Baseball Pissing Match

[wadesworld]

By the way, a week and a half into the season my Brewers in 5th place prediction is holding up.  Will it last, who knows but unless they find some quality arms they are going to finsih the season there.

By the way, the lack of "quality arms" in our starting rotation has given your Scrubs an awful hard time the last 2 nights.  We scored 133% of the runs you have scored on our starters in ONE INNING tonight.  But let me guess, it's because your team is not healthy, and we should just wait until you are.  Alright, I will wait...and wait...and wait.  That's the problem with having Lee, Soriano, Ramirez, Zambrano, and Harden all on 1 team.  Between them there are at least 8 trips to the DL in a year.  And they're not getting any younger.

Also, when will teams start to realize that plunking Braun will only result in him doing something big the next time he comes up to bat.  Not to mention, I understand throwing at somebody in certain circumstances, but to throw at someone's HEAD?!  You just don't do that.  I'm pretty glad Braun just gave Dumpster a nice head nod after he hammered that pitch, a little thank you for throwing at him last time up.  Now, let me guess the excuses as to why he threw at Braun, and that it wasn't meant to hit his head.
1) It was unintentional.  Really?  A FASTBALL got away from him so bad that it hit him in the head?  Doubtful.
2) He stared down his home run last night after winning the game, and tore Ramirez's shoulder up because he lined the hell out of the ball on that hit.  Correct.  I knew he would get plunked tonight.  But again, in the HEAD?!
3) He went down to bunt or it wouldn't have hit him in the head.  He did, but it was a drag bunt, so Dumpster didn't see him go down for it before he located the pitch.  Braun also tried getting out of the way, standing back up, and got hit in the head at the same point he would have had his head had he been in his regular batting stance.

But again, keep plunking the man.  Weird.

[reinko]

Ryan Braun is man.

Who in Gods name are the Cubs building there team around? 

A-Shoulder, err A-Ram...clearly not D-Lee...Harden?  Z?  This team is a mess. And blah blah about injuries all you want, when your squad is filled with dudes that are injury-prone, it's no excuse. 

But you have that ND D-Bag Jeff Samardzija, so you have that going for you.

[wadesworld]

Did anybody see the #1 Web Gem on Baseball Tonight?  Melvin Mora's diving catch on a liner to his right at third?  That was a nice play.  If that was Aramis Ramirez he would have separated his shoulder/torn his rotator cuff.

[wadesworld]

Haha reading northsidebaseball.com's game thread from yesterday makes me laugh really hard.  It gives a perfect example as to why I can't stand Scrubs fans.  They cry for about 4 innings that Ryan Braun acted about getting hit and it really hit his bat.  REALLY?!  I could see thinking it hit his bat while it was live, but after seeing the replay multiple times (which surely they did if they were watching the game) it CLEARLY hit his head, yet they STILL insist he just acted!  HAHA!  SO IGNORANT!  If only they could just admit that they can't stand the fact that the Brewers have BY FAR the best player in the series, and the 2nd best player in the NL Central, and they can't stand that he TORCHES them.  Why would he PRETEND to get hit by a pitch?  He would have gone yard on the next pitch had he gotten the chance to do that instead of just getting 1 base!  Not to mention, don't Scrubs fans realize that the sound of a ball hitting a helmet is MUCH different than the sound of a ball hitting a helmet?!  Wouldn't the umpire know based on sound alone?!  HAHA!  PHENOMENAL!

And then they got pissed that he was showboating by looking at Dumpster after he went yard in his next at bat.  Really?  ANYBODY would have.  He just threw at his HEAD and then Braun went yard, of course he's going to look back at Dumpster.  Should he have just shook his hand and thanked him for throwing a baseball 95 mph at his head?  I think ANYBODY would be pissed about that and give him a "gotcha" look after going yard.

Sorry, I'm just trying to get ANYTHING from Scrubs fans right now.  It's awfully quiet from them.

15-4 in the last 19.  Hottest team in baseball.  Most quality starts in the MLB by our starters.  But our starters are horrible, right?

