Game 302 - Washington Nationals at New York Mets

October 4 at Citi Field in Queens, NY
SNY

The Mets' offense is really struggling and had scored just one run in the previous 42 innings before Curtis Granderson launched a solo home run in the bottom of the eighth for the only run of this game.

A miserable season came to an end for the Nationals, who ended up firing manager Matt Williams afterwards.

* This was my first time listening to Keith Hernandez in nearly six months, so it took me a second to remember how ridiculous he is.

Quite.

The answer is he is quite ridiculous.

We were forced to play a game called What Are All The Things That Keith Hernandez Remembers? because Keith Hernandez has to mention his playing career every 6 minutes (MLB/federal law).

Here's what we learned:

1. He lost the batting title on the last day of the 1980 baseball season.

2. He knows Steve Carlton and saw him the other day.

3. In 1984 Mets fans loved the Mets so they cheered for (the Mets) a lot on the last day of the season.

4. He watched a Brewers game in 1982.

5. Mike Witt was a good pitcher.

6. He played baseball for the Mets.

More from Hernandez 

- On Jacob deGrom's upcoming Division Series start: "maybe the most important start of his young career."

Maybe?! It's his second season in the big leagues and it will be his first playoff start.

- Back to the 1980 batting race: "I ended up losing the batting race to Bill Buckner, ironically."

Someone doesn't know the meaning of the word "ironically".

I think he's trying to say that since Buckner made the error in the World Series six years later that it is now ironic that Buckner (future Redsox) would've beaten Keith Hernandez (future Met) in a batting race six years earlier.

- It was a sunny day and Washington second baseman Trea Turner wasn't wearing sunglasses. Play-by-play man Gary Cohen: "how does a Major League player not go out onto the field with sunglasses?"

Hernandez: "maybe....he's a September call-up?"

Pardon?

- And finally, Hernandez called Granderson's home run a Vinny Bombarito, so he clearly wasn't going to get away with that.

Game 293 - Los Angeles Dodgers at San Francisco Giants

September 29 at AT&T Park in San Francisco, CA
Comcast Sportsnet

With a division title in sight, the Dodgers turned to Clayton Kershaw and the left-hander was brilliant.

Kershaw, who came into the game with a 1.61 career era against SF, threw a one-hit shut out, striking out 13 and LA clinched the NL West with an 8-0 victory.

Kershaw was a little shaky in the early innings, but a soft line drive single and a walk in the third inning were the only San Francisco base runners, and the southpaw struck out the side in the fifth, sixth and eighth innings. From the fifth through the first out of the ninth, thanks to a lot of nasty sliders and curve balls, he fanned 11 of 13 batters.

Some other things to discuss:

* Enrique Hernandez led off the third inning with solo home run off Madison Bumgarner. Color commentator Mike Krukow then called Hernandez "the Bumgarner whisperer", so he wasn't going to get away with that.

* We can call this Stats We Don't Need (Highlighted). Here's Bumgarner as a hitter:

He's 9-for-15 when the ball is thrown directly down the middle of the plate. Fine. He's a good hitting pitcher and he's also a pitcher, so that makes some sense.

But: 1-for-2 (.500) on balls on the inside part of the plate? You don't need to highlight that and also point out that it's ABOVE MLB AVG (and we also don't need to be told .000 is BELOW MLB AVG). What you're saying is, .500 is better and .000 is worse than league average?

Thanks, broadcast team!

* I think we have a winner for 300 Game Season Sweater of the Year

To be honest, it was a one-sweater race.

Game 227 - Portland, OR vs. Santiago de los Caballero, Dominican Republic

August 24 at Howard J. Lamade Stadium in Williamsport, PA
ESPN

Quite a day for Emmanuel Rodriguez, the center fielder for the Dominican Republic. Rodriguez hit a pair of solo home runs and went 4-for-4 in DR's 7-3 victory in a consolation game. In three tournament games, Rodriguez went 5 for 6 with four walks in 10 plate appearances.

* During the top of the third, commentator Kyle Peterson said "get on board the bacon train", and we obviously can't let him get away with that.

Game 176 - New York Yankees at Boston Redsox

July 10 at Fenway Park in Boston, MA
MLB Network

Let's just jump right into a few random thoughts from this 5-1 Yankees' win.

1. Boston right fielder Alejandro De Aza should go by Fernando. He looks much more like a Fernando than he does an Alejandro.

Fernando De Aza!

2. The Yankees scored three times in the fourth without hitting anything hard: fielding error, infield single, bases loaded walk. Bob Costas has been announcing baseball games since the 1700s, so clearly he's seen a few crazy things happen. The top of the fourth inning on Friday: not at all crazy. But here's Bobby:

"Nearly unbelievable fourth inning."

Actually, Bob it was very nearly the most believable inning you could possibly witness:

1. Errors by fielders. Happen all the time.
2. Infield single for a speedy player (Brett Gardner). Happens all the time.
3. Walk. Happens all the time.
4. Walk with the bases loaded. Doesn't happen all the time, but it isn't close to unbelievable.
5. Brian McCann not being able to score from third on a ball that bounces off the first baseman (Mike Napoli's) arm. Happens all the time to Brian McCann. Brian McCann is really slow.

Also, John Smoltz called Alex Rodriguez "Mr. A-Rod", so he wasn't going to get away with that.

Game 165 - Arizona Diamondbacks at Colorado Rockies

June 25 at Coors Field in Denver, CO
Fox Sports Arizona

If you didn't know Paul Goldschmidt's nickname was "Goldy" just listen to broadcasters Steve Berthiaume and Bob Brenly for nine innings. They'll let you know...over and over and over again.

