The New York Yankees' 2019 season heads to the sewer this week...Oakland Coliseum that is (Lord, forgive me). It is my second worst baseball venue just behind Tropicana Field. The Coliseum is a place that has been outdated since a few years after they opened the place in 1966. The foul ground is famous and ridiculous and seems to cover more area than Rhode Island. The sewers there have been known to back up, of course, and that is the inside joke. But this series is not a joke as once again, the Athletics have put yet another surprise season together and have been playing .600 baseball since June. And, they are very good at home.
You look at the A's roster and you wonder how they do it. Four or five of their regular lineup members have a lower OPS+ than 100. The starting pitchers are a hodge-podge of castoffs from other teams and closer, Blake Treinen, has had a disappointing season compared to last year's amazing one. Treinen has been picked up by Liam Hendriks. Yes, that Liam Hendriks. Out of nowhere, Hendriks is having an incredible season with over twelve strikeouts per nine while walking less than three per. His ERA of 1.54 is backed up by a FIP of only 1.94. He has more than made up for Treinen.
The A's starting rotation has been solid despite not having any big arms or stars. Mike Fiers, the much-traveled 34-year-old has found a good home in Oakland. Since his pickup as a trade deadline deal a year ago, he has gone 16-5 in 35 starts with a solid ERA of 3.53 over that span. His WHIP this season is a solid 1.109. The Yankees will face him Wednesday night.
Brett Anderson has been a solid starter as has Chris Bassitt. Their best starter, Frankie Montas, is serving an 80-game PED suspension and will not return until September 25. The A's went out and looked for bargains in the rotation that could fill the gap and came up with Homer Bailey and Tanner Roark. The latter has been good while the former has not been good. The Yankees will see them both sandwiched around Fiers.
The bullpen is decent. Treinen is still trying to work it out, but Hendriks is getting the bulk of the closing duties. Middle-aged relievers Yusmeiro Petit and Joakim Soria still know how to get people out. The rest of the bullpen does not have flashy arms and have high walk rates. So if the Yankees can crack the bullpen early, they can do well.
As mentioned, the Athletics' lineup is spotty, which rhymes with Piscotty, who should be back for this series from the DL. That is actually good news as he does not hit that well. The catching corps for the A's have been an offensive drag. Josh Phegley is the regular, but no one would consider him a great-hitting catcher.
Second base has also been a disaster for the A's. Jurickson Profar continues to disappoint and the A's have recently experimented with old friend, Corbin Joseph. Joseph has yet to prove he can hit in the Majors.
Elsewhere, Robbie Grossman, Khris Davis and the aforementioned Stephen Piscotty have had disappointing seasons at the plate. It is difficult to forget, though, that Khris Davis kills the Yankees.
The good hitters the A's have are really good. Matt Olson at first, Matt Chapman at third and Marcus Semien at short have all had outstanding seasons. The Yankees are fortunate that center fielder, Ramon Laureano, is out with an injury. He had been mashing the ball as well. Mark Canha has been a major boost to the team and as a fourth outfielder, has played 90 games and has an OPS of .887.
Basically, the Oakland Athletics has a middling offense with some great hitters and a slightly above pitching staff with a lot of duct tape. But here they come again.
If you decide to stay up late this week to watch, here is what to expect. The Yankees have a better than good chance in Game 1 as Domingo German matches up really well against Homer Bailey. In Game 2, I favor Mike Fiers over JA Happ. In the finale, I would give the Yankees a slight edge with Masahiro Tanaka pitching in a big park against Tanner Roark. It will be an interesting series and one we might see again in the playoffs.
Showing posts with label Oakland A's. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Oakland A's. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 20, 2019
Monday, September 10, 2012
Whiff rate might sink Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics have truly been one of the most remarkable stories of this 2012
season. They were never expected to compete for a playoff spot. After they traded away
two-fifths of their starting rotation and some of the remaining rotation members came up
lame, there was no way of predicting that at this stage of the season, the A's have the wild
card race in their own destiny and are still within hailing distance of the Rangers for the
division lead. The young rotation and solid bullpen have led them, no doubt. But a resurgent
offense has also been a big part of the equation. But can that offense keep them in the
races through the final weeks? The concern here is that the team's strikeout and swing and
miss rate will eventually sink them.
The Oakland A's lead the American League in offensive strikeouts. And while the offense
has ticked up in the second half, that strikeout rate has remained remarkably consistent
throughout the season. In the first half, the A's struck out 21.2 percent of the time. So far in
the second half, the A's have struck out 23 percent of the time to give them a 22.1 percent
strikeout rate for the season. In the last seven days, the A's have struck out 23 percent. In the
last fourteen days, the team has struck out 23 percent of the time. In the last 28 days, the
team has struck out 22.1 percent of the time.That is remarkably consistent and should not
deviate the rest of the season.
All the strikeouts lead to less balls in play. Less balls in play mean less hits that can fall in.
The A's are second from the bottom in team batting average and second from the bottom in
team on-base percentage. Only the Mariners are worse in both categories.
The team's walk rate has not been as consistent as its strikeout rate. Surprisingly, the A's
are tied for third in the American League with 465 team walks. But that rate has gone down
in the second half. In the first half of the season, the team walked 9.2 percent of their plate
appearances. That rate is down to 8.2 percent in the second half. So even though the A's
have improved their team batting average in the second half from .225 to .254, the on-base
percentage has remained fairly static. Despite a 29 percentage point rise in batting
average, the on-base percentage has only risen 18 percentage points in the second half.
The slugging percentage, of course, has gone through the roof for the A's as they have had
several sluggers get hot. But it is those streaking sluggers that bring on most of this concern
about the Athletics' offense. Let's look at some of the key players that have been fueling the
A's surge:
- Chris Carter has had a fabulous run and has slugged .571 for the A's with most of that damage occurring in the second half. Carter strikes out 29.8 percent of the time. A correction could come at any time.
- Brandon Moss has really hit some bombs and is slugging .549. But he strikes out 31.9 percent of the time and unlike Carter, does not walk much. His .319 on-base percentage is a correction waiting to happen too.
- Jonny Gomes has really come on for the A's and has hit several key homers in recent weeks. But Gomes is a known entity and has always been streaky due mostly to his strikeout rate. His strikeout rate with the A's is 30.7 percent and 27 percent for his career.
- George Kottaras has slugged .578 since coming over from the Brewers, but he strikes out 27 percent of the time.
Add to that mix the fact that Josh Reddick strikes out 23 percent of the time and Yoenis
Cespedes strikes out 20 percent of the time. To be fair, Cespedes' rate is much less than
anyone expected.
When all is said and done, the A's remain a hit or miss offense. Good pitching has been a
constant for the A's but their winning ways in the last two months are just as much due to a
collective surge by the players listed above. Their strikeout rates are all large and just as
fast as they all got hot together and started hitting bombs all over the field, they could get
cold as strikeout after strikeout piles up.
