Tim Lincecum was voted the National League's Cy Young Award winner last week (actually, that's when the results came out, but whatever). Lincecum had, by all accounts, a really good season, leading the NL in strikeouts, complete games, and shutouts and placing second in categories like ERA and hits/9 innings. He was fourth in WHIP.
As you may be aware, there was some considerable hoopla surrounding the voting process, as various people believed that either Chris Carpenter or Adam Wainwright, both of St. Louis, should have won the award.
On Monday, Joe Mauer was announced as the AL MVP. The vote was unanimous, excepting one voter who listed Miguel Cabrera first on his ballot.*
The hoopla around that award's voting, and there was some of it, was that Mauer should have been unanimous.
*Mauer did come as close to unanimous as possible. He was listed second on that one ballot.
The pro-Carpenter people expressed disdain at the fact that people are relying on new-fangled stats, like FIP, to rate players. And that may well have been done.
But here's what I don't get. The people who didn't vote for Carpenter were not relying on some new-alphabet-soup kind of statistic. I mean, they might have been, but the reason you don't vote for Carpenter is simple. It's called Innings Pitched. He may have been somewhat more effective than Lincecum, but he pitched 32.2 fewer innings. That's pretty significant. And it's a rather good reason not to vote for the man.
I would have been less surprised if traditional baseball writers been annoyed with Mauer's inclusion than Carpenter's exclusion. Mark Teixeira led the AL in home runs, RBI and total bases. If the push would have been for him to win it would have been understandable, if wrong.
But blasting people for not voting for a man with less than 200 IP against pretty comparable competition is not really something that I get.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
3s in Our Society
Did you ever notice how certain numbers always seem to be creeping up on you all the time? Maybe you were reading Harry Potter and there were too many sevens. Maybe you noticed that 50% of the words you uttered were precisely two syllables. Maybe not.
Now that the award voting is in for the 2009 baseball season, I'd like to identify three significant 3s in baseball today. And more than significant, they're rather mind-boggling.
1. Ichiro Suzuki just concluded his ninth year in the major leagues. In only 3 of his seasons did he not lead the Major Leagues (or tie for the lead) in hits. In those three seasons he had (or had a tie for) second place in hits in the Major Leagues.
2. Albert Pujols has just concluded his ninth year in the major leagues. In only 3 of his seasons did he not come in first or second place in the MVP voting.*
3. In the history of the American League, a catcher has only won the batting title 3 times. Joe Mauer, Joe Mauer and Joe Mauer. (2006, 2008, 2009)
* Ichiro and Albert Pujols were both rookies in 2001. They won Rookie of the Year Awards in their respective leagues in 2001.** 2001 may well go down as the best ROY Class of all time. Ichiro and Albert Pujols, not bad. They do have some competition.
In 1947, Jackie Robinson was Rookie of the Year. They only gave out one award for both leagues back then, so it would be pretty hard to count that. In 1951, World Series foes Willie Mays and Gil McDougald won the two awards. Only one Hall of Famer there, but McDougald was a really good infielder, and between the two of them you've got 25 years of All-Star Game appearances.
1956 was the first time that two future Hall-of-Famers would win the award. Frank Robinson and his 38 home runs won the National League ROY, while Luis Aparicio and his league-leading 21 steals won the Junior Circuit's rookie crown.
In 1967, Tom Seaver and Rod Carew, both future first-ballot Hall-of-Famers, won their league's award.
10 year later, in 1977, Montreal's Andre Dawson and Baltimore's Eddie Murray were Rookies of the Year. Dawson is, as of right now, not a Hall-of-Famer (and he may never be), but I think (and I'm not sure here) that these two have more career home runs than any other ROYs.
WIth apologies to Jose Canseco (1986), the steroid class of ROYs was 1987, with Mark McGwire and Benito Santiago.
It's not really fair to try and rate the 2006 (Hanley Ramirez, Justin Verlander) and 2007 (Ryan Braun, Dustin Pedroia) as of yet.
I think that the winning class is....1967. Rod Carew and Tom Seaver are ahead of Pujols and Ichiro. And quite frankly, I don't know if they'll catch them. Ichiro is already 36. We don't know how much he has left (though it'd be hard to say that he's showing his age).
For the more complete answer, check back in ten years.
Parenthetically, that was some serious class of rookies in '01. Besides the winners, Ichiro and Pujols, there were Sabathia, Alfonso Soriano, David Eckstein, Roy Oswalt, Jimmy Rollins, Adam Dunn. Not too shabby.
