RAUL is COOL

If you haven't heard, Raul Ibanez came up in the clutch for the Yankees in the 9th and 12th inning.  With one swing of the bat each, he tied and then won the game for the Pinstripes.

This is a much bigger deal than normal because Raul Ibanez was asked to pinch hit for Alex Rodriguez who is 1 for 12 with 7 strikeouts in the ALDS.

Joe Giradi went with his gut and not with his binder.  The difference between good and great is pulling the trigger on tough decisions. I tip my hat to Joe for sitting a struggling superstar for his best option on his bench. Not an easy call, he was playing with fire and did not get burned this time.


Also, if this doesn't give you chills then well I don't think you truly bleed Pinstripes!

Today is another day of 4 playoff games. Wait...let me rethink that, today is offering 4 ELIMINATION games.

Giants vs. Reds in Game 5 at 1:07pm EST
---> My Prediction:  Reds squeak by and Dusty Baker is back in the NLCS, again.

Cardinals vs. Nationals in Game 4 (STL 2-1) 4:07pm EST
---> My Prediction: Nationals tie up the series and the city of Washington will be ROCKING.

Yankees vs. Orioles in Game 4 (NYY 2-1) 7:37pm EST
---> My Prediction: It depends on which Phil Hughes shows up. Bats need to awake too. Yankees win.

Tigers vs. Athletics in Game 5  9:37pm EST
---> My Prediction:  Athletics have the momentum and the Tigers have Verlander. I say the A's make it their first ALCS in a long time.


Only bad thing about the postseason is that sinking feeling that Baseball is almost over for the year.

Big Time Bats of the Postseason - AL

Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers

Curtis Granderson, NY Yankees

Chris Davis, Baltimore Orioles

Josh Reddick, Oakland A's

Adrian Beltre, Texas Rangers

Superhero Pitchers (Super Powers)

This year, like many in recent memory, seems to be the year of the pitcher.  Here are five of the toughest to hit against in the majors this season.

I have included record (which isn't always a good indicator of super power-dom), innings pitched (which helps any team), hits (against, of course), extra base hits allowed (none are Mets and none are Rockies, so fence depth and altitude don't factor in), strikeouts (measures their ability to put away hitters), batting average against (which is what this chart is based on), ERA (duh!), and finally their super power.

The super powers are equipped with links that clearly indicate what their powers are.

Behold, the Fearsome Fivesome!

Pitcher	Team	W-L	IP	H	XBH	K	BAA	ERA	Super Power
Gio Gonzalez	WAS	7-1*	61.2	33*	13	79	.156*	2.04	Slings 93.2 (mph)
Brandon Beachy	ATL	5-3	66.0	43	11	51	.182	1.77*	Fabulous Forearms
CJ Wilson	LAA	6-4	65.0	43	9*	59	.185	2.77	Locks(ing) Up Hitters; Tattoo
Justin Verlander	DET	5-3	81.1*	56	18	82*	.190	2.55	Inning Eating Machine; Electric Arm (94.5 mph)
Chris Capuano	LAD	7-1*	63.0	42	15	58	.190	2.14	High Socks

MLB: By the #'s; Nolan: By the #'s

MLB
It's been a pretty wild and unpredictable beginning to the 2012 MLB season.  I'm going to go through some numbers that might surprise you a little bit, or maybe not at all.

• 14 - teams over the .500 mark.  Those who are not in this group - Phillies, Red Sox, Tigers, Giants, Angels
• 8 - teams over the .500 mark that are from either the AL East or NL East, so don't give me your East Coast bias talk
• .397, .380 - Derek Jeter's and David Ortiz' batting average, respectively - aging rather well it seems
• .196 - Albert Pujols' batting average - can he be a bust?
• 2 - teams from the DC/Baltimore area that are in 1st place - the Orioles and Nationals
• 45 - strikeouts by Adam Dunn (in 106 AB's), which is actually on pace for less K's than last year
• .406/12 - batting average and home run total for Matt Kemp, the early favorite for NL MVP
• 11/10 - HR's allowed by Ervin Santana and Clay Buchholz in 38.2 and 32.2 IP, respectively
• 13.50 - ERA of Philip Humber in his three starts since his Perfect Game against the Mariners
• 3 of 7 - starts in which Jered Weaver has actually let up a run, twice against the Twins, the worst team in baseball
• .156 - BAA for two lefties, both at different stages of their careers - Ted Lilly and Gio Gonzalez
• 0 - teams that have reached the 20 win plateau - the Indians were the first to do it in 2011 (20-8) - although four three teams can get there today/tonight (Tampa Bay, Baltimore or Texas, San Francisco)

NOLAN
We're trying a new sleep method for when we put the little guy down to sleep.  We used to rock him until he was asleep then transfer him to the crib but he's getting a little big to rock for thirty minutes.

