Win number 298 is in the bag. Roger Clemens outpitched Barry Zito today to bring his record to 5-2 and climb to within two wins of the magic 300 total. Clemens seems to be on a mission this year and though he has hinted that this year may be his last (or maybe because he has hinted that it's his last), he hasn't pitched one poor outing and very easily could be 7-0 and have the 300 already. His ERA is 2.35 in his eight starts. The American League is only hitting .225 against him. He has 50 strikeouts in 53.2 innings and has only given up 45 hits in those same innings. Not bad for a guy who is going to turn 41 soon. Watching him stretch out for this milestone has been most exciting.
A couple of other observations: Jorge Posada has stepped up his game. His defense is much better and his hitting has been very timely. With 29 RBI already this season, he is among the leaders. The one concern with Posada is that he always seems to have good numbers at the AllStar game and then seems to fade in the second half.
Oakland seems to have Soriano's number as he is 0 for the season against them now after five games. They bust him inside and since they have the heat and talent in their arms to pull that off, it is working. Other teams have tried that but he is too quick and a 90 MPH fastball is not going to get by him.
Besides Chavez, Tejada and the pitching staff, I'm not real impressed with the Athletics as a team. They win on good fundamental baseball and good pitching but they certainly don't have the best talent in the league. I would take Seattle's talent over Oakland's anyday.
Sammy Sosa is out 15 days because they removed the toenail on his foot. I've been there and a sore foot isn't fun. This will be a big test for the Cubs who are in a battle with the Cardinals and Astros in that division and will be all year. The Cubbies beat the Cardinals in extra innings today without Sammy. But Sammy is one of the most miraculous RBI man that has played the game in the last 40 years. The man has AVERAGED 140 RBI a season for the last five years. 700 RBI in five seasons! Wow! And that is on a team that has had no one around him or in front of him. He just got it done somehow. It will be tough for the Cubs not to slip a few games back without Sammy.
Okay, Okay. The Braves are going to be much better than I had predicted (or hoped) this year. I just hate those guys and I really didn't think their pitching would hold up. But they are getting great stuff from their makeshift staff and have had a great surge. A lot of that surge has to do with the hitting of the two Joneses...which I have to say through gnashed teeth as I hate Chipper Jones more than any other ballplayer.
I think the Yankees should keep Sterling Hitchcock this season. So far this season, Hitchcock has been well...sterling. He can keep the other team off balance for a few innings, that's for sure.
Mark on your Yankee calendar, Friday, June 13th as Interleague play will be in effect by then and Tino Martinez returns home to NY for a three game set. Tino had some great moments as a Yankee and was a truly class act. I hope the Yankee fans give him a superb welcome.
Saturday, May 10, 2003
Friday, May 09, 2003
"This is ground control to Major Tom. There's something wrong. Your curcuit's dead. Can you hear me Major Tom? Can you hear me Major Tom? - David Bowie
Well, it was fun while it lasted but some of the teams that started off hot are crashing back to earth as are some fast starters individually. The Pittsburgh Pirates opened up hot and looked to be a whole lot better than in previous years. They started 5-1 and then 7-3 and have gone 7-17 since. Granted, Giles went down with an injury, but still. You had to hope that the hot start was for real.
The Kansas City Royals started out of the gate at a 17-3 clip. Sure, no one thought they would stay at that pace. But some of us were hoping they wouldn't fall to 3-9 since. Their division lead, which was once as high as eight games is down to two and a half. And like the Pirates, they are losing really ugly by blowing leads in the late innings or getting blown out altogether.
Also in free-fall are the Padres, the Indians and the Marlins. The Padres were bravely facing their injury problems but have sunk hard and have lost nine of ten. We knew this was a rebuilding year for the Indians but their record now is only slightly better than the Tigers (only a game and a half ahead of them!) as the Indians have lost eight of ten.
The Marlins are a special case and it's time for their leadership to really think about how they got to where they are. We have been hearing for at least four years about their great young arms and those arms have never developed to potential. And so many of those arms have gotten hurt. What is going on down there with how they handle the pitchers. With the talent they had, they could have been like Oakland but those arms never got where they were supposed to go.
Whomever is in charge of pitching in the Marlins' organization should lose his job and I believe their manager should go too. There is no way that team should be as bad as they are playing and there has to be a good reason why so many good arms have gone so bad. The headline on ESPN.com have talked about the Marlins bad luck. I don't believe in bad luck. I do believe in poor planning and poor execution.
Most people will be rooting for John Rocker to fail now that he is back in the majors. Hell, he's an easy target and in many ways, deservedly so. But there is another truth here and that is he's worked hard and took his demotion and his fall from the majors and worked back up the hard way. Secondly, since he has come back with the Devil Rays, there is no pressure on a bad team to ruin things for everyone. I could flower under Lou Piniella since Lou doesn't take any guff.
I hate when the Yankees are on the West Coast. I can't stay up to watch them tonight as I'm beat from staying up the last two nights. Sixteen runs against the Mariners yesterday! Man! I wish they would have saved half of those for Clemens on Saturday.
Well, it was fun while it lasted but some of the teams that started off hot are crashing back to earth as are some fast starters individually. The Pittsburgh Pirates opened up hot and looked to be a whole lot better than in previous years. They started 5-1 and then 7-3 and have gone 7-17 since. Granted, Giles went down with an injury, but still. You had to hope that the hot start was for real.
The Kansas City Royals started out of the gate at a 17-3 clip. Sure, no one thought they would stay at that pace. But some of us were hoping they wouldn't fall to 3-9 since. Their division lead, which was once as high as eight games is down to two and a half. And like the Pirates, they are losing really ugly by blowing leads in the late innings or getting blown out altogether.
Also in free-fall are the Padres, the Indians and the Marlins. The Padres were bravely facing their injury problems but have sunk hard and have lost nine of ten. We knew this was a rebuilding year for the Indians but their record now is only slightly better than the Tigers (only a game and a half ahead of them!) as the Indians have lost eight of ten.
The Marlins are a special case and it's time for their leadership to really think about how they got to where they are. We have been hearing for at least four years about their great young arms and those arms have never developed to potential. And so many of those arms have gotten hurt. What is going on down there with how they handle the pitchers. With the talent they had, they could have been like Oakland but those arms never got where they were supposed to go.
Whomever is in charge of pitching in the Marlins' organization should lose his job and I believe their manager should go too. There is no way that team should be as bad as they are playing and there has to be a good reason why so many good arms have gone so bad. The headline on ESPN.com have talked about the Marlins bad luck. I don't believe in bad luck. I do believe in poor planning and poor execution.
Most people will be rooting for John Rocker to fail now that he is back in the majors. Hell, he's an easy target and in many ways, deservedly so. But there is another truth here and that is he's worked hard and took his demotion and his fall from the majors and worked back up the hard way. Secondly, since he has come back with the Devil Rays, there is no pressure on a bad team to ruin things for everyone. I could flower under Lou Piniella since Lou doesn't take any guff.
I hate when the Yankees are on the West Coast. I can't stay up to watch them tonight as I'm beat from staying up the last two nights. Sixteen runs against the Mariners yesterday! Man! I wish they would have saved half of those for Clemens on Saturday.
Thursday, May 08, 2003
Wednesday, May 07, 2003
Have I already talked about how much I dislike this idea of the new AllStar game and how it will now determine which team is the home team in the World Series? If not, I'll be blunt. I think it's a travesty and I can't believe the players went for it. How can you have one event, an exhibition event at that, put that much spin on the outcome of the World Series. After all, the home team has a tremendous advantage.
The game is an exhibition. The fans want to see the game's best players just hanging out together and occasionally displaying some of the talent that got them to the game in the first place. Well, let me rephrase that because I'm not sure the fans want to see it at all. The ratings have slumped for years. There were so many good and solid suggestions on how to improve the game last year after it happened. Expanding the roster made the most sense. That way you'd have enough players no matter what happened. The other great idea was to do away with the idea of having to have a player from each team at the game. No disrespect to Randy Winn, but he was not an AllStar last year and the only reason he was there was because of the need to pick at least one player.
The homerun derby has been a great addition to the festivities and is almost as great as the celebrity softball game (that follows the homerun derby) is bad. That is pathetic and should be killed immediately.
Did the game ending in a tie last year bother me? No. Who cares who wins! It's an exhibition game for crying out loud. All I care about is whether my favorite hitters hit and my favorite pitchers pitch. The rest is just fun. My favorite part is the wide eyed wonder you can see in the players' faces when faced with so many of their star peers. That itself is worth the game.
Let's follow this logic...The Twins make it to the playoffs with the worst record among the division winners and have a worse record than even the wildcard. The Twins get hot and make it to the World Series. The Giants win 108 games and finish 20 ahead in their division. The American League wins the AllStar game and the Twins get home field advantage? That's a steal and an advantage to the Twins that they didn't earn. It just doesn't make sense.
For the players association to ratify the move goes to show just how much ownership has gained in the last few years. That's the cynical side of me. The optimistic side of me says that I'm glad the players are trying so hard to work with the owners. Isn't that nice for the game! But for crying out loud, players! This was a stupid move and it doesn't make sense at any level.
