BaseballBlogs

ScorePAD evalulation

2010-06-12T14:47:00.000-04:00

Scoring scoresheets for iphone have been around for a while, but nothing open source until May 2010 when 6-4-3 Baseball Scorecard for Android came out. This has probably lead the standard in pad scoring ScorePad to release this evaluation version (ScorePAD V8) of their proprietary software. I've set it up with lineups for today's Toronto Blue Jays at Colorado Rockies - Game 2 (Scored Live tonight at the ISCB, 8:10PM EDT 6:10 PM MDT). I loaded in yesterdays lineup with today's probable pitchers - it may change.

The ScorePad has all the buttons I imagined when I began building my DIY Score Card.

You high-light the batter who's at the plate and then, if they hit the ball for a single, you go to the batter row to the right of the lineup section that has a selection scroll beneath it, click '1B', a green angled area appears in the AB box along where the first base line would be - indicating Fred Lewis is on first base.

There's no way for me to share this live with you in internet land, except by taking a 'print screen' shot of it with my Windows OS - like I've done here.

mh

Toronto Blue Jays @ Colorado Rockies - Game 1

2010-06-11T15:30:00.001-04:00

Friday, June 11, 2010 the Internet Baseball Score Card Blog presents, a complete game box score:
Toronto Blue Jays @ Colorado Rockies - Game 1
Starting at 9:10 PM ET a Live Blog
Toronto Blue Jays @ Colorado Rockies - Game 1 from
Coors Field, Denver, Colorado
Starting Pitchers: Ricky Romero (5-2, 3.06 ERA) - Ubaldo Jimenez (11-1, 0.93 ERA)

Internet Baseball Score Card Blog link: Toronto Blue Jays @ Colorado Rockies - Game 1

mh

Toronto Blue Jays @ Tampa Bay Rays - Game 1

2010-06-08T15:00:00.004-04:00

Internet Baseball Score Card Blog presents, Toronto Blue Jays @ Tampa Bay Rays - Game 1, a complete game box score. A handy reference while watching or listening to the game!

Internet Baseball Score Card Blog: Toronto Blue Jays @ Tampa Bay ...

8 Jun 2010 ... Toronto Blue Jays @ Tampa Bay Rays - Game 1 7:10 PM ET, June 8, 2010. Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, Florida SP Brian Curtis Tallet (1-1, 4.63 ERA) SP Jeffrey Warren Niemann (5-0, 2.79 ERA) Forecast high today; 33°C | 98°F Wind: NNW 21 kph | 13 mph ..... Pitching, SP Brian Curtis Tallet (1-1, 4.63 ERA) SP Jeffrey Warren Niemann (5-0, 2.79 ERA)...
problemly.blogspot.com/2010/.../toronto-blue-jays-tampa-bay-rays-game-1.html - 8 hours ago

mh

Live Score Card Blog: Boston Red Sox @ Cleveland Indians - Game 1

2010-06-07T07:16:00.004-04:00

Live Blog Box Score starts at 7:05 PM ET, June 7, 2010
Boston Red Sox at Cleveland Indians Game 1
Matsuzaka (4-2, 5.49 ERA) - Carmona (4-4, 3.53 ERA
Progressive Field, Cleveland, Ohio
Weather Forecast: Partly cloudy 20% chance of rain, 22°C | 76°F
Wind, NNW 20 kph | 14 mph (LR)

The Internet Baseball Score Card Blog is a specially formatted blog with extra wide parameters to accomodate a 20 inning score card. Watch Live as every play, every out, every substitution - even every pitch is scored as it happens. It's a great resource while watching or listening to the game!

Click below to have a look - and see you there at 7:05 ET:

Boston Red Sox @ Cleveland Indians - Game 1

Sunday Night Baseball Live Score Card Blog: Milwaukee Brewers @ St. Louis Cardinals - Game 3

2010-06-06T18:44:00.004-04:00

Watch Sunday Night Baseball Milwaukee Brewers @ St. Louis Cardinals Complete Game Live Score Card on the Internet Baseball Score Card Blog
8:05 PM EDT, June 6, 2010
Manny Parra (1-3, 4.06 ERA) vs. Jamie Garcia (5-2, 1.32 ERA)

Click here to watch the game unfold on the extra wide format "Internet Baseball Score Card Blog": Milwaukee Brewers @ St. Louis Cardinals - Game 3.

This is the third game of a three game set. The Cardinals won the first two and can sweep the series tonight. Sweeps doesn't happen that often, so we can hope that maybe the Brewers might grab a win in the most unlikely of situations. Jamie Garcia stands in the way of that unlikely occurrence; for the Brewers to stay in this one they're going to have to get a good start from Manny Parra.

mh

New York Yankees @ Toronto Blue Jays - Game 3

2010-06-06T11:42:00.002-04:00

Watch New York Yankees @ Toronto Blue Jays - Game 3 in a Live Score Card Blog at my Extra-Wide Baseball Scoring Blog, the "Internet Baseball Score Card Blog - Scoring baseball games with a Blogger Baseball Scoring Forum"

SP Javier Vazquez (4-5, 6.06 ERA) vs. SP Brandon Morrow (4-4, 6.00 ERA)
Sunday, June 6th 2010 - 1:07 PM EDT
Rogers Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Click here to watch the score card unfold: New York Yankees @ Toronto Blue Jays - Game 3

If the temperature reaches it's forecast high of 18°C the Dome might be open for the game. If it is, all folded up - cupped with-in itself over the outfield - it acts like a aircraft wing in the north wind, creating a vacuum as it blows over the hump - creating a draft low on the field out, to centre field and swirling winds higher up. High drives will hang up while Bautista-esque LD HR's will succeed.

Yesterday's 14 inning game tested this DIY score card. I tried to add innings, honest I did have a plan for extra innings, but I could not; too many parameters of the blog and the card had to be changed, so my scoring ended in the 10th.

To make sure that doesn't happen again I've added another inning to the starting card. (I find that if a game goes into extras it usually ends in the 10th - if a game goes past the 10th inning they can go on forever.) I've opened up the blog to a width 2700 pixels to accommodate header coding that can now support a 20 inning AB table. In the event of another long game I'm ready to add innings to the score card quickly, with a few clicks in the html.

I've also separated out the R-H-E-LOB table from the pitching table so the former can expand to 18 innings with a couple of clicks.

I hope today's game does go into extras - so I can test my plan.

New York Yankees @ Toronto Blue Jays - Game 2

2010-06-05T11:33:00.000-04:00

New York Yankees @ Toronto Blue Jays - Game 2
SP Andy Pettitte (7-1, 2.48 ERA) vs. SP Ricky Romero (5-2, 3.14 ERA)
Saturday, June 5th 2010
1:07 PM EDT
Rogers Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Weather (forecast): 26°C | 84°F
Wind, W 30 kph | 20 mph (LR)

Watch the game in a Live 9 Inning Score Card Blog at my New Extra-Wide Baseball Scoring Blog, the "Internet Baseball Score Card Blog - Scoring baseball games with a Blogger Baseball Scoring Forum"

New York Yankees @ Toronto Blue Jays - Game 2

Internet Baseball Score Card Blog - new features

2010-06-04T00:53:00.007-04:00

My DIY baseball scoring form now includes a 10 inning box score table, columns for scoring the game pitch by pitch, 9 batter AB boxes with room for three subs each, a batters totals column with room for every player who played, a per inning runs, hits, errors and LOB table, and a pitchers line box. All scoring boxes are designed to allow scoring "The Project Scoresheet Way".

Your can download the code for free from my Google Documents post - and score your own game!

Check it out, at my New Extra-Wide baseball scoring forum, the Internet Baseball Score Card Blog.

mh

Tampa Bay Rays @ Toronto Blue Jays - Game 3

2010-06-02T23:06:00.005-04:00

To see the complete game box score for this game head over to my other Baseball Blog designed especially for scoring baseball games, The Internet Baseball Score Card Blog - Scoring baseball games with a Blogger Baseball Scoring Forum:

Tampa Bay Rays @ Toronto Blue Jays - Game 3

Box Score for Tampa Bay Rays @ Toronto Blue Jays - Game 3
Wednesday, June 2nd 2010
7:07 PM EDT
Rogers Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Weather: Raining 20°C | 70°F

The Internet Baseball Score Card Blog is set up to allow scoring according to David Cortesi's "Scoring a Baseball Game the Project Scoresheet way".

Final: Tampa Bay Rays 7 - Toronto Blue Jays 3

mh

Sunday Night Baseball - Complete 9 Inning Score Card of the Game

2010-05-31T00:00:00.007-04:00

To see the complete game score card, every play, every out go to "Internet Baseball Score Card Blog": Sunday Night Baseball - Complete 9 Inning Score Card of the Game.

Texas Rangers @ Minnesota Twins
Sunday May 30th 2010
8:05 PM ET, 7:05 PM CDT
Target Field, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Weather 19°C | 61°F
Wind: NW 18 kph | 13 mph (LR)

Notes:

Watching on ESPN Sunday Night baseball with commentators Jon Miller, Joe Morgan and Orel Hershiser.

Top of the 9th
V. Guerrero pop to shallow centre, CF Span and 2B Hudson clip each other. Span does a 180 after the ball hits in the pocket of his glove, he hangs on for the win, but Hudson isn't getting up. Announcers saying it was knee on knee...
On the replay it looks like Hudson tripped on Span's shin as he changed direction at the last second. Span's up first after about a half a minute; Hudson walks off the field after about 5 minutes.
The crowds cheers at winning are muted and everyone stays until Orlando is up on his feet.

Final: Texas 3, Minnesota 6

mh

Live Score Card Blog: Toronto Blue Jays @ Los Angeles Angels - Game 3

2010-05-26T18:35:00.008-04:00

Tonight I'm going to score the Blue Jays @ Los Angeles Angels - Game 3 live on my DIY score card over at the Internet Baseball Score Card Blog.

This is a new version of the score card with regular fonts. Besides being much simpler and shorter in code, for quicker load times, I'm hoping all the data stays in the boxes on all operating systems and browsers. Check it out - Live Blogging begins at 7:05 PM EDT | 4:04 PDT.

mh

Introducing the Internet Baseball Score Card Blog

2010-05-21T19:43:00.009-04:00

I've been working on a way to score baseball games in a blogger frame. To this end I've created a blog with an extra wide format (750 pixels instead of the standard 405 pixels).