We put him in the crib awake, lay him down, and sit beside the crib until he falls asleep.  Gradually, we're going to (I hope) get to the point where we can put him in and leave the room immediately.  I think he's going through a little separation anxiety phase so he gets scared when he can't see us putting him to sleep.

It's only been a year and two weeks but it's time for him to grow up a little bit.

I lied in the header, there are no numbers related to Nolan in this post.

Have a good Tuesday.  It's a dreary but dry day so far here in CT.

Day Games

Because I'm a stay at home dad, there are some perks, namely getting to spend all day every day with Nolan.  There is also baseball.

Surprisingly, baseball on television captures Nolan's attention for periods of time.  He'll look at the TV and then back at me as if to say, "What's going on here?" - and it's kind of funny.

Early in the season, there have been plenty of day games for me us to watch.

We watched the Reds walk off on the Cardinals the other day.
The Nationals walked off on the Mets yesterday.

Today I'm flipping between the Angels/Yankees game and the Rays/Red Sox game.  My loyalty to the Yankees runs deep however, and coupled with the fact that I can only take listening to the Red Sox announcers for 60 seconds at most, the Yankees game has remained on 99% of the time - even for commercials.  The Red Sox guys call the players by their first name like they are best buddies.  And their accents I haven't quite warmed up to yet.

I wish MLB Network would put on the Tigers/White Sox game on - through four innings Max Scherzer has 8 K's and through 5 Jake Peavy has 7 K's.  Three hits, 1 HBP, and one caught stealing combined.

Oddities

• Tigers closer Jose Valverde was perfect in save chances last season - 49 for 49.  He blew one this year in his first chance, against the Red Sox.  He did pick up the win, however.
• The Mets are 4-0?  Really?
• The Rays and Padres are the only two teams with a grand slam
• The Padres are hitting .266 in day games compared to .109 in night games
• The Phillies have only 4 extra base hits - Hunter Pence has a 2B and HR, John Mayberry and Freddy Galvis have a 2B each
• The New York Yankees pitching staff has the 2nd worst WHIP at 1.74 (Atlanta is 1.78)
• The Red Sox have the worst ERA in the majors at 6.75
• The Rays are the only team with a BB:K ratio instead of a K:BB ratio
• The Braves and Twins remain the only two teams without a win

Have a great Tuesday, freaks.

Instagram Feature; MLB Opening Weekend

Instagram Feature
If you've been thinking to yourself, "there sure are a lot of pictures on the top of this page" when you check out WRT, you're right, there are.  My Instagram feed is fed right to the blog.

Thanks to the people at Instagram for bringing their platform over to Android.  I can finally snap and shoot photos with my phone and share them with the world.  There's plenty of filter options to make it look like I'm a really good photographer.  I promise not to take pictures of the sky - those are severely played out and have become boring to look at - unless it's a kick ass shot.  And I am not a hipster.

MLB Opening Weekend Storylines
Baseball season is here and so are the premature headlines that are shaping the baseball world.

Here's some shocking stories and some that aren't so shocking.

• SHOCKER - The New York Mets and Baltimore Orioles are both 3-0.  They swept the Braves at Citi Field, holding them to just seven runs while scoring twelve of their own.  Johan Santana was the only starter not to get a W (Niese and Dickey both got W's).  Lucas Duda has two homeruns and David Wright is hitting .667.  For the O's, the pitching has been the story - 5 runs allowed in their three-game sweep in Minnesota.
• NO SHOCK - The World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals are picking up right where they left off and are 3-1.  They beat the Marlins in the first game stateside and then took 2 of 3 from the Prince-less Brewers.  They did all this on the road.  Carlos Beltran looks rejuvenated and Lance Lynn threw an absolute gem, striking out eight Brewers in 6.2 innings on Easter Sunday.
• SHOCKER - Yankees and Red Sox are both 0-3.  The good news for the Bombers is that the last time they started 0-3, they won 114 games and the World Series in 1998.  They got dominated by the Rays, who many experts believe will win the AL East.  Bobby Valentine was hoping to have a better start, but his Red Sox were swept by the Tigers.  They coughed up a ninth-inning lead and an eleventh-inning lead yesterday - you think they miss Papelbon?
• NO SHOCK - The Twins lack of offense.  Justin Morneau, Denard Span, and Josh Willingham are the only three with more than one hit.  Joe Mauer is hitting .100.  Mauer and Morneau are really the only two Twins who can do some damage.  It's going to be a long season in Minnesota.

