It's New! It's Improved! It's the Official Annual Off-Topic Baseball Thread!!

[Chess Ref]

Originally Posted by grunewar

Was at the game today as they won their 8th in a row!

They're actually fun to watch these days. A good, young team with a really up and coming top of the lineup. Hope they can stick together and give the team time to grow!

Only 19K+ in the stadium though. Disappointing, even on a hot, sticky, DC day.

19K huh, in the canyons of empty seats at Oakland that would be a new country , that many people only happen a couple of times a year in Oakland.

Went to Giants/ Dodgers last night and almost a full house. I saw a little green in the upstair limited view seats.

I forgot what the baseball experience was suppose to be about for me, being an A's fan of late. . Last night was great-rivalry,pennant races, full house, fans into it ,till Dodgers put up a 4 spot .

GO NATS I need Dunn to keep swinging baby , my fantasy team is riding his back hard these last couple of weeks. Swing Adam Swing.

[grunewar]

And for a "bargain basement price."

World Series here we come.......

Strasburg, Nationals agree to record-setting $15M contract - USATODAY.com

[grunewar]

Second time in MLB history, and the first time since 1927, a game ended this way!

What is even more bizarre (to me anyhow) is that both runners were on base because of an error and a "charitable hit" - both plays also going to Bruntlett! IOW - neither runner would have been on base if he had made clean plays on the previous balls hit to him. Crazy!

Unassisted triple play ends Phils' win over Mets - MLB - Yahoo! Sports

[mbyron]

Video

[Nevadaref]

Updated: August 30, 2009, 12:57 AM ET
Report: Players allege rules were broken


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ESPN.com news services


DETROIT -- Several Michigan football players claim the program regularly violates NCAA rules limiting how much time they can spend on training and practice sessions, according to a published report.
Players from the 2008 and 2009 teams told the Detroit Free Press for a story published on the newspaper's Web site on Saturday that the amount of time they spend on football activities during the season and in the offseason greatly exceeds the limits. The players spoke to the newspaper on condition of anonymity because they feared repercussions from coaches.
[+] EnlargeAP Photo/Tony DingMichigan finished 3-9 in Rich Rodriguez's first season as coach.


Coach Rich Rodriguez and the university's compliance director, Judy Van Horn, both denied that the football program was violating NCAA rules.
"We know the practice and offseason rules, and we stay within the guidelines. We follow the rules and have always been completely committed to being compliant with all NCAA rules," Rodriguez said in a written statement to the newspaper.
Van Horn said her department conducts "in-person spot checks of practice during the academic year and summer. We have not had any reason to self-report any violations in this area with any of our sports."
One former player who started for Michigan last season told ESPN Saturday night that the report was accurate.
The player, who asked not to be identified for fear of repercussions from fans, said in-season Sundays at the football facility lasted from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., including a one-hour lunch. That would be an 11-hour day. The NCAA daily limit is four hours, the weekly limit 20.
The same player said required offseason workouts included three-hour lifts on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and two hours of speed and agility on Tuesdays and Thursday. That's a total of 13 hours; the NCAA limit is eight hours of required workouts.
This player said he would tell the Big Ten or NCAA what players were required to do and believes most of his former teammates would, as well.
A current member of the Michigan football team, who has started, also told ESPN his in-season Sundays at the football facility lasted from 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., although he acknowledged the first two hours were spent in treatment, which is not counted against the restricted hours.
The player said this season players will be off on Sundays, practicing on Mondays.
The player said he worked out about twice as many hours as the allotted eight per week in the offseason. He asked strength coaches why the workouts seemed excessive and was told that some parts of the exercises, such as core work and injury prevention, were not counted as required.
The player said the strength coach told him that the workout plan had been approved by the NCAA.
Players told the Free Press that quality-control staff often watched seven-on-seven offseason scrimmages that are supposed to be voluntary and that only training staff are allowed to attend.
The Free Press said five of the 10 current or former players it interviewed gave similar accounts of how the program is run and a sixth player confirmed most of the descriptions. Other players gave a general idea of the program. None disputed the allegations, the newspaper said.
The players acknowledged they had signed forms stating NCAA rules had been followed and had not told the university's compliance department about their concerns. One player told the Free Press that athletes would get in trouble if they didn't sign.
ESPN's Joe Schad and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

[mbyron]

All the big-time programs are about the same in this regard. But the real quesiton is:

Why is this in the baseball thread of the basketball forum?

[mick]

Originally Posted by Nevadaref

Updated: August 30, 2009, 12:57 AM ET
Report: Players allege rules were broken

Van Horn said her department conducts "in-person spot checks of practice during the academic year and summer. We have not had any reason to self-report any violations in this area with any of our sports."

Thanks, Nevada. It made me chuckle.
A hunert years ago, shortly before a walkout on our football team, we were required to sign-in for our voluntary workouts.

[mick]

Originally Posted by mbyron

All the big-time programs are about the same in this regard. But the real quesiton is:

Why is this in the baseball thread of the basketball forum?

Lord Byron,
I can only guess it's because there is nothing to say about the Indians.

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by mick

Lord Byron,
I can only guess it's because there is nothing to say about the Indians.

Mick, there's plenty to say about the Indians. Unfortunately, most of it would show up on the forum like this: **** the ******* ****** ******* **** ******* Indians.

[mick]

From: Ken Griffey has a wicked sense of humor - Game on - USATODAY.com
Ken Griffey has a wicked sense of humor

Buzz up!
Like this story? Share it with Yahoo! Buzz
The best punchlines need no explanation.

And that's the case with the special greeting Ken Griffey Jr. arranged for Adrian Beltre's return to the Mariners lineup.

The Gold Glove winner had been missing for three weeks because of suffering a testicle injury when he was hit by a ground ball. That incident also led to it becoming well known that Beltre disdains wearing a protective cup.

So what did Griffey have the stadium people play as musical accompaniment to Beltre's first trip back to the plate?

Something from The Nutcracker.

[Adam]

Ouch, that hurts.

[mick]

Tigers' magic number = 18


Big number, ...but it's a number.

[Lcubed48]

Originally Posted by mick

Tigers' magic number = 18


Big number, ...but it's a number.

The CARDINALS magic number is 12. But as they say, you ain't won nuthin' yet!!

[grunewar]

What's a magic number?

I believe we were eliminated sometime in July!

[grunewar]

Originally Posted 19 Apr 09

Originally Posted by grunewar

The 17 home runs in the first three games at the new Yankees Stadium is apparently the most ever hit in the first three games at any "new" park in major league history.

PS - I know it's early but, any money on whether the Yankee Manager lasts the yr.....? What say you Nevada?

OK, so I got that one wrong!

For my next prediction......Jim Zorn rights the ship. Jason Campbell leads the league in passing. Clinton Portis runs for 1500 yds. Skins finish 11-5 and make it to the Division Championship.

There, I feel better......