Now This Is How Fast a MLB Game Should Last

Last night I was browsing through some old MLB videos and came across this old game of Tom Seaver's only no-hitter thrown in 1978 while a member of the Cincinnati Reds. The first thing I noticed about this game was that it lasted only an hour and 48 minutes. That's incredible even for a no-hitter. Has there been a game this season that has lasted under two hours? Either way enjoy this old game.



Other Observations:

- Another reason why this game was so quick was because the batters never left the batters box. I hate to sound like old baseball person but why can't batters be like these guys? They stand in the box and wait for the next pitch. No leaving the box to readjust their batting gloves or to take a practice swing. Why can't things be the way they used to be?

- Seaver's delivery and pretty much all pitchers delivery's in those days looks like it was a very easy delivering of the pitch to the plate. Seaver and guys like Jim Palmer pitched forever back in those days and it makes me wonder if we see less elbow surgery's if guys had easy deliveries like his?

- I'm not the biggest Marty Brennaman fan but he was really good for this game. It dawned on me that announcers like players have primes. Marty is past his prime and is in "get off my lawn" mode today. In the 70's I understand why he eventually became a hall of famer.

All Edwin Encarnacion Does Is Hit Home Runs

Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Edwin Encarnacion is on fire in the month of May. He's had four different two home run games including one last night against the Boston Red Sox.



Encarnacion has been the most underrated hitter in the game. He hits for power. Gets on base. And strikes out very little. That's a rare trait in power hitters in today's baseball.

The Blue Jays as a whole have kinda snuck out of nowhere and judging by how mediocre the AL East is this season they could definitely make the playoffs. They're the only team in that division with a positive run differential. They have a great 1-2 punch with Bautista and Encarnacion, Melky Cabrera is playing better, Adam Lind is a BABIP machine, and Anthony Gose is showing some promise that made him a highly thought of prospect.

The one area that the Blue Jays do have a concern is still at starting pitcher. Yes Mark Buehrle has turned back the clock and Drew Hutchinson is pitching well, but it's still hard to take that starting staff seriously. They as a group don't walk many batters but almost all of them over rely on their defense leading to their high xFIP's. You have to wonder how long that's going to last? Or will it matter at all because of how mediocre the AL East has looked so far this year?

Scaredy Cat

The Derek Jeter retirement tour rolled into Chicago Monday night and on Tuesday night a lightning strike let Jeter know that God is telling him it's time to retire.



What a scaredy cat. Afraid of a little lightning.

/I would have ran for cover immediately

"That's Our Ball"

This Clippers-Thunder series has had everything so far. Chris Paul going supernova. Kevin Durant doing Kevin Durant things. Scotty Brooks imploding. Everything leading up to last night's game 5. A game that I was excited about until I saw this tweet before the game by Bill Simmons.

Bennett Salvatore, Tom Washington and Tony Brothers reffing a genuinely important NBA playoff game - what could possibly go wrong?
— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) May 14, 2014

Has there been a more accurate prediction before the game even started? "This reffing crew and what could go wrong?" Simmons has never looked smarter. Because of course something did go wrong and of course it happened late in the game.



Now look one call doesn't win a game for a team, Chris Paul melting down had a bigger impact on the final score, but woof that is a horrendous call at the end of the game. What could go wrong was everything in the final moments and Bill Simmons has never looked smarter.

Gone Fishing

One of the best bits from the Inside the NBA crew is their gone fishing segment for teams that have been eliminated from the playoffs. Since the Raptors and Mavericks were eliminated on ESPN, the TNT did their gone fishing last night.



Of course they had to sneak a photo of Tony Romo in there for the Mavericks. He's like a plague. Everyone from the Mavericks to Duke have been eliminated because of his presence. Dude can't even win when he's not even playing.

Jose Fernandez is Amazing

Jose Fernandez is amazing. Don't ask me, ask the million other writers who have said the same thing. Well if Hernandez isn't amazing at pitching or amazing at hitting, he's being amazing with his glove.



