D

@obagain: I’d leave him there and let him work through it. It’s only been, what, 7 games? Let him face some adversity and work through it.
Are you the one who has been bringing up Moreland? I’m convinced. Convinced enough to trade Smoak. Just a thought.

Moreland is one of those guys that every time he moves up he excells but people ask if it was just a fluke.
Remember when kinsler came thru the system and each level people said sure he can hit but he cant keep hitting like this, but he did.
Moreland is an athelete, at one point the rangers wanted to convert him to a pitcher but his hitting is so good they gave up pretty quick and now have him in the outfield.
I dont think that will be his position in the majors, it should be first but I believe he will be in AAA this year and will force the rangers to find a spot for him next year.

u guys knee jerk more than anybody i have ever seen… baseball is abt ups and down… u don’t make judgements off of one game or one week… even one month… when guys get promoted and demoted please realize that these guys are humans and being shipped to another state causes a little shake up in their personal life… give them time… u guys knee jerked when smoak was doing so well and u r doing it now that he is struggling… give him time to adjust…

jcouch: you knee jerk to people who knee jerk….let them talk if they want to talk. Everybody views thngs differently who crowned you all-knowing?

@scooper – You kneejerk about people generalizing about kneejerking

@Dylan. You need a date.

@dylan: I absolutely do!

@Cbank: I absolutely do!

Is this the UFC liveblog?

Reds outfielder Jay Bruce broke his write wrist sliding for a ball tonight, and is heading back to Cincinnati to be examined according to MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon. The Reds were looking to add a bat before the injury, so it stands to reason that they’d ramp up those efforts now.
Looks like MLTR could use a proof reader.

@Obagain, The Rodney King refrain. Padilla called and he says, You’re up next.”

Evan, I am calling 500+

Davis just K’s.

Chris Davis is done. He’ll never play organized ball at any level again.

@evan: what’s the official record for a 9-inning game?

Scooper, I think it is 549.

Heard there was some wild knee-jerking going on around here and rushed right over!

Wow! You can say damn, but you can’t say ****y!

TD, good stuff.

@TD – There’s a Mama’s over here in Plano too. Love it.

Millwood used his glove, almost.

Crap, hope he is okay.

they are all laughing, so he must be OK.

No problemo Dylan…some just dont get your humor I guess…haha.

@scooper: All-time record is 588. The 9-inning record is 543.

@Alan: I’ll admit, I laughed at your TMI comment.

I love the open mike in the dugout…too bad it can’t be left on all the time…

543? wow….I thought last night we had it going on a nice roll and it was only around 430 I think…man, tough job ahead.

Evan, are you sure, I could have sworn it was 549.

@obagain: they’ll mike players and then edit, but they know better than to do it live.
@evan: we’re out-commenting Sturm’s folks more than 3-1!

549 sounds right to me. maybe some comments were added later?
@TD: if this is a pitcher’s duel, we don’t stand a chance of breaking the record.

Not the 1st inning we were looking for.

obagain: Not a chance of them leaving…I can’t let those grand-daughters (2 and 5) get very far away from us.

@obagain: is that before or after we install Moreland as the DH for the Rangers?

@obagain: Thank goodness!

Damnit. That’s a bad break.

If you stumble, why don’t you go back??

While at Mama’s Pizza, I signed up my lady friend for the HR pool, if she wins I am going to be so pissed!

BTW, the smoak hit was a HR.

@scooper, obagain: I will check record book later, but who’s counting. I mean, we know 588 is the All-Time Record.

Evan, I have a gay not gay.
I was driving today listening to oldies and the song my ding a ling came on and I was singing away, then realized I was at a red light with the windows down, very attractive lady in the car next to me was giving me the dirtiest look I think I have ever seen.

@obagain: gay! (and unwise)

Scooper, definatly, we need the AAA hitting coach, they seem to hit better with him.

@dylan: my bad! obviously I misunderstood the rules.

@ALL: Even worse, I didn’t want to say ex-girlfriend, but yeah she is……VERY GAY.

Wait, I mean she’s not gay…thats not why we broke up or I will just shut up now…

Scooper, does that mean I am a knee jerky?

Sure wish Wash would play Teagarden more…Salty’s bat is really in critical condition at the moment…

@TD: please don’t shut up! we are going for the record. And it would be really nice to break it on the same night that the UFC live blog is going.

Now josh singles to right to score kins.

@Rockwall Tim – I totally agree. We should send Salty down.

@dylan: I love the way you play the game!