Tonight, starting at 9:40 PM EDT I'm going to score Toronto Blue Jays @ Arizona Diamondbacks live, play by play.

Introducing the Internet Baseball Score Card blog

mh

Texas Rangers @ Toronto Blue Jays

2010-05-14T18:49:00.063-04:00

Friday May 14, 2010
Toronto Ontario Canada
Rogers Centre (Dome is Open!)
Weather 22 C | 72 F degrees, Clear
Wind 35 kph | 21 mph, LR

Well it looks like it's a radio only game today as my cable provider Rogers seems to have ultimate fighting on instead of their already paid-for content - the Rogers owned Toronto Blue Jays.

At 8:00 PM they're airing the 2010 Memorial Cup (Junior A hockey's championship game) - so I'll go Live Blog here for all you die-hards.

Notes

Top of the 3rd
Here come the walks again, this time it's the Jays next pitcher to the slaughter, Roenicke. Thinking of calling strikes "not-balls".

Bottom of the 3rd
Snider's at-bat goes 11 pitches, the pitch after the fifth foul-off is smacked over the CF fence for three runs. Statistically after the 5th foul-off of an at-bat, the batters chances of hitting safely become greater than .500.

Legend:


- on 1st = on 2nd --- on 3rd r = rbi <> run plated p pitch count /// end of inning E4t E4 throwing #2s base runner (batting second) stole a base B bunt PO pop-up caught	BH base hit K batter strikes out Ks batter strikes out swinging UA un-assisted #2s batter, second in the order, steals

Texas	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
E. Andrus SS	BH8 <>	BH8 <>	DP6 4-3 x	-	4-3	-	BB =	-	-
M. Young 3B	BH7 <>	BB <>	BH E6t =	-	FO9	-	FC 5-2 -	-	-
J. Hamilton LF/CF4th	BH8 <>	Ks	Ks ///	-	FO9 ///	-	4-3 ///	-	-
V. Guerrero DH	BH5 2r ---	BH9 r <>	-	HBP <>	-	Ks	-	BH8 x	-
I. Kinsler 2B	SAC B 1-3	BB <>	-	BB ---	-	Ks	-	Ks	-
N. Cruz RF	FO9 SAC r	2BH 7 3r	-	Ks	-	K ///	-	DP6 4-3 x /	-
J. Smoak 1B	FO8 ///	Ks ///	-	BB x	-	-	PO2 f	-	4-3
M. Ramirez C	-	HR7 r <>	BB <>	SAC 9 x	-	-	BH7 x	-	5-3
C. Gentry CF	-	FO8	BB x
ph 4th D Murphy LF				FC 3-6 - /	-	-	BB --- x	-	Ks ///

/Inning	1	2	3	4	7	8	9	Totals
Runs	3	6	1	1	0	0	0	10
Hits	4	4	1	0	1	1	0	11
Errors	0	0	0	0	0	0	x	0
LOB	1	1	1	2	3	0	0	8

Pitching	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR	p/s	ERA
R. Harden	2.2	4	7	7	5	3	2	86-45	4.93
D. Mathis	1.1	7	8	8	2	1	3	49-26	7.36
D Nippert	3.0	1	0	0	0	1	0	47-29	5.48
C. Ray	1.0	0	0	0	0	1	0	9-7	2.76
Pitcher	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Texas Team totals	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K	PO	A	LOB
E. Andrus	4	2	2	0	1	0	0	2	1
M. Young	4	2	2	0	1	0	1	2	2
J. Hamilton	5	1	1	0	0	2	1	1	0
V. Guerrero	5	2	3	1	0	1	DH	DH	1
I. Kinsler	2	1	0	0	2	2	4	3	1
N. Cruz	4	0	1	4	0	2	1	0	0
J. Smoak	4	0	0	0	1	1	7	0	0
M. Ramirez	3	2	2	1	1	0	1	0	0
C. Gentry	1	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	0
D. Murphy	2	0	0	0	1	1	2	0	2
Totals	34	10	11	6	8	9	18	8	7

Toronto	1	2	3	-	4	5	6	7	8
F. Lewis LF	BB <>	K	BH8 <>		2BH 7 <>	-	FO7	-	Ks
A. Hill 2B	BB <>	6-3	BB <>		HR7 3r <>	-	#9s 4-3 x	-	5-3 ///
A. Lind DH	BB <>	Ks ///	BH r <>		HR r <>	-	LD4 ///	-	-
V. Wells CF	SAC 4-3 r	-	PO3 f	HR7 3r <>	5-3 ///	-	-	4-3	-
L. Overbay 1B	2BH 92r ---	-	HR9 r <>	BB -	-	IF BH6 x	-	BB <>	-
A. Gonzalez SS	FO9	-	FO8	Ks ///	-	FC 5-4 -	-	2BH 9 r x	-
J. Bautista 3B	BB =	-	BH8 <>	-	FO7	PO5	-	BH8 SB= 8-2	-
J. Buck C	BB -	-	BB <>	-	BH7 x	FO8 ///	-	Ks ///	-
T. Snider RF	Ks	-	HR 3r <>	-	FC 6-4 <>	-	BH9 SB ---
top 8th M. McCoy RF									FO7

/Innings	1	3	4	5	6	7	9	Totals
Runs	3	8	4	0	0	1	-	16
Hits	1	6	4	1	1	1	-	14
Errors	0	1	0	0	0	0	-	1
LOB	3	1	0	1	1	1	-	6

Pitching	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR	p/s	ERA
B. Cecil	2.0	8	8	8	2	2	1	48-28	5.46
J Roenicke	1.1	1	2	2	4	-	-	45-21	6.75
C. Janssen4th	3.0	1	0	0	0	3	0	37-27	4.15
R. Lewis	0.0	0	0	0	2	0	0	11-3	3.24
J Frasor	1.2	1	0	0	0	1	0	17-13	5.74
S. Camp	1.0	0	0	0	0	1	0	10-9	2.79

Tronto Team Totals	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	PO	A	LOB
F. Lewis	5	3	2	0	1	2	0	0	0
A. Hill	4	3	1	3	2	0	2	5	0
A. Lind	4	3	2	2	1	1	DH	DH	0
V. Wells	4	1	1	4	0	0	1	0	0
L. Overbay	3	2	3	3	2	0	7	1	2
A. Gonzalez	5	0	1	1	0	1	1	2	1
J. Bautista	4	1	2	0	1	0	0	2	2
J. Buck	3	1	1	0	2	1	2	1	1
T. Snider	4	2	2	3	0	1	4	0	1
M. McCoy	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Totals	37	16	15	16	9	6	17	11	7

I'm tired now. You can do the rest of the totals yourself if you need to.

What a hellish game to score.

Thanks to ESPN for the pitching lines.

Update: Sunday, May 16, 2010

After some eye time away from ledgers I got back to filling in all the totals boxes today. After adding up the Texan's team totals I found a mistake; they had 10 runs total, not 9 which I had on the run, hits, errors table. I found the mistake when the team totals table added up to 10 runs scored which didn't jive with the /inning totals table. The error was in the 2nd inning, I had the Texans scoring 5 runs while the at-bat boxes showed 6 runs plated; I added the run and everything balanced.

Completing your score card is like accounting, all the ledgers must balance; if they don't you have to find your error.

mh

Internet friendly Baseball Score Card

2010-05-12T15:17:00.011-04:00

This 'work in progress' is an Internet friendly baseball scoring form for two teams, innings 1 to 10 (home and away) over innings 11 to 20 (home and away). I've scored four games with it so far, and have had to create a few notations that work with a computer keyboard. A 'Scoring Legend' is at the bottom of this post.

To grab a copy for yourself just high light this page and paste it into your blog - in 'rich text format - click over to html and the code should be there. All data can be imputed in the 'rich text' format! Save a template copy and enjoy! :)

I intend to add boxes for players' batting stats and a place to score pitching - so check back here for better score sheets soon!

The application was built for Firefox browser but works in Internet Explorer on 'normal' text size. Should work in Linux but I don't have access to that OS, please let me know of any problems.

Any suggestions, comments, applause - welcome.

Michael Holloway
michaelholloway111(at)gmail(dot)com
(or comment under this post)

Away Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
player name	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
player name	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
player name	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
player name	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
player name	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
player name	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
player name	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
player name	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
player name	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
										Totals
Runs	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Hits	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Errors	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
LOB	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Pitching	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR	p/s	ERA
Pitchers name	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Pitchers name	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Pitchers name	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Pitchers name	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Pitchers name	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Home Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
player name	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
player name	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
player name	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
player name	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
player name	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
player name	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
player name	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
player name	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
player name	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
										Totals
Runs	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Hits	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Errors	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
LOB	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Pitching	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR	p/s	ERA
Pitchers name	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Pitchers name	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Pitchers name	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Pitchers name	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Pitchers name	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Away Team	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20
player name	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
player name	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
player name	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
player name	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
player name	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
player name	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
player name	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
player name	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
player name	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
										Totals
Runs	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Hits	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Errors	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
LOB	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Pitching	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR	p/s	ERA
Pitchers name	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Pitchers name	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Pitchers name	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Pitchers name	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Pitchers name	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Home Team	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20
player name	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
player name	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
player name	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
player name	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
player name	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
player name	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
player name	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
player name	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
player name	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
										Totals
Runs	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Hits	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Errors	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
LOB	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Pitching	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR	p/s	ERA
Pitchers name	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Pitchers name	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Pitchers name	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Pitchers name	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Pitchers name	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Scoring Legend:

- on 1st
= on 2nd
--- on 3rd
r = rbi
<> run plated
p pitch count
/// end of inning
E4t error on 2nd base - throwing
f caught in foul ground
B bunt
PO pop-up caught
BH base hit
K batter strikes out
Ks batter strikes out swinging
3UA 1st base makes an out, un-assisted

mh

Internet Score Card: Toronto Blue Jays @ Boston Red Sox

2010-05-11T22:36:00.004-04:00

Jays' sloppy play leaves them out of the game

The Jays seemed like they know they can't beat these guys, no matter how well they play; as a result they've been playing this series like shit. Tonight all the silly play seemed to revolve around Hill; I think everyone on the team is aware his batting is starting to effect his execution on the defense side. Looks to me like Aaron Hill has "Chuck Knoblauch Syndrome".

