Yankees 4, Orioles 1: F***ing DFA Michael Gonzalez Right F***ing Now
Five hours ago I sat down to watch the Orioles play the Yankees. It is now a new day.
Over the course of a fifteen inning baseball game there are a lot of storylines I could pick out to focus on. What I would like to emphasize to you right now is that I have seen enough of Michael Gonzalez in an Orioles uniform. I never want to see him again. He has been a nearly worthless signing starting from last year when he was hurt and he's had a total of about two good games this year. He ruined this game and possibly the next game by virtue of getting his ass ejected by hitting some poor rookie in the head in the top of the 15th, a rookie whose name I don't remember and can't be bothered to look up because it's midnight, with Gonzo having already surrendered two inherited runs, thus forcing tomorrow's starter, Jeremy Guthrie, to enter the game in mop-up duty of a nearly lost cause. Beat writer reports indicate that the mysterious Troy Patton is in Baltimore. If Patton exists he needs to be on the roster tomorrow and Gonzalez needs to be gone. That's all there is to it. You are the weakest link. Good bye. Go forth and poison our team no more. Take your six million dollars and leave us.
Let's take a look at some more of the highlights and lowlights and bizarre occurrences that haven't faded into the misty recesses of memory:
* Zach Britton pitched great, allowing only an unearned run in 7 innings, which never should have scored except for Robert Andino bobbling a would-be DP ball. It also never should have scored except Nick Markakis is apparently no longer capable of rifling the ball from right to home like we've seen him do so many times. As I've called attention to in the past this season, he took a ball that should have been in no way deep enough to score a runner, and threw a ball way up the line that allowed a runner to tag up and score.
* The Orioles batters managing nearly nothing off of one of the many Hutts on the Yankee roster, in this case Bartolo Colon, who apparently had stem cells and probably HGH (not intended to be a factual statement, unless true) injected into his shoulder to fuel his comeback. Colon pitched eight scoreless innings, striking out seven and taking advantage of a gigantic strike zone from plate umpire Dan Bellino, which the Orioles batters still had not twigged to in the 15th inning.
* Mariano Rivera blew the save in the bottom of the 9th inning. Seriously. Vladimir Guerrero knocked in the tying run on a sacrifice fly.
And then our strange comedy rolled on...
* The Orioles had the leadoff hitter reach in the 10th, 11th, 13th and 15th and did not manage to score. In fact, the Orioles loaded the bases twice, in the 11th inning with one out and in the 12th with two out and did not manage to score.
* Michael Gonzalez is a fucking piece of shit pitcher who needs to be designated for assignment immediately. I wanted to say that above the jump but SBN asks us not to use profanity there. So: Fuck Gonzo. Designate him for assignment. I'm going to be pissed if I finish this post and hear that he's still on the team.
* The winning Yankees pitcher is Hector Noesi, who was making his major league debut. He threw four scoreless innings despite allowing two baserunners per inning.
* In the bottom of the 15th the first TWO batters reached, and with one out, Matt Wieters grounded a ball into the hole between first and second that would have loaded the bases... except Brandon Snyder, who pinch ran in the 13th for Guerrero, let the ball hit him. I am not certain I've ever seen that happen in my life.
* Five Orioles relievers actually managed to pitch without surrendering a run. Jeremy Accardo gave two decent innings (at least, scoreless innings) before Gonzalez allowed runners he inherited to score that were charged to Accardo, but it's silly that Accardo had to throw three innings to begin with. Accardo gets the loss but he had no business having to be the sacrificial lamb reliever. The bats need to get some damn runs.
* The one run we scored in the game was the run that made Rivera blow a save. That's over 15 innings. That's crazy.
* Some more stuff that's worth mentioning probably happened and I hope you'll fill in the comments, because it's late and I'm rambling because a game like this you can only react to by rambling.
* I hate everyone and everything. This is what you do to me, Orioles.
See you fine folks tomorrow - actually, make that later today. And fuck the Yankees.
