Some match ups for everyone to enjoy...
A pair of hard luck pitchers are toeing the mound today. Dan Haren and his Arizona Diamondbacks will be facing off against Bronson Arroyo and the Cincinatti Reds. Haren is 6-5 with a 2.25 ERA this season, a 0.81 WHIP and 104 K's to 14 BB's in 108 innings. His ERA in June is a sky-high 1.70 in 37 innings while posting a 0.65 WHIP with 33 K's and 5 BB's. Even with Tim Lincecum making a claim to start the All-Star game for the Senior League after last night's 2-hit shutout of St. Louis, I still don't think he makes the same case as Haren does, as the only think Lincecum has done better other than strike out more batters (he does walk a few more though) is give up fewer home runs. No need for any metrics to describe how dominant Dan Haren has been, except he has been super lucky with a .239 BABIP, which is 59 points lower than his career average. He could be in for another season where his 2nd half does not match up to the first half of the season.
The other hard luck pitcher going tonight is Cliff Lee, who's Indians are squaring off against Clayton Richard and the Chicago White Sox. After a terrible few starts to begin the season, Lee has settled down, to the tune of a 2.22 ERA in his last 14 starts. His WHIP is a tad high at 1.31, and he doesnt strike out many (79 in 111 innings) but he seems to be getting the job done once again. As mentioned before, playing for a team that gives you 3.75 runs to back you up on average will lead to a 4-6 record which does not match up to his 2.92 ERA (feel free to mention how ERA is not a great indicator of pitching performance...ok, I did, but whatever, his FIP is 3.20, which is darn good, and his BABIP is 21 points HIGHER than his career average, which means he has been a tad UNLUCKY...yeah, Cliff Lee is on track to follow up his tremendous 2008 with a stellar 2009).
Other than those two pitchers going, those games really do not mean much. Let's take a look at some games that do...
Rays v. Jays- Matt Garza (5-5 3.61) v. Scott Richmond (6-4 3.68). The Rays are on fire, winners of 6 in a row and 8 of their last 10. The Blue Jays are able to send one of their few healthy starting pitching options to the mound, and with 6 starting pitchers disabled and their offense slowing down, the Jays are looking for positive outings from their team.
Phillies v. Braves is an interesting match up too. Derek Lowe has been underwhelming this year (7-6 4.53 ERA) and is matching up against Smoldering Joe Blanton and the World Champion Phillies. The Phillies on the road are unstoppable(26-12), which is no good for the Braves, as they close out a 9-game home stretch that pitted them against the Yankees, Red Sox, and now the Phillies. Jimmy Rollins also returns tonight after sitting out the past few games due to his season long slump (.211 BA does not an MVP make).
Angels v. Rangers tonight in Arlington. The Rangers have now cooled off and the Angels have heated up. I really do not see the Rangers winning this division but they certainly are giving it the old college try. Joe Saunders is pitching for the Angels tonight while Scott Feldman takes the mound for the Rangers.
Giants v. Cardinals (Johnson v. Carpenter) is one of the better games tonight with the NL Wild Card leader Giants looking to increase their 1.5 game lead over the Cardinals and Rockies. Carpenter has been lights out this year while Johnson has been the serviceable starter the Giants need him to be.
One other game in short...Mets v. Brewers with Johan on the mound is definitely worth a watch.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
A Mid-Tuesday Update
Shockingly, and I mean SHOCKINGLY, the list of positive tests in 2003 that has been floating around is a fraud...Debunked Here
Even though the Indians have said that Cliff Lee (who is having another great year, but is only getting only 3.75 runs of support per start) is off limits, I think that this article is definately on target.
Well, he can't be much worse with them on. After all, Vlad chopped off his hair and hit a home run (#2 on the year).
I'm sure Mets fans were hoping that this was not the case. If the Mets can stay afloat without Beltran, Delgado, and Reyes they might have a shot at making the playoffs if all 3 come back ready and healthy enough to play the rest of the season. Then again, when Livan Hernandez is your second best starting pitcher, and your ace might be hurting a bit, you have bigger problems than sending out a AAA lineup every night.
And finally...
How come steroid users make it so easy on us to write headlines?
Back in a flash with your Matchups of the Day!
Even though the Indians have said that Cliff Lee (who is having another great year, but is only getting only 3.75 runs of support per start) is off limits, I think that this article is definately on target.
Well, he can't be much worse with them on. After all, Vlad chopped off his hair and hit a home run (#2 on the year).