Notes:

Toronto 2nd
Bostons CF Darnell McDonald and RF J. D. Drew collide on Overbay's high fly to right-centre.

Boston 4th
Hall hits a pop to shallow centre. Gonzalez, Hill and Wells converge, should have been taken by Wells but he stops - and it falls in a triangle between the three. Then Wells picks up the ball and makes an ill advised bullet throw to Overbay covering 2nd, off his glove and off the pitchers glove standing just off the mound. Hall and Varitek stay put.

Boston 5th
Gonzalez gloved the ball heading to right field back to Hill covering, he can't get the handle and barely makes the out at second, should have been a DP.

Boston 6th
Youkilis at bat: Buck trows a strike to Hill covering second - might have gotten Drew stealing but Hill drops the ball - again.

Middle of the 6th
Toronto Blue Jays and MLB announce the Inter-League series between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre, June 25, 26, 27 will be played in Philadelphia under American League rules with the Jays playing as home team. The G-20 Summet of World leaders is next store to Rogers Centre at the Toronto Convention Centre. Saw that coming.

Toronto Blue Jays @ Boston Red Sox
May 11th 2010 7:10 PM
Fenway Park, Boston Massachusetts
11 C 54 F degrees
Wind: easterly 12 kph/8mph

Legend:

- on 1st
= on 2nd
--- on 3rd
r = rbi
<> run plated
p pitch count
/// end of inning
E4t error on 2nd base - throwing
f caught in foul ground
B bunt
PO pop-up caught
BH base hit
K batter strikes out
Ks batter strikes out swinging
3UA 1st base makes an out, un-assisted

Toronto Blue Jays	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
F. Lewis LF	K	-	Ks ///	-	-	2BH 8 r=	-	BH9 -	-	-
A. Hill 2B	PO4	-	-	K	-	PO3 f x	-	5-3 ///	-	-
A. Lind, DH	Ks 2UA ///	-	-	PO6	-	Ks ///	-	-	K	-
V. Wells CF	-	LD9	-	LO9 ///	-	-	PO4 (9)	-	1-3	-
L. Overbay 1B	-	FO8 !	-	-	3-1	-	PO5 (7)	-	LD5 ///	-
A. Gonzalez SS	-	FO9 ///	-	-	PO6	-	5-3 ///	-	-	-
J. Bautista 3B	-	-	Ks	-	Ks ///	-	-	5-3	-	-
J. Buck C	-	-	IF BH6 -	-	-	2BH 7 <>	-	K	-	-
T. Snider RF	-	-	Ks	-	-	WP Ks	-	BB =	-	-
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	Totals
Runs	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	1
Hits	0	0	1	0	0	2	0	1	0	4
Errors	0	0	0	0	(3)	-	0	0	-	1
LOB	0	0	1	0	0	1	0	2	0	4

Pitching

p/s

ERA

D. Eveland

103/51

4.58

S Camp(2IRS)

2.0

43-19

2.95

C. Janssen

1.0

16-11

5.02

J. Frasor

1.0

11-11

6.43

Boston Red Sox	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
M. Scutaro, SS	BB <>	-	BB ---	5-3	-	PO3 f x	-	1-3	-	-
D. Pedroia, 2B	GR 2BH 9<>	-	BB =	4-3 ! ///	-	6-3	-	BH8 ---	-	-
J. Drew, RF	SAC 3UA r	-	K	-	B BH5 <>	BB SB =	-	BH8 (7)	-	-
J Van Every pr-RF								pr x	-	-
K. Youkilis, 1B	SAC 9 r -	-	HBP x	-	BB <>	2-4 BB -	-	FC6 -4 ///	-	-
M. Lowell, DH	PO3 f ///	-	6-4 -3 ///	-	ShC BB -	LD6 x ///	-	-	-	-
A. Beltre, 3B	-	6-3	-	5-3	WP Ks	-	Ks	-	-	-
J. Varitek, C	-	HR7 <>	-	BH7 <>	IBB ---	-	Ks	-	-	-
B. Hall, LF	-	Ks	-	E8 ? ---	FC 6-4 r-	-	Ks ///	-	-	-
D. McDonald, CF	-	FO9 ///	-	2BH 7 r=	5-4 ///	-	-	K	-	-
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	Totals
Runs	2	1	0	1	2	0	0	0	-	6
Hits	1	1	0	2	1	0	0	2	-	7
Errors	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
LOB	1	0	2	2	2	2	0	2	-	11

Pitching

p/s

ERA

D. Matsuzaka

7.0

106-71

6.35

R. Ramirez

1.0

17-10

5.52

H. Okajima

1.0

5-3

5.23

As this score card thingy starts to work more smoothly I find I'm using ESPN less and less for stats back up. Next is a set of boxes to score pitches.

Thanks to "ESPN Box Score" for fewer and fewer stats.

mh

Live Score Card Blog: Toronto Blue Jays @ Boston Red Sox

2010-05-10T19:02:00.075-04:00

Live Score Card

Toronto Blue Jays @ Boston Red Sox
7:10 PM ET, May 10, 2010
Fenway Park, Boston, Massachusetts
14 C 57 F degrees, Partly Cloudy
Wind, westerly 29 kph 19 mph

Legend:

- on 1st
= on 2nd
--- on 3rd
r = rbi
<> run plated
p pitch count
/// end of inning
E4t error on second base player - throwing
f caught in foul ground
B bunt

Toronto Blue Jays	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
F. Lewis, LF	K	BH9 1r x	-	BH8	-	6-3	-	-	Ks
A. Hill, 2B	BB =	FC 6-4 -	-	E6t -	-	K ///	-	-	6-3
A. Lind, DH	3UA	LD x	-	2-3 ///	-	-	1-3	-	6-3
V. Wells, CF	Ks ///	PO4 ///	-	-	PO9	-	5-3	-	-
L. Overbay, 1B	-	BB <>	6-3	-	FO7	-	6-3 ///	-	-
A. Gonzalez SS	-	* 2BH 7<>	Ks	-	BH7 <>	-	-	4-3	-
J. Bautista, 3B	-	BB <>	K ///	-	HR7 2r <>	-	-	BB	-
J. Buck, C	-	2BH 5 2r <>	-	BH8 x	K ///	-	-	PO4 f	-
T. Snider, RF	-	BH9 1r ---	-	DP 6-4 -3	-	6-3	-	5-3 !	-
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	Totals
Runs	0	4	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	6
Hits	0	4	0	2	2	0	0	0	0	8
Errors	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	2
LOB	1	2	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	4
Pitching	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR	_/_	ERA	-
Brandon Morrow	1.1	3	6	6	6	4	0	67/ 32	6. 69
J Reonicke	2.1	3	1	0	1	3	0	44/ 25	5. 40
R Lewis	3.0	1	0	0	0	2	0	39/ 24	3. 24
C Janssen	1.0	1	0	0	0	0	0	25/ 14	5. 40

2nd Inning
* A. Gonzalez AB: Looks like the ball hit the absolute corner of the top of the wall - above the red line... Ruled a double.

Boston 2nd
V. Martinez AB tailor made DP ball Hill was flat footed threw the ball over Overbay ;). Saw his batting head getting in the way of his throw al a Chick Knoblauch, yesterday.

Boston 3rd
On Scutaro play - looked to me like Gonzalez double clutched because Hill wasn't at the bag yet, no camera angle from Rogers that shows that though.

8th
Snider out - was close! I would have called him safe if I were standing near the first base bag on the field in Boston. But I was not.

Boston Red Sox	1	2	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
M. Scutaro, SS	BB <>	BB <>		* E6 =	-	6-3	-	-	BH7
D. Pedroia, 2B	2BH 7 <>	BB 1r x		BH8 - r	-	FO9 ///	-	-	FO9
V. Martinez, C	2BH 4 3r -	6-4 E4t r<>		PO5 f x	-	-	5-3	-	LD6 !!
K. Youkilis, 1B	K	BB ---		Ks ///	-	-	BH5 -3 -	-	6-3 ///
D. Ortiz, DH	Ks	HB9 =		-	FO7	-	K	-	-
A. Beltre, 3B	Ks ///	BB -		-	K	-	1-3 ///	-	-
J. Hermida, LF	-	BB <>	FC 6-4 ///	-	BH9 -	-	-	FO8	-
D. McDonald, CF	-	Ks		* 4-3	K ///	-	-	B 1-3 x	-
J * Van Every	-	BB <>		BH8 <>	-	3UA	-	Ks ///	-
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	Totals
Runs	2	4		1	0	0	0	0	0	7
Hits	2	1		2	1	0	1	0	1	8
Errors	0	0		1	0	0	0	0	0	1
LOB	0	3		1	1	0	1	0	0	6
Pitching	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR	p/s	ERA
John Lackey	6.0	8	6	6	3	6	1	95/ 61	4. 60
H Okajima	1.0	0	0	0	0	0	0	6/4	5. 23
D Bard	1.0	0	0	0	1	0	0	14/ 9	3. 00
J Papelbon	1.0	0	0	0	0	1	0	13/ 8	1. 69
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Before the game

J Van Every (Batting 9th) put in - in place of J. Drew (Batting 5th) just before the game. T. Francona just took out Drew and moved every one up Every into 9th spot.

Great at bat by Youkilis in the 8th. Jansson pitching great pitches and he keeps fouling them off. Out 6-3 to end the inning.

Final:
Toronto Blue Jays 6
Boston Red Sox 7

Thanks to "ESPN Box Score" for the pitching lines.

mh

Complete Play by Play Box Score of the New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox

2010-05-09T23:30:00.003-04:00

Sunday may 9, 2010

8:05 PM ET

Fenway Park, Boston, Massachusetts

Tonight is Sunday Night Baseball on BaseballBlogs. I will use an html/css baseball scoring card to record tonight's game as it happens, play by play, box scored the old fashioned way - a test to see if this thing I've made is as good as pencil and paper scoring.

New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox

Live Score Card Blog

47 F
8:10 PM EDT

I am using some of the protocols suggested in "Scoring a Baseball Game
the Project Scoresheet way" (sometimes I don't have room but you can read what's-what)

top of the AB box - before the play
middle - as the play happens
bottom - after the play, SB CS and stuff etc..