Some "By The Numbers" stuff.

•  4 - Players with 3 HR's - Yoenis Cespedes, Jay Bruce, Miguel Cabrera, and Corey Hart
• 10 - # of hits for Rafael Furcal, the only player in the majors with double digit hits
• 1 - Duane Below of the Tigers is the only pitcher with 2 wins - both in relief.
• 3 - Saves (2) + Wins (1) for Rays reliever Fernando Rodney, in 1.2 innings pitched
• 2 - Losses by Red Sox reliever Mark Melancon in his 1 inning pitched this season
• .500 - Fielding percentage of Angels 3B Mark Trumbo (3 errors in 6 total chances, in 2 games)
• #8 - Kurt Suzuki has thrown out 3 of 8 runners - the 5 SBA in four games is alarming for the pitchers
• 5 - # of teams sitting at 3-0 as well as teams stuck at 0-3

Let's remember, it's only three games (four for some).  I am not hitting the panic button with the Yankees nor am I anointing the Orioles the favorite in the AL East.  It is what it is, one weekend.  There are still 158/159 games to - buckle up.

Numbers Game - #10

Now on to double digits.  It starts with the single greatest number on earth, according to my lovely wife - 10.  Here's a few #10's for the record books - some stats are included for your reading pleasure.

SU Field Hockey great Lindsay Darcy (my wife).  I couldn't dig up any stats, but I know she scored the game-winner against Ohio State.  I saw the video.  She's still competitive as a mo-fo.

This former Reds and Tigers manager led Reds to two World Series titles and the Tigers to one.  He amassed over 2,190 wins as a manager and was inducted into the HOF in 2000.  His #10 is retired by the Cincinnati Reds, Sparky Anderson.  (Photo courtesy of AP)

"The Scooter" Phil Rizzuto, born in Brooklyn, helped lead the Yankees to seven World Series titles in his 13 seasons in pinstripes.  He was then a staple on the idiot box, calling Yankees games for many years, throwing around his signature, "Holy Cow!".  (Photo courtesy of NYTimes)

We're talkin' NY baseball

Yankees Win.  The-e-e-e-e-e-e Yankees Win!

OK so it wasn't a huge win, but seeing how Boston and Tampa Bay both lost, it gave the Yankees another day to be alone at the top of the AL Beast.

Andy Pettitte was an absolute monster last night, going seven strong innings while scattering seven hits in the Yanks 9-3 win over Arizona.  The ageless one improved to 9-2 on the season and is looking forward to an impending All-Star nod.  His ERA dropped to 2.48, he struck out seven batters, and threw 73 of 113 pitches for strikes.  Unlike previous nights starter AJ Burnett, Pettitte limited the damage with 2-out - allowing only a fluky 2-run single to P Dan Haren in the second inning. (Haren is hitting .452 this  season with 6 RBI.)

The Mets bounced back from their Subway Series loss, pounding out 18 hits in a demolition of the Tigers, 14-6.  Both starters were equally terrible - Justin Verlander (2 IP, 5 R) and Jonathan Niese (4.2 IP, 6 R). (Niese, for whatever reason, went back out after a 90 minute rain delay.  That's no way to treat a young arm Jerry Manuel.)  Verlander's relief was just as bad as he was - Jay Sborz had an MLB-debut to forget - .2 IP, 3 H, 5 R - and left with 67.50 ERA.  It'll get better Jay.  Angel Pagan was huge for Los Mets (4-6, 3 R, 2B, 3B, 4 RBI) and David Wright had a solid game for the Mets (3-3, 3 R, 2B, 2 BB, 2 RBI).

I don't get to watch many Mets games - but from what I remember, they have some lollygaggers.  Maybe I just think they loaf around, or maybe it's from my disdain for the way Carlos Beltran plays the game.  I am not so sure the Mets miss him - Pagan is hitting .304 with 34 RBI and 41 R to go along with 14 SB.  Pretty good production for a guy with a $1,500,000 salary. (Beltran makes $11,000,000 and hasn't stepped on the field.)