I like to have seen Greg Maddux try to pull that off.

Pineda Pulls a Eddie Harris

Look baseball is a game of cheaters. I came to this conclusion while Bonds was chasing Hank Aaron's home run record. And if batters aren't juicing then they're definitely trying to cork their bats. If batters weren't juicing, then pitchers were trying to do something with the ball. Go back even further when the Giants used to add extra water around first base to keep Maury Willis from stealing 2nd. The game is full of cheaters.

That being said, it can't be this blatant obvious just a week after people were questioning the substance that was on the side of your hand.



My favorite part is the home plate umpire literally touching Pineda's neck where the pine tar was. And yes that was pine tar because Pineda admitted to it.

Look most people don't care about cheating in baseball. Even the Red Sox players admitted they didn't care if Pineda was using pine tar. Here's the deal though, you can't be Eddie Harris on the mound and pretend the other team won't notice and complain. Hell I would raise an objection if it was that blatant and I can't complain about the Red Sox bringing up that issue.

Next time Michael, read up on former Yankee Whitey Ford, and scuff the ball with a wedding ring.

Squirrel!

Confession: I hate squirrels. Where I'm from they're more nuisance than cute. They dig holes which lead to washouts in roads. They eat the nuts off of growers trees. They're a major pain in the ass. It's more fun to flood an orchard and see them popping out of their holes than feeding them in a park.

That being said, I haven't seen a cuter squirrel since the 2011 rally squirrel.



Dawww look at that little thing. Eat them Royals, Squirrel.

"I Wasn't Talking About the Hot Dog"

The Diamondbacks are selling a 18-inch hot dog that costs $25 dollars. It's what all the opposing broadcasters are talking about now during Diamondbacks games since they're so bad. The Giants broadcasters were talking about it and the Mets broadcasters were talking about it last night.



"I wasn't talking about the hot dog."- Keith Hernandez

And this is why the Mets have one of the best broadcast teams in baseball.

Instant Replay Outrage

The initial outlook at instant replay in baseball hasn't been good. Between not being able to review every play, to running out of challenges, to the actual replay booth not having the same cameras as the TV networks to review plays, it hasn't been good.

Last night though I believe the reviewers flat got a call wrong. The play in question was whether or not JP Arrencibia controlled the ball while making a tag at home plate. I believe he still had control while making the tag and then lost control when making the exchange from his glove to his hand to make the throw to first. The reviewers didn't see it that way and changed their call. Ron Washington is with me on this argument.



I'll say this about the reviewers, that's one of those calls where no one would have been happy no matter how it was called. But to throw out Washington without explaining why the call is overturned just seems ludicrous to me.

Video: Deandre vs. Serge

Deandre Jordan is known for dunking on people. Serge Ibaka is known for blocking everything that comes into his path. What happens though if Jordan tries to dunk on Ibaka? Well let's find out.



Valiant effort by Ibaka. He had zero help in that sequence desperately trying to prevent a basket. If he had a little rebounding help maybe he wouldn't have made it onto Jordan's poster. Either way I'm pumped for the playoffs to start soon.

Gerald Green is My Hero

Gerald Green's reemergence and the Phoenix Suns ascent up the Western Conference standings is really the story of the year in the NBA. Phoenix was suppose to be this good and Green wasn't suppose reemerge as a competent basketball player. And yet it happened. Green also became my hero last night after this dunk on a Plumlee.



Look at that big albino dork trying to block that shot. It's freaking beautiful. Love you Gerald Green and thank you for this.

(Via Eye on Basketball)

Pass Interference on Number 12

Yeah, yeah I know Lebron scored 61 last night against a good defensive team. That didn't impress me though. Lebron could almost score 61 every night if he really wanted to. What impressed me last night was this game winner by Wesley Johnson.



If the NBA was the NFL, LeMarcus Aldridge would have been called for pass interference. Aldridge was all over Johnson on that play and remarkably, Wes still caught the pass in mid air and laid in the ball for the game-winner. The Lakers have had a terrible season but that must have been nice to beat a good team like Portland on a lay-up.

