# MLB: May 2012 **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [May 1, 2012, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-may-2012/620514 "2012-05-01T14:36:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2012, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-may-2012/620514/121 "2012-05-10T17:58:57Z")
> [@Jas09](#): > > The Cardinals got their first sweep of the year, scoring 9, 6, and 7 against the Diamondbacks. > > Their run differential (+75) is now more than 50 runs better than second-best in the NL. And 10 better than the top AL team (the Rangers). I doubt they can keep up this pace, but it’s been pretty damn fun so far. I would like to thank Albert Pujols for leaving his hitting mojo behind for the Cardinals to use when he left for Los Angeles. I kind of doubt they can keep up this pace either, but I know of no specific reason why they can’t, beyond reversion to the mean and Murphy’s Law. ---
**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:** [May 10, 2012, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-may-2012/620514/122 "2012-05-10T22:39:35Z")
MLB is apparently [seeking to introduce a rule change](http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/mlb-could-move-eliminate-third-first-pickoff-trickery-185106859.html) whereby a pitcher who fakes a toss to third base and then whirls and throws (or pretends to throw) to first base will be called for a balk. I’m willing to be convinced otherwise, but at first glance, this strikes me as being potentially the most useless rule alteration in quite some time. ---
**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:** [May 10, 2012, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-may-2012/620514/123 "2012-05-10T23:52:04Z")
Aiming to speed up the game, I assume? ---
**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:** [May 10, 2012, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-may-2012/620514/124 "2012-05-10T23:55:38Z")
The Yankees announcers just said that Derek Jeter is the first Yankee to ever get 50 hits in the team’s first 30 games; and the oldest MLBer ever to do it. ---
**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:** [May 11, 2012, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-may-2012/620514/125 "2012-05-11T00:04:24Z")
Josh Beckett, in the throws of Golfgate ™, has just been knocked out of the game against the Indians after giving up 7 runs in 2.1 innings. According to Indians’ announcer Tom Hamilton, Beckett received “standing boos” on his way out of the game from the Boston crowd. ---
**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:** [May 11, 2012, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-may-2012/620514/126 "2012-05-11T00:08:54Z")
> [@Asimovian](#): > > Josh Beckett, in the throws of Golfgate ™, has just been knocked out of the game against the Indians after giving up 7 runs in 2.1 innings. According to Indians’ announcer Tom Hamilton, Beckett received “standing boos” on his way out of the game from the Boston crowd. Maybe Bobby V can lend him his fake-nose-and-glasses disguise for the walk to the parking lot later. ---
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2012, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-may-2012/620514/127 "2012-05-11T01:01:26Z")
NESN is reporting that Beckett was spotted in the Red Sox clubhouse sobbing into a bucket of chicken. ---
**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:** [May 11, 2012, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-may-2012/620514/128 "2012-05-11T01:13:05Z")
More home runs in Baltimore today. Josh Hamilton hit another in the second game of the double-header, giving him 6 for the series. In the first game, the Orioles became the first team in AL history to open the first inning with 3 home runs. Rangers starter Colby Lewis game up the three homers in 8 pitches. That’s a pretty painful way for a pitcher to start a game. ---
**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:** [May 11, 2012, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-may-2012/620514/129 "2012-05-11T13:59:13Z")
So now Boston’s Josh Beckett went golfing the day after he missed a start with an injury, and this didn’t go over real well with the fans (funny how that works), but then he bit back (“it’s my business what I do on my day off”), which was tone-deaf at best, and then to make things even weirder he was defended by his manager and his good chicken-wing-eating-and-beer-drinking-buddy Clay Buchholz, who basically told the fans to quit overreacting and cut the guy a little slack. I don’t really follow the Red Sox, though of course that’s a relative statement as they are always in the news whether they’re playing well or not, but this seems like about the eighth big controversy of the season over there. What on earth is going on over there? Anyone know? This one in particular seems open and shut–the guy made a bad decision, someone in authority should let him know he screwed up, end of story–but maybe I’m missing something… Talk about distraction, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2012, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-may-2012/620514/130 "2012-05-11T15:16:04Z")
> [@Asimovian](#): > > MLB is apparently [seeking to introduce a rule change](http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/mlb-could-move-eliminate-third-first-pickoff-trickery-185106859.html) whereby a pitcher who fakes a toss to third base and then whirls and throws (or pretends to throw) to first base will be called for a balk. > > I’m willing to be convinced otherwise, but at first glance, this strikes me as being potentially the most useless rule alteration in quite some time. It always struck me as bizarre that there was a rule against faking out the baserunner but that the fake-to-third-throw-to-first thing was totally legal. Not a big deal either way. ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2012, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-may-2012/620514/131 "2012-05-11T15:22:40Z")
> [@Asimovian](#): > > I’m willing to be convinced otherwise, but at first glance, this strikes me as being potentially the most useless rule alteration in quite some time. Who knows what, if anything, it’ll do to outcomes (although I think I remember a Nats pitcher balking in the winning run due to a botched attempt a few years ago – Hanrahan maybe?). But it is so **boring** , I can’t say I’ll miss it. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2012, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-may-2012/620514/132 "2012-05-11T15:30:35Z")
> [@Asimovian](#): > > I’m willing to be convinced otherwise, but at first glance, this strikes me as being potentially the most useless rule alteration in quite some time. > [@Southern\_Yankee](#): > > Aiming to speed up the game, I assume? It’d make virtually no differenence in speed up the game, but every time it happens, everybody rolls their eyes and says “not this again, it never works!” So it won’t save much time, but people won’t have that sense their time is being egregiously wasted by this move. ---