** I was discussing the ROY with a friend of mine in 2001. He was, as I recall, trying to point out how good a rookie year Soriano had. Sorry, sir. Most irrelevant. Looking it up now, Soriano didn't just not get a first-place vote - he finished third, behind Ichiro and CC Sabathia.
Now that the award voting is in for the 2009 baseball season, I'd like to identify three significant 3s in baseball today. And more than significant, they're rather mind-boggling.
1. Ichiro Suzuki just concluded his ninth year in the major leagues. In only 3 of his seasons did he not lead the Major Leagues (or tie for the lead) in hits. In those three seasons he had (or had a tie for) second place in hits in the Major Leagues.
2. Albert Pujols has just concluded his ninth year in the major leagues. In only 3 of his seasons did he not come in first or second place in the MVP voting.*
3. In the history of the American League, a catcher has only won the batting title 3 times. Joe Mauer, Joe Mauer and Joe Mauer. (2006, 2008, 2009)
* Ichiro and Albert Pujols were both rookies in 2001. They won Rookie of the Year Awards in their respective leagues in 2001.** 2001 may well go down as the best ROY Class of all time. Ichiro and Albert Pujols, not bad. They do have some competition.
In 1947, Jackie Robinson was Rookie of the Year. They only gave out one award for both leagues back then, so it would be pretty hard to count that. In 1951, World Series foes Willie Mays and Gil McDougald won the two awards. Only one Hall of Famer there, but McDougald was a really good infielder, and between the two of them you've got 25 years of All-Star Game appearances.
1956 was the first time that two future Hall-of-Famers would win the award. Frank Robinson and his 38 home runs won the National League ROY, while Luis Aparicio and his league-leading 21 steals won the Junior Circuit's rookie crown.
In 1967, Tom Seaver and Rod Carew, both future first-ballot Hall-of-Famers, won their league's award.
10 year later, in 1977, Montreal's Andre Dawson and Baltimore's Eddie Murray were Rookies of the Year. Dawson is, as of right now, not a Hall-of-Famer (and he may never be), but I think (and I'm not sure here) that these two have more career home runs than any other ROYs.
WIth apologies to Jose Canseco (1986), the steroid class of ROYs was 1987, with Mark McGwire and Benito Santiago.
It's not really fair to try and rate the 2006 (Hanley Ramirez, Justin Verlander) and 2007 (Ryan Braun, Dustin Pedroia) as of yet.
I think that the winning class is....1967. Rod Carew and Tom Seaver are ahead of Pujols and Ichiro. And quite frankly, I don't know if they'll catch them. Ichiro is already 36. We don't know how much he has left (though it'd be hard to say that he's showing his age).
For the more complete answer, check back in ten years.
Parenthetically, that was some serious class of rookies in '01. Besides the winners, Ichiro and Pujols, there were Sabathia, Alfonso Soriano, David Eckstein, Roy Oswalt, Jimmy Rollins, Adam Dunn. Not too shabby.
** I was discussing the ROY with a friend of mine in 2001. He was, as I recall, trying to point out how good a rookie year Soriano had. Sorry, sir. Most irrelevant. Looking it up now, Soriano didn't just not get a first-place vote - he finished third, behind Ichiro and CC Sabathia.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
The Best?
Joe Girardi finished second in the Manager of the Year Award voting this year. If Joe Girardi did not make the playoffs this year, I think there's a pretty good bet that he'd have been fired. In essence, making the playoffs was part of his job. (I suppose you could quibble on that, but it's what I believe, and I think most people would agree with that.)
If making the playoffs was part of his job, it would seem that he did so well in the balloting because of his postseason managing. Here's the problem: Everybody thought that his managing was bad in the postseason.
Do you get this?
If making the playoffs was part of his job, it would seem that he did so well in the balloting because of his postseason managing. Here's the problem: Everybody thought that his managing was bad in the postseason.
Do you get this?
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Randomness
Over time, things have a habit of evening out. What I mean by this, I suppose, is that while something really peculiar may occur, you would expect things to eventually revert to normal (whatever that may be).
Sometimes, however, things that occur are so bizarre that they are noteworthy, even though they are just random fluctuations.
An example of this would involve Doc Ellis's having pitched a no-hitter while on LSD. Most of the time that people are on LSD, they don't pitch a game, but if you started a study on people under the influence of LSD on June 12, 1970, you might have assumed that it was a common occurrence.
That's all pretty intuitive and very useless.
My point is that sometimes things happen and they are interesting in their out-of-the-ordinary way. *
My point is that Honus Wagner, the greatest shortstop in baseball history (and it's not close) pitched 8.1 innings in his career and had an ERA of 0.00. **
*I think that this is what I am trying to say. The fact that Babe Ruth led the AL in home runs 12 times in his career is pretty amazing. But if had, say, turned a triple play once, it would have a distinctly different kind of interest to it.