Hey, this isn't saying that the A's can't continue this amazing run of theirs and continue to
write a pretty amazing story. Just call this a little dark cloud around the silver lining and one
that could ultimately trip up the A's in the end.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Zero Strikeouts in a Game
The Kansas City Royals have become famous for all the wrong reasons. Since the George Brett Era, the team has been a losing team for a very long time. As mentioned many times here this year, there is hope for the Royals with an infusion of young players, the tip of the iceberg we have already seen this year with Mike Moustakas and Eric Hosmer. But until the Royals get all their pieces in place, they will still make headlines occasionally for all the wrong reasons. Take this fact from last night's game: The Royals have pitched three nine inning games this season without recording a strikeout. That's right, no strikeouts...three games.
Last night it was Luke Hochevar for seven innings and then Tim Collins in relief. Zero strikeouts. Tim Collins was part of another such game for the Royals back on May 6 against the same Oakland A's. In that game, Sean O'Sullivan pitched eight innings without striking out anyone and Collins did the same in his one inning of relief. The third game also featured Sean O'Sullivan against the Yankees on May 12 when O'Sullivan combined with Blake Wood to pitch the entire game without a strikeout. The Royals even won that game.
And so the Royals are pacing the league in a strange category. The feat has only been done six times this season and the Royals have done half of those. No other team has more than one. In the last ten years, only the 2005 Giants performed the same feat more often. Those Giants did it six times. The Giants of 2005 had noted fireballers such as Kevin Correia, Brett Tomko (who was a part of two of those games), Kirk Rueter and Jarrod Washburn. Yeah, that was sarcasm. The Giants also had zero strikeouts in three games in 2003. The Twins did it three times in 2003 as well and the Tigers performed the feat three times in 2002.
And so in the last ten years, the Royals find themselves in rare company. By the way, if you happened to be asking the question, the last time both teams in a game threw zero strikeouts was on June 29, 1985 when the Blue Jays played the Tigers and there wasn't a single strikeout in the entire game. In that game, the Tigers beat the Blue Jays 8-0. Walt Terrell threw a complete game shutout on two hits with no strikeouts. Louis Leal, Dennis Lamp and Ron Musselman all pitched for the Blue Jays and didn't strike out anyone either.
The Royals have done something no team has done in six years and with more than half the season to go, they could still catch those 2005 Giants.
Last night it was Luke Hochevar for seven innings and then Tim Collins in relief. Zero strikeouts. Tim Collins was part of another such game for the Royals back on May 6 against the same Oakland A's. In that game, Sean O'Sullivan pitched eight innings without striking out anyone and Collins did the same in his one inning of relief. The third game also featured Sean O'Sullivan against the Yankees on May 12 when O'Sullivan combined with Blake Wood to pitch the entire game without a strikeout. The Royals even won that game.
And so the Royals are pacing the league in a strange category. The feat has only been done six times this season and the Royals have done half of those. No other team has more than one. In the last ten years, only the 2005 Giants performed the same feat more often. Those Giants did it six times. The Giants of 2005 had noted fireballers such as Kevin Correia, Brett Tomko (who was a part of two of those games), Kirk Rueter and Jarrod Washburn. Yeah, that was sarcasm. The Giants also had zero strikeouts in three games in 2003. The Twins did it three times in 2003 as well and the Tigers performed the feat three times in 2002.
And so in the last ten years, the Royals find themselves in rare company. By the way, if you happened to be asking the question, the last time both teams in a game threw zero strikeouts was on June 29, 1985 when the Blue Jays played the Tigers and there wasn't a single strikeout in the entire game. In that game, the Tigers beat the Blue Jays 8-0. Walt Terrell threw a complete game shutout on two hits with no strikeouts. Louis Leal, Dennis Lamp and Ron Musselman all pitched for the Blue Jays and didn't strike out anyone either.
The Royals have done something no team has done in six years and with more than half the season to go, they could still catch those 2005 Giants.
Saturday, November 06, 2010
Chavez Saga Finally Over in Oakland
To call Eric Chavez a sunk cost doesn't come close to describing how bad the long-term contract Chavez signed with Oakland worked out for the A's. Consider if you will that Chavez earned $44 million of the A's money for the last four years and was able to contribute 292 plate appearances in that time span. Long gone were the days where he was an All Star and perennial in the top 20 in MVP voting. This wasn't exactly like the Barry Zito deal with the Giants. At least Zito was contributing somewhere close to league average on a regular basis. Chavez was able to provide nothing. The nightmare for the A's (and the Fan supposes, for Chavez) was more similar to the Carl Pavano deal the Yankees made several years ago.
This Fan took to calling the player's sunk cost, "The Real Chavez Ravine." Every year, there would be some sort of hope that Chavez would be able to get on the field for the team. But the sad reality is that they were better off when he didn't play. His combined slash line for the last three seasons was .212/.265/.317. But there is more to this story than just the past three years of nothingness. The three seasons prior the last three featured a player who barely mustered league average in his plate appearances and tailed off dramatically in the field. So if you add all that up, that is three years of league average and three years of nothingness (a total of six years) at a cost of $67 million dollars.
From 2001 to 2004, Chavez was a very good player playing on a very good team. He averaged 32 homers a year. Over that span he averaged a 128 OPS+. His best season was 2004 when he finished with a 134 OPS+ and walked 95 times. It was right after that season that his salary went from $5.5 million to $8.5 million and his salary has risen every year since. But he was never again better than league average after 2004.
Many will speculate over the reasons for the timing of his swoon and for the nagging quality of his injuries since. But this Fan won't go there. But one fact is evidently clear: The A's got hosed on this deal.
But it's finally over. In one of the most overlooked stories of month, the A's declined the 2011 option on Chavez. The A's are finally free and can move on with their strategies without the anchor the contract placed on the team. And finally, the Oakland A's fans have to find something else to gnash their teeth about (not that this writer could blame them).
This Fan took to calling the player's sunk cost, "The Real Chavez Ravine." Every year, there would be some sort of hope that Chavez would be able to get on the field for the team. But the sad reality is that they were better off when he didn't play. His combined slash line for the last three seasons was .212/.265/.317. But there is more to this story than just the past three years of nothingness. The three seasons prior the last three featured a player who barely mustered league average in his plate appearances and tailed off dramatically in the field. So if you add all that up, that is three years of league average and three years of nothingness (a total of six years) at a cost of $67 million dollars.
From 2001 to 2004, Chavez was a very good player playing on a very good team. He averaged 32 homers a year. Over that span he averaged a 128 OPS+. His best season was 2004 when he finished with a 134 OPS+ and walked 95 times. It was right after that season that his salary went from $5.5 million to $8.5 million and his salary has risen every year since. But he was never again better than league average after 2004.
Many will speculate over the reasons for the timing of his swoon and for the nagging quality of his injuries since. But this Fan won't go there. But one fact is evidently clear: The A's got hosed on this deal.
But it's finally over. In one of the most overlooked stories of month, the A's declined the 2011 option on Chavez. The A's are finally free and can move on with their strategies without the anchor the contract placed on the team. And finally, the Oakland A's fans have to find something else to gnash their teeth about (not that this writer could blame them).
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Braden and Etiquette Can't Seem to Separate
Turns out the Fan was prophetic after all. According to Big League Stew, Evan Longoria DID try to bunt his way on in the fifth inning during Braden's fantastic perfect game. This time, Braden isn't at the center of the debate, but "Duk" comes out and says that Longoria's attempt wasn't kosher. In the fifth inning?
