Game 85, 2016 and 4th of July historical revisionism

Posted on by

The guy who wrote the latest Ty Cobb biography explains why most of what we’ve been told of Cobb is a lie. For example, his family history would indicate he was no racist, despite what we’ve been told:

Ty Cobb was descended from a long line of abolitionists. His great-grandfather was a minister who preached against slavery and was run out of town for it. His grandfather refused to fight in the Confederate army because of the slavery issue. And his father was an educator and state senator who spoke up for his black constituents and is known to have once broken up a lynch mob.

[snip]

Cobb himself was never asked about segregation until 1952, when the Texas League was integrating, and Sporting News asked him what he thought. “The Negro should be accepted wholeheartedly, and not grudgingly,” he said. “The Negro has the right to play professional baseball and whose [sic] to say he has not?”

I’ve read the biography, and it’s a good one. I give it 4 stars.

On to today’s game.

Orioles at Dodgers, 6:10PM PT, TV: MLBN (out-of-market only), MASN, SPNLA

The Dodgers have won four straight and the Orioles have lost four straight. Despite that the Orioles still lead the AL East by three games. Each streak could continue after this evening’s game with its early start time (fireworks afterward!). The Dodgers ask young Julio Urias (1-2, 4.09 ERA) to keep up his good work; he’s lowered his ERA from one game to the next in each of his 7 starts. He’s thrown 33 innings so far for the big leaguers in 2016 after throwing 41 in the minors this season. The most he’s ever thrown in a season is 87 2/3 in 2014, so he’s coming close to a shutdown point.

Urias will be opposed by Yovani Gallardo (3-1, 5.77 ERA). This is his fourth start after coming off the DL, where he’d been with shoulder tendinitis. His last start was his best since his return; he went six innings against the Padres and got the win.

Note: the Orioles hit a lot of home runs. They just set a major league record by hitting 56 in June, the most ever in that calendar month. They are on pace to hit 262 for the season, just two short of the all-time record of 264 set by the A-Rod-Griffey Jr.-Jay Buhner-E. Martinez Mariners in 1997.

Update: Hyun-Jin Ryu will start Thursday’s game for the Dodgers against the Padres.

Lineup:

86 thoughts on “Game 85, 2016 and 4th of July historical revisionism”

  2. Baez looked great against the Orioles. O’Day due back soon from the DL. Who else besides Baez might the Dodgers have to give the Orioles for O’Day?

    Might the Dodgers try to trade for Lucroy before the deadline? Grandal and who else would it take to get Lucroy?

    Do the Dodgers trade for Archer?

    Besides a starter, reliever, and a right side bat, would the Dodgers want or need to do anything else?

    • O’Day didn’t/doesn’t want to leave the East Coast, and the Orioles themselves need reliable relievers – as yesterday’s game proved. As far as Lucroy goes, huge price in premium prospects, and Grandal is showing signs of life – hit the ball very hard yesterday, but robbed by Adam Jones on a screamer to CF in addition to his monster HR. Archer also would come at very high price, and I’m not sure he’s be an improvement.

        • Not necessarily, but they may not risk a short-term fix at the expense of the future. Getting healthy is already paying dividends that trades might not yield better results. And remember, the Gnats have been playing the wimpy part of their schedule, and it gets tougher for them after the ASG break.

  3. Yahoo! It might have been a little ill-mannered to defeat the Baltimore team on the 4th of July, considering the national anthem was written on a ship in the Patapsco River just south of the city, but I’ll take it.

    • Hey John. I realize this might be a bit late but – what are the odds you become the next PM there in Australia. Do we still have a shot to vote for you? Let us know if there is anything we can do to help you out!

      And yes, it was a gutsy win but easy to digest!

      • I wouldn’t want the job. 🙂
        We just had our general election on Saturday and its still too close to call.

  5. Dodgers remain solidly the 4th best team in the NL (7th overall) and closing in on the Nats for 3rd best record.

  6. That was very cool – listening to Jansen close out the Orioles as the fireworks hit an amazing finale.

  8. 7-5! And now for fireworks ( or Boomie Lights as my kids’ friend Rosie called them when she was four.)

    • A rare sight to see a pitcher do that but, with Kenley’s size, I wouldn’t want to challenge him.

      • Justin looked like he would have bowled over just about anyone else in that situation.

        • I remember doing that off the mound in a semi final (top 4 situation) many years ago. I caught it on the second attempt half way down the third base line. (I’m not sure where my third baseman was)

  11. I wonder what the pecking order will be in the NL ASG bullpen? Always weird to think of (insert name of your favourite team’s closer) as a 7th or 8th inning guy.

  17. They tried to pitch inside to Seager once to often tonight I guess.

  20. 5-5. Brand new ball game and Urias saved of an L beside his name in the box score.

  23. Closed the gap again. Would have loved more but happy to score 2 considering there were 2 outs.

  26. Are we destroying Urias’ confidence by having him pitch in the majors while still being so young?

    • Always a question, given his youth. But he has shown he can pitch in the Bigs. Coming into this game he has shown steady improvement after being rocked in the first couple outings.

      • Seems to me he needs to work on putting guys away. He doesn’t have that knockout pitch, so guys like Hardy can foul off half-a-dozen balls before doubling to right field.

    • Well if that was Urias last start of the year – at least in MLB – do you think he begins next year in the majors or the minors?

      • Would magine he has at least two starts left. Seems to be able. Coming in his ERA was league average despite the earlier troubles. Believe he is in the Bigs to stay.

        • Heck, this guy Gallardo is in the Bigs and makes $9 million with ERA+ of 77.

      • Julio’s numbers coming into this game were actually better than what Clayton did in his first season when he was 20. (ERA, k and bb rates)

    • I think Urias is hungry and confident. But I would prefer to have Stewart in the rotation now that Ryu and McCarthy apparently are back in it. Urias got his taste and bailed out the rotation when it needed help.

  28. Dave Wallace, Orioles pitching coach, spent 20 years in the Dodger organization, including Sr. VP for baseball operations in 2001-3

  29. Happy 4th everyone! We are about to go out in search of fireworks, taking my little radio with. Go dodgers!

    • And could have been more. Thompson swung at 2 balls out of the zone. Puig could be batting right now.

  43. Mattingly the strategist: Ichiro leads off tie game in eighth with a double. He then orders Realmuto (for-four-four) to bunt, who fouls them off before walking. Then Donnie orders Prado to bunt into a DP.

  44. Maybe being on the DL to start the second half will give Pederson a chance to have a rested body and mind for the second half and have two first halves this year.

    • He was doing fine, making consistently better contact and playing outstanding D. I doubt he’d have had the same second-half problems as last year.