I'm sure Mets fans were hoping that this was not the case. If the Mets can stay afloat without Beltran, Delgado, and Reyes they might have a shot at making the playoffs if all 3 come back ready and healthy enough to play the rest of the season. Then again, when Livan Hernandez is your second best starting pitcher, and your ace might be hurting a bit, you have bigger problems than sending out a AAA lineup every night.
And finally...
How come steroid users make it so easy on us to write headlines?
Back in a flash with your Matchups of the Day!
The Year of the Young Pitcher
I know that every year there are highly touted prospects who turn into stars, some that fizzle out, and some that come out of no where to make an impact. I can't help but feel that this year we are finally seeing the true potential of some of the young hurlers in the game. First off we have to state what qualifies someone as young. Since baseball hitters peak around 27 and pitchers at around 28 (though some of their stuff might peak later, especially their off speed offerings) lets throw down a completely scientific (arbitrary) age of 25. So lets take a look at the pitchers under the age of 25 in the game right now in no particular order...
Tim Lincecum
Felix Hernandez
Scott Kazmir
Joba Chamberlain
Cole Hamels
Chad Billingsley
Clayton Kershaw
John Danks
Yovani Gallardo
Matt Cain
David Price
Jair Jurrjens
Max Scherzer
Kevin Slowey
Clay Buchholz
Johnny Cueto
Andrew Miller
Josh Johnson
Ubaldo Jimenez
Jon Lester
Matt Garza
Brett Anderson
Rick Porcello
Sean Gallagher
Phil Hughes
Mike Pelfrey
Chris Volstad
Jonathan Broxton
Jarrod-Parker
Homer Bailey
Fausto Carmona
Trevor Cahill
Tommy Hanson
Justin Masterson
Jesse Litsch
Aaron Laffey
Ian Kennedy
Joakim Soria
John Lannan
Collin Balester
Greg Reynolds
Jordan Zimmerman
Scott Olsen
I took the liberty of bolding the names of a few of the standouts...I wasn't sure what I would find when I made the list, but I am sure there has to be at least one charactoristic among all these players that have allowed them to find success at the major league level at sucha young age. I mean, look at the top 10 names on the list. Those guys have to be good for a few more Cy Young awards. Most of these names project to be at least a #3 starter and some as certified aces, if they are not already. I think it is safe to say we are seeing a changing of the guard in pitching right before our eyes.
Tim Lincecum
Felix Hernandez
Scott Kazmir
Joba Chamberlain
Cole Hamels
Chad Billingsley
Clayton Kershaw
John Danks
Yovani Gallardo
Matt Cain
David Price
Jair Jurrjens
Max Scherzer
Kevin Slowey
Clay Buchholz
Johnny Cueto
Andrew Miller
Josh Johnson
Ubaldo Jimenez
Jon Lester
Matt Garza
Brett Anderson
Rick Porcello
Sean Gallagher
Phil Hughes
Mike Pelfrey
Chris Volstad
Jonathan Broxton
Jarrod-Parker
Homer Bailey
Fausto Carmona
Trevor Cahill
Tommy Hanson
Justin Masterson
Jesse Litsch
Aaron Laffey
Ian Kennedy
Joakim Soria
John Lannan
Collin Balester
Greg Reynolds
Jordan Zimmerman
Scott Olsen
I took the liberty of bolding the names of a few of the standouts...I wasn't sure what I would find when I made the list, but I am sure there has to be at least one charactoristic among all these players that have allowed them to find success at the major league level at sucha young age. I mean, look at the top 10 names on the list. Those guys have to be good for a few more Cy Young awards. Most of these names project to be at least a #3 starter and some as certified aces, if they are not already. I think it is safe to say we are seeing a changing of the guard in pitching right before our eyes.
Back In The Saddle
Today's links are brought to you by your friendly neighborhood Spiderman...
There is nothing like waking up in the morning and going "Yeah, I agree, but I am too lazy to change things right now..."Ok, so maybe those are not the first things that generally come out of someones mouth after a nice long sleep, but you get the idea. OPS is not the be all and end all of offensive (though at points it can be offensive) discussion in baseball, but I think it gets the job done more often than not (even if that job is half-assed and makes you feel like a mid-level federal government employee)....http://www.insidethebook.com/ee/index.php/site/comments/blogosphere_question_of_the_day_06_24_or_why_should_ops_die/
Ok, the link is almost a week old...sue me.