Although the Athletics were up 4-0 at the time, the game was by no means out of hand. An offense like the Bay Rays can score four runs in a heart beat. And let's face it, this is going to be a long season and one win could mean a lot in the American League East. The Yankees are right on the Bay Rays' tail. Boston and even the Blue Jays are not even close to being out of the race. Both the Twins and the Tigers are playing well and a wild card in the AL East is not written in stone. Despite what Braden had going, in the fifth inning, a bunt attempt to get things started is not an etiquette thing. It's a strategic thing.
It's all a moot point of course, because as it all worked out, the bunt attempt went foul and Braden got his game of glory. But what about this etiquette thing? This Fan still wonders about the big deal of celebrating a homer or a big strikeout by a reliever or a guy running across the mound. Of all the things in the world to worry about, should those really be so important?
As Duk himself pointed out, when is it poor etiquette to bunt? If the lead off batter of the game attempts to bunt his way on, is that poor etiquette as the game is a perfect game at that point too? Is it okay in the third inning? The fifth? The seventh? It would seem to this observer that if the score was something like 8-0 in the seventh or eighth inning and the pitcher is throwing a no-no or a perfect game, then a bunt seems unseemly. But 4-0 in the fifth? No, the Fan can't buy that. The Bay Rays are trying to win a division here.
And it's funny how this thing seems to always center on Braden. Well, he brought a bit of that on himself. At least he isn't the one screaming this time. Thank goodness. But anyway, the good news is that Braden got his history and it was a great mother's day gift for him and the Oakland fans. Let it be.
Although the Athletics were up 4-0 at the time, the game was by no means out of hand. An offense like the Bay Rays can score four runs in a heart beat. And let's face it, this is going to be a long season and one win could mean a lot in the American League East. The Yankees are right on the Bay Rays' tail. Boston and even the Blue Jays are not even close to being out of the race. Both the Twins and the Tigers are playing well and a wild card in the AL East is not written in stone. Despite what Braden had going, in the fifth inning, a bunt attempt to get things started is not an etiquette thing. It's a strategic thing.
It's all a moot point of course, because as it all worked out, the bunt attempt went foul and Braden got his game of glory. But what about this etiquette thing? This Fan still wonders about the big deal of celebrating a homer or a big strikeout by a reliever or a guy running across the mound. Of all the things in the world to worry about, should those really be so important?
As Duk himself pointed out, when is it poor etiquette to bunt? If the lead off batter of the game attempts to bunt his way on, is that poor etiquette as the game is a perfect game at that point too? Is it okay in the third inning? The fifth? The seventh? It would seem to this observer that if the score was something like 8-0 in the seventh or eighth inning and the pitcher is throwing a no-no or a perfect game, then a bunt seems unseemly. But 4-0 in the fifth? No, the Fan can't buy that. The Bay Rays are trying to win a division here.
And it's funny how this thing seems to always center on Braden. Well, he brought a bit of that on himself. At least he isn't the one screaming this time. Thank goodness. But anyway, the good news is that Braden got his history and it was a great mother's day gift for him and the Oakland fans. Let it be.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Surpised Braden Didn't Piss on the Mound
Okay, this story is sort of dumbfounding. It seems that in the middle of a rare Yankee loss that featured a triple play and another good outing from an up and coming pitcher named Dallas Braden, Alex Rodriguez (who always seems to be in the middle of this type of story) was the front end of a double play ball that ended the Yankees' inning. After being forced out at second, A-Rod jogged toward his position at third. That's when Dallas Braden, that up and coming pitcher, let him have it.
It seems Braden felt that A-Rod had broken some sort of unwritten rule earlier (after a foul ball when A-Rod crossed the mound on the way back to first), that apparently states that the batting team will not step on the pitching mound while the other team is occupying it. Well, okay. The Fan has been watching the game for more than four decades and has never heard that one before. So Braden gets all pissed off (you can read the story and find the video link here) and starts barking to A-Rod. The video clearly shows Braden's lips saying something to the effect of, "Stay off my @#@@#% mound." A-Rod can be clearly seen looking at Braden as if to say, "Whuh?"
Then Braden kicks a bunch of stuff in the dugout and throws his glove and stuff. Rob Neyer's take on the whole thing was that the Yankees will just shrug that stuff off because they are too good not to, but the A's should be really impressed with the fire of the young 26 year old pitcher. Well, okay again. Mr. Neyer is usually someone who is dead on with stuff, but this is just silly.
First of all, what the heck is the big deal? It's akin to the Fan yelling at the Fan's wife for hanging one of her shirts on his side of the closet. That would be kind of goofy, no?
Secondly, Braden may be good and he may be staking a claim in the league, but he's clearly nothing more than a mere babe in the woods as far as the major leagues go. He doesn't have the juice or the status to be challenging an established player on his own team let alone a superstar like A-Rod. The Fan may be cited here for favoritism, but the reaction would have been the same if it was any other team or any other player that Braden lit into.
Perhaps if the Fan was the captain of the Yankees, he would have his entire team cross the mound the next time they face Braden. But that would be kind of childish. So would hitting another Oakland batter just because Braden got upset about such a stupid little thing. The best course for the Yankees would be to ignore it an go about their business being the overpaid brutes of the AL East. Yeah, that's the best call.
As for the A's, is this something that fires the A's up like Mr. Neyer would suggest? If the Fan was playing for the A's, the reaction here would be, "WTF Braden?" Or similarly, "Oh that's good, Braden, the Yankees aren't already good enough, you have to give them extra motivation?"
The Fan loves his little dog. He's a cute little thing that has become the mascot of our home and he's like our child. Every day, the Fan takes him for several walks around the yard to do his thing. Every time the dog sniffs something he isn't sure about, he pees on that spot just to say that it's his. Now this is quite stupid really because for one, he's a small little dog and if a moose or a bear or a dear or any other dog wants to blunder through the yard, the Fan's little dog isn't going to be able to do anything about it. It's a dumb instinctual thing. But he's a dog. And dog's are stupid. Braden has basically done the same thing here. It's just a pitching mound for gosh sakes. Get over yourself.
Who knows, the Fan could be out in left field somewhere and not know there is really some sort of unwritten code about this sort of thing. Perhaps if the Fan learns that such a thing exists, then Braden would have some sort of beef. But then again, even if there was an unwritten code, the Fan thinks much of those codes are silly or stupid anyway. A-Rod probably wasn't even thinking about what he was doing. We all know that these adults are playing a child's game. But that doesn't mean they have to act like they are one.
It seems Braden felt that A-Rod had broken some sort of unwritten rule earlier (after a foul ball when A-Rod crossed the mound on the way back to first), that apparently states that the batting team will not step on the pitching mound while the other team is occupying it. Well, okay. The Fan has been watching the game for more than four decades and has never heard that one before. So Braden gets all pissed off (you can read the story and find the video link here) and starts barking to A-Rod. The video clearly shows Braden's lips saying something to the effect of, "Stay off my @#@@#% mound." A-Rod can be clearly seen looking at Braden as if to say, "Whuh?"
