Showing posts with label baseball is poop. Show all posts
Showing posts with label baseball is poop. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 03, 2015
Baseball is Poop
Celebrate, Good Times, Come On!
The celebrations of walk-off victories across baseball have become increasingly elaborate (and messy!)
But the Texas Rangers went way too far in welcoming Josh Hamilton back to the team and celebrating his walk-off double.
The reporter they soaked is named Emily Jones. I don't care if they love her or hate her, she's not on the team and she didn't sign up for that. It was really low class, and it was clear one bucket, the red one, was specifically destinted for her.
It called to mind a famous incident from when the Mets won the National League East in 2006. Several Mets gathered around Julie Donaldson and soaked her with beer and or champagne. It's an unfortunate analogy but it sadly reminded me of a bukkake video. A helpless woman surrounded by men pouring liquid on her face while she tries to pretend she likes it.
The Washington Nationals have taken to pouring chocolate syrup on each other. I hope no innocent reporter gets caught in the cross-fire of that one.
The Mets Are Forward Thinking For Once
I have killed the Mets over the years for refusing to embrace modern thinking in baseball and sticking to the way things have always been done, because that's the way they've always been done.
So I am pleased the Mets are at least trying something different, especially when it comes in an area as old-fashioned, deep-seeded and controversial as protecting young pitchers. The "Nolan Ryan's arm never hurt!" camp must be spinning in their graves over this, but the fact is, young pitchers are less likely to get injured if they have lighter workloads, and especially if their innings pitched totals escalate gradually instead of in big jumps.
It also goes to show the Mets understand that this year the team isn't necessarily ready to compete so they are willing to do things that may cost wins (at least theoretically) to increase the chances of being good next season and down the line.
With three young pitchers as good as Harvey, deGrom and Syndergaard, injury seems to be the only thing that can keep them from reaching their potential.
But Dillon Gee is not a good pitcher and really not good enough to do this experiment for. They had better skip his turn any time they have an off day.
Also, if any contending team is willing to offer anything decent for Niese or Colon, the Mets should absolutely take it.
Pure Joy
Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen spotted two Pirates fans along the wall in San Diego so he gave the kids his batting gloves.
Don't you wish you could do something for someone, or have someone do for you, something that would make you as happy as these kids are?
Rewrite the Future Night
Obviously, Miami can't beat the Cubs in the 2015 World Series as predicted in Back to the Future II. But they did play each other this season, in what the Marlins billed as "Rewrite History Night" in which they gave out t-shirts and had pictures of Billy the Marlin riding a hoverboard.
Wednesday, August 06, 2014
Baseball is Poop
Hall of Shame
There is a glaring grammatical error on Greg Maddux's Hall of Fame Plaque. The line reads "only hurtler with 300 wins, 3,000 strikeouts and less than 1,000 walks."
It's fewer. FEWER! How many times do I have to tell you? When something can be counted individually you use fewer. Less is for things that can't be counted, like intelligence. The guy who did this plaque has less intelligence than Les Miles's parents.
The Hall of Fame absolutely needs to redo this plaque and display a grammatically correct version for generations of baseball fans to see.
15,000 Rockies Fans Can't Be Wrong
The Rockies had Troy Tulowitzki jersey night and gave out 15,000 shirts with his name on the back. Only it was spelled incorrectly.
Fans can come to a game in September and trade their jersey for one with his name spelled correctly, at which point he may not even be on the team anymore.
Finally a Ballplayer Who Lives Up To His Name
Reds pitcher Jumbo Diaz is listed at 6'4" and 315 pounds. That's believed to be the highest weight ever for a baseball player. His real name is Jose, but he got the nickname Jumbo because he weighs 315 pounds.
There's Hope for Jumbo Diaz
Former National and Tiger (among other things) Dmitri Young is half the man he used to be. Well not quite, but Young has lost 85 pounds from his 2008 listed weight of 290 to his current weight of 205.
He says a doctor told him to lose weight so he started doing cardio, and he takes a shot of NovoLog (insulin shot, he has diabetes) before every meal and that explains his weight loss.
Supermodels at Ballgames I
Kate Upton seated behind the dugout at the Tigers game gets a baseball from her boyfriend, Justin Verlander.
Supermodels at Ballgames II
Chrissy Teigen threw out the first pitch at the Dodgers game. It actually wasn't a bad throw, it did bounce, but at least she threw from the mound.
She was wearing a "40 Nugz" jersey because when she gets drunk she goes to McDonald's and orders...40 Nugz.
Monday, May 13, 2013
Baseball is Poop
Four Blind Mice
When Major League Baseball instituted instant replay for home run calls we thought it would solve the problem. While hard to see from a distance at full speed, these calls are usually cut and dry on replay. Like the one Oakland's Adam Rosales hit in the top of the 9th of a game the A's were losing 4-3 to the Indians. On replay, it was clear that the ball hit a railing right behind that wall and that's why it bounced back like that. So it was a huge surprise when the umpires came out after replay review and ruled it a double. I really don't see how they possibly could have gotten it wrong. Angel Hernandez was the crew chief, and he's the worst umpire ever. But still, there were three other guys who should have reversed this obvious call.
I Love a Good Upheld Protest
Another horrible call but the umpires occurred in a game between the Angels and Astros when Astros manager Bo Porter talked the umpires into allowing him to take out a pitcher who hadn't thrown a pitch. In the 7th inning Porter brought in Wesley Wright to face Luis Jimenez. Scioscia countered by pinch-hitting Scott Cousins. So Porter went back to the bullpen for Hector Ambriz. Everyone knows that a relief pitcher has to face at least one batter except if he gets hurt. Apparently, Porter was able to convince the umpires of this, and they allowed the move. I can't understand why they didn't know the rulebook, or at least consult it. Scioscia knew it and he protested the game. But unfortunately the Angels won the game so he dropped his protest and the game didn't need to be replayed for the point of the dispute. There hasn't been an upheld protest in more than 25 years.
Money Can't Buy You Wins
The Los Angeles Angels are once again showing that you can't buy pennants. Last year after making a big splash by signing the Magnificent Pooh Holes, they got out to a horrible start and even the spectacular Mike Trout couldn't help them recover. This year they added Josh Hamilton to the mix and are off to another bad start. And it may be difficult for them to rebound. When the Angels signed the Splendid Pooh Holes I agreed that the contract would be bad by the end of it, but if they could win a World Series or two in the first 4 to 5 years, it will have been worth the investment. Now it seems like there is a good chance in 2017 the Angels will have no World Series titles and two very expensive [corrected], old, possibly injured, players hanging around their necks like an albatross.
He Was on Pace to Smash Clemens's Record
Joe Maddon would never take out a pitcher who was working on a no-hitter, so why did he remove Alex Cobb from a game in which he had a chance to accomplish something much more rare? Cobb had struck out 13 Padres in only 4 2/3 innings. That's 12 of 14 outs by strikeout, plus one strikeout on which a player reached base. The problem, Cobb had already thrown 117 pitches and the Rays were losing 3-2. I guess there was no way Cobb could have gone another 3 or 4 innings without getting up to an unnecessarily risky pitch count, but it would have been cool to see him.
Pictures of the Week
Every year on Mother's Day players employ all sorts of pink gear then sell that stuff to raise money for breast cancer charities.
I Love a Good Upheld Protest
Another horrible call but the umpires occurred in a game between the Angels and Astros when Astros manager Bo Porter talked the umpires into allowing him to take out a pitcher who hadn't thrown a pitch. In the 7th inning Porter brought in Wesley Wright to face Luis Jimenez. Scioscia countered by pinch-hitting Scott Cousins. So Porter went back to the bullpen for Hector Ambriz. Everyone knows that a relief pitcher has to face at least one batter except if he gets hurt. Apparently, Porter was able to convince the umpires of this, and they allowed the move. I can't understand why they didn't know the rulebook, or at least consult it. Scioscia knew it and he protested the game. But unfortunately the Angels won the game so he dropped his protest and the game didn't need to be replayed for the point of the dispute. There hasn't been an upheld protest in more than 25 years.
Money Can't Buy You Wins
The Los Angeles Angels are once again showing that you can't buy pennants. Last year after making a big splash by signing the Magnificent Pooh Holes, they got out to a horrible start and even the spectacular Mike Trout couldn't help them recover. This year they added Josh Hamilton to the mix and are off to another bad start. And it may be difficult for them to rebound. When the Angels signed the Splendid Pooh Holes I agreed that the contract would be bad by the end of it, but if they could win a World Series or two in the first 4 to 5 years, it will have been worth the investment. Now it seems like there is a good chance in 2017 the Angels will have no World Series titles and two very expensive [corrected], old, possibly injured, players hanging around their necks like an albatross.
He Was on Pace to Smash Clemens's Record
Joe Maddon would never take out a pitcher who was working on a no-hitter, so why did he remove Alex Cobb from a game in which he had a chance to accomplish something much more rare? Cobb had struck out 13 Padres in only 4 2/3 innings. That's 12 of 14 outs by strikeout, plus one strikeout on which a player reached base. The problem, Cobb had already thrown 117 pitches and the Rays were losing 3-2. I guess there was no way Cobb could have gone another 3 or 4 innings without getting up to an unnecessarily risky pitch count, but it would have been cool to see him.
Pictures of the Week
Every year on Mother's Day players employ all sorts of pink gear then sell that stuff to raise money for breast cancer charities.
