MLB FanHouse http://mlb.fanhouse.com MLB FanHouse http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/media/feedlogo.gif MLB FanHouse http://mlb.fanhouse.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Three Pitchers Get Their First Career Hit in the Same Gamehttp://mlb.fanhouse.com/2008/07/07/three-pitchers-get-their-first-career-hit-in-the-same-game/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2008/07/07/three-pitchers-get-their-first-career-hit-in-the-same-game/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2008/07/07/three-pitchers-get-their-first-career-hit-in-the-same-game/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

When I sat down tonight to watch the Pirates and Astros, I didn't really think I'd be seeing anything all that special. The Pirates and 'Stros are tied for last in the NL Central, after all, and both teams have been pretty frigid of late. When Phil Dumatrait picked up an RBI single in the first, the announcers mentioned it was his first career hit. Then i the in the fourth, Runelvys Hernandez laid down a bunt into noman's land and scored a run. Again, the announcers noted it was his first career hit. That seemed mildly more interesting. In the bottom of the fourth, Denny Bautista came to the plate. Yep, RBI single, first career hit. Now that's odd.

Now, I'm only a baseball historian on Sunday afternoons after three beers, but it strikes me as incredibly rare that three pitchers all managed to pick up their first career hits and have them all be RBI singles in the same game. I'm sure it's happened before, but probably not all that often. I guess it's not all that surprising that it happened in a game where the starters combined to give up 17 runs, but I'm still impressed.

In case you'd forgotten, Runelvys Hernandez is the guy that kicked off the whole Shawn Chacon saga by taking Chacon's spot in the Astros rotation. Tonight he managed to actually give up ten runs (including two RBI singles to pitchers that had no career hits coming into the night), which is pretty rare for a starter. I imagine Shawn Chacon's looking in a mirror somewhere and feeling pretty good about himself.

Three Pitchers Get Their First Career Hit in the Same Game originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 07 Jul 2008 23:28:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Denny BautistaDennyBautistaPhil DumatraitPhilDumatraitRunelvys HernandezRunelvysHernandezPat LackeyMon, 07 Jul 2008 23:28:00 EST All-Star Grievances: The NL Centralhttp://mlb.fanhouse.com/2008/07/06/all-star-grievances-the-nl-central/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2008/07/06/all-star-grievances-the-nl-central/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2008/07/06/all-star-grievances-the-nl-central/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,

Maybe the All-Star Game is a meaningless to the players and just an excuse for Bud Selig to admire himself for a week. That doesn't mean that the selections should be stupid. Today, the MLB 'Haus gives you All-Star Grievances.

Grievance: Nate McLouth over Jason Bay- It's not that McLouth isn't a deserving All-Star, because he is. The problem is that he's mired in a terrible slump, putting up a .209/.258/.355 line with two homers over the last month or so (prior to today's game). There's a decent chance that by the end of the year, McLouth will have faded completely. Still, he made the team over Jason Bay, who's already a two-time All-Star and is slugging along like he has every year of his career besides an injury-filled 2007. It should take more than a flash in the pan to make an All-Star team.

Grievance: Miguel Tejada? Really?- After a down year in Baltimore last year, Tejada got off to a decent start this year. That's all quickly gone to hell, as he's hitting .198 since May 30th. Tejada's not an All-Star, he's a guy in the twilight of his career that Ed Wade is going to regret trading for by the end of the season.

Grievance: Adam Dunn isn't even a snub- I get that Dunn's only hitting .228. Aren't we to the point of enlightened fanhood that people can look beyond that and realize that his .895 OPS makes him a snub?

Grievance: Alfonso Soriano and Kosuke Fukudome are starters- Fan voting is stupid and unreliable. We say that every year. This year, these two are the reason.

Other snubs: Carlos Lee (unless he wins the final vote but let's be honest, dude's got no chance against David Wright).

All-Star Grievances: The NL Central originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 06 Jul 2008 15:47:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Adam DunnAdamDunnAlfonso SorianoAlfonsoSorianoAll-Star GrievancesAll-starGrievancesAllStarGrievancesJason BayJasonBayKosuke FukudomeKosukeFukudomeMiguel TejadaMiguelTejadaNate McLouthNateMclouthPat LackeySun, 06 Jul 2008 15:47:00 EST The Pirates Send Tom Gorzelanny to AAAhttp://mlb.fanhouse.com/2008/07/05/the-pirates-send-tom-gorzelanny-to-aaa/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2008/07/05/the-pirates-send-tom-gorzelanny-to-aaa/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2008/07/05/the-pirates-send-tom-gorzelanny-to-aaa/#commentsFiled under: , ,

It's the circle of baseball life: the Pittsburgh Pirates get a good pitching prospect, he has a great year, and then he disappears from the face of the planet, sometimes never to be seen again and sometimes reemerging with someone else. It's happened with Jason Schmidt, Kris Benson, Kip Wells, and Oliver Perez. This year the two new candidates are Ian Snell and Tom Gorzelanny. Snell just spent some time on the disabled list and maybe that will help him get back on track. Gorzo hasn't been so lucky.

All year, Pirate fans have speculated that there's something wrong with Gorzelanny's arm. Unfortunately, he just keeps taking the mound and getting shelled time after time. With the impending returns of Snell and Phil Dumatrait from the DL, the Pirates are finally taking action with Gorzelanny: he's being sent to AAA Indianapolis to iron out all of the issues he's had this year.

