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

[mbyron]

[ChuckElias]

For those of you who don't understand mbyron's most recent post, Cleveland Indians vs. New York Yankees - Recap - April 18, 2009 - ESPN

Tribe scores 14 in the top of the second inning against the Yankees, winning the game 22-4. No team has EVER scored 14 runs in the 2nd inning of a game, and it happened in just the third game ever played in the new Yankees stadium.

Wang's ERA is now somewhere around 34.50. ESPN's Tim Kurkjian was on SportsCenter this morning with some other great stats about the game. The 14 runs in the 2nd is more than the Braves have scored in their last five games combined, I think.

One of the NYC papers had this on the back page:

Ballpark: $1.5 billion
Payroll: $200 million
Team: Worthless.

Somewhere right now, JR and Dan and rolling in their graves.

[BillyMac]

ChuckElias: Let's not make a mistake and gloat too much about what happened in the Bronx yesterday. The Bronx team is still a half a game ahead of The Olde Towne Team in the standings, and neither team is above .500, yet. And remember, what goes around, comes around.

[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?

[ChuckElias]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

ChuckElias: Let's not make a mistake and gloat too much

You've seriously misunderstood me, Billy. I was not gloating at all (especially with the Sox in last in the division). I was merely explaining why mbyron was gloating.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by ChuckElias

Sox in last in the division.

It's better than that. The Olde Towne Team is a half a game ahead of the defending American League Champions:
Boston Red Sox 5 6 .455 3.0
Tampa Bay Rays 5 7 .417 3.5

[grunewar]

Bottom of 7, Yanks down by a run. Matsui on base. Jorge Posada, PH, and drives a ball to right. Trevor Crowe, Indians, RF, leaps to make a play and a fan interferes w/ the ball (ala Jeffrey Maier). Ump determines it a HR, Indians Coach comes out to argue. The Umps go to the REPLAY Booth, apparently for the first time......and rule it a HR. Interesting call and replay. You'll see it on ESPN umpteen times I'm sure.

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by ChuckElias

Wang's ERA is now somewhere around 34.50.

I read that he will have to pitch over 48 scoreless innings (7 or 8 shutout starts) to bring his ERA down to his career average.

According to the Yankees, "he's not hurt."

[ChuckElias]

Sox are almost looking respectable, winning again yesterday. Bruins are up 2-0 on the Habs. We won't talk about the C's (although I still think they'll win the series).

Marlins become the first team EVER to sweep a 3-game series after trailing in the 9th inning or later in each of the three games.

[grunewar]

Originally Posted by ChuckElias

Marlins become the first team EVER to sweep a 3-game series after trailing in the 9th inning or later in each of the three games.

In a related story and on a sad, side-note, I think the Nats have now been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs!

[Welpe]

Originally Posted by grunewar

In a related story and on a sad, side-note, I think the Nats have now been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs!

And in other news, somebody forgot to tell the Giants that they're not in Spring Training anymore.

I'm also pretty sure the pitching staff is collectively drunk.

[Nevadaref]

Originally Posted by grunewar

In a related story and on a sad, side-note, I think the Nats have now been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs!

Plus they can't even spell their own name!

Updated: April 19, 2009, 7:01 PM ET
Nationals mistake





AP Photo/Charles DharapakRyan Zimmerman sports a "Natinals" jersey on Friday against the Marlins.




Many people have wondered for years where the hapless Washington Nationals' "O" went, but on Friday it was completely missing from the jerseys of Ryan Zimmerman and Adam Dunn. Early into the game the Nationals discovered the "Natinals" mistake and by the fourth inning Zimmerman and Dunn had changed into correctly spelled jerseys, according to The Associated Press. As editors and writers we understand that typographical errors can happen to anyone. But it's hard to resist poking fun at an amusing target such as the Nationals. Maybe they should have stuck with Expos ... and stayed in Montreal for that matter.

[M&M Guy]

And yesterday, for the first time in major league history, a Micah hit a home run off of a Micah. Micah Hoffpauir, Cubs right-fielder, hit his 1st home run of the season off Micah Owings, the Cincinnati pitcher better known for his hitting than pitching.

[DonInKansas]

This happens all the time in Amish League games, though.

[mbyron]

Hey, did you guys know that there's an MLB franchise called the 'Pirates'? Yeah, really, they're in Pittsburgh. I saw it on the news....