Last night I was in attendance at Turner Field for Ubaldo Jimenez's no hitter. At the time I was pretty annoyed, but looking back I'm thrilled to have seen it. The guy was absolutely untouchable, and I really can't blame the Braves for it. Jimenez was "effectively wild," walking several batters and throwing about 125 pitches in the no-no.
So give Jimenez all of the credit for pitching an absolute beauty, but the Braves still made some key mistakes.
In my opinion, the game started going down hill when Kawakami bunted into a fielder's choice when the sacrifice would have been huge. Later in the inning, he got picked off second with Chipper up when the extra step just wouldn't have done him any good. This ended the inning and should have been a key opportunity for the Braves. Kawakami didn't pitch all that well either, leaving several pitches up in the zone. He told reporters after the game that he just didn't have his stuff early on.
Troy Glaus struck out in a key RBI opportunity, too. It's time for him to either prove that he belongs in the four spot or be moved down. He seems to kill a whole lot of rallies. Maybe Glaus was a good pick up, but I don't think that he's the answer to the offensive issues. After he had a 27 at bat campaign in 2009, we expect him to be a viable clean up hitter?
It was fun to see a no hitter, though, and it was great to be able to go to a game with my girlfriend Tiffany. We had a lot of fun together and she keeps me from getting too upset about everything that goes wrong. I'm afraid that maybe we caused the no hitter by showing up late.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Some "Anonymous" Questions
I have a few questions. How do you think baseball fans everywhere are going to react when Cameron Maybin wins the rookie of the year, Hanley Ramirez wins the MVP, and Josh Jonson wins the Cy Young?
Thanks for the questions, whoever you are. I actually didn't know that Florida really had fans until recently, when I met an enthusiastic but ill-informed South Florida resident. Haha actually, Ethan, I think Hanley could win the MVP. I'd almost guarantee that he'll finish in the top three. I don't know a lot about Maybin, but if he's anything like Coghlan the Fish have a whole lot of promise for the next decade.
Josh Johnson, on the other hand, will be a way above average pitcher but I doubt he'll get any serious consideration for the Cy. I'd guess he'll be one of the best who don't get any votes. My money is on Lincecum for the threepeat at the moment.
Thanks for the questions, whoever you are. I actually didn't know that Florida really had fans until recently, when I met an enthusiastic but ill-informed South Florida resident. Haha actually, Ethan, I think Hanley could win the MVP. I'd almost guarantee that he'll finish in the top three. I don't know a lot about Maybin, but if he's anything like Coghlan the Fish have a whole lot of promise for the next decade.
Josh Johnson, on the other hand, will be a way above average pitcher but I doubt he'll get any serious consideration for the Cy. I'd guess he'll be one of the best who don't get any votes. My money is on Lincecum for the threepeat at the moment.
More Questions
Howdy, sports fans!
A couple questions I received on a comment:
I was wondering what your opinion is on:
a. Troy Glaus' salary. Why is he making the third-most out of the entire team?
Well, according to Yahoo-sports, which I trust on this one, that just isn't the case. Glaus will make 1.7 million dollars this year, which is less than Hudson, Kawakami, Lowe, Saito, Billy Wagner, Brian McCann, Omar Infante, Chipper Jones, Melky Cabrera, Matt Diaz, and Nate Mclouth. I'm not happy with Glaus's production so far either, but I think his salary is appropriate relative to the rest of the team.
b. The 2-17 loss to SD. A bad game, or a sign of bad times ahead?
A bit of both. Don't worry about Jurrjens. He's a world class starter. Worry about the offense, though. Although they had a good first series offensively, I'm not convinced that Glaus and Cabrera were the answer to the offensive woes. We'll see how the two of them and Heyward end up producing. Also, I wouldn't blame you if you worried about Mr. Jo Jo Reyes. His incredible potential is turning into a lot of extra base hits.
A couple questions I received on a comment:
I was wondering what your opinion is on:
a. Troy Glaus' salary. Why is he making the third-most out of the entire team?
Well, according to Yahoo-sports, which I trust on this one, that just isn't the case. Glaus will make 1.7 million dollars this year, which is less than Hudson, Kawakami, Lowe, Saito, Billy Wagner, Brian McCann, Omar Infante, Chipper Jones, Melky Cabrera, Matt Diaz, and Nate Mclouth. I'm not happy with Glaus's production so far either, but I think his salary is appropriate relative to the rest of the team.
b. The 2-17 loss to SD. A bad game, or a sign of bad times ahead?
