if [Mike Leake](http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110418&content_id=17944298&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb) is trying to give the Reds a similar reputation to the Bengals. This guy got a signing bonus of two and a quarter million dollars, and earns over $400K a year at age 23, and he feels the need to steal t-shirts from Macy’s. Nice one, chump. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2011, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april-2011/576712/292 "2011-04-19T02:26:15Z")
That Leake story is just strange. Taking tags off of $10 T shirts? I thought that was something that a 15 year old boy might do. I wonder if there is some sort of mental illness involved? ---
**Author:** ![Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2011, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april-2011/576712/293 "2011-04-19T03:44:16Z")
> [@Skammer](#): > > Check out Dice-K’s last two game lines: > > ```auto > > IP H R ER BB SO HR > 2.0 8 7 7 2 2 2 > 7.0 1 0 0 1 3 0 > > ``` > > It’s like having Two-Face on your pitching staff. Couple of others with similar Jekyll/Hyde stat lines in their most recent 2-game span: Cliff Lee, Phillies: 3.1 IP, 10 H, **6 R, all earned** , 1 walk, just 3 Ks 9 IP, 3 H, **0 runs** , 1 walk, 12 Ks Chris Carpenter, Cardinals: 4 IP, 8 H, **8 R, all earned** , walked 3, struck out 4 7 IP, 5 H, **0 runs** , 0 walks, 6 Ks Fun stuff. I was in the park for Lee’s 3.1 IP game, and the Braves were just hitting the tar out of the ball…guess that wasn’t the case in the three-hit shutout. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2011, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april-2011/576712/294 "2011-04-19T11:16:11Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > Wonder if [Mike Leake](http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110418&content_id=17944298&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb) is trying to give the Reds a similar reputation to the Bengals. > > This guy got a signing bonus of two and a quarter million dollars, and earns over $400K a year at age 23, and he feels the need to steal t-shirts from Macy’s. > > Nice one, chump. > [@dalej42](#): > > That Leake story is just strange. Taking tags off of $10 T shirts? I thought that was something that a 15 year old boy might do. I wonder if there is some sort of mental illness involved? Yeah, I don’t know what the hell he was thinking. As if the Reds need any more pitching issues after dropping 3 of 4 to the freaking Pirates at home. _sigh_ ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2011, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april-2011/576712/295 "2011-04-20T01:33:28Z")
Corey Patterson is Exhibit A that being fast doesn’t make you a good baserunner. My God, he’s bad out there. ---
**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:** [April 20, 2011, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april-2011/576712/296 "2011-04-20T10:43:59Z")
Tough loss for the Yankees last night. It’s still a shock when Rivera blows a save after all these years. It was a good game though. ---
**Author:** ![Club\_33](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@Club\_33](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Club_33)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2011, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april-2011/576712/297 "2011-04-20T22:37:07Z")
Interesting. MLB has just [taken control](http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/04/20/major-league-baseball-takes-control-of-dodgers/?hpt=T2) of the Dodgers. ---
**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:** [April 20, 2011, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april-2011/576712/298 "2011-04-20T23:03:52Z")
> [@Club\_33](#): > > Interesting. MLB has just [taken control](http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/04/20/major-league-baseball-takes-control-of-dodgers/?hpt=T2) of the Dodgers. I was originally dismayed because I didn’t want to be classified with the Expos. But, honestly, right now, it’s hard to see a downside to having control taken away from McCourt. Let’s pray that he and his ex are forced to sell the team so we can get on with some actual baseball in this town. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2011, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april-2011/576712/299 "2011-04-20T23:46:45Z")
Don’t worry, everything will be all right now. Bud Selig’s in charge. ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2011, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april-2011/576712/300 "2011-04-20T23:52:49Z")
VERY happy that Selig took over. Only question is, what took him so fricking long? Since last year in the divorce court, where the pre-pre nuptial was overturned, Frank McCourt looked like he was hiding money all over the place. The year ended with NO trade talks for anyone, yet the Dodgers were still well under the salary cap. Now Frank gets a $30 million personal loan from FOX, claiming it’s to meet team payroll?? Who believes this crock, is maybe what Selig thought. Paging Mark Cuban and his checkbook. 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april-2011/576712.md?page=14) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april-2011/576712.md?page=16)