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I could have dinner and be fat a lazy...but I think I'll keep drinking whiskey
and see how it feels to try to run a few miles
by wishEYEhadCRABS on May 19, 2011 12:27 AM EDT reply actions
Amen
I might go out for a few miles just to calm down.
Bertram?... Bertram got really into the '60s, and no one ever saw him again. - Smalls
by Billy Buckner on May 19, 2011 12:31 AM EDT up reply actions
good morning birldand!
I fucking want to end all life.
"I have fear, but I am not afraid."
Damn it feels good to be a contributor, Music City Miracles.
@DPR9
start with me, why dontcha
"Initially thought I had BieberFever but turns out I have pneumonia."
-Guts
Don’t forget that they left the bases loaded twice in extra innings.
At least the end of the world is on Saturday.
it's kinda funny that the
Yankees left the bases loaded also, but ended up winning as soon as Gonzo showd his ugly fucking useless shit eating cum dumpster of a face
by wishEYEhadCRABS on May 19, 2011 12:30 AM EDT up reply actions
You tend to get extra baserunners in extra innings with all the IBB.
The one inning that irritated me was when we had them loaded with one out, and Luke struck out on a pitch that wasn’t even close to a strike.
He really needs to learn some plate discipline from Adam Jones, who seems to be really locked in these days.
Jones has 12 walks in 40 games.
Last year he had 23 in 139.
Sometimes he frustrates with that swinging at the bullshit, but, sometimes he clears his head and makes it happen. Right now he has the second best BA, OBP and SLG on the team. Now, that’s partly because everyone else is sucking to some degree, but still, I like what I’m seeing from him right now.
"What the hell is a Baltimore knot?" "I don't know, but it's never the same thing twice." - The Wire
by Eat More Esskay on May 19, 2011 12:38 AM EDT up reply actions
im not convinced
the DA article from the other day is very troubling in regards to Mr. Jones.
Free Nolan Reimold!
Yeah, I tuned in just as Wieters was ending the bottom of the 11th for us, and Markakis came up and choked in, what, the 12th?
But seriously, I don’t know how you can trot Michael Gonzales out there again.
"If you had Steve Trachsel's stuff, you wouldn't want to throw it either." -- Joe Angel
by Fear and Trembley on May 19, 2011 12:32 AM EDT up reply actions
The Yankees intentionally walked Markakis in the 11th.
That was maybe the funniest shit I saw all night. Why the hell would you give the free pass to one of our worst hitters right now?
"What the hell is a Baltimore knot?" "I don't know, but it's never the same thing twice." - The Wire
by Eat More Esskay on May 19, 2011 12:39 AM EDT up reply actions
Accardo had first and third with nobody out in one of his innings...
When he got out of it I thought for sure we were going to win…
I want Gonzalez gone
and I want it now… actually, I wanted it after the blown saves to start the 2010 season
Fuck Gonzo. Gotta get rid of him.
You can’t keep trotting him out there after this shit. I’m sorry. That’s it. This is not the time for rationality. If he fucked up this game, fine. But then he hit that poor guy in the head, in the face even, making us look like a bunch of classless fucks, probably setting us up for retribution tomorrow, and by being ejected he forced Guthrie to enter the game instead of start tomorrow’s game – a fresh game which we may have actually had a chance of winning.
Get the fuck rid of Gonzo. There’s no more excuse for him to be on the roster.
"What the hell is a Baltimore knot?" "I don't know, but it's never the same thing twice." - The Wire
by Eat More Esskay on May 19, 2011 12:35 AM EDT up reply actions 4 recs
Says it all...
I honestly don’t know how he can show his face in the clubhouse.
Though I wouldn’t be able to if I was Kevin Gregg, either.
Bertram?... Bertram got really into the '60s, and no one ever saw him again. - Smalls
by Billy Buckner on May 19, 2011 12:37 AM EDT up reply actions
Kevin Gregg probably pulled a Rudy and told Buck he would leave if they dropped gonzales
And since we need at least one crappy reliever buck’s hand was forced.
i've been pretty relucatant to jump on his ass... but this was definitely the end of my rope..
also… i can feel myself gearing up to jump on the Fuck Mark Reynolds bandwagon.