Friday, April 27, 2012
Baseball is Poop
The Best Player in Baseball
If you don’t follow baseball very closely, or you have a vote for MVP (maybe that’s redundant) you might not have known that Matt Kemp is the best player in baseball. Last year he was better than Ryan Braun in virtually every category; and a full win better in the crucial WAR ranking. While Braun was later disgraced for failing a steroids test and winning an appeal without even challenging the result, Kemp has emerged ready to prove his place as the best player in baseball. His stats this year are ridiculous, through 19 games he has 10 homers, 23 RBI and a WAR of 2.2. Multiply those numbers by 8 and look at his 1450 OPS and bow down at his greatness.
When Will It End?
The incredible story of Jamie Moyer is continuing this season. Through 4 starts, Moyer is 1-2 with a 2.28 ERA, though FIP (4.25) seems to indicate he’s benefitting from some favorable defense so far. When Moyer recorded his 268th win he became the oldest pitcher in major league history to win a game. What’s even more impressive at his age, he stayed up to watch the whole thing.
Why Couldn’t He Do This When He Was a Pitcher?
One of the most remarkable careers we are having the pleasure of witnessing is Rick Ankiel’s. He started as a pitcher, had an infamous playoff meltdown and couldn’t throw strikes. Then he went to the minors and remade his career as an outfielder. And he still possesses that wonderful arm. Only difference is now he can actually throw strikes.
If Only All Pitchers Were Like Bartolo Colon
Bartolo Colon threw a Major League record 38 straight strikes (MLB cut it all into one video), a Major League record. During that span he got 10 outs and gave up two hits. Maybe more pitchers should follow his lead.
Win Without Him, Can't Win With Him
The pre-season storyline involving the St. Louis Cardinals was that we shouldn't write off the Cardinals just because they were losing The Magnificent Pooh Holes. Because they were acquiring one of the best pitchers in the National League, Adam Wainwright. If they won the World Series without him imagine what they could win with him. So far not much. The Cardinals are 12-3 when he doesn't start and 0-4 when he does. Wainwright has a 7.32 ERA in 4 starts, but his 2.70 xFIP points to a fair amount of bad luck that should normalize as the season goes on.
Humber Makes Lumber Slumber
Philip Humber, part of the Johan Santana trade, became the 21st pitcher in Major League History to pitch a perfect game. He also became the 17th former Met to pitch a no-hitter. The Chicago White Sox have had two perfect games in 5 years, and the Mets have gone 50 without a no-hitter. But lest you think the Mets let the next Nolan Ryan get away, Humber got bombed for 9 runs in 5 innings in his next start.
Saturday, October 08, 2011
Baseball is Poop - Division Series
162 Games and It All Comes Down to This
The Yankees and the Phillies were the best teams on paper going into the season, and on grass during the season. And then in 5 games, poof, it's gone. The Yankees had a glaring hole in their rotation, exacerbated when CC Sabathia could really only pitch one game. But then again, AJ Burnett gave them much more than expected in Game 4. The Phillies rotation almost lived up to expectations in the series, but their offense completely deserted them. These are the two teams in the league I hate most, so I don't feel sad at all, but I do think it is kind of unfair that the best record over 162 games seems to matter so little in a 5 or 7 game series.
Numbers Don't Lie
There is always a big debate among statistically-inclined fans (of which I am one) and those who believe in "clutch" performances (I'm in that camp too). The statheads say a player who gets hits or home runs at a certain rate during the regular season, will eventually revert to that same pace in the postseason (with a minor adjustment for facing better pitchers. But this game is played by human beings not robots. And it's clear whenever Alex Rodriguez gets up in a key spot his brain prevents his body from performing at its normal level. A-Rod had two more big strikeouts in Game 5 against the Detroit, the killer in the 7th with one out and the bases loaded and the formality to end the game. If you look at his total postseason record it actually isn't terrible, 884 OPS in 299 plate appearances (better than Jeter, btw). But he has had some really awesome series (all 3 in 2009, and the ones he played in before becoming a Yankee) and some terrible ones (the two against Detroit come to mind). But he has struck out 64 times in 299 PAs, a very high rate, which occasionally leads to him walking off the field sullenly while someone celebrates behind him.
A Tiger Triple is Possible
Justin Verlander is a lock to win the AL Cy Young and a near-lock to win the MVP as well. With only 4 teams left he has a roughly 25% chance of winning the World Series too. The last two times a pitcher won a World Series, the Cy Young and the MVP in the same series they were both Tigers. Gulliermo Hernandez in 1984 and Denny McLain in 1968.
No One Ever Uses Magnificent in Front of Allen Craig's Name
In Game 3 of the Phillies-Cardinals series, the Cardinals loaded the bases with one out in the 8th inning. They were trailing 3-1 with Allen Craig up and The Magnificent Pooh Holes on deck. This was not second-guessing, I said before the at bat, Craig should have struck out on purpose. It seems crazy but I really liked their chances better with Pooh Holes up and two outs. Craig grounded into a double play and Pooh Holes led off the next inning with a double. But the Cardinals lost 3-2.
Revisiting The Last Night of the Regular Season
There has been a lot of talk about expanding the playoffs, maybe by one more team in each league and having the two wild card teams play a one-game "series" to strengthen the advantage of winning your division (would certainly give a rotational advantage). At first I was in favor, but now I have changed my mind. That great final night of the season would have been meaningless because Boston, Tampa Bay, St. Louis and Atlanta would have all sewn up spots. And I know an exciting race could still happen between the 5th and 6th teams in each league, but I think that is watering it down a little too much. You'd have barely adequate teams competing for final playoff spots, like in hockey and basketball. Better to keep it to only the very best teams, so we can continue to get exciting well-played playoff series.
Can't Buy Me Love
With the elimination of the Phillies and Yankees, none of the four remaining teams is in the top 9 highest payrolls. The Tigers are 10th, Cardinals 11th, Rangers 13th and the small-market Brewers are 17th. It will be interesting to see if that changes next year as both NL teams have free agent first basemen who will surely get $20m per year contracts. I expect Pooh Holes to stay with St. Louis, but Fielder is almost certainly a goner.
The Yankees and the Phillies were the best teams on paper going into the season, and on grass during the season. And then in 5 games, poof, it's gone. The Yankees had a glaring hole in their rotation, exacerbated when CC Sabathia could really only pitch one game. But then again, AJ Burnett gave them much more than expected in Game 4. The Phillies rotation almost lived up to expectations in the series, but their offense completely deserted them. These are the two teams in the league I hate most, so I don't feel sad at all, but I do think it is kind of unfair that the best record over 162 games seems to matter so little in a 5 or 7 game series.
Numbers Don't Lie
There is always a big debate among statistically-inclined fans (of which I am one) and those who believe in "clutch" performances (I'm in that camp too). The statheads say a player who gets hits or home runs at a certain rate during the regular season, will eventually revert to that same pace in the postseason (with a minor adjustment for facing better pitchers. But this game is played by human beings not robots. And it's clear whenever Alex Rodriguez gets up in a key spot his brain prevents his body from performing at its normal level. A-Rod had two more big strikeouts in Game 5 against the Detroit, the killer in the 7th with one out and the bases loaded and the formality to end the game. If you look at his total postseason record it actually isn't terrible, 884 OPS in 299 plate appearances (better than Jeter, btw). But he has had some really awesome series (all 3 in 2009, and the ones he played in before becoming a Yankee) and some terrible ones (the two against Detroit come to mind). But he has struck out 64 times in 299 PAs, a very high rate, which occasionally leads to him walking off the field sullenly while someone celebrates behind him.
A Tiger Triple is Possible
Justin Verlander is a lock to win the AL Cy Young and a near-lock to win the MVP as well. With only 4 teams left he has a roughly 25% chance of winning the World Series too. The last two times a pitcher won a World Series, the Cy Young and the MVP in the same series they were both Tigers. Gulliermo Hernandez in 1984 and Denny McLain in 1968.
No One Ever Uses Magnificent in Front of Allen Craig's Name
In Game 3 of the Phillies-Cardinals series, the Cardinals loaded the bases with one out in the 8th inning. They were trailing 3-1 with Allen Craig up and The Magnificent Pooh Holes on deck. This was not second-guessing, I said before the at bat, Craig should have struck out on purpose. It seems crazy but I really liked their chances better with Pooh Holes up and two outs. Craig grounded into a double play and Pooh Holes led off the next inning with a double. But the Cardinals lost 3-2.
Revisiting The Last Night of the Regular Season
There has been a lot of talk about expanding the playoffs, maybe by one more team in each league and having the two wild card teams play a one-game "series" to strengthen the advantage of winning your division (would certainly give a rotational advantage). At first I was in favor, but now I have changed my mind. That great final night of the season would have been meaningless because Boston, Tampa Bay, St. Louis and Atlanta would have all sewn up spots. And I know an exciting race could still happen between the 5th and 6th teams in each league, but I think that is watering it down a little too much. You'd have barely adequate teams competing for final playoff spots, like in hockey and basketball. Better to keep it to only the very best teams, so we can continue to get exciting well-played playoff series.
Can't Buy Me Love
With the elimination of the Phillies and Yankees, none of the four remaining teams is in the top 9 highest payrolls. The Tigers are 10th, Cardinals 11th, Rangers 13th and the small-market Brewers are 17th. It will be interesting to see if that changes next year as both NL teams have free agent first basemen who will surely get $20m per year contracts. I expect Pooh Holes to stay with St. Louis, but Fielder is almost certainly a goner.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Baseball is Poop
Oh What a Night
They're calling it Wild Card Wednesday. Four teams went into the day tied for two spots. And the Braves and Red Sox had blown leads of 8 1/2 and 9 games in September. The Braves and Rays were facing their toughest division rivals, teams already in the playoffs, and the Cardinals and Red Sox were facing last place teams. The NL was just a footnote, the Cardinals blew out Houston and the Braves lost to the Phillies in extra innings. After rookie closer Craig Kimbrel blew the save in the 9th.
