triple play.

highlight of the season?

They may not be good but they sure as hell care. What an inning of giving it their all to win a meaningless game.

Jurado put a very nice outing together if you could just take an eraser to the start

How do you give a wild ass pitcher that call?

Wouldnt give him a 2nd gift. Tie ballgame

A lot of big plays tonight.

DannyDuberstein said:

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Jurado put a very nice outing together if you could just take an eraser to the start

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Yes, he settled in and put together some good innings following the early struggle. That's the thing with tank seasons, you can afford to give somebody a little more rope in situations like that.

I love Guzman. Just wanted to declare that.

toucan82 said:

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highlight of the season?

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Baserunning lowlight of the season

I am confused by what the announcers said on the triple play.

The 3rd baseman 1 hops the ball ( but runner thinks he caught it in the air which is why he goes back to the bag)

3rd baseman tags the bag ( the force) and the runner for 2 outs. Then throws to 2nd to Odor who is on the bag, guy running from 1st to 2nd is out, right? Did Odor only run him down because he thought it was caught in the air as well? he didnt' "have" to apply the tag there right ( and the runner ran out of the baseline resulting in the out) he was already out. Or am I missing something. the announcer at the end seems to think he had to run him down.

Brennus said:

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I am confused by what the announcers said on the triple play.

The 3rd baseman 1 hops the ball ( but runner thinks he caught it in the air which is why he goes back to the bag)

3rd baseman tags the bag ( the force) and the runner for 2 outs. Then throws to 2nd to Odor who is on the bag, guy running from 1st to 2nd is out, right? Did Odor only run him down because he thought it was caught in the air as well? he didnt' "have" to apply the tag there right ( and the runner ran out of the baseline resulting in the out) he was already out. Or am I missing something. the announcer at the end seems to think he had to run him down.

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Odor didn't need to tag the runner. It was 5 unassisted, 5 unassisted, and then a 5-4 putout. There was confusion on the bases, and Odor probably just tagged him to make sure, but my understanding is that the runner was already out.

Odor was just completing the rare but classic quadruple play.

Yep the play was over the second odor caught it.

Just some confusion as it wasn't clear - even to profar as he was clearly calling for the ball tbinking he needed to get into a rundown with the dude he forced out.

Anytime there's baserunning situations like that it's best just to touch as many bases and runners as possible.

Ward actually would have been safe at 3rd base had he not come off the bag during the tag.

Good for him, but jeez where was this earlier this season.... Hamels is now 3-0 with a sub 1.00 era with the Cubs after four starts.

It is INSANE what Oakland does with their payroll, the worst baseball stadium on the planet, awful fan base, and gets results

Haven't looked at the standings in a while but after reading your post... A's are one game behind the defending world champions? LOL

agent-maroon said:

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Haven't looked at the standings in a while but after reading your post... A's are one game behind the defending world champions? LOL

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It really is, but their formula is pretty simple. Have a stretch of avg/bad years, and then capitalize with the farm. They are having a great year, but it's coming after finishing in last place the past 3 seasons. They had a pretty good stretch from 1999-2014, but the best they had to show was getting swept in the ALCS.

KT 90 said:

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Good for him, but jeez where was this earlier this season.... Hamels is now 3-0 with a sub 1.00 era with the Cubs after four starts.

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I don't see how that isn't largely on Brocail. Sure, some of it is getting to a better situation, but that should damned sure be on the list of reasons that Brocail is not retained after this season.

Lucky #007 said:

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KT 90 said:

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Good for him, but jeez where was this earlier this season.... Hamels is now 3-0 with a sub 1.00 era with the Cubs after four starts.

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I don't see how that isn't largely on Brocail. Sure, some of it is getting to a better situation, but that should damned sure be on the list of reasons that Brocail is not retained after this season.

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Never been a fan of Brocail

Lucky #007 said:

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KT 90 said:

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Good for him, but jeez where was this earlier this season.... Hamels is now 3-0 with a sub 1.00 era with the Cubs after four starts.

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I don't see how that isn't largely on Brocail. Sure, some of it is getting to a better situation, but that should damned sure be on the list of reasons that Brocail is not retained after this season.