Legend:
- on 1st
= on 2nd
--- on 3rd
r = rbi
<> run plated
p pitch count

Yankees	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
D. Jeter, SS	K	-	FO8	-	FO8	-	-	-	-	-
(b7th) R Pena	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	BH8 <>	-	-
N. Swisher, RF	6-3	-	-	HR7 <>	FO9	-	-	BH8 =	-	-
M. Teixeira, 1B	8 p 6-3	-	-	Ks	-	BB x	-	FO7	-	-
A. Rodriguez 3B	-	1 p 6-3	-	HR7 <>	-	Ks	-	-	-	-
(b7th) K Russo	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	K	-	-
R. Cano, 2B	-	Ks	-	BH6 -	-	DP 4-6 -3	-	BH7 rbi -	-	-
J. Posada, DH	-	8 p FO7	-	K	-	-	6-3	Ks	-	-
M. Thames, LF	-	-	FO7	K *	-	-	HBP x	-	6-3	-
F. Cervelli, C	-	-	BB	-	LD6 x	-	FC6 4-3 -	-	6-3	-
B. Gardner, CF	-	-	10 p FO8	-	BH7 -	-	K	-	K	-
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	Totals
Runs	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	1	0	3
Hits	0	0	0	3	1	0	0	3	0	7
Errors	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1
LOB	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	2	0	3
Pitching	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR	_/_	ERA	Totals
A.J. Burnett 4-0, 1.99	4.1	9	9	8	3	4	1	97/ 54	3. 40	-
R Sanchez	3.2	1	0	0	1	3	0	52/ 30	0. 00	-
Pitchers name	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Pitchers name	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Boston	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
M. Scutaro, SS	BH7 x	-	BB <>	FO9 -	BB	-	-	FO8	-	-
D. Pedroia, 2B	Ks	-	2 BH7 <>	BB <>	FO8	-	-	5-3	-	-
V. Martinez, C	FC -	-	1-3	FO7	-	FO9	-	6-3	-	-
K. Youkilis, 1B	4-3	-	BB <>	2BH 5-7 rbi	-	GO4 x	-	-		-
J.D. Drew, RF	-	BH8 SB <>	SAC 8 rbi	3-1	-	BH7 -	-	-		-
D. Ortiz, DH	-	FO7 3,1p	2BH 2r <>	-	3UA	K	-	-		-
A. Beltre, 3B	-	wp Ks	2BH 82r <>	-	2BH 7 <>	-	FO7	-	-	-
J. Hermida, LF	-	BH7 E7t =	BH rbi	-	HR9 2rb <>	-	Ks	-	-	-
D. McDonald, CF	-	Ks	Ks	-	Ks	-	FO9	-	-	-
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	Totals
Runs	0	1	5	1	2	0	0	0	-	9
Hits	1	1	4	1	2	1	0	0	-	10
Errors	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	-	0
LOB	1	1	1	1	1	1	0	0	-	6
Pitching	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR	_/_	ERA	Totals
Lester 2-2, 3.93	7.0	-	4	2	2	7	2	102 /63	3. 71	-
Manny Delcarmen	1.0	3	1	1	0	2	0	31/ 19	2. 30	-
Tim Wakefield	1	0	0	0	0	1	o	10/ 8	6. 03	-
Pitchers name	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Top of the 4th
(*) K Argued by Marcus Markey Thames - J Gerardi thrown out of the game by Umpire Tim McClelland.

Final Score
New York Yankees 3
Boston Red Sox 9

mh

Live Score Card Blog: Toronto @ Chicago

2010-05-06T21:05:00.048-04:00

Toronto Blue Jays @ Chicago White Sox
U.S. Cellular Field, Chicago Illinois,
Thursday, May 6th 2010 8:07 PM EDT
11 C 51 F | Wind W at 21 km/h - 12 mph

Toronto

1. F Lewis LF
2. A Hill 2B
3. A Lind DH
4. V Wells CF
5. L Overbay 1B
6. A Gonzalez SS
7. J Bautista 3B
8. J Buck C
9. T Snider RF

SP Dana Eveland

White Sox

1. J Pierre LF
2. G Beckham 2B
3. A Jones RF
4. A Rios CF
5. C Quentin DH
6. A Ramirez SS
7. R Castro C
8. M Kotsay 1B
9. J Nix 3B

SP John Danks

Legend:
<> run plated
- on first
= on second
--- on third

Michael Holloway's HTML Score Card
Toronto Blue Jays	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
F Lewis LF	BH8 CS (2-5)	_	1,3 X	_	2BH 7(8) 2rbi =	_	K	_	_
Aaron Hill 2B	BB -	_	FO3	_	LD7!	_	_	GO 6,3	_
A Lind DH	FO8	_	_	FO7	Ks 2,3	_	_	Ks	_
V Wells CF	Ks2	_	_	BH8 -	_	BH7	_	Ks	_
L Overbay 1B	_	BH8 X	_	Ks	_	FO7	_	_ -	E4 X
A Gonzalez SS	_	FO6	_	4,3	_	FO6	_	_	DP 6,4,3
J Bautista 3B	_	6,4,3 X	_	_	FO4	Ks	_	_	2BH 8(9)
J Buck C	_	_	Ks	_	BH8 <>	_	Ks	_	LD 6,3!
T Snider RF	_	_	BH4 E4th =	_	2BH9 <>	_	BB CS 1,3,6	_	_

Chicago White Sox	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
J Pierre LF	BH5 X	_	Ks	_	4,3	_	_	5,3	_
G Beckham 2B	Ks	_	(wp) Ks	_	GO 2,3	_	_	Ks	_
A Jones RF	FC6,3 -	_	BB	_	_	LD4	_	_	FO7
A Rios CF	LD7	_	FO3	_	_	FO4	_	_	2BH pop8 6,4,3 =
C Quentin DH	_	6,3 E6 -	_	5,3 X	_	FO4	_	_	Ks
A Ramirez SS	_	FO8	_	BH8 CS2,3 X	_	_	BB (4p)	_	Ks
R Castro C	_	FO8	_	BB -	_	_	DP 6,4,3	_	_
M Kotsay 1B	_	FO8	_	3UA	_	_	LD 1,5,3	_	_
J Nix 3B	_	_	BB SBon wp2,6 =	_	6,3	_	_	FO4	_

Notes:

1st
Great throw Lewis CS (2-5) right to the line with 3rd baseman diving towards the sliding Lewis.Great Call.

2nd
Quentin to SS (E6) throw was there Overbay lackadaisical scoop, E3 imho.
Kotsay hit the ball tothe top of the wall, Wells saunters over and catches it.

3rd
Andruw Jones at bat is long and then he walks, good at bat different than everyone elses at bats.

5th
Lewis at bat with runners on 3rd and 2nd, Sox playing in to cut down the run.

6th
Gonzalez at bat: fouls one back and Pat Tabler says fouled, right ba--ck HERE. no picture, then the clang on the mics.

Hill is busy, makes all three out in the inning.

7th
Snider's at bat. Danks didn't execute on the first three pitches got behind then bares down, but losses him. Good at bat by Snider, looks like he's seeing the ball really well.

8th
Danks is replaced to start the 8th.
Sergio Santos pitching

With the Sox coming up to bat, Rogers goes to their hockey obsessed Sports Desk Connected, as usual, the script (do they even have writers?) says stuff like 'end of the game' and 'when the games over'. This happens every night not just tonight. I know you're not watching the baseball game but we are and it isn't "getting over" - it's reaching the climax of a story that's been building for two and a half hours. :)

Bottom of the 8th
Scott Downs in for Eveland.

9th
SS Ramirez makes a great short hop snag going far to his left, make an awkward throw away from his momentum that is perfect - saves a run, third out.

Bottom 9
Kevin Gregg pitching

Pop, way up, gets pushed by the wind towards right. Looks like Wells has it, then SS Ganzalez sees he's got to, off the heel of his glove as Aaron Hill converges on the play as well. Hill throws to 2nd where 1st baseman Overbay (I think, maybe P Kevin Gregg) is covering. Rios is safe standing up.

D Eveland W(3-1) 7.0IP, 2H, 0R, 0ER, 4BB, 3K, 0HR, 90-52, 3.82ERA

J Danks L ( 3 - 1 ) 7.0IP, 8H, 2R, 2ER, 2BB, 7K, 0HR, 107-70, 1.98ERA

Thanks to ESPN Box Score for the box score image.

mh

My HTML Baseball Score Card Hack

2010-05-06T17:12:00.027-04:00

Today I hacked a box score table from ESPN and turned it into a Game Score Card. I love scoring baseball games - and I know there are a lot hard core fans of the game who do too. For some time now I've been meaning go out on the internet and find a scoring table so I could keep a score card online. I checked the commons about 5 years ago and nothing. Today I checked again and aside from propitiatory Windows Office based tables that required scary downloads of software from places with no history - nothing.

So I made one. On my browser the header of each score card wants about a 3" space above it --Why?? I can't figure that out. Other than that though - I'm really happy with it.

I'm going to keep score with it as the Toronto Blue Jays visit the Chicago White Sox tonight. The game starts at 8:07 PM EDT, 7:07 Central Daylight Time. If it works well I might live blog a game at a later date.

Michael Holloway's HTML Score Card
Toronto	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
F Lewis LF	BH7	_	_	_	_	_	_	_	_
_______	_	_	_	_	_	_	_	_	_
_______	_	_	_	_	_	_	_	_	_
_______	_	_	_	_	_	_	_	_	_
_______	_	_	_	_	_	_	_	_	_
_______	_	_	_	_	_	_	_	_	_
_______	_	_	_	_	_	_	_	_	_
_______	_	_	_	_	_	_	_	_	_
_______	_	_	_	_	_	_	_	_	_

Michael Holloway's HTML Score Card
Chicago	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
_______	_	_	_	_	_	_	_	_	_
_______	_	_	_	_	_	_	_	_	_
_______	_	_	_	_	_	_	_	_	_
_______	_	_	_	_	_	_	_	_	_
_______	_	_	_	_	_	_	_	_	_
_______	_	_	_	_	_	_	_	_	_
_______	_	_	_	_	_	_	_	_	_
_______	_	_	_	_	_	_	_	_	_

It's easy to add new data. In the 'Compose' or 'Rich Text' tab I can...

Add names to the line-up
Mark in scores in each inning as plays happen
Go back to previous at-bats and add data

..all with out switching into html.

Tonight I'll be inventing icons that a keyboard can create to stand in for the pencil marks that have been developed over 140 years of baseball scoring.

