Ah, first pitch swinging.

Yes, a run.

I guess Diane is going to have fun with the Blue Jays pitcher's name.

Has anyone else ever thought it's odd that a batter gets a ground rule double no matter where the ball bounces over the fence? Did the rule always mandate a double, or was there a time when it was left to the judgement of the umpires what base to award the batter? And yes, i know, in the way back a bal that hopped over the fence between the foul poles was a HR.

[3] I do think there may be some discretion -- at least with possibly giving a runner an extra base if the ump thinks the guy would've scored from first on a ground rule double, but it's always going to cause an argument so I think umps just don't want that headache anymore.

The only pitch to Bautista tonight that's not on the outer half tonight better be in his ass. K's work, too.

[3] Hm, I watched throwback baseball for one summer (and then one game the next summer). I'm trying to remember if it ever came up. I don't think so. Our home team plays 1888 rules.

You guys saw that people are raising questions about Bautista and roids, right?

[7] People are always raising questtions. Wow. That one took off.

[3] [4] I believe - don't quote me on this, I'm at the office and away from my historical baseball books - the problem originally was not the ball bouncing over the wall, but rather, the ball going into the crowd on the field (this was in the days before there was an actual wall to delimit the outfield). I think the batter was originally allowed to go as many bases as he could, and you can see how that would be trouble (the crowd would play keep away to help their batters), so they said, if it goes into the crowd, its a double. Of course eventually they built walls around the outfield and the fans couldn't be on the field during play, but the rule stuck for when a ball bounced into the stands.

I feel pretty certain this was in Peter Morris's excellent two volume "A Game of Inches", but without the book to refer to, I can't be absolutely certain.

[7] Yup, saw it on Pinto's site. But until he fails a drug test, I'm going to withhold judgment.

Nice fielding, Bautista.

I just realized that Scrabble got through that first inning having thrown eight pitches.

3) i don't mean the runner, I mean the batter. If the batter hits a ball that one hops the CF fence 410 feet away, or if he cues a blooper over first base that skips into the crowd, he's awarded second base no matter wnat. I don't have a problem with a simple, elegant rule. It just strikes me as odd and I'm curious about the history of the ground rule double.

Oh, brother.

[7] [8] That's just stupid, on so many levels.

Another thing I've never seen. Thames may not be all there mind wise.

That was a ridiculous play at home. Ina way, i am glad Thames made out since he basically tried to bowl over the catcher who had the ball well in advance of the runner arriving.

9) interesting.

Hook the left foot on the back corner and Thames is safe. grrrrrrrrrrrrr

Yeah, it's too bad we don't have special members of the coaching staff assigned to stand near the runners on first and third and give them sage advice about when they should run.

[17] Or it might have been in a book that mentioned the Huntington Avenue grounds (original home of the Red Sox), which had insane dimensions, and no outfield walls. IIRC, straight away CF was 550' from home plate, or something ridiculous like that.

There's another reason that home runs weren't hit so often in the dead ball era. ;)

Huh, according to Wikipedia (which I know is not a clause that inspires enormous confidence), before 1930 a ball that bounced fair into the stands was a home run. Could that be right? I wonder if any of Babe's 60 were bouncers.

[19] You mean like Meacham? ; )

7, 8, 14) stupid or not, this is going to be one of the legacies of the steroids era. I predicted beforeand it's not that surprising a prediction, that now every player who has a breakout year is going to fall under immediate suspicion.

[21] I think I've heard something like that before . . . and I think the stands meant the outfield wall (or whatever was there) between the foul poles.

Meanwhile, I was going to complain about Granderson starting vs a LHP, but he walked, so I have no compliant. I would like to see Jeter get on base here . . .

It's rule 6.09 (e),(f),(g) & (h). (h) gives the batter a HR if the fielder deflects it into the stands, but if it's less than 250 away from home plate, the batter only gets a double.

e-g give an award of 2 bases only, so that must have been a rule change.

[22] Worth his weight in gold!

Shaun, Huntington Avenue Grounds. Cool pix.

[21] There's got to be a definiitve answer to that somewhere. Where's Hank, the resident Cooperstownian? : )

[19] I mean Dude... what a crazy idea.

