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Archive for May, 2009

Bill Hall should start at shortstop

May 25, 2009 Comments off

As long as J.J. Hardy is out, Craig Counsell is the most likely candidate to replace him. Personally, I think Bill Hall should get an opportunity to start at shortstop sometime this week.
Hall, who drove in the game winner today for Milwaukee, has a better arm and more range than Counsell, despite his recent hitting woes. I think, especially against a lefty, Hall deserves a look at the position.
Counsell proved today, on the first hit of the game surrendered by Yovani Gallardo, he does not have the arm to be an elite shortstop at the MLB level. If I were him, I would be glad the Cardinals managed one more hit off Gallardo, because a hit like that is not the one you want to be the only hit allowed in a ballgame.
Hall, on the other hand, has a cannon. If he had fielded that ball, just as with J.J. Hardy, there’s a good chance Gallardo’s no-hit bid could have been intact.
It’s clear manager Ken Macha and the Brewers want to keep Mat Gamel in the lineup whenever they can, so why not shift Hall to shortstop? You could even play Counsell at second base if he is preferred in the lineup over Casey McGehee.
Yes, Hall has struggled against right-handed pitching this season, but the best way for him to get out of that slump is to face more right-handers, not by riding the bench. And besides, he sure looked good today against righty Kyle McClellan.
So, what do you say Macha, can we see Billy at shortstop?’
Categories: Uncategorized

Pitching duel better than slugfest

May 25, 2009 Comments off

Remember that episode of The Simpsons when Bart goes crazy and believes Major League Baseball is spying on him? And when Mark McGwire comes in an distracts everyone by hitting a few dingers? I’ve always thought that was the perfect representation of the mentality of the average baseball fan, especially in 1999 when the episode aired.
Well, personally, while a big home run does get me off my feet at the park, nothing excites me more than a game filled with excellent defense and a great pitchers’ duel. Today, the Brewers and Cardinals provided just that.
Yovani Gallardo pitched a no-hitter into the sixth inning while his counterpart, Chris Carpenter, took a perfect game into the seventh. Each pitched eight innings of shut out ball for their respective teams while allowing only two hits. Carpenter struck out 10 and Gallardo retired six on strikes. The two combined to average fewer than 15 pitches per inning.
The game went to extra innings scoreless, something rare in today’s game. In the 10th, Brewers pitcher Carlos Villanueva shut down the Cardinals in order, setting up the most exciting finish of the season in Milwaukee.
Second baseman Casey McGehee hit a hard grounder at Brian Barden (April’s NL Rookie of the Month), who couldn’t handle it, putting the go-ahead run on base for the Brew Crew. Next up for the Brewers, Ryan Braun hit a grounder off the glove of pitcher Kyle McClellan that was fielded by shortstop Brendan Ryan and thrown to first to record the first out.
McGehee advanced to second on the play and would move to third on a fielder’s choice by Mike Cameron, who grounded to first following an intentional walk issued to Prince Fielder.
Bill Hall, who entered the game as a defensive replacement in the ninth inning for rookie Mat Gamel, came through with a two-out single to the right centerfield gap to drive in McGehee for the game-winning run. And if anybody deserved that moment, it was Hall, who had been struggling.
It doesn’t get much better than a 1-0 walkoff win.
Categories: Uncategorized

Syracuse wins NCAA lacrosse championship

May 25, 2009 Comments off

It wasn’t quite LeBron James‘ game winner from the other night, but the end of today’s NCAA men’s lacrosse championship was quite a thriller.
With 30 seconds remaining and a 9-8 lead, all Cornell had to do is run down the clock to secure its upset of the Syracuse Orange. Unfortunately for the Big Red, they failed to do so. The Orange trapped Cornell near midfield and forced a turnover.
After the turnover, Syracuse’s Matt Abbott found Kenny Nims near the crease who snuck in the game-tying goal with 4.5 seconds remaining to force overtime. The Orange were down 9-6 with just over 5 1/2 minutes to go in regulation before finding a way to put up three goals to send the game to an extra period.
Fittingly, with 2:40 remaining in overtime Syracuse’s Dan Hardy found Cody Jamieson, a player who missed much of the year due to academic ineligibility, near the crease for a game-winning goal.
After leading 9-6 with 5:31 to go, Cornell could only stand stunned and shocked as the Orange celebrated a championship.
Categories: Uncategorized