If you REALLY wanted to fix the AllStar game, put the choice of who plays back on the players and managers and away from the fans. I hate any thought of fans stuffing ballots and it tarnishes the game and those players who make the AllStar game.
The game is an exhibition. The fans want to see the game's best players just hanging out together and occasionally displaying some of the talent that got them to the game in the first place. Well, let me rephrase that because I'm not sure the fans want to see it at all. The ratings have slumped for years. There were so many good and solid suggestions on how to improve the game last year after it happened. Expanding the roster made the most sense. That way you'd have enough players no matter what happened. The other great idea was to do away with the idea of having to have a player from each team at the game. No disrespect to Randy Winn, but he was not an AllStar last year and the only reason he was there was because of the need to pick at least one player.
The homerun derby has been a great addition to the festivities and is almost as great as the celebrity softball game (that follows the homerun derby) is bad. That is pathetic and should be killed immediately.
Did the game ending in a tie last year bother me? No. Who cares who wins! It's an exhibition game for crying out loud. All I care about is whether my favorite hitters hit and my favorite pitchers pitch. The rest is just fun. My favorite part is the wide eyed wonder you can see in the players' faces when faced with so many of their star peers. That itself is worth the game.
Let's follow this logic...The Twins make it to the playoffs with the worst record among the division winners and have a worse record than even the wildcard. The Twins get hot and make it to the World Series. The Giants win 108 games and finish 20 ahead in their division. The American League wins the AllStar game and the Twins get home field advantage? That's a steal and an advantage to the Twins that they didn't earn. It just doesn't make sense.
For the players association to ratify the move goes to show just how much ownership has gained in the last few years. That's the cynical side of me. The optimistic side of me says that I'm glad the players are trying so hard to work with the owners. Isn't that nice for the game! But for crying out loud, players! This was a stupid move and it doesn't make sense at any level.
If you REALLY wanted to fix the AllStar game, put the choice of who plays back on the players and managers and away from the fans. I hate any thought of fans stuffing ballots and it tarnishes the game and those players who make the AllStar game.
Tuesday, May 06, 2003
There was a lot of talk as recently as Mark McGwire's homerun record year about how thin the talent is in MLB. I have listened closely and have not heard that kind of talk lately. The closest theme to that is the talk that 500 homeruns in a career didn't mean what it used to mean (which is baloney). The implied argument behind the 500 career homerun/Hall of Fame debate is difficult to pinpoint. The implication is either that the players are too strong now or that the talent is too thin. My take on the discussions is that the implications are with the former and not the latter. If it is so much easier to hit now, how come we still haven't had a .400 hitter in 50 years?
The same pundits who explain the supposed cheapness of 500 homers are the same who say that Roger Clemens and Greg Maddux (and maybe Glavine) will be the last 300 game winners in our lifetime. The arguments presented there are that starting pitchers only pitch every fifth day and that they only pitch six innings and too much can happen once they leave the game. Neither argument makes much sense. Pitchers still won twenty games last year (though there were less than in recent memory). 300 wins in a career would mean averaging 17 wins for 18 seasons. Not impossible with a few 23 to 25 win seasons thrown in there.
Hitting 500 homers seems just as improbable. To do so means to average 30 homers or more for 17 years and that's a lot of homers. I do believe there has been a convergence of talent in the past few years. McGwire, Sosa, Griffey Jr., Bonds and Palmeiro (and A-Rod up and coming) are and were extraordinary players. But so were Mays, Aaron, McCovey, Killebrew, Mantle from their era. Clumps of talent have happened before.
There are two major differences that do aid the modern ballplayer. First, the science of fitness has dramatically improved and so players now know how to take care of themselves better than ever. Secondly, sports medicine is dramatically improved. Clemens and Schilling have had major shoulder surgeries in their careers. Many others have had the Tommy John procedure. In the past, if the arm broke, it broke and that was the end of it. And so a Clemens can pitch 20 years. That fact alone means that the days of 300 wins are not over with him.
To get back to my original statement, I don't see a thinning of baseball talent. In every game I watch, several pitchers are throwing faster than 90 MPH. Players at every position are making diving stops and plays that make your eyes pop out. There is no shortage of talent to fill the drafts for every team every draft day. Big time college programs provide almost a minor league level of training for players. The whole world is a market for talent with players coming from Hispanola, the Orient, Europe, Australia and New Zealand.
Baseball talent isn't thinning. I believe it's a very exciting time to be a fan as great players are springing up everywhere. Excuse me while I go check what Blalock and Baldelli are doing tonight...
The same pundits who explain the supposed cheapness of 500 homers are the same who say that Roger Clemens and Greg Maddux (and maybe Glavine) will be the last 300 game winners in our lifetime. The arguments presented there are that starting pitchers only pitch every fifth day and that they only pitch six innings and too much can happen once they leave the game. Neither argument makes much sense. Pitchers still won twenty games last year (though there were less than in recent memory). 300 wins in a career would mean averaging 17 wins for 18 seasons. Not impossible with a few 23 to 25 win seasons thrown in there.
Hitting 500 homers seems just as improbable. To do so means to average 30 homers or more for 17 years and that's a lot of homers. I do believe there has been a convergence of talent in the past few years. McGwire, Sosa, Griffey Jr., Bonds and Palmeiro (and A-Rod up and coming) are and were extraordinary players. But so were Mays, Aaron, McCovey, Killebrew, Mantle from their era. Clumps of talent have happened before.
There are two major differences that do aid the modern ballplayer. First, the science of fitness has dramatically improved and so players now know how to take care of themselves better than ever. Secondly, sports medicine is dramatically improved. Clemens and Schilling have had major shoulder surgeries in their careers. Many others have had the Tommy John procedure. In the past, if the arm broke, it broke and that was the end of it. And so a Clemens can pitch 20 years. That fact alone means that the days of 300 wins are not over with him.
To get back to my original statement, I don't see a thinning of baseball talent. In every game I watch, several pitchers are throwing faster than 90 MPH. Players at every position are making diving stops and plays that make your eyes pop out. There is no shortage of talent to fill the drafts for every team every draft day. Big time college programs provide almost a minor league level of training for players. The whole world is a market for talent with players coming from Hispanola, the Orient, Europe, Australia and New Zealand.
Baseball talent isn't thinning. I believe it's a very exciting time to be a fan as great players are springing up everywhere. Excuse me while I go check what Blalock and Baldelli are doing tonight...
Monday, May 05, 2003
In the past two days, I have heard baseball announcers talk about Barry Bonds and Sammy Sosa slow starts. Slow starts!? Sosa always heats it up in June and is ahead of where he usually is this time of year. The last time I watched Bonds play, he hit two homers. I'd take that slow start.
Another player who has also had a tough start is Ichiro Suzuki. But he had two big hits last night and could be on his way. I doubt Japan had the arms to consistently blast him inside like MLB pitchers have been doing to him. Both hits yesterday were in the middle of the plate. Suzuki will need to adjust. Last year wasn't as big a year for Ichiro as the year before and his impact seems less. There was talk of him dealing with injuries last year. Plus he is getting older.
That leads to a point that I want to make with as much diplomacy as I can. I think MLB should model society and be as much a melted society as possible, but asian players have already been through many of their best years before they think about coming here. That limits the amount of quality years an asian player has in him in the majors. I just don't see any long term success stories out there.
Hideo Nomo has been a solid starter and has won 101 games since he arrived here. He had a great year last year and is off to a pretty good start this year. How many other asian players can you name besides Nomo who have played more than five years? Chan Ho Park? Uhh...nope. Hidecki Arabu? Puhleeze!
The same can be said to recent Cuban refugees who have signed with MLB clubs with much ballyhoo. There hasn't been one durable and effective pitcher who has defected. I don't count Livan Hernandez as he really doesn't seem to have much drive to succeed and has done little to improve his pitching. Orlando Hernandez? For two years maybe.
A sad, sad statement, but for the first time ever, I would rather play for the Florida Marlins than the New York Mets. The Mets are really the New York Mess. Steve Phillips can't be very comfortable sleeping at night.
Speaking of leadership not sleeping, Jeff Torborg is a dinosaur and needs to be replaced. The same can be said for Bob Boone in Cincinnati. It's time for a change on both teams. The other poor teams are at least playing hard. And you can't ask for more than that. Speaking of poor teams, it looks like the Tigers are going to win two in a row for the first time this year.
Another player who has also had a tough start is Ichiro Suzuki. But he had two big hits last night and could be on his way. I doubt Japan had the arms to consistently blast him inside like MLB pitchers have been doing to him. Both hits yesterday were in the middle of the plate. Suzuki will need to adjust. Last year wasn't as big a year for Ichiro as the year before and his impact seems less. There was talk of him dealing with injuries last year. Plus he is getting older.
That leads to a point that I want to make with as much diplomacy as I can. I think MLB should model society and be as much a melted society as possible, but asian players have already been through many of their best years before they think about coming here. That limits the amount of quality years an asian player has in him in the majors. I just don't see any long term success stories out there.