(Via Pro Basketball Talk)

How Old is the Oakland Arena?

Last night's Warriors-Heat game was probably the best game you'll see all year in the NBA. The Heat had a big lead on the Warriors only to let it slip away finally needing a last second Lebron 3 to win the game for them. In between that time a piece of disco ball fell from the Oakland Arena roof and delayed the game. Yes, I said disco ball making me wonder just how old is the Oakland Arena?



I love how that idiot Bob Fitzgerald thought a fan threw something on the court. Because fans are totally allowed to bring glass objects into stadiums and arenas still.

Paul George Highlight Reel

The dunk contest this Saturday should actually have some excitement. Paul George, the first real superstar since Dwight Howard, will be participating in the event. To get everyone prepared for Saturday here is George's dunk highlight reel. 

(Via Eye on Basketball)

Hedo Turkoglu Breaks His Own Ankles

When Hedo Turkoglu came into the league with the Sacramento Kings I was completely fascinated by him. He's from Turkey and his name is Turkoglu? Awesome. I was always disappointed when the Kings traded him but they did get Brad Miller in that deal. Imagine my surprise as he became a semi-effective player until a few years ago when he was overpaid by the Magic and then got busted for roids. Now he's just trying to have one last go-around with the Clippers and this happened.

Poor Hedo had to leave the game and didn't return. It's always sad seeing players as shells of their former shelfs. Long live Hedo, your name and game brought great pleasure to this kid. 

(Vid vis The Point Forward)

Now This Is a Super Bowl Commercial

I admit I barely pay attention to Super Bowl commercials. I use that time to go to the bathroom or get something to eat. I'm also just not that into the Super Bowl commercials like other people (except for the movie trailers, I love those).

There is one commercial though I would have paid attention to if I lived in Georgia and that would have been personal injury lawyer Jamie Casino's commercial.



That might be the greatest local commercial ever. Even better than Isiah Thomas of the Kings shilling for a local pizza place called Pizza Guys. And what about his name! Jamie Casino sounds like something from an Elmore Leonard book. I'm surprised we haven't heard that name in 'Justified' yet.

Rock on Jamie Casino and keep getting people money who get hurt.

Video: Paul George Continues to be Amazing

One of the great joys of this NBA season has been the improvement of Indiana's Paul George. He's morphed into a Scottie Pippen type of player this year. He can score multiple ways and his defense is top notch as witnessed by Isiah Thomas a few night ago when George poked the ball from behind him in OT to secure the Indians win. Along with this improvement has been his Lebron James like in-game dunk shows. He put on another show last night in Los Angeles.



Breathtaking. He's simply a joy to watch night in and night out. I go out of my way to watch Pacers games just because of him. He'll win a NBA championship one day and it wouldn't surprise me at all if it happened this season.

"That boy can really stroke it right there. I'm going to take him to Target."

In case you missed it last week, Kellen Winslow was arrested last week in a parking lot at Target for um....uh........ masturbating in his car with two jars of Vaseline. Well Charles Barkley heard that story and decided to make a joke about it last night during Inside the NBA.



Oh man how frightened was Ernie Johnson during that segment? He couldn't get past those remarks quickly enough. As for the rest of the Inside the NBA crew, they're simply the best in Television. I could honestly watch them for hours.

(Vid vis Sports Grid)

Nick Young vs. The World

Last night Swaggy P decided to fight the entire Phoenix Suns team. Well the players who weren't the Morris twins or once he realized how tall Alex Len is. Just watch.



A few thoughts:
- How sad was it when the announcer said the Lakers were probably losing their "best scorer"? If Nick Young is your best scorer on the floor, then you're probably going to the lottery.

- Gotta love Swaggy P taking a swing at Alex Len, running away when one of the Morris Twins came after him, then swinging at Goran Dragic. Carmelo Anthony's bitch slap and backpedal are proud.

- His hair makes him look like a rooster.

- How long will his suspension be? I'm guessing it won't be over 5 games.