Then Braden kicks a bunch of stuff in the dugout and throws his glove and stuff. Rob Neyer's take on the whole thing was that the Yankees will just shrug that stuff off because they are too good not to, but the A's should be really impressed with the fire of the young 26 year old pitcher. Well, okay again. Mr. Neyer is usually someone who is dead on with stuff, but this is just silly.
First of all, what the heck is the big deal? It's akin to the Fan yelling at the Fan's wife for hanging one of her shirts on his side of the closet. That would be kind of goofy, no?
Secondly, Braden may be good and he may be staking a claim in the league, but he's clearly nothing more than a mere babe in the woods as far as the major leagues go. He doesn't have the juice or the status to be challenging an established player on his own team let alone a superstar like A-Rod. The Fan may be cited here for favoritism, but the reaction would have been the same if it was any other team or any other player that Braden lit into.
Perhaps if the Fan was the captain of the Yankees, he would have his entire team cross the mound the next time they face Braden. But that would be kind of childish. So would hitting another Oakland batter just because Braden got upset about such a stupid little thing. The best course for the Yankees would be to ignore it an go about their business being the overpaid brutes of the AL East. Yeah, that's the best call.
As for the A's, is this something that fires the A's up like Mr. Neyer would suggest? If the Fan was playing for the A's, the reaction here would be, "WTF Braden?" Or similarly, "Oh that's good, Braden, the Yankees aren't already good enough, you have to give them extra motivation?"
The Fan loves his little dog. He's a cute little thing that has become the mascot of our home and he's like our child. Every day, the Fan takes him for several walks around the yard to do his thing. Every time the dog sniffs something he isn't sure about, he pees on that spot just to say that it's his. Now this is quite stupid really because for one, he's a small little dog and if a moose or a bear or a dear or any other dog wants to blunder through the yard, the Fan's little dog isn't going to be able to do anything about it. It's a dumb instinctual thing. But he's a dog. And dog's are stupid. Braden has basically done the same thing here. It's just a pitching mound for gosh sakes. Get over yourself.
Who knows, the Fan could be out in left field somewhere and not know there is really some sort of unwritten code about this sort of thing. Perhaps if the Fan learns that such a thing exists, then Braden would have some sort of beef. But then again, even if there was an unwritten code, the Fan thinks much of those codes are silly or stupid anyway. A-Rod probably wasn't even thinking about what he was doing. We all know that these adults are playing a child's game. But that doesn't mean they have to act like they are one.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Two Box Scores that Caught the Eye
It was a wild and woolly night in Philadelphia. Kyle Kendrick, a young pitcher the Phillies have high hopes for started against Washington's Craig Stammen. Since the Phillies were home, Kendrick started things off by plunking Nyger Morgan. But he got off that hook when Willie Harris banged into a double play. Two outs. No problem. Christian Guzman got an infield single. He's a very fast guy. Dunn walked. Willingham walked and Adam Kennedy (of all people) then hit a double to deep right and plated all three runs. Washington was up 3-0.
The Phillies get up and Victorino (who had four hits on the night) starts things off with an infield single. Polanco, who has looked like Superman thus far, hits a single. Uh oh! This isn't starting well. Utley walks. Howard hits a bleeder that falls in for a run. Dobbs (one of the best names in baseball) doubles. Ibanez hits a sac fly. Now it's 4-3.
Then Washington gets up again in the second. Alex Gonzalez doubled. Stammen strikes out trying to bunt (nice). Morgan singles and then steals second. Harris walks. Guzman singles to score Gonzalez. Dunn pops up. But then Willingham doubles to score two more and that's it for Kendrick.
Now here is the best part of the story. The Phillies bring in Nelson Figueroa, a pitcher the Phillies took off the trash pile after the Mets released him. Figueroa ends the inning without further damage. More on him later. But now the score is 6-4 Nationals and we've only played three half innings.
The Phillies come up again and Stammen obviously has nothing on this night. The first guy up is Figueroa (guess it was too early for a double switch). Figueroa singles. After a Victorino fly out (he just missed it), Polanco doubles and then Utley homers. Good night Stammen. The Phillies get a couple more singles, but do no more damage. Now the Phillies were up 7-6.
Figueroa gets into a big jam in the third, but only one run scores on a ground out and the game is tied. Figueroa ended up pitching three and a third innings with just that one run. The Phillies go on to beat up on Washington's bullpen and Figueroa and the Phillies get the "W" with the final score of 14-7. There were ten total pitching changes, eleven walks, twenty-four hits and 332 combined pitches. Oh yeah, and Joe West was an umpire at this game. Instant Karma's gonna get you.
Figueroa looks like a decent enough pitcher. Looking at his stats from last year, he wasn't great, but he was useful and was far from terrible. If you look at the Mets' starting pitching, Maine is getting creamed. Perez is hopeless, Niese isn't an answer and it seems the Mets could have gotten by just fine with Figueroa on board. But this is why the Mets are such a mess. And this is why the Phillies have won two years in a row.
The other box score that caught the eye was the Seattle - Oakland game. As of this writing, it's still in the fifth inning with the score tied 2-2. But when the Fan first looked at it, the A's were winning 2-0. How can an incomplete game catch the eye? It was the batting averages of half of the Mariners' regulars. After going hitless in his first two at bats, Ichiro Suzuki was batting .211. Ichiro...batting .211. Have you ever seen that before? Even after his single, his average went up to .238, but his OPS was still .542. [[shiver]] That's ugly. But he's not alone. Milton Bradley, even after a single, was batting .138. Eric Byrnes was batting .111. And Jack Wilson was batting .194. No wonder they aren't scoring runs. Oh, and over on Oakland's side, Jake Fox hit a homer, but his average with the homer only went up to .077. Let that sink in a while. And Jack Cust couldn't have done better than that!?
The Phillies get up and Victorino (who had four hits on the night) starts things off with an infield single. Polanco, who has looked like Superman thus far, hits a single. Uh oh! This isn't starting well. Utley walks. Howard hits a bleeder that falls in for a run. Dobbs (one of the best names in baseball) doubles. Ibanez hits a sac fly. Now it's 4-3.
Then Washington gets up again in the second. Alex Gonzalez doubled. Stammen strikes out trying to bunt (nice). Morgan singles and then steals second. Harris walks. Guzman singles to score Gonzalez. Dunn pops up. But then Willingham doubles to score two more and that's it for Kendrick.
Now here is the best part of the story. The Phillies bring in Nelson Figueroa, a pitcher the Phillies took off the trash pile after the Mets released him. Figueroa ends the inning without further damage. More on him later. But now the score is 6-4 Nationals and we've only played three half innings.
The Phillies come up again and Stammen obviously has nothing on this night. The first guy up is Figueroa (guess it was too early for a double switch). Figueroa singles. After a Victorino fly out (he just missed it), Polanco doubles and then Utley homers. Good night Stammen. The Phillies get a couple more singles, but do no more damage. Now the Phillies were up 7-6.
Figueroa gets into a big jam in the third, but only one run scores on a ground out and the game is tied. Figueroa ended up pitching three and a third innings with just that one run. The Phillies go on to beat up on Washington's bullpen and Figueroa and the Phillies get the "W" with the final score of 14-7. There were ten total pitching changes, eleven walks, twenty-four hits and 332 combined pitches. Oh yeah, and Joe West was an umpire at this game. Instant Karma's gonna get you.