The final straw was apparently the Independence Day beating he absorbed at the hands of the Brewers yesterday, giving up 11 hits and seven earned runs (8 total) in four and two-thirds innings. It's definitely time for the Pirates to do something with Gorzelanny, even if I get the feeling that they have about the idea of what's wrong as you or I do.

The Pirates Send Tom Gorzelanny to AAA originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sat, 05 Jul 2008 17:41:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Tom GorzelannyTomGorzelannyPat LackeySat, 05 Jul 2008 17:41:00 EST Matt Capps Is Out For Eight Weekshttp://mlb.fanhouse.com/2008/07/02/matt-capps-is-out-for-eight-weeks/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2008/07/02/matt-capps-is-out-for-eight-weeks/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2008/07/02/matt-capps-is-out-for-eight-weeks/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Sometimes, news isn't exactly surprising. After cruising to 15 straight saves to open the season, Matt Capps is only 2/7 since June 10th. If you think saves are a bad way to measure a pitcher (they are), his ERA is 5.91 in the same span, he's given up four homers in 10 and 2/3 innings, and his WHIP is 1.41. That's some pretty ugly stuff from a guy who's been one of baseball's better relievers over the past few years.

Accordingly, it was no real surprise today when the Pirates announced that Capps is headed to the DL with a shoulder problem. The team has been pretty vague about it, manager John Russell is calling it, "internal range of motion detriment," but they are saying he's going to be out for eight weeks, so it sounds pretty serious. For now it looks like he's going to Bradenton to rehab the injury, so it's not as bad as it could be unless a knife gets involved.

For the Pirates, this is pretty awful news. They've shuffled pitchers like mad in the past two weeks to deal with injuries in their rotation and crappiness in their bullpen and they've already traded two fringe prospects this year to pick up Tyler Yates and Denny Bautista. Losing Capps means that Damaso Marte is the only remotely reliable reliever left in their bullpen. No deficit will be insurmountable for the Pirates' opponents in the next few months.

Matt Capps Is Out For Eight Weeks originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 02 Jul 2008 18:58:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Matt CappsMattCappsPat LackeyWed, 02 Jul 2008 18:58:00 EST Another Team Bats the Pitcher Eighthhttp://mlb.fanhouse.com/2008/06/30/another-team-bats-the-pitcher-eighth/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2008/06/30/another-team-bats-the-pitcher-eighth/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2008/06/30/another-team-bats-the-pitcher-eighth/#commentsFiled under: , ,

For a long time now, most managers in the National League have been content to bat their pitchers in the nine slot of the batting order, making only the rare exception for guys like Micah Owings and Dontrelle Willis. Starting a couple years back, Tony La Russa began batting his pitcher eighth from time to time. This year, the trend grew when Ned Yost has been hitting Jason Kendall in the nine slot most of the time. Tonight a third convert emerged when the Pirates' John Russell moved Jack Wilson to the nine slot and hit Paul Maholm eighth.

I haven't seen an official explanation from Russell as to why he made the shuffle, but it's already been shown that batting the pitcher eighth and putting a real hitter in the nine slot, allowing for more of a chance to put runners on base when the best hitters at the top of the lineup comes up. Since Wilson has an OBP of .346 but only five extra base hits this year (all doubles), I'm going to give Russell the benefit of the doubt and assume that was his reasoning.

As for the actual result, Wilson did go 1-for-3, but he didn't score (maybe because Freddy Sanchez and Jason Michaels batted 1/2 and defeated the purpose). As they are wont to do, the Pirates lost the game, though not through any fault of John Russell's lineup shuffle ... Ken Griffey Jr. hit a two-run walkoff homer in the ninth to erase a one run deficit. Will the experiment continue tomorrow? Why do only NL Central teams seem willing to try this? I don't have the answers.

Another Team Bats the Pitcher Eighth originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 30 Jun 2008 23:31:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Jack WilsonJackWilsonJohn RussellJohnRussellNed YostNedYostTony La RussaTonyLaRussaPat LackeyMon, 30 Jun 2008 23:31:00 EST The Dugout: Kyle Fursworthhttp://mlb.fanhouse.com/2008/06/28/the-dugout-kyle-fursworth/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2008/06/28/the-dugout-kyle-fursworth/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2008/06/28/the-dugout-kyle-fursworth/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Last summer we were still making the transition to Fanhouse from our own site, and one of the last great stories of our G1 continuity was when the Brewers checked into a hotel in Pittsburgh and crossed paths with a furry convention. We covered the story on WordUpThome but like Barry Bonds in a Paula Abdul wig, what can you say?

Well, things got better.

This year Anthrocon 2008 proceeded as planned in Pittsburgh and, again, a visiting team happened to cross paths with them at the hotel. And (oh man) according to The LoHud Yankees Blog (oh man), A YANKEES BLOG BY JOURNAL NEWS BEAT WRITER PETER ABRAHAM (oh man), the furries crossed paths with the New York Yankees. Furries and baseball was funny enough already and it didn't involve the protagonist of our project.

Today's Dugout, thanks to the great Dugout bat signal, is after the jump (oh man).

The Dugout

**Online Host**
Welcome to the Westin Hotel of Pittsburgh Front Desk Chatroom!
JetersNeverProsper: Good morning, miss!
EastEndBoysAndWestinClerk: Good morning Mr. Jeter, tee hee, how can I help you?
JetersNeverProsper: We've got to head back to New York, so it's my job as Team Captain to get us all checked out and settle our bill.

