Can Clemens Get 300 Tonight?
The story continues in New York Friday night as Roger Clemens tries again for career win 300. His opponents, the Cardinals, hit the heck out of the baseball and will give Clemens all he can handle.
Jason Simontacchi has 15 big league wins, he came out of nowhere to claim a job in the St. Louis rotation last season and is flying his father in tonight to see this historic game.
The Yankees, Cardinals, Red Sox and Giants are falling all over themselves to see who will pry Ugueth Urbina away from the Rangers, perhaps as early as next week.
The Giants have the most to offer, young pitching, but would you give up one of their starters to get Urbina, a free agent this winter?
Anyway, the Cardinals can hit with the best teams in baseball and should put a lot of pressure on Clemens. Simontacchi has ice water in his veins, so 300 isn’t in the bag tonight.
Click below for more on the games today.
The A’s need a righthanded bat off the bench. Bobby Cox had lefty Ray King available to face Scott Hatteberg both Wednesday night and Thursday afternoon with the game on the line.
King simply overmatched the A’s lefthanded hitting first baseman and the rallies died. If the A’s could have gone to the bench with any confidence at that juncture, a righthanded pinch hitter would have been the move.
You will never have a perfect roster in Oakland for obvious financial reasons, but it isn’t too much to ask for a decent righthanded hitting major league player to be a bench player for the A’s.
Ron Gant wasn’t the answer earlier in the season, but that would have been his spot the last two nights to pinch hit.
The A’s are playing tentatively and can use a spark somewhere, they have the look of a team just waiting for something bad to happen. If Jermaine Dye can get hot, he can lift the offense by himself. It is a big if, but he has swung the bat better this week.
The Expos come in for the weekend. They swing the bat, don’t walk much and have two players who are all stars, Brad Wilkerson and Jose Vidro. Other than those two, Montreal can be handled by the A’s starters.
Montreal has depth on the pitching staff. They give up homers, but don’t walk many batters. The A’s will have to swing the bat. Tomo Ohka melted down pitching for the Red Sox in Oakland a couple of years ago, finally throwing things from the dugout when Jimy Williams removed him from the game in the third inning when the A’s were cleaning his clock.
Ohka has come a long way since the, but Oakland can’t have pleasant memories for him.
I hate to pick on Hatteberg, but every day he does something defensively which costs the team. You have to be virtually a perfect fielder at first base or else your mistakes can lead to big innings and put the pitching staff in deep holes. It is happening to the likeable Hatteberg quite often these days. In fact, yesterday he muffed a scoop on a throw from Eric Chavez which eventually led to a crucial insurance run.
Seattle isn’t hitting very much and this may be a weekend for both the Angels and the A’s to pick up some ground. Brett Boone is hitting homers again and is my AL MVP right now.
Freddy Garcia has gotten big run support in his last two starts we’ll see how he does against the Braves who usaully don’t give up too many.
Kerry Wood takes his 98 MPH stuff to Toronto to take on the Blue Jays. With Kelvim Escobar coming off a shut out, this one is a good one to watch.
Believe it or not, the Blue Jays may be in first place in the Wild Card or the East after the weekend.
Bartolo Colon learned the hard way, you don’t pitch to Barry Bonds with the game on the line. Other times during the game, be my guest, it is different in the ninth, I don’t care how many times you have struck him out in the game prior to the ninth.
I blame this one on Jerry Manuel for not pitching around Bonds. Big win for the Giants who are looking like a very nice TEAM.
The Giants should roll in Kansas City, a team
I’ve described as doing just enough to lose.
Adam Dunn 0-5 as a leadoff hitter Thursday night.
Is it my imagination or does Minnesota bring up new players and immediately put them in the starting lineup about once per week. One of the things I like about Twins manager Ron Gardenhire, is that no job is safe on the Twins, keeps the players on their toes.
The Red Sox got 14 walks in the game with the Cards, but still lost. Nice pitching on both sides. Trot Nixon left about a dozen runners on base.
What is up with Nomar? He has 11 triples and has reclaimed the best SS crown in the AL. In the NL, it is Edgar Renteria hands down.
Father’s Day weekend, buy the old man a good baseball book, he’ll appreciate the thought.
0 comments
Marty, normally you are right on with your observations, but you are dead wrong about Hatty. The error you spoke of was all on Chavey’s bad throw (as the official scorer correctly ruled). He had oodles of time to set and throw and just biffed it. No, our problems in the infield are inconsistent throws to first. Jason Giambi, for all his limited range, did a great job of bailing out Miggy and Chavey, in particular, with great scoops and Hatty has had his share of lousy throw savers as well. Our infielders are spoiled by the first basemen we’ve had!!!