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I think it's a mixture of everything. He's reinvigorated playing for a contender, I don't think he ever liked the heat here really seemed to labor through it this season, and getting a change of pitching coach.

I think Brocail is a sinking ship, but I also think Cole couldn't get out of here fast enough and he knew he'd go to a contender based off of his reputation regardless of his current season. He was gonna post good numbers no matter where he went, just sucks the Rangers got hosed with a lower trade value because of it.

There's a lot of innings on that arm, I'm not sure how good of return the Rangers would have gotten regardless of how well he pitched for the Rangers.

And Brofail is not a sinking ship, more like a piece of rotted plank just floating in the water.

I'm glad to see him doing well, so the Cubs will be inclined to pick up that option. Will save the Rangers from covering the buyout

Ryno01 said:

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It is INSANE what Oakland does with their payroll, the worst baseball stadium on the planet, awful fan base, and gets results

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That's a fair view, if the only time you like the A's is when they are winning.

Their strategy is pretty simple and similar to Tampa's and what the Astros did.

Quote:

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2017: 75-87, 5th in AL West - 20th overall
2016: 69-93, 5th in AL West - 24th overall
2015: 68-94, 5th in AL West - 25th overall

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SO, sell off all of your good players for minor leaguers. Which ensures you suck and get better draft picks. Keep players down as long as possible to control them longer and then shoot-the-moon on a couple of seasons.

Rinse-Repeat.

The A's are never good long enough to build attendance and STHs, which keeps fans from voting on a new stadium for fear of seeing what the Marlins did.

Lowrie is a FA after this season, and Khris Davis is a FA after 2019.

Yes, they are currently in the 2nd WC spot and it wouldn't break my heart if they pass Houston for the Division, but celebrating a team's success after 3 straight last place division finishes, along with finishing in the bottom 3rd of the sport seems crazy, to me.

I honestly just feel bad for Seattle fans at this point. Finally thought they put together the team to break through and then it turns out Cano is juicing and the wheels fell off after the All-Star Break. They're 3.5 out of the wild card right with a ton of divisional games left but Oakland really jumped out of mediocrity mid season and spoiled any hopes of going neck and neck with Houston.

Also as a pipe dream I'd love for the Rangers to set a goal of passing the Angels by the end of the year. Not gonna happen but a run like that would really put some energy in the young guys heading into the offseason.

94chem said:

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toucan82 said:

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highlight of the season?

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Baserunning lowlight of the season

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Baserunning was still not as bad as the 1-6-2-5-1-4 triple play they turned against the White Sox back in '03. I think it was '03.

Speaking of pipe dreams, would love Oakland to pass the assbags and then they get beat in the wild card game. Anyone but Houston can salvage baseball season for me.

Quote:

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Later is now. Texas has its players to be named in the Keone Kela and Jake Diekman trades.

19-year-old 3B Sherten Apostel arrives from Pittsburgh. A J2 signing for $200,000 in 2015, Apostel made his US debut this year at Bristol in the Appy league, batting a robust .259/.406/.460 in 41 games. He's not Gallo-large but comes close, looming 6'4" and 200 pounds (and climbing). The arm strength for third base isn't in doubt; indeed, some teams viewed him as a pitcher before he signed. He's already grown into some power, as evidenced by the 201-point spread between his batting average and slugging percentage.

Apostel will be assigned to short-season Spokane. He's never played anywhere but 3B, which has been manned mostly by Diosbel Arias, as hot a hitter as you'll find in the system. Arias has also played some short and second, and he might find himself over there more often in order to get both of them in the lineup.

LHP Josh Javier, also 19, comes from Arizona. His career path is nearly identical to Apostel's: signed in 2015, two years in the Dominican Summer league, playing rookie ball this season. Javier has a 2.80 ERA in 35.1 innings, holding opponents to a .209/.301/.295 line with a 22% strikeout rate. Javier throws around 90 but has touched the mids and has some projection, from what I hear. He also offers a curve and change.

Neither has appeared on the top-30 lists of Baseball America or MLB.com, but Fangraphs.com ranked Apostel #16 over the winter, and he's done nothing to to harm his standing since.

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