Let's send August out in style, boys.

HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGHES!

From Nick Cafardo over at Pete Abe's new place: Sox trade Manny Delcarmen to the Rox for a prospect.

Balcom-Miller, 21, is 6-7 with a 3.31 ERA with 117 strikeouts and 19 walks in 108 innings for the Rockies Single A Asheville affiliate.

In 2009 Balcom-Miller was named Pioneer League Pitcher of the Year after posting a 4-0 record with a 1.58 ERA in 57 innings.

Projected as a future middle-of-the-rotation starter, he was rated the 16th-best prospect in the Rockies organization by Baseball America entering the season.

Oops, I mixed up two Extra Bases articles. The one about the Delcarmen trade is by Chad Finn.

Uh-oh...Kay, Flash AND Tino: the C-team.

[4] I hope you don't inflate your students' grades so easily. ; )

[4] No kidding.

Tino is as useful as "tits on a bull".

Poor Tino just does not have the voice to be on the air. He just sounds like a goof ball.

This just makes it un-fun to watch Hughes. Seven, eight, nine pitch at-bats. ARGH.

[7] Well, on a team that manages to employ *both* Sterling AND Waldman, Tino's voice really isn't the insurmountable obstacle to his usefulness ...

Is this the plan ( Hughes Rules) to keep Phil under his innings limit: have Him throw as many pitches as possible and nibble, nibble, nibble?

That helps.

[7] Yeah. I just didn't want to be the one to say it.

That foils your plan, monkeypants.

I wouldn't describe what he was doing as 'nibbling'. My bet is that he knows he's close to striking guys out -- they keep fouling off pitches. He wants them to chase one for strike three.

But, what do I know?

Greetings from section 233A... It's a bit moist out here ... Schvitz city

Hey Diane!
I really, really wish I could join you. Just too damn far.

Yay, Bergen County reference. That's where I was born.

Now there's a novel idea.

[13] Yeah, I'm not sure "nibbling" is the right description, either.

He's not exactly trying to get them to chase a pitch, or make the perfect pitch, he's going after batters, but he's not getting the swings and misses.

Which, of course, means that Hughes should probably mixing things up more (and using that mythical "change-up" that we heard so much about during the beginning of the year and have seen so little of during).

The only catcher with worse caught stealing rate than Suzuki...

DOUBLE.

STEAL.

On cue...

[20] From my hands to Coffee Joe's brain!

Steal & double steal. Love it.

I'm calling SLASHER into the LC gap.

Cash 'em ALL in!

[20] Sunova...

Okay, that makes three bases stolen this inning, every one of them wasted by a free pass to the man behind the stealer(s).

[18] It definitely does start with the fact that he isn't getting swing-and-misses. He gets two strikes, then foul, foul, ball, foul...
A good change would make him murderous. Maybe in April.

26) it's like reverse base clogging...or something...

[28] It could be a kind of cosmic wake that Brett leaves behind him when he breaks lightspeed.

Well, at least Robbie is getting some of those pitches back for Hughes ...

Ugh,

FUCK.

GODDAMMIT.

sigh.

Good at bat, and yet oddly suboptimal.

Rats.

Good pitching.

Hellz yeah.

slightly better.

Ron Dibble would have a field day with the four middle age gals behind me. Talking nonstop ... 5% of it about the game

slightly better.

and *slightly* better than that!

=)

Po with a triple!

That is fucking hilarious. Congrats, Jorge.

Now let's cap this off with a rally killer. Whoops, a triple is almost as good.

Wait...Posada...triple?!?!?!

You NEVER make the 3rd out at 3rd base,
Posada is an idiot!

"Uh oh, I don't *have* another gear!"

Nice call, Flaherty!

[39] what? 2 stolen bases this year. and that's his second triple isn't it? somethings wrong!

He must be one of the worst baserunners in history.

[42] Well, he *was* running the bases ... REDUNDANCY alert!!!

Now, in all seriousness, could the scorer have given the thirdbasemen an error on that? Or is there some sort of can't assume the out on a throw from the OF guideline?

[45] He used to be. But this is 2010.

You do have a calendar, right?

42, 46) actually, given how slow Posada is, I thiink it may have been a good gamble to force the play at third rather than stop at second and hope to score from there on a base hit.

Ah, back on track with the plan, I see.

TIno's got a great voice for silent movies. (terrible, I know)

Jorge's base-running instincts continue to impress

Look, Phil, ball-in-play is good. See? Remember how you got out of the first inning?

He's not nibbling like he used to but Hughes's starts of late have become almost as unwatchable as last year.

17 balls, 17 strikes.

[51] And Michael Kay has a great face for radio.