Let's take a look at tonight's Goldy Count:

Total: 38

By-inning:

1st - 8
2nd - 0
3rd - 0
4th - 2
5th - 2
6th - 17, including two 'Goldys' in 17 seconds by Berthiaume
7th - 4
8th - 1
9th - 4

Some Goldys:

"Just get to Goldy"
"Here comes Goldy"
"The throw high and Goldy's in there"
"The way Goldy can"
"It just looks like it might be becoming a habit with Goldy"
"...and knocks it to Goldy"
"...and Goldy's charging into third!"
"Goldy comin' home"
"Goldy at some point completely lost sight of the baseball"/"Somehow Goldy still makes the play"
"I can't remember the last time we saw Goldy hit a ball in the left field corner"
"...and great baserunning once again by Goldy"
"I love to watch Goldy when he's the trail runner on first base"
"I just think De La Rosa doesn't want to throw a pitch to Goldy!"

Oliver Perez?

Coming into pitch for the Diamondbacks in the eighth......Oliver Perez.

OLIVER PEREZ?!

Leftover Nonsense

Let's not let Berthiaume and Brenly get away with Goldschmidt-only activity.

"D-Backs riding the NL West rapids" (Berthiaume)
"Tsunami them in the first inning" (Brenly)
"CarGo a no-go" (SB)
"Your hands and your fingers - if you don't have 'em, you can't play!" (SB)

One more time:

"Your hands and your fingers - if you don't have 'em, you can't play!"

And finally.....

(Berthiaume, speaking about an upcoming Welington Castillo at bat) "Beef Welington, coming up!"

Game 154 - New York Yankees at Baltimore Orioles

June 12 at Camden Yards in Baltimore, MD
MASN

Like every major league game I've seen either in person or on television, there were several people in the stands with gloves.

Hang on, let me just revise that a bit: there were several GROWN ADULTS in the stands with gloves.

This topic has been discussed thousands of times, but I feel like there haven't been enough solutions, until now. 

I'd like to propose a glove bonfire be placed at the gates of every major league stadium. Call it the only phase of my Too Old For A Glove At The Park plan. If you bring a glove to the game, you simply have to provide identification with your ticket. And let's go ahead and set the age limit at 12-years old.

[Ticket taker] "Welcome to (stadium name). I see you have a glove there, OK, let's see some ID, son......looks like you're....nine. OK, come on through."

(Next person with a glove)

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hang on there buddy. Let's see some identification..........no, 47-years old. Give me the glove....enjoy the game." [glove tossed on nearby bonfire].

The bonfire being nearby is an important part of this. The fans need to see the bonfire; it's the only way they're going to learn.

I wonder if a glove detector is going too far? If people begin attempting to sneak gloves into the stadium if might be necessary. If no detectors, then ushers are going to have to start getting involved.

"You wanna hand me that glove, sir?"

"What glove?"

"The glove you used to try and catch that foul ball and then shoved underneath your jacket. Let's have it."

(starts to take off jacket) "The jacket?"

(hands jacket over)

(not accepting jacket/pointing) "The glove, sir."


Ubaldo

The announcers - Gary Thorne and Mike Bordick - referred to Baltimore's starting pitcher, Ubaldo Jiminez as "Ubaldo" nearly the entire time he was in the game, an 11-3 Orioles win.

I really do enjoy counting Ubaldos. It's a lot more enjoyable/popular than Let's Tally Up The Weak Groundouts By Yankee Middle Infielders.

* Thorne: said 'Ubaldo' six times
* Bordick: 15 times

By inning:
1st - 7
2nd - 2
3rd - 4
4th - 4
5th - 1
6th (after he had left the game) - 3

Notable Ubaldos:

Bordick

"Ubaldo double plays"
"Ubaldo's fast ball"
(What other Orioles' players are thinking when Jiminez falls behind in the count) "Come on, Ubaldo"
"Nice start for Ubaldo"

Thorne

"Ubaldo watching"

My 'Ubaldo(s)' count in this post: 14

* Also, Bordick said "extendoglove", and he wasn't going to get away with that.

Game 28 - Gonzaga at Arkansas

March 11 at Baum Stadium in Fayetteville, AR
SEC Network

I imagine a 27-day, 17-game road trip, like the one Gonzaga just completed, can get quite unpleasant. You don't get to sleep in your own bed, sure, but more importantly:

1. You don't get to air drum in your own shower.
2. Is this always the guy that's going to sit next to me on the bus? He smells like vinegar.
3. Not a QT taquito. Not again.

Gonzaga completed its long road swing to start the season with Wednesday's 15-5 victory over the Razorbacks. That also capped a two-game sweep of the mid-week series as Arkansas pitching was a wonderful host (21 runs allowed in 18 innings), especially in the finale:

Gonzaga drew 13 walks, at least one from each of Arkansas's seven pitchers, and there were also four wild pitches and three hit batsmen. Cannon isn't a first name, but that doesn't mean Mr. Chadwick should get away with throwing less strikes.

Arkansas gets one day off before traveling to Nashville to open up SEC play against defending national champion Vanderbilt. Meanwhile, the Zags (Bulldogs? Bullzags?) finally return to the cozy confines of Washington Trust Field this weekend when they open West Coast Conference play against San Francisco.

Let's wrap up with a Troy Eklund top 5:

5. "He out-ran the baseball"
4. "Change the complexion of the game"
3. "He doesn't have any chinks in his armor"
2. "They'd love to have an easy inning and get back to the bat rack"
1. "I'm going to say something right after this pitch by Chadwick"