HumpLinks: Inching towards an all-Manhattan series

I don't know what is more impressive to me. A 30-year old dude never known for being a slugger who finally gets himself into the playoffs and clubs 6 home runs in 8 games, or a 22-year old slugger who, in his first year in baseball, finds himself in the playoffs and goes out and slugs 5 home runs, also in 8 games.

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In Baseball

Here We Go Again: We have already had a chat where the TV graphics in this playoff season are out of whack and screwing with viewers, misinforming them as to what is going on during play. Too bad this "information" goes into this discussion concerning umpire John Hirshbeck and Troy Tulowitzki. From where I sit, the pitch in question was pretty meaty over the outside of the plate. The TV graphic showed it as a ball (which is what Tulo wished for it to be). But PITCHf/x shows it on the outside edge of the zone, further out than my eyeballs call it. But, anyway, Hirschbeck is still a dick here............

Ball Four: It's a classic. If you are too young to know the experience, you really need to read Jim Bouton's Ball Four. Well, even though he wrote his own update, here are a pair of updated updates from HardballTimes. Part 1 from the Seattle days, and Part 2 from the Houston Days............

On the Brink: the Royals are about to rejoin the Big Dance, for their second year in a row. They get their start back in 1968 after Charley Finley stole the Kansas City A's off to Oakland, the American League granted an expansion franchise back to KC, and here is the actual buy-in check that made it happen..........

Stealing (at) Home: Here we go again. Johnny Cueto believes that he saw somebody stealing signs in center field at Rogers Centre. After all this time, what with players coming and going between teams, this myth is unsustainable. But if it messes with the minds of the opposition, why not? Yeah. So pasting 14 runs on Toronto pitchers and forcing them to use a position player as pitcher for the first time in MLB playoff history should also put that to rest..............

Being Bossy: Man, this cattle-call approach to filling job openings during the playoffs is all over the place. Up in Seattle, where we have already been told that a Tim Bogar is available, Dipoto can't make a decision until he talks to a guy - Jason Varitek - who has only been a player and something called a special assistant to Red Sox staffers?..........

Old Timers: The Simpsons have been on television for 26 years now, and only just now is Fox figuring out how to use the show as a cross-promo with the World Series. The other part that surprises me is that The Simpsons are rapidly approaching that age where Bart will be bitching for kids to get off his lawn...............

Tricky Tack: People are starting to get pissy about baserunners being called out for just barely coming off the bag at the end of their slides while the fielder is holding the tag. I say tough shit. Those are sloppy slides and fielders should be rewarded for maintaining a good tag. We don't have a player safety issue at stake here so, no, baserunners don't get a "neighborhood play"..........

Walking Must Be Hard: Especially for a professional athlete. Such as Bartolo Colon..............

Johnny Cheapshot: Cueto was pretty frustrated by his suckage the other night...to the extent that he takes a cheap shot at Kevin Pillar............

Fresh Meat: MLB expansion? Maybe not for a while. Relocation? Did somebody say Arte Moreno? Here is a list of worthy, overdue, targets far more formidable than Tustin, California..............

TV Viewers: While baseball playoffs TV ratings are way up, NASCAR ratings are falling. Know hope?............Even more impressive, TV rights are expected to overtake gate revenues across all sports by 2018..............

Sports Apocalypse: How's this for horror stories? America's smarmiest broadcaster is going to regale us with all things about himself............

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