Some pretty famous writers have stated that the Save is not a valid statistic. Just as many have stated that a good closer is not more valuable than any other pitcher. Tell that to the teams that had their guts ripped out last night due to the closer not getting the job done. It happened all over the major leagues last night, the loudest coming from the great Mariano Rivera. But he wasn't alone last night. Let's look at the damage:
- Mariano Rivera (Yankees): The Yankees held a 4-2 lead going into the ninth inning. Boston has its very best hitters coming up. Rivera had come into the game in the eighth to record the last out, which is a bit unusual for him, but less unusual against the Red Sox. With two outs, Rivera threw a cutter outside to Jason Bay. Big mistake and maybe just as bad an error on the catcher who called the pitch as on Rivera who delivered it. Bay knocked it out to dead center. Tie game. The Red Sox would go on to win in the 11th with a walk-off homer by Kevin Youkilis off of the worst Yankee reliever - Marte.
- George Sherrill (Orioles): The Orioles got a great start from newcomer Koji Uehara and were leading 4-3 going into the ninth. George Sherrill was called to get the save and couldn't get it done. Michael Young hit a two run homer and the Rangers won 5-4. Sherrill has now blown 22% of his lifetime save opportunities. Tell the fans in Baltimore that a save is a stupid statistic.
- Matt Lindstrom (Marlins): The Fan stated earlier this month that Lindstrom was a weakness for the Marlins, who otherwise are very strong in overall pitching. Last night against the Phillies, Josh Johnson had a lights out outing with seven shutout innings, fanning eight. Leo Nunez was fantastic in the eighth, striking out two. The ninth belonged to Lindstrom and he belonged to the Phillies. He was within an out of getting the save but then gave up a grand slam to Victorino and then a back-to-back solo homer by Chase Utley. Lindstrom's line for the night: 0.2 4 7 7 3 1. Ugh. Lindstrom has now blown two of five save opportunities this year and five of thirteen for his career. Florida fans must really think the save is a stupid stat.
- Manuel Corpas (Colorado): The Rockies have two closers, Corpas and Hudson Street. Street started the year as the closer, but was ineffective and then Corpas was given the job. Last night against the Dodgers, Street gave up two runs in the eighth to allow the Dodgers to go ahead in the game. After the Rockies came back and tied the game in the bottom of the eighth with two runs of their own, Corpas gave up the game winner in the ninth. Not a blown save, but a blown win by both Street and Corpas.
So that's four games affected negatively by the closer out of fifteen games played (27%). And K-Rod very nearly blew the save for the Mets and Johan Santana. All losses are hard to take, but when you have a game nearly won and lose it in the late innings, it's a particularly nasty way to lose.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Friday, April 24, 2009
It's a Good Thing No Bets Are Placed
If you haven't been playing along at BallHype.com, you should. It's fun and you can win a shirt or something. But the best part is that if you are good and lead for a week, then your name is mentioned, which could just help lead more people to your site (if you blog that is). The trouble is, the Fan can't figure this season out. And it is showing big time on picks. The Fan was rolling during Spring Training amassing an impressive record. But as the season continues to mess around upside down where the Pirates and Royals are contenders and the Bay Rays aren't (yet), the Fan couldn't pick a game correctly if his life depended on it. Let's take a few of Thursday's games for examples:
Royals vs. Indians: The Royals started Gil (ga) Meche, who has really pitched well. The Indians started Anthony Reyes and his 4.94 lifetime ERA. Simple right? Pick the Royals. All was going well, but Trey Hillman is not having a good year managing his bullpen. Meche ran into trouble in the eighth inning and Hillman brought in Mahay (as in: Mahay I please lose this game for you?) who gave up a three run homer to Sizemore. Game over. Pick: LOSER!
Brewers vs. Phillies: It was Cole Hamels against Dave Bush. Bush had an ERA over 5.00 coming into the game. Hamels has had a little injury thing. But is still the much better pitcher. Both teams are struggling so all things being equal, Hamels should beat Bush. Well, Hamels gets pelted by a line drive. Bush flirts with a no-hitter. Brewers won running way. Pick: LOSER!
The Fan correctly picked the Cardinals to beat the Mets and Cueto and the Reds to beat the Cubbies. Whew! Now the Fan is even for the day. The Fan peaks above .500 when Ichiro and King Felix beat the Bay Rays, 1-0.
Okay. Next? In a grand matchup, Baltimore faced the White Sox and it was a battle of seemingly washed up pitchers. Bartolo Colon started for the White Sox and Eaton started for the Orioles. The Fan has been merciless at Eaton's expense and surely, in a battle of overweight pitchers, Colon should beat Eaton every time right? Colon gives the White Sox a colonoscopy and Eaton has a fantastic outing, fanning nine in seven innings. Pick: LOSER! Back to .500
Texas vs. Toronto: Kevin Millwood started for Texas. After picking on him all spring here in the FanDome, Millwood sprang out of the gate once the season started with two dominating starts and a 2-0 record. Feeling bad for ragging on Millwood, the Fan buys into his good start as he is facing an inexperienced Scott Richmond who has pitched in all of seven games in his big league career. Another no-brainer, right? Grrrr. Richmond only gives up two solo homers in six innings and fans eight and wins the game. Millwood wasn't bad but gave up three homers and thus the game. Pick: LOSER! Back in the red.
As of this writing, two games aren't finished yet. One is going the Fan's way, the other, not. So far this week, the Fan is 15-22. Does the Fan feel like a big dope or what? But you know what? The unpredictability of the games is what makes baseball so much fun. It's hell on prognosticating, but it sure is fun to see what happens every day. And like Josh Hamilton in Texas and the Bay Rays, the Fan's season is sure to turn around. Either way, what a great sport and what great fun!
Royals vs. Indians: The Royals started Gil (ga) Meche, who has really pitched well. The Indians started Anthony Reyes and his 4.94 lifetime ERA. Simple right? Pick the Royals. All was going well, but Trey Hillman is not having a good year managing his bullpen. Meche ran into trouble in the eighth inning and Hillman brought in Mahay (as in: Mahay I please lose this game for you?) who gave up a three run homer to Sizemore. Game over. Pick: LOSER!
Brewers vs. Phillies: It was Cole Hamels against Dave Bush. Bush had an ERA over 5.00 coming into the game. Hamels has had a little injury thing. But is still the much better pitcher. Both teams are struggling so all things being equal, Hamels should beat Bush. Well, Hamels gets pelted by a line drive. Bush flirts with a no-hitter. Brewers won running way. Pick: LOSER!
The Fan correctly picked the Cardinals to beat the Mets and Cueto and the Reds to beat the Cubbies. Whew! Now the Fan is even for the day. The Fan peaks above .500 when Ichiro and King Felix beat the Bay Rays, 1-0.
Okay. Next? In a grand matchup, Baltimore faced the White Sox and it was a battle of seemingly washed up pitchers. Bartolo Colon started for the White Sox and Eaton started for the Orioles. The Fan has been merciless at Eaton's expense and surely, in a battle of overweight pitchers, Colon should beat Eaton every time right?
Texas vs. Toronto: Kevin Millwood started for Texas. After picking on him all spring here in the FanDome, Millwood sprang out of the gate once the season started with two dominating starts and a 2-0 record. Feeling bad for ragging on Millwood, the Fan buys into his good start as he is facing an inexperienced Scott Richmond who has pitched in all of seven games in his big league career. Another no-brainer, right? Grrrr. Richmond only gives up two solo homers in six innings and fans eight and wins the game. Millwood wasn't bad but gave up three homers and thus the game. Pick: LOSER! Back in the red.
As of this writing, two games aren't finished yet. One is going the Fan's way, the other, not. So far this week, the Fan is 15-22. Does the Fan feel like a big dope or what? But you know what? The unpredictability of the games is what makes baseball so much fun. It's hell on prognosticating, but it sure is fun to see what happens every day. And like Josh Hamilton in Texas and the Bay Rays, the Fan's season is sure to turn around. Either way, what a great sport and what great fun!
Thursday, April 23, 2009
LIVAN - As Sung By Elton John
With all due respect to Elton John and Bernie Taupin and to Michael Silver who does this much better, Thursday's Met box score prompted this song to the tune of one of Elton John's greatest hits.
Apologies in advance to those of you who wanted the Mets to win...
Livan wears his war wound like a crown
He calls his sib, Orlando
`Cause his daddy is the same
But they don't pitch the same on the mound
Livan, Livan likes his money
He makes a lot they say
Spends his days pitching
While the batters always swing away
He was born a Cuban under Castro on a sunny day
But the New York Times said his fastball's dead
And the rout's begun
Hernandez laid another egg today
And he shall be Livan
And he shall be a good man
And he shall be Livan
In tradition with the family plan
And he shall be Livan
And he shall be a good man
He shall be Livan
Livan throws cartoon balloons in town
Yet somehow his career survives
Orlando still wishes he was pitching
Sits in the stands and wonders why
And Orlando, he wants to go to Citi
Leaving Livan far behind
Take the mound and go sailing
While Livan, Livan's fastball dies
He was born a Cuban under Castro on a sunny day
But the New York Times said his fastball's dead
And the rout's begun
Hernandez laid another egg today
And he shall be Livan
And he shall be a good man
And he shall be Livan
In tradition with the family plan
And he shall be Livan
And he shall be a good man
He shall be Livan
Apologies in advance to those of you who wanted the Mets to win...
Livan wears his war wound like a crown
He calls his sib, Orlando
`Cause his daddy is the same
But they don't pitch the same on the mound
Livan, Livan likes his money
He makes a lot they say
Spends his days pitching
While the batters always swing away
He was born a Cuban under Castro on a sunny day
But the New York Times said his fastball's dead
And the rout's begun
Hernandez laid another egg today
And he shall be Livan
And he shall be a good man
And he shall be Livan
In tradition with the family plan
And he shall be Livan
And he shall be a good man
He shall be Livan
Livan throws cartoon balloons in town
Yet somehow his career survives
Orlando still wishes he was pitching
Sits in the stands and wonders why
And Orlando, he wants to go to Citi
Leaving Livan far behind
Take the mound and go sailing
While Livan, Livan's fastball dies
He was born a Cuban under Castro on a sunny day
But the New York Times said his fastball's dead
And the rout's begun
Hernandez laid another egg today
And he shall be Livan
And he shall be a good man
And he shall be Livan
In tradition with the family plan
And he shall be Livan
And he shall be a good man
He shall be Livan
The Strange Case of Melky Cabrera
Watched a really long Yankee/A's game today that went 14 innings and lasted over five hours. The game featured a start by Melky Cabrera, who spelled Brett Gardner with a left-hander starting for the A's. The game showed the best of the worst of Melky and left this writer just as confused about him as ever.
First, there is the lingering issue over replacing Bernie Williams. Everyone knows that Bernie slowed down and the time had come, but it was still emotionally difficult. The guy was such a steady and classy force for a long time. And he was pushed out by this awkward, graceless kid named Melky Cabrera. Cabrera was everything that Williams was not. He was emotional and voracious. He never looked smooth, yet he did okay to start with.
Perhaps part of his problem was that, in a rarity for the Yankees, this home grown youngster was rushed to the big leagues. He only has 179 At Bats in AAA and 52 of those came last year when he was demoted in the middle of the season. He hit well in AAA, but perhaps he wasn't given enough time to grow there.
He started well for the Yankees. In 2006, he hit .280 and had an OPS of .752 to go along with an OBP of .360. Those are decent numbers. His lack of power, though, left him with an OPS+ of under 100, which is league average. His numbers dropped two straight years after 2006. The OPS from 2006 to 2008: .752, .718, .641. His OBP dropped similarly: .360, .327, .301.