EastEndBoysAndWestinClerk: Absolutely, Mr. Jeter! /type type type

...all right Mr. Jeter, king-sized suites for three nights for the 40-man roster, coaches, members of the front office, team representatives, family members traveling with the team, and local strippers, comes to.../type type type
EastEndBoysAndWestinClerk: ...$27,512.32!

JetersNeverProsper: All right! /pats pockets

Oh snugglepuss!
e5_rod: YASE HONEY BONNY
JetersNeverProsper: We need to settle the bill, and I'm a little short. We owe the Westin Hotel 0.000001% of the money you made this morning brushing your teeth.

e5_rod: SIGHHHHH OGAYYY /wheels over enormous money-clip in wheelbarrow, takes out thirty-thousand dollars
e5_rod: HERE YOU GO CRISTINA HAG-YOOLERA, KEEP THE CHANGE /throws money at clerk
**Online Host**
JetersNeverProsper and e5_rod have walked away from the front desk.
JetersNeverProsper: lol, good one, baby!
e5_rod: LOL WE ARE SO FIERCE /notices passerby
NickFurry: sup /walks by
e5_rod: JEET? DID THE YANGKEES DECITE TO GET A DOG MASGOT
JetersNeverProsper: No, that's just a furry from the Anthrocon at the convention center attached to the hotel. It's pretty weird, but whatever.
e5_rod: /bugs out eyes
JetersNeverProsper: oh my god

JetersNeverProsper: FARNSWORTH

WHERE IS KYLE FARNSWORTH
**Online Host**
Meanwhile, in another part of the hotel lobby...

pr0FF3ss0r_f4rnsw0rth: /cranks iPod

y soy rebelde
cuando do na na na na na
no soy be friend-ay

pr0FF3ss0r_f4rnsw0rth: edwar ramirez has the best taste in crappy mexican tv music ever

i wonder if the themed song from sabado the giant is on here /scrolls through songs
SibleyTheBest: Kyle? Kyle Farnsworth? Is that you?
pr0FF3ss0r_f4rnsw0rth: well shit a brick on a buttered milk biscuit if it aint my old buddy dave sibley from the abraham baldwin agricultural college, "the stormen mormons"
pr0FF3ss0r_f4rnsw0rth: hows it goen m'man what brings you to the official chatroom of major league baseball
SibleyTheBest: Am..am I in that? I was just trying to check into the hotel.
SibleyTheBest: Who cares, it's great to see you! What've you been up to since college?
pr0FF3ss0r_f4rnsw0rth: i make millions of dollars to play a childrens game for the most successful sports franchise in the history of sports in the most famous city in the world
pr0FF3ss0r_f4rnsw0rth: what have you been up to
SibleyTheBest: I work at a Cold Stone Creamery and just drove four and a half hours in a fursuit to attend the Anthrocon 2008!

pr0FF3ss0r_f4rnsw0rth: i lost evrything after the stone cold creamery

what do you do again
SibleyTheBest: I'm zoomorphic!
pr0FF3ss0r_f4rnsw0rth: does that mean you control the megazort
SibleyTheBest: It means I'm a fan of artwork, stories, and related products (comics, movies, costumes, etc.) which feature anthropomorphic animals.
SibleyTheBest: "Zoomorphic" means that I have the ability to shape shift into animal form! Heh heh!

pr0FF3ss0r_f4rnsw0rth: you mean like lyja the lazerfist

help me put this into terms i can understant
SibleyTheBest: You know Liu Kang from Mortal Kombat
pr0FF3ss0r_f4rnsw0rth: yes of course
SibleyTheBest: You know how Liu Kang turns into a dragon and bites Johnny Cage in half when he uses his Animality?
SibleyTheBest: Imagine if Liu Kang turned into a dragon but instead of biting Johnny Cage, he hugged Johnny Cage and then they pretended to be animal-men and made love through holes in their clothes

pr0FF3ss0r_f4rnsw0rth: i dont know i usually use jax i baste my fitness model upon him an his lats of steel
pr0FF3ss0r_f4rnsw0rth: wait what

pr0FF3ss0r_f4rnsw0rth: does this mean you like to obtain a bj whilst wearing a mascot costume

because actually that sounds pretty hilarious an awesome
SibleyTheBest: Sort of. It's a legitimate lifestyle choice that a lot of people don't understand, I'm glad you're being so cool about it. Heh, it's kinda weird to some people, y'know!
pr0FF3ss0r_f4rnsw0rth: wally the green monster dreams of his wife sexen a sailor, wanders the night encouteren intrigue an debauchery at ev'ry turn
pr0FF3ss0r_f4rnsw0rth: lol is there a website for this on the aol keyword this is cracken me up
SibleyTheBest: See? There's my friend Nick, he's a blue dog. Like Huckleberry Hound! We each have our own animorphic identity, or "fursona."

pr0FF3ss0r_f4rnsw0rth: /looks around
/cleans glasses

yes and what is your fur persona
SibleyTheBest: I thought you'd never ask! /puts on mascot head
FursonaNonGrata: It is I, Cervidae Muntjac, the majestic deer!
pr0FF3ss0r_f4rnsw0rth: wow that is pretty cool these are many fun and interesten facts about your lifes style
FursonaNonGrata: Do you wanna come check out the Anthrocon? We're expecting over 2,500 fursons this year!