A bit of both. Don't worry about Jurrjens. He's a world class starter. Worry about the offense, though. Although they had a good first series offensively, I'm not convinced that Glaus and Cabrera were the answer to the offensive woes. We'll see how the two of them and Heyward end up producing. Also, I wouldn't blame you if you worried about Mr. Jo Jo Reyes. His incredible potential is turning into a lot of extra base hits.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
These three questions were sent to me by my Uncle Craig, who happens to be a little over qualified for internet sports babble.
1) What are your thoughts on Jason Heyward and what do you project his 2010 stats to be?
I feel really good about Heyward's chances despite the rough time he's had in his last eight or so at bats. People are saying that pitchers have found his weakness with the breaking ball down and in, but I think it's way too early to compare this Andruw Jones' issues with the slider away. I expect Heyward to hit 10-15 home runs and have an on base percentage over four. His eyes are the most impressive thing about him, and I think he'll walk a good amount and not strike out much after he settles down.
2) If you eliminated Dan Brouthers from your all-time OPS bench and included only post-1900 players, who would replace him (i.e., who's next in line)?
Shoeless Joe Jackson is actually tied with Brouthers with a 170. I'm not sure how I missed that the first time around. Ty Cobb and Jimmie Foxx follow.
3) What do you think of the possibility of George Avery succeeding Bobby Cox?
I'd be all for it. I've played on several of Mr. Avery's teams and can testify that he knows the game inside and out and is a great leader. Most of all, he never shows any favoritism. I hit last for the first third of the season on a lot of his teams! I'm hoping that Terry Pendleton doesn't get the job. I'm not really sure whether anyone in the organization is qualified. The Braves may need to look for an outside hire.
Thanks for the questions, Uncle Craig. In fact, I hope everyone feels welcome to ask questions. It's surprisingly difficult to come up with material other than simple game summaries!
1) What are your thoughts on Jason Heyward and what do you project his 2010 stats to be?
I feel really good about Heyward's chances despite the rough time he's had in his last eight or so at bats. People are saying that pitchers have found his weakness with the breaking ball down and in, but I think it's way too early to compare this Andruw Jones' issues with the slider away. I expect Heyward to hit 10-15 home runs and have an on base percentage over four. His eyes are the most impressive thing about him, and I think he'll walk a good amount and not strike out much after he settles down.
2) If you eliminated Dan Brouthers from your all-time OPS bench and included only post-1900 players, who would replace him (i.e., who's next in line)?
Shoeless Joe Jackson is actually tied with Brouthers with a 170. I'm not sure how I missed that the first time around. Ty Cobb and Jimmie Foxx follow.
3) What do you think of the possibility of George Avery succeeding Bobby Cox?
I'd be all for it. I've played on several of Mr. Avery's teams and can testify that he knows the game inside and out and is a great leader. Most of all, he never shows any favoritism. I hit last for the first third of the season on a lot of his teams! I'm hoping that Terry Pendleton doesn't get the job. I'm not really sure whether anyone in the organization is qualified. The Braves may need to look for an outside hire.
Thanks for the questions, Uncle Craig. In fact, I hope everyone feels welcome to ask questions. It's surprisingly difficult to come up with material other than simple game summaries!
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Cubs 2, Braves 3 on Thursday, 4/7
I went to the game tonight with several really good friends and a couple of guys I've never met. The half that I traveled with showed up a little later than we meant to after leaving Mighty Joe Espresso on our fourth try. The five of us climbed into Nick Slater's car and headed toward the field. As we got onto the high way we decided to roll down the windows because the air conditioning wasn't quite enough for the three of us piled in the back seat. My hat flew off of my head and out of the window before I even realized what was happening. Less than an hour later we parked in our strategic Orange Lot location that my Dad has been so proud of over the last few years. After way too long we bought tickets, met up with the Columbus State University half of our group, and went into the park.
Jurrjens took the mound and looked fantastic over the first two innings, giving up only one base hit. The hit came off of Alfonso Soriano's bat on a check swing and dropped thirty feet behind Troy Glaus as I booed. Jurrjens came out after the fifth. He threw 94 pitches and looked very good except for one big inning, but neither of the two runs the Cubs scored off him were earned as they came after a Troy Glaus error on a very routine ground ball to first. Overall I'd say Jurrjens looked good but not great.