@scooper – I think Ian put a lot of pride in making himself into a leadoff hitter last year. The problem is he’s developed into potentially a GREAT middle of the order hitter and his slumping June (along with the rest of his team) cause him to put a ton of pressure on himself. It looks to me like he’s a lot more relaxed the past 2 weeks, despite still being in a pretty bad slump.

Obagain/Dylan- You guys are funny on Davis. Need to lock you in an iron cage with him and see who comes out.

@tim: please note the sarcasm. we are not really saying send him down.

@ALL: You’ve definitely got a bit working tonight being the Over Knee-Jerkers. Kind of like the Over Cusser. I, myself, am considering writing a game story this year in the style of 1920′s Reporter Guy.

@ALL: Also Gay/Not Gay is all about what’s cool and what’s silly. Not about sexual orientation.

@obagain: maybe, but you know how much work he needs on his defense and game-calling. can we really trust him for a week?

OK, millwood is done, he should have his pink slip hanging in his locker, dont even give him a plane ticket home.

Was Kins ‘Wake-up’ the day off to regain some objectivity (From the dugout) or him not making the ASG?

@TomB: I think it is not making the ASG (ESPECIALLY not being top 2 in the player vote)

@Tom B – Do you remember that year that Steve Nash said at the beginning of the year that it was really important to him that he play ever game of the season. He did and then he was visibly fatigued during the post season.

That’s what the management of Kinsler has reminded me of this year. Wash, until this week, seems to have been taking his cues from the player instead of managing his time the way he sees fit.

Wash has done a really great job this season, but that’s one area that I wonder if he might be second guessing himself.

Hey, I got kicked off the CORNER…wouldn’t reload for about 10 minutes, I am going to blame it on all 3 of those UFC bloggers.

I can tell that, internally, I made an important decision about my alcohol intake for tonight because I switched from MacAllen 12 year to my jug of 1792 whiskey.

Buckle up boys and girls.

Scooper, benson pitched in OKC tonight so he is ready.
4 innings, 9 hits, 5 runs, 4 earned, 2 BB and 2 K’s

@TD – Figures. They are using our bandwidth. This is OUR corner.

(Dylan channels his inner Avon Barksdale)

@TD: it has to be their fault. things like that don’t happen when it is just us.
@jb: good point! I still think we need to think about getting Benson back, though.

Evan, tell bob he will pay if we dont get the record because he stole our bandwidth.

@obagain: oh, yeah! Benson is ready to come up and be our Ace! Who needs Roy Halladay?

OK salty is back, that was a good block and no one was on so he really didnt need to,good hustle.

Hey ryans dad.

you are right Dylan. What was it that Deon Sanders used to say? BOTH!

What was up with that?
Yea millwood got the out but he got to a 2 ball count, unacceptable.

Hmmmm. what’s the reason for the angst?

OK salty is done again, how could he let millwood walk a batter, obviously it is his calling that cost millwood.

@Ryans Dad – I’m not sure how it started, but it’s almost certainly Bob Sturm and the UFC people’s fault.

Ryans dad, I was accused of being knee jerky, I dont see it.

So it’s kind of a throwback night in a way?

OK millwood got out of the inning so he is back on the team.

Speaking of the word “gamut”: Did you know that it comes from an ancient Druid alphabet who’s first letter was “gamma” and last letter was “ut”? Hence if someone “runs the gamut” they are actually going from “gamma” to “ut.”

@ryans dad – But if you screw up, we’ll send you down.

Some weird spin coming off some of the fly balls tonight.

Salty is our MVP!

@Dylan. Love it. And the beauty is it does not proclude us doing so at some future inning.

@Evan-
Good night. To silly for my time.

salty mvp

Come on fred, we need you.

But he knows how to draw a walk.

@Fred: please stay! we don’t mean to run you off!

Fred is Dead…Long live Fred…

I’ll even stop knee-jerking if you want me too!

Vaya con Dios Fred…..

Well that didnt turn out well but we did make him throw a bunch of pitches.

Yeah, but we sure could have used those 2 runs.

I like a good pitcher’s duel as long as we win.

TAG is right. MLB Gameday says 91.8 for Millwood’s average FB. That is a little higher than normal.

i wouldn’t mind a nice, quick 2-1 pitchers duel. bought dexter season two today and have been itching to watch it

@jb – Season 2 rocks.

Millwood at 85 pitches now, 7 is almost out of the question.

@Evan, You got Honey on the Rock?

@Evan- kind of off the wall but has there been any thought given to playing Salty at 1st base a couple of games to spell Hank?

Wow… I don’t know about that… Looked to me like they had him by a solid margin.

Nope… Elvis missed the tag.

Rookies, ughh

Wow… what a weird looking play.