Well there's something you don't see every day.

Now that's something you don't see every day.

[57] Great minds.

58) especially given that Po' wasn't the runner!

TIno’s got a great voice for silent movies. (terrible, I know)

As I always say about Waldman, some people have a face made for radio ... she has a voice made for semaphore ...

I wonder if Hughes is trying to hit corners or if he just doesn't have great command. I'd like to see him really challenge this lineup instead of using so many pitches, but maybe that's what he is trying to do?

[57] [58] Well, neither of us gets out much.

[61] I love Suzyn's voice.

Okay, I don't. But I used to, and I still like it if I only listen once a week or so.

[62] I thought the first, but at this point it's certainly at least partly a lack of command. I mean, they haven't hit the ball very hard, we have a three run lead, etc. He knows he's supposed to attack the zone.

[63] Waldman does have a "good voice", but not for singing, not being John Sterling's sidekick.

[65] I know. But, there's something about her accent. It's unique.

63) i was reading an o-l-d game thread from years back, and a bunch of us were debating the relative merits of the Yankees announcers. I was surprised to see that you were, then, big defenders or Sterling and Waldman...I had forgotten that. So, have you changed your mind? Or do you just not listen all that often to the radio broadcast?

I wonder why Hughes has completely shelved the changeup...it seems like such an obvious addition to his arsenal.

[56] At least MK is self-deprecating. : )

[69] But MK has lots to be self-deprecating about.

[69] Somebody needs to pick on him, and it might as well be he.

[67] Mmm, well, I haven't exactly changed my mind. I just got tired of them. And it's true, I don't listen much anymore -- a couple of years ago I didn't have access to the games on television (and they weren't on the internet yet).

Love the high stirrups!

Beckett's pitching pretty well, but the O's are starting to drive him nuts. Brian Roberts singled on the tenth pitch of his AB to lead off, and now he's taken second on a WP.

I'm beginning to appreciate these boring routine A's game. Helps sleeping at night.

[74] I guess someone is about to get hit.

[61] I learn something new each day at the Banter. Had to look that one up.

[68] Has he shelved it though?

I don't think he's ever really gone to it, which is the point that it seems people (like even Tino tonite) keep making, After the BIG deal the Yankees made about how it factored in to his getting the 5th starter's job after spring training, he's really never established it at all this season.

It would be interesting to look at the pitch f/x data and see what the numbers are over this season.

72) got it. For me, i never liked them and only got more tired of them...such that I now pay to here other teams' broadcasts on the interwebs! Of course, I will listen to Sterling/Waldman over the ChiSox broadcast.

Roberts goes to 3rd on a groundout, but now Ty Wigs grounds out to a drawn in Scutaro and Roberts stays put.
2-0 pitch to Luke Scott...

Scott walks. Adam Jones up with runners in the corners, two out.

[78] Right, he hasn't really thrown it much ( 2.4% of all pitches). By shelved, I meant coming out of spring training.

Phil "5th Century" Hughes. Throw fucking strikes. Bollocks!

Hughes has really become an enigma. Seems like the Yankees have alot of those.

Nibbling or poor command, this is startin' to git aggravatin'.

I'm now watching the Sox, but looks like the Yankee game has reached the point of excruciation.

[75] Hughes' strikes are as reclusive as Howard tonight

[82] Are there pitch f/x numbers for the spring?

I always thought the whole "now! he's got a change-up!!!" line was bullshit. A simple excuse to explain that the Yankees were doing what they'd always intended to do, barring a complete meltdown by Hughes.

I don't remember back that far, so I can't say, though ...

[88] Not that I know of...the system is actually a complicated setup, so I doubt they would have been installed in the ST ballparks.

You might be right though...maybe he wasn't throwing it in the Spring either.

Adam Jones hits a slow roller to Marco Scutaro. Scutaro scoots up and Marcos the ball past Lowell. Two runs score.

The Hughes Change-up was not so much about why Hughes was in and more about why Joba was out, by inference. They needed something to explain why all the bending over backwards to set Joba loose as a starter in 2010 was for naught.

Jeter's struggles have gotten to the point where even the YES crew can't help but harp on it.

Just looking over the pitches for the evening. Hughes isn't missing by much. But he's missing often. So, it has to be nibbling. If he had no control he'd miss by more sometimes, and he'd be leaving pitches over the middle more often too.

Also, Brian Matusz is dominating the Sox batters.

Please stop talking about football.

[93] It's not like it used to be. He's missing but the annoying part is the constant foul balls. Even in games when he isn't missing it's been like that lately.

92) well, they talked about it. i'm not sure they harped on it. Now, they ARE still harping on about football.