Reynolds...
He gets a little more rope. If this isn’t better by July though, then that’s it. At least we didn’t give up anything for the guy.
Bertram?... Bertram got really into the '60s, and no one ever saw him again. - Smalls
by Billy Buckner on May 19, 2011 12:39 AM EDT up reply actions
I agree. Reynolds gets some slack in my book. he’s just homered in back to back games. looked like shit tonight, but it looks like he’s at least starting to hit some.
"I have fear, but I am not afraid."
Damn it feels good to be a contributor, Music City Miracles.
@DPR9
by danielreese05 on May 19, 2011 12:41 AM EDT up reply actions
yeah.. definitely gets more rope...
he was my favorite pickup this offseason, but he really got under my skin tonight. I keep rooting for him to do something good and he keeps failing (i missed the dong the other night)
That's what she said.
Couldn’t help it.
Bertram?... Bertram got really into the '60s, and no one ever saw him again. - Smalls
by Billy Buckner on May 19, 2011 12:42 AM EDT up reply actions
I try not to fly off the handle around here but that was the last straw for me with Gonzo.
I will not accept his presence any longer.
"What the hell is a Baltimore knot?" "I don't know, but it's never the same thing twice." - The Wire
by Eat More Esskay on May 19, 2011 12:40 AM EDT up reply actions
Yeah, he blew two games tonight most likely.
(I know it was Accardo’s baserunners — and Accardo had too many baserunners — but two of Gonzo’s first three pitches were the go-ahead runs and drilling a guy in the head.)
That's what it comes down to for me. Right here he blew two games.
And yeah, the offense should have scored some runs, various people shouldn’t have fucking sucked so much, Brandon Snyder should have let the damn ball get through the hole, whatever. Gonzo’s the one I’m angriest at because I already had a simmering pan of hate going for him, and it’s finally time for that shit to boil over. Fuck Gonzo. Get rid of him. I am embarrassed for every day he stays on the roster from here on out.
"What the hell is a Baltimore knot?" "I don't know, but it's never the same thing twice." - The Wire
by Eat More Esskay on May 19, 2011 12:43 AM EDT up reply actions
I still don’t know why it was Guts instead of whomever was going to get skipped.
Weird, weird managerial move.
If the game was still tied I guess I can understand Guts.
Then it would make sense to fire up your next day’s starter and just tell him he’s it until the game ends.
But it was already fucked. I mean, I guess Buck has to believe his team can come back, but it was first and third with two runs in and an offense that couldn’t do shit all game. The game was a lost cause as soon as those runs were plated. Gonzo should have been the sacrificial lamb but he fucked it up by getting ejected and instead it had to be a starter. You have to figure either Tillman or Bergy’s getting skipped with Monday’s off-day so they could have pitched. I don’t get it.
"What the hell is a Baltimore knot?" "I don't know, but it's never the same thing twice." - The Wire
by Eat More Esskay on May 19, 2011 1:02 AM EDT up reply actions
God I love your hate for Gonzo
It makes me feel more rational about my hate for that sack of shit.
Back on the Sweed train. Choo Choo!
"It’s easy to lie with statistics, but it’s easier to lie without them." -Fred Mosteller
by John Stephens on May 19, 2011 8:52 AM EDT up reply actions
Maybe he'll just quit
worrying that he’s going to kill somebody
I am eating you, motherfucker. You cannot hurt me. - PhilR8
Offense can DIAF
Seriously. I mean, obviously I blame Mike Gonzalez for everything in my life that’s been fucked. Fuck him, the titles says it all.
But the offense was a waste tonight too. I’m so angry I can’t even think straight long enough to make a legitimate point.
Bertram?... Bertram got really into the '60s, and no one ever saw him again. - Smalls
Your last sentence sums up my feelings.
Fuck.
"What the hell is a Baltimore knot?" "I don't know, but it's never the same thing twice." - The Wire
by Eat More Esskay on May 19, 2011 1:02 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
when adam and eve bit the apple from the tree of life michael gonzalez was created....
by the birds clinch on May 19, 2011 12:36 AM EDT reply actions
Contraction, Own It.