Hideo Nomo has been a solid starter and has won 101 games since he arrived here. He had a great year last year and is off to a pretty good start this year. How many other asian players can you name besides Nomo who have played more than five years? Chan Ho Park? Uhh...nope. Hidecki Arabu? Puhleeze!
The same can be said to recent Cuban refugees who have signed with MLB clubs with much ballyhoo. There hasn't been one durable and effective pitcher who has defected. I don't count Livan Hernandez as he really doesn't seem to have much drive to succeed and has done little to improve his pitching. Orlando Hernandez? For two years maybe.
A sad, sad statement, but for the first time ever, I would rather play for the Florida Marlins than the New York Mets. The Mets are really the New York Mess. Steve Phillips can't be very comfortable sleeping at night.
Speaking of leadership not sleeping, Jeff Torborg is a dinosaur and needs to be replaced. The same can be said for Bob Boone in Cincinnati. It's time for a change on both teams. The other poor teams are at least playing hard. And you can't ask for more than that. Speaking of poor teams, it looks like the Tigers are going to win two in a row for the first time this year.
Sunday, May 04, 2003
Ack! OOOOOOOooooooooooooooo! Clemens lost again even though he pitched great. Barry Zito pitched even better and the Yankees made two baserunning blunders that cost them dearly. Both teams only managed four hits and one of Clemens' runs given up was unearned. The old man pitched great but at a bad time. I wonder how many times that has happened in his career. So...he is STILL at 297 and three from the magic number.
Bartolo Colon looks to be about 25 pounds overweight. Now, I can't say anything personally since I am MORE overweight than that. But I am not a ballplayer and I'm not paid a gazillion dollars to perform at my peak using my body. He is and he should be taking care of that body for the best results.
I have heard the other arguments before from overweight pitchers and how they do just fine with the extra weight. The Red Sox had a HUGE pitcher for a couple of years. His name escapes me at the moment except that they called him El Guappo or something like that. Yes, he did have one really good year but he was not the same after that and I believe he is out of baseball now. Denny McClain was great and then gained weight and also got in big trouble but he was never the same either.
I used to bowl competitively and made good money doing so. There is no doubt in my mind that my best seasons were when I was at my thinnest and most fit. When you are regularly exercising and taking care of your weight, for some reason you are just more aware of your body and can make it listen to your mind. The last time I tried to bowl, I pulled a hamstring. See!?
Colon has some of the best stuff in baseball (or at least he did). He topped out tonight at 96 MPH but most of his fastballs were of the 90 and 91 MPH category. I won't question him and his willingness to win, but he just doesn't seem to have much passion when he pitches. And it's always seemed that way with him.
The Tigers scored seven runs today and won! Wow!
Some of the colder players in April are starting to show some life: Jason Giambi won the game yesterday with a homer. Junior Spivey had three homers this weekend. Ichiro had a homer and a double tonight. Slow starts should never panic with those types of players with that kind of experience. They will end up where they always end up.
Bartolo Colon looks to be about 25 pounds overweight. Now, I can't say anything personally since I am MORE overweight than that. But I am not a ballplayer and I'm not paid a gazillion dollars to perform at my peak using my body. He is and he should be taking care of that body for the best results.
I have heard the other arguments before from overweight pitchers and how they do just fine with the extra weight. The Red Sox had a HUGE pitcher for a couple of years. His name escapes me at the moment except that they called him El Guappo or something like that. Yes, he did have one really good year but he was not the same after that and I believe he is out of baseball now. Denny McClain was great and then gained weight and also got in big trouble but he was never the same either.
I used to bowl competitively and made good money doing so. There is no doubt in my mind that my best seasons were when I was at my thinnest and most fit. When you are regularly exercising and taking care of your weight, for some reason you are just more aware of your body and can make it listen to your mind. The last time I tried to bowl, I pulled a hamstring. See!?
Colon has some of the best stuff in baseball (or at least he did). He topped out tonight at 96 MPH but most of his fastballs were of the 90 and 91 MPH category. I won't question him and his willingness to win, but he just doesn't seem to have much passion when he pitches. And it's always seemed that way with him.
The Tigers scored seven runs today and won! Wow!
Some of the colder players in April are starting to show some life: Jason Giambi won the game yesterday with a homer. Junior Spivey had three homers this weekend. Ichiro had a homer and a double tonight. Slow starts should never panic with those types of players with that kind of experience. They will end up where they always end up.
Saturday, May 03, 2003
The Detroit Tigers finally scored six runs today. Unfortunately, they blew the game anyway and lost to Tampa Bay. Not only did the loss bring their record to 3-25, but they lost on a base hit by Damon Easley, the player they cut even though they are still paying him $14 million this year. So...let's run through that one more time in case you missed it. The Tigers lost to have their record sink to 3 wins to 25 losses even though they scored six runs and to add insult, a player they are still paying $14 million beat them with a single. That's a tough day.
Oh...and the Tigers run explosion lifted their team batting average to .189.
I saw an article on ESPN.com in which the writer cast some doubt on whether or not Rafael Palmeiro would make it to the Hall of Fame. Geez! What is the writer nuts? Okay, Palmeiro has never excited anyone. There have been whispers that he was a mercenary type player who only cared about his stats. The argument is that he's never been the best first baseman in his league. Another argument is that he's only led the league in any category three times. But the arguments all fall flat. Just LOOK at the man's statistics:
- 1593 RBI - 27th All Time! That's more than Mickey Mantle, Harmen Killebrew, Rogers Hornsby, Al Kaline, Willie McCovey, Willie Stargell, Billy Williams and many others...
- 498 Homers - That number will be pushed well over 500 before he is done.
- 1000+ extra base hits - That's more than Mark McGwire, Mickey Mantle and many others
- 2660 hits - If he plays two more seasons, he'll hit 3000.
- 140+ RBI in a season...TWICE! - Not many people have done that.
- 24th All Time in Total Bases - More than Ernie Banks, Robin Yount, Harold Baines, Roberto Clemente, etc.
Enough said. The man is a Hall of Famer.
I'm really tired of this argument that since this is an offensive era, then the standards for making the Hall of Fame should change. Baloney! You still have to hit the ball. There are still only a few players that are going to make these magic numbers. We just happen to have quite a few happening right now.
Roger Clemens tries again tomorrow for number 298. I'm going to be on Maalox until it's over. Mariano Rivera sure makes a difference in the Yankee bullpen, but this Acevedo is starting to fall apart. He's looked VERY hittable lately and blew another game for the Yanks today.
We have heard a lot about Derek Jeter's progress but nothing at all about Ken Griffey. Why is there no news of him? I sure hope he can come back and play well.
Pedro Martinez is still the best pitcher in baseball. The man is amazing.
Oh...and the Tigers run explosion lifted their team batting average to .189.
I saw an article on ESPN.com in which the writer cast some doubt on whether or not Rafael Palmeiro would make it to the Hall of Fame. Geez! What is the writer nuts? Okay, Palmeiro has never excited anyone. There have been whispers that he was a mercenary type player who only cared about his stats. The argument is that he's never been the best first baseman in his league. Another argument is that he's only led the league in any category three times. But the arguments all fall flat. Just LOOK at the man's statistics:
- 1593 RBI - 27th All Time! That's more than Mickey Mantle, Harmen Killebrew, Rogers Hornsby, Al Kaline, Willie McCovey, Willie Stargell, Billy Williams and many others...
- 498 Homers - That number will be pushed well over 500 before he is done.
- 1000+ extra base hits - That's more than Mark McGwire, Mickey Mantle and many others
- 2660 hits - If he plays two more seasons, he'll hit 3000.
- 140+ RBI in a season...TWICE! - Not many people have done that.
- 24th All Time in Total Bases - More than Ernie Banks, Robin Yount, Harold Baines, Roberto Clemente, etc.
Enough said. The man is a Hall of Famer.
I'm really tired of this argument that since this is an offensive era, then the standards for making the Hall of Fame should change. Baloney! You still have to hit the ball. There are still only a few players that are going to make these magic numbers. We just happen to have quite a few happening right now.
Roger Clemens tries again tomorrow for number 298. I'm going to be on Maalox until it's over. Mariano Rivera sure makes a difference in the Yankee bullpen, but this Acevedo is starting to fall apart. He's looked VERY hittable lately and blew another game for the Yanks today.
We have heard a lot about Derek Jeter's progress but nothing at all about Ken Griffey. Why is there no news of him? I sure hope he can come back and play well.
Pedro Martinez is still the best pitcher in baseball. The man is amazing.
Friday, May 02, 2003
Rocco Baldelli and Hank Blalock have had amazing Aprils in their first full years in the majors. Baldelli hit is first homerun yesterday and hit a triple today and is hitting around .360. He broke the record for rookie hits in April with 40. He never walks but he doesn't strike out that often either. And unlike Blalock, does not benefit from having great hitters around him. I have been following him and he is a tremendously exciting player.