** Which means, in case you were wondering, that he pitched so well that he didn't have an ERA+. And you thought Zack Greinke was good!
By the Way: There's a new poll up.
Sometimes, however, things that occur are so bizarre that they are noteworthy, even though they are just random fluctuations.
An example of this would involve Doc Ellis's having pitched a no-hitter while on LSD. Most of the time that people are on LSD, they don't pitch a game, but if you started a study on people under the influence of LSD on June 12, 1970, you might have assumed that it was a common occurrence.
That's all pretty intuitive and very useless.
My point is that sometimes things happen and they are interesting in their out-of-the-ordinary way. *
My point is that Honus Wagner, the greatest shortstop in baseball history (and it's not close) pitched 8.1 innings in his career and had an ERA of 0.00. **
*I think that this is what I am trying to say. The fact that Babe Ruth led the AL in home runs 12 times in his career is pretty amazing. But if had, say, turned a triple play once, it would have a distinctly different kind of interest to it.
** Which means, in case you were wondering, that he pitched so well that he didn't have an ERA+. And you thought Zack Greinke was good!
By the Way: There's a new poll up.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
How About This?
How about this for your random and obscure fact of the day? In 1876, the Athletics, Reds, Louisville Grays and New York Mutuals all had more errors than runs scored.
With modern groundskeeping, better playing fields and better equipment, things are very different in today's game of baseball. In 2009, the only team that had more errors than runs scored was the New York Mets.
Oh, my mistake. Even the Mets managed to squeeze past the .500 mark with 674 more runs scored than errors committed.
What can I say? It's a different game!
With modern groundskeeping, better playing fields and better equipment, things are very different in today's game of baseball. In 2009, the only team that had more errors than runs scored was the New York Mets.
Oh, my mistake. Even the Mets managed to squeeze past the .500 mark with 674 more runs scored than errors committed.
What can I say? It's a different game!
Awesome
I don't know if you knew about this, but the spectacular website baseball-reference.com has this really awesome thing called Play Index. Play Index has a few really cool facets, one of which is a tool with which you can search for seasons with statistical criteria, like most home runs in a season by a switch-hitting second baseman (Ray Durham, 26, 2006), or highest batting average by a 29 year old who batted left-handed and threw right-handed (Ty Cobb, .371, 1916) or most hit-by-pitches by a National League right-fielder (Geoff Jenkins, 19, 2005). Basically, it's really, really cool.
Check it out. http://www.baseball-reference.com/play-index/
And for the next five days, it's free.
Check it out. http://www.baseball-reference.com/play-index/
And for the next five days, it's free.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Awful October
Well, not really, but from a baseball perspective, what more is there to say?
What could be worse than the Yankees meeting the Phillies in the World Series? The Yankees beating the Phillies in the World Series.
Such is life as a Mets fan.
Pessimism abounds. You miss victory. As kind of an about-face to most Met fans mentalities, I'm going to try to recap what has gone right over the past five years in Mets-ville.
And the truth is, it's a heck of a lot.
2004 -2005
-- The Mets hire Willie Randolph and sign star free agents Carlos Beltran and Pedro Martinez, bringing respect back to a franchise just over a year removed from a 95-loss season.
-- Cliff Floyd has, perhaps the best season in his career, setting personal records with 34 home runs and having his second to best season in terms of walks, games played and RBIs.
-- Mike Piazza, in his last year with the club, spanks 19 home runs in declining playing time.
-- The Mets have one of the best fielding right fielders in baseball, with former Gold Glove winning Mike Cameron manning the post.
-- David Wright hits 27 home runs in his first full season and seems destined for stardom.
--Mike Jacobs makes mincemeat out of Major League pitching in his first exposure to it, swatting 11 home runs in only 100 at bats.
There was more. Check back for more 2005 highlights, and also coming up will be highlights from the 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 seasons.
What could be worse than the Yankees meeting the Phillies in the World Series? The Yankees beating the Phillies in the World Series.
Such is life as a Mets fan.
Pessimism abounds. You miss victory. As kind of an about-face to most Met fans mentalities, I'm going to try to recap what has gone right over the past five years in Mets-ville.
And the truth is, it's a heck of a lot.
2004 -2005
-- The Mets hire Willie Randolph and sign star free agents Carlos Beltran and Pedro Martinez, bringing respect back to a franchise just over a year removed from a 95-loss season.
-- Cliff Floyd has, perhaps the best season in his career, setting personal records with 34 home runs and having his second to best season in terms of walks, games played and RBIs.