Crap, it's late, gotta get ready for work.  T$H's new album Weight of the World is awesome.  I'll discuss later.

'Vette

Armando Galarraga was presented a brand new 2010 Chevrolet Corevette before this afternoon's Tigers game.  A small gesture for something that should have been much greater.  He also presented umpire Jim Joyce with the lineup card for the game.

Seems like a good ending to a terrible story.

Rocking out right now to Brand New and Muse.  Rock out on your own.

Boo-ya!!

Wednesday - big day at the ballpark

Got home around 9:15 last night and put in the new A/C, sucker works pretty good, cranking out cold air all night.  Lindsay is still in there sleeping, I was up at the butt-crack taking Nathan out and figured I'd post up.  Lot of stuff happened yesterday all around sports, I'll cover the ones I want.  I'm the boss here.  Flyers got a huge win in OT to cut the series to 2-1.  OK, hot topics:

1. Jim Joyce blew it!  Tigers RHP Armando Galarraga got screwed out of his perfect game, and even Indians SS Jason Donald knew it - as soon as he crossed the bag and was called safe, he put his hands on top of his head, almost signifying, "Holy shit, this umpire blew this kid a perfect game."  He wasn't going to call himself out, but umpires need to make that call and get it right.  There is no excuse.  They get paid huge amounts of money to maintain the integrity of the game.  In all fairness to Jim Joyce, he is human, and although he's been around for 22 years, his latest gaff is further proof that instant replay needs to be adopted at the MLB level.  Not for ball and strikes, but for plays like this, for homeruns that may or may not have been, to determine fair or foul (even though 80% of the time a batter doesn't bust it out of the box).  I'm just saying, these umpires are clearly not cutting it.  There's the play - Galarraga  had the ball and his foot hit the bag a step before Donald go there.  I still am shocked he missed it.  I appreciate the work they do and the fact that the human error still plays a part, but to take history away from this guy isn't right.  And for Galarraga not to have said anything to Joyce is amazing in itself, I would have flown off the handle - but I got a short fuse.  Nice guy, considering he had a perfect game snatched away on the last out of the game.  Instant Replay!!

2. Griffey Jr. hangs 'em  up.  Let's be realistic here, Ken Griffey Jr. was one of the best ever to roam center field, hands down.  There really is no debate that in his prime, he was a freaking beast.  He made more catches over the fence than I can remember.  His Upper Deck rookie card was rare air in the baseball card collecting industry - it was worth upwards of like $150 back in the day at the card shows.  Griffey is a sure fire first ballot hall of famer, and for good reason.  Coming up with the Mariners organization in the early 1990's, there was no other player more synonomous with Seattle than his.  Edgar Martinez, Randy Johnson, Mark Langston, Jay Buhner, Omar Vizquel.  Nobody's compared to Junior.  And to think, he made only $68,000 his first year in the big leagues.  I mean 630 HR's later, he's hanging them up, and at a good time too.  He can't perform like the guy who hit 56 HR in back-to-back season in '97 and '98.  He can't get to double-digit SB's anymore like he did in 1999.  He's a clubhouse guy now, and as much as a team needs guys like that, Griffey has too much pride to go out like a sucker (.184, 7 RBI).  He's a superstar that was never in the steroids debate.  He came in before they were being talked about and dominated as a 19- and 20-year-old.  Thanks Junior, the game needs more guys like you.  Sweetest swing in the game they said, and who am I to argue with that.

3. Robinson Canó en fuego!  If you think otherwise, you better take a good, hard look in the mirror.  Actually, saying he's on fire isn't even enough.  Right now, he's the best hitter in baseball.  He's got a 17-game hitting streak (which will now more than likey end today), has his average up to an MLB-best .373 (.001 higher than Justin Morneau), 78 hits (4 more than Ichiro) - I mean cool him off.  Let's just take a look at his last 8 games - all multi-hit games (3 3-hit games, 5 2-hit games).  During that span, his average has gone from .335 to .373.  He has 9 R, 3 2B, 3 HR, and 15 RBI.  I mean those numbers are staggering.  Here's Yahoo!, clearly confused, telling us who is the hottest player over the last 14 days.  Here's Canó's numbers:  12 R.  5 2B.  3 HR.  14 RBI.  .472 BA.  You tell me Chipper, Cairo, and Ryan have better numbers, you're off your rocker.  Someone at the Yahoo! research department is sleeping on the job.  Stay hot Canó.