pr0FF3ss0r_f4rnsw0rth: that sounds interesten

oh hey one thing
FursonaNonGrata: What's that?
pr0FF3ss0r_f4rnsw0rth: you see this hunten rifle i am pullen out of my carrion luggage

FursonaNonGrata: um

um... yes? y-yes
pr0FF3ss0r_f4rnsw0rth: well what im gonna do in a secont is use this hunten rifle to propel a bullet into your head, an then im gonna put your head on my wall necks to the big mouthed billy bass
FursonaNonGrata: wh- wh- why are you going to do that

pr0FF3ss0r_f4rnsw0rth: because we aint been to cleveland in like a month an a half /raises rifle

FursonaNonGrata: AAAAAH

AAAAAAAAAAH

/makes a break for Anthrocon

pr0FF3ss0r_f4rnsw0rth: /forward rolls into cover behind lobby sofa

/smiles
pr0FF3ss0r_f4rnsw0rth: the game is a foot
Photos link to player info. (Photo Credit: Getty Images) WordUpThome.com

The Dugout: Kyle Fursworth originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sat, 28 Jun 2008 18:17:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>alex rodriguezAlexRodriguezanthroconderek jeterDerekJetere5_rodfurriesfurryjetersneverprosperkyle farnsworthKyleFarnsworthpr0ff3ss0r_f4rnsw0rthB. Thompson StroudSat, 28 Jun 2008 18:17:00 EST The Pirates End Their Forty-Eight Year Losing Streak to the Yankeeshttp://mlb.fanhouse.com/2008/06/24/the-pirates-end-their-forty-eight-year-losing-streak-to-the-yank/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2008/06/24/the-pirates-end-their-forty-eight-year-losing-streak-to-the-yank/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2008/06/24/the-pirates-end-their-forty-eight-year-losing-streak-to-the-yank/#commentsFiled under: , ,

I rail against interleague play and moan about it just as much as the next crotchety old man punk 23-year old blogger, but sometimes it does manage to provoke moments that just wouldn't be possible without it. Tonight's Pirates/Yankees game was a great example. The Pirates were swept by the Yankees in the Bronx in both 2005 and 2007, but the two teams haven't played in Pittsburgh since Bill Mazeroski's home run ended the 1960 World Series. When the tickets went on sale for 2008, the Pirates immediately sold out four games: the home opener and the three game series with the Yankees.

Mazeroski threw out the first pitch for the Pirates tonight, and from the start you could see the Pirates feeding off of the crowd's energy, scoring once in the first, and then again in every inning but the second and fifth on their way to an easy 12-5 win. Even with a 12-3 lead in the top of the ninth inning, the Pirate fans were standing and cheering the last out the way they would a playoff game.

Moments like that make me think that sometimes, interleague play works. I mean, we have to slog through endless Yankees/Mets and White Sox/Cubs hype along with those oh so classic Marlins/Devil Rays clashes before Little League crowds on steamy South Florida days, but sometimes the Yankees go to Pittsburgh and an entire city remembers what it's like to love baseball, even if it's only for three hours.

The Pirates End Their Forty-Eight Year Losing Streak to the Yankees originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 24 Jun 2008 23:36:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Pat LackeyTue, 24 Jun 2008 23:36:00 EST The Pirates Get Good News http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2008/06/23/the-pirates-get-good-news/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2008/06/23/the-pirates-get-good-news/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2008/06/23/the-pirates-get-good-news/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

It would be a pretty staggering blow for just about any Major League team to lose two pitchers from the starting rotation at the same time. It would be particularly crippling for the Pirates, who really only have five even remotely capable starters in the entire organization. That's the situation they faced yesterday after putting Phil Dumatrait on the disabled list with a shoulder problem, then watching Ian Snell leave his start early with elbow discomfort.

Today both starters went into the hospital for exams (Snell an arthogram, Dumatrait an MRI) and the Pirates got some good news; neither pitcher has any structural damage in their pitching arms. Snell has "golfer's elbow" and might miss a start, while Dumatrait has bursitis, but no real damage to his rotator cuff. He should be ready to go when his DL stint is up on July 5th.

Of course, this is only middling good news for the Pirates. Snell has been flat out terrible this year and a little bit of golfer's elbow doesn't seem to be enough of an injury to explain his struggles. Dumatrait and his 4.66 ERA is probably the most pleasant surprise on the Pirates' staff, which is more than depressing. Still, both of them being reasonably healthy means that John Van Benschoten won't be getting a ton of starts in the near future. Let's be thankful for small favors.

The Pirates Get Good News originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 23 Jun 2008 18:54:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Ian SnellIanSnellPhil DumatraitPhilDumatraitPat LackeyMon, 23 Jun 2008 18:54:00 EST Do Not Question Ian Snellhttp://mlb.fanhouse.com/2008/06/22/do-not-question-ian-snell/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2008/06/22/do-not-question-ian-snell/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2008/06/22/do-not-question-ian-snell/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Ian Snell has been having a very bad year this year. We've already hit on this once recently, so I won't go into details, but today he made his second straight four inning start and the short start was a prime reason for the Pirates' 8-4 loss to the Blue Jays today. After the game ended, the Pirates shed some light on Snell's struggles by saying he's going to have his pitching elbow examined tomorrow after some pain during today's game. For his part, Snell wants you to know that whether he's got a serious injury or not, he's been out there trying:

"You've got to show your team you want to be there," Snell said. "It doesn't matter if you're sore or not. I wanted to show my team that I wanted to be out there. Obviously, I didn't have it, and I was still trying to be out there."