-- Mike Piazza, in his last year with the club, spanks 19 home runs in declining playing time.
-- The Mets have one of the best fielding right fielders in baseball, with former Gold Glove winning Mike Cameron manning the post.
-- David Wright hits 27 home runs in his first full season and seems destined for stardom.
--Mike Jacobs makes mincemeat out of Major League pitching in his first exposure to it, swatting 11 home runs in only 100 at bats.
There was more. Check back for more 2005 highlights, and also coming up will be highlights from the 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 seasons.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Why, oh Why
What an unpleasant Yankee-Angel game yesterday. Not only did the Yankees score twice as many runs as their playoff opponents, but the umpires mad three (count 'em, three) truly bad calls during the game.*
When the game was over, I just couldn't figure out one thing: Why didn't Girardi pull Gaudin with two outs in the ninth?
*I'd probably rate them from worse to worser as follows:
1. Calling Nick Swisher out in the 4th inning for leaving third base early (on appeal). Which would be great. Except he didn't leave third base early.
2. Calling Nick Swisher safe on that pickoff play (also in the 4th).
3. Calling Robinson Cano safe on what should have been a double play in the top of the fifth inning. That call at third base was the worst that I can remember seeing. Period.
When the game was over, I just couldn't figure out one thing: Why didn't Girardi pull Gaudin with two outs in the ninth?
*I'd probably rate them from worse to worser as follows:
1. Calling Nick Swisher out in the 4th inning for leaving third base early (on appeal). Which would be great. Except he didn't leave third base early.
2. Calling Nick Swisher safe on that pickoff play (also in the 4th).
3. Calling Robinson Cano safe on what should have been a double play in the top of the fifth inning. That call at third base was the worst that I can remember seeing. Period.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
More Itching
As you probably know, in today's game of baseball, on-base percentage is valued very much (as it should be). Jeff Francoeur, for example, is derided by many due to his inability to take a walk.
There are, however, certain players (like Albert Pujols, Luis Castillo, Derek Jeter and many others) who use walks effectively as an offensive weapon.
And then there's Ichiro. Ichiro is a speedster. He has stolen at least 26 bases every year of his career, while totalling over 40 three times. He's the exact kind of player that you would think would try to take as many pitches as possible, try to walk as much as possible, so that he could get on base and steal bases and use his speed. But he doesn't. Never.
Now, you never really hear Ichiro criticized for this* because his OBP is never low. His high batting averages (.352 this year, good for second in the AL) kind of camouflage the fact that he doesn't take any pitches.
Jeff Francoeur, who never walks, walked 23 times this year, to Ichiro's 32. Here's the thing: Ichiro was intentionally walked 15 times. Francouer was intentionally walked 5 times.** So Jeff Let-me-swing-at-everything Francoeur actually drew more walks of his own volition than Ichiro did.***
Also, with a minimum of 632 plate appearances, the leader in fewest walks drawn is Migue Tejada, with 19. Two were intentional. Ichiro tied the leader in fewest walks in unintentional walks. Just something to chew on.
* I don't know how accurate this really is. Ichiro has such a weird hitting style that he might not be able to be the player he is if he wouldn't be so aggressive at the plate. I really don't know. But I'm assuming not.
** Which is a scary thought, in-and-of itself. Jeff Francoeur was intentionally walked 5 times? Wow!
*** Of course. How many walks did you expect Ichiro to draw of Francoeur's volition?
Not Fresh But Still Funny:
Bill James
There are, however, certain players (like Albert Pujols, Luis Castillo, Derek Jeter and many others) who use walks effectively as an offensive weapon.
And then there's Ichiro. Ichiro is a speedster. He has stolen at least 26 bases every year of his career, while totalling over 40 three times. He's the exact kind of player that you would think would try to take as many pitches as possible, try to walk as much as possible, so that he could get on base and steal bases and use his speed. But he doesn't. Never.
Now, you never really hear Ichiro criticized for this* because his OBP is never low. His high batting averages (.352 this year, good for second in the AL) kind of camouflage the fact that he doesn't take any pitches.
Jeff Francoeur, who never walks, walked 23 times this year, to Ichiro's 32. Here's the thing: Ichiro was intentionally walked 15 times. Francouer was intentionally walked 5 times.** So Jeff Let-me-swing-at-everything Francoeur actually drew more walks of his own volition than Ichiro did.***
Also, with a minimum of 632 plate appearances, the leader in fewest walks drawn is Migue Tejada, with 19. Two were intentional. Ichiro tied the leader in fewest walks in unintentional walks. Just something to chew on.