OK, that's good for now, it's pretty lengthy and I'm getting hungry, even though I'll probably get an egg sandwich at Han's.  I'll be back!

José Lima...

...Rest In Peace.  This post is dedicated to the passing of former-MLB pitcher José Lima, 37, who died last night in his home in Pasadena, CA of an apparent heart attack.  "Lima Time" will no longer be observed during a game, but will never be forgotten.

From what I remembered of José Lima, he was a wacky, fun, and very average pitcher for most of his 13-year MLB career.  His 1998 and 1999 seasons with the Houston Astros were two of his best.  In '98, he went 16-8 with a 3.70 ERA and in '99 he won 21 games, posting a 3.58 ERA.  He was also a singer, and sang the National Anthem at his own Dodgers game once.

I always recall seeing a game on TV or watching highlights on SportsCenter and noticing José Lima's hair being different colors and his facial hair changing almost daily.  He was eccentric and unscripted, unlike these guys now, with their antics after a big out or save.  His teammates loved him and the fans loved him - and one manager in particular had a great line, "He was an animated guy and a fierce competitor and he got people excited," Detroit manager Jim Leyland said.  When people remember you for those aforementioned traits, you left your mark.

Lima played for the Tigers, Astros, Royals, Dodgers, and Mets during his 13 seasons, as well as spending the beginning of the 2003 season with the Atlantic League's Newark Bears.  His career ERA of 5.26 is nothing special, but he brought something to the park that stats did not  indicate - a love for the game and a man who had a great time playing the game.  He respected baseball - and you don't often see that today (see: Hanley Ramirez).

José Lima will be missed.  RIP and it'll always be "Lima Time".

Here's a little photo gallery of images I've scoured the internet for of José Lima:

Yankees looking to extend domination of Twins

Today's 1:05pm tilt between the Twins and Yankees will feature two lesser known arms for both side - Nick Blackburn (MIN) vs. Sergio Mitre (NYY).  Game 1 had AJ Burnett taking on Scott Baker.  Game 2 was two lefties, Andy Pettitte vs. Francisco Liriano.  Advantage:  NYY.

The Yankees took the first two games of this series and are looking for their third series sweep of the season (vs. TEX, vs. BAL).  The first game was tight until A-Rod decided to show up, belting a grand slam in the 7th with the Yankees down a run - IBB to Teixeira to pitch to Alex Rodriguez?  Then bring in a guy who A-Rod is 4-6 with 3HR against?  Gardy, bad  idea!!  The second game was won behind with pitching - Andy Pettitte gave them 6.1 innings of 2-hit ball in his first start in 10 days.  A-Rod had another good game at the plate - in his last 10, he's hitting .378 (14-37) with 3 2B, 2 HR, and 11 RBI.  Looks like he is starting to get hot.  Teixeira hit an absolute bomb in the 7th inning, and he is starting to pick it up a little too - in his last 10, he's hitting .317 (13-41) with 2 2B, 5 HR, and 16 RBI.  He's raised his average from .136 to .217 since we flipped the calendar to May.  That's two big names stepping up for the Yankees, who are surprisingly only 6-4 in the past 10 games.

Blackburn has pitched against the Yankees before - most recently in last years playoffs.  He pitched well enough to win (5.2 IP, 3H, 1R) but didn't.  Overall, in 4 career starts vs. the Yankees, his numbers look like this:  16.1 IP, 21 H, 12 R (9 ER), good for a 4.96 ERA, almost a full run above his career ERA of 4.20.  He seems to be struggling with his command a little this year - through 39.2 IP he's walked eleven batters and struck out only nine.  He has never been a strikeout pitcher, but the most walks he's allowed was 41 last season (in 205.2 IP).  Four starts vs. NYY?  Seems like I hear his name every time they play one another.  Weird.

Mitre has been throwing the ball fairly well this year - I mean he has HOF numbers compared to his career stats:  2010 - 3.86 ERA; Career - 5.50 ERA.  The trick with him may be the bullpen.  He can fool a few hitters at a time, but starting hasn't panned out for him.  I think it's a good idea once the rotation gets back in order, but in the long run, he'll be a bullpen guy.  And for some reason, I like Sergio Mitre, I hope he does well.  Don't ask why, I don't have any ties to Mexico or any of the other teams he's played for.