[97] They've talked about it in every AB over the last three games, whereas previously they seemed to ignore it.

I love two out rally killers.

Why the hell would the Rangers want Jeff Francoeur?

As I have said ALL year, there is only ONE "The Stick" ... and it AIN'T Nick.

[96] I know, I was saying that earlier. (The long ABs because of so many fouls.)

I figure at this point, Jeter is losing about $200,000 per AB.
And Swisher has just turned into a fantastic Yankee.

[103] Wait, Swish did that just now? Cool. Circle the date! On your calendar.

[100] Shorter games?

100) Proven Veteran (tm)? Professional Hitter (tm)?

[105] Part of the plan to keep Cliff Lee?

[100] etc. Superb vowel distribution?

104) It's clear, I think, that Gardner's speed has caused some sort of rupture in space-time. So I'm not sure that any of us can be sure just which calendar we are looking at.

[102] I'm just clarifying where my annoyance comes from lately, as opposed to last year.

[109] True. If you want to know the date, you really have to consult an atlas now. To tell what time it is, check Google Maps.

So this is why he is nibbling.

2-run homer for Jed Lowrie.

Somewhere along the line Phil Hughes stopped being a fun pitcher to watch

[113] If a good thing has come from all of Boston's injuries, it's that they rediscovered Lowrie, who has actually been as good as Pedroia.

Wild pitch my ass.

Tampa winning too?

Will no one rid us of these meddlesome Rays?

How come Tampa can figure out a way to beat Toronto?

[103] Honestly, how can they give Jeter more than a year at this point? It makes me sick to think about it, but how can they?

This is mindnumbingly boring

Come on Hughes.

Can Ivan Nova start game two?

Wow, thank you Crisp ... that *was* Ball 4.

Has someone been allowing AJ Burnett to talk to Hughes?

Hughes' last two starts have been so laborious that I wonder if the lack of command isn't a result of fatigue impaired mechanics. I hope not, because that's where the risk of injury would come from.

119) because he's still still, surprisingly, one of the best hitting SS in the AL and they have no other options for the forseeable future. Unless you relish 150 games of Peña at SS.

125) My guess is that he is hitting a bit of a wall, and the league is probably catching up to him a bit. I doubt he comes out for the fifth inning, certainly not the sixth.

GRANDYMAN!!!

FUCK YOU KEVIN LONG!

That's my boy. Good on ya, Curtis!

Curtis getting back on track?

It's so different watching games played in these newer parks with smaller foul territory and safety fences in front of the dugouts. I swear I have seen more wild overthrows in the last few days that simply bounce back to the fielders, with the runner not advancing, than I can remember.

[128] Could Kevin Long be our Rudy Jaramillo?

God damnit.

Are all five seasons as a Yankee farm team?

That helps a bunch.

I like having a couple of these games in a row.

Coming into this series, the A's led the majors in quality starts.

OK, nice big lead...send Phil out for his 100 pitches or five inings, whichever comes first, then hand it over to the luckiest man in the world: Chad Gaudin.

Love that AB by Cano.

[137] They had given up 38 runs in seven games against the Yankees.

134) Hm, good question.

[141] I don't think so. I think the Yankees still had the Clippers in 06.

That boy *looks* like a "Boof" ...

142) I think you're right. And as I recall, the Clippers were not so good in those days.

Go Blue Jays!

Yay Blue Jays!

[144] I think Bubba Crosby and Andy Phillips were the stars.

[134} What does that mean (I was away from the TV at that time).

[147] Naw, Crosby was starting in CF for the Yankees that year. Don'tcha remember?

Only the 5th? 9-2 sounds great though.. How is Philthy Phil?

A little frustrating but overall not too bad tonight for Sir Phil. I can't wait to watch him next season.

I know Hughes has labored, and it is frustrating to watch, but he did get through 5 innings with only 2 runs. He deserves the win despite Michael Kay's sniping.

[150] Phailing a bit ...

[150] Exhausting

[153] or ... Phlailing a bit ... if you'd prefer ...

[152] I'd hope most major league pitchers could do at least as well against Oakland.

Phil pitched 146 innings in '06. After that, he hasn't pitched more then 110 innings in a season. My guess is he's fatigued.

[150] Nibbling, or no command, or something. Far too many balls, too many walks. Not what you're looking for in a blow-out like this one, obviously.

[156] They do exhaust pitchers though..Go Go Moneyball! (or is that soooo 2002?)

[156] Ya think? Oakland is playing .500 ball. Many pitchers have lost to them.

150) Phrustrating, at times inphuriating.

157) Phatigued?

