5/27/11 RSS Feed Favorites, with DECAF

The Return of the OSAKA TIGERS?!?

“Focus on these GREAT SOCKS!!”

Today's pick o' the RSS Feed, going DECAF today for the weekend...

NPB Tracker:
2011 Uniform Roundup, Volume 1 by Patrick Newman
First of a two installment semi-annual review of NPB uniforms so far, check out the assortment of alternate and throwback unis this season…of course, my favorite are the Hanshin Tigers, are you surprised? Those socks, when I first saw them (thanks, Tug!), made me want to sing "Rokko Oroshi" on the spot!!

Kings of Kauffman:
Luke Hochevar: An Infographic by Gage Matthews
This post was my main reason for even doing RSS favorites today, as I actually have other things to do this morning but just had to share this…I really really like Luke Hochevar, when he loses it I am often reminded of the pain I used to feel when Carlos Zambrano would have one of his “bad days” back in 2008 and 2009…before anger management and his amazing and consistent performance since then. But I digress…I am not a fan of printing these things, but I feel obligated to keep a copy of this in my scorekeeping clipboard so it’s handy for games Hochevar is pitching, that way I can understand his tendencies…especially the ones that are pushing my stomach through a paper shredder…

Enjoy your weekend…I’m still getting caught up at updating posts of games I’ve scored, look for a recap soon.

Eien no tomodachi,
Stevo-sama

4/5/11 Chicago White Sox 6, Kansas City Royals 7

Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, MO
Game 1 of 2



Opening Week (and then some) was a particularly brutal one for the Royals. This game represents the 2nd of 3 consecutive extra-innings games during a course of four days. The short series with the White Sox wasn’t so short; both games went into 12 innings, the series was split 1-1. During this 3-game stretch-and-then-some, the Royals were 2-1.



The large hurrah after 3 hours and 32 minutes of play was certainly Melky Cabrera’s game-winning walk-off single in the bottom of the 12th, driving in Chris Getz. This is good, because many of us are still half-wondering how Melky’s going to fit into the lineup…especially now that the lukewarm SS the Royals got for last year’s cold SS in the Brewers trade has had a very good April; the downside being: one cold player displaced by another one. I call this the Che Guevara rule of Baseball, where instead of cruel leaders being displaced, teams are rewarded in trading expendable position players by sometimes more expendable position players. Cabrera did VERY WELL in this game (3-for-6 with 3 RBI).

Funny, how outspokenly concerned I was about the acquisition of Jeff Francoeur in the offseason, moreso than Cabrera, and how my mind has been changed about that…so far…

But, I digress. To me, what’s bigger news: Alex Gordon is FINALLY starting to show his baseball teeth. Who cares if it’s April…haven’t we been waiting for this Alex Gordon to take the field and show ‘em how? Yes, we have.

Gordon went 3-for-5 with 2R, 2RBI, and a scorching 1 on, 1 out HR to deep CF, right side of the ‘big green thing’ at the K, in the 1st inning. His first HR of the year. He scored in the 8th after getting on base with a 2B to left CF on Billy Butler’s HR blast in the same direction off of LHP Chris Sale, in relief for starter Gavin Floyd.

But, of course, Billy Butler…we really expect him to do this. Gordon, on the other hand…well, the suspense is starting to slowly kill some of us. So far in April, he is blowing away his previous season numbers and performance. This is a marathon…can it last?

And to that point…will Luke Hochevar, who left the game after 6IP with 6H and 5ER, be able to do something snazzy this year? Perhaps, something snazzier than Jeremy Jeffress’ successful and very snazzy pick-off of pinch-runner Brett Lillibridge…

BTW, since I do track these kinds of things:

Gordon broke two bats during this game (remember, that’s a “BLS” on my scoresheet, for “Broken Louisville Slugger”), one of them by Floyd and the other by Sergio Santos that fell for a broken bat double, not the first time I’ve scored such an event but notable just the same.

5/15/10 Chicago White Sox 5, Kansas City Royals 4

Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, MO

After a nearly hour-long rain delay and some interesting but very blurry vintage White Sox footage, the game gets a rocky start for Jake Peavy (he's still one of my favorite pitchers, ever) as he allows 3 quick runs in the 1st. Luke Hochevar holds his own for nearly 7 innings, but Peavy hangs on after his early mistakes and the Royals pay the price.

CWS 5 8 0
KC 4 7 0

Of course, I like Luke Hochevar quite a bit. Between Trey Hillman and Ned Yost, 2010 was Hochevar's season to "hang in there" and help himself out...or not. He has to learn sometime, that time is now. Peavy was a beast tonight, no question about it.

A great game for Mike Aviles, who set the table for the 3-run first inning, Billy Butler, and even...heyyyyy...Alberto Callaspo and Yuni "Yunigma" Betancourt!! Unfortunately, when Hochevar does unravel in the 7th inning, it's not pretty. 4 runs on 5 hits not pretty. By the end of the 7th, the Royals are behind the White Sox 5-4 and that's where it sits.

Ah, yes...but wait, there IS more! The call to the bullpen in the 9th goes to none other than Kyle Farnsworth!!


This section of the post is for KYLE FARNSWORTH fans only, as we fire up the Official TBE Farnsworth PitchTracker 2010(sm). Here I present the details of Kyle's 9th inning workout against the White Sox, pitch by pitch:

Farnsworth vs. Ramon Castro (bats R)
1: 98mph (called strike)
2: 89mph (called strike)
3: 100mph (low, outside corner)
4: 99mph (fouled back)
5: 92mph (fouled back)
6: 97mph (popout to left fielder in foul territory)
ONE OUT
Farnsworth vs. Juan Pierre (bats L)
7: 96mph (bunted foul)
8: 99mph (outside)
9: 95mph (flies out to shortstop)
TWO OUTS
Farnsworth vs. Gordon Beckham (bats R)
10: 99mph (called strike)
11: 99mph (high)
12: 90mph (grounds out to first base, farnsworth covers the bag and makes the tag)
THREE OUTS, FARNSWORTH WINS (12 PITCHES, 9 STRIKES)
AVG. PITCH SPEED = 96.1mph




I scored this game on 3/5/11