21) indeed, see 3):

And yes, i know, in the way back a ball that hopped over the fence between the foul poles was a HR.

[21] I think that was one season. It's in the Bill James Historical Abstract. I'd look it up but I'm off to a dojo meeting.

21) i read somewhere that in fact none of the Babe's 60 were bouncers, but I do not know how that was determined. At the same time, in that era a ball that landed foul beyond the fence (that is, passed where the foul pole would be in fair territory but then hooked 'foul' after passing over the fence) were considered foul, not fair. Some Babe apologists argue that he lost a lot of HRs because of that rule, though againI am not sure how this can ever be determined with any acxuracy.

[29] Right, I saw, but I figured by "way back" you meant further back than 1930. That's why I then mentioned the 1888 throwback league. Lots of rules were different before 1900, but very few have changed since 1930.

[26] I came across this a few weeks ago while bored. I enjoyed it.
http://wirednewyork.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14850&page=1

Meanwhile, Moseley looks like he might have recaptured some of the lightning in a bottle.

[26] Nice pic D. Some of the 'fields' back in the day had pretty nutzo dimensions. (I guess they were Polo fields or another rectangular sports field). One old time field was something like 250' down the LF line, and over 500' to CF.

With today's technology I'm amazed all catchers don't use more than one sign at all times.

[34] Lightning, unlike a genie or toothpaste, can be put back into a bottle.

[33] Very cool.

35) the Polo Grounds was almost 500' to CF and around 250' down one line. Likewise, Yankee Stadium in its first season was something like 490' to CF and in the 250s' down the lines.

[31] Okay, yeah, I see that there's a book titled The Year Babe Ruth Hit 104 Home Runs, with the "extras" mainly coming from the ones that hooked foul beyond the pole.

Did that guy wake up and think, "I'm going to wear my Dolphins jersey to the Yanks-Blue Jays game?" wtf!

Huge Bomb!

Excellent!

Excellent!!!

That's what you can get if you try to pull a ball on the outside corner.

35) one of my favorite sites for looking at the dimensions of old, and current, stadiums is Andrew Clem's website. Most here probably will not care for the right leaning politics of the page, but the stadium info in the baseball section is fairly well researched. A nice site.

http://andrewclem.com/

CALL HIM MISTER THAMES!!!!

Fucking Awesome. Atta boy, Thames!

I like tonight's lineup a lot better than last night's. I also prefer the opposing pitcher and home plate ump to those in yesterday's game.

[26] Thanks! I'm pretty sure I've walked across where the Huntington Ave Grounds were, or awful close to them, at least a few times in my life in Boston.

[32] The fam and I were in Mystic a couple of weekends ago, and at the Seaport, they had a demonstration of baseball as played by the 1860s rules, using 1860s style equipment. Visitors could take a turn at bat if they liked, and I did. You had to hit the ball into the ground - no upper cut swinging allowed - which was not easy. I broke out the old Julio Franco stance and chopped the bat down, and managed a nice hit out of it.

One of the folks who worked there had bandages said they had a league that played by 1860s rules and equipment, and that it was murder on the fielders, because they can't use mitts. "You wouldn't believe the number of broken fingers people get," he said, holding up his hands to show us bandages on 4 of his 10 fingers.

On the one hand, that's a little crazy. On the other hand, that's my kind of crazy! It made me wish I lived closer to Mystic.

Jo Po Long Ball Sho!!!

I'm starting to worry that all of these rally killers are going to come back and bite the Yankees later.

47) were upper cut swings againat the rules in the 1800s, or was this a fairness or safety rule added by the demonstrators? If upper cut swings were illegal, I wonder how that was enforced. Hmm..

They laid waste to that poor kid. Good times.

[46] The Yanks have come a long, long way from the team that lefties used to give fits to.

[38] I kinda recall hearing that when the Dodgers played their first years in LA at the Coliseum, the dimensions were like 225 down the left field line (with a tall fence) and like 500+ to center field.

[33] Great old shots of Yankee stadium.

And how bout that murderers row of Teixeira, Thames, Posada? Can we have a laugher and duel losses for the Gays and BSox? Please.

And isn't the Jays pitcher's name the same as a Superman nemesis?