But the real action came in the AL where the Red Sox held a 3-2 lead (with the help of a scoreless inning from Daniel Bard and his 11.70 ERA in September). But Jonathan Papelbon blew it in the bottom of the 9th. Meaning the Red Sox needed the Yankees to win. But the Yankees blew (on purpose?) a 7-0 lead to the Rays, and in the bottom of the 12th, just minutes after Papelbon's implosion, Evan Longoria homered inside the foul pole to give the Rays the AL wild card.
The only other walk-off home run to clinch a playoff spot in the team's final game of the season, was the Shot Heard Round the World by Bobby Thomson.
So Close
The Amazing Pooh Holes came into the final game of the season with a chance to extend his 10-year streak of hitting at least .300 with 30 homers and 100 RBI. It was the longest such streak in major league history. That streak is over. But his streak of 11 seasons batting at least .299 with 30 homers and 99 RBI was extended to 11 years.
No Way Jose
I'm very disappointed with the way Jose Reyes went about winning the batting title. I thought the bunt was a little cheap, but acceptable, but pulling himself out of the game goes against the spirit of competition. You either win the title by competing hard or you lose it. He did deserve the title because he played great all season, it was just a sour note to end the season. And even more sour because it's likely the last game he'll ever play as a Met.
Picture of the Week
Ryan Roberts rounding the bases pays tribute to his manager, Kirk Gibson, by imitating the home run trot Gibson used in the 1988 World Series. Roberts hit a walkoff grand slam in the bottom of the 10th inning after Micah Owings had given up 5 runs in the top of the inning.
They're calling it Wild Card Wednesday. Four teams went into the day tied for two spots. And the Braves and Red Sox had blown leads of 8 1/2 and 9 games in September. The Braves and Rays were facing their toughest division rivals, teams already in the playoffs, and the Cardinals and Red Sox were facing last place teams. The NL was just a footnote, the Cardinals blew out Houston and the Braves lost to the Phillies in extra innings. After rookie closer Craig Kimbrel blew the save in the 9th.
But the real action came in the AL where the Red Sox held a 3-2 lead (with the help of a scoreless inning from Daniel Bard and his 11.70 ERA in September). But Jonathan Papelbon blew it in the bottom of the 9th. Meaning the Red Sox needed the Yankees to win. But the Yankees blew (on purpose?) a 7-0 lead to the Rays, and in the bottom of the 12th, just minutes after Papelbon's implosion, Evan Longoria homered inside the foul pole to give the Rays the AL wild card.
The only other walk-off home run to clinch a playoff spot in the team's final game of the season, was the Shot Heard Round the World by Bobby Thomson.
So Close
The Amazing Pooh Holes came into the final game of the season with a chance to extend his 10-year streak of hitting at least .300 with 30 homers and 100 RBI. It was the longest such streak in major league history. That streak is over. But his streak of 11 seasons batting at least .299 with 30 homers and 99 RBI was extended to 11 years.
No Way Jose
I'm very disappointed with the way Jose Reyes went about winning the batting title. I thought the bunt was a little cheap, but acceptable, but pulling himself out of the game goes against the spirit of competition. You either win the title by competing hard or you lose it. He did deserve the title because he played great all season, it was just a sour note to end the season. And even more sour because it's likely the last game he'll ever play as a Met.
Picture of the Week
Ryan Roberts rounding the bases pays tribute to his manager, Kirk Gibson, by imitating the home run trot Gibson used in the 1988 World Series. Roberts hit a walkoff grand slam in the bottom of the 10th inning after Micah Owings had given up 5 runs in the top of the inning.
Friday, September 09, 2011
Baseball is Poop
Closest Race in Years
I don't think I have ever come across a more difficult decision for a Rookie of the Year award than the one confronting voters this season. The top two candidates are Phillies pitcher Vance Worley (11-1, 2.85 ERA) and Atlanta closer Craig Kimbrel (43 saves, 1.55 ERA). I know Worley's stats, especially his record, are inflated by being on such a good team, but it is a lot harder to be really good as a starter than as a closer. But Kimbrel hasn't just been lucky (though his setup men are so good he gets plenty of leads to work with), he's been really good and has the ability to continue this performance for many years. So who should be NL Rookie of the Year? I am going to go with Worley, but he stil has about 5 more starts left (which would bring him to 23) and if he falters I would be willing to go with Kimbrel.
Nyjer Morgan Must Have Lost His Mind
I think there is something wrong with Nyjer Morgan. He has developed a bad reputation around baseball for dirty play (knocking over a catcher when he didn't have the ball, 8 games suspension for his role in a brawl plus 7 games for throwing a ball into the stands) and his unusual personality (he has several alter egos and aliases). Under the name Tony Plush, Morgan has picked a twitter fight with the Stupendous Pooh Holes, referring to him as "Alberta" and "she." After mouthing off to Chris Carpenter after a strikeout, Pooh Holes ran towards Morgan to make go back to the dugout.
I don't find his antics amusing at all and he isn't a good enough player to have a mouth this big. I hope Prince Fielder accidentally sits on him and crushes the life out of him.
What's in a Name? I
My favorite rookie this year is St. Louis Cardinals closer Fernando Salas. But proving my old adage "you can't trust a palindrome" Salas has blown 5 saves this season.
What's in a Name? II
On June 24th in a game against the Tampa Bay Rays, the Houston Astros used 3 pitchers. Wandy Rodriguez, Fernando Rodriguez and Aneury Rodriguez. They lost 5-1.
What's in a Name? III
In an interleague contest between the Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox on July 1, there were two home runs hit. Both by A. Ramirez, Aramis and Alexi.
Best First Pitch of the Year
A performer in a Cirque De Soleil show does an intricate windup but still manages to throw a perfect strike.
I don't think I have ever come across a more difficult decision for a Rookie of the Year award than the one confronting voters this season. The top two candidates are Phillies pitcher Vance Worley (11-1, 2.85 ERA) and Atlanta closer Craig Kimbrel (43 saves, 1.55 ERA). I know Worley's stats, especially his record, are inflated by being on such a good team, but it is a lot harder to be really good as a starter than as a closer. But Kimbrel hasn't just been lucky (though his setup men are so good he gets plenty of leads to work with), he's been really good and has the ability to continue this performance for many years. So who should be NL Rookie of the Year? I am going to go with Worley, but he stil has about 5 more starts left (which would bring him to 23) and if he falters I would be willing to go with Kimbrel.
Nyjer Morgan Must Have Lost His Mind
I think there is something wrong with Nyjer Morgan. He has developed a bad reputation around baseball for dirty play (knocking over a catcher when he didn't have the ball, 8 games suspension for his role in a brawl plus 7 games for throwing a ball into the stands) and his unusual personality (he has several alter egos and aliases). Under the name Tony Plush, Morgan has picked a twitter fight with the Stupendous Pooh Holes, referring to him as "Alberta" and "she." After mouthing off to Chris Carpenter after a strikeout, Pooh Holes ran towards Morgan to make go back to the dugout.
I don't find his antics amusing at all and he isn't a good enough player to have a mouth this big. I hope Prince Fielder accidentally sits on him and crushes the life out of him.
What's in a Name? I
My favorite rookie this year is St. Louis Cardinals closer Fernando Salas. But proving my old adage "you can't trust a palindrome" Salas has blown 5 saves this season.
What's in a Name? II
On June 24th in a game against the Tampa Bay Rays, the Houston Astros used 3 pitchers. Wandy Rodriguez, Fernando Rodriguez and Aneury Rodriguez. They lost 5-1.
What's in a Name? III
In an interleague contest between the Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox on July 1, there were two home runs hit. Both by A. Ramirez, Aramis and Alexi.
Best First Pitch of the Year
A performer in a Cirque De Soleil show does an intricate windup but still manages to throw a perfect strike.
Saturday, July 02, 2011
Baseball is Poop - We're Halfway There
Most teams have played between 80 and 82 games so it's time for me to be lazy and mathematically unsound and simply double players' stats to get their projections over a full season.
I'll also be giving out mid-season awards, since Master Bates and I have been debating it recently.
Yankee Stadium is a Joke
They really need to move back the right field wall in Yankee Stadium this offseason. The new ballpark is an embarrassment. If they haven't done so already the sabremetricians need to come up with separate ballpark adjustments to gauge the impact of this bandbox has on left-handed hitters. Mark Teixeira has 25 (16 home, but I couldn't find his lefty/righty split at Yankee Stadium specifically), Curtis Granderson 21 (12 home). I guess those splits aren't incredibly out-of-whack but Tex is not even having a good season. and he's still on pace to hit 50.
Joey Bats
Jose Bautista has really slowed down. His OPS is down to only 1147. Yes, I said only facetiously. No he couldn't have kept up a 1300 pace but 1100 is usually good enough to lead the majors. Good things RBI is an overrated statistic, he's on pace to barely reach 100.
A Change of Scenery Did Him Good
Adrian Gonzalez is enjoying his trip from the outhouse to the penthouse. He is putting up sick numbers roughly .350/.400/.600 in the slash numbers. He's 9 homers behind Teixeira but if he hits 30 homers, drives in 140 and hits even .330, that would be an incredible season -- for the traditional stats.
Triple Your Pleasure
Jose Reyes is almost a lock to break the modern-day (post-war) record for triples in a season. Curtis Granderson hit 23 in 2007, and Reyes already has 15 at the halfway mark.
Let's Check the Pitchers
Right now we have three guys with 11 wins, who could easily get to 20: Justin Verlander, CC Sabathia and Jair Jurrjens. At 10 you have Jon Lester, but also Roy Halladay and Kevin Correia. It's also amazing that at this point in the season you still have two starters with sub-2 ERAs, Jered Weaver and Jurrjens.
