But ... but ... the RS weren't in it! (As to the DSwS post--I'm not sure many LAD fans wake up in the middle of the night wondering: 'But what do Red Sox fans think?')
Yes, but then which team won the WS last year?
In any case, Bloom should give Verdugo a huge raise, since his performance basically kept Bloom his job!
It's an idiotic tactic looking for a 'typical' lead-off hitter. You may as well just pencil in your 9th hitter as first, as that's what it comes down to. Why would you want Santana to have as many or more AB's than any of the 2-5 hitters?
Joe C and Merloni spent a long time talking about that this afternoon.
This is an area where 'unwritten Old School' rules or code might work ... but it won't! I have no idea how they are going to police this, except perhaps with random testing and such severe penalties, players will simply stop doing it ... (or not.)
How bad? Probably better, alas, than anyone who might replace them. I think it's time to let the players call their own balls/strikes, and close plays at first. If there's a dispute, let the fans decide, who are never wrong.
I suppose once you agree to start an inning, you can't stop in the middle because the field is unplayable? (i.e., you can't really watch O. unable to throw strikes and say 'sorry, our bad; let's stop it right here).
No one but you used the term "high caliber". I was just wondering how 5-2 is what you described it as. (But then, for some reason, neither of us paid the slightest attention to the other one's demand that we not read each others posts).