and that inning in a nutshell is why this team stinks. Leadoff double, sacrifice an out to get the guy to third, so the next guy can hit a fly ball or a ball to anywhere but third. But what does your selfish hitter do? Does he give himself up and wait for a pitch on which he can do the right thing?
No, so in effect, you give up an out for NOTHING because nobody in this lineup picks up the other guy!

Good teams get that guy in because they have unselfish players that understand their role in a team game.
I'd be willing to bet that Cervelli from the Yanks or Darnell MacDonald get that guy in. Because if they don't, they don't play.
Bad teams don't.
I'm disappointed in this team, and in the entire organization for one giant reason- they've all been around and they all know better. And they get away with not being better, with not doing the right thing. They think they can talk their way thru bad play. Hey fellas, time for most of you to pack your bags.

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Jeff Z's reply: So you are saying Jim that you'd rather have Darnell McDonald and Francisco Cervelli than J.J. Hardy? The guy made a nice diving play. Wasn't the best at-bat but Hardy has had plenty of good ones in clutch spots this year.

Nice to have something spark a Weaver memory. Wish I could have seen it. Anything to ameliorate this spastical ulcer of a season.
Of course it is kinda funny (in a heartbreaking way) that we are double stealing with our cleanup hitter (Mr. I must swing or I'll die) at the plate. Its a good thing I've recently become a follower of a solipsistic lifestyle. (just learned that one in a reference to Virginia Woolf) I'm all about self now.
My prime imperative is to amuse myself. If you finally didn't care, it would be kinda funny. Like my hemorrhoids,Bob and Katie, it'd be both hilarious and deeply annoying and painful.

Jeff, you know that's not what I'm saying. I was exaggerating for effect. I am saying that you have to get that run in.
And good teams get that run in.

Hey, Hardy has been one great pickup this year. I liked that trade a lot, and it turned out better than anyone expected.
They pretty much stole the guy.

But would you say that not getting runs in situations like that as often as the Os don't, that is the hallmark of a good or even mediocre team? Of course not. Things like that matter.Things like that add up. Usually to losses. Good play is infectious? So is bad play.

And yes, I'd take mediocre about now.

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Jeff Z's reply: I hear you. No question good teams get runs in from third with less than two outs. But that was one of about four plays tonight that cost them. Robert Andino made a bad tag at second on Ramirez that allowed him to be safe and score on Pierzynski's single. Markakis got an awful read on Vladimir Guerrero's single in the fourth that cost the Orioles the run. Then obviously the blown call at third by Cuzzi.

44-69

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Forty Four - Sixty Nice

did that call possibly cost the O's the game?

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Jeff Z's reply: Didn't help but the Orioles have nobody to blame but themselves. Hardy not getting a run in with man on third and one out in 7th. Andino missing a tag that led to a run. Markakis not scoring on Guerrero's single. They had every chance to win the game and they got in their own way as usual.

Jeff,

Any chance at all, Peter Angelos sells the team to an investing group led by Cal Ripken in the off-season? It's grossly and painfully obvious that the old man doesn't care. He doesn't even act like he is trying. Or whatever him and MacPhail are doing, it's just not cutting it anymore. This is the point where they need to spend money, and there is no way out, that doesn't involve selling the team. Because Peter Angelos will never spend what it takes to win.

Also, is there any indication that Buck Showalter may just call it quits?

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Jeff Z's reply: Both would really surprise me. You hear rumblings every once in a while that Peter is ready to sell, but I've never got one piece of concrete info that's the case.

As I posted over 30 days ago - this team is only going to win 54 games this year.

Can you believe this - only 54 wins after all the hype this spring around the so-called great young pitching talent.

Please - Please - Peter sell the team to someone who really enjoys watching a winning baseball team. There must be someone out there with real money who has a competitive streak for winning not just collecting his money.

just for laughs, darnell mcdonald was 2-3 with a HR and 2 rbi tonite

the twins replacement for hardy is hitting 217

Teams bust their butts to execute and make the thousands of small pitches, plays, and decisions that add up to a winning formula, and umps blow all of that because they 1) just plain miss the call due to human error, and 2) they resist the use of instant replay. Why can't they have a replay option that will allow them to make the right decisions? Look at that game that the Pirates lost a few weeks ago - a blown call that scored a winning run. they have barely won since then. We need instant replay to help the umps, not to replace them.