Blalock, unlike Baldelli, has dealt with high expectations since he was the number one draft choice. He has settled down within that Texas lineup and is also hitting in the .360 range. When teams like Texas and Tampa struggle, it has to be exciting to follow new players. In Texas, they can also follow Mark Teixeira who is starting to hit now.
I have been thrilled so far with how many of my predictions are coming true. But I can't get too cocky about it since the season is a long one. The team that I believed in the most, the Chicago Cubs, look great and I don't see any reason why they shouldn't win that division.
The Red Sox must be thinking now that whenever they are behind, they are right where they want to be. Three come from behind wins against the Royals and tonight they came back from six runs down to tie the Twins before the Twins then erupted again and won the game. Even so, the Sox must never think they are out of any game.
It has not been a good season for former Oakland Athletic players. Jason Giambi is the only Yankee not hitting and is below the Mendoza Line. His brother is currently batting .134 for the Red Sox. And Jermaine Dye hurt his leg again and is on the disabled list. Weird. To complete the picture, Miguel Tejada is doing just as poorly and seems to be in a huge funk since the A's said they wouldn't try to sign him after the season.
Mendoza Line? You might not know what the Mendoza Line is about. Mario Mendoza played for parts of nine seasons in the major leagues from 1974 to 1982. He was a pretty slick fielding shortstop but it's hard to figure out how a player could play five of his nine years with a batting average below .200 and continue in the majors for that long?
Although Mario Mendoza batted .180 in 1975 and .185 in 1976, his two years of batting .198 established forever the now famous Mendoza Line. George Brett and/or Tom Paciorek are usually given credit for creating the line. It is said that every Sunday, Brett would search the stats in the paper to see who was hitting "below the Mendoza Line."
Blalock, unlike Baldelli, has dealt with high expectations since he was the number one draft choice. He has settled down within that Texas lineup and is also hitting in the .360 range. When teams like Texas and Tampa struggle, it has to be exciting to follow new players. In Texas, they can also follow Mark Teixeira who is starting to hit now.
I have been thrilled so far with how many of my predictions are coming true. But I can't get too cocky about it since the season is a long one. The team that I believed in the most, the Chicago Cubs, look great and I don't see any reason why they shouldn't win that division.
The Red Sox must be thinking now that whenever they are behind, they are right where they want to be. Three come from behind wins against the Royals and tonight they came back from six runs down to tie the Twins before the Twins then erupted again and won the game. Even so, the Sox must never think they are out of any game.
It has not been a good season for former Oakland Athletic players. Jason Giambi is the only Yankee not hitting and is below the Mendoza Line. His brother is currently batting .134 for the Red Sox. And Jermaine Dye hurt his leg again and is on the disabled list. Weird. To complete the picture, Miguel Tejada is doing just as poorly and seems to be in a huge funk since the A's said they wouldn't try to sign him after the season.
Mendoza Line? You might not know what the Mendoza Line is about. Mario Mendoza played for parts of nine seasons in the major leagues from 1974 to 1982. He was a pretty slick fielding shortstop but it's hard to figure out how a player could play five of his nine years with a batting average below .200 and continue in the majors for that long?
Although Mario Mendoza batted .180 in 1975 and .185 in 1976, his two years of batting .198 established forever the now famous Mendoza Line. George Brett and/or Tom Paciorek are usually given credit for creating the line. It is said that every Sunday, Brett would search the stats in the paper to see who was hitting "below the Mendoza Line."
Wednesday, April 30, 2003
I don't think I could be a major league manager. I was watching the Yankee/Seattle game and the Yankees are comfortably ahead 5-1 in the eigth inning. The Yankees bring in Jose Acevedo who I know they hope will fill the eigth inning role to lead into Rivera (who looked great tonight). The first batter, Brett Boone gets a meatball and hits it out. Of course the little prig flipped his bat. Okay. You threw a strike and he hit it. Acevedo then walks the next two batters. If I had a gun and was Joe Torre, I would have shot him. You know those two walks would score and they did.
I remember hearing some obscene statistic that over 50% of leadoff walks end up scoring. Right from our early days of little league, the coach is yelling, "Just let them hit the ball and let your fielders do the rest." Well, the guys I'm watching are making over a $1 million a year and can't "just let them hit the ball"?
The Red Sox and Royals played tonight and it was a great game for 8.5 innings. The high-flying Royals had their closer in the game and guess what? No, he didn't walk anyone but Royals closer (MacDougal) hit two batters and had a wild pitch. The pitcher that took MacDougal's place after all that hit another batter! When is the last time you saw three HBP in the same inning!? "Just let them hit the ball!"
Why does David Wells win every year and have one of the best winning percentages in the history of MLB and yet have a fairly high career ERA? You could make an argument that he has always played for good teams. But I counter that he keeps himself in the game and keeps his team in the game by throwing strikes. Wells has pitched five games so far this year and has given up ONE walk. One!! Oh, and he's 3-0.
Wells has averaged more than nine hits per nine innings in his career and yet he wins. The reason he wins is that he throws strikes. Tommy John was the same way. He didn't "THROW" a lot of strikes, but he sure never gave up many walks.
Let's take it one step further and compare the careers of Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine. Here are two remarkably successful pitchers. But Maddux has won far more Cy Young awards and has a career ERA that is a half a run better than Glavine's. To me, the stuff is about even and the only difference is the amount of walks given up by Glavine. Maddux has averaged 1.92 walks per nine innings in his career. Glavine has averaged 3.01 walks per nine innings. That is one more walk a game. And the one walk scored fifty percent of the time!
The most amazing game ever pitched was Roger Clemen's first 20 strikeout game against the Mariners. Roger not only hit the catcher's target nearly every pitch, but he didn't walk a batter. That's remarkable.
I'll make one more argument for pitchers who throw strikes: Pretty much everyone in baseball agrees that Mariano Rivera is one of the best closers in the history of the game. Rivera's first full year was backing up then closer John Wettland. That was the year that Rivera recorded his best strikeout per nine inning ratio. Since he's been a closer, his strikeouts are down per nine innings but so are his walks. "Just let them hit the ball."
I lied because I'll make one more argument: Not only is it important to throw strikes, it's important to throw them early in the count. I watched with interest (and some concern) the inning that Chris Hammond pitched for the Yankees. The batters that he got out all started with strikes and pitcher's counts. The walks and the hits came because he could not get the first three pitches over for strikes.
Walks are a killer and I think all pitcher contracts should have a walk clause stating that every walk was going to cost the pitcher $100.
I remember hearing some obscene statistic that over 50% of leadoff walks end up scoring. Right from our early days of little league, the coach is yelling, "Just let them hit the ball and let your fielders do the rest." Well, the guys I'm watching are making over a $1 million a year and can't "just let them hit the ball"?
The Red Sox and Royals played tonight and it was a great game for 8.5 innings. The high-flying Royals had their closer in the game and guess what? No, he didn't walk anyone but Royals closer (MacDougal) hit two batters and had a wild pitch. The pitcher that took MacDougal's place after all that hit another batter! When is the last time you saw three HBP in the same inning!? "Just let them hit the ball!"
Why does David Wells win every year and have one of the best winning percentages in the history of MLB and yet have a fairly high career ERA? You could make an argument that he has always played for good teams. But I counter that he keeps himself in the game and keeps his team in the game by throwing strikes. Wells has pitched five games so far this year and has given up ONE walk. One!! Oh, and he's 3-0.
Wells has averaged more than nine hits per nine innings in his career and yet he wins. The reason he wins is that he throws strikes. Tommy John was the same way. He didn't "THROW" a lot of strikes, but he sure never gave up many walks.
Let's take it one step further and compare the careers of Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine. Here are two remarkably successful pitchers. But Maddux has won far more Cy Young awards and has a career ERA that is a half a run better than Glavine's. To me, the stuff is about even and the only difference is the amount of walks given up by Glavine. Maddux has averaged 1.92 walks per nine innings in his career. Glavine has averaged 3.01 walks per nine innings. That is one more walk a game. And the one walk scored fifty percent of the time!
The most amazing game ever pitched was Roger Clemen's first 20 strikeout game against the Mariners. Roger not only hit the catcher's target nearly every pitch, but he didn't walk a batter. That's remarkable.
I'll make one more argument for pitchers who throw strikes: Pretty much everyone in baseball agrees that Mariano Rivera is one of the best closers in the history of the game. Rivera's first full year was backing up then closer John Wettland. That was the year that Rivera recorded his best strikeout per nine inning ratio. Since he's been a closer, his strikeouts are down per nine innings but so are his walks. "Just let them hit the ball."
I lied because I'll make one more argument: Not only is it important to throw strikes, it's important to throw them early in the count. I watched with interest (and some concern) the inning that Chris Hammond pitched for the Yankees. The batters that he got out all started with strikes and pitcher's counts. The walks and the hits came because he could not get the first three pitches over for strikes.
Walks are a killer and I think all pitcher contracts should have a walk clause stating that every walk was going to cost the pitcher $100.