Think about it. MLB folds the Orioles. Maybe a fun-to-watch AA or AAA team, or even an Atlantic League team plays in Baltimore for a few years, and then it might get an expansion team. It’s a nice stadium, after all.
I feel that this would be quicker and more certain path to respectability than waiting for the Orioles to get there.
nuke it and star all over
yeah I can get behind it.
"Initially thought I had BieberFever but turns out I have pneumonia."
-Guts
Nuke it from orbit, it's the only way to be sure.

Just because you know how to read, doesn't mean you'll like the book.
by arlingtonOsFan on May 19, 2011 12:47 AM EDT up reply actions
Is that Caprica getting nuked from the BSG reboot?
"What the hell is a Baltimore knot?" "I don't know, but it's never the same thing twice." - The Wire
by Eat More Esskay on May 19, 2011 12:49 AM EDT up reply actions
dunno, I just googled the line and that was the first image that popped up.

this would have been better
Just because you know how to read, doesn't mean you'll like the book.
by arlingtonOsFan on May 19, 2011 12:54 AM EDT up reply actions
I would rather they just contract the Yankees
by brek on May 19, 2011 12:43 AM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
Now THAT...
Is a movement I can get behind.
Bertram?... Bertram got really into the '60s, and no one ever saw him again. - Smalls
by Billy Buckner on May 19, 2011 12:44 AM EDT up reply actions
twice in the last week
i’ve turned on a game that i thought was long over only to see the winning hit after immediately turning on the game.
Folksy literate type.
The magic of Orioles baseball!
"What the hell is a Baltimore knot?" "I don't know, but it's never the same thing twice." - The Wire
by Eat More Esskay on May 19, 2011 12:45 AM EDT up reply actions
So it's YOUR fault!
(I kid, I kid.)
"Your most precious possessions on offense are your twenty-seven outs." -- Earl Weaver
Gonzo
I think every Orioles fan agrees that Gonzo should be Gonzo!!!!! He not only lost another game for the Os tonight but hurt their chances for tomorrow by getting tossed and forcing Guts to be use tonight. Lets hope AM sees it as the rest of the Os fans do.
someone says it's not Gonzo'sd fault
reply:
sure: tonight might not be gonzo’s fault. he will take the blame, but WHEN oh WHEN will he get his 1st batter out, or maybe close the inning out. i thought lefties were suppose to get lefties out…? isn’t that what "THE PERCENTAGES" say? where is arther rhodes? go trade for that 50 myr old… NOW. gonzo, pick up your last check, u’ve been a bum since…. um…. we signed u.
PLEASE -- JUST PLEASE THROW STRIKES.
literally any pitcher from any part of the minors would be better.
Just because you know how to read, doesn't mean you'll like the book.
by arlingtonOsFan on May 19, 2011 12:52 AM EDT up reply actions
PROMOTE THE HOBGOBLIN!
"I have fear, but I am not afraid."
Damn it feels good to be a contributor, Music City Miracles.
@DPR9
by danielreese05 on May 19, 2011 12:53 AM EDT up reply actions
see above, i know accardo lost the game, but two of gonzo’s first three pitches had distastrous results. With his awesome track record, I don’t think the level of ire directed at him is disproportionate to his role in this.
Expecting Accardo to go three innings was too much anyway.
You have to figure if Buck had any confidence at all in Gonzo he would have started the inning, but he had no confidence in Gonzo, so he had to just pray Accardo could minimize the damage. Unfortunately, I guess he was at the end of his tank – although even so the hits were not super hard ones. A dying quail kind of ball and a liner just over Hardy’s head.
Gonzo’s mere existence on the roster fucked up the calculus and then when he finally had to be summoned because there was no one else, he fucked it even worse.
"What the hell is a Baltimore knot?" "I don't know, but it's never the same thing twice." - The Wire
by Eat More Esskay on May 19, 2011 1:05 AM EDT up reply actions
Arthur Rhodes got the win tonight for Texas in extra innings.
How about that for some shit?