[jmayer1]

I'm obviously very happy about the standings right now (Cards 1st, Crew 2nd) but I'm not about to start counting any chickens yet especially when a team as talented (albeit pretty banged up right now) is lurking only a few games back.

As for the plunking, I think Dempster meant to hit him but prolly not in the head. Braun was upset for a reason but in my mind I think he did a little bit too much staring/strutting on the homer for my taste.  I know he's still a young player and still has some maturing to do but doing crap like that makes the Crew looks classless and other players/managers don't forget stuff like that quickly.

[wadesworld]

Hopefully we can get the sweep today...We'll see which Suppan shows up.

[MarquetteFan94]

Did anybody see the #1 Web Gem on Baseball Tonight?  Melvin Mora's diving catch on a liner to his right at third?  That was a nice play.  If that was Aramis Ramirez he would have separated his shoulder/torn his rotator cuff.

Classy.  I honestly cannot believe the amount of fun Brewers fans in this thread have in Cubs players getting injured.  It's one thing to talk trash after beating the Cubs but all this enjoyment out of players getting injured is absolute garbage.

Also, if people actually think Braun got hit in the head by Dempster they need an eye exam immediately.  Watch the replay.  It was obvious that it hit his bat.  Nobody bounces back up that quick after taking a ball to the head like that...even if they're ok. 

[🏀]

Braun the 2nd best player in the division? I guess if baseball was solely based off of offense.

[jmayer1]

Braun the 2nd best player in the division? I guess if baseball was solely based off of offense.

No rational person could make the case that there is anybody else in the division better than Braun besides Pujols.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/awards_2008.shtml#NLmvp

Braun does misjudge some balls but he definitely isn't a horrible defender as you seem to think.  You don't lead the NL in putouts for leftfielders or have a range factor of 1.95 if you're terrible in the field.

[wadesworld]

Braun the 2nd best player in the division? I guess if baseball was solely based off of offense.

Please tell me this is a joke.  Please name me 2 better players.  Is Albert Pujols not the best player in the division because he plays first base, so he must not be a great defensive player?  I can't even think of anybody who comes close to being as good as Pujols and Braun (and Pujols is far better than Braun).

And as far as did Braun get hit, I have 3 questions.
1. Have you heard a baseball hit a bat?
2. Have you heard a baseball hit a helmet?
3. Do those things sound the same at all, or even close to similar?

Would an umpire really mess that up?  You can tell based on sound alone, even if you can't tell by a replay or live.  And regardless, you don't throw at a guy's head.  If it's at his ribs nobody has a problem, but you just don't throw at a guys head no matter how much you dislike him.

[wadesworld]

No rational person could make the case that there is anybody else in the division better than Braun besides Pujols.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/awards_2008.shtml#NLmvp

Braun does misjudge some balls but he definitely isn't a horrible defender as you seem to think.  You don't lead the NL in putouts for leftfielders or have a range factor of 1.95 if you're terrible in the field.

Good find.  It'll be interesting to see what kind of biased opinion they will use to reply to your facts.

By the way, notice, PTM, the NL MVP voting.  I see 1 NL Central player ahead of Ryan Braun.  Weird.

[pillardean]

Braun the 2nd best player in the division? I guess if baseball was solely based off of offense.

Braun Errors since season's start of 2008= 0
2008 Revised Zone Rating=6th
Out of Zone=1st*

(According to the Hardball times)
*http://www.hardballtimes.com/thtstats/main/index.php?view=fielding&linesToDisplay=50&qual_filter=1&season_filter%5B0%5D=2008&league_filter%5B0%5D=All&pos_filter%5B0%5D=7&Submit=Submit&orderBy=outs_out_of_zone&direction=DESC&page=1

For his position at LF, potential gold glove.
So, yeah, he's the real deal and definitely up there for 2nd best player in division.

[TallTitan34]

Braun gets MVP votes because is offense is sooooooo good it makes up for his crappy defense.  Please don't argue that Braun is a good defender because hes not.

I'll freely admit he is one of the best hitters in the Majors not just the NL.  I would take him on the Cubs in a second.  But I also would never argue that he is a good defender.  Even in a pissing match.