And the Closers
It is simply amazing that Mariano Rivera is still closing games (on pace for 42 save, slightly more than his age) at this stage in his career, with a 1.69 ERA. The other among the leaders in saves do surprise me though. You've got Joel Hanrahan, Craig Kimbrel, Brandon League and Serigo Santos all on pace for at least 35.
Now onto the Awards
NL MVP: Prince Fielder
Matt Kemp might be having the best season statistically in the NL, but his team stinks so he's out. Jose Reyes is carrying the Mets right now, he is always on base and he is the catalyst for a surprisingly good offense (4th in the NL in runs scored). I just don't think a leadoff hitter can quite measure up to a slugging middle of the order guy. Especially when the slugger is on base more frequently than the leadoff hitter. The other mitigating factor for Reyes might be that Ryan Braun, is nearly as good as Fielder. Still, I would go with Prince.
AL MVP: Adrian Gonzalez
You can't really make an argument for anyone else. Bautista, Miguel Cabrera and Paul Konerko are all having good seasons, but no one is pounding the ball the way Gonzalez is or producing runs the way he is.
NL Cy Young: Jair Jurrjens
I obviously love the fact that Halladay has 5 complete games, and Cliff Lee has 4 shuouts, compared to Jurrjens's 2 and 1, but if a guy has half a run lead in ERA and is still not the Cy Young, what the hell would he have to do. That said, there is a strong possibility Jurrjens will fall off in the second half. His BABIP is .257, compared to a more normal .303 for Halladay. And his FIP is 3.07 compared to 2.40 for Halladay and 2.55 for Lee. That tells me Jurrjens is getting the benefit of good fielding and balls hit right at his fielders. Some of that is skill, but some of that is luck as well, very often fleeting.
AL Cy Young: Justin Verlander
This is very close between Verlander and Jered Weaver. Weaver is better in ERA (1.97 to 2.32) but everything else is very close. Weaver has 3 CG and 2 SHO, Verlander has 4 and 2. Walks are almost identical, Verlander has more strikeouts. My perception of how they are doing tilts it to Verlander. Weaver started off incredibly well, then lost 4 starts in a row. Verlander has had a no-hitter, a near no-hitter and some other dominating performances. One note: Verlander has a .222 BABIP. And he strikes out of a ton of guys. So even when they are making contact, it's not going for hits. Let's see if that keeps up.
I'll also be giving out mid-season awards, since Master Bates and I have been debating it recently.
Yankee Stadium is a Joke
They really need to move back the right field wall in Yankee Stadium this offseason. The new ballpark is an embarrassment. If they haven't done so already the sabremetricians need to come up with separate ballpark adjustments to gauge the impact of this bandbox has on left-handed hitters. Mark Teixeira has 25 (16 home, but I couldn't find his lefty/righty split at Yankee Stadium specifically), Curtis Granderson 21 (12 home). I guess those splits aren't incredibly out-of-whack but Tex is not even having a good season. and he's still on pace to hit 50.
Joey Bats
Jose Bautista has really slowed down. His OPS is down to only 1147. Yes, I said only facetiously. No he couldn't have kept up a 1300 pace but 1100 is usually good enough to lead the majors. Good things RBI is an overrated statistic, he's on pace to barely reach 100.
A Change of Scenery Did Him Good
Adrian Gonzalez is enjoying his trip from the outhouse to the penthouse. He is putting up sick numbers roughly .350/.400/.600 in the slash numbers. He's 9 homers behind Teixeira but if he hits 30 homers, drives in 140 and hits even .330, that would be an incredible season -- for the traditional stats.
Triple Your Pleasure
Jose Reyes is almost a lock to break the modern-day (post-war) record for triples in a season. Curtis Granderson hit 23 in 2007, and Reyes already has 15 at the halfway mark.
Let's Check the Pitchers
Right now we have three guys with 11 wins, who could easily get to 20: Justin Verlander, CC Sabathia and Jair Jurrjens. At 10 you have Jon Lester, but also Roy Halladay and Kevin Correia. It's also amazing that at this point in the season you still have two starters with sub-2 ERAs, Jered Weaver and Jurrjens.
And the Closers
It is simply amazing that Mariano Rivera is still closing games (on pace for 42 save, slightly more than his age) at this stage in his career, with a 1.69 ERA. The other among the leaders in saves do surprise me though. You've got Joel Hanrahan, Craig Kimbrel, Brandon League and Serigo Santos all on pace for at least 35.
Now onto the Awards
NL MVP: Prince Fielder
Matt Kemp might be having the best season statistically in the NL, but his team stinks so he's out. Jose Reyes is carrying the Mets right now, he is always on base and he is the catalyst for a surprisingly good offense (4th in the NL in runs scored). I just don't think a leadoff hitter can quite measure up to a slugging middle of the order guy. Especially when the slugger is on base more frequently than the leadoff hitter. The other mitigating factor for Reyes might be that Ryan Braun, is nearly as good as Fielder. Still, I would go with Prince.
AL MVP: Adrian Gonzalez
You can't really make an argument for anyone else. Bautista, Miguel Cabrera and Paul Konerko are all having good seasons, but no one is pounding the ball the way Gonzalez is or producing runs the way he is.
NL Cy Young: Jair Jurrjens
I obviously love the fact that Halladay has 5 complete games, and Cliff Lee has 4 shuouts, compared to Jurrjens's 2 and 1, but if a guy has half a run lead in ERA and is still not the Cy Young, what the hell would he have to do. That said, there is a strong possibility Jurrjens will fall off in the second half. His BABIP is .257, compared to a more normal .303 for Halladay. And his FIP is 3.07 compared to 2.40 for Halladay and 2.55 for Lee. That tells me Jurrjens is getting the benefit of good fielding and balls hit right at his fielders. Some of that is skill, but some of that is luck as well, very often fleeting.
AL Cy Young: Justin Verlander
This is very close between Verlander and Jered Weaver. Weaver is better in ERA (1.97 to 2.32) but everything else is very close. Weaver has 3 CG and 2 SHO, Verlander has 4 and 2. Walks are almost identical, Verlander has more strikeouts. My perception of how they are doing tilts it to Verlander. Weaver started off incredibly well, then lost 4 starts in a row. Verlander has had a no-hitter, a near no-hitter and some other dominating performances. One note: Verlander has a .222 BABIP. And he strikes out of a ton of guys. So even when they are making contact, it's not going for hits. Let's see if that keeps up.
Wednesday, June 01, 2011
Baseball is Poop
Let's Check the Numbers
We're roughly a third of the way through the season. Most teams have played roughly 54 games. If we simply multiply everything by 3 we'll see what pace people are on:
Jose Bautista is on pace for 60 homers. He might actually be able to break the clean home run record if he stays healthy. He missed 8 games in the first part of the season. If those are the only 8 he misses all season his pace would be closer to 65 or 66. His OPS is down under 1300 though.
I didn't think that could last forever.
Adrian Gonazlez is on pace for 148 RBI. He is the one thing standing between Jose Bautista and a Triple Crown. But this brings up the argument about RBI being the worst stat according to most sabremetricians. A-Gone has had 33 more runners on base during his plate appearances than Bautista has had.
Jose Reyes is on pace for 51 doubles and 24 triples. Both would lead the NL. He's on pace for 228 hits overall. The best pace in the majors.
Someone named Matt Joyce is batting .370. Only Bautista and Lance Berkman have higher OPS.
Roy Halladay and Cole Hamels would both have 20 wins for the Phillies. Young guns Jair Jurrjens and Yovani Gallardo would too. Jon Lester would win 20. Those 5 sound fine, but what about Kyle Lohse and Kevin Correia.
And I know we all expected the Phillies rotation to dominate, but both Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay are on pace for 270 strikeouts. No one has struck out that many since Randy Johnson in 2004 (290).
Some named Leo Nunez would have 57 saves. Other saves leaders this season include JJ Putz, Craig Kimbrel and Brandon League. Closing is just too fickle (if you are not Mariano Rivera) which is why you should never sign or trade for a big name closer.
Ass-Dribble No More
Asdrubal Cabrera is going to force baseball fans to start pronouncing his name correctly, if he keeps making plays like this one.
Aside from his amazing defense though, Cabrera's offense has really come around this season. Through his first four season he never had an OPS of 800. So far this year he is hanging around 900. Among shortstops he is 2nd in homers, 2nd in OPS and 1st in RBI. And that's the key, he's putting up these numbers as a shortstop making him very valuable according to advanced metrics. He's 8th overall in VORP, not quite as good in WAR because his defense actually detracts. But if Cleveland keeps winning we could be talking about Ass-Dribble for MVP.
29th Time is the Charm
Blue Jays pitcher Jo-Jo Reyes finally getting off the schneid, winning for the first time in 29 starts. It's amazing they kept Reyes in the rotation that long, but he actually didn't pitch terribly. He had some games when he got bombed, sure, but there were also plently of times he pitched well enough to win but either his offense or his defense deserted him.
For most Mets fans this will call to mind the plight of Anthony Young who lost 27 straight decisions for the New York Mets in 1992 and 1993.
Picture of the Week
Phillies fans welcoming back Chase Utley after he missed the beginning of the season with an injury. I love looking at crowd shots and scanning the faces and the reactions. Pay particular attention to the gentleman in the lower left.
Video of the Week
I have never caught a foul ball or a home run at a Major League Baseball game. Someday I want to. I would love to be at a game with Chase and Julain and pluck one out of the air. But I don't think it's worth dropping your kid over.
Not only did he drop the ball, the kid hit him afterwards.
But Wait, There's More
Another incident of parental neglect at a baseball game. This time a guy crushes his kid while diving for a foul ball.
