Curveballs for Jobu 8/26/11

Curveballs for Jobu is the trip around the ballparks Offbasepercentage keeps forgetting to take.

Today's honorary bat boy is Tim Bogar.


[2001 Topps Limited Tim Bogar. Estimated value: 6 sea shell pieces]


Yankees 22, Athletics 9. Oakland led 7-2 in this game and then a whole lot of horrible happened. After a run in the fourth, New York got to work. Robinson Cano popped a grand slam in the fifth, then Russell Martin hit a slam of his own (2nd home run of the game) in the sixth. The Yankees weren't done, sending 12 to the plate in the six-run seventh, capped by Curtis Granderson's grand slam. It's the first time in baseball history one team has hit three grand slams (or "salamis") in one game, and it capped a Simply SteveTroutian day for a number of Oakland pitchers. Starter Rich Harden wasn't good: six earned in 4 1/3 IP, but compared to two people called Jordan Norberto and Bruce Billings-2 IP, 11 ER, 9 BB-Harden was Kit Keller in the championship against the Rockford Peaches. The absurd run total overshadowed the performance of Yankees' starter Phil Hughes, who stunk: 2 2/3 IP, 6 ER.

*UPDATE* - 8:17 p.m. EST - While walking to Oakland's gate at LaGuardia Airport, Billings walked a security guard and gave up a two-run double to a baggage handler.

Diamondbacks 8, Nationals 1. Paul Goldschmidt Watch: 3-for-4, HR, 3 RBIs.

Royals 9, Bluejays 6. Don't look now, but the Royals are 54-77. Seriously, don't look.

Astros 3, Giants 1. While watching these two powerhouse offenses go at it in San Fran, I asked my cat an important question: who has a smaller head, Juan Pierre or Jordan Schafer? Results are still to be determined (though my cat did throw up a rubber band, so those results have been determined), but the distance of Schafer's seventh-inning home run went further than all of Pierre's 2011 hits combined, according to my landscaper, Elias.

Reds at Marlins: no game. Projected attendance at Sun Life Stadium if there was a game: Randal McPherson and his new girlfriend, Diane, Carlos Mejia + guest, Tony Shapiro and his son, Tony Jr., Mr. and Mrs. Hector Sandoval, the Dade County 11-year old all star team.

cbssports.com


Who is Aldridge? I can only find three Aldridges in the history of baseball, so it's two of these three:

1. Vic Aldridge, who retired after the 1928 season and died in 1973
2. Cory Aldridge, who last played for the Angels in July of 2010
3. Ernie Aldridge, who is a player I made up



Other games, but down here....

Braves 8, Cubs 3
Redsox 6, Rangers 0
Orioles 6, Twins 1
Cardinals 8, Pirates 4
Tigers 2, Devilrays 0

Tournament of Champions Series Preview 2

(4) Cleveland Indians vs. (5) Rockford Peaches

On paper, this should be an extremely competitive series. Each team has a monster power hitter, a flashy center fielder, a staff ace and a colorful manager. This series may come down to the Peaches Dottie Hinson who should go down as the greatest female player in baseball history.

For the Indians
Thanks to a recommitment to Jobu, Pedro Cerrano spotted enough curveballs to become a Three True Outcome player. He hit 40 bombs with a .264/.386/.554 line this season while playing some highly questionable defense in the outfield. Willie "Mays" Hayes was spectacular in center and swiped 68 bases despite only having a .341 OBP. Jake Taylor is still manning his spot behind the dish after having a successful and experimental surgery to replace all the ligaments in his knees with those of an ostrich.

Rick Vaughn made the transition from the bullpen back to being a starter with no problem after several sessions with Dr. Drew for some off the field transgressions. Eddie Harris rejuvenated his career after having adamantium attached to the bones in his hand. Closing in on 60-years-old, Harris scoffs at Jamie Moyer's career.

For the Peaches
Second basewoman Marla Hooch hit 33 home runs with a .292/.380/.535 line. She also had a banner year away from the ball park too when she and her partner adopted their first Asian baby. In center, "All the Way" Mae Mordabito set single season records in both putouts and puts outs.

Kit Keller rejoined the Peaches after patching things up with her sister Dottie Hinson. After resolving her inferiority complex, Keller put up a year for the ages going 23-4 with a 2.07 ERA and 313 strikeouts.

Hinson turned her passion back to baseball after she discovered her husband was actually a polygamist who had several other wives on their farm compound. Fully devoted to the game, Hinson put together a 10.2 WAR from behind the plate and established herself as an all time great.

Key to the Series
The teams are pretty evenly matched. Hinson is the best player in the series but the Indians have much more depth. This could very well come down to the managerial styles of Jimmy Dugan and Lou Brown. Dugan floats between uninterested and passionate depending on which way the booze flows while many experts say Brown is still a great tactician but manages like a ghost of his former self.