Open Source and Free to Change

Grab a copy of this blank score card and try it out in your blog. Just high-light the table (hold down the left click button on your mouse, drag the cursor from the bottom to the top of the table, then let off the button and right click - which opens a window - and left click on 'copy'). Now go to your blog and open New Post and - with the tab set at the 'Compose' or 'Rich Text' setting - paste. Then click over to the 'html and the code should show, save as a draft and put it away for future use.

You can change any part of the table fairly easily, if you've read a little code here and there.

Below is the 'Header' html, the red and yellow band across the top of the table that says 'Michael Holloway's HTML Score Card':

Where the code reads,"tbody tr style="color: rgb(255, 204, 102)", that's the words in the thick bar; I changed that from black to a yellow. Where it says "background-color: rgb(153, 0, 0)", that's the bar itself. I've changed that from gray to my favorite red.

To Change the words, find where it says "Michael Holl..." between these tags >____<, delete my words and type what ever you want. To get new color code just type in a word in your blog, high light it and choose a colour from your blog color menu. Once it's the colour you want click over to html, high light "color: rgb(255, 204, 102)", copy it and paste it over the existing code in the table's html. You can add extra innings too! Where the code reads, " 'open td tag', width = 6%, 10, 'close td tag' ", that's the 'innings column' the tenth one going sideways that appears as a 10 in the header - copy it and then paste it right next to what you just copied, after the ">" tag. Then change the 10 to an 11. That gives you a title for the next column of boxes for each batter.

Then you have to add a box to the end of each player code line who's going to bat after 10 innings. The code below shows the players name and then 10 boxes for data, placed side by side...(I've typed in "Fred Lewis LF" in the name column, and "BH7" in Fred Lewis' first inning at-bat box)

.. copy one of the "td, blank, close td" tags and paste it right before the last tag (before the "close tr" tag. As always all these must be inside of the '<' and '>' tags). That will put another box in the 11th inning column for that one player. Now continue pasting that extra code set onto each players code line. (Since I took these screen shots - that have 10 columns - I have edited the code down to a 9 column tables, displayed at the top.)

Now your a Hacker and a hard core student of the game! :)

Re-purposed box score table code from ESPN.

mh

Come Back Get Away Day

2010-05-05T18:46:00.008-04:00

Toronto Blue Jays @ Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Ohio, Wednesday, May 5th 2010
12:05 PM 23 C 73 F. Wind W at 27 km/h 17 mp/h.

Game 3 of 3 -- for the sweep!

OK, OK. I won't tell a lie; I forgot the Jays were on at Noon today.

So, while I'm solving the fundamental questions of physics - towards an understanding of the universe and everything - I remembered - get away day!!

I ditched the solution (42), and tuned in just in time to see John Buck coming to the plate to pinch hit for José Molina in the top of the ninth, down 2-4 to the Cleveland Indians. Buck grounds out 5-3 for the 2nd out.

Luckily for me (and you), this is exactly when the fun begins!

Fred Lewis batting with 2 outs and the game on the line slams the ball down the right field line - just fair - and it bounces around in the corner for a 2BH.

Hope springs eternal, and a smile magically appears upon my face. Aron Hill is up. Have I mentioned I like Hill's approach at the plate?

On a 1-2 pitch Aron Hill hits a skittering grounder right at shortstop Luis Adan Valbuena. I'm thinking, that's it, it's over, that is an easy feed to the 2nd baseman Grudzielanek for the FC. Game over. Valbuena moves slightly to his left and surrounds the ball, as he stoops to gather it in ... It shoots right under his glove!

Fred Lewis is running on contact and because the ball is hit behind him he continues to third -- but he's expecting to saunter towards the dugout and then to the showers. At that point he notices 3rd base coach Brian Butterfield is frantically waving his arm and pointing: home! home! -- So he does; and we Do. (3-4)

Now it's a one run game with Hill on first and number three hitter, Adam Lind is up.

Most people say you bat your best hitter 3rd in the American League, and your best power hitter right behind him. Lind hit 35 HR's with a .305 BA last year - and he's hot right now -- so I'm thinking, maybe he'll pop one, and if not just get on base because Vernon Wells is up next -- and he's hot right now too -- our chances seem pretty good.

This Blue Jays team is full of 20 HR guys, it doesn't matter what position in the batting order is up to bat, the potential for a HR is quite good. Toronto leads the American League in home runs with 42; 5 more than next best, Boston Red Sox, 10 more the the Yankees:

Screen shot: Baseball-Reference.

Knowing these things, Adam Lind hit the ball over the left field wall. Jay's win! Jay's win! (after Jason Frasor(Win) works the bottom of the ninth.)

Last night I mentioned I thought a Jays Dam Burst was imminent between these two teams. As a way of gauging how good the Jays are this year, I thought this young Indians team might be over matched against the Jays. That 'Dam Bursty-ness' showed I think, in the ninth this afternoon.

After Lind's HR, Vernon Wells hit a line drive right at SS Luis Valbuena and once again, he made an error. Then with Wells on first, pitcher Chris Perez threw a pass ball that was a little wild and wide - the catcher maybe should have corralled - it was wide by a lot - but not in the dirt. (Wells was credited with a SB??) At that moment it appeared that more bad things were about to happen for the young Indians when a long fly out by Mike McCoy in his first at-bat of the game, ended the threat.

Jays sweep the Indians 5-1, 8-5, 5-4

Photo of Fred Lewis swinging: 2ksports.com

Thanks as usual to ESPN for the box score image and the stats.

Thanks Baseball-Reference for all the wacky stat manipulating widgets over there.

mh

The Canadian Team - with all the Lefties

2010-05-04T23:31:00.008-04:00

Toronto Blue Jays @ Cleveland Indians
Some Insurance Company Field, Cleveland Ohio
Temp: 21 C 70 F Wind: W at 13 km/h
Game 2 of a 3 game set. Jays won last night 5-1

Line ups:

Toronto

F Lewis LF
A Hill 2B
A Lind DH
V Wells CF
L Overbay 1B
A Gonzalez SS
J Bautista 3B
J Buck C
T Snider RF

SP Ricardo Romero(2-1) 2.25 ERA

Cleveland

M Grudzielanek 2B
G Sizemore CF
S Choo RF
A Kearns LF
J Peralta 3B
T Hafner DH
R Branyan 1B
L Marson C
L Valbuena SS

SP Jacob Cauthen Westbrook(0-2) 5.53 ERA

Note 1

I haven't talked much about starting pitching on this years Blue Jays team. Start after start the current starters are keeping the team in games.

The Jays lead the American League in saves (9) with out a closer [Kevin Gregg (6), Jason Frasor (3) are working out who that will be], meaning they're in almost every game in the late innings.
The Jays have contested 9 games where the final score was less than a two runs difference 5th in the American League: Baltimore, Boston (11) Kansas City, Chicago (10)
Tonight Buck Martinez mentioned that Blue Jays starters has gone into the seventh inning with a no-hitter going 4!! times this year.
5 out of the 6 pitchers who have starts this season are left handed!
11 of 21 pitchers on the 40-Man Roster are lefties.

The fact that the Jays have a lot of lefties doesn't mean a thing unless they're effective. The strange thing is, they have all looked really good so far.

Every pitcher will have bad outings - but even bad starts haven't been disasters - the battery and the coaches have managed to keep the Jays in those games as well.

Off the top of my head I can only remember a couple of games where the Jays were blown out.

Lets do some research:

April 14, 2010,(SP( Morrow(L) 4.0 IP, 8H, 7R, 7ER, 1BB, 3K, 2HR, 12.0ERA Score: 11-1

April 16, 2010,(SP) Marcum(L) 7.0 IP, 7H, 4R, 4ER, 1BB, 6K, 1HR, 4.05ERA Score: 7-5

April 26, 2010,(SP) Eveland(L) 3.0 IP, 8H, 7R, 7ER, 3BB, 3K, 0HR, 4.57ERA Score 13-12

That's it - one bad start that lead to a blow out.

Note 2

Ricky Romero is having a alright outing after appearing to be the teams Ace in his past few starts.

Note 3

At Boston Red Sox blog "Joy of Sox" the glossary says, "Seabass: Alex Gonzalez - Coined by Kevin Millar for his (Seabass's) perpetually sullen game-face." I'm watching him as he steps in to the box in the 6th - runners at 3rd and 2nd - Gonzalez takes a deep breath and blows it out - I'm seeing 'Blowfish' because the way his cheeks expand like trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie. Blowfish slams the ball down the left field line plateing the 6th Blue Jay run of the game, the go ahead run, it's 6-5.

Note 4

Travis Snider has a bad time of it in another right field in these major leagues - he takes a bad path to a ball here in Cleveland. The ball that was hit on a line to the top of the wall in right-centre. I wouldn't have gotten to it - but one more time around the league - and he will.

Note 5

My two favorite underdogs this spring Travis Snider batting 9th (infield single) and Fred Lewis batting leadoff (RBI double), combine for a run in the 7th that ends Rafael E. Perez's night.

Note 6

The Jays have left 11 base runners on to this point - sometimes you have to give the other guys defense some credit - in that case I expect the flood gates to burst before this is over. As I write the 8th run scores on an Lyle Overbay single that scores Fred Lewis. Then releiver A Laffey moves two runners up with a wild pitch.

CF Grady Sizemore ends the inning with a loo-ng run on a Blowfish sure fire double to left-centre.Dam! That looked like it hung up in the westerly wind as the ball reached it's apex (Googled weather + Cleveland at 10:20: W at 8 km/h). That would have been 2R's for sure - and confirmed my formula.

Note 7

Romero had a rocky 3rd and 4th but settled down in the 5th and 6th and allowed the offense to began to win the scoring test.
Ricky Romero (W 3-1) 6.0IP, 9H, 5R, 5ER, 2BB, 9K, 0HR, 105-64, 3.00ERA

The bull pen did not allow a run on 1 hit..
Combined Bullpen: 3.0IP, 1H, 0R, 0ER, 1BB, 4K, 0HR, 53-34
Camp (H 0.2), Downs (H 1.1), Gregg (S[7] 1.0)

Thanks to ESPN Box Score for the box score image, the line-ups and all that important stuff.

Thanks to MLB for the 1-run game numbers and the box scores from April.

mh

Well Played Mauer...

