Angels-Tigers: ESPN Sunday Night Baseball Open Thread

Sunday, April 27, 2008


(posted by One More Dying Quail)

As noted earlier, tonight's matchup isn't the best we could have hoped for today, but it should still be solid, with Los Angelos de Los Angeles stepping onto the field against El Tigres de Detroit. (I have never taken a single Spanish class in my life. Can you tell?)

Jon and Joe will be along soon. Prepare ye.


One thing I'll be happy to see tonight: my new favorite Tiger in action.

Los Tigres :-) I'm ready for some Awful Announcing from Joe Morgan! - Jay

Bah, I should've caught that. El Tigres...that's bush league. Perhaps I should stick to English.

"He won't have to be doing any coming from behind, as it were..." - Jon, talking about Chone Figgins batting average...I think.

Miller- "Torii Hunter has seen a lot of Justin Verlander. Maybe too much. He's 3 for 17 lifetime against him." - Pat

I noticed that too. Just because Hunter was in the AL Central for a number of years doesn't mean Verlander was there along with him. They've actually only faced each other in four games.

I don't believe it, he just corrected himself. Even though he's still wrong, since he says they're "ahead of everybody" where they're really tied for first with Baltimore. - matt0028

And the Sox are just percentage points behind! (Five game losing streaks suck.)

This seems like a good place to mention that my wife is mad at me for watching this game, in part because she absolutely cannot stand Jon Miller's voice. My rebuttal is that for as much crap as I at least half-watch with her (American Idol, Dancing With The Stars, America's Next Top Model, every Lifetime movie ever filmed), she can deal with an hour or two of baseball on Sunday night. There's a lesson here, children.

In case you're wondering, that sound you just heard was the remaining readers sighing, saying, "Crap, OMDQ's talking about family stuff again," and logging off.

I've never used this crazy MLB Gameday thing before. I'm giving it a look-see now, to see what I think.

This point Joe is making, about base stealers actually being able to benefit hitters by NOT stealing sometimes (but ensuring that the next hitter sees a good fastball or two) is a good one. It makes a lot of sense. Of course, Pudge Rodriguez guns down Chone Figgins seconds later.

We'll be going up against the current low-lifes of the AL East right now on Tuesday, OMDQ. I want to think that Toronto's a lot better than they're playing right now, but they're not showing it in their last couple of outings. We can do it!Right? (Right, Lester?) - matt0028

If Jon Lester was an American Idol contestant, we'd have to listen to Paula Abdul wax poetic about his heart and how brave he is every week, without ever saying one word about his actual performance. Simon, meanwhile, would tell him that it was not a good outing and the crowd would boo.

Ivan Rodriguez and Mike Napoli, playing a little game of "anything you can do I can do better".

Joe is on his third straight week of "Headfirst Slides vs. Feetfirst Slides: Which Do I Prefer?", a one-man play he created during some spare time between innings during an early April game.

"I'm intrigued, Joe, as to why Granderson hasn't attempted to run so far." - Jon

Possibly, and I'm just spitballing here, it's because he just saw Jacque Jones get cut down by Mike Napoli and doesn't want to risk it.

Or, because he was planning on getting picked off of first.

Okay, here's a question. Gameday shows that Weaver threw two fastballs to Polanco in the last at-bat, clocked at 83.9 and 81.2. He also threw one pitchout, clocked at 78.2. To be as effective as possible, shouldn't a pitchout be as fast as a regular fastball? At what point does a difference like that, 3-5 MPH, become a problem?

Is it wrong that I want Jim Leyland to do every interview with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth and the censor's finger trembling over the red button?

Joe Morgan does not believe that Mike Scioscia gets proper respect as one of the top managers in the game. Apparently winning the American League Manager of the Year Award in 2002 and placing in the top five three other times (including second place last year) is just a slap in the face.

Joe Morgan has completely lost me with this intangibles speech. And I'm pretty sure there is a stat that measures manufactured runs. It's called runs scored. - pat

That was one of those things that when he first said it, I was like, "Yeah, maybe. I can sort of see what he's saying." Then, the longer he talked, the more it hurt my brain to try to listen. Just say that there are certain things that guys do to help the team that don't show up in the box score, that can't be measured by stats, and have a few examples ready IF Jon says, "Like what, Joe?" That's all I ask. Three minute soliloquies are not needed.