* I don't know how accurate this really is. Ichiro has such a weird hitting style that he might not be able to be the player he is if he wouldn't be so aggressive at the plate. I really don't know. But I'm assuming not.
** Which is a scary thought, in-and-of itself. Jeff Francoeur was intentionally walked 5 times? Wow!
*** Of course. How many walks did you expect Ichiro to draw of Francoeur's volition?
Not Fresh But Still Funny:
Jordan
There's been a lot of chatter about moving Piazza to 1B. My feeling is that he's of more value as a catcher even with all the stolen bases, especially with offense at such a premium for the Mets. What's your take?
Bill James (4:44 PM)
I'd move him, and let Mo Vaughn catch. I think he'd throw out about as many runners, and it would be more entertaining to watch.
(http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/chat/_/id/3503)
* * *
I was speaking with somebody today, and he told me that he hates the Marlins. For crying out loud, who hates the Marlins? They're not a great team, they don't have a great history, and this guy is not even a fan of a National League team!Thursday, October 1, 2009
Cigars?
Albert Pujols is currently leading the National League in home runs. He is third in batting average and third in RBIs. Not bad, huh. Even measured up to his own standard's, he's doing pretty well.
But, alas; what could have been? Though there was some speculation about it earlier in the season, it now seems as though Albert Pujols will not win the Triple Crown.
But you never know. With a little luck, he could just make it. And a lot of hitting.
Poll Results: The voters have voted and the results are in: David Wright is the Mets' MVP this year. Big surprise.
But, alas; what could have been? Though there was some speculation about it earlier in the season, it now seems as though Albert Pujols will not win the Triple Crown.
But you never know. With a little luck, he could just make it. And a lot of hitting.
Poll Results: The voters have voted and the results are in: David Wright is the Mets' MVP this year. Big surprise.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
It's Official
It's official. We have seen way too much Obama-mania in this country over the past 20 months or so.
How so? I was watching Mike Piazza's dramatic home run in the bottom of the eighth inning on September 21, 2001. That was the first (professional) baseball game played in New York City after the 9/11 attacks. With the Mets down by a run with one out and Desi Relaford* on first base, Piazza cranked a home run over the center field fence. This was a huge moment for New York. The TV cameras showed the ebullient fans jumping up and down and cheering like crazy. Then it showed the auxiliary scoreboard down the left-field line which flashed "Home Run!"
*Remember him? Desi Relaford was the backup infielder for the Mets for that lone 2001 season. I was probably his biggest fan. In what was one of the best years of his career, he put up a .302/.364/.472 line. Not bad for a backup infielder. He'd be batting second on the 2009 Mets. He also pitched a perfect inning for the Mets (to give some relief to the relief pitchers) when they were getting shelled by the Padres.
As you may recall, (okay, probably not) Desi was included in the deal with the Giants that netted the Mets Shawn Estes. Though, you probably have not heard much (if anything) about him of late (since the end of the 2005 season, he's started 9 Major League games), Shawn was in the major leagues with the Padres last year, and pitched, quite frankly, a lot better than Livan Hernandez did. Maybe the Mets should have gotten him instead.
He began this year with the Dodgers Triple-A affiliate and pitched quite well, posting 3-4 record, but an ERA of 3.07. He is no longer playing, but is officially "not retired."
The TV flashed to a fan jumping up and down with a sign that read "WE BELIEVE." Then it showed Piazza getting greeted by his teammated near the dugout steps. It flashes to the auxiliary scoreboard down the right-field line, which scrolls "YES." And my mind immediately expects to see "WE CAN."
How so? I was watching Mike Piazza's dramatic home run in the bottom of the eighth inning on September 21, 2001. That was the first (professional) baseball game played in New York City after the 9/11 attacks. With the Mets down by a run with one out and Desi Relaford* on first base, Piazza cranked a home run over the center field fence. This was a huge moment for New York. The TV cameras showed the ebullient fans jumping up and down and cheering like crazy. Then it showed the auxiliary scoreboard down the left-field line which flashed "Home Run!"
*Remember him? Desi Relaford was the backup infielder for the Mets for that lone 2001 season. I was probably his biggest fan. In what was one of the best years of his career, he put up a .302/.364/.472 line. Not bad for a backup infielder. He'd be batting second on the 2009 Mets. He also pitched a perfect inning for the Mets (to give some relief to the relief pitchers) when they were getting shelled by the Padres.
