papasmurfbell

Atl is falling apart. I am having a feeling Smith will get the hook at the end of the season.

OK they take the averages from BP and set the zone for the player at that level for the game.

Agreed.

Change the rule to set position.

It is easy. The plate has lasers to watch and make sure the ball goes over it. In the uniform a sensor is put in at the sholder and the knee. That makes it so a laser adjusts the vertical lasers. That creates a box that is a perfect strike zone. It can never be argued again.

That is why they need computers to do balls and strikes and eliminate the ump.

Unless KC is planning to break up the team after this season that is an apples and oranges argument. Many of their guys are home grown and just up to the majors so they have them cheaply for a while. That loos awfully familiar to what you say about eveyone who played or coached here after they leave. Maybe this will help.

Please. He was making a tackle. Nobody was horsecollaring him.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/13/sports/baseball/thieving-royals-keep-things-moving.html Thieving Royals Keep Things MovingMercury was the Roman god of, among other things, trickery and thieves, making him the perfect symbol for baseball’s stolen base, even before you consider his winged hat and sandals. His erratic nature — the inspiration for the word “mercurial” — also fits when you consider how baseball’s fleetest teams have fared in postseasons past. The go-go Kansas City Royals are the latest team to remind fans what a terror a team can be when it keep things moving. Like the 2003 Florida Marlins, who ran their way to a World Series title, the Royals have people talking as if a time machine to the days of Ty Cobb has appeared in the Kauffman Stadium outfield. The aggressive approach of those Marlins, led by a 1-2 punch of Juan Pierre and Luis Castillo, drew so much attention that George Steinbrenner was said to insist on signing Kenny Lofton the following off-season to add a similar dynamic to the Yankees. Pierre did not shy away from describing his importance during his team’s unexpected run. “Just to put them uneasy, that’s my job — to create havoc,” Pierre told reporters after Game 1 of the 2003 World Series, in which he had gone 2 for 3 with a walk, a hit-by-pitch and a stolen base. “It opens up the field for me. I accomplished what I wanted to do.” Speed was a huge factor in that postseason, with the Marlins stretching for extra bases and keeping pitchers guessing, but it did not show up in the form of stolen bases. In 17 games, the Marlins stole eight bases and were caught six times. The supposedly sedentary Yankees, who Steinbrenner apparently felt needed a boost of speed, led all playoff teams with 11 steals in 14 attempts. That is the nature of stolen bases. Except for truly great base stealers, the statistic is heavily influenced by game situations and opposing catchers, meaning steals can elude even the fastest teams and players if things do not break just right. Just ask the 1985 St. Louis Cardinals, who stole an incredible 314 bases during the regular season but swiped just eight in the postseason and ended up losing in the World Series to the Royals. The 1914 Philadelphia Athletics stole 231 bases in the regular season but managed just two while being swept by the Boston Braves in the World Series. Conversely, the 2008 Tampa Bay Rays, a team that stole less than half as many bases as the 1985 Cardinals during the regular season, set a major league record with 24 steals in a single postseason. (The Rays did have one more playoff series than the Cardinals, though.) While one of baseball’s most exciting plays, the stolen base has not proved much of a bellwether for a team’s success in the regular season or the postseason. Since 1920, when the home run began to replace the stolen base as baseball’s biggest weapon, 169 teams have stolen 150 or more bases in a season, but 128 of those teams did not qualify for postseason play, including the 1976 Oakland Athletics, who set a post-dead-ball-era record with 341 steals. In that same time span, just 12 teams with 150 or more steals went on to win the World Series. The Royals have been remarkably consistent in terms of stolen bases, if not wins, in recent seasons. The 2014 team stole 153 bases on the way to 89 wins, which should seem familiar because they stole the same amount last season while winning 86 games. In what may seem like a bookkeeping error, they also stole 153 in 2011, but they won just 71 games. Unlike many of their speedy predecessors, the Royals have not abandoned the strategy in this postseason, tying a playoff record with seven steals in the wild-card game against Oakland and continuing their thievery in their American League division series by stealing another five bases over three games against the Los Angeles Angels. Still, just as Mercury came and went, the American League Championship Series has been a different story for the Royals’ running game. In two games, both wins, Kansas City has one stolen base in three attempts. It could get worse should they advance to the World Series, where they could face Yadier Molina of the Cardinals, widely considered baseball’s best catcher. Speed will be a factor for Kansas City regardless of how many bases the team steals, though, as it was for the 2003 Marlins. And as long as the Royals keep winning, the long-suffering fans of Kansas City are unlikely to complain about any shift in strategy.

I respect the Bengals. They will come back from injuries. Burfict came back this week after being down for a long time. Other will be back too by and large.

I enjoy analyzing the games. There have been plenty of players who had good careers and fell off the planet. I am not saying Torrey is but I would be far from shocked if it did happen.

A team with 1 loss is crumbling? Enjoy yor wishful thinking.

Thats a game. McCoy is having a great game today. He has been junk basically all season. Will he revert back to junk next week? I don't know. Like the Eagles the Ravens rolled over theri opponent like they were trash. It could be the Bucs and Giants that let these two get off.

How does an injury make someone a bust? I guess Jimmy Smith is a bust too.

For 1 week. To break out iof a rut you need to string some games together. I have seen a guy pop his head up once and hunker down for weeks on end many times.

We all know Manning is the choke artist. Also it isn't 16 weeks. When it gets cold and windy in Den he trails off. He has about a month and a half of home games left before he is about useless.

He played in the 1st half a few plays.

Had the offense done D in the first half they would have won. They did nothing and set themselves up to lose. You don't win when you spot a team 15 with a half to play.

Lacy put 3 good weeks together and he crapped the bed this week.

It is one game. His slump was games long not a game.

He was killing it a couple weeks ago. They are running Martin so he doesn't get touches.

Really? The RRavens looked horrible that game. Joe was mediocre. The D did the best they could since the offense did nothing for the entire first half.

The question is was it an anomaly or has he broken out. It will take at least 2 more games to know.

I don't think Glenon is a scrub. I think he might end up being pretty good.