In his 24 starts this year, Phil has gone less than 6 innings 10 times. His longest outing was 7.1 on April 21. He's gone 7 innings 8 times but not since July 9th. Something is amiss.

[160] Indeed, but many pitchers have lost to them without giving up many runs. Their pitching is really good.
Well, that's hard to say with a straight face after what we've done to them, but that's how it's been.

To answer a question posed earlier today, I think Mr. Thames looks like Brother Mouzone.

Minus the horned-rimed glasses.

And the sycophant, of course ...

[160] Because they can pitch. They're 11th in the league in runs scored, 9th in average, 10th in OBP, 13th in SLG, 13th in runs scored, 13th in home runs and so on and so forth.

Pitchers tend to handle them fairly well.

[160] Even Sabathia and Greinke have taken losses against the A's.

159) your comment made me curious, so I checked out AL team stats for pitches per plate appearance. oakland is a little below average 3.79 P/PA v. 3.82. But what struck me was how little difference there was between the top team, Boston at 4.04, and the worst team, baltimore at 3.70. So that means that the difference between the most pitch watching and least pitch watching team is only about one pitch every three batters.

I guess that adds up over the course of the game...I guess.

I left with the Rays up. I like them trailing 11-3 a little better...

[167] Sabathia went 8 IP and only gave up 3 ER (4 R). Greinke went 6 IP and gave up 2 ER (5 total)

The A's can't hit. 5 IP 2ER against Oakland is not a good performance.

Chaaaaaaaaaaaad.

Nah, doesn't have the same ring.

163) in the end, though, it doesn't matter too much. Had he gone more than six more often, he would be up against his innings limit sooner and they would have to pull him or sit him. When all is said and done, he's performed pretty much up to expectations for the year...at least up to my expectations.

[172] Right, but it's a bad sign.

Pennigton looks so much more out of control than Jeter when he makes that play.

[170] OK, can we at least say it was an adequate performance? 2 runs-5 innings?

[175] The result was fine. It's just that we know he had real problems, because we watched. (Actually I only watched a couple of innings.)

Can Kevin Long do his magic with Jeter?

173) yeah, but not a sign that has me too worried. He looks a little gassed to me...not surprising considering he is now exceding his previous innings high, and he was not stretched much last year.

Sox bunt runners up to 2nd and third, but Scutaro grounds out weakly and Nava Ks looking. Still 3-2 O's.

Jays piling on!

And, while Hughes has been less than stellar since really the All Star Game, why is it that he doesn't get "he figured out how to gut it out when his stuff and command failed him" praise like others do?

[180] Oh, I dunno.
I think he's going to be fine. He's going through some puzzling phase, but he'll figure it out. Hey, if he figures it all out this October (and it isn't serious fatigue that just can't be fixed until the off season), that will be perfect!

Too bad they couldn't have gotten Lilly off of waivers. Always good to have options at this point.

What's going on up there, Jorge?

182) I think they have plenty of options already, and Pettitte is coming back in a couple of weeks. i mean, sure, it would be nice to have a starting staff that goes nine or ten deep, but I think they'll be ok.

so.... who's been better?
................ SP.......................RP........................Total
Pphil: 4.66 / 1.344 - 1.40 / 0.857 - 4.17 / 1.270 102 ERA+
Joba: 4.18 / 1.480 - 3.15 / 1.179 - 3.83 / 1.376 113 ERA+

"Hi, I'm Boof Bonser" Not something you would want to hear as you're introduced to your heart surgeon.

Hughes, the shitty 16 win pitcher. The Yankees better have options.

Damn.

This Two-Starters stratagem is absolutely brilliant. Works like a charm.
We could carry ten starters plus Mo. That leaves 14 spots for position players!

Sox traded Manny DeCarman. Addition by subtraction.

Luke Scott makes a boom-boom.
O's up on the Sox, 4-2... bottom of the 8th.

[187] I didn't say Hughes was shitty, I just said it would be nice for the Yanks to have Lilly as an option, seeing as Burnett is a mess, Andy is injured but hopefully healing, and Vazquez is a mess too. But OK.

Felix Doubront coughs up a dinger to Luke Scott. 4-2 O's in the bottom of the eighth.

Rats. Pena ran into that one and STILL couldn't get it over the fence.

[192] Slow. Too slow.

[194] Dammit.
On the other hand, [189] was too slow by a lot more.

Ooooh, he coughs up another one, to Felix Pie.

Took a save right out of Gaudin's hands.....

I guess Dave needed work?

The Red Sox are now 6-7 against Baltimore this year. Not a good feeling.

It's over in BaltO. Can we now officially put the Sox to bed for the year? Time for those wicked fans to care about the the Pats.