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Imagine being the best hitter of your generation, lording over baseball for almost 2 decades and still having a chance for a respectable season, and now you find that opposing teams are giving a free pass to a kid who was only 9 years old when you took your first MLB hacks, simply so that they can get to you as "the easier out"? But that's where we are. Mike Trout is getting the Barry Bonds treatment in hopes that Albert Pujols will GiDP. That's a tough spot for the opposing pitcher, and it's a tough spot for Albert Pujols. Last night, Pujols wins and White Sox pitcher David Robertson lost.
The Angels actually had this game in the bag. An easy 5-2 win entering the 9th. Mike Scioscia rolled out his EveryOtherDayvid-Hernandez (pitched 5/6, 5/8, 5/10, 5/12, 5/14...failed to pitch 5/16), and EveryOtherDayvid barfed up a win in hand. It was neither quick, nor clean. There was plenty of time to hit the eject button, but that's not Sosh's style. Sosh might need Hernandez to do something similar on October, so Hernandez needs to know he can work through a catastrophe of his own making. The only way to do that is to leave him in for the process. It's all about process. And Hernandez processed away a 3-run lead. (Full disclosure: it took the most mind-boggling infield misplay of a perfectly-placed mis-hit to do it.)
So the Angels had to go out and win the game a second time.
Cameron Maybin had a perfect night at the plate going there, 4 for 4 with 2 runs scored and 1 run driven in. But then Hernandez made Maybin take the plate a 5th time. That was less successful. Hernandez owes Maybin a dinner. Maybin would be a mini-hero when, in the 11th inning after the ChiSox took a lead, he double to tie the game back up. That was the play that left 1st base open for the free pass to Trout (loading the bases with Ben Revere on 3rd), which then led to the game-winning single by Pujols. Maybin would, therefore, end up 5 for 6 with 2 RBI and 2 runs scored
Huzzahs all around!
Have some Come-From-Ahead-So-We-Can-Come-From-Behind Links:
A Little Bit of Angels News
Interesting. It appears as if this Mike Trout player we have on our roster is pretty good. In fact, he might someday become one of the All-Time Greats. That's pretty insightful journalism, there............
And Trout, ever the Velociraptor, is getting better. He is now taking advantage of pitchers thinking that he is going to automatically lay off the first strike.............
Yuni be gone for a month with his hammy. So that is one more way in which Mike Trout is super human. We were pissy at the idea of him missing a mere 10 days..............
25% into the season, our first quarter report card is a B-. Much better than expected, actually. When I was in elementary school, that report card was good for a taco dinner.............
The second-best news to come out of last night was the fact that Albert Pujols knocked a Red Sox down a peg. Pujols passed Carl Yastrzemski for 11th all-time MLB collector of RBIs............
What's it like to move from the front of the bus to the back of the bus? Ask Bud Norris...........
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Everywhere In Baseball
Adam Jones gives us a much, much deeper look into the world of racial injustice he deals with throughout MLB, not just Boston...........
Just as insightful as the Mike Trout is probably awesome article linked above, Ken Rosenthal has an epiphany to share. Baseball has a PEDs problem, and it might not ever go away. Considering that there are still people who believe in leprechauns, Rosenthal is pretty safe here...........
Rosenthal, on a roll yesterday, also suggests that the Marlins should tank rebuild. Those new to baseball - hell, those new to Planet Earth - would realize that tear downs are one thing the Marlins do best, and often. Anyway, I would predict that if a new owner actually did that, Rosenthal would then have an idea for a new article, about how the Marlins are part of the problem that is costing veteran players their jobs throughout MLB............
Now that we are in the post-Jeter-hagiography period, it's time to bear witness of the counter-programming. Sam Walker, author of "The Captain Class: The Hidden Force That Creates the World's Greatest Teams" explains why Derek Jeter is not going to making this edition, nor any other..........Or you can just pretend to be objective, and pretend to be above it all.............
Simply put, the title says it all. The Fly Ball Revolution Is Hurting As Many Batters As It's Helped. It's a tricky thing............
Baseball is a game of clustering your luck. Those teams that do, do well. If they do so for the correct period of time, they are champs. Yankee fans are finding this out for themselves right now............
Joe Maddon may be quite snarky over the slide rule, but history is not on his side...........
In case you are unaware, Venezuela is on the verge of all-out civil war. I might be slightly off base here, but I think it's driven by the collapse of the economy driven by fallen oil prices, mishandled by the government. Remember that Venezuela has more than a few players in Major League Baseball, and they are certainly NOT unaware...........
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The Duffle Bag
Josh Harrison screams "Brakes! Brakes? Where's the brakes!"..........Hmmm. Aroldis Chapman goes to the DL. The Yankees need a new Closer. Do they have one? At one point Yankees president said no. Now he says "just kidding"............This is one idea long overdue. The West Coast League, a Canadian summer baseball program, will feature Claire Eccles pitching for the Victoria HarbourCats (Canada has harbours). Claire is female, and she can throw the knuckleball.............USPS baseball stamps are going to be on ALL my Christmas cards this year!...........When a "stat" means nothing............The very best part about having an ex-player do commentarry on live TV is when they tell the frikkin' truth! Good on ya', LaTroy Hawkins..........
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Jordan Serena Destiny Watch
J-Ser had the night off last night as the 66'ers tried to take down the Stockton Ports. (The Ports play in Banner Island Ballpark, which is not an island, and in Stockton, which is not a port.) Taking a 3-2 lead into the final frame, 66'ers bullpen took their lead from Anaheim and coughed up the game. Since they were on the road, it was too late for Serena to play savior.
Beyond that bad news, we have some more bio. Unlike that other guy, Our Serena figured out quite quickly that, although he was a stud on the gridiron, his true future was as a baseball player. No undoing the mistakes of his high school decisions for J-Ser!
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