Dempster, on the other hand, had an excellent start. He went six innings, struck out nine, and gave up one earned run on a Jason Heyward double into the right field corner. He seemed even more dominant than the numbers suggest, leaving the Braves looking clueless at the plate.
The Braves other runs came off of veteran lefty John Grabow in the eighth. Martin Prado doubled (get used to hearing that, Braves fans) and Chipper Jones worked Grabow to a 3-1 count. At this point, my friend Josh Warren had been telling me and another one of the guys that the Braves were down because we were being negative. As Chipper got in the box for the fifth pitch of the at bat, Ethan Morrison and I agreed that he'd probably hit it out of the park. Josh must have been on to something, because just seconds after Ethan and I finished the conversation Chipper put a ball in about the fifteenth row of the center field stands.
In my opinion, the real story of the night was Atlanta's bullpen. Twenty-four year old Kris Medlen looked brilliant in two innings of work and Peter Moylan got the victory after a solid inning of work. Billy Wagner then earned his first save of the year, striking out three and surrendering a single in the ninth. I can't begin to tell you how good he looked. He hit 98 on the gun throughout the inning and, if my memory serves me correctly, only threw two balls in the inning. He looked like a true closer, and Braves fans haven't seen that for several years.
Some other points of interest:
Troy Glaus went 0-4 with 4 strikeouts.
Chipper's homerun was his 427th.
My fantasy team is being absolutely demolished by Josh's.
My intramural softball team won by forfeit and will be advancing to the second round of the playoffs.
Overall, Braves fans, I think we're in for an exciting season. I haven't been this excited about a team for a long time. The combination of excellent starting pitching, a much improved lineup, a promising bullpen, and Bobby Cox's impending retirement looks like a recipe for success to me.
Jurrjens took the mound and looked fantastic over the first two innings, giving up only one base hit. The hit came off of Alfonso Soriano's bat on a check swing and dropped thirty feet behind Troy Glaus as I booed. Jurrjens came out after the fifth. He threw 94 pitches and looked very good except for one big inning, but neither of the two runs the Cubs scored off him were earned as they came after a Troy Glaus error on a very routine ground ball to first. Overall I'd say Jurrjens looked good but not great.
Dempster, on the other hand, had an excellent start. He went six innings, struck out nine, and gave up one earned run on a Jason Heyward double into the right field corner. He seemed even more dominant than the numbers suggest, leaving the Braves looking clueless at the plate.
The Braves other runs came off of veteran lefty John Grabow in the eighth. Martin Prado doubled (get used to hearing that, Braves fans) and Chipper Jones worked Grabow to a 3-1 count. At this point, my friend Josh Warren had been telling me and another one of the guys that the Braves were down because we were being negative. As Chipper got in the box for the fifth pitch of the at bat, Ethan Morrison and I agreed that he'd probably hit it out of the park. Josh must have been on to something, because just seconds after Ethan and I finished the conversation Chipper put a ball in about the fifteenth row of the center field stands.
In my opinion, the real story of the night was Atlanta's bullpen. Twenty-four year old Kris Medlen looked brilliant in two innings of work and Peter Moylan got the victory after a solid inning of work. Billy Wagner then earned his first save of the year, striking out three and surrendering a single in the ninth. I can't begin to tell you how good he looked. He hit 98 on the gun throughout the inning and, if my memory serves me correctly, only threw two balls in the inning. He looked like a true closer, and Braves fans haven't seen that for several years.
Some other points of interest:
Troy Glaus went 0-4 with 4 strikeouts.
Chipper's homerun was his 427th.
My fantasy team is being absolutely demolished by Josh's.
My intramural softball team won by forfeit and will be advancing to the second round of the playoffs.
Overall, Braves fans, I think we're in for an exciting season. I haven't been this excited about a team for a long time. The combination of excellent starting pitching, a much improved lineup, a promising bullpen, and Bobby Cox's impending retirement looks like a recipe for success to me.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
An Analysis of Two Statistical Measures of Value
I found this on my desktop today. It was never finished, but my goal was to analyze adjusted statistics that are supposed to give a better picture of a player's merit than the stats that most people look at on a day to day or season to season basis. Further explanation will be included. I didn't really include any analysis at the end, but I think the teams are very interesting in themselves. Here it is:
My goal here is to assemble the all time greatest roster based solely on career OPS+ for position players and ERA+ for pitchers. While these two statistical measures are considered as comprehensive as a single number can be in evaluating a player’s performance and, if I dare use such a controversial word, value, I am skeptical about their ability to paint a complete picture. Feel free to comment about any player that you do not think deserves a spot on the roster and offer a replacement. Any general thoughts about the topic would be appreciated as well.