Tuesday, April 29, 2003
Oh man! Clemens lost his bid for win # 298. He gave up four runs in six innings and gave up three gopher balls. Brett Boone should get plunked the next time he faces Clemens and swinging from his ass while hitting his homer in the first. His bat flip and other actions, for a guy who only has one great year in MLB, are arrogant and he needs some humble pie. Contrast that with the Yankee players who get their cue from Joe Torre and NEVER dig it into their opponent's back. ESPN.com reports that Derek Jeter will be back May 13th and Mariano Rivera was activated tonight. Good news on both counts.
The Red Sox beat the Royals as Wakefield (the most valuable pitcher in baseball) won again. The Red Sox are a very good team and will be in the race all the way until the end. Their relief pitching is coming around too.
The Cincinnati Reds are a mess. There is no doubt in my mind that Manager Bob Boone needs to go. They have way too much talent to be playing as bad as they are. With players like Dunn and Kearns and Boone (the non-arrogant one). Sean Casey is healthy again and mashing the ball. Felipe Lopez is the next great shortstop. They should playing with zest and winning their share of games. They look like at least a .500 team to me. Axe the manager! The team is painting by numbers right now.
Interesting matchup as Dusty Baker faces his former charges. The Giants have lost a little steam and I still think their offense will be a problem over the long run. The Cubs look good on both sides of the ball and should be solid all year. They're in the midst of a good pitching duel as Kerry Wood is dueling Kurt Reuter.
The death watch continues in Detroit as the Tigers lost again. Their team batting average is "up" to .182. Yeesh...
The Red Sox beat the Royals as Wakefield (the most valuable pitcher in baseball) won again. The Red Sox are a very good team and will be in the race all the way until the end. Their relief pitching is coming around too.
The Cincinnati Reds are a mess. There is no doubt in my mind that Manager Bob Boone needs to go. They have way too much talent to be playing as bad as they are. With players like Dunn and Kearns and Boone (the non-arrogant one). Sean Casey is healthy again and mashing the ball. Felipe Lopez is the next great shortstop. They should playing with zest and winning their share of games. They look like at least a .500 team to me. Axe the manager! The team is painting by numbers right now.
Interesting matchup as Dusty Baker faces his former charges. The Giants have lost a little steam and I still think their offense will be a problem over the long run. The Cubs look good on both sides of the ball and should be solid all year. They're in the midst of a good pitching duel as Kerry Wood is dueling Kurt Reuter.
The death watch continues in Detroit as the Tigers lost again. Their team batting average is "up" to .182. Yeesh...
Monday, April 28, 2003
Since the games are really light tonight, I want to talk about something that is inside me and that I want you to think about. I want you to think about it because it's a problem that has brought MLB players down and could put you down if you let it. I want to talk about alcohol abuse.
This subject is important to me because I have faced the problems caused by alchohol and substance abuse all my life. My father hit a tree one night after being with a gal he should have been with and probably drinking what he shouldn't have been drinking. My mom remarried and stayed married for 29 years to a man who never knew when to stop. The drinking finally led to meanness and incoherence and my mom suffered a great deal before, in her mid-seventies, she had the courage to divorce him.
My former mother in law was a great woman with a big heart that I could tell my soul to and knew she would protect that exposed soul. She battled drinking and went to rehab three times and failed. It wasn't until her liver shut down on her and she miraculously recovered, that she decided she better kick the thing once and for all.
I have seen friends and coworker's lives slide down to oblivion because of drinking. These were good people who had good jobs and families and it cost them everything. Some are still out there battling it.
Baseball isn't immune. In recent months former players, Doc Gooden and Darren Daulton, were arrested for drinking and driving. Both arrests weren't the first time for these men who had too much to drink. Baseball has several traveling programs that were started by ex-players who were alcoholics and wanted to save today's players. One such player was Darrell Porter, whose excellent book, "Snap Me Perfect," went to the heart of his problem. Porter ended up dying at 50 and it was suspected at the time that his drinking had something to do with it.
Bad things happen to good people and sometimes you end up trapped in an addiction before you know it. If, in a lucid moment, you took a hard look, you would know whether you were an alcoholic or not. And if you aren't sure, there are plenty of places on-line that will tell you if you want to know. But don't even take their word for it. Ask your doctor and if your doctor thinks you have a problem, then let him help you seek help. Most employers want to see you get well and will stand by you if you want to get help. I know I would if I was your friend, family member or employer.
There is so much to celebrate in life. There are sunrises and sandy beaches and mountains in the distance. There are lakes and flower beds and sunny days and yeah, once in a while, a pitcher throws a no-hitter. Think about where you are and think about what it will take to help you to someday celebrate once again.
This subject is important to me because I have faced the problems caused by alchohol and substance abuse all my life. My father hit a tree one night after being with a gal he should have been with and probably drinking what he shouldn't have been drinking. My mom remarried and stayed married for 29 years to a man who never knew when to stop. The drinking finally led to meanness and incoherence and my mom suffered a great deal before, in her mid-seventies, she had the courage to divorce him.
My former mother in law was a great woman with a big heart that I could tell my soul to and knew she would protect that exposed soul. She battled drinking and went to rehab three times and failed. It wasn't until her liver shut down on her and she miraculously recovered, that she decided she better kick the thing once and for all.
I have seen friends and coworker's lives slide down to oblivion because of drinking. These were good people who had good jobs and families and it cost them everything. Some are still out there battling it.
Baseball isn't immune. In recent months former players, Doc Gooden and Darren Daulton, were arrested for drinking and driving. Both arrests weren't the first time for these men who had too much to drink. Baseball has several traveling programs that were started by ex-players who were alcoholics and wanted to save today's players. One such player was Darrell Porter, whose excellent book, "Snap Me Perfect," went to the heart of his problem. Porter ended up dying at 50 and it was suspected at the time that his drinking had something to do with it.
Bad things happen to good people and sometimes you end up trapped in an addiction before you know it. If, in a lucid moment, you took a hard look, you would know whether you were an alcoholic or not. And if you aren't sure, there are plenty of places on-line that will tell you if you want to know. But don't even take their word for it. Ask your doctor and if your doctor thinks you have a problem, then let him help you seek help. Most employers want to see you get well and will stand by you if you want to get help. I know I would if I was your friend, family member or employer.
There is so much to celebrate in life. There are sunrises and sandy beaches and mountains in the distance. There are lakes and flower beds and sunny days and yeah, once in a while, a pitcher throws a no-hitter. Think about where you are and think about what it will take to help you to someday celebrate once again.
Sunday, April 27, 2003
As could be predicted, the impossibly hot Giants, Royals and Yankees were all cooled off a bit today. There is no way that these teams are going to play .800 baseball this year. The six run blown lead by the Royals today will be a test of their new found success. Success depends a lot on the mental aspect of the team and its individuals. A game like that can really shake a team that isn't used to winning. We'll watch that one closely.
The Giants and the Yankees were stopped by unbelievable performances by top stars on their game. The Giants were no-hit by Kevin Millwood. The Yankees ran into Alex Rodriguez at his best as he went 5 for 5 with six RBI including a grand slam.
Millwood, who was given away by the Atlanta Braves in what had to be a cash saving measure, was brilliant. Millwood had one year of injury in 2001 that limited him to a 7-7 record. But that year was sandwiched around years where he won 17, 18 and 18 respectively. Why give up a pitcher like that? Today he displayed the kind of pitching that was very Brave-like by limiting the Giants to three walks and no hits. Without taking away from Millwood's performance, I am still not sure that these Giants will hit consistently. Besides Bonds, there isn't a single guy in that lineup who has a career of consistent production. All that said, you can't take away from what Millwood did today.
Alex Rodriguez is a guy who is going to erupt on you if you don't bring your best stuff to the mound. Jeff Weaver did not seem sharp and his good fastball wasn't there. There are a lot of teams where you can get away with less than your best stuff. But you are not going to get away with that in Texas. Between Gonzalez and Rodriguez and Palmeiro and Everett and now Blalock and Sierra, you have a lot of firepower. Don't bring your best and you're looking at a ten spot.
Rodriguez is one of those guys who seems to have the world figured out. He oozes this confidense that you can't miss. Jeter has the same thing. They don't swagger. They don't look arrogant. They just look comfortable in their surroundings. Even when A-Rod struck out to end the game the night before when the Yankees won their second game of the series, he didn't look like a guy who failed. He looked like a guy who would come back another day to beat you. And that's what he did today.
Speaking of guys who have that certain confidense, Pedro Martinez is pitching tonight on Sunday Night Baseball. He doesn't have the same velocity as consistently as a few years ago, but he just knows how to pitch better than anyone else I've ever watched. I have watched Martinez and Clemens a long time and Clemens has most of his career behind him now. Martinez will have to pitch as long as Clemens to be compared in the same sentence. But Clemens never looks comfortable. He is always twitching and fussing. His uniform always seems like his enemy and it never seems to sit on Clemens correctly. Martinez is in total control all the time. Tonight is another typical dominating night for Martinez. He always seems like he can put any pitch he throws anywhere he want to pitch it.