As you may recall, (okay, probably not) Desi was included in the deal with the Giants that netted the Mets Shawn Estes. Though, you probably have not heard much (if anything) about him of late (since the end of the 2005 season, he's started 9 Major League games), Shawn was in the major leagues with the Padres last year, and pitched, quite frankly, a lot better than Livan Hernandez did. Maybe the Mets should have gotten him instead.
He began this year with the Dodgers Triple-A affiliate and pitched quite well, posting 3-4 record, but an ERA of 3.07. He is no longer playing, but is officially "not retired."
The TV flashed to a fan jumping up and down with a sign that read "WE BELIEVE." Then it showed Piazza getting greeted by his teammated near the dugout steps. It flashes to the auxiliary scoreboard down the right-field line, which scrolls "YES." And my mind immediately expects to see "WE CAN."
It's Not that Hard to Defend.
A lot of people seem to be making a big deal over Pedro Martinez's victory over the Mets on Sunday night. Pedro threw a great game, no doubt, with 8 shutout innings in which he allowed just 6 hits, while striking out 7 and walking just two. He also lowered his ERA to 2.87 and received the victory to improve his record to 5-0. Not bad. In fact, with numbers like those combined with the fact that Johan Santana's on the disabled list, Pedro would probably be the Mets best starter.
But if you ask me, it's pretty darn hard to blame the Mets for not signing him when he became available this summer.
1. He wouldn't be helping the Mets anyway. You know that. Give the Mets five more wins, and they're 15 games out of first place. And that's besides the fact that with the Mets anemic offense and with the actuality that the Mets don't have any pitchers who are 0-5, he's not giving them five wins anyway.
2. He stank last year. Did you forget. After an encouraging five games after he returned from surgery at the end of the 2007 season, Pedro pitched terribly in 2008. How badly? 5-6 with a 5.61 ERA.
How bad is that?
Let's put it this way. When Livan Hernandez was released by the Mets this year, his ERA was 5.47.
But if you ask me, it's pretty darn hard to blame the Mets for not signing him when he became available this summer.
1. He wouldn't be helping the Mets anyway. You know that. Give the Mets five more wins, and they're 15 games out of first place. And that's besides the fact that with the Mets anemic offense and with the actuality that the Mets don't have any pitchers who are 0-5, he's not giving them five wins anyway.
2. He stank last year. Did you forget. After an encouraging five games after he returned from surgery at the end of the 2007 season, Pedro pitched terribly in 2008. How badly? 5-6 with a 5.61 ERA.
How bad is that?
Let's put it this way. When Livan Hernandez was released by the Mets this year, his ERA was 5.47.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Thursday, September 10, 2009
2.721
Derek Jeter, as you no doubt know, has 2,721 hits. At that, he's tied with Lou Gehrig for 53rd on the all-time hits list. He's also tied with said Lou Gehrig for first on the Yankees hit list.
Now, this is not a particularly big deal. * First of all, it's a team record. Is anybody going to make a big deal in a couple of years if/when David Wright or Jose Reyes breaks Ed Kranepool's franchise record of 1,418 hits? I hope not. It's not that big a deal. Remember, with his next hit, Derek Jeter will get sole possession of 53rd place on the all-time hits list.
*Obviously it's a big deal. Approximately 1 in 5,000,000 people on this planet are in the Major Leagues in any given year. To excel in a talent group of that caliber is amazing. To lead the Rays franchise in hits (as ---------- [guess who - answer at the end] does with 1,274) is an amazing thing. John Maine, who has 1 home run and a .107 batting average is practically an athletic freak of nature. The difference between his accomplishments and those of Derek Jeter's are as huge as the distance to right in Citi Field.
But as baseball "records" go, it's not a big deal.
Well, you might be thinking, maybe people are making a big deal about this because he's about to break Lou Gehrig's record. I mean, we're talking Lou Gehrig - The Iron Horse, the sidekick of the great Babe Ruth, the guy that baseball-reference.com says was nicknamed "Biscuit Pants." That was some special dude - of COURSE they're making a big deal about Derek Jeter. Except for the itsy-bitsy fact that Lou Gehrig's game was not base hits. Lou Gehrig hit more than twice as many home runs as Derek Jeter hit. When Derek hits his 493rd home run, you can start to argue about who was greater. (Fine, 393rd)
I have a good one. Let's make a big deal because Derek Jeter has more stolen bases than Babe Ruth. BABE FREAKING RUTH - the guy who practically invented baseball. The problem with that is that stolen bases were not Babe Ruth. Singles were not Lou Gehrig. Did you know that from 1926-1934, Lou Gehrig had over 80 extra-base hits in every single year. He had over 80 again in 1936 and 1937. Derek Jeter's never done it.