Bill Hall should start at shortstop

May 25, 2009 Comments off

As long as J.J. Hardy is out, Craig Counsell is the most likely candidate to replace him. Personally, I think Bill Hall should get an opportunity to start at shortstop sometime this week.
Hall, who drove in the game winner today for Milwaukee, has a better arm and more range than Counsell, despite his recent hitting woes. I think, especially against a lefty, Hall deserves a look at the position.
Counsell proved today, on the first hit of the game surrendered by Yovani Gallardo, he does not have the arm to be an elite shortstop at the MLB level. If I were him, I would be glad the Cardinals managed one more hit off Gallardo, because a hit like that is not the one you want to be the only hit allowed in a ballgame.
Hall, on the other hand, has a cannon. If he had fielded that ball, just as with J.J. Hardy, there’s a good chance Gallardo’s no-hit bid could have been intact.
It’s clear manager Ken Macha and the Brewers want to keep Mat Gamel in the lineup whenever they can, so why not shift Hall to shortstop? You could even play Counsell at second base if he is preferred in the lineup over Casey McGehee.
Yes, Hall has struggled against right-handed pitching this season, but the best way for him to get out of that slump is to face more right-handers, not by riding the bench. And besides, he sure looked good today against righty Kyle McClellan.
So, what do you say Macha, can we see Billy at shortstop?’
Categories: Uncategorized

Pitching duel better than slugfest

May 25, 2009 Comments off

Remember that episode of The Simpsons when Bart goes crazy and believes Major League Baseball is spying on him? And when Mark McGwire comes in an distracts everyone by hitting a few dingers? I’ve always thought that was the perfect representation of the mentality of the average baseball fan, especially in 1999 when the episode aired.
Well, personally, while a big home run does get me off my feet at the park, nothing excites me more than a game filled with excellent defense and a great pitchers’ duel. Today, the Brewers and Cardinals provided just that.
Yovani Gallardo pitched a no-hitter into the sixth inning while his counterpart, Chris Carpenter, took a perfect game into the seventh. Each pitched eight innings of shut out ball for their respective teams while allowing only two hits. Carpenter struck out 10 and Gallardo retired six on strikes. The two combined to average fewer than 15 pitches per inning.
The game went to extra innings scoreless, something rare in today’s game. In the 10th, Brewers pitcher Carlos Villanueva shut down the Cardinals in order, setting up the most exciting finish of the season in Milwaukee.
Second baseman Casey McGehee hit a hard grounder at Brian Barden (April’s NL Rookie of the Month), who couldn’t handle it, putting the go-ahead run on base for the Brew Crew. Next up for the Brewers, Ryan Braun hit a grounder off the glove of pitcher Kyle McClellan that was fielded by shortstop Brendan Ryan and thrown to first to record the first out.
McGehee advanced to second on the play and would move to third on a fielder’s choice by Mike Cameron, who grounded to first following an intentional walk issued to Prince Fielder.
Bill Hall, who entered the game as a defensive replacement in the ninth inning for rookie Mat Gamel, came through with a two-out single to the right centerfield gap to drive in McGehee for the game-winning run. And if anybody deserved that moment, it was Hall, who had been struggling.
It doesn’t get much better than a 1-0 walkoff win.
Categories: Uncategorized

Syracuse wins NCAA lacrosse championship

May 25, 2009 Comments off

It wasn’t quite LeBron James‘ game winner from the other night, but the end of today’s NCAA men’s lacrosse championship was quite a thriller.
With 30 seconds remaining and a 9-8 lead, all Cornell had to do is run down the clock to secure its upset of the Syracuse Orange. Unfortunately for the Big Red, they failed to do so. The Orange trapped Cornell near midfield and forced a turnover.
After the turnover, Syracuse’s Matt Abbott found Kenny Nims near the crease who snuck in the game-tying goal with 4.5 seconds remaining to force overtime. The Orange were down 9-6 with just over 5 1/2 minutes to go in regulation before finding a way to put up three goals to send the game to an extra period.
Fittingly, with 2:40 remaining in overtime Syracuse’s Dan Hardy found Cody Jamieson, a player who missed much of the year due to academic ineligibility, near the crease for a game-winning goal.
After leading 9-6 with 5:31 to go, Cornell could only stand stunned and shocked as the Orange celebrated a championship.
Categories: Uncategorized