Watching him regularly, the appearance was that he had some good moments, but was over matched against good pitching. Some players can put the ball in play against league average to better pitchers. Melky wilted in such situation, which also explains his well-under-the-Mendoza average in playoff appearances.
Last year was pitiful for Cabrera. He seemed totally lost. He still couldn't hit good pitching, but he wasn't hitting bad pitching either. He flailed around and just looked like he didn't have a clue. Every day, it was like watching Soriano against Red Sox pitching in the playoffs.
So this year, coming into Spring Training, it was announced early that he had to fight for his job. He was going to compete with Brett Gardner for the centerfield position. Gardner, who didn't light the world on fire in his debut last year, has some skills. He is a better fielder than Cabrera, is faster on the base paths and allegedly had more patience at the plate. Plus (shhh), he's white. Apologies for bringing that up, but, hey, it's more of a factor than you may think.
The competition from the beginning was Gardner's to lose. And he didn't. He had a great spring. Melky started roughly in Spring Training and never could catch up, though his ending numbers were very good. Just not good enough to win the job from Gardner.
Today's long game was Melky Cabrera in a nutshell. He started off the night with a right-handed homer. Then he whiffed three times and looked terrible. His strikeout with the bases loaded and no out was particularly horrible. The relief pitcher was throwing the ball all over the place. He couldn't find home plate. That's why the bases were loaded. You would think that Cabrera would only swing at something fat and let the pitcher hang himself. But he didn't. First he swung at one below his knees and then looked like a Little Leaguer by striking himself out on a pitch way over his head. Pathetic.
Of course, it didn't help that his replacement pitch hit right after him and Gardner popped out weakly to the third baseman and after a Jeter pop up, the inning was over and the game droned on for another two hours.
And so we go to the fourteenth inning. There was one out and Swisher was on first with another walk. Swisher is like a younger Giambi in almost every way. Then Cabrera steps up to hit. You can't blame the Fan for rolling his eyes. A double play or a strikeout was fully expected. But instead, Melky crushed one and as soon as he hit it, everyone watching knew the game was over.
So there you have it. Six at bats, two homers, a walk and three strikeouts. That's Cabrera. Who knows. He's terrible, he's a hero. He's terrible. He's okay. It's strange. Maybe he just needs a fresh start and another team that believes in him. Or maybe he's just going to be a usable replacement player who won't necessarily kill you when he gets in there. All the Fan knows is that he is one of the strangest cases in all of baseball.
First, there is the lingering issue over replacing Bernie Williams. Everyone knows that Bernie slowed down and the time had come, but it was still emotionally difficult. The guy was such a steady and classy force for a long time. And he was pushed out by this awkward, graceless kid named Melky Cabrera. Cabrera was everything that Williams was not. He was emotional and voracious. He never looked smooth, yet he did okay to start with.
Perhaps part of his problem was that, in a rarity for the Yankees, this home grown youngster was rushed to the big leagues. He only has 179 At Bats in AAA and 52 of those came last year when he was demoted in the middle of the season. He hit well in AAA, but perhaps he wasn't given enough time to grow there.
He started well for the Yankees. In 2006, he hit .280 and had an OPS of .752 to go along with an OBP of .360. Those are decent numbers. His lack of power, though, left him with an OPS+ of under 100, which is league average. His numbers dropped two straight years after 2006. The OPS from 2006 to 2008: .752, .718, .641. His OBP dropped similarly: .360, .327, .301.
Watching him regularly, the appearance was that he had some good moments, but was over matched against good pitching. Some players can put the ball in play against league average to better pitchers. Melky wilted in such situation, which also explains his well-under-the-Mendoza average in playoff appearances.
Last year was pitiful for Cabrera. He seemed totally lost. He still couldn't hit good pitching, but he wasn't hitting bad pitching either. He flailed around and just looked like he didn't have a clue. Every day, it was like watching Soriano against Red Sox pitching in the playoffs.
So this year, coming into Spring Training, it was announced early that he had to fight for his job. He was going to compete with Brett Gardner for the centerfield position. Gardner, who didn't light the world on fire in his debut last year, has some skills. He is a better fielder than Cabrera, is faster on the base paths and allegedly had more patience at the plate. Plus (shhh), he's white. Apologies for bringing that up, but, hey, it's more of a factor than you may think.
The competition from the beginning was Gardner's to lose. And he didn't. He had a great spring. Melky started roughly in Spring Training and never could catch up, though his ending numbers were very good. Just not good enough to win the job from Gardner.
Today's long game was Melky Cabrera in a nutshell. He started off the night with a right-handed homer. Then he whiffed three times and looked terrible. His strikeout with the bases loaded and no out was particularly horrible. The relief pitcher was throwing the ball all over the place. He couldn't find home plate. That's why the bases were loaded. You would think that Cabrera would only swing at something fat and let the pitcher hang himself. But he didn't. First he swung at one below his knees and then looked like a Little Leaguer by striking himself out on a pitch way over his head. Pathetic.
Of course, it didn't help that his replacement pitch hit right after him and Gardner popped out weakly to the third baseman and after a Jeter pop up, the inning was over and the game droned on for another two hours.
And so we go to the fourteenth inning. There was one out and Swisher was on first with another walk. Swisher is like a younger Giambi in almost every way. Then Cabrera steps up to hit. You can't blame the Fan for rolling his eyes. A double play or a strikeout was fully expected. But instead, Melky crushed one and as soon as he hit it, everyone watching knew the game was over.
So there you have it. Six at bats, two homers, a walk and three strikeouts. That's Cabrera. Who knows. He's terrible, he's a hero. He's terrible. He's okay. It's strange. Maybe he just needs a fresh start and another team that believes in him. Or maybe he's just going to be a usable replacement player who won't necessarily kill you when he gets in there. All the Fan knows is that he is one of the strangest cases in all of baseball.
Success is Contagious
The Pirates and the Royals won again and again, pitching was the key for both. Paul Maholm improved his record to 3-0 and though his ERA rose a bit to just over 2, it was still a successful outing against a tough Florida club. Meanwhile, up in Cleveland, Brian Bannister returned triumphantly from the minors and pitched a gem for the Royals as they shut out what had been a hot hitting team.
With each game that goes by, you can see the confidence building in the pitching staffs of both teams. Success builds on itself and is contagious. Unless one experiences it, it's hard to describe. Now promise not to laugh, but the Fan knows a little about this subject.
Once upon a time, some twenty years ago, the Fan was one of the top bowlers in the state of New Hampshire. Now, come on! Stop laughing. Bowling is a real sport that takes skill and accuracy. The Fan bowled since he was a kid and fond memories of Saturday morning kid's leagues still linger. Of course, the head of those kid's leagues was one Mrs. Finn who was one hot mom. She had platinum hair and mini-skirts and low cut blouses and she was the bomb! She helped the Fan fall in love with bowling.
The Fan was always pretty good, in the 170 to 175 average range. Accuracy was the game and not pure talent. The Fan made all his spares and that helped overcome the lack of real strike power. After growing up and moving to New England, the Fan had married a woman from New Hampshire and she was a real fitness buff. She ran half marathons and came in third in the Miss New Hampshire Bodybuilding competition. She taught aerobics classes.
The Fan wasn't as much into it as she was, but working 70 hours a week in a hot, sweaty tannery put the Fan in great shape and he started joining his wife in some of those activities. So in the mid-1980s, the Fan was in the best shape of his life and for three years, was one of the top bowlers in the state. One year in particular stands out. The Fan averaged 196 and won the singles and doubles tournaments for the region and the doubles tournament in the state as well as several team events. The trophies are in a box some where.
That year was simply a year when the physical shape meshed with the knowledge of decades of participating and everything just came together. Each week built on the next and the Fan just knew what to do, where to throw it, where to stand and a killer instinct kicked in and there was no way anyone else was going to win. Heck, the Fan paid for a washer and dryer with bowling winnings and so was the Fan's very first computer, a 10MB model from some catalog outfit in California called DAK or something. So, if you all are sick of the Fan's writing, bowling is the reason this all came to be.
That winning zone can't be fully predicted by projections and statistical analysis. Some times, despite anything that has happened before, it all just comes together and some kind of mindset seeps in that makes anything possible. To tie all this back into where we started, the Pirates and the Royals are in that zone right now. The pitchers on both teams, particularly the starters, just believe they are going to be successful and they are feeding off each other and success is happening regularly.
Take Brian Bannister. Two years ago, he was a very successful starter for the Royals. Not overpowering, he was canny and pitched to a 12-9 record on a very bad team and had an ERA in the mid-threes. Then last year, the wheels fell off and as good as he was the year before, he was that bad last year. He gave up 265 base runners in just over 182 innings of work. His ERA ballooned to 5.76 and he lost 16 games.
He was demoted at the end of Spring Training because the Royals front five have been pitching really well. But he was brought up and pitches a gem, going six innings without giving up a run. Fortunately, manager, Trey Hillman, apparently has learned his lesson and Farnsworth wasn't anywhere to be seen and the Royals relievers finished up the shutout.
Maholm was featured in the FanDome yesterday so there is no need to go over that again. The point is that these pitching staffs are having a lot of fun and a lot of success and for two blue-coller, small market teams, you can't help but root that the success continues. Keep throwing those strikes, Boys. The Fan knows what it is like to get on a roll and it sure is a lot of fun.
With each game that goes by, you can see the confidence building in the pitching staffs of both teams. Success builds on itself and is contagious. Unless one experiences it, it's hard to describe. Now promise not to laugh, but the Fan knows a little about this subject.
Once upon a time, some twenty years ago, the Fan was one of the top bowlers in the state of New Hampshire. Now, come on! Stop laughing. Bowling is a real sport that takes skill and accuracy. The Fan bowled since he was a kid and fond memories of Saturday morning kid's leagues still linger. Of course, the head of those kid's leagues was one Mrs. Finn who was one hot mom. She had platinum hair and mini-skirts and low cut blouses and she was the bomb! She helped the Fan fall in love with bowling.
The Fan was always pretty good, in the 170 to 175 average range. Accuracy was the game and not pure talent. The Fan made all his spares and that helped overcome the lack of real strike power. After growing up and moving to New England, the Fan had married a woman from New Hampshire and she was a real fitness buff. She ran half marathons and came in third in the Miss New Hampshire Bodybuilding competition. She taught aerobics classes.
The Fan wasn't as much into it as she was, but working 70 hours a week in a hot, sweaty tannery put the Fan in great shape and he started joining his wife in some of those activities. So in the mid-1980s, the Fan was in the best shape of his life and for three years, was one of the top bowlers in the state. One year in particular stands out. The Fan averaged 196 and won the singles and doubles tournaments for the region and the doubles tournament in the state as well as several team events. The trophies are in a box some where.
That year was simply a year when the physical shape meshed with the knowledge of decades of participating and everything just came together. Each week built on the next and the Fan just knew what to do, where to throw it, where to stand and a killer instinct kicked in and there was no way anyone else was going to win. Heck, the Fan paid for a washer and dryer with bowling winnings and so was the Fan's very first computer, a 10MB model from some catalog outfit in California called DAK or something. So, if you all are sick of the Fan's writing, bowling is the reason this all came to be.
That winning zone can't be fully predicted by projections and statistical analysis. Some times, despite anything that has happened before, it all just comes together and some kind of mindset seeps in that makes anything possible. To tie all this back into where we started, the Pirates and the Royals are in that zone right now. The pitchers on both teams, particularly the starters, just believe they are going to be successful and they are feeding off each other and success is happening regularly.
Take Brian Bannister. Two years ago, he was a very successful starter for the Royals. Not overpowering, he was canny and pitched to a 12-9 record on a very bad team and had an ERA in the mid-threes. Then last year, the wheels fell off and as good as he was the year before, he was that bad last year. He gave up 265 base runners in just over 182 innings of work. His ERA ballooned to 5.76 and he lost 16 games.