"What the hell is a Baltimore knot?" "I don't know, but it's never the same thing twice." - The Wire
by Eat More Esskay on May 19, 2011 1:19 AM EDT up reply actions
There's a guy we shoulda kept
He’ll be better when he’s 60 than Gonzo is now.
by fishoutawata on May 19, 2011 1:31 AM EDT up reply actions
Literally...
A bag of balls would be better.
Bertram?... Bertram got really into the '60s, and no one ever saw him again. - Smalls
i would have liked Buck to pinch hit 4 Luke Scott in the 12th or 13th w/ Snyder for the %‘s & defense
plus, i’ll give up gonzo 4 less….. how about tickets to game 7 World Series in 1983
PLEASE -- JUST PLEASE THROW STRIKES.
I don't remember exactly
But was that the time that Luke came up with men on first and second and nobody out, game tied, and decided it was better to hit some shitty pop-fly than to bunt the runners over? Because everyone on this team (apart from the obviously shitty hitter like Izturis, etc.) thinks they are too good to sacrifice, and I know that it’s more of a managerial strategy probably, but it’s infuriating.
by Hulk Stroganoff on May 19, 2011 1:30 AM EDT up reply actions
SBs are not very popular around here
-“giving away outs,” and so forth-but I’m with you on this. When the runs are just not happening, you do whatever you have to do to get someone across. AJ does it, Hardy does it, LuKKKe ought to do it too.
by fishoutawata on May 19, 2011 1:39 AM EDT up reply actions
Oh C'mon
Are we really talking about Luke Scott bunting?
This space held in honor of Robert Royal known to his friends as "Sweet Cream Style Corn" March 11 2006- February 26, 2009
That was a bunting situation
And both teams were having a hard time scoring (for all of the pissing and moaning about the lack of Baltimore clutch hitting, the other side wasn’t doing it either). I don’t care if you are Luke, Vlad or Babe Goddamn Ruth, in that situation you sacrifice and advance the runner. If you are incapable of doing so, I would rather you gtfo of the city on the same shitty team bus as Gonzalez.
by Hulk Stroganoff on May 19, 2011 2:05 AM EDT up reply actions
I hate small ball but since the Orioles brought “small bats” to the game it may have been necessary to bunt then.
My point exactly
I wouldn’t do it earlier in a game, or with a lead, or where the offense seems to be clicking. But last night was a heaping helping of none of the above.
by fishoutawata on May 19, 2011 8:55 AM EDT up reply actions
It's been 84 minutes since the game Michael Gonzalez completely ruined has ended and he is still on the roster.
Why?
"What the hell is a Baltimore knot?" "I don't know, but it's never the same thing twice." - The Wire
by Eat More Esskay on May 19, 2011 1:25 AM EDT reply actions
You bring a guy in with two on and Cano at the plate
well, shit will tend to happen, so I don’t really blame him for that. But hitting the guy is unforgivable.
Having said that, there is only so far a bullpen can be expected to go, and 15 innings is above and beyond. Putting that many baserunners on and failing to score is the bigger problem, comforting as it may be to make Gonzo the scapegoat for this shitshow.
were this a rare occurance i would tend to agree.
but this is a common occurring and the common denominator in extra innings is either greg of gonzales.
I'm not defending Gonzo
Just saying that this particular debacle does not fall exclusively on him, since the game should have been won long before. I still think he should be cut.
by fishoutawata on May 19, 2011 8:57 AM EDT up reply actions
For those still awake
"Although Zach Britton’s two shutouts make him series MVP, he narrowly loses the Cy Young vote to his teammate, Brian Matusz" -. Zk.
by WestcoastO'sFan on May 19, 2011 1:46 AM EDT reply actions
Someone might have made this point already but...
…if the sign of a bad pitcher is how much they contribute to a loss, then Mike Gonzalez is a doubly bad pitcher than the normal bad pitcher. Just with two pitches, he singlehandedly might help us lose two games in one appearance.
Because of his HBP after tossing the game-losing hit, we were forced to use Guthrie. So, we either start Guts expecting a short outing, or, we call up a warm body just to get the start. Either way, with a taxed bullpen, I don’t see what the Os can do except maybe just do whatever hurts least and get through the next game without losing anyone.