Figueroa looks like a decent enough pitcher. Looking at his stats from last year, he wasn't great, but he was useful and was far from terrible. If you look at the Mets' starting pitching, Maine is getting creamed. Perez is hopeless, Niese isn't an answer and it seems the Mets could have gotten by just fine with Figueroa on board. But this is why the Mets are such a mess. And this is why the Phillies have won two years in a row.
The other box score that caught the eye was the Seattle - Oakland game. As of this writing, it's still in the fifth inning with the score tied 2-2. But when the Fan first looked at it, the A's were winning 2-0. How can an incomplete game catch the eye? It was the batting averages of half of the Mariners' regulars. After going hitless in his first two at bats, Ichiro Suzuki was batting .211. Ichiro...batting .211. Have you ever seen that before? Even after his single, his average went up to .238, but his OPS was still .542. [[shiver]] That's ugly. But he's not alone. Milton Bradley, even after a single, was batting .138. Eric Byrnes was batting .111. And Jack Wilson was batting .194. No wonder they aren't scoring runs. Oh, and over on Oakland's side, Jake Fox hit a homer, but his average with the homer only went up to .077. Let that sink in a while. And Jack Cust couldn't have done better than that!?
Monday, April 05, 2010
Cust is a Surprise Cut
The Athletics cut their popular all-or-nothing guy on the last day before the regular season. Jack Cust lost his job and apparently thinks it's bogus. But by any account, Cust has been fading over the last three years and with 21 strikeouts in 50 spring appearances, it didn't look like it was getting any better.
Cust has been fun. He really has. He generally had only three outcomes at the plate. He either walked, or he struck out, or he crushed the ball somewhere. But his OPS has gone from .912 in 2007 to .773 in 2009. His WARP has gone from 3.2 in 2007 to 0.4. And while Baseball Prospectus did forecast Cust to rebound a little this year, the A's had seen enough. A lower producing Cust isn't worth the terrible fielding he also provides.
The only bone to pick with this decision is that they really have nothing to back him up with. They are going to go with Chavez as the DH when Chavez hasn't been able to stay healthy for six years. How much will Chavez contribute and for how long? And if Chavez can't cut it, then who will take his place?
It isn't far from likely that this was also a cost cutting move for the Athletics. Perhaps they knew they weren't likely to contend this year and cut some losses. They are certainly one of the most strapped organizations in baseball. But from this perspective, the move seems to make good baseball sense as much as it makes money sense.
It was fun, Mr. Cust.
Cust has been fun. He really has. He generally had only three outcomes at the plate. He either walked, or he struck out, or he crushed the ball somewhere. But his OPS has gone from .912 in 2007 to .773 in 2009. His WARP has gone from 3.2 in 2007 to 0.4. And while Baseball Prospectus did forecast Cust to rebound a little this year, the A's had seen enough. A lower producing Cust isn't worth the terrible fielding he also provides.
The only bone to pick with this decision is that they really have nothing to back him up with. They are going to go with Chavez as the DH when Chavez hasn't been able to stay healthy for six years. How much will Chavez contribute and for how long? And if Chavez can't cut it, then who will take his place?
It isn't far from likely that this was also a cost cutting move for the Athletics. Perhaps they knew they weren't likely to contend this year and cut some losses. They are certainly one of the most strapped organizations in baseball. But from this perspective, the move seems to make good baseball sense as much as it makes money sense.
It was fun, Mr. Cust.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Sheets and Nady - Big Risks, Potential Rewards
Two players who saw little or no action in 2009 signed today for a combined $13.3 million. That's a lot of scratch for two players with a history of health problems and a couple of elbow surgeries between them. The Oakland A's, no strangers to the risk/reward signings (Holliday, Giambi, et al), signed Sheets for $10 million for a one year deal. The Cubs were looking for a fourth outfielder and signed Xavier Nady for $3.3 million plus incentives.
Let's start with Nady. A couple of years ago, he had a big year for the Pirates and the Yankees. It was really his only full and big season in the majors. He was pegged to be the Yankees' starting right fielder in 2009 but blew out his elbow for the second time. He proceeded to have his second Tommy John procedure.
If Nady can play, he's a decent big league hitter, especially against right-handed pitching. But he's limited on defense (to be kind) and after two elbow blowouts, seems to be a time bomb waiting to happen. All in all, $3.3 million is not that big a risk, but it's still real money that they will probably not be able to insure. Working it through, the Fan's not real big on this signing. It's a bit expensive for a fourth outfielder, especially one who is coming back from major surgery. And if he takes at bats away from Sam Fuld, this Fan won't be happy.
Sheets is a whole other story. He brings a measure of dread and hope at the same time. He could blow out again or he could win 18 games. The hope is worth $10 million, but the dread is not. When Sheets can pitch, he's outstanding. But his career has been a series of times when he wasn't able to pitch mixed in with some breathtaking pitching. Nady at his best is marginally worth what the Cubs will pay him. But if Sheets is healthy and has his best, he's worth much more than $10 million.
Say that he is healthy. Say that Justin Duchscherer is healthy too--and granted, that's two gigantic if statements. Add in Brian Anderson, who could have and should have won the Rookie of the Year award last year and the A's rotation could be scary good. Tack on the best new closer to come along in a while, and things could be fun in Oakland this year. If all those stars align, you could be looking at 88 to 90 wins, which could be close enough to win the A.L. West.
But again, that's a lot that has to go right. And it's a lot that has to go right for $10 million dollars. That's about as risk/reward as there is. The Fan hopes that Sheets is healthy. It's tough to see that kind of talent not able to use it. The Fan is all about fulfilling one's purpose on earth and Sheets was born to throw a baseball.
Let's start with Nady. A couple of years ago, he had a big year for the Pirates and the Yankees. It was really his only full and big season in the majors. He was pegged to be the Yankees' starting right fielder in 2009 but blew out his elbow for the second time. He proceeded to have his second Tommy John procedure.
If Nady can play, he's a decent big league hitter, especially against right-handed pitching. But he's limited on defense (to be kind) and after two elbow blowouts, seems to be a time bomb waiting to happen. All in all, $3.3 million is not that big a risk, but it's still real money that they will probably not be able to insure. Working it through, the Fan's not real big on this signing. It's a bit expensive for a fourth outfielder, especially one who is coming back from major surgery. And if he takes at bats away from Sam Fuld, this Fan won't be happy.
Sheets is a whole other story. He brings a measure of dread and hope at the same time. He could blow out again or he could win 18 games. The hope is worth $10 million, but the dread is not. When Sheets can pitch, he's outstanding. But his career has been a series of times when he wasn't able to pitch mixed in with some breathtaking pitching. Nady at his best is marginally worth what the Cubs will pay him. But if Sheets is healthy and has his best, he's worth much more than $10 million.
Say that he is healthy. Say that Justin Duchscherer is healthy too--and granted, that's two gigantic if statements. Add in Brian Anderson, who could have and should have won the Rookie of the Year award last year and the A's rotation could be scary good. Tack on the best new closer to come along in a while, and things could be fun in Oakland this year. If all those stars align, you could be looking at 88 to 90 wins, which could be close enough to win the A.L. West.