Good thing kins was back on that one.

I thought he missed the tag.
@jb: that was his average, not those particular fastballs.

WANT A JOSH HAMILTON HOMERUN SOON IF NOT NOW!

Jones is looking pretty rough up there tonight.

Salty made beaucoup errors at 1st back then. He is a liabilioty there.

Evan, that is the strange part of baseball, salty was known more for his bat potential and he would get a pass on defense because of it.
Now his defense is what is allowing him to buy more time for his bat to arrive.

@evan: how long has it been since Andruw last had a hit?

@Dylan: The whiskey is talking. Believe we reported it in notes or live blog earlier this week from Anaheim. But then again, maybe it’s the breakfast that is talking to me.

@scooper: He’s in an 0-for-13. But my bet is he plays again tomorrow. Rangers are facing another lefty. With a three man bench and one being a backup catcher, another being a lefty and the third being a 42-year-old middle infielder, the choices are limited.

In reference to the Rookie of the Year discussion that josh and tag just had… in jayson stark’s first half review column, he didn’t even mention elvis’ name as a contendor for AL ROY – and he listed 10 candidates. He did mention Washington in the discussion for manager of the year though.

Andruw likes L.A….as long as he doesn’t have to live there. 3 homers and 0 for Seattle

@Evan – My whiskey drinking made a live blog earlier this week? I think that might be a sign that I have a problem.

@jb – I read something earlier this week (can’t remember who it was. A national writer) that said that Elvis isn’t among the top 10 of rookies.

That seems laughable to me.

@Tom B – Especially when you consider that the bulk of those 11 errors came in the first few weeks of the season.

evening everyone!!!

If the Rangers and Angels battle it out all the way to the end, at least a few national writers will watch the Ranger games cheering for them to lose so the fake LA team can make the playoffs. While doing so, perhaps they’ll notice Elvis and vote for him for ROY

Sup Ehren!

@Dan – Sports exemption.

been away for a bit but back tracking to my earlier post… please see the Redhawks box score as proof to why you shouldn’t knee jerk..

@scooper I might not always be the voice of reason but at least I come with different views/info/opinion than a lot of you leaders on this here blog that usually only regurgitate what the read on DMN, Lone Star, BBTiA, MJH or Evan Grant

That is all…

FYI – This is nowhere NEAR our strongest comment thread, numbers wise, and we are STILL beating the UFC thread by a 5-1 margin.

@Dylan: Verducci at SI.com listed top 3 ROY possibilities and Elvis WAS NOT listed.

@scooper – In fairness to the national press, the Rangers haven’t given them much of a reason to watch us for a decade. Even Tampa Bay didn’t really get mentioned much until late August.

@jcouch: You are ****y, I will give you that. You should make your own blog, I bet it will be the greatest thing EVER.

I do have to say it seems like it’s been a while since we’ve seen a mind-blowing play from Elvis. Seemed like he had 3 or 4 in a couple of weeks span early in the season, but not anything spectacular since then.

I think a big part of that though is that he gets to everything so smoothly though–it’s not like he’s just missed making an amazing play or anything.

@Ehren: Saw that, all pitchers on his list I believe.

That is a really tough break. I’ll defer to the umpire on the rule, but man… that’s the kind of error that loses you a game.

We’re in a 1-1 game, but I don’t like the feel of how this one is going.

@TD: how about the MVP listing! Top 10 and no Young. #10 was Shoo-Indians. How could Young not crack that list.

@Dan – That being said, Elvis has shown an amazing ranger at Short all season (whether the play is web-gemmy or not) and has been a nice addition to the lineup for a rookie (patience and contact). I just don’t see how he isn’t even in the conversation.

I have no idea about that play. How about you big baseball brains?

Rule #68 of professional baseball broadcasting: Never leave on a roadrip without your rulebook!

@scooper: DMN invading the blog?

I vote with TAG: if he had already touched 2nd, then they had to tag him. Problem is, I couldn’t see if he actually touched the base before he tried to go back to first.

@TD: Good for you! I’m still waiting for my first original thought.

I can’t believe Millwood is out to start this inning with NO ONE ready to go in the pen. I am increasingly pessimistic about this game.

@obagain – Also, Elvis is a real improvement from side to side over MY at the 6-hole. Might inflate our opinion of him.

I don’t wanna say I told you so… but, I told you so.

@obagain: good point. also better defensive positioning means fewer chances at great plays.