He raised his voice slightly.

"I never give up. I don't care if people boo me, tell me I [stink], whatever. You're not going to take my manhood from me or my competitiveness from me. Nobody will ever do that! Ever! Until the day I die, then you take it from me."

Uh, that's a bit of an overreaction to fans booing you for a bad start, is it not? Regardless of whether or not people are trying to take his manhood from him, the Pirates are indicating that Snell's injury is minor, even though he's been battling control issues all year and his velocity seemed to be down today. If Snell is hurt, it would be a pretty big blow to an already awful rotation, as the Bucs just put Phil Dumatrait on the DL today with shoulder issues. Replacing 40% of your rotation in a week is never good news.

Do Not Question Ian Snell originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 22 Jun 2008 19:52:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Ian SnellIanSnellPat LackeySun, 22 Jun 2008 19:52:00 EST Xavier Nady Has a Sprained Shoulder, Won't Go on the DLhttp://mlb.fanhouse.com/2008/06/16/xavier-nady-has-a-sprained-shoulder-wont-go-on-the-dl/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2008/06/16/xavier-nady-has-a-sprained-shoulder-wont-go-on-the-dl/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2008/06/16/xavier-nady-has-a-sprained-shoulder-wont-go-on-the-dl/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

With the Pirates still unexpectedly hanging around .500, any hopes of the team staying their probably rests on their outfield of Jason Bay, Xavier Nady, and Nate McLouth. If they decide to ignore their run at .500 and tear things down in favor of the future, Bay and Nady continuing to perform is still important for the Bucs. Because of that, Pirate fans were more than a little nervous after hearing that Nady needed an MRI on the shoulder he hurt after banging into the stands at Camden Yards on Saturday night.

The news from the MRI was pretty good for the Pirates. The oft-injured Nady has a sprained shoulder with no damage to the important parts of the shoulder (rotator cuff, labrum, etc.). Still, the story reads like the team thought about putting him on the disabled list, so the injury is probably nothing to sneeze at.

As mentioned above, the timing of this injury is pretty bad for the Pirates, depending on how serious the sprain is. With Nady facing free agency after 2009, Scott Boras for an agent, and playing a position the Pirates actually have prospects at means he's probably the most likely Bucco to be dealt before July 31st. If he misses a significant amount of time in the next six weeks, his value is going to nosedive.

Xavier Nady Has a Sprained Shoulder, Won't Go on the DL originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 16 Jun 2008 23:39:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Xavier NadyXavierNadyPat LackeyMon, 16 Jun 2008 23:39:00 EST Matt Capps Is Melting Downhttp://mlb.fanhouse.com/2008/06/15/matt-capps-is-melting-down/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2008/06/15/matt-capps-is-melting-down/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2008/06/15/matt-capps-is-melting-down/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Does this sound familiar to you?
In thirty appearances this year, Capps has nailed down 16 of 17 saves, an ERA 2.56, and a WHIP of 0.98 to go with his typical 20 strikeouts and only four walks (two of which came in his first appearance of the year). If he says an extra beer is what broke his mini-slump, I believe it. There's a lot of things wrong with the Pirates, but the closer position isn't one of them.
If it does, it's because it's what I wrote about Matt Capps on Thursday after he bounced back from his first blown save of the season on Tuesday night to nail down a save on Wednesday. Apparently, it takes more than three beers to break out of a slump.

Last night, with the Pirates holding an improbable 7-6 lead going into the bottom of the ninth and needing a win to rinse their five-run meltdown against the Orioles out of their mouths, Capps allowed a game-tying homer to Oscar Salazer, gave up a walk, and lost the game on a walk-off single. This afternoon, the Pirates held a 4-2 lead in the ninth until Capps gave up a two-run homer to Brian Roberts. They went on to win in the tenth, but Capps has now blown three saves this week against the Nationals and Orioles. That's a bad week. And yeah, I should probably stray away from guarantees.

Matt Capps Is Melting Down originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 15 Jun 2008 19:29:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Matt CappsMattCappsPat LackeySun, 15 Jun 2008 19:29:00 EST On Deck: Still Relevant in Floridahttp://mlb.fanhouse.com/2008/06/14/on-deck-still-relevant-in-florida/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2008/06/14/on-deck-still-relevant-in-florida/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2008/06/14/on-deck-still-relevant-in-florida/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , ,



On Deck is FanHouse's look at the day's most intriguing baseball matchups.

Florida Marlins (36-31) at Tampa Bay Rays (39-28) - 6:10 PM ET

All right, so I'm having a conversation today with a buddy of mine and we're discussing the fact that it's June 14th, and both the Marlins and Rays are still relevant in the conversation of baseball. I'm sure that neither of these teams are content with just being in the hunt in mid-June. But the question is, are either of these teams capable of being in the race all the way through? Could both teams be there at the end? Regardless of what your feeling is on this, it will be fun to see a Florida interleague game with some juice ... even though both the Marlins and the Rays have more intense rivalries out there.

P.S. If I had to choose one team there at the end, my money's on the Rays. But that's if you put a gun to my head.