Which is not, once again, to say that Derek Jeter's not a good ballplayer. He's a really good ballplayer. But making a big deal because he is about to break a team stat from a ballplayer whose expertise was in a different field is just ridiculous.
By the way, did you know that Derek Jeter's 52nd on the all-time strikeouts list? Just saying...
Poll Results: Our poll question asked "How Many Games will the Mets Win this Year?" The winning answer was 70-74. That's optimism.
Trivia Answer: Carl Crawford. You should've known that.
New Poll: Our new poll asks you, "Who is the Mets MVP this year?"
Now, this is not a particularly big deal. * First of all, it's a team record. Is anybody going to make a big deal in a couple of years if/when David Wright or Jose Reyes breaks Ed Kranepool's franchise record of 1,418 hits? I hope not. It's not that big a deal. Remember, with his next hit, Derek Jeter will get sole possession of 53rd place on the all-time hits list.
*Obviously it's a big deal. Approximately 1 in 5,000,000 people on this planet are in the Major Leagues in any given year. To excel in a talent group of that caliber is amazing. To lead the Rays franchise in hits (as ---------- [guess who - answer at the end] does with 1,274) is an amazing thing. John Maine, who has 1 home run and a .107 batting average is practically an athletic freak of nature. The difference between his accomplishments and those of Derek Jeter's are as huge as the distance to right in Citi Field.
But as baseball "records" go, it's not a big deal.
Well, you might be thinking, maybe people are making a big deal about this because he's about to break Lou Gehrig's record. I mean, we're talking Lou Gehrig - The Iron Horse, the sidekick of the great Babe Ruth, the guy that baseball-reference.com says was nicknamed "Biscuit Pants." That was some special dude - of COURSE they're making a big deal about Derek Jeter. Except for the itsy-bitsy fact that Lou Gehrig's game was not base hits. Lou Gehrig hit more than twice as many home runs as Derek Jeter hit. When Derek hits his 493rd home run, you can start to argue about who was greater. (Fine, 393rd)
I have a good one. Let's make a big deal because Derek Jeter has more stolen bases than Babe Ruth. BABE FREAKING RUTH - the guy who practically invented baseball. The problem with that is that stolen bases were not Babe Ruth. Singles were not Lou Gehrig. Did you know that from 1926-1934, Lou Gehrig had over 80 extra-base hits in every single year. He had over 80 again in 1936 and 1937. Derek Jeter's never done it.
Which is not, once again, to say that Derek Jeter's not a good ballplayer. He's a really good ballplayer. But making a big deal because he is about to break a team stat from a ballplayer whose expertise was in a different field is just ridiculous.
By the way, did you know that Derek Jeter's 52nd on the all-time strikeouts list? Just saying...
Poll Results: Our poll question asked "How Many Games will the Mets Win this Year?" The winning answer was 70-74. That's optimism.
Trivia Answer: Carl Crawford. You should've known that.
New Poll: Our new poll asks you, "Who is the Mets MVP this year?"
Monday, August 31, 2009
Who Figuer-ed?
Nelson was brilliant yesterday, pitching 7 innings and driving in as many runs (1) as he gave up. What more could you ask from your number seven starter?
Others who contributed to yesterday's miniature offensive outburst were Anderson Hernandez, Jeff Francoeur and Daniel Murphy with RBI hits (Hernandez's a triple).
Fernando Tatis seemed to get a hold of a ball in the top of the fourth inning, and he hit a shot to left, but the wind knocked it down and it didn't even make the warning track.
The wind could have been the story of the day as it (possibly) played a role in around 7 plays, most of which involved Luis Castillo. Castillo was battling like nobody's business, but when he yielded to Jeff Francoeur on a pop-up in the ninth, Francoeur dropped it. Kosuke Fukodome, who was on first, was forced out at second by the alert Castillo, but those two Mets were having a rough time of it.
Others who contributed to yesterday's miniature offensive outburst were Anderson Hernandez, Jeff Francoeur and Daniel Murphy with RBI hits (Hernandez's a triple).
Fernando Tatis seemed to get a hold of a ball in the top of the fourth inning, and he hit a shot to left, but the wind knocked it down and it didn't even make the warning track.
The wind could have been the story of the day as it (possibly) played a role in around 7 plays, most of which involved Luis Castillo. Castillo was battling like nobody's business, but when he yielded to Jeff Francoeur on a pop-up in the ninth, Francoeur dropped it. Kosuke Fukodome, who was on first, was forced out at second by the alert Castillo, but those two Mets were having a rough time of it.
Friday, August 28, 2009
The Mets Win a Balllgame!!
Russ Hodges immortal words (which can be heard here) almost should have been parodied in Landshark Stadium today.