On the play with Byrd at second, since he tagged second before he started back to first, once the throw was made to second, now the second baseman can’t just catch it and force him out, he has to tag him, at least that’s what Byrd and later on Wash were arguing. The Seattle announcers never caught it, even after their camera crew kept running the play over and over, they were too busy rattling about the pitcher and how wonderful he is. My question, wasn’t Byrd right? or am I missing a rule interpretation here?

the second part of the byrd play is cruz had not touched first so the base is still open and no force was in play so a tag needed to be applied.

Whoa! That rule says it all, doesn’t it?

7.08(e)

“(e) He fails to reach the next base before a fielder tags him or the base, after he has been forced to advance by reason of the batter becoming a runner. However, if a following runner is put out on a force play, the force is removed and the runner must be tagged to be put out. The force is removed as soon as the runner touches the base to which he is forced to advance, and if he overslides or overruns the base, the runner must be tagged to be put out. However, if the forced runner, after touching the next base, retreats for any reason towards the base he had last occupied, the force play is reinstated, and he can again be put out if the defense tags the base to which he is forced;”

Can’t fault Millwood too much…another game for Kevin, another 1 run output from the offense…UGH.

Let’s hope we can get something going

thanks Dan.

And, frankly. This kind of move pisses me off. There’s just absolutely no reason for a pitcher to start an inning in a tie game with 100+ pitches under his belt. None at all. That is a completely baseball illiterate decision.

@dan: thanks for the info!

Looks like @dan and @evan got the info to us at the same time.

@Dan: Good gracious you are quick. You beat everybody in the press box to it.

Game over.

No way these free swinging Rangers can come back (Phil says hoping that complaining will be a reverse jinx).

This loss (assuming it will be a loss) will be caused by a weird baserunning error. I imagine that’s where the focus will be in the writing tomorrow.

It shouldn’t be. I said earlier upthread that I think Wash has been great this season, but he absolutely made the wrong move in this game leaving Millwood in. I just don’t understand what argument you could POSSIBLY make that makes it ok for you to put someone with that kind of mileage on his arm in the game to come in during a tie game. I don’t understand it at all.

@ Evan: I think that if your going to send someone back out to start the 7th, he shouldn’t be close to 100 pitches, even if the bottom of the order is coming up. These guys are conditioned to go about 100 and even though millwood has been a horse this year, Wash still needs to put him in a position to be sucessful. Don’t we have some pretty good arms down there (O’day, Holland, Grilli, Wilson, Frankie) Some times you gotta dump the “pitch 7 innings mantra” and win the game with a quality start and some dominance from the pen.

He gets thrown out by 5 feet and argues?

Whoa, whats with the negative attitude Phil. Wait till the end of the 9th for that talk.

What I dont get is why wash brought eddie in?
He has not exactly been lights out and we are still in a close game.

@dylan: I must admit that I missed it – did Millwood have 100 pitches already when he came out for the 7th? If so, I agree with you. Still, it’s a judgment call.

@obagain – BEcause Jennings pitched last night.

@Dylan It’s only lunacy to think your No. 1 pitcher can’t handle three guys hitting a collective .190. This is on Millwood, good as he was you CANNOT get beat by those weak tickets. If you can’t beat those guys in the 7th, you got no chance in the postseason. It’s also on that effed up top of the inning. The only lunacy tonight has been Marlon on the basepaths — two major gaffes.

@ehren: phil is trying a reverse jinx

Dylan, jennings would be an even worse choice with a runner on.
What about our regular 7th inning guy O’day?

scooper: i had an unfortunate knee jerk reaction. sorry phil!!!!

@Dylan: I think one Nolan Ryan might have a different take on your 100 pitch theory.

@jb – That’s my point. For the most part I LOVE the point of view that Nolan has brought to the organization about pitch counts. Over-reliance on pitch counts is counter-intuitive to good pitching.

But on the flip side, pitch counts have emerged for a freaking reason! There’s only one other manager that I can imagine making the same call with Millwood that Wash made in this game, and he manages Kansas City.

@all–

I take no credit–TAG and Josh got an e-mailer that gave them the rule and I just regurgitated it here when they stated the rule#.

@Joshua: There are two ways to look at this argument. Millwood has already had 12 outings this year with more than 110 pitches. On one hand, you can say, he’s able to do it and that the weather isn’t an issue and that he’s not going to pitch for a week.

On the other side, you might say he’s worked so hard this season and he’s heading into the break, everybody is fresh, don’t push him.

You can bet the Rangers asked him and you can bet Millwood said he had enough for another inning. And all the times this year, they’ve asked him that, he’s been honest and able to do it. You’ve got to trust your pitchers. Millwood had retired Johnson, a .199 hitter coming into the game twice. I want Kevin Millwood facing that guy in a tie game at any point in time. Didn’t work out tonight.