He was demoted at the end of Spring Training because the Royals front five have been pitching really well. But he was brought up and pitches a gem, going six innings without giving up a run. Fortunately, manager, Trey Hillman, apparently has learned his lesson and Farnsworth wasn't anywhere to be seen and the Royals relievers finished up the shutout.
Maholm was featured in the FanDome yesterday so there is no need to go over that again. The point is that these pitching staffs are having a lot of fun and a lot of success and for two blue-coller, small market teams, you can't help but root that the success continues. Keep throwing those strikes, Boys. The Fan knows what it is like to get on a roll and it sure is a lot of fun.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
The Pirates Are Pitching!
There was little secret to the stunning turnaround for the Tampa Bay Rays last year. Their defense improved dramatically and their pitching hit full stride. The Pirates came into this year following four straight seasons of either 94 or 95 losses. They made a determined effort coming into this year to focus on pitching and defense and both are currently clicking.
After tonight's 3-2 win over the red hot Marlins, the Pirates have given up 42 earned runs in 14 games or three runs per game. Since they are scoring 4.5 runs per game, that's a good way to start with an 8-6 record. Will the team hold up for the long haul and end their sub-.500 ways? If they were winning with offense, it would be easy to discount that possibility. But good pitching is a great way to move forward.
The first thing the Pirates did was hire Joe Kerrigan as their pitching coach. Say what you will about how much effect a coach has on a ball club, but Kerrigan immediately focused on two things. First, after watching video of last season, he noticed that the Pirates never challenged anyone inside. Secondly, they didn't pound the strike zone. Kerrigan was the pitching coach for the Expos and Red Sox when a kid named Pedro Martinez did a pretty good job of doing both.
He also ramped up the pitcher's conditioning so they wouldn't wilt as the season and the games went along. Whether it's the program or the pitchers that are making the difference is debatable, but you cannot debate the results.
Last year, the Pirates finished with a 5.10 ERA. They were 16th in the league in walks, hits and consequently, runs. So far this year, they are fifth in the league in walks and are first in the league in earned runs.
It starts with the rotation. Last year, the only starter with an ERA+ over 100 (league average)was Paul Maholm. This year, every starter is over 100. And even their most uneven starter to this point, Ian Snell, has an ERA of only 4.24. If he can get his control straightened out, he will be okay too. Maholm has become the ace of the staff and he's been unhittable so far. He's not a big time strike out guy (none of the starters are), but his WHIP is a fantastic 0.968 and he is only giving up 6.1 hits per nine innings.
Zack Duke seems to be back to the form he flashed a few seasons ago and is 2-1 with a 2.95 ERA. Ross Ohlendorf has been a big surprise and though he is a hard luck 1-2, he's only walked three in 18 innings to go along with only 17 hits. Karstens had a rough first start but shut down the Marlins effectively on Tuesday night and won his first game of the year.
Some times, you have addition by subtraction. Last year's Bucs had too many starts by the likes of Matt Morris and Tom Gorzelanny. A top five of Maholm, Duke, Snell, Ohlendorf and Karstens is very competitive and can keep them in games all season long.
Relief pitching is by and large improved as well. The biggest plus is a full season of Matt Capps as closer. He's already started four for four in save opportunities and seems very competent. John Grabow is an important man in the bullpen and had a very good year last year with a 2.95 ERA in 74 appearances! That's a lot of games. Grabow is perfect so far this year and hasn't given up a run in six appearances. Jesse Chavez has been a nice addition and has a 1.50 ERA in five appearances so far.
The rest of the bullpen has been a bit of a mess and Tyler Yates, who had a decent season last year has had a rough start in particular. Three guys won't get it done all year and they will need help from a couple of others at least. But at least, when the team is ahead in the game, they have a nice set up at the end to close it out.
Pirate fans should be excited. This has been a lot of fun so far this year. It's a lot more fun than losing nearly every night. At least they are in most of their games and an 8-6 record is nothing to sneeze at. Do the Pirates have a shot at the division? No. But they do have a shot at being a decent team and an outside shot at playing .500 baseball or better.
As the Rays proved, fielding is a big part of pitching well. And defensively, the Pirates are holding their own very well. Sanchez is way above league average at second. The LaRoche brothers are both above league average at first and third. Morgan, McLouth and Moss are all above average in the outfield, though when Craig Monroe starts out there, they lose something but gain power at the plate.
Surprisingly, Jack Wilson is playing below league average (at least in range factor) and the team struggles defensively behind the plate. But the defense seems to be a strength and not a weakness and should help the team stay competitive.
There is a good feeling about this team. And it's been way too long since we've been able to say that about the Pittsburgh Pirates.
After tonight's 3-2 win over the red hot Marlins, the Pirates have given up 42 earned runs in 14 games or three runs per game. Since they are scoring 4.5 runs per game, that's a good way to start with an 8-6 record. Will the team hold up for the long haul and end their sub-.500 ways? If they were winning with offense, it would be easy to discount that possibility. But good pitching is a great way to move forward.
The first thing the Pirates did was hire Joe Kerrigan as their pitching coach. Say what you will about how much effect a coach has on a ball club, but Kerrigan immediately focused on two things. First, after watching video of last season, he noticed that the Pirates never challenged anyone inside. Secondly, they didn't pound the strike zone. Kerrigan was the pitching coach for the Expos and Red Sox when a kid named Pedro Martinez did a pretty good job of doing both.
He also ramped up the pitcher's conditioning so they wouldn't wilt as the season and the games went along. Whether it's the program or the pitchers that are making the difference is debatable, but you cannot debate the results.
Last year, the Pirates finished with a 5.10 ERA. They were 16th in the league in walks, hits and consequently, runs. So far this year, they are fifth in the league in walks and are first in the league in earned runs.
It starts with the rotation. Last year, the only starter with an ERA+ over 100 (league average)was Paul Maholm. This year, every starter is over 100. And even their most uneven starter to this point, Ian Snell, has an ERA of only 4.24. If he can get his control straightened out, he will be okay too. Maholm has become the ace of the staff and he's been unhittable so far. He's not a big time strike out guy (none of the starters are), but his WHIP is a fantastic 0.968 and he is only giving up 6.1 hits per nine innings.
Zack Duke seems to be back to the form he flashed a few seasons ago and is 2-1 with a 2.95 ERA. Ross Ohlendorf has been a big surprise and though he is a hard luck 1-2, he's only walked three in 18 innings to go along with only 17 hits. Karstens had a rough first start but shut down the Marlins effectively on Tuesday night and won his first game of the year.
Some times, you have addition by subtraction. Last year's Bucs had too many starts by the likes of Matt Morris and Tom Gorzelanny. A top five of Maholm, Duke, Snell, Ohlendorf and Karstens is very competitive and can keep them in games all season long.
Relief pitching is by and large improved as well. The biggest plus is a full season of Matt Capps as closer. He's already started four for four in save opportunities and seems very competent. John Grabow is an important man in the bullpen and had a very good year last year with a 2.95 ERA in 74 appearances! That's a lot of games. Grabow is perfect so far this year and hasn't given up a run in six appearances. Jesse Chavez has been a nice addition and has a 1.50 ERA in five appearances so far.
The rest of the bullpen has been a bit of a mess and Tyler Yates, who had a decent season last year has had a rough start in particular. Three guys won't get it done all year and they will need help from a couple of others at least. But at least, when the team is ahead in the game, they have a nice set up at the end to close it out.
Pirate fans should be excited. This has been a lot of fun so far this year. It's a lot more fun than losing nearly every night. At least they are in most of their games and an 8-6 record is nothing to sneeze at. Do the Pirates have a shot at the division? No. But they do have a shot at being a decent team and an outside shot at playing .500 baseball or better.
As the Rays proved, fielding is a big part of pitching well. And defensively, the Pirates are holding their own very well. Sanchez is way above league average at second. The LaRoche brothers are both above league average at first and third. Morgan, McLouth and Moss are all above average in the outfield, though when Craig Monroe starts out there, they lose something but gain power at the plate.
Surprisingly, Jack Wilson is playing below league average (at least in range factor) and the team struggles defensively behind the plate. But the defense seems to be a strength and not a weakness and should help the team stay competitive.
There is a good feeling about this team. And it's been way too long since we've been able to say that about the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Patriot's Day and the Red Sox
The Fan has found the key to solid sports writing: Write about the Red Sox. It only took this writer 150 posts so far this year to figure this one out. Yesterday's FanDome featured a story on David Ortiz and readership jumped 200%. Well, this post is again about New England baseball...sort of. It's more about Patriot's Day. But, though it might seem like a cheap shill to hold onto those new readers, the Fan is more noble than that. Right. And the Fan just decided to add, "and the Red Sox," to the heading because "Patriot's Day" didn't seem strong enough.
For those of you who do not live in Massachusetts or Maine (which until 1820 was a district of Massachusetts), Patriot's Day is a quaint holiday that commemorates the battles of Lexington and Concord, the first skirmishes of the Revolutionary War. It's a weird holiday because state offices and many businesses in the two states close, but it's not a national holiday so you still get mail.
The day got off to a crappy start. Around Sunday afternoon, the Fan and his faithful and lovely wife heard this strange gurgling noise. We tramped around the house looking for this unusual sound and after many turns and twists, discovered that it emanated from the oil tank. That's not a good thing. It seems the bloody thing had gone bone dry and we hadn't noticed. Well, to those of you who actually live in places where spring has arrived, you may not understand that we in the frozen tundra of northern Maine still need heat. It was 20 degrees last night. The faithful and lovely wife was like an octopus in bed last night and not for the good reasons you would hope for that kind of description.
So the Fan set his internal alarm (the Fan has some uncanny ability to wake up at whatever time he envisions) for six o'clock in the morning so a trip to the oil company could occur and take care of the heat problem. Well, like clockwork, the Fan woke up at 6:30 (well, it was close) and managed to get to the oil company office exactly at 7 when they normally open. A handmade sign on the door informed the Fan that the office was closed due to the holiday that 48 other states do not celebrate.
Uh oh! Now what? Then it comes to mind that Number 2 fuel oil is really the same thing as diesel and some people use them interchangeably. But the Fan doesn't have a gas can that isn't tainted with gasoline. So a quick trip to the hardware store, proudly owned by the family of Senator Susan Collins since 1845, yields a five gallon can for $15. The next stop is to the gas station. The first thing the Fan notices is that the diesel tank doesn't have a debit card sliding thingy. So the nozzle is lifted, the numbers go to zero, but nothing happens. A quick run into the store reveals that the clerk said she authorized the thing to pump and it should work.
After looking things over more carefully, the Fan notices a little button that says, "Start." Silly, right? Well, the fuel is purchased and taken home and poured down the pipe. The Fan then goes in the basement and pushes the restart button on the furnace and it acts like it wants to go but stops dead. Four more attempts are made with the same results.
So the Fan then calls golfing buddy, Mike, who is much more of a man's man then this writer, who though he writes about the past more than the present, would be dead in seven days if he actually had to live back then. Mike states matter-of-factly that the furnace ran out of oil and has to be bled. "You mean I have to suck on a pipe or something?" asks the Fan incredulously. Mike, the man's man says he'll be right over.
Mike had been working on a motor this morning (which is the kind of thing men's men do) and had dropped it on his finger. So he shows up and he's bleeding on the floor and on the furnace and on the Coke bottle that acts as the reservoir for the bled oil, but the furnace kicks on and life is much better in the Fan's household. Thank goodness for men's men who take pity on good friends, even if they drip blood all over the place.
Well, this escapade puts the Fan's schedule a couple of hours behind and there was an order to fill and deliver and by the time all that was done, it was 2:30 in the afternoon. The Fan then figures there is still time to click on NESN and watch a little baseball. But the game is actually over!