[49] Oh no, it was the rule. The ball had to hit into the ground, or otherwise touch the ground, before the fielder could get it. Otherwise you were called out, I believe.

Of course, there was also no such thing as a walk, and no strikeouts looking either. You struck out only if you swung 3 times and missed. And the pitcher was warned if the ball wasn't pitched somewhere "hittable"; if it was way up high, or in the dirt too much, the ump could award the batter first base.

Very different but very cool.

54) cool.

[54] Jeter STILL plays by those rules...

Ooooh, the new Jays pitcher is hairy. You know, sometimes I really appreciate the Yankees facial hair rules.

I hope Mosely achieves 71 shut out pitches and more. If Joe lets him.

56) hahahahahahahaha

Well played!

[56] lol : )

Hey gang.

I'm going to the Steinbrenner monument game in a few weeks. I'm very happy.

He might not be Aaron Small yet but Alonzo Moseley is pretty cool. Love the lumber show! Even the outs have been loud.

Also, LOVE it that Damon is staying put if that is in fact his final decision.

Have a day,Teix!

I'm diggin some Dustin Moseley! (Sounds like a 60's counter-culture film.

I didn't know Dustin Moseley (notice spelling) was only 28... now in his 5th year. He has a career 85 ERA+ which ain't too good, but he has had 2 years of 103 and 107. Maybe Dave E. has helped him a bit? Considering the scrum we have had to throw out there in the past, DM isn't as bad as some.

[57] Did you see that picture of Boone Logan when he played for the White Sox? He looked strait outta Lancaster. Much better now.

65) looking at his career ERA+, one suspects that he has been...unlucky?

Shit.

I hate this turf. Normally Cano gets that for a DP

Why can't they grow grass in Rogers Dome? The roof opens, they certainly have lawns in Toronto. Wouldn't that make the baseball experience better there?

Oh boy.

Yep, this is looking more and more unlucky.

Come on, LIAB, get it together here.

[47] Shaun, where do you live? There are 1800's leagues all over New England. Connecticut has several teams, playing by different rules.

double play, please...

we'll take that.

70) I'm sure it's a cost cutting move, plus the Argonauts play their home games there (and, if I recall, some other sports are played there as well)...that would be a pretty chewed up field.

I'll send an SOS to the world
I hope that someone gets my
Lightning in a bottle...
Lightning in a bottle...

You da' Mose!

Nice pitching Dustin

So I'm up to 1999 in the Official World Series Film Collection.

I have zero recollection of most of this series for whatever reason. I don't recall El Duque pitching against Greg Maddux, and if you gave me 100 guesses I never would have come up with that for the game one matchup;. Games three and four are a bit better, but I still don't remember them as vividly as 96, 98 and 00.

Thames is a real easy guy to root for.

[81] He is. As long as he isn't in the field.

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

Grandyman!!!

KEVIN LONG SUCKS!!!

When Granderson makes contact, he can hit it a ton.

Whoa.

Me Like-um GrandyCanes

[85] Bat speed.

BACK UP THE SCORE TRUCK

No way.

The Captain rides again.
And a bif fu to oyf! : )

Even the Cap'n isn't dead ... at least tonite!

There goes Jeter stat padding again.
Last night William complained we didn't have enough HR power on this team.

Jeter hit that one in the air. Or, as he might say:

"Fuck you, old yanks fan (56)!"

; )

By the way...
JD does NOT go to Boston.
Frankly, I'm amazed.

For the zillionth time, if they let the pitcher catch pop ups that would rarely happen. Oy!

[94] He will hit juuuuuuuuuuuuuuuust enough that the Yankees re-sign him.

[95] I'm not.

That was Derek Jeter's first over the fence homer since June 12. Hopefully he hits another four or five this year.

92) It's alive!

[95] Sweet!
http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/mlb/news/story?id=5493842

With a nice big lead, they should let LIAB go as deep as possible. Has he gone over 85 pitches yet this season? He should be able to stretch to 100, I would think.

Que es 'LIAB'?

[101] I can't wait to hear what Peter Gammons has to say. The local pundits around here are quite disappointed, and they think this is a PR disaster for the team.

[100] "Bring out your dead" and now that one. lol again.

How many of the Yankees five homeruns cleared the wall and how many bounced into the stands?

[103] Lightning in a Bottle.