But again, that's a lot that has to go right. And it's a lot that has to go right for $10 million dollars. That's about as risk/reward as there is. The Fan hopes that Sheets is healthy. It's tough to see that kind of talent not able to use it. The Fan is all about fulfilling one's purpose on earth and Sheets was born to throw a baseball.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Who Is the Worst Team in the Majors Right Now?
It's easy to ponder the best teams in baseball. The arguments would center around the Dodgers, the Yankees, the Cardinals and the Phillies (and maybe the Angels). But it's a whole other ball of wax to figure out the worst team in the majors.
First, let's pick our contenders: Washington, Pittsburgh, Kansas City, San Diego, Oakland, Cleveland and Baltimore. Let's look at a few key ratings and see where we end up.
Pitching
The Indians have the worst staff ERA followed by the Orioles and the Nationals. But if you factor in ball parks, fielding and the like, you have a different statistic called ERA+ which is probably a better indicator of a pitching staff. If you go by ERA+, the Padres are the clear leader...err...loser. Their staff ERA+ of 80 is by far the worst in the majors. The Nationals are second worst at 86, but that six points are a lot higher. The Brewers are at 88 and three teams sit at 89 including the Pirates and Indians.
The Nationals and the Indians have the worst bullpens when it comes to save percentage and inherited runners scoring. The Pirates have the best starting pitching of the bunch and the most "tough losses" or games in which the starting pitcher pitched well but did not get the win or a decision.
ERA+ for our contenders: Pirates (89), Nationals (86), Padres (80), Indians (89), Kansas City (93), Oakland (92), Orioles (90).
Batting
The Reds (who maybe should have been in this argument) have the worst OPS+ in the majors with a whopping score of 79. The Giants are second worst at 81. The Royals are at 88 and the Pirates at 90.
OPS+ of our contenders: Pirates (90), Royals (88), Padres (94), Athletics (92), Orioles (93), Indians (99), Nationals (99)
Fielding
Ranking fielding is almost counting against (or for) a team twice since ERA+ does account some for fielding. But for our purposes, we will count it separately. And since ERA+ and OPS+ are based on 100 (with 100 being average), we'll convert (for easy math) the fielding percentage to a hundred type score to go along with the others.
Pirates (98.8), Royals (98.0), Padres (98.5), Athletics (98.4), Orioles (98.4), Indians (98.6), Nationals (97.7).
Two comments there: First, the Pirates traded away most of the players that were responsible for this fielding percentage. Second, the Nationals are clearly the worst fielding percentage team of the contenders with the Royals second.
A different fielding statistic is Defensive Efficiency which measures balls in play converted to outs. All of our contenders are in the bottom third of teams when it comes to Defensive Efficiency. The Royals are dead last out of all the teams in the majors in this category and the Orioles are third from the bottom. Somewhat surprising, the next to last team in Defensive Efficiency? The Red Sox.
Team Record the Last Three Months
Some teams of our contenders started really poorly and others started really well. What the Fan wants to consider here is how they have played once the season was well under way to even the playing field a bit:
Orioles: 25-41 (.378)
Indians: 29-36 (.446)
Royals: 23-44 (.343)
Athletics: 33-36 (.478)
Pirates: 24-42 (.363)
Padres: 24-45 (.348)
Nationals: 29-39 (.426)
Blow Out Games
Measuring blow out games gives us some indication of how often the team has imploded or exploded.
Orioles: 13-19 (.406)
Indians: 16-15 (.516)
Royals: 14-30 (.318)
Athletics: 17-18 (.476)
Pirates: 14-19 (.424)
Padres: 6-27 (.182)
Nationals: 11-20 (.355)
One Run Games
How do our contenders fare in the tight games?
Orioles: 12-15 (.444)
Indians: 16-14 (.533)
Royals: 11-17 (.393)
Athletics: 12-18 (.400)
Pirates: 8-18 (.308)
Padres: 16-16 (.500)
Nationals: 13-17 (.433)
Conclusion
Okay, what have we come up with? The Indians are the best hitters of the bunch and decent fielders. They are in the middle of this pack in ERA+. They play well in tight games and have more blowouts in their favor than against. We can rule them out. The Nationals are right up there with the Indians on offense but don't field well or pitch well. Their bullpen is the worst in the majors. But they have played reasonably well in close games and over the last three months have the second best record of our contenders. We can rule them out. The Orioles are in the middle of the pack in all of our categories except for fielding where they are terrible. But we can rule them out because of the middle of the pack thing.
The Pirates are hard to consider since they aren't the same team that started the season. More than half of the opening day starting lineup have been traded away. As such, they have the third worst record the last three months and are terrible in close games. But they are not at the bottom of the pack in any other category, so we have to give them a pass. The A's are not bad (for this bunch) at the plate or on the mound. Their fielding isn't great (with the likes of Cust and Giambi lumbering around for most of the year). Their record in the last three months in comparison with the rest and their ability to win almost as many blowouts as they lose gives them an out card.
That leaves us with the Padres and the Royals. The Padres are clearly the worst pitching team in the league. Their OPS+ isn't bad with these contenders and they fare well in close games. But they have been blown out 21 more times than they blew out other teams. And they have fared really poorly the last three months.
The Royals are the worst hitting team of the bunch and the worst fielders. Their starters are mostly better than some of these other teams (thanks to Greinke). But their bullpen has been awful. They have the worst record the last three months. They are terrible in close games and get blown out way more often than they blow out the other teams.
Folks, your winner and the honor of the worst team in the major leagues goes to the Kansas City Royals. You are not really surprised are you?
First, let's pick our contenders: Washington, Pittsburgh, Kansas City, San Diego, Oakland, Cleveland and Baltimore. Let's look at a few key ratings and see where we end up.
Pitching
The Indians have the worst staff ERA followed by the Orioles and the Nationals. But if you factor in ball parks, fielding and the like, you have a different statistic called ERA+ which is probably a better indicator of a pitching staff. If you go by ERA+, the Padres are the clear leader...err...loser. Their staff ERA+ of 80 is by far the worst in the majors. The Nationals are second worst at 86, but that six points are a lot higher. The Brewers are at 88 and three teams sit at 89 including the Pirates and Indians.
The Nationals and the Indians have the worst bullpens when it comes to save percentage and inherited runners scoring. The Pirates have the best starting pitching of the bunch and the most "tough losses" or games in which the starting pitcher pitched well but did not get the win or a decision.
ERA+ for our contenders: Pirates (89), Nationals (86), Padres (80), Indians (89), Kansas City (93), Oakland (92), Orioles (90).
Batting
The Reds (who maybe should have been in this argument) have the worst OPS+ in the majors with a whopping score of 79. The Giants are second worst at 81. The Royals are at 88 and the Pirates at 90.
OPS+ of our contenders: Pirates (90), Royals (88), Padres (94), Athletics (92), Orioles (93), Indians (99), Nationals (99)
Fielding
Ranking fielding is almost counting against (or for) a team twice since ERA+ does account some for fielding. But for our purposes, we will count it separately. And since ERA+ and OPS+ are based on 100 (with 100 being average), we'll convert (for easy math) the fielding percentage to a hundred type score to go along with the others.