One of the fun things about Patriot's Day is that the Boston Marathon is run, which was a lot more fun before it was won every year by an Ethiopian. And then the Red Sox always play right before noon. But this is American League baseball and these games always go over three hours, right? But not this one. Though it was a blowout by the Red Sox, the game was played rather quickly and NESN was showing Boston Bruins' highlights. Ugh!
So a quick look over at ESPN reveals that the Red Sox clobbered Hendrickson and the Orioles, which shouldn't surprise anyone and young Justin Masterson pitched well for the Red Sox. David Ortiz had two hits, including a triple, to once again make the Fan look like an idiot or something. But one triple doesn't mean much in the scheme of things and we'll see what he does from here.
The Fan decided to take the rest of the day off. Since the morning was traumatic and it was a holiday (for two states out of 50), it seemed justified. Except there was nothing baseball related to watch. So the Fan played Rocket Mania and fiddled around until the East Coast games were due to start, except they didn't because they were all rained out.
It actually hit fifty today so the Fan did get to sit outside, but since it was a darn two-state holiday, the kids next door had the day off from school and were endlessly running their dirt bikes around and around and around. That's probably what the children of men's men do.
What a strange day. But at least the Fan wrote about the Red Sox, so readership should be great again tomorrow. Except when they read this drivel, they will probably recognize it for the shameless attempt it was for readers. So hello, Red Sox Nation. Looks like your team is back on track and back in juggernaut mode. Enjoy.
For those of you who do not live in Massachusetts or Maine (which until 1820 was a district of Massachusetts), Patriot's Day is a quaint holiday that commemorates the battles of Lexington and Concord, the first skirmishes of the Revolutionary War. It's a weird holiday because state offices and many businesses in the two states close, but it's not a national holiday so you still get mail.
The day got off to a crappy start. Around Sunday afternoon, the Fan and his faithful and lovely wife heard this strange gurgling noise. We tramped around the house looking for this unusual sound and after many turns and twists, discovered that it emanated from the oil tank. That's not a good thing. It seems the bloody thing had gone bone dry and we hadn't noticed. Well, to those of you who actually live in places where spring has arrived, you may not understand that we in the frozen tundra of northern Maine still need heat. It was 20 degrees last night. The faithful and lovely wife was like an octopus in bed last night and not for the good reasons you would hope for that kind of description.
So the Fan set his internal alarm (the Fan has some uncanny ability to wake up at whatever time he envisions) for six o'clock in the morning so a trip to the oil company could occur and take care of the heat problem. Well, like clockwork, the Fan woke up at 6:30 (well, it was close) and managed to get to the oil company office exactly at 7 when they normally open. A handmade sign on the door informed the Fan that the office was closed due to the holiday that 48 other states do not celebrate.
Uh oh! Now what? Then it comes to mind that Number 2 fuel oil is really the same thing as diesel and some people use them interchangeably. But the Fan doesn't have a gas can that isn't tainted with gasoline. So a quick trip to the hardware store, proudly owned by the family of Senator Susan Collins since 1845, yields a five gallon can for $15. The next stop is to the gas station. The first thing the Fan notices is that the diesel tank doesn't have a debit card sliding thingy. So the nozzle is lifted, the numbers go to zero, but nothing happens. A quick run into the store reveals that the clerk said she authorized the thing to pump and it should work.
After looking things over more carefully, the Fan notices a little button that says, "Start." Silly, right? Well, the fuel is purchased and taken home and poured down the pipe. The Fan then goes in the basement and pushes the restart button on the furnace and it acts like it wants to go but stops dead. Four more attempts are made with the same results.
So the Fan then calls golfing buddy, Mike, who is much more of a man's man then this writer, who though he writes about the past more than the present, would be dead in seven days if he actually had to live back then. Mike states matter-of-factly that the furnace ran out of oil and has to be bled. "You mean I have to suck on a pipe or something?" asks the Fan incredulously. Mike, the man's man says he'll be right over.
Mike had been working on a motor this morning (which is the kind of thing men's men do) and had dropped it on his finger. So he shows up and he's bleeding on the floor and on the furnace and on the Coke bottle that acts as the reservoir for the bled oil, but the furnace kicks on and life is much better in the Fan's household. Thank goodness for men's men who take pity on good friends, even if they drip blood all over the place.
Well, this escapade puts the Fan's schedule a couple of hours behind and there was an order to fill and deliver and by the time all that was done, it was 2:30 in the afternoon. The Fan then figures there is still time to click on NESN and watch a little baseball. But the game is actually over!
One of the fun things about Patriot's Day is that the Boston Marathon is run, which was a lot more fun before it was won every year by an Ethiopian. And then the Red Sox always play right before noon. But this is American League baseball and these games always go over three hours, right? But not this one. Though it was a blowout by the Red Sox, the game was played rather quickly and NESN was showing Boston Bruins' highlights. Ugh!
So a quick look over at ESPN reveals that the Red Sox clobbered Hendrickson and the Orioles, which shouldn't surprise anyone and young Justin Masterson pitched well for the Red Sox. David Ortiz had two hits, including a triple, to once again make the Fan look like an idiot or something. But one triple doesn't mean much in the scheme of things and we'll see what he does from here.
The Fan decided to take the rest of the day off. Since the morning was traumatic and it was a holiday (for two states out of 50), it seemed justified. Except there was nothing baseball related to watch. So the Fan played Rocket Mania and fiddled around until the East Coast games were due to start, except they didn't because they were all rained out.
It actually hit fifty today so the Fan did get to sit outside, but since it was a darn two-state holiday, the kids next door had the day off from school and were endlessly running their dirt bikes around and around and around. That's probably what the children of men's men do.
What a strange day. But at least the Fan wrote about the Red Sox, so readership should be great again tomorrow. Except when they read this drivel, they will probably recognize it for the shameless attempt it was for readers. So hello, Red Sox Nation. Looks like your team is back on track and back in juggernaut mode. Enjoy.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Is David Ortiz Done?
David Ortiz has gone from Big Papi to Little Papoose. There was concern about Ortiz as the season started and it looks like the concern was well placed. Ortiz, who had wrist problems last year and saw his OPS dip from over 1 to .877, currently sits with an OPS of .484. He is striking out at an alarming rate and has one extra base hit all season long.
The Fan has long had a theory that those big boned players like Ortiz only have a shelf life of about 8 to 10 years. History is littered with the Mo Vaughans and Ron Kittles of the world and Ortiz has that body type. What has to be frustrating to the Red Sox brass is that the guy only gets paid to hit and he is hitting in the number three slot as always and has been a big, empty void for the team thus far.
Ortiz has now played in 12 games and has 47 At Bats. He has only 8 hits and only one of those was for extra bases (a double). He has struck out 14 times. If you look at his career, he has struck out about 21% of the time. This year he is percentage points away from 30%. If you look at his splits, he is faring worse against right handed pitching than he is against lefties and is only batting .160 against them (.222 against lefties). He has struck out 36% of the time this year against pitchers throwing right handed. That isn't right.
Ortiz started slowly last year too and only batted .198 in April, but if you go back and look at that month last year, he only struck out 18% of the time. And he had seven extra base hits including five homers. There is still a chance for him to hit four homers in the eleven days left this month, but it doesn't look promising at this point.
The Red Sox had better hope that he is just in a funk and that it isn't physical. They need him in the middle of that lineup. And if he doesn't pull out of it soon, it will put the team in an awkward position of having to decide whether to sit him when he is one of the most popular players on the team.
The Red Sox have a history of knowing when to dump a player who is declining. Either they didn't see this coming or they had an idea but were hoping they were wrong. His start has to make the team uncomfortable and the team has to hope he starts hitting in May like he did last year and stays healthy all year. If he does not, uncomfortable moments lie ahead.
The Fan has long had a theory that those big boned players like Ortiz only have a shelf life of about 8 to 10 years. History is littered with the Mo Vaughans and Ron Kittles of the world and Ortiz has that body type. What has to be frustrating to the Red Sox brass is that the guy only gets paid to hit and he is hitting in the number three slot as always and has been a big, empty void for the team thus far.
Ortiz has now played in 12 games and has 47 At Bats. He has only 8 hits and only one of those was for extra bases (a double). He has struck out 14 times. If you look at his career, he has struck out about 21% of the time. This year he is percentage points away from 30%. If you look at his splits, he is faring worse against right handed pitching than he is against lefties and is only batting .160 against them (.222 against lefties). He has struck out 36% of the time this year against pitchers throwing right handed. That isn't right.
Ortiz started slowly last year too and only batted .198 in April, but if you go back and look at that month last year, he only struck out 18% of the time. And he had seven extra base hits including five homers. There is still a chance for him to hit four homers in the eleven days left this month, but it doesn't look promising at this point.
The Red Sox had better hope that he is just in a funk and that it isn't physical. They need him in the middle of that lineup. And if he doesn't pull out of it soon, it will put the team in an awkward position of having to decide whether to sit him when he is one of the most popular players on the team.
The Red Sox have a history of knowing when to dump a player who is declining. Either they didn't see this coming or they had an idea but were hoping they were wrong. His start has to make the team uncomfortable and the team has to hope he starts hitting in May like he did last year and stays healthy all year. If he does not, uncomfortable moments lie ahead.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Some Cool Games Around the Majors Saturday
There had to be some beauty around the majors yesterday besides that mining disaster at Yankee Stadium. And there was. A lot of cool games were played and it was fun looking at the box scores. Here are some highlights:
- Johan Santana gave up only five hits in seven innings and no base runner got beyond first base as the Mets beat the Brewers, 1-0 in new Citi Field. Santana is going to like pitching there.
- Ian Snell pitched a great game against the Braves as the Pirates shut the Braves out, 10-0. The Braves are falling like a rock and have lost five straight without Chipper Jones in the lineup.
- Manny Ramirez hit his first two homers of the year as the Dodgers beat the Rockies, 9-5.
- Zack Greinke raised his shutout innings streak to 34 as he blanked the Rangers, 2-0. Greinke hasn't given up a run in 20 innings this year. Millwood was the hard luck loser for the Rangers.
- Even Yankee castoffs had a bad day yesterday. The A's had another good start from young Trever Cahill, but couldn't score any runs and lost to the Blue Jays in extra innings as Dan Geise gave up two runs for the loss. Geise had been released by the Yankees after Spring Training.
- Wandy Rodriguez only gave up two hits and struck out ten as Houston shut out the Reds.
- Brad Lidge blew his first save since 2007 as the Phillies lost to San Diego, 8-5. Lidge parted with four runs as San Diego got a come from behind win.
- Edwin Jackson pitched seven and two-thirds shutout innings and Rodney got his third save as the Tigers shut out Seattle. Bedard was the hard luck loser and pitched well.
- And in probably the best game of the day, Arizona and San Francisco traded zeroes for eight innings yesterday as Doug Davis and Tim Lincecum pitched brilliantly. Lincecum, in particular, struck out thirteen and returned to last year's form. But in the top of the ninth, Jeremy Affeldt and Brian Wilson beached the Giants and Chad Qualls pitched the bottom of the ninth to preserve the shutout for the Diamondbacks.
- Johan Santana gave up only five hits in seven innings and no base runner got beyond first base as the Mets beat the Brewers, 1-0 in new Citi Field. Santana is going to like pitching there.
- Ian Snell pitched a great game against the Braves as the Pirates shut the Braves out, 10-0. The Braves are falling like a rock and have lost five straight without Chipper Jones in the lineup.
- Manny Ramirez hit his first two homers of the year as the Dodgers beat the Rockies, 9-5.
- Zack Greinke raised his shutout innings streak to 34 as he blanked the Rangers, 2-0. Greinke hasn't given up a run in 20 innings this year. Millwood was the hard luck loser for the Rangers.