**Author:** ![Invisible\_Chimp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f05b48/32.png) [@Invisible\_Chimp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Invisible_Chimp)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2012, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-may-2012/620514/133 "2012-05-11T15:36:19Z")
Vladimir Guerrero has [signed](http://www.tsn.ca/mlb/story/?id=395591) a minor league deal with no guarantees with the Blue Jays. I used to think he was a sure-fire HOFer. He obviously never roided up and suffered the marks of aging. He could end up his career back in Canada, where it all began. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2012, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-may-2012/620514/134 "2012-05-11T17:29:18Z")
> [@Invisible\_Chimp](#): > > Vladimir Guerrero has [signed](http://www.tsn.ca/mlb/story/?id=395591) a minor league deal with no guarantees with the Blue Jays. I used to think he was a sure-fire HOFer. He obviously never roided up and suffered the marks of aging. He could end up his career back in Canada, where it all began. I think he’ll be in the Hall of Fame for sure. Might take a few ballots depending on who else is on his first ballot, but he’d be an unusual omission. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2012, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-may-2012/620514/135 "2012-05-11T17:30:54Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > It’d make virtually no differenence in speed up the game, but every time it happens, everybody rolls their eyes and says “not this again, it never works!” So it won’t save much time, but people won’t have that sense their time is being egregiously wasted by this move. I’ve seen it work twice, and both times it was Dave Stieb. I don’t particularly care if they get rid of it or not but I admit that changing it would make the rules consistent. The balk rule allowing this type of motion but disallowing a hundred other arbitrary things is nonsensical. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2012, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-may-2012/620514/136 "2012-05-11T17:35:08Z")
> [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](#): > > I don’t really follow the Red Sox, though of course that’s a relative statement as they are always in the news whether they’re playing well or not, but this seems like about the eighth big controversy of the season over there. What on earth is going on over there? Anyone know? This one in particular seems open and shut–the guy made a bad decision, someone in authority should let him know he screwed up, end of story–but maybe I’m missing something… Talk about distraction, anyway. I think what you have here is a case of things snowballing. Had this happened in 2009, the story wouldn’t have amounted to much. But it’s coming after two baseball months of unrelenting on and off-field horror for the Red Sox; an epic September choke job, and removal of the GM and manager, and then a 30-game start featuring the league’s best offense being totally negated by some of the worst pitching Boston fans have ever seen coughing up games of the most painful nature. When the shit is rolling downhill every story gets blown up worse. ---
**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:** [May 11, 2012, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-may-2012/620514/137 "2012-05-11T22:56:50Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > I think he’ll be in the Hall of Fame for sure. Might take a few ballots depending on who else is on his first ballot, but he’d be an unusual omission. You’re correct of course, barring some off field incident he is a Hall of Famer. [He has the numbers to make it](http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/guerrvl01.shtml), he was a top player for an extended period of time, even his black and gray numbers on BB-Ref indicate a shoe-in. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2012, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-may-2012/620514/138 "2012-05-11T23:21:58Z")
> [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](#): > > So now Boston’s Josh Beckett … was defended by his manager and his good chicken-wing-eating-and-beer-drinking-buddy Clay Buchholz, who basically told the fans to quit overreacting and cut the guy a little slack. Considering that he’s having an even worse season than Beckett, he should know to shut up, too. > [@](#): > > What on earth is going on over there? Anyone know? Just think of the psychologist in the locker room in _The Natural_ repeating “Losing is a disease”. 😉 > [@](#): > > This one in particular seems open and shut–the guy made a bad decision, someone in authority should let him know he screwed up, end of story–but maybe I’m missing something… Talk about distraction, anyway. Letting him know he screwed up won’t have any effect on him, unfortunately. He’s on a guaranteed contract through 2014. Tony Massarotti gets a bit shrill nowadays, mainly to drum up caller interest in his radio talk show, but[his comparison of Beckett’s recent behavior](http://www.boston.com/sports/columnists/massarotti/2012/05/the_texas_con_man_part_ii.html) to the end of Clemens’ career here seems apt. ---
**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:** [May 12, 2012, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-may-2012/620514/139 "2012-05-12T10:43:56Z")
> [@NAF1138](#): > > He’s growing up is all. He used to do things like taunt pitchers while rounding the bases after a home run. But he seems to have left that behind in hi-a. Maybe [not](http://scores.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=320511117). > [@](#): > > The only downside was an ill-advised swing by their frustrated 19-year-old outfielder. Bryce Harper had a rough night, going 0 for 5 with three strikeouts. After one of the outs, he returned to the dugout and took a frustrated whack at one of the walls in the tunnel to the clubhouse. > > Johnson said the barrel of the bat bounced off the wall and hit Harper next to the left eye, causing a gash that, according to the Washington Times, required 10 stitches to close and a welt. He stayed in the game with it bandaged, but was sent for treatment afterward because it was bleeding. ---
**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:** [May 12, 2012, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-may-2012/620514/140 "2012-05-12T16:22:39Z")
Josh Hamilton is unstoppable at the moment. He hit another two homers against the Angels yesterday, making him 11-21 with 8 HR over his last 5 games. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-may-2012/620514.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-may-2012/620514.md?page=8)