Posted by One More Dying Quail at 7:40 PM

19 Comments:

Los Tigres :-)

I'm ready for some Awful Announcing from Joe Morgan!

Jay said...
Apr 27, 2008, 8:03:00 PM  

Joe Morgan just used the words "California Angels". Last I checked they weren't called that since 1996.

Anonymous said...
Apr 27, 2008, 8:04:00 PM  

I really don't know why I insist on torturing myself by listening to Joe Morgan, but I watch him every Sunday night.

Anonymous said...
Apr 27, 2008, 8:09:00 PM  

Well, since he is an excellent billiard player, you can't expect Joe's full focus to be on current MLB teams.

Jay said...
Apr 27, 2008, 8:09:00 PM  

La Tigra?
I'm partial to Blue Steel

Anonymous said...
Apr 27, 2008, 8:13:00 PM  

Miller- "Torii Hunter has seen a lot of Justin Verlander. Maybe too much. He's 3 for 17 lifetime against him."

Anonymous said...
Apr 27, 2008, 8:28:00 PM  

You know what the sad thing is, OMDQ? The Angels would be, in Spanish, "Los Angeles de Los Angeles".

Also, according to Jon, the Tampa Bay Rays changed divisions sometime today, and are now ahead of the National League East. It's going to be a long night...

Matt said...
Apr 27, 2008, 8:30:00 PM  

I don't believe it, he just corrected himself. Even though he's still wrong, since he says they're "ahead of everybody" where they're really tied for first with Baltimore.

Matt said...
Apr 27, 2008, 8:33:00 PM  

My favorite part so far was when Morgan said that the Angels were tied with Baltimore for the league lead in steals. Miller said, "You really did your homework tonight."

That's a first.

Anonymous said...
Apr 27, 2008, 8:35:00 PM  

Miller- "There's a runner at second, and one at first. What we call scoring position"

Uhh...the runner at first isn't in scoring position.

Anonymous said...
Apr 27, 2008, 8:40:00 PM  

We'll be going up against the current low-lifes of the AL East right now on Tuesday, OMDQ. I want to think that Toronto's a lot better than they're playing right now, but they're not showing it in their last couple of outings.

We can do it!
Right? (Right, Lester?)

Matt said...
Apr 27, 2008, 8:51:00 PM  

Lester had better be able to do it. And more importantly, the offense had better be able to do it.

Anonymous said...
Apr 27, 2008, 8:54:00 PM  

I could not keep laughing with that nice, 15-second explanation of why there was no time given.

"Players can only request time out. Just because they raise their hand, doesn't mean it's time, it just means they requested it. Of course, if they request time, the ump doesn't have to give it to them, they can only request it and...the ball is still in play." - Joe Morgan

Anybody need anything repeated? If so, look to Joe.

Matt said...
Apr 27, 2008, 9:30:00 PM  

Joe Morgan has completely lost me with this intangibles speech. And I'm pretty sure there is a stat that measures manufactured runs. It's called runs scored.

Anonymous said...
Apr 27, 2008, 9:37:00 PM  

Pat, I think Joe means runs "manufactured" through stealing bases, bunting, running from first to third, and playing "small ball", like the Angels have been known for. So it does make sense, kind of, almost.

Matt said...
Apr 27, 2008, 9:41:00 PM  

Thanks, Matt. That does kind of make sense.

Anonymous said...
Apr 27, 2008, 9:48:00 PM  

That intangibles speech was awesomely bad. Once he said "The California... I mean... Los... Angeles... Angels. Los Angeles of (Miller: "Of Anaheim")... Anaheim," it was all over.

HardScores said...
Apr 27, 2008, 10:04:00 PM  

Joes' little ethnic thing is getting o-o-c. It makes me think of Les Nesman on WKRP with his Chi Chi Rodriguez routine.

Monty said...
Apr 27, 2008, 10:31:00 PM  

ESPN just let an f-bomb slip. After Miller's toss to Sportscenter, but before the begining they had audio as Angel players congratulated each other. My head was turned so I couldn't see it, but someone said:"Here we go baby, bout f***in time though" I'm not watching on the set with TIVO so I couldn't go back. Seconds before their 11:00 Sunday night SC, nice.

Anonymous said...
Apr 27, 2008, 11:16:00 PM  

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