2010-05-03T20:39:00.006-04:00

Every time I see this ad while watching baseball on broadcast TV I see more and more levels in the script. Social networking understood at a deep level. I like how the father figure, or corporate face of Play Station, Kevin Butler puts up the 007 wall after he's caught out not being social enough to remember he knows Joe Mauer... well?

Credit: Youtube PlayStation Channel

mh

The Cito Gaston Brand Ball Clubs - Making believers in the AL East?

2010-05-02T13:39:00.012-04:00

Oakland Athletics 3 - Toronto Blue Jays 9
Sunday May 2nd 2010 - 1:07 PM
Game time weather, 21 C, 70 F wind 0km/h.
Dome: Open (holy-crack-in-the-sky Batman!)

Jays won three out of four over the Oakland Athletics with some good pitching, and some not so good pitching by the them.

Thursday 3-6
Friday 2-10
Saturday 4-3
Sunday 3-9

After about a month into the season it's time for a step back - long view of the sit-it-ation.

The Jays have been gifted with some surprises this spring.

In a year that saw the departure of Roy Halladay and was seen by most as the beginning of a rebuilding phase, the Jays are unexpectedly getting production from spots in the line up they've been working on getting production from for years. The fact that Cito Gaston is back in town, might have something to do with it.

Here's Cito's line-up from today's game - J McDonald substituted for Travis Snider at the last minute (flu).

Hitters	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	#P	AVG	OBP	SLG
F Lewis LF	3	2	1	3	1	0	22	.250	.298	.423
A Hill 2B	4	2	3	2	1	0	15	.205	.352	.409
A Lind DH	5	0	0	0	0	1	16	.260	.330	.440
V Wells CF	4	1	2	1	0	0	10	.330	.385	.690
L Overbay 1B	4	0	1	0	0	0	14	.184	.287	.345
A Gonzalez SS	4	1	1	2	0	2	22	.276	.303	.619
J Bautista RF	4	0	0	0	0	1	14	.206	.301	.402
J Buck C	4	1	3	0	0	1	20	.243	.289	.529
J McDonald 3B	4	2	2	1	0	0	14	.229	.229	.400

Several defensive position choices made by the Jays in the off season have worked out great - not just defensively - but also offensively. Also, position players who've been on the roster for a while are playing up to their billing early on this year:

SS Alex Gonzalez played for Boston Red Sox last year and is tearing it up with power numbers and average and as always great defense. He has extraordinary range, he's in a league of his own that way. And this year so far he's that hitting Alex Gonzalez that the Jays have always wanted. Or you could say he's the Tony Fernandez returned to bury the ghost of Tony Fernandez. (Do YOU believe it's him?)
C John Buck after losing his starting job in Kansas City to Jason Kendall looks like the catcher the Jays have been looking for since Pat Borders. He is a 6' 3'' 230 lbs. monster of a man who can do it all defensively and is currently batting near .290.
LF Fred Lewis who came to the Jays from The San Fransisco Giants in the middle of April (he'd fallen out of favour in Giant-ville - they're in chaos over there after losing the franchise Mr. Bonds to the juiced ball scandal [imho] - could turn out to be a Great deal).
CF Vernon Wells is finally over some injuries that have made him look less than average over the past several seasons. He is back, so far, to the gold glove, 4th hitting, Hall of Fame-r of the future type player again.
Aron Hill is just coming back into form right now after a few injury filled seasons. He's hitting the ball hard and you can see when he takes a pitch, he's seeing the ball extremely well. He still a consummate 2nd baseman defensively in my opinion - he reminds me of the greats at that position, Ryne Sandberg for example.
When Cito Gaston puts him out there, utility infielder John McDonald plays great (2 for 4 today, triple and a double, and 2 runs scored). Cito seems to know how to manage tandems better than other managers and that goes for how he's managing John Buck and José Molina at the catcher position.
Cito Gaston does what he does quietly and I think I'm starting to see the Cito brand on this team. He gets the most out of the players he's got; Cito Gaston, surprise - surprise, knows how to manage a team. Go figure.

Thanks to ESPN's Blue Jays Clubhouse for all the stats and the table and the screen shots of the box score and the standings.

mh

Tom Hanks might have said, 'There's no fear in baseball!'

2010-04-26T23:47:00.003-04:00

Boston Red Sox 13 @ Toronto Blue Jays 12
Monday April 26, 2010, 7:10 PM EDT
Rogers Centre - Toronto On
15 C - 59 F Wind, south 10 km/h

The Dome had better be open. Grrr... This is game 1 of 3, all are evening games.

Boston

M. Scutaro, SS
D. Pedroia, 2B
K. Youkilis, 1B
M. Lowell, DH
J. Drew, RF
J. Varitek, C
A. Beltre, 3B
B. Hall, LF
D. McDonald, CF

SP Josh Beckett (1-0)

Toronto

F. Lewis, LF
A. Hill, 2B
A. Lind, DH
V. Wells, CF
L. Overbay, 1B
A. Gonzalez, SS
J. Bautista, 3B
J. Buck, C
T. Snider, RF

SP Dana Eveland (2-0)

Note 1

On a base hit to right in the 1st Scutaro scores the games first run, and Youkilis who is right behind him, is called out at the plate. Snider in right comes up with a perfect throw -- but Youkilis was safe.
Umpires usually stand about where they stand on a pitch, a little to one side or the other, when calling a play at the plate.
I've seen some umps stand of to one side more -- you can't stand on the 1st base side with the ball coming in from right, but you can stand on the dugout side and get a much better view of the plate and the catcher glove coming across from the catch, if the ball is missed it likely won't be right at the catcher, so your not blocking the pitcher backing up the play over by the dug out.
I'm not a certified umpire -- why do umps stand where they do?.

Note 2

With two out in the second John Buck hit a scorcher to the wall past right fielder J. D. Drew who didn't seem read it right at all. The ball seemed to get out there REALLY fast.
Is the ball juiced again this year - after a couple of years not - now that all the players are off the steroids?

Note 3

Lots of Boston fans here by the sounds of it - as usual.
Eveland has loaded the bases again now in the 3rd. Double, single, walk - no outs.
4. Lowell, FO 8
5. Drew, Ks
6. Varitek BH 8 2 RBI
7. Beltre 2BH 9 2 RBI
Travis Snider was there but didn't touch it. I think he dove when, as Rogers colour commentator Pat Tabler said he should have kept running, the way he hit the wall, shoulder, neck, head - if he'd just run he would have hit the wall with less chance of injury. He doesn't know the field yet - he'll get better.

Note 4

Lewis hits a ball to left and makes it all the way to 3rd, man that guys got five gears - between 2nd and 3rd he turns it on and holy cow can he move!
With 2 outs now Fred Lewis our favorite Fred on the Blue Jays comes back to the plate the tenth batter of the inning, another triple perhaps Fred?
K looking??? Come on ump! Your ruining my dreams. :)

Note 5

Pedroia hits the ball back to Eveland who digs it out of his glove but still has time... But Gonzalez who thought he might have to field the ball behind Eveland b-lines to second and cuts off the throw to Hill! He has a brain attack, probably confused Eveland who just lobbed the ball into the area instead of a strong throw and easy tag for Aron Hill.
These guys haven't played together much, they need more innings together.

Note 6

Crooked numbers.
Wells hits a Bullet to Youkilis for an out. Almost a double play as Hill was way off the bag at second - but so was Scutaro - who wasn't in time at the bag for the ball, which skips out into right field. Hill doesn't know where the ball is and left fielder Hall has it in quickly. An ill-advised throw by Youkilis imho.
E7 on a fly ball by Gonzalez. Way up waaaaaaay up plates Hill and Lind. Hall should have had it - but the scorer calls it a triple.

Note 7

Is Shawn Camp the pitcher he looks like he is? Here's a great test of the theory in this high scoring duck shoot.
9. McDonald 6-3
1. Scutaro 6-3
2. Pedroia 0-2 pitch: BH grounder to 8
Youkilis's lower back on the left side is killing him, saw it on a check swing 2-2, and earlier when he scored on his second plate attempt. Petroia steals second on the check swing
3. Youkilis BH7 scores Pedroia from 2nd with 2 outs. 9-8.
Cito comes out to talk to the battery
4. Lowell F8
Conclusion: Hmmm. Need more data.

Note 8

Atchison two fly outs then Fred hits a ball down off the plate that goes waaaaaaaay up. 3rd baseman Beltre has no play -- plate hit?
Seems like the hitting clinic is over, for both teams. It's quiet... too quiet...
Wells G5-UA. Beltre tags Lind who is running on the hit ball with two out. But Lind doesn't force a throw, he just stands there. Beltre waits for him to do something and then tags him.
A real baseball player would have made them throw the ball by scampering back to second, especially in a tie game, late.
Perhaps nobody wants to rile up the other team as it seems the gale of hits and runs has abated. It seemed like Lind did the right thing even through by the book, he did not.

Note 9

Apparently MLB is investigating broken bats - there are too many. They want to make baseball safe. I hate the 'safe' advertising meme. It's hero branding, except the hero you buy is war. The fear is in your head - not in baseball. Tom Hanks might have said, 'There's no fear in baseball!'

Note 10

Apparently Lind's move just showed fear -- the batting storm is back!
One run is in, on two base hits and the 9th hitter McDonald's whacks a double scoring one.
Scutaro hits an infield single. Scutaro is 3 for 4 with a walk.
Pedroia's double down the left field line scores McDonald and as Buck bobbles the ball on a one-hopper from left Scutaro scoots around him and dives for the plate, 13-9.

Note 11

Scott Downs: three up, three Down(s)... Including a Scutaro, K looking!

Note 12

Wells hits a bullet back to the feet of Boston pitcher Okajima - a kick save and a beauty - but the rebound kicks high in the air and Pedrioa has no play. Runners on 1st and 2nd
Overbay hit to centre scores Lind. Wells to third.
Pat Tabler points out Wells takes third because he knows the centre fielder McDonald is going to make sure the tieing run stays at first so he's throwing to second. Nice base running.
Bautista, sac fly to right gets Wells home.
Run scored is the result of the heads up base running by Wells. 13-12.

Note 13

Jonathan Papelbon. Nuff said.