So by my accounts, rsn booed Damon mercilessly when he returned with the Yanks, but they celebrated his return with Detroit. Ha. Back to square one. Or is it two?

Sorry I'm late; had a dizzy spell after listening to Papa Sterling saying "It is high, it is far, it is GONE!" over and over again... >;)

99) jeter continues to be groundballlicious, but to my naked eyes (and my wishful thinking) he seems to be striking the ball a little better lately. Or so I hope.

In his last 5 starts, DM has 83, 84, 85, 87 and 90 pitches. 7.1 IP is his high.

[109] Uh oh. Did jjmerlock give you a sugar cube? You know better, Will.

[110] By lately, you mean since Aug. 23rd?

Continue your day, Teix. Nice.

[108] It would be awesome if they put in a claim for Manny (do the White Sox have a better record right now?)

BREAKING NEWS!
"Manager Joe Girardi announced Nova will replace the struggling Javier Vazquez for Sunday's start against the White Sox in Chicago, and perhaps longer than that."
http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/news/story?id=5494241

113) no, i mean the last couple of weeks. He has had some sharp grounders and some line drives go for outs, at least in my selective memory.

Big Thames was begging for the ump to call ball 4 a strike.

Man, I love the Score Truck...

[112] That purple neon swirl just kept going 'round and around...

[115] No, besides the Yanks and Rays, only the Twins have a better record than Boston.

There's no way in hell. No way. But it sure would be fun! And they'd get the buzz that the FO wants. But, no way.

116) so, my prediction from last night comes true, it seems.

[115] Rumor has him involved with the White Sox. That's all I know. And by rumor, I mean some reporter asking Girardi if he'd be surprised to see him Chi Town later this week. per the pre-game report.

[122] It was announced before the game. That was my initial prediction on Saturday, but I fell for Girardi's insistence that everyone was staying in the rotation.

[122] Please remember to use the ⟨/smug⟩ tag at the end of those, monkeypants.

125) why should I use a closed smug tag...wouldn't mean my smugness stopped at the end of the post?

; )

[125] Some things are best left open-ended...

Stay efficient, Dustin, and finish the next two innings.

Who thinks Gritner plays today?
I know, he's supposedly worn down a little. But today is his birthday.

[129] A day off would be a very nice present for the Gardner State.

[129] Nah, but Alex is taking him out tonight.

Now the Jays announcers are taking umbrage at accusations that Bautista has improved so much this year because of, shall we say, things in addition to hard work. To be fair to them, there is not a lot else compelling for them to talk about. Still, it amused me when Pat Tabler and Buck Martinez expressed surprise that rumors and accusation would arise "just because his numbers have jumped up out of nowhere" (exact quote), and such accusations are "random" (even though by within their own narrative the accusations are not random but rather were made specifically in response to his numbers jumping up out of nowhere). Needless to say, this is giving me a chuckle.

Cripes. I would not be opposed to a rule limiting catcher-pitcher conferences.

[131] Sleepover?

Oh, that's not good. Suck it up, Dustman.

128) or not. Ok, how about just get this last out and make it to the end of this inning.

Best possible outcome. Nice.

Granderarm!

Hm, that's just a shame.

Why would you send the runner down ten or whatever? Nice...and real...tag by Posada!

NICE THROW!!!!!!!!!
And Po accidentally tags him with his hand with the ball!

[134] Is that a Toronto Strip Club?

DM at 97 pitches. I'm guessing he's done.

[140] See, I told you there was a need to have members of the coaching staff hanging out near third base.

Even when Posada does something good on defense it's by accident. ugh.

Now, I would pull Jeter and Posada at this point in the game, unless girardi is trying to get Jeter one more AB.

[131] Gentlemen prefer blondes...

Derek's been hitting the ball a little harder

[146] Or, rather than throw out the D squad tomorrow, take out Teixeira or Cano for the rest of the game.

"He plays the game the right way"
"Day in and day out"

Oh no..........

Rub some dirt on it, Swish! Ouch.

Nice stroke by Jeter, a HR in NYS...not here.

Uh-oh, please get up, Swish.

Ouch...

Nick is a tough fucker!

149) or that too.

Now imagine the possibilities if they carried only 12 or, gasp, 11 pitchers!?!?