Not to mention the psychological effects of losing that game for the players.
"Although Zach Britton’s two shutouts make him series MVP, he narrowly loses the Cy Young vote to his teammate, Brian Matusz" -. Zk.
by WestcoastO'sFan on May 19, 2011 1:57 AM EDT up reply actions
Around the minors 5-18:
Norfolk lost to Syracuse 10-4 tonight. Ryan Adams singled and walked in four plate appearances. Nolan Reimold went 2-4 with a homer and 2 strikeouts. Josh Bell went 0-4 with 2 strikeouts and a stolen base (his 2nd of the season). The Tides made 4 errors tonight, Ryan Adams only made one of them.
Bowie lost to Richmond 4-2. Caleb Joseph went 0-3 with a strikeout. Xavier Avery doubled in 4 at bats with a strikeout. Ronnie Welty went 1-4 with a single.
Frederick lost to Wilmington 6-3. LJ Hoes went 2-5 with a double and a strikeout. Tyler Townsend was not in the lineup.
Delmarva lost to Greensboro 2-0. Jonathan Schoop’s 16 game hitting streak ended with a golden sombrero. Michael Ohlman went 0-3 with a strikeout and a walk. Mychal Givens went 0-4 with a strikeout. Jarret Martin struck out 1 in 1 scoreless inning. He did not allow a hit or a walk.
So today pretty much sucked outside of Moldy going yard.
If you look at those UZR ratings or whatever
Thanks EME,
Enjoyed the recap. I’m glad I missed tonight’s game. It’s prolly for the best. If this happened September 15th, I prolly would just stop watching.
If you look at those UZR ratings or whatever
amazing
laughed my fucking ass off. certainly better than punching walls
Gonzo is as useless as ...
A trapdoor in a canoe.
That being said. I’m more amazed at the total lack of clutch hitting after it seemed like the Offense was finally heating up over the last 5 games.
It looked like Colon was going to eat the baseball at one point.
"Have a good time...all the time." - Viv Savage
I attended the game
I went to the game, leaving when we reached extra innings. Once home, I continued watching on TV until I realized that the Orioles would never, ever score another run and I went to bed. I am glad that I did, because I was spared the latest appearance of Michael Gonzales. I must confess that during extra innings I completely expected to lose the game. So thorough (unfortunately) is the Yankees dominance of the Orioles that it is hard to visualize one of our hitters getting the timely hit that wins the game. When Felix’s shot just failed to reach the seats I knew it was over.
I think that the vast strike zone contributed to both teams’ offensive ineptitude. Markakis was effectively robbed of a crucial AB by a first pitch strike call that was 8’ outtside. After that, he had to swing at anything, and he did. Does Markakis look thinner and weaker physically than he did last year?
Umpiring was Weak
The guy was bad but he was awful for both sides.
He allowed the outside frame job all night.
Markakis was hit with a bad strike one but swinging at strike two in the dirt was poor on his part. I understand protecting with two strikes and you may swing at bad pitches there but he still failed in the clutch – like the rest of the lineup.
"Have a good time...all the time." - Viv Savage
up here in western NY
I only get see the O’s when they play the Spankees (and sometimes the Mutts). And staying up late to watch all the various creative ways they find to lose to those overpaid, arrogant piles of iguana turd just depresses the living crap out of me. So, then I start looking forward to footbal season … but, wait … I’m a Bills fan. Where did I go so horribly wrong?
Youth may come and go, but immaturity can last a lifetime.
I am too
I used to go to Rochester Red Wings games when I was little and they were the farm team of the Orioles then so I became an Orioles fan. I’m a Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Orioles, and New York Knicks fans. May I live long enough to see even one of these teams find redemption.
For once,
I’m grateful for MLB.TV blackouts. I couldn’t actually watch, and occasionally turned the radio feed on.
Too bad Felix’s deep fly ball didn’t go about three more feet. :(
"Your most precious possessions on offense are your twenty-seven outs." -- Earl Weaver

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