Game's on at 1:05pm, I will more than likely not watch, gonna be in the city for brunch.  May be able to catch the tail end of what will hopefully be the 14th straight win over the Twins.  The Twins are up a game and a half on the Tigers, who are hosting the Red Sox.  They pulled it out last night on the always exciting two out, walk-off walk to Ramón Santiago, a career .245 hitter.  Poor Red Sox, can't close games out with their bullpen.  What a shame.

Time to take Nathan out - he's slept all night, woke up at 5:45am, and is sleeping again.  The life of a dog is one I'll never understand.

Monday Madness

Looks like we got a game in Montreal tonight.  Habs lead 3-2 after two periods and are looking to extend this series to a seventh game.  They already took down Ovie and the mighty Capitals.  Can Sid the Kid (1 shot through 2 periods?) and the Penguins be the next victim?  NHL Playoff hockey is great - and this is coming from a guy who doesn't watch a single regular season game. 

Meanwhile, in Atlanta, the Orlando Magic have yet to meet any sort of resistance through 7 playoff games.  They're up 8 at the half tonight in Game 4, 53-45.  #12 has only 9 points and 2 rebounds.  Charlotte got beat by an average of 9 points and so far, Atlanta is getting pumped by a tune of 29 points a game.  I mean Dwight Howard didn't have a good series by any means against Charlotte (9.8 PPG, 9.3 RPG, and 5.5 Fouls/Game)  and they still closed it out 4-0, but this series with Atlanta he's averaging 23.7 PPG, 15 RPG, and 4 Fouls/Game.  Superman needs to show up and the Magic will keep winning.  They should have more trouble with the Hawks, not the Bobcats.  It's all lies on the 6' wide shoulders of one Dwight Howard.

Meanwhile, in Yankee Land, Sergio Mitre is not the answer to the fifth starter spot - he made a spot start for Pettitte tonight against the Tigers and lasted all of 4.1 innings.  5 H, 4 R (3 ER), 2 BB, 4 K, 1 HR (to ex-Yank Johnny Damon) - respectable but the thing that stuck out was that he only threw 37 of 69 pitches for strikes.   Time to switch from DWTS to the Yankee game, see if they can't get a comeback going.  Vazquez is on the hill tomorrow, so tonight is as close to a must-win as there is - who the hell knows what Jaaaavy is going to do.  That'd be a 3-game skid - no bueno.

Game Time.  Later dudes.

Kyle Farnsworth

Skin strapped on steel.  ESPN recently took a poll from various major leaguers on topics ranging from owning a gun (44% do) to the most overrated stat in baseball (BA followed by ERA).  The best topic covered was the one that got the longest story - "Who's the last guy you'd want to run into during a bench-clearing brawl?"  23% of respondents say Kyle Farnsworth.  Here's a guy who form-tackled Jeremy Affeldt after a HBP that he didn't even have anything to do with; a man who speared Cincinnati Reds pitcher Paul Wilson after he muttered something to him for throwing an inside fastball on a bunt attempt.

He probably could play linebacker in the NFL - he's a pretty imposing figure:  6'4" tall, 233 lbs., legs like telephone polls and he's all inked up.  He's got a mean streak, but you must have some set of cojones to test him out.  Ask Affeldt and Wilson.  If you never saw either fight, here it is:



He's a guy who has some pent up aggression, I mean he's started his playing career calling Wrigley Field his home for 6 years - he also has suited up for the Tigers, Braves, Yankees, Tigers, and now the Royals.  He played for Bartman's Cubs.  A perennial loser.  The Royals are garbage.  The Yankees didn't win a thing when he was there.  The Braves have been impotent in the postseason. 

He's from Witchita, which also happened to be home to the infamous BTK strangler Dennis Rader.  Read a book on the BTK - scary dude, I tell you what.  I'm not implying that everyone from Witchita is a stranger, but Kyle Farnsworth is a bad mother trucker. 

Statistically for his career, he has over a K/IP - 784.1 IP and 790 K.  I mean the guy gets the job done in the middle innings - he throws in the mid- to upper-90's - and again, he's got that mean streak.  I've seen let up some bolts, some dribblers, some solid singles, but there aren't too many guys who are going to approach him after a purpose pitch.  I suggest you read the article - it's a great piece of writing by ESPN Senior Writer and Colorado Buffalo Luke Cyphers.

Watching the highlights - Yankees won today, the Pirates (voted the worst franchise in the MLB in the aforementioned poll) beat the Cubs too.

Steel