Before we proceed, the stats must be defined. OPS+ is a hitter’s on base percentage plus his slugging percentage (total bases per official at bat) adjusted to the league as a whole and to the player’s home field. ERA+ is similar. It measures the number of earned runs, which are runs scored due to “normal pitching,” that a pitcher allows per nine innings. This basically includes anything that a pitcher has control over. Errors are the major way in which unearned runs are scored. ERA+, like OPS+, is adjusted to league averages as well as the pitcher’s home park.
There are a few things to consider before putting any faith in these statistics. OPS+ falls short by failing to consider a player’s defensive value. While this cannot be ignored in judging a player’s overall worth (I’d take Brooks Robinson over Eddie Mathews, Mike Schmidt, and Alex Rodriguez any day), for our purposes there is simply no way to quantify a player’s complete skill set. OPS+ also ignores base running ability, so it does not really even give a reliable picture of complete offensive prowess. It is important not to downplay this omission. The value of a player capable of stealing fifty bases in a season is incredible.
ERA+ does not, of course, consider a pitcher’s performance at the plate. This is very rarely a significant problem, but it is a problem nonetheless. The more legitimate complaint is that relief pitchers tend to have particularly high scores. Mariano Rivera, for instance, has a career ERA+ fifty points higher than any starting pitcher. At first glance, this ridiculous margin seems to indicate that Mariano Rivera is by far the greatest pitcher of all time. It is unreasonable, however, to conclude that the closer is that much better than the likes of Walter Johnson, Bob Gibson, and Sandy Koufax. It is more likely that the statistic tends to favor relievers, partially because it fails to consider innings pitched.
The simple fact that this roster will be chosen using career statistics introduces a problem. Too many great players have lingered in the Majors long after their greatness has faded. In these career percentage stats, one or two weak years can significantly hurt a player. Because of this, current players like Albert Pujols and Alex Rodriguez who have not yet passed their peaks, may be favored over past legends like Willie Mays, a painful example of a player who delayed retirement.
It is clear that these statistics are not perfect. But they seem to be the best and most complete ones available. So let’s see where they take us.
First of all, this is my pre-statistics roster. No research went into this. These are simply my picks for the best players at each position, based only on my memory and preconceptions. They are not my guesses regarding who has the highest OPS+. Also, I’m refusing to do anything other than one player per position out of fear of making terrible decisions. With only eight spots, I don’t have to worry much about whom I omit.
Starting Position Players
Catcher Johnny Bench
First Base Lou Gehrig
Second Base Rogers Hornsby
Third Base Brooks Robinson
Short Stop Alex Rodriguez
Outfield Babe Ruth
Outfield Ted Williams
Outfield Ty Cobb
All OPS+ Starting Position Players
Note that all players are considered only eligible at the position at which they played the most games.
Edgar Martinez had a higher OPS+ than any other third baseman but played more games at DH.
Position Player Career OPS+
Catcher Mike Piazza 142 (61st)
First Base Lou Gehrig 179 (4th)
Second Base Rogers Hornsby 175 (5th)
Third Base Mike Schmidt 147 (39th)
Shortstop Honus Wagner 150 (31st)
Outfield Babe Ruth 207 (1st)
Outfield Ted Williams 191 (2nd)
Outfield Barry Bonds 181 (3rd)
Bench
The bench is simply the six players with the highest OPS+ that are not the highest at their positions, kind of like a wild card.
Player OPS+
Mickey Mantle 172 (6th)
Albert Pujols 172 (6th)
Dan Brouthers 170 (8th)
Joe Jackson 170 (8th)
Ty Cobb 168 (10th)
Jimmie Foxx 163 (11th)
Pitching Staff
For the staff, I simply took the eleven pitchers with the best career ERA+ regardless of starting v. relief roles. I originally planned to take ten, but ties complicated the situation and rather than introduce any subjectivity and choose one somehow, I took both Clemens and Santana.