One thing that always goes unnoticed, maybe because we do not get to vote on them (which is a good thing) is who is going to pitch in the All-Star Game. While it is clear at the moment that Dan Haren should get the start for the NL (the only other worthy recipient at the moment in Tim Lincecum who missed the game last year due to the flu bug...or a bad NYC street vendor hot dog) who else should be on the staff. One man who could slowly gain support is John Lannan, the quiet anchor of the Washington Nationals pitching staff. Since every team needs a rep (and Zimmerman already has that on lock down for the Nats) could Lannan be the second? Probably not, but I think he is worth keeping an eye on as he is someone who is going to put up solid numbers for a bad team. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jun/29/stoppers-role-suits-nats-lannan-again/
I generally like what Ken Rosenthal has to say. As far as reporters go he is definately one of the best, maybe the best out of everyone not paid by The Worldwide Leader...but I have to call shenanigans on this title. Aramiz Ramirez is good, but he wont make Fukudome hit or make Milton Bradley a positive influence. I will say that if Rich Harden can stay healthy, and Big Z keeps plugging away (and doesnt retire as he already has threatened to do) the Cubbies might make a run at another playoff sweep at the hands of the Dodgers. http://msn.foxsports.com/other/story/9748082/Forget-trades,-Cubs-have-enough-to-win-right-now
I am currently reading Leigh Montville's biography of Ted Williams. While some people (like me for instance) believe that Ted Williams was the best hitter of all time, no one can deny that he took hitting as seriously as anyone who has played the game. Anyways, teams used to employ a shift against Ted because he used to try and pull the ball to right field every at bat. He said this was the most effective strategy for power hitters to hit more home runs and collect more hits. Fast forward to the 21st century and now we have Hit F/X, which tracks speed of the ball off the bat, launch angle, where the ball lands, and all sorts of goodies. Thanks to The Hardball Times we can now see that Ted, and every other dead pull hitter in baseball is on to something. It seems like a simple idea, but to have data that will support the theory is always a nice ace in the hole. Oh yeah, the article is about measuring skill and luck, which also helps support the BABIP stats that are much easier to generate...http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/using-hitf-x-to-measure-skill/
The one question that has been in my mind since the A-Rod steroid report has been this...WHO HAS THE LIST? Well, I doubt it is this guy, but I will post the link anyways, seeing as at the time about 1/10th of the list are Red Sox players and, well, I am really not that surprised at any name on the list (though there are a few that made me chuckle)...http://rotoinfo.com/read_article.php?articleId=318
Enjoy!
There is nothing like waking up in the morning and going "Yeah, I agree, but I am too lazy to change things right now..."Ok, so maybe those are not the first things that generally come out of someones mouth after a nice long sleep, but you get the idea. OPS is not the be all and end all of offensive (though at points it can be offensive) discussion in baseball, but I think it gets the job done more often than not (even if that job is half-assed and makes you feel like a mid-level federal government employee)....http://www.insidethebook.com/ee/index.php/site/comments/blogosphere_question_of_the_day_06_24_or_why_should_ops_die/
Ok, the link is almost a week old...sue me.
One thing that always goes unnoticed, maybe because we do not get to vote on them (which is a good thing) is who is going to pitch in the All-Star Game. While it is clear at the moment that Dan Haren should get the start for the NL (the only other worthy recipient at the moment in Tim Lincecum who missed the game last year due to the flu bug...or a bad NYC street vendor hot dog) who else should be on the staff. One man who could slowly gain support is John Lannan, the quiet anchor of the Washington Nationals pitching staff. Since every team needs a rep (and Zimmerman already has that on lock down for the Nats) could Lannan be the second? Probably not, but I think he is worth keeping an eye on as he is someone who is going to put up solid numbers for a bad team. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jun/29/stoppers-role-suits-nats-lannan-again/
I generally like what Ken Rosenthal has to say. As far as reporters go he is definately one of the best, maybe the best out of everyone not paid by The Worldwide Leader...but I have to call shenanigans on this title. Aramiz Ramirez is good, but he wont make Fukudome hit or make Milton Bradley a positive influence. I will say that if Rich Harden can stay healthy, and Big Z keeps plugging away (and doesnt retire as he already has threatened to do) the Cubbies might make a run at another playoff sweep at the hands of the Dodgers. http://msn.foxsports.com/other/story/9748082/Forget-trades,-Cubs-have-enough-to-win-right-now
I am currently reading Leigh Montville's biography of Ted Williams. While some people (like me for instance) believe that Ted Williams was the best hitter of all time, no one can deny that he took hitting as seriously as anyone who has played the game. Anyways, teams used to employ a shift against Ted because he used to try and pull the ball to right field every at bat. He said this was the most effective strategy for power hitters to hit more home runs and collect more hits. Fast forward to the 21st century and now we have Hit F/X, which tracks speed of the ball off the bat, launch angle, where the ball lands, and all sorts of goodies. Thanks to The Hardball Times we can now see that Ted, and every other dead pull hitter in baseball is on to something. It seems like a simple idea, but to have data that will support the theory is always a nice ace in the hole. Oh yeah, the article is about measuring skill and luck, which also helps support the BABIP stats that are much easier to generate...http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/using-hitf-x-to-measure-skill/
The one question that has been in my mind since the A-Rod steroid report has been this...WHO HAS THE LIST? Well, I doubt it is this guy, but I will post the link anyways, seeing as at the time about 1/10th of the list are Red Sox players and, well, I am really not that surprised at any name on the list (though there are a few that made me chuckle)...http://rotoinfo.com/read_article.php?articleId=318
Enjoy!