9. T. Snider, Ks
1. F. Lewis, 6-3
2. A. Hill, FO9

Thanks to ESPN 'Box Score' for the box score image and reference data.

mh

David Price: 9 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 9 K, 114/81

2010-04-25T16:24:00.006-04:00

Toronto Blue Jays @ Tampa Bay Rays.
Sunday April 25 2010, 1:42 PM EDT
Game 3, the rubber match.

Boston Red Sox rendezvous with the Jays at Rogers Centre tomorrow night!

Toronto Blue Jays

M McCoy LF
A Hill 2B
A Lind DH
V Wells CF
J Bautista RF
A Gonzalez SS
R Ruiz 1B
J Molina C
J McDonald 3B

RP Brandon Morrow (1-1)

Tampa Bay Rays

R Brignac SS
C Crawford LF
B Zobrist RF
E Longoria 3B
C Pena 1B
B Upton CF
P Burrell DH
J Jaso C
S Rodriguez 2B

SP David Price (2-1)

Note 1

Vernon Wells strikes out to lead off the 2nd. On strike 2 swinging, he yells out, for all of us in the afternoon TV audience to hear, "F*CK!".
I've been noticing that rage in him, even now this year when he's batting really well. It can't be good for any part of his game -- or his body. It releases testosterone when you don't need it - which is poison to your muscles.
As soon as I find myself doing that I remind myself it's poison, stop it, take a deep breath and focus on the job I'm doing. After practicing that routine for a while I've become un-addicted to it -- and it doesn't rear it's ugly head much anymore.

Note 2

Molina gets sawed off by Price in the 3rd. Price had to get out of the way of a spinning splintered head of a broken bat -- and he had to be quick -- once he's out of the blocks he runs over the first to get the ball, jogging out his instant reaction off the 3rd base side of the mound - where the bat went by.
Boy it's a pleasure watching these Rays play. They're all great athletes and when they move it has a poetic quality about it.
These days everyone's talking about drafting by physical quality - rather than drafting a short stop, or picking a fielder - is this more of the bandwagoning you see so often in baseball organizations? If a team wins with slobs for example (like the Phillies in 1993), a bunch of other teams with no real brain trust start buying un-fit 'character' guys.
They say it's 'The Show'. I believe it.

Note 3

3 CS by Molina. Molina jumps out of the catchers box, one step throw, not a bullet either but it's beating them every time. It's like Tony Batista playing third after 2001.
Rays running game may take a break from now on this afternoon. We shall see.

Note 4

Buck Martinez and Rance Mulliniks are talking about drafting athletes... Buck brings up the scouting staff the Rays have tht they needed to do what the Rays have done. Two dimensional players, three dimensional players, it's comes down to building a team, like the Phillies also did in the early 90's.

Note 5

4 CS by Molina. Carl Crawford now twice today. Jays pitcher Brandon Morrow has walked four so far -- catcher Jose Molina has thrown all four out. Quite a battery ;).
One more walk, 5 total so far -- they didn't run -- and Morrow: R Brignac grounded out, C Crawford caught stealing, E Longoria struck out.
Zip - Zip end of 4.

Note 5

Morrow walks the lead off man in the 5th. Upton follows with the Rays first hit of the game.
Jays playing in with runners on 2nd and 3rd no body out in this pitchers duel.
Catcher John Jaso hit a scorcher to Aron Hill's left -- it's under him before he can land on a dive, 2 runs score 0-2.
Rogers production crew didn't get the play. The camera behind the batter didn't react soon enough -- and they show a re-play of that angle, which we saw the first time didn't catch the play. A tower cam showing the whole infield would have -- but I guess they had it on the third base half of the infield to catch the scoring play.

Note 6

1,2,3 in the 6th for the Jays; 11 straight for Price.

Note 7

Morrow get the first two batters before Longoria gets a single to press the Rays momentum in the 6th. Morrow gets Pena swinging. Morrow's hanging in there, but I feel the bull pen coming -- which hasn't been such a great lately -- not like we've become used to here in Toronto with one of the best bull pens in baseball for the last 6 years.

Note 8

Jays get a hit! Jays get a hit! (3rd hit of the day). Bautista breaks Price's streak of 12 outs in a row with a lead off base hit. Price is so used to having the bases empty that he balks the runner to second - but Bautista progresses no further.

Note 9

Pitcher Shawn Camp - my hero for this month - is in to take over in the 7th.

Morrow: 6 IP, 3 H, 2R, 2 ER, 6 BB, 8 K, 108/62 (pitches/strikes). Nice line!

P Burrell hit by pitch with one out -- Burrell doesn't have a running game... J Jaso singled to right moving Burrell into scoring position so J Bartlett pinch runs. Did not run on first pitch... then Jay's work a double play 5, 4, 3 to get out of the inning.

Note 10

Rays do a sweet 5, 4, 3 of their own on McDonald after a lead off hit by catcher Molina. McCoy pops out.

Note 11

Jason Frasor pitching
Crawford's on again with an infield single with one out -- the Jays are throwing over...
Molina took a hard foul off his glove-hand bicep in the Brignac at bat, will that effect his mechanics in throwing? Is Frasor's time to the plate slower that Morrow?
Crawford walks to second on a Zobrist walk.
Longoria hit up the middle plates Crawford. 0-3.
Pena doubles to the right field corner plates one more, 0-4.
Runners 3rd and 2nd. Infield in.
Upton strikes out. 2 out.
J Bartlett in on the pinch run now hits for Burrell. Double to the gap in right centre plates 2. 0-6.
Merkin Valdez in to pitch, walks his first batter.
FC 6-4.

Note 12

Yuk the only good pitching out of that pen lately has been Shawn Camp.

Note 13

Price going for the complete game.
2. A Hill - 1-3
3. A Lind - K
4. V Wells - 4-3

David Price; 9 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 9 K, 114/81

mh

On capturing a baseball game with a camera, and the injustice of usual scoring

2010-04-17T18:35:00.005-04:00

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim @ Toronto Blue Jays, Game 2

RP Joe Saunders for LAA - SP Brian Tallet for TOR.

Rogers Centre, 1:07 PM, Saturday April 17th. 2010

Attendance: 17,187

Line ups

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

E Aybar SS
H Kendrick 2B
T Hunter CF
H Matsui DH
K Morales 1B
J Rivera LF
M Napoli C
B Wood 3B
R Willits RF

Toronto Blue Jays

M McCoy 2B
A Gonzalez SS
A Lind LF
V Wells CF
L Overbay 1B
J Bautista RF
R Ruiz DH
J Molina C
J McDonald 3B

Note 1

Rogers television production director and camera crew (accidentally) recorded the Jays defence configuration on a play in the 3rd:

Tori Hunter hits a fair ball skipping down the left field line to the foul corner; while left fielder Adam Lind is retrieving the ball - short stop Alex Gonzales goes out into shallow left as the cut off man for the throw - John McDonald goes to the short stop position between the ball, Gonzales, and the 2nd base bag, as deep cut off - first baseman Lyle Overbay follows the batter-runner from 1st and covers 2nd.

Although close ups on the beautiful players makes them look like superhuman gods -- and sells stuff -- once in a while a less difficult wide shot tells so much more of the story. It also shows kids watching that their coach is cool - because that's the play they learned too.

Note 2

Brandon Wood gets an error as John McDonald's stealing third on the pitch. The ball is struck and shoots down the third base line, Wood is there -- but he's betwixt and between with his foot work, he's thinking he can make the catch, tag McDonald on the way by and throw to first for the double play. It's a good idea, in rec ball I would have done the same thing (at about a quarter of the speed). Instead of doing any of that he ends up flat footed, kind of in a catcher's crouch, fielding the ball not in front of it, but with his glove across his body to his right -- the ball skips high over his glove and down the line into left field. McDonald scores, the batter-runner is safe at second.

Note 3

On the very next play Alex Gonzales hits the ball right at Wood again, (how rude, Wood was still thinking about his foot work on the previous play!). Wood gathers the ball into the middle of his body after it skips off the heal of his glove on a funny hop, he finds the handle (his foot work is all messed up) and throws to first -- it's skips in the dirt but it's on line, it's there, any first baseman will tell you it should have been caught, but first baseman Kendry Morales appears to step into the throw before he knows where it's going - and, as he tries to adjust, he simply falls on his bum! The throw heads out to right field - Gonzales to second. It's scored E-5 throwing but I'd say it should have been E-3.

Note 4

So wood gets two errors on two plays in a row. (It seems to gets easier to call an error after the first time you call one.) Sportsnet's play-by-play announcer Buck Martinez argued at the time of the first error, that the ball didn't touch Woods glove, so therefore no error -- while that's a rule of thumb that official scorers generally use -- in the opinion of this 3rd baseman it's a bad rule of thumb when applied it to hot shots on the corners, especially third - the ball is going too fast, the reaction time is extremely short - besides a shot back at the pitcher it's the quickest situation in the game.

Buck also added that there was a lot going on in that situation - it's not a situation you can practice for. It comes down to baseball smarts, that 6th tool I talked about yesterday - you either have it or you don't. Of coarse any given player may not 'have it' on any given day. I agree with Buck the first error on Brandon Wood was a tough error to call. The second one was just plain wrong.

That is all.

Thanks to 'ESPN Box Score' for the stats and the image of the games box score.

mh

Weaver out pitches Marcum and the Jays fall short

2010-04-16T22:54:00.001-04:00

Angels 7 @ Toronto 5 Game 1

Rance Mullinix in for Pat Tabler as Rogers Sportsnet changes it up a bit, giving the television audience a different look in this the second series at Rogers Centre.

I'm doing another 'Notes' post here tonight: all the news you need to know what happened - without really knowing much about what happened at all. These are my notes on a pad next to my score card.

Note 1

Hitting in the nine spot, John McDonald comes to the plate in the 6th with one out. He gets behind on a fastball down the middle. Then an off speed pitch slicing low and way inside leaves him swinging at air.

He must be thinking --- dam I shouldn't have swung at that --- head in the game! I'm down 0-2 -- the next pitch is going to be a waste pitch. Wait, Weaver's shaking off Mathis --- Weaver must want to throw strike three -- thinks he's pretty hot, jerk! --- pay attention, who's winning this argument? 4 shake offs... . -- It's a ball away 1-2.

Now after the tet-a-tet McDonald knows the out pitch is coming - he looking for something in, and in the strike zone. And there it is! A fast ball mistake - right down the middle! John MacDonald serves a base hit into left. Jered Weaver had given up one other hit in this game - a home run by Vernon Wells in the 2nd.

