Tuesday, June 21, 2011

WHAT'S HE DOING?

***YANKS WIN, BUT IT WASN'T EASY***
The final score was 5-3, but it shouldn't have been that close. There are times when I just don't understand Joe Girardi's thought processes. Using the word 'thought' in the same sentence with Girardi is a real compliment...to Girardi. Consider these situations:
1) The hottest hitter in the American League is sitting on the bench while 34-year old Andruw Jones lugged his weary body out to left field. That move looked okay for a while, when Jones singled to drive in a run in the first inning.
2) In the third, Jones hit a grounder to third, walked a few steps toward first and stopped. In the meantime, Russell Martin took out 2nd baseman Brandon Phillips, who got up and completed the easy double play. Okay, I thought, that's it for Jones. There is nothing, absolutely nothing, that he could say that excuses his behavior. (A)He thought the DP was a given, (B) He thought there were two outs, or (C) He twisted his ankle. If he uses A, he's lazy & goodbye, or B, his head's not in the game & goodbye. If it's C, he's not physically capable and goodbye. He used C and got sent out to left field. Why? The only reason I can think of is that Girardi wanted him as far away as possible before he hit him with a bat.
3) In the ninth, Joe brought in his 7th inning guy, Luis Ayala, the one he trusts the most after Robertson & Mo. That trust lasted just 5 pitches. Here comes Boone Logan, the 'lefty specialist' who can't get lefties out. One pitch later, he's out and he brings in Mo. Somehow, the Yanks won.
It's no fun watching a game while Annie-O is saying a rosary and lighting votive candles.

***HEEEE'S BAAACK***
In the White Sox-Cubs game, home plate umpire, James Hoye, suffered thru a kidney stone, also known as Ozzie Guillen. When a Sox batter was tagged out at the plate on what everyone in the ball park thought was a foul ball, except the Hoye and Cubs catcher Giovanni Soto, Ozzie took exception. When arguing did no good, Ozzie kicked Soto's mask towards the Sox dugout. That was also useless except Ozzie set a record for hang-time for kicked equipment. Goodbye Ozzie.

***AT LAST, A RULE IS ENFORCED***
Sorry, I don't remember the game, but a batter got hit with a pitch but was called back from his trot to first base, when the umpire invoked a little known, and even less used, rule that a batter must make an attempt to avoid a pitch. They never do, but this time the ump called it. The result: the manager argued to no avail, the batter then struck out, the hitting coach screamed at the ump and was booted. The manager then came out a second time and joined the coach in the clubhouse. That will teach that umpire to follow the rules.

CP-

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