6/29 GT Let's see if we can not throw another game away to the Rump Rangers

[Michael K.]

Judge with HR's 29 and 30 today.

And that is a guy that actually has hitters that pitchers are remotely afraid of also in the lineup. Why anyone pitches to Cal blows me away. I'd walk him every time he came to bat in pathetic lineup that Jerry has built.

https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/mar ... -notebook/

But it was the two intentional walks that took place Friday night that drew a curious eye as to whether teams approach the league-leader in homers similarly moving forward. Raleigh was twice intentionally walked in the series opener and both times the decision by Texas manager Bruce Bochy loaded the bases for Seattle.

“It is a little surprising, but when you put up some of the numbers that Cal has it’s not surprising in some ways, too,” M’s manager Dan Wilson said. “But Cal has been a force, and that just shows the respect of the season that he’s had and, in some ways, very honoring of what Cal has done.”

The first time, the M’s capitalized as Jorge Polanco and Randy Arozarena came through with productive outs that scored runs. The second time it happened came with two outs and it proved to be the right move by the Rangers as Polanco grounded out.

Protection behind Raleigh seems like it could become a bigger concern than it already is if teams follow a similar path to the Rangers’ approach. Raleigh has been intentionally walked 10 times now this season after receiving just five of those during his entire career before the season began.

As long as we pull a Seattle Mariner, and expect guys that are hitting .240 with a .400 slugging to provide lineup protection? He aint getting shit to hit the rest of the year. The fact that it took until the end of June for baseball to figure this out is mind blowing.

Of course, this is a chicken shit article from a chicken shit reporter, and it never makes mention to the fact that zero was done to bolster a lineup that sucked last year also, and that they never do ANYTHING to bolster lineups that are shit. Miss the playoffs by a game here or there in three of the last four years, AFTER a complete tear down and rebuild, then refuse to spend. Cal deserves a medal for not going nuclear after every game we have lost this year.

[DavidGee24]

Judge with HR's 29 and 30 today.

And that is a guy that actually has hitters that pitchers are remotely afraid of also in the lineup. Why anyone pitches to Cal blows me away. I'd walk him every time he came to bat in pathetic lineup that Jerry has built.

https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/mar ... -notebook/

But it was the two intentional walks that took place Friday night that drew a curious eye as to whether teams approach the league-leader in homers similarly moving forward. Raleigh was twice intentionally walked in the series opener and both times the decision by Texas manager Bruce Bochy loaded the bases for Seattle.

“It is a little surprising, but when you put up some of the numbers that Cal has it’s not surprising in some ways, too,” M’s manager Dan Wilson said. “But Cal has been a force, and that just shows the respect of the season that he’s had and, in some ways, very honoring of what Cal has done.”

The first time, the M’s capitalized as Jorge Polanco and Randy Arozarena came through with productive outs that scored runs. The second time it happened came with two outs and it proved to be the right move by the Rangers as Polanco grounded out.

Protection behind Raleigh seems like it could become a bigger concern than it already is if teams follow a similar path to the Rangers’ approach. Raleigh has been intentionally walked 10 times now this season after receiving just five of those during his entire career before the season began.

As long as we pull a Seattle Mariner, and expect guys that are hitting .240 with a .400 slugging to provide lineup protection? He aint getting shit to hit the rest of the year. The fact that it took until the end of June for baseball to figure this out is mind blowing.


Of course, this is a chicken shit article from a chicken shit reporter, and it never makes mention to the fact that zero was done to bolster a lineup that sucked last year also, and that they never do ANYTHING to bolster lineups that are shit. Miss the playoffs by a game here or there in three of the last four years, AFTER a complete tear down and rebuild, then refuse to spend. Cal deserves a medal for not going nuclear after every game we have lost this year.

I've always thought that "protection in the lineup" was a complete myth of sports. When Barry "Basketball Head" Bonds was putting up those insane numbers, the Giants actually batted Jeff Kent ahead of him and some shlub after him. Even if pitchers try to be more careful, they're still going to throw pitches to hit and not paint corners every time. Cal did get some hittable pitches in Texas but just didn't drive any of them.

[Michael K.]

I of course don't coach at that level, but who is hitting behind someone completely plays into my strategy when calling pitches, and it sure does when I am filling out a lineup card.