For now...this is just a heads up. FSN is covering the Mariners/Rangers game tonight at 7 PM PDT (10 PM EDT)...finally some night baseball that I can actually watch!
Ian Snell gets the start (good...I need to see how he looks this spring before I get to his part of the WAR Stack series...LOL), and - this will give us a chance to scout the Rangers too...
So while you're enjoying the feast of St. Patrick...feel free to also enjoy the Mariners game tonight and post comments and thoughts here. I will be adding to header post during the game.
For not even HITTING a friggin' batter? In a meaningless spring training game? REALLY???
OK...now I'm pissed.
Lee is, quite rightly appealing this one and will hopefully get it chipped down to a game or two if the league has any pretension about being remotely fair. This pansy-headed mealy-mouthed cajone-free MLB discipline system has got to go.
I like it though in a way... sets the tone nicely, eh?
I'm with Jemanji, a little bit of nasty is good, and a lot is even better. : )
I don't recall seeing that pitch at ALL last year...getting Hamilton to look really...really silly on a pitch right down the middle is not a simple task.
This is why he once-upon-a-time was pegged as one of the NL's next-potential-aces. The guy has (in the past) had insanely wicked "stuff". What he hasn't had is any consistency employing/repeating it from game to game -- at least, not for long periods beyond the minors.
(Not having seen the actual pitch in question, I hope you understand I'm speaking in general terms here).
He does still have an assortment of very good pitches tonight. He's gotten a punch out on a slider, a change-up and a fastball painted. The one hard hit ball he's allowed so far was an 89 mph fastball down the middle for a double to Saltalamacchia that produced the run. He does not have command of the curve today.
Snell made a good pitch way in on his hands...it was amusing watching him just pull his wrists practically inside his chest and hit a screaming missile into the stratosphere.
the umpires are just ridiculous. Totally piling on with Bradley and making sure he knows who's in charge. This could be a long year of anger at the umps.
Man, too bad I'm missing this.... sounds like a good 'un! Thanks for the thread Matt, keep er coming. What's up with Feldman? Looking sharp? Couple walks to start the game and then got it dialed in, eh?
Feldman has been up with a lot of pitches. He's getting some pop-ups but that's bad for a sinkerballer.
Ms just not cashing in on mistake pitches right now.
Whereas the Rangers have pasted every single bad pitch and a couple of good ones.
Snell... 5k through 3 IP? Some pretty good batters he's doing that to.
First chance for Lopez on the day...he made a nice pick on a hard grounder to his left and then took two weird crow-hop steps and threw like half submarine/half 3/4 of fhis back foot and Kotchman had to snowcone the ball to save an error. That was not a good sign.
The last inning there he was VERY sharp.
The Rangers have hit a couple of loud HRs...one of which was hit by a freak of nature. Otherwise, he's had a good start.
Yikes.
The radar is either re3ading low or Aardsma hasn't thrown it harder than 93 all evening and most pitches 88-90. And he's getting eviscerated.
League and Colome, both fireballers in their own right, were in the same 88-92 range. Or they could just be taking it easy.
Try and join yer next time.
And can we revert to G-rated language, please. Muchas gracias very much. :- )
Even if you were the only one commenting Matty, I'd read the kibitzing. :daps: All game threads will be muy bienvenidos.