Pirates (98.8), Royals (98.0), Padres (98.5), Athletics (98.4), Orioles (98.4), Indians (98.6), Nationals (97.7).
Two comments there: First, the Pirates traded away most of the players that were responsible for this fielding percentage. Second, the Nationals are clearly the worst fielding percentage team of the contenders with the Royals second.
A different fielding statistic is Defensive Efficiency which measures balls in play converted to outs. All of our contenders are in the bottom third of teams when it comes to Defensive Efficiency. The Royals are dead last out of all the teams in the majors in this category and the Orioles are third from the bottom. Somewhat surprising, the next to last team in Defensive Efficiency? The Red Sox.
Team Record the Last Three Months
Some teams of our contenders started really poorly and others started really well. What the Fan wants to consider here is how they have played once the season was well under way to even the playing field a bit:
Orioles: 25-41 (.378)
Indians: 29-36 (.446)
Royals: 23-44 (.343)
Athletics: 33-36 (.478)
Pirates: 24-42 (.363)
Padres: 24-45 (.348)
Nationals: 29-39 (.426)
Blow Out Games
Measuring blow out games gives us some indication of how often the team has imploded or exploded.
Orioles: 13-19 (.406)
Indians: 16-15 (.516)
Royals: 14-30 (.318)
Athletics: 17-18 (.476)
Pirates: 14-19 (.424)
Padres: 6-27 (.182)
Nationals: 11-20 (.355)
One Run Games
How do our contenders fare in the tight games?
Orioles: 12-15 (.444)
Indians: 16-14 (.533)
Royals: 11-17 (.393)
Athletics: 12-18 (.400)
Pirates: 8-18 (.308)
Padres: 16-16 (.500)
Nationals: 13-17 (.433)
Conclusion
Okay, what have we come up with? The Indians are the best hitters of the bunch and decent fielders. They are in the middle of this pack in ERA+. They play well in tight games and have more blowouts in their favor than against. We can rule them out. The Nationals are right up there with the Indians on offense but don't field well or pitch well. Their bullpen is the worst in the majors. But they have played reasonably well in close games and over the last three months have the second best record of our contenders. We can rule them out. The Orioles are in the middle of the pack in all of our categories except for fielding where they are terrible. But we can rule them out because of the middle of the pack thing.
The Pirates are hard to consider since they aren't the same team that started the season. More than half of the opening day starting lineup have been traded away. As such, they have the third worst record the last three months and are terrible in close games. But they are not at the bottom of the pack in any other category, so we have to give them a pass. The A's are not bad (for this bunch) at the plate or on the mound. Their fielding isn't great (with the likes of Cust and Giambi lumbering around for most of the year). Their record in the last three months in comparison with the rest and their ability to win almost as many blowouts as they lose gives them an out card.
That leaves us with the Padres and the Royals. The Padres are clearly the worst pitching team in the league. Their OPS+ isn't bad with these contenders and they fare well in close games. But they have been blown out 21 more times than they blew out other teams. And they have fared really poorly the last three months.
The Royals are the worst hitting team of the bunch and the worst fielders. Their starters are mostly better than some of these other teams (thanks to Greinke). But their bullpen has been awful. They have the worst record the last three months. They are terrible in close games and get blown out way more often than they blow out the other teams.
Folks, your winner and the honor of the worst team in the major leagues goes to the Kansas City Royals. You are not really surprised are you?
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Spending the Hollidays in St. Louis
Manny helped the Dodgers last year. Teixeira helped the Angels. And now Holliday is going to help the Cardinals. We all knew it was coming. Speculation concerning Holliday and Halladay have been swirling for weeks. Certainly his teammates weren't surprised. The Cardinals, who though imperfect, were already on track to win the division. But recent surges by the Astros and more life in the Cubs (and Milwaukee isn't out of it) seemed to give more impetus to getting a bat to hit behind and protect Albert Pujols. Holliday should fill that spot perfectly.
And the Cardinals are getting Holliday at just the right time. Holliday really struggled early in the year. It seems that he spent some time in the off season working with Mark McGwire, who got Holliday to do away with his leg kick with his front leg as he was driving into the ball. McGwire seems like a great guy and players are drawn to him, but once Holliday went back to the leg kick, his whole season went into a leg kick.
The first three months of the season, Holliday's Slugging Percentage showed: .360, .456 and .440. His Slugging Percentage has skyrocketed in July to .574. And something else is impressive about Holliday. Most guys who get traded seem to take a couple to three days to get to their new team. Holliday hopped on a plane immediately and was in the Cardinals' lineup tonight. How did he do? He went four for five with a double, a run scored and an RBI. Not a bad start. He also stole a base.
The Cardinals' other new player, Julio Lugo, abandoned by the Red Sox and needing a new home to possibly ressurrect his career, went two for five with a homer, two runs scored and an RBI. The Cardinals seem to have enough pitching (Pineiro was great again tonight), but their offense was really struggling. Eight runs tonight against a pitcher who was 7-0, seems (sure, it's only one game) to show that they have fixed that problem.
Give the Cardinals credit. They made the right moves and rented Holliday for a few months to get them where they need to go. Oakland, on the other hand, though they are happy for their now ex-teammate, have to be bumming. And it showed in their game against the Yankees.
Against the Yankees, the A's looked flat and listless. They only managed three hits against Joba and allowed two runs to score on a throwing error. Johnny Damon drove in two runs with ground outs. And this was a team, who with Holliday, that overcame a ten run deficit earlier in the week against the Twins and just pummeled that team from Minnesota.
But that's the way it goes. When you're in last place, you're going to lose your spare parts, especially with Billy Beane who will always trade what he has for young prospects. It's the way of the world. The A's have to live through the rest of the year with a patchwork offense with hopes for the future. The Cardinals are delighted to have Holliday (and Lugo) and seem poised to be the best team in their division.
And the Cardinals are getting Holliday at just the right time. Holliday really struggled early in the year. It seems that he spent some time in the off season working with Mark McGwire, who got Holliday to do away with his leg kick with his front leg as he was driving into the ball. McGwire seems like a great guy and players are drawn to him, but once Holliday went back to the leg kick, his whole season went into a leg kick.
The first three months of the season, Holliday's Slugging Percentage showed: .360, .456 and .440. His Slugging Percentage has skyrocketed in July to .574. And something else is impressive about Holliday. Most guys who get traded seem to take a couple to three days to get to their new team. Holliday hopped on a plane immediately and was in the Cardinals' lineup tonight. How did he do? He went four for five with a double, a run scored and an RBI. Not a bad start. He also stole a base.
The Cardinals' other new player, Julio Lugo, abandoned by the Red Sox and needing a new home to possibly ressurrect his career, went two for five with a homer, two runs scored and an RBI. The Cardinals seem to have enough pitching (Pineiro was great again tonight), but their offense was really struggling. Eight runs tonight against a pitcher who was 7-0, seems (sure, it's only one game) to show that they have fixed that problem.