@Dan – That’s big of you. I’d have taken the credit

@Dan: Then you should get credit for your fast typing (or cut&pasting)!

I think we should send Wash to Hickory and let him find his stroke. Move every other Manager up one team. Works for me.

@jb: just as long as you don’t break out the Rally Monkey!

@Evan – At what point is the manager responsible to make the decision for his players? To me, this is analogous to the Ian Kinsler situation to. Kins is so deadset on playing every game that he’s never gonna say, “I need a day off.”

Same with Millwood. He’s not gonna say, “Bring in O’Day.” But a manager has to be smarter.

We should let Chris Davis manage the team.

@Dan – Great stats!

@dylan So. That number isn’t a big deal to a guy like Millwood.

Wash knows he’s going to need all hands on deck tomorrow with Nippert going.

@ehren: you are too good for me! I nominate you as leader of this blog!

Here’s an idea… Tom Hicks could auction off the manager’s duties for the rest of the year. He does need the money.

How about FRED as the new manager, he is no-nonsense.

And have patience with this thread Dylan, I think we can perform at a consistent major league level..we have to take it one post at a time and give each post 110 percent!

@jb – Genius! $1000 bucks an inning! $9000 per game! That’d be too steep for my pocketbook generally, but there are three paychecks in July!

@dylan: I agree. obviously we are off our game. We need to relax, regroup and come back when we are through regurgitating and have some original thoughts.

@Evan – I dunno, man. This just seems really cut and dried to me.

Again, I totally agree with you if he’s got, say, a 3-1 lead. But it was a 1-1 game. That decision lost the game.

@all: and good lord willing, things will work out.

Scooper, come on this is a team sport.
If we all stick together and play as a team we will work out of our slump and get back to our winning ways.

Let’s all pull together and have a strong 9th inning! We won’t break the record, but we can blow by 400!

JB, it is progress, we have to keep moving forward, never look back.

How about that AJ move. I believe he has a whopping 4 hits on this 7 game road swing right now. That’s almost a hit every other game. Excellent.

@scooper – 400 would be great, but all I really care about is beating the UFC gang.

We all put our pants on one leg at a time here at the corner….

It is decisions like that which lose collective confidence. You know, like Water Cooler mutiny. It starts w/ let’s dunk Wash and then moves to bigger things like let’s lose three in a row to protest. I’m just saying…

@dylan: we had them beat in the second inning!

@TD – Win 20 games in the comment threads and then you can have fungus on your shower shoes and people will call you colorful.

@Dylan: Wash didnt lose the game (if they lose), Millwood did by giving up the HR. The bottom line is players have to perform. Millwood gets paid to be an ace, wants to be the ace then he needs to pitch like one and not give up that homer. If he told Wash he wanted to pitch that inning than Wash goes with it beacuse that is the Rangers guy. Sometimes coaches get to much grief, it is the players that have to make the plays to win a game.

Yes, Phil, I do.

i got it that it was 105.

You have to turn in to that ball. They need baserunners

going for the HR.

obagain: please no more harry carry. unless you got the whiskey!!!

Nope! Cruz will end it with a K.

And at 15 till midnight with the 391st comment in the blog… “egregious” makes an appearance! good job dylan

@The Golden One – In a 1-1 game they wouldn’t have brought in Eddie, they’d have brought in O’Day.

I totally agree with you about baserunning.

@jb – I come to play, yo!

I am impressed with Dylan’s vocabulary.
@dylan: did you win spelling bees in school?

No way the Yankees get swept by the Angels right? Well…here is to a better performance tomorrow.

And one last knee jerk: We should trade Ian Kinsler and Kevin Millwood for Roy Halladay.

@obagain: we should all be grateful that Evan gives us this wonderful forum to express our un-original thoughts. We are very fortunate.

@dylan: I think you need some more whiskey! I know that I do!

I am not sure how the d magazine works but can you imagine if the editor asks evan to give him a run down on the blog tonight?
What would he say?

Actually the derivative of the word ‘egregious’ came from an ancient Gallic word for Eagle and how it can dump on you while on high. It was stolen by Viking Coast Raiders to Normandy and brought to these shores to gain a new life. I know because I was there.

obagaib: that he didn’t have a thought.

Night all!!!! check ya tomorrow!

@Tom B – Genius.

Peace out, gang.

@oba: still over 400 on a saturday.

@dylan: we won, 424-59

Dont be too hard on bob, I remember whe 150 was a huge night for us.

Eva sleeps with Honey Dippers. He don’t know about no stinking post counts.

Dexter is the best series ever I can’t wait till is realesed season 5