Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Creativity Abounds!

Very nice, compact, quick 3-2 win for the Dodgers. Once again, the pitching comes through -- Randy Wolf is Randy Wolf: shaky early, dominant later, and it works out. Good win.

Pierre, of course, had nothing to do with it.

1. "Grounded bunt out to first" says the play-by-play... but really, he was called out for running inside the baseline. Despite making more outs so far this year than anyone else, I don't think he's made that one yet. At least he's getting creative -- anyone can ground to second base four times in a game, but Pierre finds all new ways to make out. Credit the first baseman with the putout and make it #155.
2. Grounded to short. #156.
3. Bunt out to third. I mean Pierre smacked that thing, hard, and was waaaay out. #157.
4. Comebacker, grounded to pitcher. #158.

Pace: 556 outs.

8 comments:

blue22 said...

He got screwed on that play in the first. Too bad.

jimbilly4 said...

I don't think he got screwed. I saw the replay and
he ran the entire distance from home to 1st inside the baseline, which is a no-no. Normally that does not get called, but the throw was on the runner's side and he crashed into the 1st baseman, requiring the umpire to call him out.

I guess he did get screwed in the sense that he was unlucky the throw to 1st was so awful. He beat the throw to the bag, so a normal, collision-less toss to first gives him a hit. Instead he has entered a sub-.600 OPS area

.265/.296/.301/.597 Ick. So much for the "it was only his first 12 games that were bad" theory.

blue22 said...

Well, the players will tell you it's a total bullshit rule (can we work blue here?). It's physically impossible to run in the appropriate area and still make safe contact with the bag. Therefore, I think degrees of egregiousness are necessary when interpreting the rule. I thought he was pretty damn close to the baseline, though probably technically inside of it.

blue22 said...

So this may be more appropriate for the previous post, but I was thinking yesterday about 1-for-1 trades that you would turn down for Pierre. Is there any player/contract that you would say "thanks, but no thanks...even Pierre isn't as bad as that [player/contract]"

For instance - BJ Ryan and his shredded elbow is still on the hook for another $10M per year through 2010.

So...BJ Ryan for Juan Pierre, Deal or No Deal?

Others?

jimbilly4 said...

When has actual physical contact ever mattered in baseball? I am being a bit facetious, but look how many phantom tags and double plays there are over the course of a season. More often than not it is just the appearance of being somewhere at the right time that qualifies rather than the actual contact, which is often impossible for the umpire to see anyway. Step right next to first and there is no way the umpire calls you out for missing the bag.

Obviously you can always work blue. And posting obscenities is ok as well, or at least the big Humma in the sky won't complain. You should scroll back and see what anatomically impossible commands 71and91 regularly posts.

jimbilly4 said...

Yes I make that deal, but partly that is because it gets rid of Juan without sticking us with another stiff. The salary is basically a wash. I am also guessing there would be some insurance included to mitigate the costs if he never pitches again (a la Dreifert). If he comes back ok from Tommy John we would either have a valuable bullpen member or great trade bait in mid-2008.

That being said, that is a ridiculous contract to offer a 30-year old relief pitcher. I don't think there is any chance Colletti trades a healthy Pierre for Tommy John'd Ryan. That would be trumpeting the fact that the signing of Juan Pierre was so dumb he would rather have someone on the DL than let Juan play.

While I might think that is eactly what is happening, no way Ned does it. Ned either lives with his mistake or finds a way to more smoothly exit (blockbuster trade with multiple players).

blue22 said...

Well, if you're willing to make a Ryan-for-Pierre deal, I'm pretty much tapped out. Pierre's is the single worst contract going right now. Even Gary Matthews Jr is hitting right now.

I think you'd have to look to the NBA to find an equally horrifying combination of length, annual salary, and non-production. Truly stunning to think about.

Juan Pierre, the Kenyon Martin of Major League Baseball.

jimbilly4 said...

I slept on it and I decided I would never make that deal. I have just become too frustrated with the Pierre blindness of the front office and it led to a lack of judgement. It is just insane to trade a player who has value (and Pierre does for all thebitching) for a player with negative value (can't play with monster contract).

If I were made GM this moment I would demote Pierre to a platoon outfielder and look for a trade in which I would eat some of his salary. Grady would receive a strong suggestion that we don't need two lead off hitters and that Pierre would do more for us from the 8th spot when he plays. If a trade just wasn't happening, I might demote him further to a pure 4th outfielder/pinch hitter/runner.

Now ask me again when Ryan is healthy if I would make the staight up trade. Heart - YES - beat.