- Even Yankee castoffs had a bad day yesterday. The A's had another good start from young Trever Cahill, but couldn't score any runs and lost to the Blue Jays in extra innings as Dan Geise gave up two runs for the loss. Geise had been released by the Yankees after Spring Training.
- Wandy Rodriguez only gave up two hits and struck out ten as Houston shut out the Reds.
- Brad Lidge blew his first save since 2007 as the Phillies lost to San Diego, 8-5. Lidge parted with four runs as San Diego got a come from behind win.
- Edwin Jackson pitched seven and two-thirds shutout innings and Rodney got his third save as the Tigers shut out Seattle. Bedard was the hard luck loser and pitched well.
- And in probably the best game of the day, Arizona and San Francisco traded zeroes for eight innings yesterday as Doug Davis and Tim Lincecum pitched brilliantly. Lincecum, in particular, struck out thirteen and returned to last year's form. But in the top of the ninth, Jeremy Affeldt and Brian Wilson beached the Giants and Chad Qualls pitched the bottom of the ninth to preserve the shutout for the Diamondbacks.
Wang - Yankees' Pinball Wizard
The Yankees were on national television yesterday as most of the country got a chance to see the new ballpark. Chien-Ming Wang was pitching for the Yankees and Carmona for the Indians. Both have been a bit of a mystery to their teams thus far as control problems have plagued Carmona and Wang has been uncharacteristicly whacked around in his two previous starts.
Wang had been one of the winningest pitchers in the majors the previous few seasons by compiling seasons of 19-7, 19-5 and 8-2. His sinker is his out pitch and it is one of the best in the big leagues. Carmona is also famous for his sinker and two years ago led the Indians to the brink of the World Series.
But both pitchers had struggled so far this year. Wang has actually gone beyond struggling. He's been downright ugly. In his previous two starts, he had pitched only 4.2 innings and had given up 21 base runners and 15 earned runs. Yes, that is butt ugly numbers right there.
The Fan couldn't watch the game because of other obligations but had the trusty laptop and was fallowing along with Yahoo's GameDay. Wang came out in the top of the first and had a one, two, three inning. That was surprising, but looking in hindsight, Sizemore struck out, DeRosa popped out and Martinez flied out to left. Not a single ground ball in sight. That should have been a sign.
Teixeira hit a two run homer for the Yankees in the bottom of the second after a Damon walk and the Yankees held a 2-0 lead going into the top of the second. It was the last moment this game was a ballgame.
The Fan was looking at the laptop when the information stated that Hafner singled to third. First of all, Hafner is very slow. So, without seeing the play, the Fan's first thought was that the Yankee infield did not make a play they could have and the Fan said an inward, "Uh oh." Then Peralta singled to left. The Fan's eyebrows raised. Then Choo hit a three run homer. And then the Fan knew this was going to get real ugly again.
And it did. Garko fouled out but then Francisco doubled. Cabrera singled. 4-2. Sizemore doubled. DeRosa doubled. 6-2. Wild pitch. Posada must have been catching. Martinez singled. 7-2. Claggett relieved Wang. Who?? Hafner doubled. Peralta doubled. 9-2. Choo walked. Garko singled. Francisco struck out (Bronx cheer). Cabrera homered. 13-2. Sizemore homered. 14-2. Mark DeRosa then struck out (probably out of sheer exhaustion) and the inning finally ended, thirty-seven minutes after it started.
And the rout was on. The final score was 22-4. This is getting embarrassing for the Yankees. They have a new ballpark, spent all that money and sandwiched one win around two blow outs to the tune of 32-6. The Fan has to wonder how many times you throw Wang out there. Has any pitcher been exposed to three straight blowouts to this proportion in his first three starts of the year? Jayson Stark will probably let us know eventually. But it sure seems historic. Perhaps the Yankees should bring up somebody else and put Wang in long relief for a while until he figures this out.
Until they do, Wang is the Pinball Wizard and is getting clobbered on a regular basis. Wow!
Wang had been one of the winningest pitchers in the majors the previous few seasons by compiling seasons of 19-7, 19-5 and 8-2. His sinker is his out pitch and it is one of the best in the big leagues. Carmona is also famous for his sinker and two years ago led the Indians to the brink of the World Series.
But both pitchers had struggled so far this year. Wang has actually gone beyond struggling. He's been downright ugly. In his previous two starts, he had pitched only 4.2 innings and had given up 21 base runners and 15 earned runs. Yes, that is butt ugly numbers right there.
The Fan couldn't watch the game because of other obligations but had the trusty laptop and was fallowing along with Yahoo's GameDay. Wang came out in the top of the first and had a one, two, three inning. That was surprising, but looking in hindsight, Sizemore struck out, DeRosa popped out and Martinez flied out to left. Not a single ground ball in sight. That should have been a sign.
Teixeira hit a two run homer for the Yankees in the bottom of the second after a Damon walk and the Yankees held a 2-0 lead going into the top of the second. It was the last moment this game was a ballgame.
The Fan was looking at the laptop when the information stated that Hafner singled to third. First of all, Hafner is very slow. So, without seeing the play, the Fan's first thought was that the Yankee infield did not make a play they could have and the Fan said an inward, "Uh oh." Then Peralta singled to left. The Fan's eyebrows raised. Then Choo hit a three run homer. And then the Fan knew this was going to get real ugly again.
And it did. Garko fouled out but then Francisco doubled. Cabrera singled. 4-2. Sizemore doubled. DeRosa doubled. 6-2. Wild pitch. Posada must have been catching. Martinez singled. 7-2. Claggett relieved Wang. Who?? Hafner doubled. Peralta doubled. 9-2. Choo walked. Garko singled. Francisco struck out (Bronx cheer). Cabrera homered. 13-2. Sizemore homered. 14-2. Mark DeRosa then struck out (probably out of sheer exhaustion) and the inning finally ended, thirty-seven minutes after it started.
And the rout was on. The final score was 22-4. This is getting embarrassing for the Yankees. They have a new ballpark, spent all that money and sandwiched one win around two blow outs to the tune of 32-6. The Fan has to wonder how many times you throw Wang out there. Has any pitcher been exposed to three straight blowouts to this proportion in his first three starts of the year? Jayson Stark will probably let us know eventually. But it sure seems historic. Perhaps the Yankees should bring up somebody else and put Wang in long relief for a while until he figures this out.
Until they do, Wang is the Pinball Wizard and is getting clobbered on a regular basis. Wow!
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Gary Sheffield Hits 500th Homer
Honestly, Sheffield has never been a Fan favorite. He's spent a graceless career flapping his gums and making himself more important than anything else. Well, that's the perception he's always created. Fair or not fair, that is what he appears to be. But all that aside, 500 homers is 500 homers. That's still a pretty big deal in this corner's book.
So despite his apparent personality and hints of chemical assistance, he probably has capped a Hall of Fame career with his 1600+ RBI and career .392 OBP to go along with 251 steals. He hasn't been an angel, but he has the numbers.
So a begrudging congratulations come from the FanDome.
So despite his apparent personality and hints of chemical assistance, he probably has capped a Hall of Fame career with his 1600+ RBI and career .392 OBP to go along with 251 steals. He hasn't been an angel, but he has the numbers.
So a begrudging congratulations come from the FanDome.
Diamondbacks in Big Trouble
The Arizona Diamondbacks are now 3-7 and seem to be in a heap of trouble. With a couple of exceptions, the team isn't hitting at all and except for Dan Haren, they aren't pitching well either. Baseball Prospectus projected the Diamondbacks to win 88 games. If they are going to do that, they better get straightened out quite quickly.
The Pitching
Dan Haren is pitching his heart out. So far, he's pitched 19 innings in three starts, giving up only twelve hits and three walks while striking out 17. He's given up only four earned runs and has an ERA of 1.89. Yet, he is 0-3. Doug Davis has been decent as well, with an ERA after two starts of 4.15. His walks are a bit high, but he is giving up 7.6 hits per nine innings. He is 0-2. So the pitchers have a combined VORP thus far of 10 and are 0-5.
Elsewhere, the starters have been abysmal. Branden Webb had one terrible start and then went on the disabled list with shoulder bursitis. Jon Garland has an 8.44 ERA and Yusmeiro Petit is sitting at 7.71. Other than Tony Pena and Doug Slaten, the relief pitching has been terrible as well.
Despite Haren's heroics and a few exceptions noted above, the Diamondbacks are currently 24th in the league in pitching VORP. That's not good at all.
The Batting
Felipe Lopez has been around since 2001. He had a career year for the Reds in 2005 when he hit 23 homers and batted .289 with a .352 OBP. Other than that, he's been rather ordinary and has no other year over 10 homers. He had a small contribution with the Cardinals last year but did very well for them, batting .385 in 156 At Bats. He's carried that over into this year and sits at .381 after 42 At Bats in ten games. Chad Tracy has had a good start as well and is batting .321 with only one strikeout in eight games. But he only has one walk and has shown little power.
Other than those two, there isn't a batter above .258 (Mark Reynolds) on the rest of the team. Chris Young is sitting at .237/.293. Stephen Drew is at .222/.293. Connor Jackson so far is .222/.263. Tony Clark is at .200/.200 and it gets really bad from there. Justin Upton, who had an absolutely terrible Spring Training, has carried that over into the new season. After ten games, he is batting .130 with a .231 OBP. Eric Byrnes, who may have crashed into one wall too many is at .125/.241 and the team's regular catcher, Chris Snyder is batting .100, though he does have a .333 OBP.
Add that all up and you have a team batting .227 with a team OBP of .293, which is reminiscent of the 1966 New York Yankees.
Meanwhile, the Dodgers have won six straight and the distance between the two teams is growing wider apart. The Padres have looked better than the Diamondbacks thus far and we never saw that coming. Fortunately for the Diamondbacks, the season is young. But the trends don't look pretty and unless things start rolling, they could be in for a long, long season.
The Pitching
Dan Haren is pitching his heart out. So far, he's pitched 19 innings in three starts, giving up only twelve hits and three walks while striking out 17. He's given up only four earned runs and has an ERA of 1.89. Yet, he is 0-3. Doug Davis has been decent as well, with an ERA after two starts of 4.15. His walks are a bit high, but he is giving up 7.6 hits per nine innings. He is 0-2. So the pitchers have a combined VORP thus far of 10 and are 0-5.
Elsewhere, the starters have been abysmal. Branden Webb had one terrible start and then went on the disabled list with shoulder bursitis. Jon Garland has an 8.44 ERA and Yusmeiro Petit is sitting at 7.71. Other than Tony Pena and Doug Slaten, the relief pitching has been terrible as well.
Despite Haren's heroics and a few exceptions noted above, the Diamondbacks are currently 24th in the league in pitching VORP. That's not good at all.
The Batting
Felipe Lopez has been around since 2001. He had a career year for the Reds in 2005 when he hit 23 homers and batted .289 with a .352 OBP. Other than that, he's been rather ordinary and has no other year over 10 homers. He had a small contribution with the Cardinals last year but did very well for them, batting .385 in 156 At Bats. He's carried that over into this year and sits at .381 after 42 At Bats in ten games. Chad Tracy has had a good start as well and is batting .321 with only one strikeout in eight games. But he only has one walk and has shown little power.
Other than those two, there isn't a batter above .258 (Mark Reynolds) on the rest of the team. Chris Young is sitting at .237/.293. Stephen Drew is at .222/.293. Connor Jackson so far is .222/.263. Tony Clark is at .200/.200 and it gets really bad from there. Justin Upton, who had an absolutely terrible Spring Training, has carried that over into the new season. After ten games, he is batting .130 with a .231 OBP. Eric Byrnes, who may have crashed into one wall too many is at .125/.241 and the team's regular catcher, Chris Snyder is batting .100, though he does have a .333 OBP.