Note 2

Meanwhile it's the end of the 7th, and it's 7-1. Some sloppy base running has taken some chances away from the Jays as Weaver began to show signs he might be a human being after all.

Note 3

Between innings Weaver has the ground crew fixing up the landing strip on the mound. Next thing that happens is Weaver throws a pitch that Randy Ruiz blasts over the centre field wall, 7-2. That is all --- for Weaver.

Note 4

Bulger replaces Weaver and the Jays can see him, four runs are in and Jason Bulger is OUT-a-here!

Note 5

Scott Downs is tasked to hold it at 2 runs till the Jays can get back to the bats in the ninth - which he does - but for nought.

Thanks to ESPN MLB Box Score for the stats and the image of the games box score.

mh

Notes on a baseball game in April

2010-04-15T18:43:00.020-04:00

White Sox 3 Blue Jays 7

When I'm writing an article on a baseball game I score the game and keep notes on the side. Tonight I'm keeping those notes online, right here as the game progresses. It reminds me of Tweeting. TweetBlogging.

It's Jackie Robinson Day today in Major League Baseball. Number 42, the first black player to play in Major League Baseball - the 1946 Brooklyn Dodgers. Larry Doby, as the Jays new play-by-play man, Buck Martinez points out, was the first black player to break the colour barrier in the American League - with the Cleavland Indians, a year after Robinson. By many accounts Doby had a rougher time of it because the spot light was on Robinson - not say Robinson didn't have a hellish time but through it all Doby never got the recognition for doing the same things Jackie did - but with out the spot light Jackie Robinson had as the majors cause celeb, that offered some measure of protection for him.

Larry Doby deserves a mention when discussing the momentous day.

Since the White Sox are in town it's only fitting to mention that Doby was the second African-American to manage a Major League club - the Chicago White Sox, in 1978. Frank Robinson managed the Cleveland Indians in 1975.

For the Chicago-ans it's off to to Cleavland tonight. Get-away-night? It's a short haul - out of the Island Airport I expect - and an hour later they're in their hotel rooms downtown mis-take-by-the-lake.

The Jays stay here and welcome the Angels for a 7:07 PM Friday night nine, the first of 3.

The roof is open - the earliest it's been open for a baseball game. The previous record was 2002 when it was open for a game on the 19th of April.

It's the 5 starter for the Jays tonight, the second time through the rotation for Dana Eveland.
1-0, 7.1 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 2 BB 2 K, ERA 0.0

For the Sox it's veteran SP Freddy Garcia
0-1, 7 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 5 BB, 4 K, ERA 2.57

In the second inning Travis Snider hit a ball deep into the lower seats in right - a security guard helps a fan charging up the stairs to get his souvenir - pointing out the ball behind the last row of empty seats.

In the 6th, Juan Perrier, trying to score from 2nd base rounds 3rd on a l-ong high fly ball for Vernon Wells in deep right centre. Wells makes the good catch after a long run and Pierre has to turn around and scurry back to 2nd so he doesn't get doubled off. Jose Bautista, playing 3rd, notices that Pierre doesn't touch 3rd on his way back around, so when Peierre gets back to 2nd safely the Jays tag him and appeal to the umps. The 3rd base umpire Mike Everitt confirms Bautista's plea and Pierre is ruled out - double play!

I love stuff like that - knowing the rules and seeing the field while it's all happening - that's a sixth tool in a players kit. Colour commentator Pat Tabler said later that he though that it was an important play in the game - that it may have reversed a building momentum for the White Sox. The Sox did not score in the inning.

In the 8th new call up Jeremy Reed (sent down to AAA Las Vegas after the game) who got the start in right tonight, made a nice catch on a Gordon Beckham line-drive fly. Going straight back to the track he made an over the shoulder catch running flat out. That play records the first out of the inning with Juan Pierre on first. Jansen pitching in his second inning, ends the threat by striking out Carlos Quentin and inducing Paul Konerko to ground out FC 6-4.

That was the last base runner of the game as the two equally matched bullpens did their jobs well.

Thanks to ESPN Boxscore for the stats and the boxscore image of tonights game.

mh

Blue Jay Heads highlight in loss to White Sox

2010-04-14T23:37:00.007-04:00

White Sox 11, Blue Jays 1.

On the first night of the NHL play offs there was a sea of blue at Rogers Centre. At a glance you might have mistaken it for a sell out - but you would have been wrong (10,610).

Starting pitcher for Chicago:

J. Danks (W, 1-0) 7 IP 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 6 K 1.38 ERA

Chicago designated hitter Carlos Quentin went 2 for 5 with 6 RBI via a grand slam in the 5th to make it 7-0, and then a 2 run double in the 6th that made it 10-1.

Brandon Morrow, starting for the Jays went 4 innings giving up 7 runs (all earned) on 8 hits and a walk (ERA 12.00).

Blue Jays pitcher RH Shawn Camp came in to start the 8th, and had great movement on his sliding off speed pitch, he threw 8 pitches - one of them was not a strike. Carlos Quentin, Andrew Jones and Mark Kotsay Chicago's 3, 4, 5 hitters went three up and three down. The only inning of it's kind for the Jays in tonights game.

It was a real pleasure listening to Pat Tabler and new play-by-play announcer Buck Martinez - especially tonight - there was a lot of talking to do after the 6th inning. The two are finding their way - I think they fit really well. Both former players are of coarse knowledgeable - but the scholarly Buck Martinez lays in information with every syllable - as well as with what he does not say.

This is going to be a fine year to watch this team, even if the announcers are the only bright spot.

In other news... The Jays have a great series of commercials running - executives in the Blue Jays front office are in tense meetings to come up with new gimmicks to sell tickets - they're Blue Jay Heads with feathers for hands dressed in suits. The one guy says ... Well, you've got see them, they're hilarious.

You can watch this one at: "No bird-brain ideas for Jays ads"

(http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100410&content_id=9197822&vkey=news_tor&fext=.jsp&c_id=tor)

Thanks to ESPN for the stats and the screen shot of their box score.

mh

Sometimes after Sox, there are Regrets

2010-04-13T09:19:00.008-04:00

I don't have a blog where people actually comment, I guess I haven't been a good host. Google tells me over a hundred people regularly come to read - but only occasionally do I get, 'Interesting blog. Publish/Reject'. I'm busy with many other things so I have never seen a 'live comment'. I have to conclude I'm not much of a raconteur.

As such I don't know what it's like vetting a torrent of comments. Deleting spam and linkbait, shoo-ing away crippled broken beggars at the gates who are bothering guests for spare smiles.

So I was a little out of my element when I came across Allan Wood's Joy of Sox blog, through one of Wood's tantalizing headlines, Giving Ortiz A Chance - Being Reactionary Is The Media's Job.

One of the comments on that post talked about over reacting to early season win/loss records: so, with the Toronto Blue Jays off to a good start (6 - 2) and Boston Red Sox, not so much, I posted this self effacing comment intended to make fun of the bandwagon jumping, hockey fans of winning baseball you come across so much here in Toronto. Fans not of the game but of the tone of their own voices, egoists who vision of the world comes through what the world does for them - every minute of every game they watch - every day they exist.

Not fans of baseball, but fans of themselves watching sport.

The next morning I was delighted to see that my comment had been turned into a blog post by Allan (Redsock). "Blue Jays Fans Giddy With Success". Although the piece picked on a typo (naw, spelling - my spelling sucks) and purposely choose not to read between the lines, I took it in the same sense that my comment intended - making fun of knee jerk reactionaries.
So I left a comment on the new post as a thank you, and a link to the story I'd written about the Red Sox that talked about the use of spectacle in reactionary corporate media (like MLB). It was my first time at "Joy of Sox", I didn't know connecting relevant content was against the rules.

Responded to by Redsock,

I had no intention of responding further, but reading that I think I've been cast into an underclass of sport fans, and even worse, a subcategory of that class, the profiteering sport fan - in with the gamblers and the fraudster search engine optimizers. Everything said wasn't after all, in jest, were not references to the way people often act according to their 'default setting' - that self centred reactionary in us all.

So now, I am not a worthy contributor, not a fellow student of anthropology who's comment enabled a blog post- now I am an affirmation of the darker angles of our nature - the greedy ad-man, the linkbaiter, the phisher or worse, a troll. A symbol now, of our worst fears about the nature of human beings - that paranoid notion that tugs at our faiths through all our lives.

Allan himself points to author David Foster Wallace (1962 – 2008) whom I will quote to make clear my point - from Wallace's Commencement speech at Kenyon University (2005):

(Thank you Allan for the link to David Foster Wallace, I have never heard anyone use the allusion 'hardwired' before - the way I have been using it (Charles Darwin, Social Networking & Punctuated Equilibrium) to describe environmental influences as opposed to genetic ones.)

As a person who loves baseball on more levels then I have yet been able to express through my writing, and as a writer working to sustain the enlightenment - these two slags could not stand with-out retort.

I kept my hurt to myself and laid out the history as I saw it. "Joy of Sox" is after all, exactly the kind of blog I would build if I had Allan Woods talent. I wanted in, I wanted to exchange witty repartee, learn the Joy of Sox 'great code', learn to write Allan Woodian sentence structures - just like everyone else! I thought that was the end of it, I didn't want to alienate myself here.

Then, late that night, right after I'd finished a link-back piece: "The Ghost of Babe Ruth whispering in the ears of these many Boston Red Sox's General Managers", a bloggers thank you, no hard feelings - post...

..a nuclear bomb from Jersey landed:
Bammo!

That hurt. Even more so because L-girl (Laura Kaminker) used the voice of Leela. It felt like I just got Futurama 'Fry'ed. :)

(hey, I think I'm getting the hang of this!)

Allan Wood and Laura Kaminker have created a nation with Joy of Sox; it has it's own religion (Red Sox), it's own language (Glossary), a set of laws (Ground Rules) and a unique history (Babe Ruth and the 1918 Red Sox) . Sometimes "core networks" can get a little xenophobic. At times the impulse to reinforce a nations' identity can lead to the demonization of the "other".

From the PEW Internet & American Life Project (2009) "Social Isolation and New Technology"

I think 'We Are the Same' though; I haven't learned the language or laws yet and our religions differ slightly - but our history is the same... I'm just over here a bit.

mh