But in this case I think I would have done the same thing. Pain is temporary, glory is forever. At least this guy got the ball.
We're roughly a third of the way through the season. Most teams have played roughly 54 games. If we simply multiply everything by 3 we'll see what pace people are on:
Jose Bautista is on pace for 60 homers. He might actually be able to break the clean home run record if he stays healthy. He missed 8 games in the first part of the season. If those are the only 8 he misses all season his pace would be closer to 65 or 66. His OPS is down under 1300 though.
I didn't think that could last forever.
Adrian Gonazlez is on pace for 148 RBI. He is the one thing standing between Jose Bautista and a Triple Crown. But this brings up the argument about RBI being the worst stat according to most sabremetricians. A-Gone has had 33 more runners on base during his plate appearances than Bautista has had.
Jose Reyes is on pace for 51 doubles and 24 triples. Both would lead the NL. He's on pace for 228 hits overall. The best pace in the majors.
Someone named Matt Joyce is batting .370. Only Bautista and Lance Berkman have higher OPS.
Roy Halladay and Cole Hamels would both have 20 wins for the Phillies. Young guns Jair Jurrjens and Yovani Gallardo would too. Jon Lester would win 20. Those 5 sound fine, but what about Kyle Lohse and Kevin Correia.
And I know we all expected the Phillies rotation to dominate, but both Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay are on pace for 270 strikeouts. No one has struck out that many since Randy Johnson in 2004 (290).
Some named Leo Nunez would have 57 saves. Other saves leaders this season include JJ Putz, Craig Kimbrel and Brandon League. Closing is just too fickle (if you are not Mariano Rivera) which is why you should never sign or trade for a big name closer.
Ass-Dribble No More
Asdrubal Cabrera is going to force baseball fans to start pronouncing his name correctly, if he keeps making plays like this one.
Aside from his amazing defense though, Cabrera's offense has really come around this season. Through his first four season he never had an OPS of 800. So far this year he is hanging around 900. Among shortstops he is 2nd in homers, 2nd in OPS and 1st in RBI. And that's the key, he's putting up these numbers as a shortstop making him very valuable according to advanced metrics. He's 8th overall in VORP, not quite as good in WAR because his defense actually detracts. But if Cleveland keeps winning we could be talking about Ass-Dribble for MVP.
29th Time is the Charm
Blue Jays pitcher Jo-Jo Reyes finally getting off the schneid, winning for the first time in 29 starts. It's amazing they kept Reyes in the rotation that long, but he actually didn't pitch terribly. He had some games when he got bombed, sure, but there were also plently of times he pitched well enough to win but either his offense or his defense deserted him.
For most Mets fans this will call to mind the plight of Anthony Young who lost 27 straight decisions for the New York Mets in 1992 and 1993.
Picture of the Week
Phillies fans welcoming back Chase Utley after he missed the beginning of the season with an injury. I love looking at crowd shots and scanning the faces and the reactions. Pay particular attention to the gentleman in the lower left.
Video of the Week
I have never caught a foul ball or a home run at a Major League Baseball game. Someday I want to. I would love to be at a game with Chase and Julain and pluck one out of the air. But I don't think it's worth dropping your kid over.
Not only did he drop the ball, the kid hit him afterwards.
But Wait, There's More
Another incident of parental neglect at a baseball game. This time a guy crushes his kid while diving for a foul ball.
But in this case I think I would have done the same thing. Pain is temporary, glory is forever. At least this guy got the ball.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Baseball is Poop
Vin Mazzaro and the Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Outing
Kansas City's Vin Mazzaro gave up 14 runs in 2 1/3 innings. That's the shortest outing in history in which anyone has allowed 14 runs. Amazingly his first inning went pretty well, he got his first three batters in order. And gave up two singles and a walk while getting two outs in his second inning of work. So here's the situation. 2 outs, 2 on, 1 run in. Then this happened: walk, double, single, single, double, single, home run. That's 10 runs in the 4th inning. And they still let him come back for the 5th. He gave up 3 more hits and a walk before he was mercifully yanked. All of those runners scored.
2 1/3 innings 11 hits 14 runs 3 walks 2 strikeouts.
That's an ERA of 73.29 for that appearance raising his season ERA to 22.74 and earning him an immediate demotion to the minors.
He's For Real, or He's Juicing for Real
Many savvy baseball watchers, including myself had serious doubts about whether Jose Bautista could repeat his numbers (54 HRs, 995 OPS) from his breakout season last year. So far Bautista is doing much better. Through 40 games (a quarter of the season) this year Bautista has a ridiclous 1388 OPS. To put that in perspective, if he keeps that up for an entire season it will be the second best single-season OPS in history. And if you want to exclude known steroid users and only count the last 50 seasons you are left with Jeff Bagwell, Frank Thomas and Albert Belle (all in 1994 strike shortened) and Larry Walker (un circuit) and Todd Helton (both in pre-humidor Coors Field). So if you want a season with comparable conditions, the best OPS you will find is Carlos Delgado whose OPS was 1134 in 2000.
Some other great numbers from Bautista at the quarter pole: He only played 32 of the Blue Jays games, so he is homering in 50% of games played. He is also walking at an incredible rate, about a quarter of his plate appearances. That's pace for 150 over a full season.
Under-rated (clap clap, clap clap clap)
I think Paul Konerko is one of the most underrated players of his generation. Assuming he is clean, he has been overshadowed most of his career by steroid users. But has put together a very solid career. Starting in 2004 his OPS by year: 894, 909, 932, 841, 782, 842, 977 and 946 so far this year. The one year he was below 840, he was hurt, it was the only season he didn't play at least 149 games.
But Konerko has never been known as a good glove man until he made this ridiculous behind the back toss to end a game.
Note: stats for Konerko and Bautista are through Sunday 5/15
Let Him Pitch
On May 6, Cliff Lee was pulled from the game trailing 3-0 after 7 innings. He had given up 9 hits and 3 runs. If he had been pitching a no-hitter (and suspend disbelief, still trailing by 3 runs) would the manager have pulled him, even after 117 pitches? Maybe but perhaps Charlie Manuel would have let him pitch in a nod to history. But there have been 228 no-hitters since 1900. Only three times has a pitchers strike out 20 batters. Yet Lee didn't even get the chance to equal or match that mark. He had 16 strikeouts through 7. If he could have gotten 4 in the next two innings (below his rate for the first 7 innings) he would have equaled the Kerry Wood/Roger Clemens mark, and if got 5 he would have broken it. I doubt he would have been able to do it, and I commend the Phillies for not risking him throwing 150 pitches or more, but I would have liked to have seen him try.
The Great Escape
Normally I don't condone fans on the field, but in this case I have to make an exception. This is the best on-field evasion I've ever seen.
Unfortunately this joker was arrested outside the stadium.
Kansas City's Vin Mazzaro gave up 14 runs in 2 1/3 innings. That's the shortest outing in history in which anyone has allowed 14 runs. Amazingly his first inning went pretty well, he got his first three batters in order. And gave up two singles and a walk while getting two outs in his second inning of work. So here's the situation. 2 outs, 2 on, 1 run in. Then this happened: walk, double, single, single, double, single, home run. That's 10 runs in the 4th inning. And they still let him come back for the 5th. He gave up 3 more hits and a walk before he was mercifully yanked. All of those runners scored.
2 1/3 innings 11 hits 14 runs 3 walks 2 strikeouts.
That's an ERA of 73.29 for that appearance raising his season ERA to 22.74 and earning him an immediate demotion to the minors.
He's For Real, or He's Juicing for Real
Many savvy baseball watchers, including myself had serious doubts about whether Jose Bautista could repeat his numbers (54 HRs, 995 OPS) from his breakout season last year. So far Bautista is doing much better. Through 40 games (a quarter of the season) this year Bautista has a ridiclous 1388 OPS. To put that in perspective, if he keeps that up for an entire season it will be the second best single-season OPS in history. And if you want to exclude known steroid users and only count the last 50 seasons you are left with Jeff Bagwell, Frank Thomas and Albert Belle (all in 1994 strike shortened) and Larry Walker (un circuit) and Todd Helton (both in pre-humidor Coors Field). So if you want a season with comparable conditions, the best OPS you will find is Carlos Delgado whose OPS was 1134 in 2000.
Some other great numbers from Bautista at the quarter pole: He only played 32 of the Blue Jays games, so he is homering in 50% of games played. He is also walking at an incredible rate, about a quarter of his plate appearances. That's pace for 150 over a full season.
Under-rated (clap clap, clap clap clap)
I think Paul Konerko is one of the most underrated players of his generation. Assuming he is clean, he has been overshadowed most of his career by steroid users. But has put together a very solid career. Starting in 2004 his OPS by year: 894, 909, 932, 841, 782, 842, 977 and 946 so far this year. The one year he was below 840, he was hurt, it was the only season he didn't play at least 149 games.
But Konerko has never been known as a good glove man until he made this ridiculous behind the back toss to end a game.
Note: stats for Konerko and Bautista are through Sunday 5/15
Let Him Pitch
On May 6, Cliff Lee was pulled from the game trailing 3-0 after 7 innings. He had given up 9 hits and 3 runs. If he had been pitching a no-hitter (and suspend disbelief, still trailing by 3 runs) would the manager have pulled him, even after 117 pitches? Maybe but perhaps Charlie Manuel would have let him pitch in a nod to history. But there have been 228 no-hitters since 1900. Only three times has a pitchers strike out 20 batters. Yet Lee didn't even get the chance to equal or match that mark. He had 16 strikeouts through 7. If he could have gotten 4 in the next two innings (below his rate for the first 7 innings) he would have equaled the Kerry Wood/Roger Clemens mark, and if got 5 he would have broken it. I doubt he would have been able to do it, and I commend the Phillies for not risking him throwing 150 pitches or more, but I would have liked to have seen him try.