Pedro just struck out his tenth batter in six innings. Jon Williams just mentioned that it was hit 88th game with ten or more strikeouts. That seems awful low. Let's see...he's been involved in 264 starts and 88 out of 264 is one third of his starts. I guess that makes sense. It just seems like it would be more than that. But what seems even more unreal is what in the world were the Dodgers thinking when they let Pedro get away? The Expos were short on money. That's understandable. Sad, but understandable. But the Dodgers back when they were bringing 3 million people in the stands every year? Man, they blew it didn't they?
The Giants and the Yankees were stopped by unbelievable performances by top stars on their game. The Giants were no-hit by Kevin Millwood. The Yankees ran into Alex Rodriguez at his best as he went 5 for 5 with six RBI including a grand slam.
Millwood, who was given away by the Atlanta Braves in what had to be a cash saving measure, was brilliant. Millwood had one year of injury in 2001 that limited him to a 7-7 record. But that year was sandwiched around years where he won 17, 18 and 18 respectively. Why give up a pitcher like that? Today he displayed the kind of pitching that was very Brave-like by limiting the Giants to three walks and no hits. Without taking away from Millwood's performance, I am still not sure that these Giants will hit consistently. Besides Bonds, there isn't a single guy in that lineup who has a career of consistent production. All that said, you can't take away from what Millwood did today.
Alex Rodriguez is a guy who is going to erupt on you if you don't bring your best stuff to the mound. Jeff Weaver did not seem sharp and his good fastball wasn't there. There are a lot of teams where you can get away with less than your best stuff. But you are not going to get away with that in Texas. Between Gonzalez and Rodriguez and Palmeiro and Everett and now Blalock and Sierra, you have a lot of firepower. Don't bring your best and you're looking at a ten spot.
Rodriguez is one of those guys who seems to have the world figured out. He oozes this confidense that you can't miss. Jeter has the same thing. They don't swagger. They don't look arrogant. They just look comfortable in their surroundings. Even when A-Rod struck out to end the game the night before when the Yankees won their second game of the series, he didn't look like a guy who failed. He looked like a guy who would come back another day to beat you. And that's what he did today.
Speaking of guys who have that certain confidense, Pedro Martinez is pitching tonight on Sunday Night Baseball. He doesn't have the same velocity as consistently as a few years ago, but he just knows how to pitch better than anyone else I've ever watched. I have watched Martinez and Clemens a long time and Clemens has most of his career behind him now. Martinez will have to pitch as long as Clemens to be compared in the same sentence. But Clemens never looks comfortable. He is always twitching and fussing. His uniform always seems like his enemy and it never seems to sit on Clemens correctly. Martinez is in total control all the time. Tonight is another typical dominating night for Martinez. He always seems like he can put any pitch he throws anywhere he want to pitch it.
Pedro just struck out his tenth batter in six innings. Jon Williams just mentioned that it was hit 88th game with ten or more strikeouts. That seems awful low. Let's see...he's been involved in 264 starts and 88 out of 264 is one third of his starts. I guess that makes sense. It just seems like it would be more than that. But what seems even more unreal is what in the world were the Dodgers thinking when they let Pedro get away? The Expos were short on money. That's understandable. Sad, but understandable. But the Dodgers back when they were bringing 3 million people in the stands every year? Man, they blew it didn't they?
Saturday, April 26, 2003
This is the greatest time in this history of being a fan of MLB. Do you want to follow your team 162 games a season? You can go to MLB.com and choose the MLB.tv option. For $80 a year, you can watch almost every game every day of the baseball season. I am watching the Yankee/Texas game right now in the background.
Or if you want to relive your childhood when the game filled your imagination on AM Radio, then choose the live radio option. Then during or after the game, you can go to any search engine's sports page and look at the game's box score with up to date statistics. You can click on the player's name in the box score to get that player's stats for this year or his career.
Or if you prefer, you can get a MLB subscription from your cable or satellite provider and watch all of your team's games in crystal clear digital signals. Then watch Baseball Tonight on ESPN for the highlights of every game as they are happening or after the game is over.
Hmm...maybe I shouldn't be watching. I haven't watched a Yankee game all year and as soon as I start, Texas scores four runs to tie the game and then the next half inning, throw out Posada at home to end the Yankee half. Am I a jinx?
Baseball fans, pinch yourselves because there has never been a better time to be a fan...flagrant or otherwise.
Or if you want to relive your childhood when the game filled your imagination on AM Radio, then choose the live radio option. Then during or after the game, you can go to any search engine's sports page and look at the game's box score with up to date statistics. You can click on the player's name in the box score to get that player's stats for this year or his career.
Or if you prefer, you can get a MLB subscription from your cable or satellite provider and watch all of your team's games in crystal clear digital signals. Then watch Baseball Tonight on ESPN for the highlights of every game as they are happening or after the game is over.
Hmm...maybe I shouldn't be watching. I haven't watched a Yankee game all year and as soon as I start, Texas scores four runs to tie the game and then the next half inning, throw out Posada at home to end the Yankee half. Am I a jinx?
Baseball fans, pinch yourselves because there has never been a better time to be a fan...flagrant or otherwise.
Friday, April 25, 2003
The Flagrant Fan is happy and impressed so far with his Yankees. The one fear is that they are peaking early instead of late and that's what happened last year. They started well and then the pitching broke down with drastic results in the Angels series. But this also feels a little like 1998 when they had the dominating year and you kept expecting them to cool off and they never did. Anyway, it's going to be scary at least until Clemens gets his 300th win. Once that happens, I'll settle down and accept whatever happens.
As mentioned before, I've been a MLB fan for 40 years and in 40 years, I've never seen anything like the start by the Detroit Tigers. Can you imagine how depressing it would be if your top hitter was batting .205. Let that sink in: The Detroit Tigers leading hitter after 20+ games is Bobby Higginson with a batting average of .205. The entire team for 2003 is hitting .177. That means that the Tigers get 18 hits for ever 102 at bats. The Tigers on-base percentage is .246. They have more strikeouts as a team than hits. They have hit seven homers in 20 games. And when they finally get on base, they can't stay there as they have tried to steal 11 times and have been caught 8! Their only batter with more than one homerun so far is Eric Munson and he is batting .158.
You have to feel big time for the Detroit Tiger fans. This is the worst nightmare one can imagine. What is especially tough is that the team is being led by a manager and coaching staff that is the cream of the Tigers great years. I have to hope the Tigers turn it around at least to respectability. No one can root for a team to be this bad.
Speaking of bad, why do the Expos have to play in Montreal at all? Hey, if only 5,000 fans are going to show up for a game, why not just bite the bullet and move the team to Puerto Rico. The Expos are a good young team who deserve loyal fans to root for them. The Expos had a hard blow this week though when young pitcher, Tony Armas Jr. went on the disabled list.
I wonder who is going to win the Chuck Finley stakes? Finley had a great second half last season and it's hard to figure out why he is where he is just collecting dust. My guess would be that he will sign with the Cardinals but that he could end up in Boston. He would be a big help to that team.
One thing lost in the Yankee loss last night was the two hit, no run ball pitched by Sterling Hitchcock over the last three innings. Hitchcock could still be a very useful pitcher in the course of the year. The Yankee starters are off to a great start but aren't exactly young. You can never have too many pitching options.
As mentioned before, I've been a MLB fan for 40 years and in 40 years, I've never seen anything like the start by the Detroit Tigers. Can you imagine how depressing it would be if your top hitter was batting .205. Let that sink in: The Detroit Tigers leading hitter after 20+ games is Bobby Higginson with a batting average of .205. The entire team for 2003 is hitting .177. That means that the Tigers get 18 hits for ever 102 at bats. The Tigers on-base percentage is .246. They have more strikeouts as a team than hits. They have hit seven homers in 20 games. And when they finally get on base, they can't stay there as they have tried to steal 11 times and have been caught 8! Their only batter with more than one homerun so far is Eric Munson and he is batting .158.
You have to feel big time for the Detroit Tiger fans. This is the worst nightmare one can imagine. What is especially tough is that the team is being led by a manager and coaching staff that is the cream of the Tigers great years. I have to hope the Tigers turn it around at least to respectability. No one can root for a team to be this bad.
Speaking of bad, why do the Expos have to play in Montreal at all? Hey, if only 5,000 fans are going to show up for a game, why not just bite the bullet and move the team to Puerto Rico. The Expos are a good young team who deserve loyal fans to root for them. The Expos had a hard blow this week though when young pitcher, Tony Armas Jr. went on the disabled list.
I wonder who is going to win the Chuck Finley stakes? Finley had a great second half last season and it's hard to figure out why he is where he is just collecting dust. My guess would be that he will sign with the Cardinals but that he could end up in Boston. He would be a big help to that team.
One thing lost in the Yankee loss last night was the two hit, no run ball pitched by Sterling Hitchcock over the last three innings. Hitchcock could still be a very useful pitcher in the course of the year. The Yankee starters are off to a great start but aren't exactly young. You can never have too many pitching options.