[TallTitan34]

Seriously also please stop bringing up the no errors. 

I've seen Braun fall down and miss the ball.
I've seen Braun misread the ball and have it go over his head. 
I've seen Braun dive and not touch the ball and have it bounce to the wall.

None of these count as errors, however, they all are the marks of a crappy fielder.

Please stick to bragging about his offense.  Please.

[Moonboots]

Seriously also please stop bringing up the no errors. 

I've seen Braun fall down and miss the ball.
I've seen Braun misread the ball and have it go over his head. 
I've seen Braun dive and not touch the ball and have it bounce to the wall.

None of these count as errors, however, they all are the marks of a crappy fielder.

Please stick to bragging about his offense.  Please.

Will you argue that he's better than Sori? Because he is...

[pillardean]

Braun gets MVP votes because is offense is sooooooo good it makes up for his crappy defense.  Please don't argue that Braun is a good defender because hes not.

I'll freely admit he is one of the best hitters in the Majors not just the NL.  I would take him on the Cubs in a second.  But I also would never argue that he is a good defender.  Even in a pissing match.

Seriously also please stop bringing up the no errors. 

I've seen Braun fall down and miss the ball.
I've seen Braun misread the ball and have it go over his head. 
I've seen Braun dive and not touch the ball and have it bounce to the wall.

None of these count as errors, however, they all are the marks of a crappy fielder.

Please stick to bragging about his offense.  Please.

For his position at LF he is good.  Stats don't lie.  

Yeah, everyone misjudges once in awhile, but look at the percentages.  I am not saying he is great, but to say he is not a good defender would be a fallacy on your behalf.

[MarquetteFan94]

And as far as did Braun get hit, I have 3 questions.
1. Have you heard a baseball hit a bat?
2. Have you heard a baseball hit a helmet?
3. Do those things sound the same at all, or even close to similar?

Would an umpire really mess that up?  You can tell based on sound alone, even if you can't tell by a replay or live.  And regardless, you don't throw at a guy's head.  If it's at his ribs nobody has a problem, but you just don't throw at a guys head no matter how much you dislike him.

If you watch this and think the ball hit Braun in the head, then you have bigger problems to worry about other than Brewers/Cubs BS:

http://www.viddler.com/explore/jjaayy112233/videos/4/

How the umpire missed it is amazing.

[wadesworld]

Watch the 2nd time they show it, the close up.  It's pretty tough to tell if it hits him truly.  It looks like it glances off of the top of his helmet and redirects slightly up before hitting the bat.  Just keep clicking back to the 12 second mark until it hits him and watch the helmet over and over, and then the path of the ball.  Really, you can't tell.  I'll take the umpire's hearing, hoping that he knows the sound of the bat hitting the ball and hearing something different.

And again, you don't throw at a guy's head.  Regardless of whether or not it actually hit him.

[jficke13]

0 errors is a tough fact to argue

[TallTitan34]

The ball doesn't even hit Braun.  It should have been a foul ball.

Ken Macha wants Dempster suspended and told Bob Watson to watch the video.  Crybaby.

Braun better get used to getting drilled the way he watches his homeruns.  Soriano gets drilled after he watches his homeruns but he and his manager don't cry like a girl afterwards.


And I still can't believe people are bringing up Braun's defense.

[wadesworld]

The ball doesn't even hit Braun.  It should have been a foul ball.

Ken Macha wants Dempster suspended and told Bob Watson to watch the video.  Crybaby.

Braun better get used to getting drilled the way he watches his homeruns.  Soriano gets drilled after he watches his homeruns but he and his manager don't cry like a girl afterwards.


And I still can't believe people are bringing up Braun's defense.

Where does Soriano get drilled?  Seriously.  Like I've said about 4 times, nobody will be saying a thing if that pitch is at his ribs or his ass.  At his head?  I would hope he stares down the pitcher after crushing the ball the next time he comes up.  And I would hope the manager would stand up for the players on the team and their health.  You realize that, although not very often, getting hit in the head by a pitch can essentially end players' careers?  Crybaby?  For being pissed about getting a 95 mph fastball thrown at his head?  Really?  I don't know a player who wouldn't say something/do something about that.  And you're kidding yourself if you say otherwise.  If you honestly think players would not react to that then you're just another bitter Cubs fan that Braun is easily the 2nd best player in the NL Central and the Brewers have him.  And he has fun while playing the game.