Pitcher ERA+
Mariano Rivera 202
Pedro Martinez 154
Lefty Grove 148
Trevor Hoffman 147
Walter Johnson 147
Dan Quisenberry 146
Ed Walsh 146
Hoyt Wilhelm 146
Joe Wood 146
Roger Clemens 143
Johan Santana 143
I believe that the bias toward current players was really prevalent here. Santana, for instance, simply has not yet played at any time other than his prime.
My goal here is to assemble the all time greatest roster based solely on career OPS+ for position players and ERA+ for pitchers. While these two statistical measures are considered as comprehensive as a single number can be in evaluating a player’s performance and, if I dare use such a controversial word, value, I am skeptical about their ability to paint a complete picture. Feel free to comment about any player that you do not think deserves a spot on the roster and offer a replacement. Any general thoughts about the topic would be appreciated as well.
Before we proceed, the stats must be defined. OPS+ is a hitter’s on base percentage plus his slugging percentage (total bases per official at bat) adjusted to the league as a whole and to the player’s home field. ERA+ is similar. It measures the number of earned runs, which are runs scored due to “normal pitching,” that a pitcher allows per nine innings. This basically includes anything that a pitcher has control over. Errors are the major way in which unearned runs are scored. ERA+, like OPS+, is adjusted to league averages as well as the pitcher’s home park.
There are a few things to consider before putting any faith in these statistics. OPS+ falls short by failing to consider a player’s defensive value. While this cannot be ignored in judging a player’s overall worth (I’d take Brooks Robinson over Eddie Mathews, Mike Schmidt, and Alex Rodriguez any day), for our purposes there is simply no way to quantify a player’s complete skill set. OPS+ also ignores base running ability, so it does not really even give a reliable picture of complete offensive prowess. It is important not to downplay this omission. The value of a player capable of stealing fifty bases in a season is incredible.
ERA+ does not, of course, consider a pitcher’s performance at the plate. This is very rarely a significant problem, but it is a problem nonetheless. The more legitimate complaint is that relief pitchers tend to have particularly high scores. Mariano Rivera, for instance, has a career ERA+ fifty points higher than any starting pitcher. At first glance, this ridiculous margin seems to indicate that Mariano Rivera is by far the greatest pitcher of all time. It is unreasonable, however, to conclude that the closer is that much better than the likes of Walter Johnson, Bob Gibson, and Sandy Koufax. It is more likely that the statistic tends to favor relievers, partially because it fails to consider innings pitched.
The simple fact that this roster will be chosen using career statistics introduces a problem. Too many great players have lingered in the Majors long after their greatness has faded. In these career percentage stats, one or two weak years can significantly hurt a player. Because of this, current players like Albert Pujols and Alex Rodriguez who have not yet passed their peaks, may be favored over past legends like Willie Mays, a painful example of a player who delayed retirement.
It is clear that these statistics are not perfect. But they seem to be the best and most complete ones available. So let’s see where they take us.
First of all, this is my pre-statistics roster. No research went into this. These are simply my picks for the best players at each position, based only on my memory and preconceptions. They are not my guesses regarding who has the highest OPS+. Also, I’m refusing to do anything other than one player per position out of fear of making terrible decisions. With only eight spots, I don’t have to worry much about whom I omit.
Starting Position Players
Catcher Johnny Bench
First Base Lou Gehrig
Second Base Rogers Hornsby
Third Base Brooks Robinson
Short Stop Alex Rodriguez
Outfield Babe Ruth
Outfield Ted Williams
Outfield Ty Cobb
All OPS+ Starting Position Players
Note that all players are considered only eligible at the position at which they played the most games.
Edgar Martinez had a higher OPS+ than any other third baseman but played more games at DH.
Position Player Career OPS+
Catcher Mike Piazza 142 (61st)
First Base Lou Gehrig 179 (4th)
Second Base Rogers Hornsby 175 (5th)
Third Base Mike Schmidt 147 (39th)
Shortstop Honus Wagner 150 (31st)
Outfield Babe Ruth 207 (1st)
Outfield Ted Williams 191 (2nd)
Outfield Barry Bonds 181 (3rd)
Bench
The bench is simply the six players with the highest OPS+ that are not the highest at their positions, kind of like a wild card.
