Actually, it was Dick Dietz who was at the plate. Hunt was his teammate that year. I believe Hunt said something like “He stood there just like a post and didn’t move when the pitch came in”–which, knowing Hunt, would have been said approvingly.
Aroldis Chapman is too good
it’s unfair
It’s unfair he’s stuck on a crappy team, yes. And it’s gonna get worse when they deal Cueto.
And Thom Brennaman keeps playing homer, to the extent of essentially saying that Brandon Phillips (who, to be fair, made an unbelievable play last night against the Cubs) should be the Gold Glove winner every single season ever, even if others have a better fielding percentage and/or fewer errors than Phillips. He said something to the extent of “no offense to Darwin Barney or DJ LeMahieu, but Brandon Phillips should win the Gold Glove every year.”
It’s one thing to praise a player for a highlight reel play, and Phillips does this with stunning regularity. But to disrespect the other players by saying that there shouldn’t even be a contest, that the award should automatically go to Phillips, seems to me to be a bit over the top. I know that Brennaman is supposed to be somewhat biased, as a Reds announcer. And I’m sure he still has issues with being passed over in Chicago in favor of Chip Carey. But he goes a bit too far, in my opinion.
Imagine the return they could get if they packaged Chapman and Cueto. Chapman could be a FA after 2016 and he’ll be 29 years old going into the 2017 season. Very few teams would have the assets to even suggest such a thing.
The Red Sox looked like they were getting it together before the break, but that was a four-game sweep in Anaheim with only 4 runs on the board. I’m ready to say they’ll be sellers at the deadline - Victorino and Napoli are in their last contract years, and could add some Veteran Presence to a contender, for instance. Maybe somebody would take Bradley, too. The pitching they gotta keep for now, though.
Three out of four years in last place, with only a World Series championship to break up the dreadfulness …
Isn’t this the kind of thing that all announcers say about their teams, and everyone listening knows to take with a grain of salt?
Normally, I expect a little bias in my sportscasts. Especially when I’m listening to Joe Buck, who think that every person in a Cardinals uniform shits diamonds out of a platinum asshole.
But Brennamen went past rational discourse, and past homerism, with the way he was slobbering all over Brandon Phillips’ knob last night. As I said, he made an outstanding play. But TB was so over the top about it that it would have been almost comical if it wasn’t pathetic. His contention was basically that Brandon Phillips is so good, he never makes spectacular plays, because they’re all routine to him.
I’m a Cub fan, grew up listening to Harry Carey, so I know about homerism in my baseball. But I think this was the most blatant bit of denial about anyone other than the home player that I have personally ever heard
Yep, up until that sweep it looked like the Sox might be able to contend. I don’t think any one of the three you mentioned would bring much of a return. I would have been willing to see what Buchholz would fetch, but I doubt there will be any buyers interested in him now, even if he comes back soon.
I’ll never understand what the Sox saw in Rick Porcello to give him $20M.
They might get something for Koji, even at his age and with a year left.
Back in the April thread I seem to recall some Red Sox fan raving about how wonderful the Porcello deal was–not just getting him, but giving him the extension, how he was being locked up for his prime years and all like that…
Am guessing it wasn’t you, huh? 
Yes, I remember at least one commenter being happy that the Sox locked up Porcello for his prime years. I think I stayed quiet at the time, but I remember thinking that money could have gone to Lester. I did, however, express strong concerns about the Panda. This past offseason ranks among the worst for the Red Sox. Maybe not as bad as the offseason of 1918/1919, but it’s up there.
This afternoon, on the other hand…
ugh Cubs go no-hit today for the first time since 1965
this is the worst day of my life 
You must have had a very pleasant life.
Wait a minute—I thought he was a Cubs fan.
Aside from being a Cubs fan, of course. Even so, surely a no-hitter isn’t the worst thing Cubs fans have had to endure.
The Royals acquire Reds ace Johnny Cueto. It’s unknown at the time who the Royals give up, though Brandon Finnegan is likely the biggest piece of the puzzle. Lots of rumors flying around, including it being Finnegan, Bubba Starling, and either John Lamb or Sean Manaea. That’s a lot of prospects, but Cueto is a dominant Game 1 starter. It doesn’t leave a lot of room if the Royals want to pursue Ben Zobrist - do they have to include Herrera in trade talks at that point? Dozier and/or Cuthbert?
Nice to see the Mets show some offense yesterday, but I still see them as finishing near .500.
Too bad the owners are too cheap/broke to have gone after the better hitters on the market.