# MLB: September 2012 **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [September 1, 2012, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-september-2012/633349 "2012-09-01T09:57:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-september-2012/633349/101 "2012-09-10T03:22:41Z")
OK, so it wasn’t a sweep for a change, but the Giants will be happy with 2 out of 3 from here on out… ---
**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:** [September 10, 2012, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-september-2012/633349/102 "2012-09-10T13:52:02Z")
So the Astros are now up to 16 road wins and 44 overall; just need 2 road wins to avoid making history. Also won a series on the road against Cincinatti, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it was their first road series win all year. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-september-2012/633349/103 "2012-09-10T18:14:45Z")
While the Nats were losing 2 of 3 to the Marlins at home, the Braves went to NY and swept 3 from the Mets, picking up 2 games. They’re now 5.5 back. It’s getting late, but it’s not so late that the Nats can start phoning it in. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-september-2012/633349/104 "2012-09-10T18:31:28Z")
Yeah, the Nats really had a lack of hustle this weekend. They’d cut to shots of Werth and Morse yukking it up and I was like “uh guys? the score is 6-0.” ---
**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:** [September 10, 2012, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-september-2012/633349/105 "2012-09-10T22:27:00Z")
Orioles are again behind the Yankees, and are only 1 game up on the Rays. This week’s Baltimore/Tampa series is big for both teams, and i’ll be rooting for Boston to rein in the Yankees. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-september-2012/633349/106 "2012-09-11T03:43:38Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > Yeah, the Nats really had a lack of hustle this weekend. They’d cut to shots of Werth and Morse yukking it up and I was like “uh guys? the score is 6-0.” Can’t terribly blame them - it’s a long season, and you can’t hustle _all_ the time. When you’re down 6-0 in a game when you’ve got a 6.5-game lead is about as good a time as any to chill out as you’re going to get. At any rate, they beat the Mets tonight behind another excellent outing by Gio, and the Braves just lost to the Brewers, so we’re up by 6.5 again. > [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](#): > > Do we need to be taking Milwaukee seriously as a last-minute entrant to the wild-card race? I don’t think so. With tonight’s win, they’ve won something like 16 out of their last 21, which is a pretty decent hot streak. The problem is, they’d need to win 16 out of their _next_ 21 as well to get to 86-76. And even with the way nobody’s exactly stepping up and trying to grab that second wildcard slot, I think they’ll need 86-87 wins to have a decent shot. Maybe an outside chance with 85 wins. The Phillies, who’ve had a similar resurrection from ~10 games under in the past few weeks, are in the same situation, same record even. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-september-2012/633349/107 "2012-09-11T12:59:53Z")
How great is Suzuki? He’s just fun to watch. ---
**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:** [September 11, 2012, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-september-2012/633349/108 "2012-09-11T17:03:57Z")
Who? ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-september-2012/633349/109 "2012-09-11T17:07:42Z")
Kurt Suzuki [Kurt Suzuki - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurt_Suzuki) ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-september-2012/633349/110 "2012-09-11T17:41:50Z")
**RTFirefly** -I VEHEMENTLY disagree about hustling! While it’s obviously unrealistic to go 162-0, players have an OBLIGATION to try! Hustling is the ONLY thing that doesn’t “slump”. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-september-2012/633349/111 "2012-09-11T17:44:40Z")
It’s a freaking game. They aren’t allowed to joke and laugh just because they’re losing? Is there some evidence that enjoying yourself is antithetical to trying to win? ---
**Author:** ![Hawkeyeop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/958977/32.png) [@Hawkeyeop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hawkeyeop)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-september-2012/633349/112 "2012-09-11T17:52:03Z")
> [@etv78](#): > > **RTFirefly** -I VEHEMENTLY disagree about hustling! While it’s obviously unrealistic to go 162-0, players have an OBLIGATION to try! Hustling is the ONLY thing that doesn’t “slump”. Hustling all the time is a good way of getting hurt. ---
**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:** [September 11, 2012, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-september-2012/633349/113 "2012-09-11T18:00:02Z")
> [@etv78](#): > > Hustling is the ONLY thing that doesn’t “slump”. This is clearly not true. The fact that some players seem to lose a bit of energy and “hustle” over the course of a very long and tiring season suggests that hustle can, in fact, slump. And you’re messing up your cliches; it’s speed that doesn’t slump. Also, as **Acsenray** suggested, the fact that they’re joking around a bit between plays, and enjoying themselves, doesn’t mean that they aren’t trying. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-september-2012/633349/114 "2012-09-11T18:04:47Z")
How do you hustle when you’re in the dugout anyway? ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-september-2012/633349/115 "2012-09-11T18:12:28Z")
And if the losing team doesn’t enjoy playing, then what’s the point of a game? ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-september-2012/633349/116 "2012-09-11T18:12:38Z")
**Acsenray** is right about 1 thing: They don’t say,“Work ball!” ---
**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:** [September 11, 2012, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-september-2012/633349/117 "2012-09-11T18:16:31Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > And if the losing team doesn’t enjoy playing, then what’s the point of a game? I could probably put up with something i didn’t enjoy very much if someone were willing to pay me the MLB average salary to do it. Hell, i’d do something i didn’t like for MLB minimum. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-september-2012/633349/118 "2012-09-11T19:34:22Z")
My point was just that the Nats seemed to cave pretty early on Sunday. Somehow they just can’t beat the Marlins. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-september-2012/633349/119 "2012-09-11T20:24:43Z")
Baseball’s tricky that way. You’ve got to be ready, but you’ve got to be relaxed. No way you can be a good hitter in the majors if you’re also the kind of guy who can’t joke when his team’s behind 6-0. Stay mentally focused, but stay loose. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-september-2012/633349/120 "2012-09-11T22:25:59Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > My point was just that the Nats seemed to cave pretty early on Sunday. Somehow they just can’t beat the Marlins. Well, the Marlins killed their pitching all weekend, and on Sunday the Marlins pitcher seemed to have their number. What can you do? Some days are going to be like that. FWIW, they’re 9-9 against the Marlins for the season. They can beat 'em, just not nearly as often as they should, given that the Nats are 24 games ahead of the Marlins. But that also happens - generally no matter how good a team is, there will be some team, or some pitcher, that seemingly has its number. Just as well that that team isn’t one we’ll see in the playoffs. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-september-2012/633349.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-september-2012/633349.md?page=7)