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Mid-Day Updates
El Duque is only one step away from returning to The Show as a member of the Texas Rangers...Does anyone really believe his actual age is 43 though? http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=4283737&campaign=rss&source=MLBHeadlines
Sometimes a simple change in appearance can lead to a change in your power numbers. At least Vlad Guererro hopes that is the case.
http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/06/24/vlad-sheds-the-dreads/
162 game average: .322/.387/.570 36HR 37 2B 116 RBI .81 BB/K
2009 numbers: .273/.297/.341 1HR 4 2B 10RBI 19:5 K/BB ratio .26 BB/K
ZiPS 2009 Updated Projection: .292/.347/.437 12 HR 51 RBI .55 BB/K
I don't really blame him for the RBI totals which are not exclusively his fault. He has just stopped taking pitches and cannot hit for power. His BABIP in 2009 is in line with his career average which means that he is not unlucky. Vlad is 34 this year and his power numbers have fallen off the face of the planet (just like his speed has thanks to a pair of bad knees). I think for Angels fans it is time to face facts...unless his dreads have been causing the problems, it is unlikely that he is the perennial All-Star that he once was.
Brilliant...http://voices.washingtonpost.com/dcsportsbog/2009/06/what_the_red_sox_invasion_look.html
Where is Matt Wieters? I kid, but a good update on some of the rookie surprises of the year...http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=crasnick_jerry&page=starting9/090624&campaign=rss&source=MLBHeadlines
Oh, and for some reason people are just finding this out. Your AL OPS leader to date?
Ben Zobrist (1.033)
Sometimes a simple change in appearance can lead to a change in your power numbers. At least Vlad Guererro hopes that is the case.
http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/06/24/vlad-sheds-the-dreads/
162 game average: .322/.387/.570 36HR 37 2B 116 RBI .81 BB/K
2009 numbers: .273/.297/.341 1HR 4 2B 10RBI 19:5 K/BB ratio .26 BB/K
ZiPS 2009 Updated Projection: .292/.347/.437 12 HR 51 RBI .55 BB/K
I don't really blame him for the RBI totals which are not exclusively his fault. He has just stopped taking pitches and cannot hit for power. His BABIP in 2009 is in line with his career average which means that he is not unlucky. Vlad is 34 this year and his power numbers have fallen off the face of the planet (just like his speed has thanks to a pair of bad knees). I think for Angels fans it is time to face facts...unless his dreads have been causing the problems, it is unlikely that he is the perennial All-Star that he once was.
Brilliant...http://voices.washingtonpost.com/dcsportsbog/2009/06/what_the_red_sox_invasion_look.html
Where is Matt Wieters? I kid, but a good update on some of the rookie surprises of the year...http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=crasnick_jerry&page=starting9/090624&campaign=rss&source=MLBHeadlines
Oh, and for some reason people are just finding this out. Your AL OPS leader to date?
Ben Zobrist (1.033)
You Can Bloom My Onion Anytime Mr. Beane
Over the past few months there have been scattered updates about the movie adaptation of the book Moneyball. If you have not read this book, which is probably THE baseball book of the decade in terms of popularity and importance, then i suggest you buy, borrow, or steal this book. Yes, it is worth the misdemeanor shoplifting charge. Anyways, as some of you may know, the movie was shot down once Sony received the final version of the script that was touched up by Steven Soderbergh. Apparently, the original version of the script, written by Steven Zaillian (he wrote Schindler's List, Gangs of New York, A Civil Action, and a whole host of other great movies) is now available online here...http://hollywood-elsewhere.com/images/column/62509/Moneyball.pdf
Anyways, there was one part of Moneyball that I apparently forgot about that Zaillian decided to include...A one night stand that Billy Beane has with a waitress from an Outback Steakhouse in Cleveland.
