Pysche-Saver
Last night was a huge win to kick off the road trip. It's so obvious, yet you still need to step back and soak it in.
It appears that our starting pitching is starting to come around, but our bullpen lately has been awful. Jose Contreras was masterful for 8 innings last night and then turned it over to Bobby Jenks.
I said it at the time - that 9th inning was a huge half-inning for the psyche of our ballclub. There's no two ways about it. To see the Angels go 1st and 3rd with nobody out wasn't the most comforting thing, but Jenks got that big double play ball and ended it with a strikeout. Hopefully, that performance can get Bobby back on a roll and we'll look back on the 9th as the jump start to the stretch of great baseball we've all been waiting for.
Hawk
Comments
Hawk and DJ,
Big Hello from Eric Gut to my White Soxes fan Karl Gut in Steger,IL
Will be at today game.
Go Soxes,
Eric Gut
Posted by: Eric Gut | September 13, 2006 10:50 AM
Hawk, I just heard you say that you feel there is "no question" that Bert Blyleven should be in the Hall of Fame.
I know from listening to you in the past that your standards are high when it comes to the HOF.
Yet, when I look at Blyleven's stats, I see that he was 287-250 over 22 years. That's not even 2 games over .500 per season. His career ERA is a solid 3.31. Blyleven also pitched well in the postseason during his career, but only in 8 games. He also never won a Cy Young award.
Would you mind sharing your rationale for putting Blyleven in?
Thanks, and I always appreciate your insights.
-Patrick
Posted by: Patrick | September 13, 2006 1:57 PM
Dear Hawk or D.J.
When and why was the half-swing strike rule implemented and why isn't it explained in the MLB Official Rules? The only mention of it is in the Comments about rule 9.02(c). It's not explained anywhere.
In the Definition of Terms for a Strike, part (a) says the batter must make an attempt to strike the ball for it to be a swinging strike. When a batter checks his swing, he certainly is not making an attempt to hit the ball!
The rule used to be that a batter could check his swing no matter how far he went around. It was called a swinging strike only if he uncocked his wrists in actually trying to hit the ball.
I, personally, don't like this rule change, and I'll bet the hitters don't either. I think it's unfair to the batters.
Posted by: Rod Neumann | September 13, 2006 2:12 PM
FROM Speedwell Tnenessee!!!!!
Originally from Brudgeport
GO GO SOX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: Art & Sharon Becerra | September 16, 2006 8:08 AM