Add that all up and you have a team batting .227 with a team OBP of .293, which is reminiscent of the 1966 New York Yankees.
Meanwhile, the Dodgers have won six straight and the distance between the two teams is growing wider apart. The Padres have looked better than the Diamondbacks thus far and we never saw that coming. Fortunately for the Diamondbacks, the season is young. But the trends don't look pretty and unless things start rolling, they could be in for a long, long season.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Yankee Stadium Opens - Relievers Give Gifts
Watched the first game at the new Yankee Stadium today. The stadium is a rousing success. Everything about the stadium, from its appearance, to its call to the old traditions, dimensions and facades screams, "New York Yankees." Everyone seemed thrilled and it felt like a Yankee game just like it was supposed to feel...until the seventh inning.
Johnny Damon (Isn't he getting a bit old to still go by "Johnny?") got the first hit in the new stadium and Jorge Posada hit the first homer. All good and the way it was supposed to be. Sabathia pitched 5+ innings of major league Houdini and only allowed one run despite base runners all over the place. And the one run he did give up should have died in the warning track, but Damon pulled up short of the wall on a drive out there with two outs and the ball fell harmlessly on the warning track. Most decent left fielders would have caught that ball.
Sabathia was up to about 458 pitches by the start of the sixth inning and after two outs, gave way to Ramirez, who then gave up a base hit. The inning was bailed out by Phil Coke, who did the LOOGY thing. But it wasn't meant to be as the likes of Veras and Marte imploded and before you could say, "Yogi," it was 10-2 and all the regulars starting becoming spectators.
Both New York teams have now lost their home openers in their new parks, but it's all good as the parks are a big success and now that they are open, we can all try to forget how much they cost and just enjoy them for what they are.
In one last side note, the Yankees can't get A-Rod back fast enough. Though Cody Ransom is trying his hardest, it just isn't working. He made one brilliant play to save a run, but went 0-5 and stranded nine base runners all by himself. Yes. Nine. And he also had a throwing error with a throw in the dirt that Teixeira couldn't pick.
Johnny Damon (Isn't he getting a bit old to still go by "Johnny?") got the first hit in the new stadium and Jorge Posada hit the first homer. All good and the way it was supposed to be. Sabathia pitched 5+ innings of major league Houdini and only allowed one run despite base runners all over the place. And the one run he did give up should have died in the warning track, but Damon pulled up short of the wall on a drive out there with two outs and the ball fell harmlessly on the warning track. Most decent left fielders would have caught that ball.
Sabathia was up to about 458 pitches by the start of the sixth inning and after two outs, gave way to Ramirez, who then gave up a base hit. The inning was bailed out by Phil Coke, who did the LOOGY thing. But it wasn't meant to be as the likes of Veras and Marte imploded and before you could say, "Yogi," it was 10-2 and all the regulars starting becoming spectators.
Both New York teams have now lost their home openers in their new parks, but it's all good as the parks are a big success and now that they are open, we can all try to forget how much they cost and just enjoy them for what they are.
In one last side note, the Yankees can't get A-Rod back fast enough. Though Cody Ransom is trying his hardest, it just isn't working. He made one brilliant play to save a run, but went 0-5 and stranded nine base runners all by himself. Yes. Nine. And he also had a throwing error with a throw in the dirt that Teixeira couldn't pick.
The Nationals Win Their First Game of 2009
Let's give three cheers and a round of huzzahs as the Nationals are "off the schnide" as Chris Berman liked to say. The former Expos won their first game of 2009 in their eighth try. The lineup was shaken up a bit, they got some good pitching and beat the world champion Phillies. Good for them!
The Nationals, who demoted Lastings Milledge on Wednesday, moved little known Anderson Hernandez to the leadoff spot (where Milledge had been flailing) and provided two hits in four at bats and also walked. Nick Johnson, who has looked finished about ten times in his career, but when he plays, he gets on base, was moved to the number two spot and did his best on base thing with three hits and a walk in five plate appearances. Zimmerman remained third and responded with two hits and a walk of his own and Donkey Dunn killed a pitch for a three run homer.
Elijah Dukes, now starting in center instead of Milledge added a homer and Alberto Gonzalez also homered for the Nationals. The team even got a pinch hit homer from Willingham, who has started the season in a terrible slump.
Shairon Martis had a quality start and a trio of relievers, Hinkley, Beimel and Hanrahan threw two and two thirds innings without giving up a base runner.
All in all, it was a fun game for the Nationals who threw a bunch of kids out there and they all did great and at least their winning percentage got off the dreaded .000.
One last note about the game: Why a contender didn't scoop up Adam Dunn is beyond the Fan. The guy is in the best shape of his life and looks fantastic. He sure could have helped somebody.
The Nationals, who demoted Lastings Milledge on Wednesday, moved little known Anderson Hernandez to the leadoff spot (where Milledge had been flailing) and provided two hits in four at bats and also walked. Nick Johnson, who has looked finished about ten times in his career, but when he plays, he gets on base, was moved to the number two spot and did his best on base thing with three hits and a walk in five plate appearances. Zimmerman remained third and responded with two hits and a walk of his own and Donkey Dunn killed a pitch for a three run homer.
Elijah Dukes, now starting in center instead of Milledge added a homer and Alberto Gonzalez also homered for the Nationals. The team even got a pinch hit homer from Willingham, who has started the season in a terrible slump.
Shairon Martis had a quality start and a trio of relievers, Hinkley, Beimel and Hanrahan threw two and two thirds innings without giving up a base runner.
All in all, it was a fun game for the Nationals who threw a bunch of kids out there and they all did great and at least their winning percentage got off the dreaded .000.
One last note about the game: Why a contender didn't scoop up Adam Dunn is beyond the Fan. The guy is in the best shape of his life and looks fantastic. He sure could have helped somebody.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
42 Tribute Good But Not Enough
Everyone in baseball wore Number 42 as MLB honored Jackie Robinson who broke baseball's color barrier in 1946. And while the tribute was worthwhile and very fitting for a man of brave character, the tribute could have been more inclusive. This takes nothing against Robinson's accomplishment and its historic consequences. But others paved the way as well and they could have and should have been included.
For example, all American League clubs could have worn Larry Doby's Number 14. Doby was just as much a pioneer as the first black man in the American League (1947) and his struggle was little different than Robinson's. All the managers could have worn Frank Robinson's Number 20 as Robinson was the first black manager in 1976. And although umpires did not wear uniform numbers in the American League up until 1980, Emmett Ashford could have been celebrated as the first black umpire in 1966.
All the men listed above had great courage, worked hard to achieve what they accomplished and could tell horror stories on top of horror stories. Look up Emmett Ashford in Wikipedia and read what he had to endure just to umpire his first game in the minor leagues. Ashford, who died in 1980 should be recognized by the umpires union and an honorary uniform number should be retired in his honor.
And how about Buck O'Neal as the first black coach in Major League Baseball when he coached for the Cubs in 1962. All the coaches could have worn his number.
Again, this post takes nothing away from Robinson and his place in history. But he didn't suffer--and overcome--alone. Ashford, Doby and Frank Robinson all overcame great hardships through determination and hard work. They deserve their due too.
For example, all American League clubs could have worn Larry Doby's Number 14. Doby was just as much a pioneer as the first black man in the American League (1947) and his struggle was little different than Robinson's. All the managers could have worn Frank Robinson's Number 20 as Robinson was the first black manager in 1976. And although umpires did not wear uniform numbers in the American League up until 1980, Emmett Ashford could have been celebrated as the first black umpire in 1966.
All the men listed above had great courage, worked hard to achieve what they accomplished and could tell horror stories on top of horror stories. Look up Emmett Ashford in Wikipedia and read what he had to endure just to umpire his first game in the minor leagues. Ashford, who died in 1980 should be recognized by the umpires union and an honorary uniform number should be retired in his honor.
And how about Buck O'Neal as the first black coach in Major League Baseball when he coached for the Cubs in 1962. All the coaches could have worn his number.
Again, this post takes nothing away from Robinson and his place in history. But he didn't suffer--and overcome--alone. Ashford, Doby and Frank Robinson all overcame great hardships through determination and hard work. They deserve their due too.
Hillman Lets Farnsworth Blow Another Game
A week ago, the Fan stated that Kyle Farnsworth should not pitch in another meaningful situation for the Royals the rest of the season. As usual, the Fan is spitting into the wind because Trey Hillman, no doubt thinking that he has to use the guy since he cost the team so much money, threw him into another meaningful game Wednesday night and before you could scream, "Stupid!" the game was history.
Jiminy Crickets, man! The Fan just spent 2000 words including the Royals as contenders in the American League West and Hillman has thrown away two games already by throwing Farnsworth out there. Doesn't somebody on that team look at numbers? Doesn't anybody learn from mistakes? This is more intolerable than playing twenty games of Spider Solitaire when another post could have been written. Let's look at Wednesday night's debacle.
The game was tied 2-2 going into the top of the seventh. The Royals had just mounted a comeback in the bottom half of the sixth to tie the game. Sidney Ponson has thrown his second decent game in a row for the Royals (who thought that would happen?). But who does Hillman bring in? Mr. Kyle Farnsworth. This was how his night went:
The first batter Farnsworth faces is Asdrubal Cabrera, the Indian's shortstop. Keep in mind that Cabrera has a career Slugging Percentage of .382. Cabrera doubles. Here we go! Grady Sizemore popped out to the infield (and the poor Royals' fans were starting to hope again). Mark DeRosa came up. He's been mired in a 5 for 30 slump. Farnsworth was just what the doctor ordered. Single to center and Cabrera scored.
This was the point where Farnsworth got creative. He balked DeRosa to second. How does a guy who has pitched for eleven years in the big leagues balk? Anyway, Farnsworth then walked Victor Martinez and Farnsworth's night was done. Unfortunately for him, Ron Mahay came in and threw gasoline on Farnsworth's considerable fire and after a double by Hafner and a sacrifice fly by Choo, the Royals were then down by three runs and were unable to recover.
So to recap, Farnsworth faced four batters. He retired only one of them. The other three scored. He has now given up eight base runners in three and a third innings of relief this year. He has now cost the Royals two games out of their first ten. So if the Royals play 162 games and Farnsworth keeps up this pace, he'll cost the Royals 16.2 losses.
You could blame Hillman for using him in tight situations. But it's sort of like blaming a kid when his mom gives him a match and he sets the house on fire. The front office never should have signed the guy in the first place and put Hillman in a position to fail this way. But Hillman knows now and the Fan will say it again, if Hillman uses Farnsworth in another meaningful situation the rest of the year, the onus is on him and nobody else and all bets are off.
Jiminy Crickets, man! The Fan just spent 2000 words including the Royals as contenders in the American League West and Hillman has thrown away two games already by throwing Farnsworth out there. Doesn't somebody on that team look at numbers? Doesn't anybody learn from mistakes? This is more intolerable than playing twenty games of Spider Solitaire when another post could have been written. Let's look at Wednesday night's debacle.
The game was tied 2-2 going into the top of the seventh. The Royals had just mounted a comeback in the bottom half of the sixth to tie the game. Sidney Ponson has thrown his second decent game in a row for the Royals (who thought that would happen?). But who does Hillman bring in? Mr. Kyle Farnsworth. This was how his night went:
The first batter Farnsworth faces is Asdrubal Cabrera, the Indian's shortstop. Keep in mind that Cabrera has a career Slugging Percentage of .382. Cabrera doubles. Here we go! Grady Sizemore popped out to the infield (and the poor Royals' fans were starting to hope again). Mark DeRosa came up. He's been mired in a 5 for 30 slump. Farnsworth was just what the doctor ordered. Single to center and Cabrera scored.
