The Bleacher Report just ranked Anthony Rendon as No. 18 in their List of Top 500 MLB Players for 2015. He is ranked ahead of a lot of really, really good players.

Don't know if AR will play in the regular season finale today or not, but he has a (slim) outside chance of leading the majors in runs. He'll definitely end up leading the NL in runs. Unfortunately, him sitting out some games the last couple of weeks after the Nats had clinched the playoffs cost him a decent chance of being the MLB leader in runs (Trout is 4 runs ahead of AR). I don't believe a Rice player has led the majors in a batting category since Berkman led the majors one year in doubles or maybe RBI?

Rendon also needs one double to become only the second NL player with 40 doubles and 20 homers this year (Adrian Gonzales is the other).

It will be fun to watch him in the playoffs. It's looking like it could be Washington vs. the Dodgers to be the NL's World Series representative but I guess you can never count out the Cardinals.

(09-28-2014 11:57 AM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  Don't know if AR will play in the regular season finale today or not, ...

He started, went 0-2 (F-7 & F-4), and was replaced (along with Span) in T4. Starters LaRoche, Desmond & Harper were replaced in T5 and Cabrera in T6, after their second ABs.

(Shhhh .... Jordan Zimmerman has a no-hitter through 6 7 8 9!.) Stephen Souza's lay-out, diving catch in left field preserves the regular-season-ending no-no!

I also hoped he'd get the 40th 2B, but what a fine year...and he stayed healthy!

Season Stats

For anyone who has had a chance to learn about Rendon, who he is, where he has come from, and what others in baseball think of him, here is a fantastic read: http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/nat...story.html

It reminds me how grateful I should be that I got to watch him play ball at Rice.

Looks like Rendon may get the Gnome treatment by the Nationals next season. Not explicitly defined yet, but it certainly appears to be hinting that way.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/dc-s...ars-gnome/

B-15, 2 outs, Runner on 1st, 1-1 ball game. Rendon at bat.

ETA: Rendon is 4-6 on the night (all singles) with the Nats' only RBI.

Rendon flied out to the warning track at about 360'.

Thought he won it there with a double, but just a little short.

So which game ends first - WAS/SF or STL/LA?

That said, the human firestarter (at least over the last couple month of the season) Soriano is now pitching.

Rendon squeezes pop ups for outs numbers 2 and 3 in the T16.

Meanwhile they keep talking about the Astros' 2005 18-inning NLDS game. We were in Vegas for my bachelor party that weekend and were ready to go get food but wanted to see the end of the game first, so we hung around the sportsbook... for another 3 hours.

(10-04-2014 10:08 PM)texd Wrote:  Rendon squeezes pop ups for outs numbers 2 and 3 in the T16.

Meanwhile they keep talking about the Astros' 2005 18-inning NLDS game. We were in Vegas for my bachelor party that weekend and were ready to go get food but wanted to see the end of the game first, so we hung around the sportsbook... for another 3 hours.

The most exciting extra inning post-season game I personally remember was the Game 6 NLCS game in 1986 between the Mets and Astros.

Nats go in order in B16. Rendon could come up again this game (even in the 17th, though, absent a score in T17, that requires bases loaded and 2 outs).

Headed to T18. Rendon is due up 3rd in the B18.

Giants score on lead off HR by Brandon Belt in T 18. With 2 outs and full count in B18, Rendon shows his usual patience and takes a 2-out walk as the potential tying run.

(10-04-2014 10:59 PM)texd Wrote:  Giants score on lead off HR by Brandon Belt in T 18. With 2 outs and full count in B18, Rendon shows his usual patience and takes a 2-out walk as the potential tying run.

He's stranded by Werth's 2-2 count F-9. Giants win!

Now I can watch my DVR of the Rice-Hawaii game. : -)