ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Los Angeles Angels reliever Brendan Donnelly was ejected for having a foreign substance in his glove in the seventh inning of Tuesday night's game against the Washington Nationals. He had not thrown a pitch.
Since that night, Donnelly's walks and ERA have both gone up. Go figure.
"That's the thing: Maybe he'll be up and down this season, but when he's up, is there another center in the league quite like him? He protects the rim, passes out of double teams, has great hands around the basket, up-fakes on his jump-hooks, rebounds in traffic, even has a motor that keeps going and going (unlike a stiff like Eddy Curry). I'm not sure what's missing here. This is stunning. This is startling. There's almost no precedent for it. Just what the Lakers needed: More obscenely good luck. Meanwhile, I have to watch Al Jefferson whip jump-hooks off the front of the rim for the third straight season. I will now pour scalding hot water down my pants." -Bill Simmons on Andrew Bynum (11/08/06)
Hey, it's baseball. If you're not cheating, you're not trying. Got to keep up, Brendan.
I don't like the trade for Boston, though. Seibel was a stud in the minors last year with some ridiculously good ERA. And Donnelly hasn't been anything special outside of 2003, like you mentioned.
Excellent move by Boston. They moved a guy they picked up on waivers from the Mets who had 3 major league appearances in '04 before blowing out his arm in '05 for a solid middle reliever. Now, I don't want Donnelly closing. They desperately need someone to fill that role, and there is no one in the current bullpen that I trust in that role. A few guys from the rotation I'd trust, but they want to avoid Papelbon in that spot, and I am the lone voice in the wilderness in having Wakefield return to the spot he had much success in during the summer of '99. However, if Donnelly can approach what he has been in the past and combine with Timlin in the 7th and 8th inning the bullpen looks better than it did last year. I've wanted Boston to get J.C. Romero for several years, so hopefully last year was an aberration and he can at least be serviceable. Throw in the left-handed pitcher from Japan they signed a few weeks ago and either Delcarmen or Hansen showing some signs of consistency, and the 6th through 8th innings might not be the game of full chamber Russian Roulette that it was the second half of last season. And, if you consider the Red Sox bench to be Pena, Hinske, Cora and Mirabelli, then you pretty much have 24 of the 25 roster spots accounted for, with the closer spot still at large.
Originally posted by redsoxnationI am the lone voice in the wilderness in having Wakefield return to the spot he had much success in during the summer of '99.
Wake would be a serviceable closer, but the knuckler is just impossible to predict night-to-night. Having him close would be like Chinese water torture on a good night, and jumping into the Pacific with a cement wetsuit on a bad night.
Still, better than Chan Ho Park or Akinori Otsuka...
Originally posted by redsoxnationI am the lone voice in the wilderness in having Wakefield return to the spot he had much success in during the summer of '99.
Wake would be a serviceable closer, but the knuckler is just impossible to predict night-to-night. Having him close would be like Chinese water torture on a good night, and jumping into the Pacific with a cement wetsuit on a bad night.
Still, better than Chan Ho Park or Akinori Otsuka...
He was 14 for 16 in the closers role in '99 between the point where Gordon went down and they developed faith in a young Lowe/acquired an old Rod Beck who gave up a walk-off playoff home run to Bernie in ALCS while Wakefield was left off the roster. I'd take my shot with the kiddie corp before I'd bring in Chan Ho Park. Otsuka would probably cost to much in prospects to get, as the Rangers supposedly want young major league quality starting pitching for him, and Boston only has Papelbon and Lester to fill that role, and they aren't moving either of them anytime soon.
Well, the Rangers have proved themselves to be retarded on more than one occasion. Delcarmen and Hansen have value, and I wouldn't be sad to see either of them go in exchange for Otsuka. Might be wishful thinking, but throw in Adam Stern or somebody and you never know.
I honestly think it was a shit idea to put Paps in the rotation after he was straight up NAILS as a closer, but what do I know?
As for Wake, I don't think I could deal with him closing out games. As an elite middle- or long-relief guy, yes, but not in the ninth. I don't think my heart could take it. I'd rather see Gopherball Beckett in there.
"Are you- are you sad?"
-No.
"But your- your songs are sad."
-My songs are of time and distance. The sadness is in you. Watch my arms. There is only the dance. These things you treasure are shells.
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http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/mitch-williams-are-lenny-dykstra-still-hate-each-other-214829478.html A whole ass load of NSFW language, but these two drunks just rip into each other as only Philly guys could do.