Oakland Athletics (36-31) at San Francisco Giants (30-38) - 9:05 PM ET

One team was supposed to be too young ... the other: way too old. But while we're on the subject of relevance, the fact that this was supposed to be a rebuilding season for Oakland and they're 36-31 is cool enough. But I'm more impressed by the fact that the Giants aren't nearly as putrid as I thought they were going to be. Even though they're 30-38, there seems to be some hope around the corner for the Giants thanks to, among other things, Tim Lincecum pitching like the prospect he once was, and Aaron Rowand proving that last season wasn't merely a product of playing in a hitters' park. But does he really lead the team with only eight home runs?

Rowand may stay at eight with today's pitching matchup: hard throwers Rich Harden and Matt Cain battle to the death hook up.

Pittsburgh Pirates (33-35) at Baltimore Orioles (33-33) - 7:05 PM ET

Neither of these two teams were supposed to be any good either, but alas, both teams are either at or near .500 this season. That's reason enough to watch ... but I just wanted to go on a rant about how cool it would be to see both these teams wear their colorful jerseys from 1979, when they played each other in the first World Series I ever saw and Willie Stargell won his way into my heart and became my one of my first favorite players. But coincidentally enough, the Orioles actually did wear their throwback duds on Friday night ... and forgot to tell the Pirates about it. So even though the O's advertised that the Bucs would also be wearing the pillbox hats and bright uniforms from '79, they never did. Awkward!

Everyone else:
  • Phillies at Cardinals 3:55 ET
  • Cubs at Blue Jays 1:07 ET
  • Red Sox at Reds 3:55 ET
  • Dodgers at Tigers 3:55 ET
  • Twins at Brewers 7:05 ET
  • Yankees at Astros 7:05 ET
  • Padres at Indians 7:05 ET
  • Rockies at White Sox 7:05 ET
  • Rangers at Mets 7:10 ET
  • Royals at Diamondbacks 8:05 ET
  • Braves at Angels 9:05 ET
  • Nationals at Mariners 10:10 ET

On Deck: Still Relevant in Florida originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sat, 14 Jun 2008 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>aaron rowandAaronRowandon deckOnDecktim lincecumTimLincecumMulletSat, 14 Jun 2008 10:00:00 EST Matt Capps Belongs In Pittsburghhttp://mlb.fanhouse.com/2008/06/12/matt-capps-belongs-in-pittsburgh/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2008/06/12/matt-capps-belongs-in-pittsburgh/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2008/06/12/matt-capps-belongs-in-pittsburgh/#commentsFiled under: , ,

On Tuesday night, Matt Capps blew his first save of the season in particularly painful fashion. After the Pirates blew a 4-1 lead to the Nationals, they fought back to take a 6-1 lead into the ninth. With two outs and a runner on first, Capps gave up a homer to Lastings Milledge and the Nats took home the 7-6 win. Last night, Capps was back out on the mound and he held the 3-1 lead for the Pirates to pick up his sixteenth save of the year. When asked what he did to bounce back, this was the awesome response he gave:

"Stopped at the bar after the game and had three beers instead of two," he said, grinning. "Other than that, once I got home, that was it."

[...]

... [H]e approached manager John Russell to tell him he wanted to pitch if needed, even though it would mean pitching four days in a row, something he had done just once - July 14-17, 2006 - with the Pirates.

"Give me the ball," Capps recalled telling him.

In thirty appearances this year, Capps has nailed down 16 of 17 saves, an ERA 2.56, and a WHIP of 0.98 to go with his typical 20 strikeouts and only four walks (two of which came in his first appearance of the year). If he says an extra beer is what broke his mini-slump, I believe it. There's a lot of things wrong with the Pirates, but the closer position isn't one of them.

Matt Capps Belongs In Pittsburgh originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 12 Jun 2008 12:37:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Matt CappsMattCappsPat LackeyThu, 12 Jun 2008 12:37:00 EST The Pirates Draft ... a Scott Boras Client?http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2008/06/05/the-pirates-draft-a-scott-boras-client/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2008/06/05/the-pirates-draft-a-scott-boras-client/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2008/06/05/the-pirates-draft-a-scott-boras-client/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Wait, can this be right? Since Neal Huntington and Frank Coonelly took over the baseball operations for the Pirates last fall, fans have been wondering how the new front office will handle the draft after Dave Littlefield's second to last blunder (taking relief pitcher Danny Moskos instead of Matt Wieters or Matt LaPorta with the fourth overall pick last year for what's widely believed to be monetary purposes).

Fans have at least a partial answer after Coonelly and Huntington's first first round draft pick, with which they've selected Vanderbilt third baseman Pedro Alvarez. Alvarez was widely thought to be the top prospect in this year's draft before a hand injury, which the Pirates don't seem to think will bother him long-term. Honestly, the kid can swing a bat with just the kind of power the Pirates always seem to be sorely lacking

Another reason Alvarez may have dropped out of his favor is his agent, the notorious Scott Boras. Rumor has it Boras is going to ask for at least $7 million and maybe more for a signing bonus for Alvarez. That doesn't seem to bother the Pirates, maybe because Alvarez told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette this week that he'd be honored to be chosen by the Pirates. Negotiations might get a little sticky, but it's nice to see the Pirates' new front office actually following through with their promise to pick the best available player in this draft.

Don't forget to join Andrew Johnson and Josh Alper for their draft chat, going live all this afternoon at FanHouse.