Happy Birthday!

That's an A for effort, Nick. Take it easy now...

I used to think 27 was old. My, oh my.

Well, that has to be the quickest brett has ever struck out looking.

Brett Gardner strikes out...but yet he didn't really strike out. That one goes on Swish, right? Baseball is confusing and Gardner is very fast.

[161] Brett does everything faster than everyone else.

[159] Yeah, I remember being terribly upset at life... (boy, if I only knew then... >;)

Anybody see the cast in this?
http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810099036/info
Spoiler: Jessica Alba in black leather underwear!

Oh, and you're right, I guess it was a quantum strikeout. Only in quantum logic can one man both strike out and not strike out.

Now, assuming Swisher doesn't play tomorrow, what are the odds that we throw out the rest of the A lineup?

Gaudin is the gift that keeps on giving. Remember, to keep him on the roster is the reason why Berkman is on the DL now.

The 2nd thing tonight I've never seen. Yikes. Now Jorge's a danger to the umps.

[167] We bear witness to his Gaudliness {:'

[167] Is it really?

Good lord. You'd think occasionally a ball would end up in the strike zone, just be chance.

Dear Chad,
Throw fucking strikes.
Regards.
Me

This is tedious

He really wants the save, doesn't he?

Is it really vitally important that this man be on the team?

Let's hope he throws fifty pitches.

[176] I refuse to believe that we're under 25.

Thank God for Aaron Hill.

A dud aching
A candid "ugh"
Adducing "ha!"

166) Cecil is a LHP, right? One would like to think that means Thames at DH and Kearns in the OF. Also, if Swish is day to day, as they say, the team will decide to DL Javy or cut Gaudin and bring up another position player (probably an OF).

170) I'm playing a little fast and loose, but yeah, when you think about it. When Berkman and Arod were both day to day, the Yankees continued to carry 12 pitchers instead of cutting one of them (probably Gaudin) and calling up another position player for a few days. Instead, when they did cal up another IF (Nuñez), they put Berkman on the Dl even though he was almost ready to play...this was on the off chance that Arod could play. But then Arod ended up on the DL, and instead of calling up a position player' the Yankees go with 13 pitchers.

And so here we are, with Gaudin still on the roster, and both Arod and Berkman (who is ready to play) on the DL.

[175] He might be a great wingman...

[178] I vote for the second one...

[179] I don't mind that as much. But he threatened to rest both Cano and Teixeira before the series started, and I half expect him to keep to that.

[181] Wait, I vote for all three...

When's the last game Cano didn't hit one on the screws?

Hm. If they finally just cut Gaudin, that would clear a spot on the forty man roster to add a third catcher, who might then be called up when rosters expand. Not necessarily Montero, just another option to allow for Cervelli to get PH for.

182) Oh, did he say that? i didn't see that...it is worrisome.

Good job, guys. No reason to hang around any longer than necessary. Five pitches is plenty.

Meanwhile, Gaudin is still in line for the three inning SAVE!!!!!

Mind boggling.

[186] http://yankees.lhblogs.com/2010/08/23/pregame-notes-updates-on-jeter-pettitte-a-rod-and-the-rotation/

And there’s a chance the remaining everyday infielders could also get a day off — or a DH day — here in Toronto.

“I’ll think about maybe giving Robbie a day off here too,” Girardi said. “I know he’s tired too, so it’s something we’ll have to look at. Maybe we’ll look at Tex.”

189) which: three inning save, leadoff walk, or continued existence on the roster?

190) all the more reason to call up, say, Miranda and eliminate one of the surplus pitchers.

[191] Mainly the walk. And then something something, continued roster presence.

(I expected to think of a good Latin phrase in place of "something something", but all I could think of was a fortiori, which isn't quite right.)

Yeah, Baby!

Get it, Chad??? Give them the line drives! Those are better for us than walks!

193) in this case, I think you are trying to make an a posteriori argument. So, the lead off walk, and a postieriori (from that which comes later, i.e. the walk) his continued existence on the roste.

It would sure be nice if Posada can stay hot down the stretch.

[197] On the odd occasion he plays, of course.

[197] And Granderson.

[193],[196] Gaudin is the answer to existentialism...