The Great Escape
Normally I don't condone fans on the field, but in this case I have to make an exception. This is the best on-field evasion I've ever seen.
Unfortunately this joker was arrested outside the stadium.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Baseball is Poop
Good Idea if Done Right, Bad One if Done Wrong
Bud Selig announcing this week there is a strong possibility one wild card team in each league will be adding beginning next year. No details have been given, but there is a right and a wrong way to do this. Adding another 7 or 5-game series to the playoffs would be a mistake. It would push the beginning of the season into March and the end of the season into November. The right way to do this would to have a 1 or 3 game playoff between the 2 wild card teams in each league. That would add a lot of excitement and it would give a tangible benefit to teams performing better in the regular season, because as it is now home-field advantage is not enough of a reward to keep those wild card teams from upsetting the division winners.
Wards of the State
Major League Baseball has seized control of the Los Angeles Dodgers, a supreme embarrassment for one of the league's most storied franchise. Bud Selig was justified in taking this step because owner Frank McCourt has completely mismanaged the franchise. Most embarrassingly, he put his grown sons, one in business school, one working for Goldman Sachs, on the team's payroll for $600,000. Most egregious, he used more than $100m of the team's money on personal mortgage deals. The last straw was a $30m loan he got from Fox so he could keep meeting payroll. Complicating matters is a nasty divorce battle between McCourt and his wife Jamie. Frank claims he is the sole owner of the team. Jamie claims she is half owner because the team was purchased during their marriage. Selig might actually be saving the franchise by taking it over, and he will surely try to force a sale and make the McCourts battle in court for the proceeds. But it certainly is an incredibly embarrassing incident for the Dodgers organization and it could cripple the team's operations if it continues to drag on.
The Hypocrisy of Baseball
In baseball it is ok, even encouraged to steal bases. But it is not ok, and even discouraged to steal t-shirts. Cincinnati pitcher Mike Leake was arrested on suspicion of stealing 6 t-shirts from Macy's. The t-shirts had a total value of $60. Considering Leake's $425,000 salary he should have been able to afford them. The Reds seem unfazed by this, they let Leake take his scheduled turn after the incident and he improved to 3-0 on the season.
The Worst Baserunning I Have Ever Seen (And I'm a Mets Fan)
Thanks to an expanded free preview of MLB Extra Innings I spent the early season dipping into several games of teams I would never normally watch. When the Blue Jays and Angels went to extra innings I tuned in. And what I witnessed shocked me. Bobby Abreu led off with a single and advanced to third on a single by Torii Hunter. First and third no one out in the bottom of the 13th. Infield in, outfield in. Vernon Wells pops one to left, it's so shallow the left fielder (who I previously mentioned was playing in) and to run in and dive for it. Abreu conservatively decided not to test Travis Snider's arm. But Torii Hunter was running. Snider fired to first and doubled him up. Where the fuck was he going? His run means nothing. To make matters worse, Alberto Callaspo walked, and was picked off first. Where the fuck was he going? Technically it was Abreu who got caught stealing because he made a mad dash for home once he saw Callaspo was a dead duck. So with first and third and none out the Blue Jays faced one batter and got 3 outs. Total embarrassment.
Picture of the Week
I'm a sucker for interesting first pitches. Celebrities, hot chicks, dinosaurs. But this time it's a robot throwing out the first pitch for the Phillies.
First Pitch Honorable Mention
The Easter Bunny throws out the first pitch at the Marlins-Rockies game.
Bud Selig announcing this week there is a strong possibility one wild card team in each league will be adding beginning next year. No details have been given, but there is a right and a wrong way to do this. Adding another 7 or 5-game series to the playoffs would be a mistake. It would push the beginning of the season into March and the end of the season into November. The right way to do this would to have a 1 or 3 game playoff between the 2 wild card teams in each league. That would add a lot of excitement and it would give a tangible benefit to teams performing better in the regular season, because as it is now home-field advantage is not enough of a reward to keep those wild card teams from upsetting the division winners.
Wards of the State
Major League Baseball has seized control of the Los Angeles Dodgers, a supreme embarrassment for one of the league's most storied franchise. Bud Selig was justified in taking this step because owner Frank McCourt has completely mismanaged the franchise. Most embarrassingly, he put his grown sons, one in business school, one working for Goldman Sachs, on the team's payroll for $600,000. Most egregious, he used more than $100m of the team's money on personal mortgage deals. The last straw was a $30m loan he got from Fox so he could keep meeting payroll. Complicating matters is a nasty divorce battle between McCourt and his wife Jamie. Frank claims he is the sole owner of the team. Jamie claims she is half owner because the team was purchased during their marriage. Selig might actually be saving the franchise by taking it over, and he will surely try to force a sale and make the McCourts battle in court for the proceeds. But it certainly is an incredibly embarrassing incident for the Dodgers organization and it could cripple the team's operations if it continues to drag on.
The Hypocrisy of Baseball
In baseball it is ok, even encouraged to steal bases. But it is not ok, and even discouraged to steal t-shirts. Cincinnati pitcher Mike Leake was arrested on suspicion of stealing 6 t-shirts from Macy's. The t-shirts had a total value of $60. Considering Leake's $425,000 salary he should have been able to afford them. The Reds seem unfazed by this, they let Leake take his scheduled turn after the incident and he improved to 3-0 on the season.
The Worst Baserunning I Have Ever Seen (And I'm a Mets Fan)
Thanks to an expanded free preview of MLB Extra Innings I spent the early season dipping into several games of teams I would never normally watch. When the Blue Jays and Angels went to extra innings I tuned in. And what I witnessed shocked me. Bobby Abreu led off with a single and advanced to third on a single by Torii Hunter. First and third no one out in the bottom of the 13th. Infield in, outfield in. Vernon Wells pops one to left, it's so shallow the left fielder (who I previously mentioned was playing in) and to run in and dive for it. Abreu conservatively decided not to test Travis Snider's arm. But Torii Hunter was running. Snider fired to first and doubled him up. Where the fuck was he going? His run means nothing. To make matters worse, Alberto Callaspo walked, and was picked off first. Where the fuck was he going? Technically it was Abreu who got caught stealing because he made a mad dash for home once he saw Callaspo was a dead duck. So with first and third and none out the Blue Jays faced one batter and got 3 outs. Total embarrassment.
Picture of the Week
I'm a sucker for interesting first pitches. Celebrities, hot chicks, dinosaurs. But this time it's a robot throwing out the first pitch for the Phillies.
First Pitch Honorable Mention
The Easter Bunny throws out the first pitch at the Marlins-Rockies game.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Baseball is Poop - Postseason Awards
Here are my picks for baseball's major awards:
NL MVP: Joey Votto
I can't believe I am saying this but it seems like when you have a guy as good as the Magnificent Pooh Holes you could make a reasonable case for him every year. So when someone new is almost as good, that player gets the nod. This happened several years with Michael Jordan. But in this case Votto and Pooh Holes are so similar (Votto by .014 in OPS, Pooh Holes by 3.7 in VORP, Votto by .3 in WAR) it's basically a toss-up. So I will go with Votto because his team is better. I know that's an old school writers' way of deciding MVP but in this case I think Votto did provide more value to his team in intangible ways as well. Carlos Gonzalez had a great season and is an obvious third choice but doesn't really warrant being in this discussion.
AL MVP: Josh Hamilton
Another close two person race. I really wanted give this to Jose Bautista, but clubbing a lot of home runs is not enough. If you are only judging by old school stats, you'd see Cabrera with 6 more homers and 26 more RBI than Hamilton. And even an extra 46 walks. But Hamilton still has the better OPS (1.044, best in the majors this year) because of 30 fewer ABs. Hamilton has the superior VORP, and the better WAR by a lot. Hamilton's 8.0 is best in the majors, while Cabrera's 6.2, is not even in the top 10. And when you go back to wins and losses, and the intangibles, I think you'd have to go with Hamilton once again for making his contributions to a winning team.
NL Cy Young: Roy Halladay
I think it would be hard to dispute this one. At one point we thought it would be Ubaldo Jimenez, but he fell so hard his ERA is worse than R.A. Dickey's. Josh Johnson has a better ERA than Halladay, but he did it in 70 fewer innings, which certainly means a lot. And the fact Halladay has 10 more wins is not merely the product of playing on a much better offensive team. Adam Wainwright also had a spectacular year but he doesn't have one thing as good as Halladay's. It's almost like John Tudor in 1985. He had one of the best seasons of the past 30 years, but he finished second in pretty much every category to Gooden.
AL Cy Young: Felix Hernandez
This is the one you can argue about. And I know he is not going to win it with only 13 wins, but he's like Good Will Hunting. It's not your fault, Felix, it's not your fault. Here's his key stats: 2.27 ERA, 3.04 FIP, 6 CGs, 249 2/3 innings, 232 Ks and a 6.2 WAR. Those are amazing stats but one thing jumps out at me, his FIP is much higher than his ERA. That normally happens with low ERAs, but it brings me to something. If Felix is given a pass for his low win total because his team never scored any runs for him, then should we look at his ERA differently because his team made a concerted effort to focus on run prevention? If it doesn't go to Felix (which it won't) you could give it to David Price (probably will). Price was 19-6, exactly 6 games better than F-Her, his WAR is similar, 6.0, but his ERA (2.72) and FIP (3.42) are significantly worse. So if you give it to price the only stat it's based on is more wins, a stat that everyone knows is the worst judge of a pitcher's performance. The other option is Clay Buchholz whose ERA (2.33) is close to Felix's but check out his FIP (3.61), meaning he also benefitted from a team focused on run prevention. Buchholz went 17-7, but he had six fewer starts and 76 fewer innings than Felix. Any voter not picking Felix first is doing so based on wins and wins alone, and showing himself unworthy of the vote.