Give the Cardinals credit. They made the right moves and rented Holliday for a few months to get them where they need to go. Oakland, on the other hand, though they are happy for their now ex-teammate, have to be bumming. And it showed in their game against the Yankees.
Against the Yankees, the A's looked flat and listless. They only managed three hits against Joba and allowed two runs to score on a throwing error. Johnny Damon drove in two runs with ground outs. And this was a team, who with Holliday, that overcame a ten run deficit earlier in the week against the Twins and just pummeled that team from Minnesota.
But that's the way it goes. When you're in last place, you're going to lose your spare parts, especially with Billy Beane who will always trade what he has for young prospects. It's the way of the world. The A's have to live through the rest of the year with a patchwork offense with hopes for the future. The Cardinals are delighted to have Holliday (and Lugo) and seem poised to be the best team in their division.
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
Second Guessing Some Pitching Changes
The Milwaukee Brewers had a lead going into the sixth inning. They got about as decent a start as you can get from Jeff Suppon, who struggled through five innings and 100 pitches. He allowed ten base runners but only gave up two runs. With a lead and a game on the line, why would you bring in Jorge Julio?
Before Monday night's appearance, Julio had given up 27 base runners in 17.1 innings including 14 walks. In fact, covering the last three years, Julio has walked 44 batters in 56.2 innings. Would that be someone you would bring into a tight game? Uh...no. But the Brewers brought him in. Julio never got an out. Five runs later, ball game.
It was the seventh inning of the Yankee/Indians game. The score was tied 1-1. The previous inning, the Yankees had loaded the bases on three walks against starter, Sowers. Aquino came in and shut the door to get the Indians out of a jam. The Indians sent Aquino back out there in the seventh. That made sense seeing what he did in the sixth. Aquino gets the first out but then walks Matsui. Then he walks Gardner. Uh...hello? He stays in there and walks Jeter. Bases loaded. Hello? Swisher then breaks open the game with a double. Ball game. To make matters worse, the Indians then brought in Vizcaino. Vizcaino? Man. After an intentional walk, A-Rod hits a single to make it 5-1.
Conversely, the Yankees stayed with a hot Joba Chamberlain deep into the game when many managers would have pulled him after six or seven. That requires a lot of pitchers who are less able than Chamberlain to win the game. Chamberlain pitched eight strong innings and then turned the ball over to Rivera. Mo was throwing gas tonight and hit 97/96/95/95/96 and 97 on the radar gun. Game over.
The Mets were leading the Pirates 5-3 going into the eighth inning. Livan survived his outing again (must be good mirrors he is using) and the bullpen held the lead before giving the ball to Putz to start the eighth. Let's face it, this is why they got Putz right? Except they didn't do it. Putz didn't start the inning. Feliciano did. That doesn't make sense does it? LaRoche doubled. Hinske grounded out and LaRoche goes to third. THEN they bring Putz in the game. The other LaRoche singles in a run. Jaramillo singles. Young singles and the game is tied. Putz must not have it tonight. They let Putz intentionally walk a batter and then pull him from the game. An error and a sacrifice fly and it's ball game time.
While we're discussing this, does it seem fair for a manager to ask a struggling reliever to intentionally walk a guy knowing he's going to get pulled right after he does so? Why not have the next guy walk the batter so that runner is his responsibility and not the original guy. Seems cheap.
Let's flip over to Oakland's game with the White Sox. The game was tied 2-2 going into the eighth inning. Craig Breslow had taken over for Cahill and had pitched well for an inning and a third, striking out two. Breslow has done well since the A's picked him up on waivers. He had pitched five and a third innings, walking none and striking out five. Breslow is given the ball to go out and start the eighth and walked Podsednik and is promptly yanked in favor of Santiago Casilla. Casilla hasn't exactly set the world on fire to this point and had walked eleven in nineteen innings of work. Casilla got Ramirez to pop up but gave up a single to Dye. Thome then came up. It would have been nice for Breslow (a lefty) to be facing Thome at this point. But it was Casilla who promptly gave Thome a meatball. Ball game.
Four ball games, Four questionable series of pitching decisions. The Fan has been talking a lot about blown saves this season, but how much of the current plethora of the things should be blamed on managers who seem to over think situations and under think others?
Before Monday night's appearance, Julio had given up 27 base runners in 17.1 innings including 14 walks. In fact, covering the last three years, Julio has walked 44 batters in 56.2 innings. Would that be someone you would bring into a tight game? Uh...no. But the Brewers brought him in. Julio never got an out. Five runs later, ball game.
It was the seventh inning of the Yankee/Indians game. The score was tied 1-1. The previous inning, the Yankees had loaded the bases on three walks against starter, Sowers. Aquino came in and shut the door to get the Indians out of a jam. The Indians sent Aquino back out there in the seventh. That made sense seeing what he did in the sixth. Aquino gets the first out but then walks Matsui. Then he walks Gardner. Uh...hello? He stays in there and walks Jeter. Bases loaded. Hello? Swisher then breaks open the game with a double. Ball game. To make matters worse, the Indians then brought in Vizcaino. Vizcaino? Man. After an intentional walk, A-Rod hits a single to make it 5-1.
Conversely, the Yankees stayed with a hot Joba Chamberlain deep into the game when many managers would have pulled him after six or seven. That requires a lot of pitchers who are less able than Chamberlain to win the game. Chamberlain pitched eight strong innings and then turned the ball over to Rivera. Mo was throwing gas tonight and hit 97/96/95/95/96 and 97 on the radar gun. Game over.
The Mets were leading the Pirates 5-3 going into the eighth inning. Livan survived his outing again (must be good mirrors he is using) and the bullpen held the lead before giving the ball to Putz to start the eighth. Let's face it, this is why they got Putz right? Except they didn't do it. Putz didn't start the inning. Feliciano did. That doesn't make sense does it? LaRoche doubled. Hinske grounded out and LaRoche goes to third. THEN they bring Putz in the game. The other LaRoche singles in a run. Jaramillo singles. Young singles and the game is tied. Putz must not have it tonight. They let Putz intentionally walk a batter and then pull him from the game. An error and a sacrifice fly and it's ball game time.
While we're discussing this, does it seem fair for a manager to ask a struggling reliever to intentionally walk a guy knowing he's going to get pulled right after he does so? Why not have the next guy walk the batter so that runner is his responsibility and not the original guy. Seems cheap.
Let's flip over to Oakland's game with the White Sox. The game was tied 2-2 going into the eighth inning. Craig Breslow had taken over for Cahill and had pitched well for an inning and a third, striking out two. Breslow has done well since the A's picked him up on waivers. He had pitched five and a third innings, walking none and striking out five. Breslow is given the ball to go out and start the eighth and walked Podsednik and is promptly yanked in favor of Santiago Casilla. Casilla hasn't exactly set the world on fire to this point and had walked eleven in nineteen innings of work. Casilla got Ramirez to pop up but gave up a single to Dye. Thome then came up. It would have been nice for Breslow (a lefty) to be facing Thome at this point. But it was Casilla who promptly gave Thome a meatball. Ball game.
Four ball games, Four questionable series of pitching decisions. The Fan has been talking a lot about blown saves this season, but how much of the current plethora of the things should be blamed on managers who seem to over think situations and under think others?
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