And after getting hit by pitches Braun sure doesn't come up the next at bat and HIT like a girl does he?

[Moonboots]

We're whining?  I can only IMAGINE the outcry if Macha were to have (God forbid) had Suppan toss a heater in the vicinity of Soriano's dome today.  And should he manage to somehow duck out of the way and have it graze his bat instead, would that make you feel ANY better about having a pitcher gun at your star's head?  Yeah, I didn't think so.

[TallTitan34]

I was always taught you throw up and in on a bunt.  It makes it nearly impossible to hit.  Considering it hit Brauns bat I'd say it was a good pitch.

If Braun doesn't want to get hit, he should stop watching his homeruns.  If Soriano gets a ball high and tight after watching a homerun, quite frankly he brought it on himself.

But I see how it is.  It's ok to make fun of Aramis hurting his shoulder but heaven for bid someone goes high and tight on Braun.

[wadesworld]

I was always taught you throw up and in on a bunt.  It makes it nearly impossible to hit.  Considering it hit Brauns bat I'd say it was a good pitch.

If Braun doesn't want to get hit, he should stop watching his homeruns.  If Soriano gets a ball high and tight after watching a homerun, quite frankly he brought it on himself.

But I see how it is.  It's ok to make fun of Aramis hurting his shoulder but heaven for bid someone goes high and tight on Braun.

Haha Dumpster definitely did not have time to see Braun square around and then decide where to locate his pitch.  It was going to be an attempt at a bunt for a base hit.  Again, that is just straight up ignorance if you are telling yourself that it is smart to throw at a guy's head, and that Dumpster saw that Braun was going to bunt and located his pitch based on that.  Nobody was on base.  Braun was not trying to move a runner over.  He was not showing bunt 1 bit until Dumpster was well into his windup.  Also, when you are taught to throw up and in on a bunt attempt, you throw up and in outside of the zone, but not at somebody's head.  Otherwise what's the point?  You're trying to get the bunter to pop that pitch up.  If you hit a dude in the head, not only does the runner move over, but the bunter gets on base.  So you showed some baseball knowledge, good job, but then you tried to make it fit your argument when it really didn't.  Square peg in a round hole.  Nice try though.

I'd just say you're straight up a fool for trying to say that this was okay.  I'm pretty sure I've seen plenty of Scrubs fans poking fun at Sheets and his injury problems.  Now that we don't have an injury prone player you just don't have anyone to make fun of, but it does go both ways, believe it or not.  If a Brewers pitcher threw at Soriano's head I would not say that it was a good pitch, that is for sure.  In fact, when Julio dotted Reed Johnson after he robbed Fielder's homerun in the last series I came on here saying that I was pretty unhappy about that.  You don't hit someone for making a good catch, just like you don't throw at a guy's head.

[TallTitan34]

you're just another bitter Cubs fan that Braun is easily the 2nd best player in the NL Central and the Brewers have him.  And he has fun while playing the game.

I love the fact Brewers fans brag about having the 2nd best player in the NL Central.  I want the 2nd Best Player In The NL Central Award to become an annual award.  

Previous 2nd Best Players In NL Central
1996: Jeff Bagwell (Under Brian Jordan)
1997: Craig Biggio (Under Bagwell)
1998: Mark McGuire (Under MVP Sosa)
1999: Greg Vaughn (Under Bagwell)
2000: Sammy Sosa (Under Edmonds)
2001: Albert Pujols (Under Sosa)
2002: Sammy Sosa (Under Pujols)
2003: Mark Prior (Under Pujols)
2004: Scott Rolen (Under Pujols)
2005: Derrek Lee (Under Pujols)
2006: Lance Berman (Under Pujols)
2007: Albert Pujols (Under Fielder)
2008: Ryan Braun (Under Pujols)

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