I just finished watching Monday night baseball on ESPN.  Tonight’s game featured the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in Arlington to play the Texas Rangers.  The Rangers ended up winning it in the bottom of the ninth with 2 solo homers to overcome a 3-2 Angels lead.  But that’s not what I’m writing about.  Former Indians manager Manny Acta was a guest announcer.  A. J. Pierzynski led off the inning with a solo shot to tie the game.  Nelson Cruz followed with a single.  This put the winning run at first with nobody out.

Rick Sutcliffe asked Manny, ‘are you bunting here’.  Manny Acta responded and said, I’m paraphrasing, that statistically, a runner a first with nobody out has a much better chance of scoring than a runner a second with one out.  This flies in the face of conventional wisdom and further makes the Money Ball case.  I had no idea.  I was always one of those idiots that subscribed to, ‘get em on, get em over, get em in.’

Sticking with Monday Night Baseball, I can’t stand Rick Sutcliffe as an announcer.  To me he is always pontificating and it’s very annoying.  Today he was bagging on the players accused of using PEDs and had a condescending, holier than thou tone to his voice.  Here is my two cents.  Baseball was willing to look the other way when the steroid boys were rescuing baseball after the 1994 strike.  Now that the game has recovered they want to crucify the same behavior they exploited when they needed it.  Further, I think PEDs should be legal.  I don’t think it is anybody’s business what another person puts in their body.  This is same way I feel about the phony war on drugs.  What MLB could do is put asterisks next to a person’s name and statistics when they test positive for something MLB doesn’t really want them to take.

For those of you in the Metro Detroit area, Rick Sutcliffe reminds me of Pat Caputo on 97.1 The Fan.  I don’t listen to The Fan anymore because every time I turn it on I’m subjected to Caputo’s whiny, ‘I know every thing’, ‘let’s talk about George Zimmerman because I have all the answers to life’s problems’, voice.  97.1 is supposed to be a sports station not the Caputo political show.

On another note, former Tiger Jacob Turner pitched 6 and 1/3 allowing 5 hits and 3 earned runs, his ERA on the season is 2.65.

If a pitcher throws at least 6 innings and gives up 3 runs or less, it is considered a quality start.  But if you do the math, (3 x 9)/6, you get an ERA of 4.5.  That’s a little on the high side, isn’t it?

Atlanta Braves pitcher, Brandon Beachy, pitched for the first time in over a year as he got the start tonight against Colorado.  He only lasted 3 and 2/3.  He allowed 7 earned runs on 8 hits including two home runs.  He struck out 5 and walked 1.  It is an ugly line but it’s good see him back and hopefully, for the Braves, he can return to form.

The Tigers are back at it tomorrow.

“God, I love baseball.” – Roy Hobbs | The Natural