The Least Fun Night of the Baseball Season So Far

 Ok, still really pissed about the Guardians' game.  This is what happens when things are not going your way.  I did have some comments:

• This is what when you let a rebuilding team like the Royals hang around.  They steal games from you at the end if your performance is just a little off.  Yeah, we won the series but if we win today we have reached the .500 mark and enter the weekend on the upswing while Minnesota is on the downswing.  Momentum, folks.  It's how we buried the White Sox and Twins last September and its what we need now...and today we didn't get it.
• I applaud Ramirez for making it on his steal of home with two outs in the 10th.  But, below the surface, it was a stupid percentage move born out of desperation and a sense that Gimenez had no chance of coming through.  And that has been the problem with Ramirez.  He tries to do too much and, in so doing, often doesn't do anything, like the other night when, in extra innings, they were doing everything they could to walk him but he struck out, swinging at maybe 4 balls that were no in te strikezone.  So, kudos to you, Jose Ramirez, for making a mad dash for the ages...but that is not how TEAMS win baseball games.
• Furthering that poinig, when Stephan was struggling in the 8th there was a mound visit.  Jose, Rosario and Gimenez were there with Naylor but in the middle of the meeting Jose walked away, taking Rosario and Gimenez with him, leaving Naylor alone to give Stephan encouragement after the meeting with Bo Naylor and Stephan broke up.  Seemed odd to me that the other three infielders just walked away.
• Really pissed that the only ABs that Freeman and Fry got yesterday were in the 9th inning against a position player.  Damned if you do and damned if you don't.  I doubt that they were motivated to try hard as you don't want to run up the score on a rebuilding team with a very bad record that is getting killed that game.    In fact, against one of the worst teams in baseball that was their only two ABs.  Freeman should have played today for Rosario, who ended up going 0-5, chasing 3 unhittable pitches in the 9th, one on the very first pitch.    
• Don't know what is wrong with Stephan but after Tuesday and today, man, the guy needs to get his head on right.  Clase...I thought he was done with the blowing saves...but not so much!
• Finally, will we EVER get a challenge right?  OUR announcers, I think, were singing the praises last night for the ROYALS challenage crew...but not ours.  Says something, doesn't it?

  Then, to make myself feel a little better about baseball, I decided to watch some minor league baseball.

• Parker Messick making his A+ debut and, at least for today, it was exposed that pitching against experienced hitters at high A is much different than playing against 19 year olds at low A.  4 1/3, 8 H 7 ER, 3 BB, 4K and 3 HRs.  Plus the guy looks like more than his 235 lb weight and A LOT heavier than he looked at the beginning of the season in Lynchburg.  When he did throw his FB he was only throwing 91. 
• On a night where you might have thought Messick's performance was the worst in the system, here comes Ross Carver.  1 and 2/3 and 8 ER.
• Our scouting people must just really suck as Boyd, Hajjar and Carver just suck while Jones, Miller and Benson are helping their ML teams are Vargas is in AAA.  The only thing we have to show for trading these 4 guys is Juan Brito.  And the other guys we got back are not just mediocre.  They are so pathetic that it is almost embarrassing that this was all we could get for these major leaguers.   These people should be embarrassed by how bad a job they did in these trades.  And where is our PTBNL for Miller?
• Our 2022 draft was on display again at Lake County as Furman displayed his .184 average and Lampe's .212.

All in all, a pathetic day to watch the Guardians and their affiliates.  Hopefully tomorrow is better...and the Guardians better figure out the leadership within the team as I think it is lacking and misplayed right now.