Thursday, April 24, 2003
Wednesday, April 23, 2003
Adam Eaton outdueled Kerry Wood today to beat a very good Chicago Cubs team 2-0. Wood pitched great too, giving up only two runs in seven innings while striking out eleven. Eaton was just better tonight as he went seven innings also, giving up no runs while striking out twelve.
Adam Eaton broke on the scene for San Diego in the second half of 2000 and went 7-4. He was off to an 8-5 start in 2001 when his elbow gave out and that was it for the next season and a half. Eaton had what is now commonly known as Tommy John surgery.
Tommy John was the first to have Tommy John surgery...obviously. John started his career in 1963 with the Indians and then the Dodgers and had a fairly promising career going when after eleven years, he too felt something pop in his left elbow and had to shut it down. He was offered a radical new surgery by Frank Jobe where a tendon from the forearm is transplanted to the elbow to replace the ligament. John came back to pitch for fourteen more years!! and won 164 of his 288 wins AFTER the surgery. Hey! Why isn't Tommy John with 288 wins in the Hall of Fame?
The Sporting News claims that seventy-five current major leaguers had their careers saved by the procedure including Mariano Rivera, Matt Morris and Billy Koch. Most throw harder after the surgery and the Sporting News claims that Billy Koch could throw 108 MPH after the transplant and rehabilitation (http://www.sportingnews.com/voices/stan_mcneal/20020501.html). It really is amazing. Especially when you know people on the other side of the surgery.
Burt Barker was one of the best college pitchers of his time and outgunned many pitchers that went on to play pro ball. An elbow injury ended that dream for him just as WWII schrapnel ended his father's promising career (Yankee Minor Leagues). Burt has gone on to become one of the top Maine high school basketball coaches and is a school principal. Both of those are terrific accomplishments and important in the overall scheme of things. But you still have to wonder what Tommy John surgery could have done for Burt and what he could have done if he was a generation later.
I doubt Adam Eaton is going to give back his good fortune at having his injury in these days and times nor should he. Congratulations, Adam Eaton on your comeback and for being another success story to today's sports medicine.
Adam Eaton broke on the scene for San Diego in the second half of 2000 and went 7-4. He was off to an 8-5 start in 2001 when his elbow gave out and that was it for the next season and a half. Eaton had what is now commonly known as Tommy John surgery.
Tommy John was the first to have Tommy John surgery...obviously. John started his career in 1963 with the Indians and then the Dodgers and had a fairly promising career going when after eleven years, he too felt something pop in his left elbow and had to shut it down. He was offered a radical new surgery by Frank Jobe where a tendon from the forearm is transplanted to the elbow to replace the ligament. John came back to pitch for fourteen more years!! and won 164 of his 288 wins AFTER the surgery. Hey! Why isn't Tommy John with 288 wins in the Hall of Fame?
The Sporting News claims that seventy-five current major leaguers had their careers saved by the procedure including Mariano Rivera, Matt Morris and Billy Koch. Most throw harder after the surgery and the Sporting News claims that Billy Koch could throw 108 MPH after the transplant and rehabilitation (http://www.sportingnews.com/voices/stan_mcneal/20020501.html). It really is amazing. Especially when you know people on the other side of the surgery.
Burt Barker was one of the best college pitchers of his time and outgunned many pitchers that went on to play pro ball. An elbow injury ended that dream for him just as WWII schrapnel ended his father's promising career (Yankee Minor Leagues). Burt has gone on to become one of the top Maine high school basketball coaches and is a school principal. Both of those are terrific accomplishments and important in the overall scheme of things. But you still have to wonder what Tommy John surgery could have done for Burt and what he could have done if he was a generation later.
I doubt Adam Eaton is going to give back his good fortune at having his injury in these days and times nor should he. Congratulations, Adam Eaton on your comeback and for being another success story to today's sports medicine.
Tuesday, April 22, 2003
Twenty-four year old Juan-Carlos Covarrubias-Serrano probably never knew that his few beers at a baseball game were going to forever affect his life. He was probably a regular fan just like you and me who went to the ballpark for the fun and the excitement. He got a little drunk, and in his stupor remembered that Carl Everett was a badass and has gotten away with it all his life. Everett has been a spoiled punk for all of his baseball career. He has disrespected umpires, players on the other team, his own players, his own managers, his team's top leadership and most of all the fans. His act was seen in Boston and it was one of the worst exhibits of player actions ever seen. His actions were shameful to his team, his sport and his family.
Juan-Carlos did a real stupid thing. He took that modern symbol of technology, the cell phone (probably each American's most prized possession), and threw it. What are the odds that a drunk man in the second deck would perfectly hit his target? Juan-Carlos tempted the odds and hit the target...the back of Carl Everett's head. The first irony of this story is that the weapon used, the cell phone, followed a story from a few days before where a fan tackled an umpire in...you guessed it...US Cellular Field in Chicago.
Who knows what happened. Maybe he had a fight with a girl on the phone and threw her and it away. Maybe he got a busy signal on a call and in frustration threw the phone. Hey, I've slammed mine down in anger for that reason before. Or maybe he wanted to plunk Everett. What a fluke that he was successful and finds himself in the position he is now. It was stupid. It was dangerous. But how many of us have this little scary, guilty feeling inside because of the time we drank eleven beers and drove home. Nothing happened. In my case, it was my first date with what would be my wife of 21 years. I was lucky not to hit anything and end up where Juan-Carlos is.
But I'm sure that someone else got caught or went off the road or god-forbid, even hit someone at about the same time that I pulled that stunt somewhere back in 1975. Juan-Carlos defied the incredible odds by finding his target. He also defied the odds of pulling his stupid trick a few days after the Chicago incident when the national eye was already blinking rapidly about the need to punish unruly fans more adequately. Juan-Carlos is one son-of-a-gun in trouble.
The fans in the stands rightly pointed him out. I have no problem with that. Carl Everett, the badass, wants to press charges. I have no problem with that. Sometimes in life, you have to pay for your mistakes whether you are sorry for them or not. That other fan that tried to tackle the umpire in Chicago is sorry too, but that doesn't end the consequences. It's too bad that these two young men have performed a tarnishing act in their lives.
What is the second irony of this whole story? And what perfectly tells us what is wrong with the elitism of successful athletes? The same man who said he would press charges was upset when he was hit by the phone. Carl Everett threw the phone back over the fence. The phone hit Daniel Sugayan, an Oakland Athletic staffer. Sugayan declined to press charges.
Juan-Carlos did a real stupid thing. He took that modern symbol of technology, the cell phone (probably each American's most prized possession), and threw it. What are the odds that a drunk man in the second deck would perfectly hit his target? Juan-Carlos tempted the odds and hit the target...the back of Carl Everett's head. The first irony of this story is that the weapon used, the cell phone, followed a story from a few days before where a fan tackled an umpire in...you guessed it...US Cellular Field in Chicago.
Who knows what happened. Maybe he had a fight with a girl on the phone and threw her and it away. Maybe he got a busy signal on a call and in frustration threw the phone. Hey, I've slammed mine down in anger for that reason before. Or maybe he wanted to plunk Everett. What a fluke that he was successful and finds himself in the position he is now. It was stupid. It was dangerous. But how many of us have this little scary, guilty feeling inside because of the time we drank eleven beers and drove home. Nothing happened. In my case, it was my first date with what would be my wife of 21 years. I was lucky not to hit anything and end up where Juan-Carlos is.
But I'm sure that someone else got caught or went off the road or god-forbid, even hit someone at about the same time that I pulled that stunt somewhere back in 1975. Juan-Carlos defied the incredible odds by finding his target. He also defied the odds of pulling his stupid trick a few days after the Chicago incident when the national eye was already blinking rapidly about the need to punish unruly fans more adequately. Juan-Carlos is one son-of-a-gun in trouble.
The fans in the stands rightly pointed him out. I have no problem with that. Carl Everett, the badass, wants to press charges. I have no problem with that. Sometimes in life, you have to pay for your mistakes whether you are sorry for them or not. That other fan that tried to tackle the umpire in Chicago is sorry too, but that doesn't end the consequences. It's too bad that these two young men have performed a tarnishing act in their lives.
What is the second irony of this whole story? And what perfectly tells us what is wrong with the elitism of successful athletes? The same man who said he would press charges was upset when he was hit by the phone. Carl Everett threw the phone back over the fence. The phone hit Daniel Sugayan, an Oakland Athletic staffer. Sugayan declined to press charges.
Monday, April 21, 2003
The Red Sox should do away with the Patriot's Day game. What is Patriot's day? It isn't about New England's football team. The holiday celebrates the Battle of Lexington and Concord and the rides of Paul Revere and Henry Dawes on April 19, 1775. Hey, what other baseball site will give you real history?
Anyway, Massachusetts and Maine are the only two states that celebrate this particular holiday. Why you ask? Maine was a part of Massachusetts until 1820 when it entered the union as its own state. Now you have history AND geography. The Boston Marathon is traditionally held on Patriot's Day and for many years, the Red Sox have played a game at some rediculous time like 10a.m.
