MLB Wed 4/18

[Stifler's Mom]

ytd 58-63 (+2.68 units)

Tampon Bay -128

Once again, we have the ****ty over rated O's, on the road where they stink, vs a lefty, against which they stink even more. And not just any lefty, today it's Kazmir. They couldn't beat Fossum, so what is to lead me to believe they are going to beat Kazmir?

Oakland A's -110

Well, the Angels seem to be in quite the funk offensively, while the A's are finding ways to win and playing pretty good. I figured maybe it was just Boston playing well that was making the Angels look bad, but possibly it was the Angels playing bad that made Boston look good. In any case, I'm just fading the cold team here.

2 units each

[Stifler's Mom]

Texas Rangers +110

Not only am I fading the public, Mark Buehrle and the cold White Sox bats here, but I'm also getting the Texas bats who have been crushing LHP this season, and Millwood, who has a 1.32 ERA in 34 IP against the White Sox. Wrong favorite here.

SF Giants -125

Well, I'm going with the theme I brought up yesterday that SF has been lighting up LHP. Zach Duke, Jeff Francis, and now hopefully Randy Keisler. I also like getting Morris vs his former team. STL is overrated as bad as SF....or worse....and oddly enough they're pretty much in the same boat this season. Both have questionable pitching with a few exceptions, and lots of position players who are either past their prime, completely over the hill, or extremely average, with the exception of Pujols.

2 units each

Still looking over a few others....

[Dutch Goose]

Good Luck Stif, on the A's as well!

[birdsfan5]

GL Stif

[JohnnyMapleLeaf]

GL...always like to hear your reasoning...I'm on TB as well....and I've been looking at Tejas too....I still don't trust Buehrle's stuff...

[PhillyFan3]

gl stiff, like the DRAYS, but opposites in the LAA-OAK game....Lackey has had pretty good numbers vs OAK, take a look at the under in that game with two good pitchers and two ****ty hitting teams

[Stifler's Mom]

Originally Posted by JohnnyMapleLeaf

GL...always like to hear your reasoning...I'm on TB as well....and I've been looking at Tejas too....I still don't trust Buehrle's stuff...

I know it's early in the year, but Texas is hitting .316 vs LHP so far this year, and I still think Buehrle is crappy. The Sox aren't hitting anything to begin with (.234 vs RHP and .181 vs LHP), and Millwood pretty much owns them with that career 1.32 ERA for 34 innings he's thrown against em, so it's not like it was 6 good innings on his best day or something.

And what's not to like about Otsuka setting up for Gagne? IMO that's one of the best, if not THE best set up man/closer combo in MLB....if Gagne can stay healthy this year.

And as far as Burhrle goes, he has had success against Texas....well until last year when they tagged him to a record of 1-2 and for an ERA over 5.

[joepa66]

BOL to ya Stiffie....love the rationale on the Rangers!

[Stifler's Mom]

Atlanta Braves +103

A team who finds ways to win, a home dog against one who finds ways to lose? Sign me up.

Colorado Rockies +103

Talk about screaming for Dodgers $$$....

2 units each

[Silver & Black]

BOL tonight Stif...

[Daddy Diego]

Like the rangers stif! Hope that doesn't jinx them.

[Stifler's Mom]

LOL, from watching the game, it's more than obvious that Eric Cooper has a boner for the CWS and Mark Beuhrle....so I checked the ump stats.

CWS 8-2 L10 with Cooper BHP
Buehrle 5-1 with Cooper BHP

**** you Eric Cooper

Wish I had checked that out ahead of time.

Anyway, I'm going to add one more....

San Diego +110

2 units

Arizona sucks ass vs LHP, and Webb hasn't exactly impressed this season. Of course this means 10-1 Arizona, because stats are ****.

[Stifler's Mom]

OMG, Cooper just told the Sox catcher to throw to 1st on the K and dropped ball to ensure they got the out on the 2nd out in the 9th!!

I'm surprised he's not out jumping around on the field with the Sox players too, LMFAO

[Hackman]

Cardinals and Giants game is pretty similar......
Home Plate umpire has a Strike Zone the size of a PEA for Morris, and a Football field for Keisler....Interesting TidBit is He is from ST. Louis........Announcers mentioned that in the 1st inning on radio when I was on a beer run..something to the tune of...

He's a GREAT St. Louisan.......Should be a fun game tonight.....

SF batters looked dumbfounded at some of the strikes he is calling and Morris has thrown his arms in the air several times at what should be Strikes...TV announcers, who must not know his is from ST. Louis are commenting every inning on how this guy is having an "off' night..........

Glad I took the over...............

[Stifler's Mom]

Originally Posted by Hackman

Cardinals and Giants game is pretty similar......
Home Plate umpire has a Strike Zone the size of a PEA for Morris, and a Football field for Keisler....Interesting TidBit is He is from ST. Louis........Announcers mentioned that in the 1st inning on radio when I was on a beer run..something to the tune of...

He's a GREAT St. Louisan.......Should be a fun game tonight.....

SF batters looked dumbfounded at some of the strikes he is calling and Morris has thrown his arms in the air several times at what should be Strikes...TV announcers, who must not know his is from ST. Louis are commenting every inning on how this guy is having an "off' night..........

Glad I took the over...............

LOL, it makes sense now. I was watching that game and I remember either Kuiper or Krukow saying more than once about how the ump must be confused about what the strike zone really is. I didn't actually notice that it was one sided, but I notice that he really sucked and was really inconsistant.

You'd really like to believe umps are always impartial, but in reality, they are human and at the very least, close calls can be influenced by emotion, even if they don't intend to do it. They may just "see" things in favor of a certain team, or against another.

For another example, last night the home plate ump squeezed the bejesus out of David Wells, AND then the first base ump TOTALLY blew a call on a check swing (where even the D'backs announcers said the hitter went around) that would have struck out the D'backs hitter, who eventually hit the sac fly that drove in the go ahead run (to go to 2-1). As we all know, the rest of the game played out, and had things happened the same, SD would have won 2-1 in regulation (thanks to that bonehead for Arizona dropping a can of corn), but instead it went to extras at 2-2, and they ended up losing.

To make a long story short, later on in the game the 1B ump probably blew ANOTHER call (it was close, but from replay, it looked like he called it wrong) , and Wells, who was already out of the game, came out and started yelling at him again, and got tossed (like it matters when you've already been taken out of the game, lol). Then, on the very next play, he called a D'backs runner OUT at first, who was probably safe....almost like a make up call for the 2 he blew that went against SD.

Anyway, Queen used to be really good about finding out stuff like that....where a certain ump liked or disliked a certain team, and had a really nice record using it to make plays.....so it happens.