NL Rookie of the Year: Jaime Garcia
One of the best rooke crops in years. Jason Heyward (.849 OPS, 18 HRs, 72 RBI), Ike Davis (.791, 19, 71) and Gabby Sanchez (.788, 19, 85) all could have won the award in other years with a weaker class. I'm even impressed with Atlanta relief pitcher Jonny Venters who had a 1.95 ERA in 83 innings. But Jaime Garcia finished 4th in the NL with a 2.70 ERA and his 13-8 record making his pitching performance more remarkable than any of the above mentioned hitters.
AL Rookie of the Year: Austin Jackson
The pickings are slimmer in the American League so I am going with Jackson over his teammate Brennan Boesch and Rays pitcher Wade Davis. His .745 OPS doesn't impress me (10 3Bs but only 4 homers) but his 27 steals in only 33 attempts certainly adds to his resume. Jackson's 3.6 WAR is also much better than Boesch and Davis, showing his contributions in other areas.
Manager of the Decade: Buck Showalter
The Orioles were 34-23 with Showalter as the manager and 32-73 with other guys. Enough said.
NL MVP: Joey Votto
I can't believe I am saying this but it seems like when you have a guy as good as the Magnificent Pooh Holes you could make a reasonable case for him every year. So when someone new is almost as good, that player gets the nod. This happened several years with Michael Jordan. But in this case Votto and Pooh Holes are so similar (Votto by .014 in OPS, Pooh Holes by 3.7 in VORP, Votto by .3 in WAR) it's basically a toss-up. So I will go with Votto because his team is better. I know that's an old school writers' way of deciding MVP but in this case I think Votto did provide more value to his team in intangible ways as well. Carlos Gonzalez had a great season and is an obvious third choice but doesn't really warrant being in this discussion.
AL MVP: Josh Hamilton
Another close two person race. I really wanted give this to Jose Bautista, but clubbing a lot of home runs is not enough. If you are only judging by old school stats, you'd see Cabrera with 6 more homers and 26 more RBI than Hamilton. And even an extra 46 walks. But Hamilton still has the better OPS (1.044, best in the majors this year) because of 30 fewer ABs. Hamilton has the superior VORP, and the better WAR by a lot. Hamilton's 8.0 is best in the majors, while Cabrera's 6.2, is not even in the top 10. And when you go back to wins and losses, and the intangibles, I think you'd have to go with Hamilton once again for making his contributions to a winning team.
NL Cy Young: Roy Halladay
I think it would be hard to dispute this one. At one point we thought it would be Ubaldo Jimenez, but he fell so hard his ERA is worse than R.A. Dickey's. Josh Johnson has a better ERA than Halladay, but he did it in 70 fewer innings, which certainly means a lot. And the fact Halladay has 10 more wins is not merely the product of playing on a much better offensive team. Adam Wainwright also had a spectacular year but he doesn't have one thing as good as Halladay's. It's almost like John Tudor in 1985. He had one of the best seasons of the past 30 years, but he finished second in pretty much every category to Gooden.
AL Cy Young: Felix Hernandez
This is the one you can argue about. And I know he is not going to win it with only 13 wins, but he's like Good Will Hunting. It's not your fault, Felix, it's not your fault. Here's his key stats: 2.27 ERA, 3.04 FIP, 6 CGs, 249 2/3 innings, 232 Ks and a 6.2 WAR. Those are amazing stats but one thing jumps out at me, his FIP is much higher than his ERA. That normally happens with low ERAs, but it brings me to something. If Felix is given a pass for his low win total because his team never scored any runs for him, then should we look at his ERA differently because his team made a concerted effort to focus on run prevention? If it doesn't go to Felix (which it won't) you could give it to David Price (probably will). Price was 19-6, exactly 6 games better than F-Her, his WAR is similar, 6.0, but his ERA (2.72) and FIP (3.42) are significantly worse. So if you give it to price the only stat it's based on is more wins, a stat that everyone knows is the worst judge of a pitcher's performance. The other option is Clay Buchholz whose ERA (2.33) is close to Felix's but check out his FIP (3.61), meaning he also benefitted from a team focused on run prevention. Buchholz went 17-7, but he had six fewer starts and 76 fewer innings than Felix. Any voter not picking Felix first is doing so based on wins and wins alone, and showing himself unworthy of the vote.
NL Rookie of the Year: Jaime Garcia
One of the best rooke crops in years. Jason Heyward (.849 OPS, 18 HRs, 72 RBI), Ike Davis (.791, 19, 71) and Gabby Sanchez (.788, 19, 85) all could have won the award in other years with a weaker class. I'm even impressed with Atlanta relief pitcher Jonny Venters who had a 1.95 ERA in 83 innings. But Jaime Garcia finished 4th in the NL with a 2.70 ERA and his 13-8 record making his pitching performance more remarkable than any of the above mentioned hitters.
AL Rookie of the Year: Austin Jackson
The pickings are slimmer in the American League so I am going with Jackson over his teammate Brennan Boesch and Rays pitcher Wade Davis. His .745 OPS doesn't impress me (10 3Bs but only 4 homers) but his 27 steals in only 33 attempts certainly adds to his resume. Jackson's 3.6 WAR is also much better than Boesch and Davis, showing his contributions in other areas.
Manager of the Decade: Buck Showalter
The Orioles were 34-23 with Showalter as the manager and 32-73 with other guys. Enough said.
Monday, October 04, 2010
Baseball is Poop
The Dangers of Hitting Home Runs in the Steroid Era
Poor Jose Bautista. The guy hits 54 home runs, more than triple his previous season high and no one believes him. Ok, there are a few naive saps who point to his swing, and his unimpressive body (which hasn't undergone major changes) and herald him as the next great clean home run king. This is what the steroid era has done. We have no proof not even circumstantial evidence linking him to steroids other than a sudden drastic improvement in performance. Throughout the history of baseball, long before steroids were involved players drastically outperformed their previous career highs, but because Bautista is doing it now, he's viewed with a jaundiced eye. No one can say he's juiced, but no one can say he isn't, and no one wants to get fooled again.
A Fitting Tribute
The Toronto Blue Jays said goodbye (again) to the greatest manager in their history. Cito Gaston led the team to back-to-back World Series titles in 1992 and 1993 and returned for a swan song in 2008 to save the franchise from the disastrous John Gibbons era. At the last home game of the season Gaston was honored before the game and with signs throughout the ballpark. He was even treated to a post-victory Gatorade bath.
But the best tribute of all came from Travis Snider. Snider used eye black to create a faux Cito mustache. And homered while wearing it.
Where was Ramon Castro When the Lights Went Out?
In the dark silly. Former Mets catcher Ramon Castro was at bat for his new team, the Chicago White Sox, in new Comiskey Park (that's Kaminsky to you Mr. Obama) when all of the sudden most of the stadium lights when out.
Sometimes the Worst Trades Are the Ones You Never Make
If you believe the rumors, and you might as well, the Mets could have traded Oliver Perez to the Cubs at the trading deadline for Carlos Zambrano. But the Mets insisted the Cubs take Luis Castillo too. The Mets didn't want to take on any extra money (between $6 and $8 million, I think). Since then Zambrano is 7-0 with a 1.48 ERA.
Poor Jose Bautista. The guy hits 54 home runs, more than triple his previous season high and no one believes him. Ok, there are a few naive saps who point to his swing, and his unimpressive body (which hasn't undergone major changes) and herald him as the next great clean home run king. This is what the steroid era has done. We have no proof not even circumstantial evidence linking him to steroids other than a sudden drastic improvement in performance. Throughout the history of baseball, long before steroids were involved players drastically outperformed their previous career highs, but because Bautista is doing it now, he's viewed with a jaundiced eye. No one can say he's juiced, but no one can say he isn't, and no one wants to get fooled again.
A Fitting Tribute
The Toronto Blue Jays said goodbye (again) to the greatest manager in their history. Cito Gaston led the team to back-to-back World Series titles in 1992 and 1993 and returned for a swan song in 2008 to save the franchise from the disastrous John Gibbons era. At the last home game of the season Gaston was honored before the game and with signs throughout the ballpark. He was even treated to a post-victory Gatorade bath.
But the best tribute of all came from Travis Snider. Snider used eye black to create a faux Cito mustache. And homered while wearing it.
Where was Ramon Castro When the Lights Went Out?
In the dark silly. Former Mets catcher Ramon Castro was at bat for his new team, the Chicago White Sox, in new Comiskey Park (that's Kaminsky to you Mr. Obama) when all of the sudden most of the stadium lights when out.
Sometimes the Worst Trades Are the Ones You Never Make
If you believe the rumors, and you might as well, the Mets could have traded Oliver Perez to the Cubs at the trading deadline for Carlos Zambrano. But the Mets insisted the Cubs take Luis Castillo too. The Mets didn't want to take on any extra money (between $6 and $8 million, I think). Since then Zambrano is 7-0 with a 1.48 ERA.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Baseball is Poop
You're Out of Uniform
For years people have laughed about the charade of managers and coaches (especially the fat, old ones) being forced to wear uniforms like the players, when in every other sport the staff dresses in suits or casual attire.
Major League Baseball is enforcing that rule by banning Joe Maddon's hoodie. The Tampa Bay manager likes to wear a hooded sweatshirt over his uniform on cold days. The league issued a reminder that team uniforms and approved outerwear are the only permissable garments to be worn during games, effectively banning Maddon's rogue hoodie.
I wish the fashion police would have banned former Mets pitching coach Rick Peterson from wearing a jacket on 90 degree days.