The Pirates Draft ... a Scott Boras Client? originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 05 Jun 2008 14:23:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Neal HuntingtonNealHuntingtonPedro AlvarezPedroAlvarezScott BorasScottBorasPat LackeyThu, 05 Jun 2008 14:23:00 EST Doc Emrick, the Pirate Parrot and Youhttp://mlb.fanhouse.com/2008/06/04/doc-emrick-the-pirate-parrot-and-you/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2008/06/04/doc-emrick-the-pirate-parrot-and-you/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2008/06/04/doc-emrick-the-pirate-parrot-and-you/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,



Sometimes familiar faces turn up in the most peculiar places.

Mike "Doc" Emrick has been behind the play-by-play mic for every game of the Stanley Cup Finals so far. There is no denying that he's the preeminent voice for NBC and the top voice in hockey right now, despite what my personal opinions may be. The guy can call a hockey game. In addition to his national television duties, he also does New Jersey Devils games during the regular season. The guy is an absolute work horse, doing 82+ games every year. Maybe not that much, but it sure seems like it especially if you live in the New York metro area.

So, imagine my surprise when the guy popped up in one of the oddest places yesterday -- the middle of a baseball diamond. The diamond isn't odd in itself but seeing Doc there sure is. But he was at rain soaked PNC Park yesterday throwing out the first pitch prior to the Pittsburgh Pirates game (I've got mad alliteration skillz). There's nothing wrong with a little Stanley Cup cross-promotion. The best part though, in my opinion, is that Doc got to hang out with the Pirate Parrot. I'd say that alone is worth the trip to Pittsburgh. Oh, and calling Stanley Cup Finals games. That ranks up there too.

Doc Emrick, the Pirate Parrot and You originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 04 Jun 2008 02:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>doc emrickDocEmrickmike emrickMikeEmrickKevin SchultzWed, 04 Jun 2008 02:05:00 EST Ian Snell Is Struggling, John Russell Knows the Reasonhttp://mlb.fanhouse.com/2008/06/02/ian-snell-is-struggling-john-russell-knows-the-reason/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2008/06/02/ian-snell-is-struggling-john-russell-knows-the-reason/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2008/06/02/ian-snell-is-struggling-john-russell-knows-the-reason/#commentsFiled under: , ,

It's been bizarro world at PNC Park this year. The Pirates were supposed to be a terrible offensive team that would be kept vaguely mediocre (read: about 73 wins) by their young rotation. Instead, Xavier Nady, Jason Bay, and Nate McLouth have formed the best hitting outfield in baseball (I'm not kidding), the Pirates are among the NL leaders in runs scored, and their pitching absolutely stinks. Yesterday, Ian Snell got rocked for eight hits and six runs in four innings, dropping his record to 2-5 and raising his ERA to 5.94. Luckily for Snell, manager John Russell knows what's wrong:
"I thought if you take away the five-run inning, he pitched OK," Russell said. "His fastball had a lot of zip on it, his slider was working. I mean, they got five runs in the inning and they never got the ball past the outfield. I thought it was a better game as far as his stuff, I just thought it was unfortunate they found some holes, but other than that I thought he threw the ball very well, he just has to avoid the big inning."
Got that Ian? Make sure you write that down. "Stop giving up five runs in an inning and you'll be just fine." Good thing he's a manager. Did you know the Pirates are actually 26-0 this year when outscoring opponents?!? If they can just do that every night, maybe they'll finish .500!!!

Ian Snell Is Struggling, John Russell Knows the Reason originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 02 Jun 2008 18:33:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Ian SnellIanSnellJohn RussellJohnRussellPat LackeyMon, 02 Jun 2008 18:33:00 EST The Pirates Might Be Giving Tickets Awayhttp://mlb.fanhouse.com/2008/05/30/the-pirates-might-be-giving-tickets-away/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2008/05/30/the-pirates-might-be-giving-tickets-away/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2008/05/30/the-pirates-might-be-giving-tickets-away/#commentsFiled under: , ,

If you've watched a game at PNC Park recently, either in person or on television, it's pretty obvious that the Pittsburgh is not terribly concerned with the Pirates' run at the longest streak of losing records in the history of American sports. They're fifteenth in the NL in attendance and some of their games have drawn a smaller crowd than the 13,000 Mellon Arena drew for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals ... which are in Detroit. The Pirates' solution? Discount tickets! From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (last item):
For every run the Pirates score in the four-game set in St. Louis that begins tonight, they will discount $1 off a $24 outfield seat for the Wednesday home game against Houston. If the Pirates score 24 or more runs in the series, those seats will be free to the first takers.
Wait, the discount is based on ... the Pirates' performance? Actually, the Pirates are averaging close to five runs a game (they're fifth in the NL in that category), so this ploy could backfire on the Pirates. Then again, the "$24 outfield seats" only covers about six sections, assuming they're the Field Boxes listed on the team's pricing map. Then again, cheap tickets are cheap tickets. The Pirates' biggest concern is whether or not those fans come back.

The Pirates Might Be Giving Tickets Away originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 30 May 2008 12:21:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Pat LackeyFri, 30 May 2008 12:21:00 EST Jason Bay Destroys the Cubshttp://mlb.fanhouse.com/2008/05/25/jason-bay-destroys-the-cubs/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2008/05/25/jason-bay-destroys-the-cubs/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2008/05/25/jason-bay-destroys-the-cubs/#commentsFiled under: , ,

After a rough, injury-filled 2007 campaign, Jason Bay has gotten off to a pretty good start in 2008. He's got 12 homers, his OPS is up over .900, and it looks like he's justifying GM Neal Huntington's decision to hold off on trading him this off-season in the hopes that a good start to 2008 would lead to increased value on the trade market. Still, he's not without his critics. Earlier this week, the Pittsburgh Tribune Review ran a recap of the Pirates' loss on Wednesday with this lead-in:
Jason Bay entered Wednesday's game with the Brewers tied for 14th in Major League Baseball with 10 home runs.

