# MLB: July **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [July 1, 2014, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-july/692097 "2014-07-01T14:40:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2014, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-july/692097/161 "2014-07-17T23:42:33Z")
FOX got flak for not mentioning Tony Gwynn during the ASG so their defense is that they didn’t want to single out one guy. I guess the 100 (somebody counted) times they mentioned “Derek Jeter” didn’t give them enough time to talk about Gwynn once. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2014, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-july/692097/162 "2014-07-18T00:10:09Z")
> [@Southern\_Yankee](#): > > Can someone explain to me why the Yankees’ farm system is so barren? This isn’t the 1980s when they made a maddening habit of trading away prospects for aging, suspect “name” players. Their farm system produced some great players in the 90s, but it’s been awful the past 10-15 years. Is it just their philosophy to say they’ll go out and get free agents and screw the whole “building from within” concept? Or are they bereft of any decent talent scouts? I’m looking at Keith Law’s Top 50 prospects list and they 1 player on it (#46.) You’d think there’d be at least one person with influence in the front office who remembers how Gene Michael built the team that won 4 WS in the 90s. It’s pretty simple: Cashman isn’t a very good GM. There are other factors, of course, like low draft picks and picks lost to free-agent signings. And they have traded away some quality prospects like Austin Jackson and Jesus Montero, but since Cano debuted in 2004 they have produced just one starting position player on the current team: Brett Gardner. Cashman has done a bit better with pitching, despite the disappointing Hughes and Chamberlain. He should have done an overhaul of the farm system years ago. This topic makes me wonder what ever happened to Bellhorn? ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2014, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-july/692097/163 "2014-07-18T02:59:07Z")
> [@Superdude](#): > > No argument, **mhendo** , though I was mistakenly thinking that the sabremetrics went the other way regarding his defense. I DO wonder if someone will vote against him for the HoF. They’ve never elected anyone unanimously. I’d bet my entire income on it. Some idiot always has an excuse. The funny thing about Jeter’s defense is that, at least to me, he self evidently doesn’t even LOOK good defensively. In his prime his one strength was going back on short popups - which is consistent with his being very fast - but his range to his right wasn’t good and to his left was terrible, and his hands and arm were ordinary. But hey, he’s played like a zillion games, hit the hell out of the ball, and has played an entire season’s worth of playoff games in which he has hit .308 with 20 homers. So sure, get the plaque ready, he deserves it. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c57346/32.png) [@Little\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Pig)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2014, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-july/692097/164 "2014-07-18T10:13:55Z")
Did they throw Lollipops to Jeter in the all Star Game? ---
**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:** [July 19, 2014, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-july/692097/165 "2014-07-19T03:37:18Z")
Well, apparently Mike Leake did tonight. I really wanted the Reds to come out and make a statement in the absence of Votto and more worryingly, Phillips (for his defense) and they were flat despite Yankee errors and two home runs from our backup catcher. Le sigh. The Yanks are going to face the indefatigable Alfredo Simon, who’s having a career year after being a journeyman reliever for…well, EVER, and then our ace Cueto in the finale of the series. The next two games should be interesting. The Redleggers rarely play very well in interleague, let alone in Yankee Stadium so them winning the next two would be huge. Going to be a tall order for both Reds starting pitching and Yankee batters. ---
**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:** [July 19, 2014, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-july/692097/166 "2014-07-19T05:39:59Z")
> [@](#): > > The Angels and Padres have agreed to a six-player trade that will send All-Star closer Huston Street to Los Angeles, sources told ESPN Baseball Insider Jim Bowden on Friday. Wow. [Link](http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/mlb/story/_/id/11233461/los-angeles-angels-nearing-deal-huston-street-san-diego-padres) ---
**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:** [July 20, 2014, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-july/692097/167 "2014-07-20T04:04:15Z")
I have a hard time figuring out “baseball etiquette” sometimes. Like today’s [Colby-Colby squabble](http://espn.go.com/dallas/mlb/story/_/id/11237346/colby-lewis-texas-rangers-problem-colby-rasmus-bunt) during the Rangers-Blue Jays game. Texas pitcher Colby Lewis gets upset when, during the 5th inning of a game Toronto is leading 2-0, Jays batter Colby Rasmus lays down a two-out bunt to beat the infield shift and winds up with a single. According to Lewis, that was a selfish act by Rasmus just to boost his batting average, the proof being that Rasmus didn’t try to steal second to get into scoring position).\* Hello? Toronto was only up two runs at the time. Their batter shouldn’t bunt to get on base in a close game, because your feelings will be hurt? Grow up. \*Rasmus has stolen all of 24 bases in 7.5 years in the major leagues. ---
**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:** [July 20, 2014, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-july/692097/168 "2014-07-20T04:34:41Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > I have a hard time figuring out “baseball etiquette” sometimes. Like today’s [Colby-Colby squabble](http://espn.go.com/dallas/mlb/story/_/id/11237346/colby-lewis-texas-rangers-problem-colby-rasmus-bunt) during the Rangers-Blue Jays game. Colby Lewis is a fucking moron, and most of the “etiquette” disputes in baseball are the result of idiotic man-children engaged in stupid pissing contests. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2014, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-july/692097/169 "2014-07-20T05:39:33Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > Colby Lewis is a fucking moron, and most of the “etiquette” disputes in baseball are the result of idiotic man-children engaged in stupid pissing contests. Amen. ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2014, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-july/692097/170 "2014-07-20T05:41:56Z")
If you don’t like it, don’t play the shift. If you’re going to play a defence that essentially concedes a hit, you shouldn’t be pissed off that the hitter takes the gift rather than being stupid enough to hit into the teeth of your defence. ---