Player OPS+
Mickey Mantle 172 (6th)
Albert Pujols 172 (6th)
Dan Brouthers 170 (8th)
Joe Jackson 170 (8th)
Ty Cobb 168 (10th)
Jimmie Foxx 163 (11th)
Pitching Staff
For the staff, I simply took the eleven pitchers with the best career ERA+ regardless of starting v. relief roles. I originally planned to take ten, but ties complicated the situation and rather than introduce any subjectivity and choose one somehow, I took both Clemens and Santana.
Pitcher ERA+
Mariano Rivera 202
Pedro Martinez 154
Lefty Grove 148
Trevor Hoffman 147
Walter Johnson 147
Dan Quisenberry 146
Ed Walsh 146
Hoyt Wilhelm 146
Joe Wood 146
Roger Clemens 143
Johan Santana 143
I believe that the bias toward current players was really prevalent here. Santana, for instance, simply has not yet played at any time other than his prime.
Carlos Zambrano
First, a disclaimer. These posts may mean very little to those of you who aren't well versed in baseball lingo. I'm just getting started in this and I apologize if I make references to things like OPS+, the Mendoza Line, or the Battle of Alfrontanagazonega of 1252 without any explanation. Maybe one of these days I'll get around to writing a post explaining some of my more often used statistics and phrases.
After a disappointing 2009 in which he won three fewer games than forty-six year old Jamie Moyer, Carlos Zambrano looked to bounce back early and reposition himself as the ace of the Cubs pitching staff. And you would think that on the Cubs, that should be a pretty reasonable aspiration for anyone who has ever won eighteen games in the national league, or anyone who as ever heard of the national league.
Let's take a look at how opening day went for Mr. Zambrano. Keep in mind that he doesn't hesitate to tell the media that he is capable of winning the Cy Young every year.
In a matchup against another overrated and overpaid starter, Zambrano managed to make it through an inning and a third today. He gave up eight earned runs on six hits and two walks in that stretch. He also managed to make a throwing error. Remember that this was against a Braves offense that isn't exactly known to strike fear into the hearts of pitchers.
Zambrano starts the year with an earned run average of fifty-f0ur. Anyone can have a bad start, but I'd venture to say that anyone who anchors a pitching staff can go two innings in any given start, too. I've hoped the Cubs would trade Zambrano for years, but at this point I'm afraid he'd have to have five or six quality starts in the same season if they expect to get anyone for him who has played high school ball or higher. If all else fails, let him play left field and hit sixth. I honestly believe if he played everyday, Zambrano would hit for a better average and have similar power numbers to that awful Soriano, who would be a threat to lead the league in strike outs every year if it weren't for Mark Reynolds shattering all of the records. And don't get me started in Soriano's fielding...
Thanks for reading! Maybe someday I'll have a catchy phrase to put at the end of these.
After a disappointing 2009 in which he won three fewer games than forty-six year old Jamie Moyer, Carlos Zambrano looked to bounce back early and reposition himself as the ace of the Cubs pitching staff. And you would think that on the Cubs, that should be a pretty reasonable aspiration for anyone who has ever won eighteen games in the national league, or anyone who as ever heard of the national league.
Let's take a look at how opening day went for Mr. Zambrano. Keep in mind that he doesn't hesitate to tell the media that he is capable of winning the Cy Young every year.
In a matchup against another overrated and overpaid starter, Zambrano managed to make it through an inning and a third today. He gave up eight earned runs on six hits and two walks in that stretch. He also managed to make a throwing error. Remember that this was against a Braves offense that isn't exactly known to strike fear into the hearts of pitchers.
Zambrano starts the year with an earned run average of fifty-f0ur. Anyone can have a bad start, but I'd venture to say that anyone who anchors a pitching staff can go two innings in any given start, too. I've hoped the Cubs would trade Zambrano for years, but at this point I'm afraid he'd have to have five or six quality starts in the same season if they expect to get anyone for him who has played high school ball or higher. If all else fails, let him play left field and hit sixth. I honestly believe if he played everyday, Zambrano would hit for a better average and have similar power numbers to that awful Soriano, who would be a threat to lead the league in strike outs every year if it weren't for Mark Reynolds shattering all of the records. And don't get me started in Soriano's fielding...
Thanks for reading! Maybe someday I'll have a catchy phrase to put at the end of these.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Disappointment On Opening Day
Along with millions of loyal baseball fans, I sat around wallowing in misery all winter waiting for baseball season to start. I sat in class and thought about who would start in the outfield for the Braves, whether Tampa Bay was ready to make another playoff run, and if the White Sox could put together a seventy win season in a weak division. After countless hours of baseball daydreaming, I was thrilled when April finally arrived. Yesterday I couldn't help but feel the holy wonder of the most sacred day on our calender, and Easter was nice too.