And tied for dead-last with no RBI singles.
The insinuation was one that's often leveled at Bay by Pirate fans: that Bay isn't a clutch hitter. It's odd when fans of bad teams try attack their best players, but it's what happens. Bay, for his part, is fighting that reputation. He's got several huge home runs this year and now he's hit extra-inning, walk-off singles against the Cubs in back-to-back games, winning Saturday's game in the 14th inning and today's game in the 11th. Not a bad way to get his first two RBI singles of the year.

Jason Bay Destroys the Cubs originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 25 May 2008 19:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Jason BayJasonBayPat LackeySun, 25 May 2008 19:45:00 EST On Deck: Manny Soriamazing Featshttp://mlb.fanhouse.com/2008/05/18/on-deck-manny-soriamazing-feats/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2008/05/18/on-deck-manny-soriamazing-feats/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2008/05/18/on-deck-manny-soriamazing-feats/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , ,



On Deck is FanHouse's look at the day's most intriguing baseball matchups.

Pittsburgh Pirates (21-22) at Chicago Cubs (26-19) - 2:20 PM ET

Alfonso Soriano is officially out of his mind. Going into play on May 10th, Soriano was hitting .191 with three homers. Since then, he's gone 19 for 33 with seven HR's and 14 RBI's, and he's now hitting .295 on the year. Strange part, all the damage he's done in the month of May has come after moving to the leadoff spot. So here's the question: Is Soriano hot because he's in the leadoff spot? Or should we wonder what kind of damage Soriano would be doing these days if he was in a prime RBI spot? Of his last seven HR's, five of them have been solo shots, so I would tend to think it was the latter. But the Cubs have won seven of their last nine so why should they listen to me? The real question is this: What will Soriano do today?

Milwaukee Brewers (20-23) at Boston Red Sox (26-19) - 1:35 PM ET

All right, so we know that Manny Ramirez is a beast ... and after what he did in Baltimore this past week, is anybody going to doubt that he can win a gold glove if he really wants to? That's the beauty of watching a Red Sox game these days: Manny might do something that you've never seen before, like use a urinal behind the Green Monster during a pitching change, or high fiving a fan in between a running catch and doubling off a runner. Coming up in the next few days ... perhaps today against the Brewers ... he could do something that you have seen before and hit his 500th career home run. He needs two to do it, and the watch has already started as the specially marked baseballs are in the house.

Cleveland Indians (22-21) at Cincinnati Reds (20-23) - 1:15 PM ET

Yesterday, we highlighted the amazing story of the Rangers Josh Hamilton, traded from Cincinnati in the off-season. Today, we look at the other half of that trade: Edinson Vólquez. Vólquez hasn't done too much, oh just go 6-1 with a 1.12 ERA in eight games. Consider that in eight games with Texas just two short seasons ago, Volquez was 1-6 with an ERA of 7.29, and a WHIP of 2.07. A turnaround just as unfathomable is on the other side today: Cliff Lee enters this game with a 6-0 record, an ERA of 0.67, 44 strikeouts and only four walks. Four walks! This was a guy who almost went to Pittsburgh in the offseason, and had to pitch his way into the rotation this past spring. Now he has four walks in a month and a half. Bananas!

Everyone else:
  • Royals at Marlins 1:10 ET
  • Athletics at Braves 1:35 ET
  • Blue Jays at Phillies 1:35 ET
  • Orioles at Nationals 1:35 ET
  • Rays at Cardinals 2:15 ET
  • Astros at Rangers 3:05 ET
  • Twins at Rockies 3:05 ET
  • Dodgers at Angels 3:35 ET
  • Tigers at Diamondbacks 4:10 ET
  • White Sox at Giants 4:05 ET
  • Padres at Mariners 4:10 ET
  • Mets at Yankees 8:05 ET

On Deck: Manny Soriamazing Feats originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 18 May 2008 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>alfonso sorianoAlfonsoSorianocliff leeCliffLeeedison volquezEdisonVolquezmanny ramirezMannyRamirezon deckOnDeckMulletSun, 18 May 2008 10:00:00 EST Jason Bay, By Sir Paul McCartneyhttp://mlb.fanhouse.com/2008/05/14/jason-bay-by-sir-paul-mccartney/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2008/05/14/jason-bay-by-sir-paul-mccartney/http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2008/05/14/jason-bay-by-sir-paul-mccartney/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



Jason Bay. Yesterday. These things rhyme, of course, but just because two things rhyme doesn't mean one of those things should be adapted into the other. For example, the above song -- which uses The Beatles' classic "Yesterday" as the background music for an ode to Jason Bay -- is not something I would recommend imitating. Your version is sure to fall short of the original, naturally, but even worse is that you'd never replicate the above brilliance in a million years. A thousand monkeys playing harpy electronic keyboards for a thousand years couldn't make it happen, I'm afraid.

As Walk Off Walk says, it's positively angelic. Also: kind of sad.

Jason Bay, By Sir Paul McCartney originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 14 May 2008 14:34:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Jason BayJasonBayThe BeatlesTheBeatlesEamonn BrennanWed, 14 May 2008 14:34:00 EST