"Turd Throw" and other stories from the rancid NLC.

[Quality Start Machine]

Photo evidence in the intertubes did seem to suggest (but not reveal, sadly) a magnificent set of Hogans.

PUTTIN' ON THE RITZ!

[Dave B]

She's actually a little better than that picture would indicate.

In CC's 9 starts with the Brewers, he has thrown 1015 pitches, or just about 113 per start.

She's also a thousand times better than Gail Fischer.

Or Dan Plesac.

Not quite Kerry Sayers, though.

Did some checking on Hardball Times. CC has thrown a total of 2948 pitches this year. The second-most (Verlander) is 140 behind him. And he threw a whopping 3581 pitches in 2007. Wow.

[Thrillho]

Photo evidence in the intertubes did seem to suggest (but not reveal, sadly) a magnificent set of Hogans.

[TDubbs]

As bad as the Brewers and Cards pens have been, the Mets have been just as bad.

Oleg had one helluva time at the rooftop.

Pretty uncool of TDubbs to do that to him while he crashed at his CONDO.

NO SHOES ON THE COUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[TDubbs]

Photo evidence in the intertubes did seem to suggest (but not reveal, sadly) a magnificent set of Hogans.

She's legit

[Andy]

She's no Trini Lopez.

[Andre Dawson's Creek]

She's no Trini Lopez.

Nor Nancy Lopez.

[TJ]

Nor Trenni Hubbard

[Taylor2]

MILWAUKEE (AP)—Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun was not in the starting lineup Tuesday night against the Houston Astros because of tightness in his lower back.

Braun missed six games last week with the same injury, returning to the lineup as a starter Sunday in Los Angeles—he pinch-hit Saturday.

On Monday, he appeared to be in pain after swinging and missing in his final at-bat in the sixth. He walked gingerly back to the dugout after the strikeout and was replaced in the field by Gabe Kapler.

Braun, batting .300 with a team-best 31 home runs and 86 RBIs, said he was fine and called it a nagging injury before Tuesday's game. He is day to day.

Milwaukee second baseman Rickie Weeks was also held out of the lineup with a sprained left thumb. He did not play on Monday, either.

[CubFaninHydePark]

Milwaukees other "Ace" gives up a 2-out, 2-on bomb to Geoff Blum to lose the game.  Maybe they should've had Cee Cee pitch the 6th.

[BC]

No Turd Throw and now likely no Izzy for the rest of the season...

http://www.ksdk.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=152665&catid=3

From the story:

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Cardinals reliever Jason Isringhausen, twice demoted from the closer role this season, could miss the rest of the season with an elbow injury, the team said Tuesday night.

"I don't think it's career-ending," St. Louis manager Tony La Russa said. "It's one of the tough breaks that a team goes through."

...

Isringhausen, 35, is 12-for-19 in save chances and is 1-5 with a 5.70 ERA.

Um, Tony, I was hoping this tough break would've happened after a few more weeks of shitty pitching from Isringhausen. Us Cubs fans will have to make do with this however.

[Poon]

Milwaukees other "Ace" gives up a 2-out, 2-on bomb to Geoff Blum to lose the game.  Maybe they should've had Cee Cee pitch the 6th.

Don't let Ned hear this idea or CC will work out of the pen on all four of his off days.

[Tonker]

No Turd Throw and now likely no Izzy for the rest of the season...

http://www.ksdk.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=152665&catid=3

From the story:

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Cardinals reliever Jason Isringhausen, twice demoted from the closer role this season, could miss the rest of the season with an elbow injury, the team said Tuesday night.

"I don't think it's career-ending," St. Louis manager Tony La Russa said. "It's one of the tough breaks that a team goes through."

...

Isringhausen, 35, is 12-for-19 in save chances and is 1-5 with a 5.70 ERA.

Um, Tony, I was hoping this tough break would've happened after a few more weeks of shitty pitching from Isringhausen. Us Cubs fans will have to make do with this however.

Nice try, BC.  You're not kidding anybody, though.

[Taylor2]

More pearls of wisdom from Johnnie B. Baker Jr.

http://www.daytondailynews.com/s/content/oh/story/sports/pro/reds/2008/08/19/ddn081908spreds.html

What does that make the Reds? Spoilers, er, potential spoilers.

"This is very beneficial because we plan on being in that race next year," said Baker, sipping from his large mug of liquid optimism. "The guys who have never been there think they know what it is all about or think they can handle it. But you don't know until you get there. The importance, the pressure.

"You get a taste of it and think, 'This is what we want. This is what we need.' It is a long road to get there, into a pennant race. A lot of our young guys can get a taste of what that long and up-and-down road is all about."

[DwightKurtz]

More pearls of wisdom from Johnnie B. Baker Jr.

http://www.daytondailynews.com/s/content/oh/story/sports/pro/reds/2008/08/19/ddn081908spreds.html

What does that make the Reds? Spoilers, er, potential spoilers.

"This is very beneficial because we plan on being in that race next year," said Baker, sipping from his large mug of liquid optimism. "The guys who have never been there think they know what it is all about or think they can handle it. But you don't know until you get there. The importance, the pressure.

"You get a taste of it and think, 'This is what we want. This is what we need.' It is a long road to get there, into a pennant race. A lot of our young guys can get a taste of what that long and up-and-down road is all about."

Baker's teams should be used to being 55-71 at this time of year.  In '06, while Baker was earnestly working toward driving Cub fans to suicide, the Cubs were 53-69 by August 19th.  Although, after that point, they'd go 3-18 in their next 21... I don't think the Reds have THAT much suck in them, but with Dusty Baker, anything is likely.