At 8:05, the first pitch was finally thrown. In typical fashion, ESPN showcased the two teams with the highest payrolls in baseball. This year they even got their own day, starting before the twenty-eight teams that we see on TV about once a year. Boston and New York, the most publicized rivalry in sports, opened the season with nine innings of batting practice. After all of the weeks and months of anticipation, baseball fans were subjected to a terrible excuse for a baseball game.
CC Sabathia looked good in the first couple innings and I hoped to see a decent pitchers' duel. He ended up going five and a third and giving up five earned runs. Josh Beckett was even worse, giving up five runs and not even getting through five innings. At least he walked three. And then today the news that he just signed a 68 million dollar deal came out. Eighty-four year old Chan Ho Park also had a bad outing, giving up the Dustin Pedroia home run that changed the pace of the game.
Anyway, the pitching and defense were pathetic. The Yankees even pulled off the infamous double steal play that works occasionally against eleven year olds. Victor Martinez came up firing as Jeter stole second in the fourth, and Marco Scutaro looked lost as Brett Gardner raced home. I hope Francona was embarrassed that his team was caught so completely flat footed by the little league play. Any high school coach would have been. The Yankees defense wasn't exactly October ready either. Nick Swisher, who I hear is a great guy in the club house, looked lost in right field on a Kevin Youkilis base hit.
Angel Hernandez wouldn't let the pitching and fielding be the only things that were subpar. He made two bad calls at first, but he didn't manage to change the outcome of the game. Still, it seems he's been the culprit everytime I've seen a bad call over the last couple years.
There were a few bright spots last night. J.D. Drew made a nice play in right to hold Robinson Cano to a single. Kevin Youkilis tabbed seven total bases in four at bats. Posada and Pedroia both homered, and Posada had a three hit day. A-Rod hit a double high off the monster. Okajima, Bard, and Papelbon looked good in the last three innings of the game.
Still, I was really disappointted and I hope to see some decent baseball tonight. But thank you, Major League Baseball, for an ugly sixteen run publicity stunt a day before the good baseball starts.
At 8:05, the first pitch was finally thrown. In typical fashion, ESPN showcased the two teams with the highest payrolls in baseball. This year they even got their own day, starting before the twenty-eight teams that we see on TV about once a year. Boston and New York, the most publicized rivalry in sports, opened the season with nine innings of batting practice. After all of the weeks and months of anticipation, baseball fans were subjected to a terrible excuse for a baseball game.
CC Sabathia looked good in the first couple innings and I hoped to see a decent pitchers' duel. He ended up going five and a third and giving up five earned runs. Josh Beckett was even worse, giving up five runs and not even getting through five innings. At least he walked three. And then today the news that he just signed a 68 million dollar deal came out. Eighty-four year old Chan Ho Park also had a bad outing, giving up the Dustin Pedroia home run that changed the pace of the game.
Anyway, the pitching and defense were pathetic. The Yankees even pulled off the infamous double steal play that works occasionally against eleven year olds. Victor Martinez came up firing as Jeter stole second in the fourth, and Marco Scutaro looked lost as Brett Gardner raced home. I hope Francona was embarrassed that his team was caught so completely flat footed by the little league play. Any high school coach would have been. The Yankees defense wasn't exactly October ready either. Nick Swisher, who I hear is a great guy in the club house, looked lost in right field on a Kevin Youkilis base hit.
Angel Hernandez wouldn't let the pitching and fielding be the only things that were subpar. He made two bad calls at first, but he didn't manage to change the outcome of the game. Still, it seems he's been the culprit everytime I've seen a bad call over the last couple years.
There were a few bright spots last night. J.D. Drew made a nice play in right to hold Robinson Cano to a single. Kevin Youkilis tabbed seven total bases in four at bats. Posada and Pedroia both homered, and Posada had a three hit day. A-Rod hit a double high off the monster. Okajima, Bard, and Papelbon looked good in the last three innings of the game.
Still, I was really disappointted and I hope to see some decent baseball tonight. But thank you, Major League Baseball, for an ugly sixteen run publicity stunt a day before the good baseball starts.
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