This was the point where Farnsworth got creative. He balked DeRosa to second. How does a guy who has pitched for eleven years in the big leagues balk? Anyway, Farnsworth then walked Victor Martinez and Farnsworth's night was done. Unfortunately for him, Ron Mahay came in and threw gasoline on Farnsworth's considerable fire and after a double by Hafner and a sacrifice fly by Choo, the Royals were then down by three runs and were unable to recover.
So to recap, Farnsworth faced four batters. He retired only one of them. The other three scored. He has now given up eight base runners in three and a third innings of relief this year. He has now cost the Royals two games out of their first ten. So if the Royals play 162 games and Farnsworth keeps up this pace, he'll cost the Royals 16.2 losses.
You could blame Hillman for using him in tight situations. But it's sort of like blaming a kid when his mom gives him a match and he sets the house on fire. The front office never should have signed the guy in the first place and put Hillman in a position to fail this way. But Hillman knows now and the Fan will say it again, if Hillman uses Farnsworth in another meaningful situation the rest of the year, the onus is on him and nobody else and all bets are off.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
This Year's Surprise Teams - Who Will Last?
The standings in Major League Baseball are all upside down so far this year and after the Bay Rays exciting emergence last year, it's hard to discount another team busting out from the projections and the odds. Let's look at this year's surprise starts and see who is going to be a factor in the long run.
Baltimore Orioles
The Orioles are in first place in the American League East after eight games which is really a surprise. They are getting timely hitting and have won six of their first eight games. But it seems unlikely they can continue at this pace. Guthrie has had a good start for the rotation and has thrown two brilliant games. It is very possible that Guthrie continues in this positive direction, but he doesn't have enough help with the rest of the rotation. Hendrickson can be decent, and newcomer, Koji Uehara is 2-0. But Uehara's first start was against a flat Yankee team and his second start was not very good. He has given up 17 base runners in ten innings of work. The rest of the rotation consists of Alfredo Simon, who has looked terrible and Adam Eaton, who has made terrible a career art form. And Sherrill as a closer is not impressive at all and a big weakness for this team. The overall bullpen has a couple of guys doing decent and the rest is real iffy.
Melvin Mora is getting up there in years and cannot be counted on for upscale production. He'll probably miss some time to injuries like he always has. The offense has five or six guys who can rake pretty well, but it might be the Orioles' insistence on using an ancient Gregg Zaun to eat up at bats (while they squander Matt Wieters in the minors until June so they can save money in the future) that might help in the team's undoing. How many rallies can Zaun kill before they get the right guy in there?
Prediction: The Orioles will sink due to lack of starting pitching depth, questionable closing and two clunkers in their batting order.
Kansas City Royals
The Royals currently sit on top of the American League Central and it's not all that surprising. They have three really strong starters in Greinke, Meche and Davies. If they can win consistently when those three pitch and get an occasional win from Ponson and Ramirez, there's no reason they can't win three of every five games they play. If the Royals can keep that kind of pace, they have a legitimate shot at this weak division.
Coco Crisp gives this team a whole new look in the batting order and though he isn't hitting much for average, his patience at the place thus far still gives him an OBP of .358. If he starts hitting--and he's shown some consistency there over the years--and maintains his patience, he is going to keep the bases clogged for some pretty good hitters behind him. Overall, to this point, the Royals haven't hit well and they are still 5-3. They should get more offense in the weeks ahead with Jacobs and Teahen. Gordon's injury is a concern though. It's hard to think that Buck, who has been their offensive hero to this point, will have that great a year with his history.
Prediction: With strong starting pitching, they should contend. If they lose any of their top three starters to injury, they will be in trouble. The hitting is a bit of a concern. But they look and feel legitimate to this point.
Seattle Mariners
The Mariners sit on top of the American League West and that also is surprising. When a team does as poorly as the Mariners have done in recent years, it seems inevitable that they will return to form. But a lot of things look positive for the Mariners thus far. They are getting good starting pitching from Hernandez, Washburn and Bedard and Silva had a good outing last night after a poor first one.
This team has more excitement so far in their demeanor than at any time in the last two years. Is that a Griffey affect? It's hard to give the old slugger that much credit. Maybe it's the new manager and some of the younger guys that have added a spark. All the Fan knows is that guys like Chavez and Betancourt have been spark plugs. Griffey isn't hitting all that much, but he does have a .400 OBP and Ichiro Suzuki hasn't even played yet. He's back tonight though.
The two glaring weaknesses for the Mariners are not having a stud closer and horrid catching. Morrow has been the closer thus far and though he has two saves in two opportunities, he's walked six batters in 3+ innings. If he keeps that up, blown saves will come in bunches. Johjima and Johnson have been terrible at the plate thus far and both are far below the Mendoza Line. Neither of them walk much and they are rally killers to say the least.
Prediction: This is a weak division and if their starting pitching holds up (Bedard is always in injury waiting to happen), they have a chance to contend. Who would have thought it?
Florida Marlins
There is no team the Fan is more excited about than the Florida Marlins. Emilio Banifacio has given the team a spark on offense as he runs around the bases and he brings excitement when he plays. His ability to bunt for base hits really make him a threat. His one weakness is that he doesn't walk much. If he can develop some patience, look out! Hitting in front of Hanley Ramirez, Dan Uggla and Jorge Cantu has been deadly to this point. Ramirez is really taking to his new spot in the lineup and has been an RBI machine thus far.
But what is really exciting about the Marlins is their pitching. Johnson, Volstad, Nolasco and Sanchez are all potential studs and three of those four have had great starts to their season. The bullpen has not been solid and they are questionable at closer with Lindstrom, but they have a couple of good arms like Penn, Colero and Nunez that could keep them in games.
Prediction: This is a tough division and the Braves look strong. But if the Marlins pitching holds up, they could be the Bay Rays of 2009.
Cincinatti Reds
The Reds have had a good start and are currently a game out of first place in the National League Central. They have two of the grittiest starting pitchers in baseball with Harang and Arroyo but it is really troubling that their two best arms in Volquez and Cueto cannot find a way to be consistently dominating. They have one dominating start and then they get clobbered. Until they can find a way to win when they don't have their best stuff, they will plague this team.
The Fan has watched two of the Red games this year and though Votto is off to a great start, this offense lacks patience and makes it too easy for the other team's starting pitching to get them out. They are very young and this Fan is not convinced that Bruce is the star everyone thinks he's going to be. He looks outmatched far too often.
The Reds have some good news in the bullpen. The veteran Rhodes has had a good start and Cordero is a very good closer. Burton, Weathers and Masset have also pitched well out of the pen thus far.
Prediction: Their inconsistent starting pitching and lack of patience at the plate will continue to sabotage this team and they will not be able to overcome the Cubs and Cardinals.
San Diego Padres
The Padres were expected to be abysmal this year and here they are at 6-2 and leading the National League West division. They have two very good starters in Peavy and Young and are getting a bit more offense than last year. But it seems likely that they will fall to earth in the not too distant future.
The offense is still troubling to the Fan. Giles doesn't seem to have much left. Adrian Gonzalez is a stud at first base, but will the timely hitting of Hundley, Haiston and Gerut continue? It seems unlikely. The rest of the starting rotation is a huge question mark as well. Walter Silva and Kevin Correia cannot find the strike zone often enough and never give the team more than five innings before they run out of pitch count. Shawn Hill gave the Padres a decent start, but his history is hard to overcome in thinking he will be much of a factor.
The bullpen, as always, is a strength for the Padres. Heath Bell looks fantastic as a closer and though the rest of the relievers don't blow people away, they seem very good at keeping the team in the game.
Prediction: The Padres don't seem to have enough offense and starting pitching to continue to contend. It seems inevitable that they shrink back to the pack. They still might be better than predictions though and might be better than the Giants and the Diamondbacks in the long run.
Baltimore Orioles
The Orioles are in first place in the American League East after eight games which is really a surprise. They are getting timely hitting and have won six of their first eight games. But it seems unlikely they can continue at this pace. Guthrie has had a good start for the rotation and has thrown two brilliant games. It is very possible that Guthrie continues in this positive direction, but he doesn't have enough help with the rest of the rotation. Hendrickson can be decent, and newcomer, Koji Uehara is 2-0. But Uehara's first start was against a flat Yankee team and his second start was not very good. He has given up 17 base runners in ten innings of work. The rest of the rotation consists of Alfredo Simon, who has looked terrible and Adam Eaton, who has made terrible a career art form. And Sherrill as a closer is not impressive at all and a big weakness for this team. The overall bullpen has a couple of guys doing decent and the rest is real iffy.
Melvin Mora is getting up there in years and cannot be counted on for upscale production. He'll probably miss some time to injuries like he always has. The offense has five or six guys who can rake pretty well, but it might be the Orioles' insistence on using an ancient Gregg Zaun to eat up at bats (while they squander Matt Wieters in the minors until June so they can save money in the future) that might help in the team's undoing. How many rallies can Zaun kill before they get the right guy in there?
Prediction: The Orioles will sink due to lack of starting pitching depth, questionable closing and two clunkers in their batting order.
Kansas City Royals
The Royals currently sit on top of the American League Central and it's not all that surprising. They have three really strong starters in Greinke, Meche and Davies. If they can win consistently when those three pitch and get an occasional win from Ponson and Ramirez, there's no reason they can't win three of every five games they play. If the Royals can keep that kind of pace, they have a legitimate shot at this weak division.
Coco Crisp gives this team a whole new look in the batting order and though he isn't hitting much for average, his patience at the place thus far still gives him an OBP of .358. If he starts hitting--and he's shown some consistency there over the years--and maintains his patience, he is going to keep the bases clogged for some pretty good hitters behind him. Overall, to this point, the Royals haven't hit well and they are still 5-3. They should get more offense in the weeks ahead with Jacobs and Teahen. Gordon's injury is a concern though. It's hard to think that Buck, who has been their offensive hero to this point, will have that great a year with his history.
Prediction: With strong starting pitching, they should contend. If they lose any of their top three starters to injury, they will be in trouble. The hitting is a bit of a concern. But they look and feel legitimate to this point.
Seattle Mariners
The Mariners sit on top of the American League West and that also is surprising. When a team does as poorly as the Mariners have done in recent years, it seems inevitable that they will return to form. But a lot of things look positive for the Mariners thus far. They are getting good starting pitching from Hernandez, Washburn and Bedard and Silva had a good outing last night after a poor first one.
This team has more excitement so far in their demeanor than at any time in the last two years. Is that a Griffey affect? It's hard to give the old slugger that much credit. Maybe it's the new manager and some of the younger guys that have added a spark. All the Fan knows is that guys like Chavez and Betancourt have been spark plugs. Griffey isn't hitting all that much, but he does have a .400 OBP and Ichiro Suzuki hasn't even played yet. He's back tonight though.
The two glaring weaknesses for the Mariners are not having a stud closer and horrid catching. Morrow has been the closer thus far and though he has two saves in two opportunities, he's walked six batters in 3+ innings. If he keeps that up, blown saves will come in bunches. Johjima and Johnson have been terrible at the plate thus far and both are far below the Mendoza Line. Neither of them walk much and they are rally killers to say the least.
Prediction: This is a weak division and if their starting pitching holds up (Bedard is always in injury waiting to happen), they have a chance to contend. Who would have thought it?
Florida Marlins
There is no team the Fan is more excited about than the Florida Marlins. Emilio Banifacio has given the team a spark on offense as he runs around the bases and he brings excitement when he plays. His ability to bunt for base hits really make him a threat. His one weakness is that he doesn't walk much. If he can develop some patience, look out! Hitting in front of Hanley Ramirez, Dan Uggla and Jorge Cantu has been deadly to this point. Ramirez is really taking to his new spot in the lineup and has been an RBI machine thus far.