Elvis Lives
For some reason the Washington Nationals have chosen a plastic silver Elvis hat/wig as their team mascot this year. After every victory the player of the game does postgame interviews donning the ridiculous headdress.
Should Make For an Interesting Father-Son Softball Game on Father's Day
Four Padres outfielders have fathers who played in the majors. Tony Gwynn (son of Tony), Scott and Jerry Hairston Jr. (sons of Jerry) and Will Venable (son of Max).
Stay Off my Mound
For the second time in his illustrious career Alex Rodriguez is accused of violating an unwritten rule of baseball etiquette. You likely remember a few years ago when A-Rod shouted something (he says it was "ha," Howie Clark says it was "I got it") causing a popup to drop.
This time Oakland A's pitcher Dallas Braden says A-Rod crossed his mound and stepped on his rubber during an inning. A-Rod was on first and running when Robinson Cano hit a foul ball. Instead of going back to the first the way he came, around second, A-Rod walked over the mound. Braden shouted something at A-Rod but evidently he didn't hear it. Because when the inning ended A-Rod asked him to repeat it and Braden said "stay off my mound."
After the game they exchanged the typical barbs with A-Rod saying who the hell is Braden and Braden saying A-Rod is an asshole.
But who's right? Unlike the popup incident it is quite possible A-Rod never heard of this rule of etiquette, several TV analysts with major league experience said they hadn't. But even so it seems like A-Rod was doing it to be a dick, even if he wanted to take the shortcut he didn't have to go right across the mound.
Picture of the Week
The Kirby Puckett Statue outside the Twins new stadium, Target Field. The pose is modeled after the fist pump Puckett made as he rounded the bases on his game-winning home run in Game 6 of the 1991 World Series.
For years people have laughed about the charade of managers and coaches (especially the fat, old ones) being forced to wear uniforms like the players, when in every other sport the staff dresses in suits or casual attire.
Major League Baseball is enforcing that rule by banning Joe Maddon's hoodie. The Tampa Bay manager likes to wear a hooded sweatshirt over his uniform on cold days. The league issued a reminder that team uniforms and approved outerwear are the only permissable garments to be worn during games, effectively banning Maddon's rogue hoodie.
I wish the fashion police would have banned former Mets pitching coach Rick Peterson from wearing a jacket on 90 degree days.
Elvis Lives
For some reason the Washington Nationals have chosen a plastic silver Elvis hat/wig as their team mascot this year. After every victory the player of the game does postgame interviews donning the ridiculous headdress.
Should Make For an Interesting Father-Son Softball Game on Father's Day
Four Padres outfielders have fathers who played in the majors. Tony Gwynn (son of Tony), Scott and Jerry Hairston Jr. (sons of Jerry) and Will Venable (son of Max).
Stay Off my Mound
For the second time in his illustrious career Alex Rodriguez is accused of violating an unwritten rule of baseball etiquette. You likely remember a few years ago when A-Rod shouted something (he says it was "ha," Howie Clark says it was "I got it") causing a popup to drop.
This time Oakland A's pitcher Dallas Braden says A-Rod crossed his mound and stepped on his rubber during an inning. A-Rod was on first and running when Robinson Cano hit a foul ball. Instead of going back to the first the way he came, around second, A-Rod walked over the mound. Braden shouted something at A-Rod but evidently he didn't hear it. Because when the inning ended A-Rod asked him to repeat it and Braden said "stay off my mound."
After the game they exchanged the typical barbs with A-Rod saying who the hell is Braden and Braden saying A-Rod is an asshole.
But who's right? Unlike the popup incident it is quite possible A-Rod never heard of this rule of etiquette, several TV analysts with major league experience said they hadn't. But even so it seems like A-Rod was doing it to be a dick, even if he wanted to take the shortcut he didn't have to go right across the mound.
Picture of the Week
The Kirby Puckett Statue outside the Twins new stadium, Target Field. The pose is modeled after the fist pump Puckett made as he rounded the bases on his game-winning home run in Game 6 of the 1991 World Series.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Baseball is Poop
The Next Really Big Thing
Atlanta Braves outfielder Jason Heyward seems like one top prospect who is going to live up to the hype. At 6'5", 240 lbs. the man they called Jay-Hey is definitely ready for the big time. Because he had only 200 at bats at the upper levels of the minor leagues there were some questions over whether he had some Pedro Cerrano him ("straight ball hit very good, but curveball, bats are 'fraid") but through two weeks of his major league career he seems to be killing just about every kind of pitch. Through 12 games he as a 1.004 OPS (.423/.581) with 3 homers and 15 RBI. On Sunday he got the first walkoff hit of his career with a bases loaded single to drive in two runs and give the Braves a 4-3 win. About the only time he looked like a rookie is when he got caught with the shaving cream pie bit after the game.
Maybe Rihanna is Giving Matt Kemp Hitting Tips
One of the worst kept secrets of the offseason was the relationship between Rihanna and Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp. Rihanna attended the Dodgers home opener and did a dance in the stands when her boyfriend homered. Something she was giving him seems to have helped as Kemp homered in each of the next three games as well.
You Can't Have a Hit and an RBI in the First 10 Games of the Season, Cantu!
Florida's Jorge Cantu had a hit and an RBI in each of the first 10 games this year. That's the longest streak to start a season since the RBI became an official stat in 1920. If you go back to last year Cantu's streak of 14 games is the longest since Mike Piazza had 15 games back in 2000.
This is Kind of Upsetting
While the Los Angeles Angels were in New York to play the Yankees a man committed suicide by jumping off the roof of their hotel.
About 15 players witnessed the aftermath of the apparent suicide when they walked out the front door of Le Parker Meridien hotel to board the team bus. The 39-year-old man landed on W. 56th St. at about 8:15 a.m. The Angels' bus was scheduled to leave at 9 a.m. for Yankee Stadium.
Pitchers Jered Weaver and Matt Palmer, according to witnesses, were at a coffee shop across the street at the time of the fall. Angels manager Mike Scioscia said they saw the fall and were shaken up by it.
According to Angels publicist Eric Kay, several autograph seekers witnessed the man's death. The man was not a guest at the hotel, but asked to take a look at the hotel's pool, located on the top floor.
Does that make any sense? A guy comes to the front desk and says "I'd like to see the pool" and they just let him up there? It's like the guy who said "can I please have the room next to Erin Andrews?" and the oblivious clerks didn't even ask what he planned to do with all the power tools and video equipment.
Picture of the Week
Some sights (no sounds) from around baseball on Jackie Robinson Day. A day when all players wear #42 in honor of the man who broke baseball's color barrier. And a day when announcers get all huffy because they have no idea who is warming up in the bullpen.
Play of the Year
This year the play of the Year occurred on Opening Day. Mark Buehrle benefitted from the play of the year last year when DeWayne Wise preserved his perfect game with a fantastic catch. This year Buerhle did it all (or most of it) himself.
Atlanta Braves outfielder Jason Heyward seems like one top prospect who is going to live up to the hype. At 6'5", 240 lbs. the man they called Jay-Hey is definitely ready for the big time. Because he had only 200 at bats at the upper levels of the minor leagues there were some questions over whether he had some Pedro Cerrano him ("straight ball hit very good, but curveball, bats are 'fraid") but through two weeks of his major league career he seems to be killing just about every kind of pitch. Through 12 games he as a 1.004 OPS (.423/.581) with 3 homers and 15 RBI. On Sunday he got the first walkoff hit of his career with a bases loaded single to drive in two runs and give the Braves a 4-3 win. About the only time he looked like a rookie is when he got caught with the shaving cream pie bit after the game.
Maybe Rihanna is Giving Matt Kemp Hitting Tips
One of the worst kept secrets of the offseason was the relationship between Rihanna and Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp. Rihanna attended the Dodgers home opener and did a dance in the stands when her boyfriend homered. Something she was giving him seems to have helped as Kemp homered in each of the next three games as well.
You Can't Have a Hit and an RBI in the First 10 Games of the Season, Cantu!
Florida's Jorge Cantu had a hit and an RBI in each of the first 10 games this year. That's the longest streak to start a season since the RBI became an official stat in 1920. If you go back to last year Cantu's streak of 14 games is the longest since Mike Piazza had 15 games back in 2000.
This is Kind of Upsetting
While the Los Angeles Angels were in New York to play the Yankees a man committed suicide by jumping off the roof of their hotel.
About 15 players witnessed the aftermath of the apparent suicide when they walked out the front door of Le Parker Meridien hotel to board the team bus. The 39-year-old man landed on W. 56th St. at about 8:15 a.m. The Angels' bus was scheduled to leave at 9 a.m. for Yankee Stadium.
Pitchers Jered Weaver and Matt Palmer, according to witnesses, were at a coffee shop across the street at the time of the fall. Angels manager Mike Scioscia said they saw the fall and were shaken up by it.
According to Angels publicist Eric Kay, several autograph seekers witnessed the man's death. The man was not a guest at the hotel, but asked to take a look at the hotel's pool, located on the top floor.
Does that make any sense? A guy comes to the front desk and says "I'd like to see the pool" and they just let him up there? It's like the guy who said "can I please have the room next to Erin Andrews?" and the oblivious clerks didn't even ask what he planned to do with all the power tools and video equipment.
Picture of the Week
Some sights (no sounds) from around baseball on Jackie Robinson Day. A day when all players wear #42 in honor of the man who broke baseball's color barrier. And a day when announcers get all huffy because they have no idea who is warming up in the bullpen.
Play of the Year
This year the play of the Year occurred on Opening Day. Mark Buehrle benefitted from the play of the year last year when DeWayne Wise preserved his perfect game with a fantastic catch. This year Buerhle did it all (or most of it) himself.
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