Transmogrified Tiger

Let them take extra BP or pitch a sim game. This isn't Little League. Yes, Willis and Tex deserved their playing time...in round 1. They obviously didn't come to the WBC prepared for competition. Come on. If Teixeira and Lee reversed their production thus far, would you want Lee benched for the rest of the classic? Teixeira's one of the best hitters in the game, a poor 12 at bats doesn't change that one bit. If DLee looked that bad in the field and at bat, yes, I would want him benched. Tex may be one of the best hitters in the game from about May/June on (a notorious slow starter). Too bad this is March. This wasn't unexpected. He's played 1 game this round, it's not like Lee is rotting away. He played 2 last round, 1 at DH, and since Chipper was hitting he lost that. Do you think that Tex is going to be starting at 1B in an elimination game? Would we be facing an elimination game if the hottest players played? You think the difference between Teixeira and Lee would've made 7 runs difference last night? I was talking about the next round with the elimination comment.

Let them take extra BP or pitch a sim game. This isn't Little League. Yes, Willis and Tex deserved their playing time...in round 1. They obviously didn't come to the WBC prepared for competition. Come on. If Teixeira and Lee reversed their production thus far, would you want Lee benched for the rest of the classic? Teixeira's one of the best hitters in the game, a poor 12 at bats doesn't change that one bit. If DLee looked that bad in the field and at bat, yes, I would want him benched. Tex may be one of the best hitters in the game from about May/June on (a notorious slow starter). Too bad this is March. This wasn't unexpected. He's played 1 game this round, it's not like Lee is rotting away. He played 2 last round, 1 at DH, and since Chipper was hitting he lost that. Do you think that Tex is going to be starting at 1B in an elimination game?

Let them take extra BP or pitch a sim game. This isn't Little League. Yes, Willis and Tex deserved their playing time...in round 1. They obviously didn't come to the WBC prepared for competition. Come on. If Teixeira and Lee reversed their production thus far, would you want Lee benched for the rest of the classic? Teixeira's one of the best hitters in the game, a poor 12 at bats doesn't change that one bit.

They're this year's Wake Forest, except with a better conference to knock them down a bit before the tourney.

You don't know what you're going to get from Wuertz and Novoa because they haven't pitched enough. I think you have a pretty good idea what your going to get from Howry and Eyre though. I don't see how you can just disregard their two prior seasons and say theese two aren't good enough to start or close, so they can't be that good. Sometimes players get typecast into certain roles. If Bobby Howry had been closing for the Indians last year, he would have been a top 10 AL closer. I never said they can't be good, I said exactly "their performance is bound to vary wildly". Their careers also show that both Howry and Eyre have been far from consistent, add in the nature of their roles as relievers and you don't know what you're going to get.

Memphis in the final 4? Or UAB knocking off UConn?

Middle relievers, by their very nature, are shaky. I agree somewhat if you're speaking universally about middle relievers. But there's nothing about those two guy's numbers form the past two seasons that says shaky. Plus on this team Howry, and Eyre will be used more as set up men rather than middle relief. It doesn't matter how they are used, they are middle relievers. Also, the past two seasons are not the only thing you go on. If you look at middle relievers two best back to back seasons, most will look pretty good. The point is 2 good years might be all you can get out of them. Maybe you can get 3. Maybe you can get 2 good, 1 bad, and 2 more good. However it works out, they're shaky pitchers. That's why they are in the roles they are in. I don't think I could disagree more. But just to clarify, are you saying that bullpen guys that never become closers have a shelf life of about 2-4 years? No, he's saying that they aren't consistent by any measure. Middle relievers are such because they aren't good enough to start, then aren't good enough to close. Add in the short season of IP they get each year, and their performance is bound to vary wildly. That's why you don't know what you'll get with Howry and Eyre(and Wuertz, Novoa, Williamson), and it's especially why it was a bad decision to give each a 3 year deal.

I disagreed. I personally believe that "The Dump Truck" as closer will be the Cubs best reliever, but with Wuertz the next best.... Maybe. I wasn't predicting that Wuertz would be, but rather pointing out that his performance, stuff, peripherals, etc. point to him being able to have a stellar year.

Not playing Lee for the second day in a row when you've already won the first game, and especially when MARK TEIXEIRA is the man replacing him, is hardly a travesty. I'd be more worried about Chipper at 3rd with A-Rod DHing than Lee playing every last inning.

US- 12 baserunners, 1 run jeebers

I'm pretty sure that we'd dominate every team we've faced thus far if we actually got them in a series.

This is really smart of Buck to be using Wheeler and Timlin. We're going to need an explosion to get back, and if we don't get it Mexico is going to have to face the Rocket and a conga line of closers.

Seung-Yeop Ruth flies out on the first pitch.

It's the 5th inning, we have 2 on and one out. All is not lost.

Do you really think the US is incapable of coming back? They've loaded the bases twice, and Korea is on it's 3rd pitcher. And again, it's not an elimination game, Clemens v. Mexico's 3rd starter after they need to use everything they can to stay in contention is a big plus too.

Choi 3 run HR, 6-1 Korea Gameday is working if you can access it.

:?: we just gave them a free run, probably all 3.

oh, for cripes sake. He hit a homerun, he's not Willie Mays.

I'd still like to know what possibly compelled Wells to swing at that pitch. It was almost a pitchout.

what the.....

Noooooo 43 HR with 144 RBI sacrificing a bunt? 0-9 so far in the WBC. Now 0-10. I think every baseball player in the history of time has gone 0 for 10. Bunting would've been a catastrophically bad decision. Plus Tex saw 6 pitches, this dude's up to 19 already and has only got 1 out......as they bring in BHK.

Finally he does something. Varitek hit a grand slam against Canada, he was 2 for 3 going into today.

Noooooo

Of course, someone is going to have to calm me down if Gameday doesn't start working.

Let's hope so. They are undefeated. And they played in probably the weakest pool, then faced probably the weakest of the 3 teams they'll face this round. This game is still early, we have the superior team, and it's not even an elimination game for us.