Talkin' Baseball: AL/NL Central & Hustlin'

49er16: I know you've been avoiding this but let's talk about the AL Central for a moment. Could the Indians have picked a worst time to shit the bed? And all of these games have been at home! Maybe God really does hate Cleveland?

The Colonel: And it's been a complete shit fest for the Indians. When they score, their bullpen can't hold onto the lead. This series against the Angels they couldn't hit or pitch. Cabrera and Kipnis are once again disappearing late in the season (they did this last year) and those mediocre pitchers are looking mediocre.

49er16: Meanwhile the Royals are looking pretty good. Their top of the lineup has been playing really well and their starting pitchers are solid. I still doubt they make the playoffs but I like them a lot more than the Indians.


The Colonel: I agree there. Cabrera, Kipnis, Swisher, Bourn aren't saving the Indians and Scott Kazmir and Corey Kluber aren't pitching them to a playoff spot. The Royals have a chance based solely on the fact both their starting pitchers and bullpen are solid.

49er16: Speaking of collapses, the Cardinals are finally regressing. They keep losing ground to the Pirates because they're not getting bloop hits anymore that are scoring runs. It's actually kinda of exciting seeing them finally regress.

The Colonel: Missing Yadier Molina doesn't help as well as Matt Holliday looking like an old ballplayer. Where the Cardinals have screwed up is their insistence at not bringing up Ryan Jackson to play at shortstop. Kozma and Descalso are horrendous.

49er16: How about them Pirates? They're taking the division that the Cardinals are handing them. The Pirates don't exactly inspire confidence being swept by the Rockies.

The Colonel: The Pirates don't inspire confidence at all...........This story started a chain on Twitter about "hustling" in baseball. Let me just say I love the assholes that say "hustling" down the first base line is dumb. "WE PREFER OUR HITTERS TO TROT DOWN THE LINE NO MATTER WHAT!!!!" Go fuck yourselves and stop protecting assholes that don't hustle.

49er16: "BECAUSE JIMMY ROLLINS DOESN'T HUSTLE HE NEVER GETS HURT! CHASE UTLEY IS ALWAYS HURT SO OF COURSE HUSTLING IS THE PROBLEM." They're like the assholes who defend these kids breaking NCAA rules because those "rules are dumb". I hate to tell you this, two wrongs don't make a right.

The Colonel: I hate to say this but most people are just walking, talking hypocrites. Anyways baseball ain't an endurance game like basketball it doesn't hurt these guys to hustle.

49er16: So what series' are we watching this week, Colonel?

The Colonel: The slate this week is very week. Besides Pirates at Cardinals there's nothing else.

49er16: Have a good week folks.