**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:** [July 20, 2014, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-july/692097/171 "2014-07-20T06:18:24Z")
> [@Rysto](#): > > If you don’t like it, don’t play the shift. If you’re going to play a defence that essentially concedes a hit, you shouldn’t be pissed off that the hitter takes the gift rather than being stupid enough to hit into the teeth of your defence. Exactly. Bunting to beat the shift is no more a violation of baseball etiquette than the shift itself. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2014, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-july/692097/172 "2014-07-20T11:47:35Z")
You could _almost_ make the argument that one shouldn’t bunt to break up a no-hitter or a [perfect game](http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/05/27/10-years-later-bob-brenly-still-bitter-about-ben-davis-bunt/). But in the game linked, Schilling was five outs away from a perfect game, leading 2-0. Ben Davis of the Padres, a catcher, bunted, mostly because 2B Jay Bell was playing deeper than normal, because Davis wasn’t known for bunting. Schilling and manager Bob Brenly were both surprised, because the “unwritten rules” say that you shouldn’t bunt that late in a no-hitter or perfect game. Mark Grace defended the bunt, saying that the score was 2-0 at the time, and Davis’ bunt allowed the tying run to come to the plate. The Diamondbacks went on to win the game 3-1. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2014, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-july/692097/173 "2014-07-20T14:30:19Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > Colby Lewis is a fucking moron, and most of the “etiquette” disputes in baseball are the result of idiotic man-children engaged in stupid pissing contests. What I’ve noticed about these “unwritten rules” is that the definitions keep expanding. In this case I am absolutely, totally shocked Lewis had a problem with that, even if he happens to be an idiot. Some “unwritten rules” are this way/that way. But this case is absolutely black and white; Rasmus used the shift to get on base in a close game. It was a perfectly logical and reasonable thing to do; he saw an opportunity to hit a single and took it. It would appear the universal consensus is that Lewis is a doofus (or, more likely, just immensely angry and frustrated at him and his team having a terrible season.) I can’t find a single example of anyone supporting him. ---
**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:** [July 20, 2014, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-july/692097/174 "2014-07-20T14:32:59Z")
Sure hope Mr. Lewis never throws anybody a changeup. Or a curve. Sure hope he understands that doing so would just be an attempt to improve his ERA and his WHIP. Of course, his ERA is currently 6.37. so maybe he could use a little selfishness. (a 6.37 ERA for someone still in the STARTING ROTATION for a major league team is by any standard a much greater violation of baseball “etiquette” than someone bunting) ---
**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:** [July 20, 2014, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-july/692097/175 "2014-07-20T14:46:49Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > It would appear the universal consensus is that Lewis is a doofus (or, more likely, just immensely angry and frustrated at him and his team having a terrible season.) I can’t find a single example of anyone supporting him. Yeah, he does seem to be an outlier. In many of these “unwritten rules” incidents, there will usually be a number of journalists and commentators making the case that the player has, in fact, done something not in the spirit of the game. In this case, though, pretty much everyone is saying something along the lines of, “Colby Lewis needs to learn how baseball works.” ---
**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:** [July 21, 2014, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-july/692097/176 "2014-07-21T01:00:18Z")
Damn it Reds. You had an opportunity to come out of the break strong and on the right foot and instead get swept by the damn Yanks and propelled yourself into fourth place in the NLC and now the Yanks are in second place in the ALE. Good job Reds, good job. ---
**Author:** ![leftfield6](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leftfield6/32/18780_2.png) [@leftfield6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leftfield6)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2014, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-july/692097/177 "2014-07-21T01:07:03Z")
So I’m a Braves fan. Sunday night game is Dodgers-Cardinals. :smack: God, I can’t go for either one of these teams. ---
**Author:** ![P-man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/p-man/32/3606_2.png) [@P-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/P-man)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2014, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-july/692097/178 "2014-07-21T01:53:25Z")
> [@leftfield6](#): > > So I’m a Braves fan. Sunday night game is Dodgers-Cardinals. > > :smack: > > God, I can’t go for either one of these teams. I’m a Nationals fan. Looks like it may go down to the wire in the NL East. And why do the Nats turn into a AAA team against the Braves when they played them tough during the lean years? ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2014, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-july/692097/179 "2014-07-21T11:24:02Z")
> [@leftfield6](#): > > So I’m a Braves fan. Sunday night game is Dodgers-Cardinals. > > :smack: > > God, I can’t go for either one of these teams. As a Cub fan, I’m obligated to pull for the Dodgers. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2014, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-july/692097/180 "2014-07-21T13:42:50Z")
The Red Sox have been pretty good since getting rid of A.J. Pierzynski. Could it be the [stories that follow him everywhere](http://www.weei.com/sports/boston/baseball/red-sox/rob-bradford/2014/07/10/aj-pierzynski-problem-was-worse-anybody-could), about how poisonous a teammate he is, are true? Brock Holt? _Brock Holt!_ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-july/692097.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-july/692097.md?page=10)