Odd Decisions Run Wild

I don’t quite get it. Of course, I can be alternative dense and obtuse, just ask some of the women that have been unfortunate enough to have been forced to endure a date with me when there wasn’t the option of getting drunk to dull the pain. After I finish my mini-rant on how baseball continues to screw things up, I’ll spend a moment detailing perhaps the top two minors league pitchers in each league and give a little run down on how they are doing toiling away riding buses instead of finding themselves flying in first class (I’ve never flown in first class, have you? I’m 6’3″ so I’m sure I would enjoy the extra space because I usually end up squished between someone who is overweight and someone who wants to share with me their entire life story. Speaking of planes, why can’t I ever end up in the same row as the hottie that always ends up three rows in front of me?)

Milton Bradley had his suspension reduced from two games to one after filing an appeal for a confrontation that he had with an umpire while arguing a called third strike. Two points. (1) The event occurred on April 16th. What the hell took so long to come to a resolution? Players certainly have the right to the defend themselves in the process, but has anyone heard of a conference call or a webcam? It this day and age of technology taking a month to adjudicate this matter is simply laughable. (2) What is the point of MLB issuing any suspensions when they are ALWAYS, and I mean always, reduced? What gives? Do you think I could say to the judge at traffic court ‘I know I ran that stop sign, and I know the fine is $185, but you know, I really didn’t mean to do it, and I promise to behave moving forward, so could you reduce the fine to $100?’ Seriously? Whatever a player gets for a suspension, just cut that number by half and you will usually end up with the actual number of games he will end up serving (Jermaine Dye was suspended for two games after firing his helmet down in disgust only to have the helmet flip up and hit the umpire. Of course he appealed so he will continue playing for now, but regardless, expect his suspension to be reduced to one game). My question is, if the player committed an act that leads to a suspension of X many games, why does he even get an appeal, or better yet, why does the appeal always end up in a reduced sentence? I’m glad baseball doesn’t adjudicate criminal matters or there might not be a single criminal in jail.

Jo-Jo Reyes has been removed from the Braves’ starting rotation, hardly a shock when you consider that he is 0-2 with a 6.58 ERA and a 1.42 WHIP through five starts (he is 0-9 with a 6.58 ERA covering his last 18 starts). So this means that the Tommy Hanson era is upon us, right? Wrong. The Braves chose instead to call up Kris Medlin from Triple-A where the 23 year old has been lights out with a 4-0 record and a 1.07 ERA. Oh yeah, he hasn’t allowed a run in 19.2 innings. As for Hanson, he will continue to bide his time a bit longer despite a 1.99 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 12.61 K/9 mark in seven starts at Triple-A. Not sure what else the kid can do to earn a call up really.

David Price, everyone’s fantasy darling this season as the next big lefty to make his mark on the majors – well those plans were put on hold when the club decided to send him to the minors to get him some more seasoning as well as to find spots for a handful of pitchers at the big league level that would have had to have been placed on waivers if Price was left on the big league roster. Still, everyone assumed that Price would make a handful of starts, dominate, and then return to the Rays, but things haven’t gone remotely to plan thus far. Working at Triple-A, Price is a mere 1-4 with a 4.60 ERA and a 1.50 ERA through seven starts. He does have 26 K in 29.1 innings, but with 16 walks his K/BB mark is a poor 1.63. In addition, the club has been very careful with his pitch count having not once allowed him to throw more than five innings, though to be fair it’s not like he has been lights out or anything and deserved to go more than five innings in most outings. Still, his level of struggles just go to show you that this game is not an exact science, and no matter how much talent you have it’s never as easy as just throwing your glove out on the field.