Secondly, I highly doubt that Macha would have pinch hit for Hatty in either of the situations you mentioned as he is one of our best hitters with men in scoring position facing rightys or leftys.
Where the A’s are hurting is:
They have two right fielders making, what, 15 mil a year between them, that are not hitting a lick and stranding men on base with regularity. Now I agree that J. Dye may heat up, as he’s overdue, but I think that T.Long’s mediocre talent has peaked and he will always frustrate by hitting just enough to give hope of a breakout.
Also, our second baseman, who I am high on, is lost right now a little bit and is in need of spark to get off the schneid.
Therefore, in conclusion, I would like to present my latest fantasy team improvement thought:
TRADE T. Long and J. Mecir to the Mets. NY needs a defensive outfielder and a reliever and can handle the payroll. Howe is familiar with both.
FOR: Robbie Alomar. Here’s why:
1. Major payroll dump at end of season with Alomar a free agent and Long and Mecir’s inflated salaries gone.
2. The switchhitting Alomar hits in the American League. Is wonderful defensively. Can steal you a base. Has postseason experience. Is the prime available player that can provide an immediate spark at the position needed. (L. Castillo of Florida would fit the bill nicely too, but the Marlins wouldn’t take on the Long/Mecir money).
3. Renting Alomar for half a season does not disrupt long term plans with Ellis and maybe takes the pressure off him a little. (There’s Estaban German at Sacto also in the future mix).
4. Keeps Alomar away from our Wild Card competitors, notably Boston.
You hit Alomar, ideally, behind Byrnes in the 2 hole and move a very strong rbi man in Hatty to the 8th hole to fortify the bottom of the order. (Alomar provides insurance at lead off if Byrnes falters in that spot down the stretch).
Lineup: Byrnes makes things happen
Alomar can handle the bat
Miggy heating up
Ruby D. flat out clutch
Dye overdue for breakout
Chavey lower in order helps him
Ramon hitting again
Hatty clutch gap hitter
Singleton .300 hitter in 9 hole
Recall Grabowski and Fikac from Sacto to easily replace those traded. You do not sacrifice outfield defense as we still have 3 out of 5 good defenders in Byrnes, Singleton, and Dye. Make a decision on McMillon or Menechino for 25th man. My vote is Menny. THEN GO OUT AND WIN THE WHOLE THING!!!
Phew! Glad I got that off my chest. I feel better.
Reno Bill
Reno Bill,
Nice suggestions. Alomar would be a great fit for the A’s sort of like Ray Durham last July. The inadequacies of Long and Mecir are known to the baseball world and prevent the A’s from moving them for any quality free agents to be. Mecir’s leg is about gone, he can’t be used two days in a row and can only pitch one inning per game. You are right about Long, but I still feel he may hit .270 if he just plays leftfield and concentrates on hitting. I have said on the show that Hatteberg got by last year because virtually every throw hit him in the chest, this year it is different and a good firstbaseman saves his infield many errors, Hatteberg is struggling in that dept. He is a player who gets the most out of his ability, but the team has got to seriously consider his defense in big games. It won’t knock him out of the lineup because the A’s need his offense,I would have a defensive replacement who could hit righthanded on the roster. You don’t need to pinch hit for him in the seventh inning,but I would later in the game if a tough lefty specialist was on the mound. I like your lineup and think Alomar is a terrific possibility, but the Mets will want players who are young and can help them over the next few years.
Marty
Hey Marty,
I heard Gammons say that the A’s turned down acquiring Alomar. That would have been an interesting trade. Probably would help the A’s quite a bit. I agree with everything you say about Hatteberg. He is not a good enough defensive first baseman (doesn’t have great footwork and doesn’t dig balls on a consistent basis) and has a terrible arm. Good teams will run on him and hurt the A’s. In regard to his hitting, I disagree a bit. He doesn’t impress me at all. I’m aware he has a good avg. with RISP. But he is also a major rally killer, prone to the double play ball, and too much of a pull hitter to be batting 2nd in the lineup. A’s need a better firstbasman.
-Mike
Thanks Marty for the reply.
I’m writing just after my boy Hatty blasts the 3 run dinger that essentially wins the game for us.
I can see where a late inning defensive replacement (where’s Mabry when you need him) for Hatty would be ok. Just wish our infielders were more consistent throwers.
My trade suggestion takes into account salary considerations as I think it would be close to a wash for this year.
But, of course you’re right about all of baseball being cognizant of Long and Mecir being on their last legs (pun intended).
Just thought with Howe in NY, a brand new GM, the impatience of that city’s fans, and the daily fight with the crosstown Steinbrenners for headlines, BB could fleece the Mets one more time before Moneyball goes into a 2nd printing.
Reno Bill
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