In some ways, it's charming because the kids are off from school and can go see a game (at $45 a pop) and then have the rest of the day with the family. But the early time always means that the Red Sox will rest at least one of their stars. Garciaparra was that start today and the Red Sox got whacked by the Blue Jays. In a scene right out of The Natural, Toronto's Chris Woodward homered just as an F-15 fighter jet was flying over to start the marathon down the street.
Okay. the game and its start time are quaint, but if the Sox lose the wildcard by one game, blame it on Patriot's Day.
The Yankees, Royals and Giants have all started really strong, but one of the most surprising teams is the Colorado Rockies. At 12-7, they are still in waving distance of the Giants and are right in the hunt for the wildcard. It has become hip to believe that the Rockies will never be able to contend because of their ballpark and the atmosphere. But they have learned that power pitching and speed in the outfield helps enormously and they are playing well. They need to play better on the road and that is the other criticism of the team and where it plays. Statistics seem to bear it out too.
Larry Walker is amazing. Helton is great but Walker has been doing it a long time. If he could have stayed healthy in his career, there is no telling what he could have done. Even so he has 337 lifetime homers and 806 extra base hits in his career. His career average is .317, his career on-base average is close to .400 and he is a career slugger of .575. Listen to this streak of years he's put together from 1997 to 2002: .366, .363, .379 (he flirted with .400 all year along with Gwynn), .309 (an off year with terrible injuries), .350 and .338.
Walker has only played one year without extended time in recovery. In that remarkable year, it shows what he could have done if healthy his whole career. In that year, he .366 in 153 games with 208 hits with 99 of them of the extra base variety (46 doubles, 4 triples and 49 homeruns!). He scored 143 runs while driving in 130! Remarkable.
It will be interesting to see how he is ranked once he is finished. He is 37 so his time is running out. He has been a truly special player who probably won't have enough stats to make the Hall of Fame. And the best thing about him? He seems like one of those guys that it would be fun to go to a bar with.
The Fan will watch and see how long the Rockies stay in contention.
Anyway, Massachusetts and Maine are the only two states that celebrate this particular holiday. Why you ask? Maine was a part of Massachusetts until 1820 when it entered the union as its own state. Now you have history AND geography. The Boston Marathon is traditionally held on Patriot's Day and for many years, the Red Sox have played a game at some rediculous time like 10a.m.
In some ways, it's charming because the kids are off from school and can go see a game (at $45 a pop) and then have the rest of the day with the family. But the early time always means that the Red Sox will rest at least one of their stars. Garciaparra was that start today and the Red Sox got whacked by the Blue Jays. In a scene right out of The Natural, Toronto's Chris Woodward homered just as an F-15 fighter jet was flying over to start the marathon down the street.
Okay. the game and its start time are quaint, but if the Sox lose the wildcard by one game, blame it on Patriot's Day.
The Yankees, Royals and Giants have all started really strong, but one of the most surprising teams is the Colorado Rockies. At 12-7, they are still in waving distance of the Giants and are right in the hunt for the wildcard. It has become hip to believe that the Rockies will never be able to contend because of their ballpark and the atmosphere. But they have learned that power pitching and speed in the outfield helps enormously and they are playing well. They need to play better on the road and that is the other criticism of the team and where it plays. Statistics seem to bear it out too.
Larry Walker is amazing. Helton is great but Walker has been doing it a long time. If he could have stayed healthy in his career, there is no telling what he could have done. Even so he has 337 lifetime homers and 806 extra base hits in his career. His career average is .317, his career on-base average is close to .400 and he is a career slugger of .575. Listen to this streak of years he's put together from 1997 to 2002: .366, .363, .379 (he flirted with .400 all year along with Gwynn), .309 (an off year with terrible injuries), .350 and .338.
Walker has only played one year without extended time in recovery. In that remarkable year, it shows what he could have done if healthy his whole career. In that year, he .366 in 153 games with 208 hits with 99 of them of the extra base variety (46 doubles, 4 triples and 49 homeruns!). He scored 143 runs while driving in 130! Remarkable.
It will be interesting to see how he is ranked once he is finished. He is 37 so his time is running out. He has been a truly special player who probably won't have enough stats to make the Hall of Fame. And the best thing about him? He seems like one of those guys that it would be fun to go to a bar with.
The Fan will watch and see how long the Rockies stay in contention.
Sunday, April 20, 2003
The suddenly pitching poor Atlanta Braves did what good teams (and lucky teams) always seem to do--They came up with a miracle in Shane Reynolds. It is easy to wonder what the Astros were thinking when they let him go, but I don't believe they were wrong. Reynolds was coming off an injury, his fastball was down in the low 80's and he was a fly ball pitcher for a team who plays home games in a field where fly balls are homeruns. No, the Astros did what was best for them although two straight losses to the Brewers would tend to make you wonder.
The miracle is that nobody else signed him. The Mets had a chance as Art Howe and Reynolds go back a long way. But it didn't happen. But where were the other teams? A guy who knows how to pitch (no matter what his velocity) would have worked for the Tigers, the Royals, the Giants and any other team that plays in pitchers parks. The Braves got him. And just when you would think they were down for the count and that this would be the year they would fade into the back regions of their division, he pitches two straight games without giving up an earned run and the Braves are on a roll. A funny game, this Major League Baseball.
Sammy Sosa was fortunate and it was good to see him glare at the pitcher after getting beaned in the ear by a pitch. Anyone who lived through the Tony Conigliaro days cringes whenever someone gets beaned. Speaking of such things, I wonder where the former Red Sox pitcher is that got nailed by that line drive a few years ago. I was watching that game too and that was one of the most sickening things I've ever seen. I don't have a strong stomach and tend to get worked up on such things. I'm glad I missed the Jason Kendell broken leg of a few years ago. Yuck.
Baseball Tonight was totally messed up by yet another Stanley Cup overtime game. I hate this time of year and can't wait until hockey is over. But there are so many teams playing in the Stanley Cup that the playoffs go forever. There is no doubt in my mind that 70% of Baseball Tonight telecasts will be delayed or lost altogether by the overtime hockey games. What a waste. Why do these hockey teams have to work so stinking hard to play their whole regulation game and maybe score a goal or two. What an exercise in futility. I think all hockey games should start out sudden death. That way, the first team that scores...wins. Then Baseball Tonight would never be lost again. At least the NBA is smart enough to have three point scoring events: the free throw, the two point shot and the three point shot. It sure prevents the overtime games.
What little the show was on was stunning from Bobby Valentine's extraordinarily sharp criticisms of umpire Joe Brinkman. That kind of REAL insider information has always seemed to be taboo. It gives Baseball Tonight even more credibility and raises its stature. It will be interesting to see how Valentine's comments play out with the league. If his comments concerning Brinkman are true, then baseball should take notices. There is a fine line where umpires have to run the game but remember that they are NOT the game. Some umpires provoke the players and that should never EVER happen.
The miracle is that nobody else signed him. The Mets had a chance as Art Howe and Reynolds go back a long way. But it didn't happen. But where were the other teams? A guy who knows how to pitch (no matter what his velocity) would have worked for the Tigers, the Royals, the Giants and any other team that plays in pitchers parks. The Braves got him. And just when you would think they were down for the count and that this would be the year they would fade into the back regions of their division, he pitches two straight games without giving up an earned run and the Braves are on a roll. A funny game, this Major League Baseball.
Sammy Sosa was fortunate and it was good to see him glare at the pitcher after getting beaned in the ear by a pitch. Anyone who lived through the Tony Conigliaro days cringes whenever someone gets beaned. Speaking of such things, I wonder where the former Red Sox pitcher is that got nailed by that line drive a few years ago. I was watching that game too and that was one of the most sickening things I've ever seen. I don't have a strong stomach and tend to get worked up on such things. I'm glad I missed the Jason Kendell broken leg of a few years ago. Yuck.
Baseball Tonight was totally messed up by yet another Stanley Cup overtime game. I hate this time of year and can't wait until hockey is over. But there are so many teams playing in the Stanley Cup that the playoffs go forever. There is no doubt in my mind that 70% of Baseball Tonight telecasts will be delayed or lost altogether by the overtime hockey games. What a waste. Why do these hockey teams have to work so stinking hard to play their whole regulation game and maybe score a goal or two. What an exercise in futility. I think all hockey games should start out sudden death. That way, the first team that scores...wins. Then Baseball Tonight would never be lost again. At least the NBA is smart enough to have three point scoring events: the free throw, the two point shot and the three point shot. It sure prevents the overtime games.
What little the show was on was stunning from Bobby Valentine's extraordinarily sharp criticisms of umpire Joe Brinkman. That kind of REAL insider information has always seemed to be taboo. It gives Baseball Tonight even more credibility and raises its stature. It will be interesting to see how Valentine's comments play out with the league. If his comments concerning Brinkman are true, then baseball should take notices. There is a fine line where umpires have to run the game but remember that they are NOT the game. Some umpires provoke the players and that should never EVER happen.
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