But what is really exciting about the Marlins is their pitching. Johnson, Volstad, Nolasco and Sanchez are all potential studs and three of those four have had great starts to their season. The bullpen has not been solid and they are questionable at closer with Lindstrom, but they have a couple of good arms like Penn, Colero and Nunez that could keep them in games.
Prediction: This is a tough division and the Braves look strong. But if the Marlins pitching holds up, they could be the Bay Rays of 2009.
Cincinatti Reds
The Reds have had a good start and are currently a game out of first place in the National League Central. They have two of the grittiest starting pitchers in baseball with Harang and Arroyo but it is really troubling that their two best arms in Volquez and Cueto cannot find a way to be consistently dominating. They have one dominating start and then they get clobbered. Until they can find a way to win when they don't have their best stuff, they will plague this team.
The Fan has watched two of the Red games this year and though Votto is off to a great start, this offense lacks patience and makes it too easy for the other team's starting pitching to get them out. They are very young and this Fan is not convinced that Bruce is the star everyone thinks he's going to be. He looks outmatched far too often.
The Reds have some good news in the bullpen. The veteran Rhodes has had a good start and Cordero is a very good closer. Burton, Weathers and Masset have also pitched well out of the pen thus far.
Prediction: Their inconsistent starting pitching and lack of patience at the plate will continue to sabotage this team and they will not be able to overcome the Cubs and Cardinals.
San Diego Padres
The Padres were expected to be abysmal this year and here they are at 6-2 and leading the National League West division. They have two very good starters in Peavy and Young and are getting a bit more offense than last year. But it seems likely that they will fall to earth in the not too distant future.
The offense is still troubling to the Fan. Giles doesn't seem to have much left. Adrian Gonzalez is a stud at first base, but will the timely hitting of Hundley, Haiston and Gerut continue? It seems unlikely. The rest of the starting rotation is a huge question mark as well. Walter Silva and Kevin Correia cannot find the strike zone often enough and never give the team more than five innings before they run out of pitch count. Shawn Hill gave the Padres a decent start, but his history is hard to overcome in thinking he will be much of a factor.
The bullpen, as always, is a strength for the Padres. Heath Bell looks fantastic as a closer and though the rest of the relievers don't blow people away, they seem very good at keeping the team in the game.
Prediction: The Padres don't seem to have enough offense and starting pitching to continue to contend. It seems inevitable that they shrink back to the pack. They still might be better than predictions though and might be better than the Giants and the Diamondbacks in the long run.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Red Sox Off to a Rough Start
The Boston Red Sox have opened the 2009 season at 2-5 and while a week is a drop in the bucket for the team in a 162 game season, there are some worrisome trends thus far in their season. They aren't hitting very well and they aren't pitching very well. And this was a team expected to do both.
Again, it's not time to panic after only seven games. But outside of Jason Bay and Kevin Youkilis, the team has been anemic at the plate. Here are the OPS figures of several key players: Pedroia .615, Lowell .531, Ellsbury .459, Ortiz .541, Drew .540 and Lowrie .206 (!). The Red Sox were already worried about Ortiz and Lowell coming into the season after injury-filled and off production years last year. They both look slow and old. And one of their few hot hitters, Jason Bay, hurt his wrist last night, which could affect his offense for a while to come.
The real strength of the Red Sox going into the season was their pitching. On paper, they had a monster staff not even counting Buchholz, now at AAA, or John Smoltz. But other than Beckett, the vaunted starters have not started well. Matsuzaka gave up 12 base runners in 5.1 innings of work his first start and Jon Lester, expected by many to be a Cy Young candidate, is 0-2 with a 9.00 ERA to this point. Brad Penny got a win in his only start but gave up two homers in six innings.
The bullpen was also considered a strength. The loquacious Jonathan Papelbon has been shaky thus far, Okijama and Masterson have matching 13.50 ERAs and heralded newcomer Saito is at 7.71. Hardly good starts.
Again, it's early. The team has 155 games remaining on its schedule. But it's a troubling start for the Red Sox and in a tough division where one or two games can make a difference, it's a concern.
Again, it's not time to panic after only seven games. But outside of Jason Bay and Kevin Youkilis, the team has been anemic at the plate. Here are the OPS figures of several key players: Pedroia .615, Lowell .531, Ellsbury .459, Ortiz .541, Drew .540 and Lowrie .206 (!). The Red Sox were already worried about Ortiz and Lowell coming into the season after injury-filled and off production years last year. They both look slow and old. And one of their few hot hitters, Jason Bay, hurt his wrist last night, which could affect his offense for a while to come.
The real strength of the Red Sox going into the season was their pitching. On paper, they had a monster staff not even counting Buchholz, now at AAA, or John Smoltz. But other than Beckett, the vaunted starters have not started well. Matsuzaka gave up 12 base runners in 5.1 innings of work his first start and Jon Lester, expected by many to be a Cy Young candidate, is 0-2 with a 9.00 ERA to this point. Brad Penny got a win in his only start but gave up two homers in six innings.
The bullpen was also considered a strength. The loquacious Jonathan Papelbon has been shaky thus far, Okijama and Masterson have matching 13.50 ERAs and heralded newcomer Saito is at 7.71. Hardly good starts.
Again, it's early. The team has 155 games remaining on its schedule. But it's a troubling start for the Red Sox and in a tough division where one or two games can make a difference, it's a concern.
Mark Fidrych - Dead at 54
Two months ago, the Fan wrote a piece about Mark Fidrych. Looking back, the piece now feels like a eulogy. The "Bird" died today at the age of 54, apparently while working on his truck. His death is a shock as he was an important part of this writer's past and a memory that lingers to this day. It seems strangely fitting that Fidrych would die in such a fashion. He was such a down to earth kind of guy. That's what we all loved about him. We knew he was as genuine as they come. And for a season, he thrilled us.
The old saying is that bad things happen in "threes." Earlier we had the death of Nick Adenhart, then Fidrych and we also learned today of the death of the "voice" of the Phillies, Harry Kalas. The Fan hadn't been aware of Kalas, for some reason, until reading the news stories about his death and the tribute films of him calling memorable moments in Phillies' history. The voice was recognized for his work for NFL Films, where he succeeded another Philadelphia legend, John Facenda. The voice is unmistakable.
Though the Fan was unaware of Kalas, it wasn't long ago that the Fan's childhood "uncle," Phil Rizzuto, passed away and as anyone who grew up watching the Yankees mourned that loss, so must Philadelphia fans mourn their long time voice. Kalas was a fixture in Philadelphia for 39 years. And much like Fidrych, it is fitting that Kalas collapsed at the ballpark, where he was getting ready to announce a game.
It's been a tough week for baseball fans and a very sad one. We wish peace and comfort for all the loved ones of those that have passed from us and we will keep their memory with us.
The old saying is that bad things happen in "threes." Earlier we had the death of Nick Adenhart, then Fidrych and we also learned today of the death of the "voice" of the Phillies, Harry Kalas. The Fan hadn't been aware of Kalas, for some reason, until reading the news stories about his death and the tribute films of him calling memorable moments in Phillies' history. The voice was recognized for his work for NFL Films, where he succeeded another Philadelphia legend, John Facenda. The voice is unmistakable.
Though the Fan was unaware of Kalas, it wasn't long ago that the Fan's childhood "uncle," Phil Rizzuto, passed away and as anyone who grew up watching the Yankees mourned that loss, so must Philadelphia fans mourn their long time voice. Kalas was a fixture in Philadelphia for 39 years. And much like Fidrych, it is fitting that Kalas collapsed at the ballpark, where he was getting ready to announce a game.
It's been a tough week for baseball fans and a very sad one. We wish peace and comfort for all the loved ones of those that have passed from us and we will keep their memory with us.
Head Spinning Day of Baseball
While off the field, there was sad news, on the field, there were strange and head spinning happenings all over baseball. We had a cycle. We had a first baseman pitch. We had the debut of a new stadium and we had two players hit their 300th homers in the same game. Let's recap.
We'll start with the cycle. Orlando Hudson hit an infield single, a homer and a double against Randy Johnson and finished with the hardest part of any cycle, a triple down the right field corner. He just beat the relay throw into third. He was unaware of what he had done until he got into the dugout. A cycle has occurred only 284 times in major league history before Hudson's and his was the first for the Dodgers since Wes Parker did it in extra innings in 1970. The last Dodger to do it in a regulation game was Gil Hodges in 1949.
In other news of the day, Chien-Ming Wang of the Yankees had his second consecutive miserable start and only lasted an inning. The Bay Rays beat up the Yankees so badly that Nick Swisher came on to pitch the bottom of the eighth for the Yankees. Swisher, who has been one of the few Yankee highlights this short season, hit a homer in the game and upped his team lead in RBI to ten. Since the bullpen was gassed, he was given the ball by Girardi in the eighth.
The game was laughable by the time Swisher came in to pitch. Jorge Posada went to play first base while Swisher came in to pitch and the score was 15 - 5. The Fan was following along on Yahoo GameDay and when Swisher walked Upton and Willie Aybar singled to left, the Fan groaned and thought it would soon get very embarrassing. But then Gabe Kapler struck out (he'll never live that down), Carlos Pena popped out to second and Pat Burrell flied out to left. So Swisher will probably retire with a 0.00 ERA.
The Mets had their opening night in Citi Field and lost to the Padres. The winning run was brought in by a Pedro Feliciano balk. That always sucks. The Fan wonders how a home team feels in a new park. They have to feel like visitors themselves, no? At least for a while anyway.
The coolest feat of the day came in the top of the second inning at Detroit in a game that the White Sox beat the Tigers. Jermaine Dye and Paul Konerko both hit their 300th career homers, not only in the same game, but in back to back at bats. How cool is that?
So in the last two days we've had a triple play, back to back 300th homers, a first baseman/outfielder pitching, a cycle and we haven't even mentioned the near no-hitter by Ted Lilly. The Fan can't wait to see what will happen tomorrow!
We'll start with the cycle. Orlando Hudson hit an infield single, a homer and a double against Randy Johnson and finished with the hardest part of any cycle, a triple down the right field corner. He just beat the relay throw into third. He was unaware of what he had done until he got into the dugout. A cycle has occurred only 284 times in major league history before Hudson's and his was the first for the Dodgers since Wes Parker did it in extra innings in 1970. The last Dodger to do it in a regulation game was Gil Hodges in 1949.
In other news of the day, Chien-Ming Wang of the Yankees had his second consecutive miserable start and only lasted an inning. The Bay Rays beat up the Yankees so badly that Nick Swisher came on to pitch the bottom of the eighth for the Yankees. Swisher, who has been one of the few Yankee highlights this short season, hit a homer in the game and upped his team lead in RBI to ten. Since the bullpen was gassed, he was given the ball by Girardi in the eighth.
The game was laughable by the time Swisher came in to pitch. Jorge Posada went to play first base while Swisher came in to pitch and the score was 15 - 5. The Fan was following along on Yahoo GameDay and when Swisher walked Upton and Willie Aybar singled to left, the Fan groaned and thought it would soon get very embarrassing. But then Gabe Kapler struck out (he'll never live that down), Carlos Pena popped out to second and Pat Burrell flied out to left. So Swisher will probably retire with a 0.00 ERA.
The Mets had their opening night in Citi Field and lost to the Padres. The winning run was brought in by a Pedro Feliciano balk. That always sucks. The Fan wonders how a home team feels in a new park. They have to feel like visitors themselves, no? At least for a while anyway.
The coolest feat of the day came in the top of the second inning at Detroit in a game that the White Sox beat the Tigers. Jermaine Dye and Paul Konerko both hit their 300th career homers, not only in the same game, but in back to back at bats. How cool is that?
So in the last two days we've had a triple play, back to back 300th homers, a first baseman/outfielder pitching, a cycle and we haven't even mentioned the near no-hitter by Ted Lilly. The Fan can't wait to see what will happen tomorrow!
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