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big_league_stew/post/The-Moneyball-script-complete-with-Billy-Beane-?urn=mlb,172463
Now that is art.
Anyways, there was one part of Moneyball that I apparently forgot about that Zaillian decided to include...A one night stand that Billy Beane has with a waitress from an Outback Steakhouse in Cleveland.
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big_league_stew/post/The-Moneyball-script-complete-with-Billy-Beane-?urn=mlb,172463
Now that is art.
All Linked Up
Ok, let's get this show on the road...
I'm not sure how much I actually trust the radar guns at stadiums and on television broadcasts... http://detroit4lyfe.com/articles/detroit-tigers/zumaya-ks-milton-bradley-with-104-mph-fastball.html even if it is 1 or 2 MPH fast, dear god. By the way, the official Guinness record for a fastball is 100.9 MPH by Nolan Ryan. In case you want to go a little more old school, here is this video...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMPxpOapRuU
As if someone really needed to write this...
http://yankees.lhblogs.com/2009/06/23/423-5-million-doesnt-buy-what-it-used-to/
Even with a winning record, if George was still at the helm, there would be a lot of headlines to be made with his comments to the press, especially after losing a series to the Nationals...at home.
I kind of agree with the headline. As I keep saying (to myself) the one team that could sneak up on the NL and knock out someone really fast. Do you really want to see Lincecum and Cain back to back in a 5-game series? I know I don't. By the way, if the season ended today, they are your NL Wild Card team.
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/9717844/Giants-remain-a-bat-away-from-something-special
Speaking of trades, last years big winner at the deadline doesn't seem to be interested in doing something that big again. Is there anyone worth either of these two in this market? Probably not. Besides, the Brewers seem to be doing just fine at the moment. The are 2 games back of St. Louis in the Central (1 game in the loss column) and 1 game back of San Francisco in the Wild Card race.
http://www.topix.net/mlb/milwaukee-brewers/2009/06/brewers-melvin-says-gamel-escobar-off-limits
The Diamondbacks are not going to make the Playoffs anyways, it is probably not a bad idea to shut him down, have him get surgery, and hope that next year he and Dan Haren can try and compete with Lincecum and Cain as the most frightening 1-2 punch in the game.
http://bases.newsvine.com/_news/2009/06/24/2962852-daily-dose-webb-may-be-done-for-2009?category=sports
And finally, this is nice to see. http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/shysterball/article/votto/
Stay tuned for more because lets face it, I have nothing better to do.
I'm not sure how much I actually trust the radar guns at stadiums and on television broadcasts... http://detroit4lyfe.com/articles/detroit-tigers/zumaya-ks-milton-bradley-with-104-mph-fastball.html even if it is 1 or 2 MPH fast, dear god. By the way, the official Guinness record for a fastball is 100.9 MPH by Nolan Ryan. In case you want to go a little more old school, here is this video...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMPxpOapRuU
As if someone really needed to write this...
http://yankees.lhblogs.com/2009/06/23/423-5-million-doesnt-buy-what-it-used-to/
Even with a winning record, if George was still at the helm, there would be a lot of headlines to be made with his comments to the press, especially after losing a series to the Nationals...at home.
I kind of agree with the headline. As I keep saying (to myself) the one team that could sneak up on the NL and knock out someone really fast. Do you really want to see Lincecum and Cain back to back in a 5-game series? I know I don't. By the way, if the season ended today, they are your NL Wild Card team.
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/9717844/Giants-remain-a-bat-away-from-something-special
Speaking of trades, last years big winner at the deadline doesn't seem to be interested in doing something that big again. Is there anyone worth either of these two in this market? Probably not. Besides, the Brewers seem to be doing just fine at the moment. The are 2 games back of St. Louis in the Central (1 game in the loss column) and 1 game back of San Francisco in the Wild Card race.
http://www.topix.net/mlb/milwaukee-brewers/2009/06/brewers-melvin-says-gamel-escobar-off-limits
The Diamondbacks are not going to make the Playoffs anyways, it is probably not a bad idea to shut him down, have him get surgery, and hope that next year he and Dan Haren can try and compete with Lincecum and Cain as the most frightening 1-2 punch in the game.
http://bases.newsvine.com/_news/2009/06/24/2962852-daily-dose-webb-may-be-done-for-2009?category=sports
And finally, this is nice to see. http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/shysterball/article/votto/
Stay tuned for more because lets face it, I have nothing better to do.
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