"The Mets win a ballgame...The Mets win a ballgame...I don't believe it...The Mets win a ballgame" would have hardly been inappropriate. Why didn't Howie Rose use those words? Because they were up by 7 runs.
But what a display the Mets put on today. Trotting out a lineup that had fewer home runs combined than the Marlins top two sluggers, the Mets promptly made mincemeat of Anibal Sanchez and crew.
Every single member of the Mets starting lineup (1-8) had at least two hits. Anderson Hernandez had three. Daniel Murphy cracked 2 RBI doubles, Jeff Francoeur knocked in a pair, and the New York Mets were on their way to victory.
The only Met who couldn't get anything done in the batter's box more than proved his worth in that of the pitcher. Just 3 runs on 5 hits in 6.2 innings. There's not much more you can ask for from Tim Redding. Now, Johan Santana's a different story. But remember, this is Tim Redding. TIM REDDING. You know, the guy who just managed to get his ERA under 6 with this fine outing. Ya Gotta take that!
Tomorrow is Pat Misch's first start of the year. He'll be taking on the Chicago Cubs and Ted Lilly.
If the Met year had gone differently, if say, Delgado, Beltran, Reyes, Wright, Church, Sheffield, Schneider, Pagan and Fernando Martinez had not been injured - if Johan Santana, Oliver Perez, John Maine, and JJ Putz had not gotten hurt - if all of the above had played as expected and the Mets had only one starting pitcher pitching like a number five starter, I might be making fun of the Cubbies right now.
But that ain't happening.
Poll Results: Our last poll asked you, "Who's your favorite infielder?" The winner was former-and-current Met Anderson Hernandez.
"The Mets win a ballgame...The Mets win a ballgame...I don't believe it...The Mets win a ballgame" would have hardly been inappropriate. Why didn't Howie Rose use those words? Because they were up by 7 runs.
But what a display the Mets put on today. Trotting out a lineup that had fewer home runs combined than the Marlins top two sluggers, the Mets promptly made mincemeat of Anibal Sanchez and crew.
Every single member of the Mets starting lineup (1-8) had at least two hits. Anderson Hernandez had three. Daniel Murphy cracked 2 RBI doubles, Jeff Francoeur knocked in a pair, and the New York Mets were on their way to victory.
The only Met who couldn't get anything done in the batter's box more than proved his worth in that of the pitcher. Just 3 runs on 5 hits in 6.2 innings. There's not much more you can ask for from Tim Redding. Now, Johan Santana's a different story. But remember, this is Tim Redding. TIM REDDING. You know, the guy who just managed to get his ERA under 6 with this fine outing. Ya Gotta take that!
Tomorrow is Pat Misch's first start of the year. He'll be taking on the Chicago Cubs and Ted Lilly.
If the Met year had gone differently, if say, Delgado, Beltran, Reyes, Wright, Church, Sheffield, Schneider, Pagan and Fernando Martinez had not been injured - if Johan Santana, Oliver Perez, John Maine, and JJ Putz had not gotten hurt - if all of the above had played as expected and the Mets had only one starting pitcher pitching like a number five starter, I might be making fun of the Cubbies right now.
But that ain't happening.
Poll Results: Our last poll asked you, "Who's your favorite infielder?" The winner was former-and-current Met Anderson Hernandez.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Bright Spots
In what looks like a lost year for the New York Mets, I'd like to highlight a (slighlty) bright spot: Perspective.
2009 seems to be the year of the injury. But it's more than that: It is, to some extent, the year of "What Will Be."
Angel Pagan, Daniel Murphy, Fernando Martinez, Bobby Parnell: These men have all been auditioning for jobs with the 2010 New York Mets. And Angel, with his real production, may just have earned one.
And the other thing about this year worth mentioning is the carousel of unqualified shortstops that the Mets have put out there. I have nothing against Anderson Hernandez, Ramon Martinez, Wilson Valdez, Angel Berroa and Argenis Reyes.
But, seriously, are these the New York Mets or the B-Mets?
2009 seems to be the year of the injury. But it's more than that: It is, to some extent, the year of "What Will Be."
Angel Pagan, Daniel Murphy, Fernando Martinez, Bobby Parnell: These men have all been auditioning for jobs with the 2010 New York Mets. And Angel, with his real production, may just have earned one.
And the other thing about this year worth mentioning is the carousel of unqualified shortstops that the Mets have put out there. I have nothing against Anderson Hernandez, Ramon Martinez, Wilson Valdez, Angel Berroa and Argenis Reyes.
But, seriously, are these the New York Mets or the B-Mets?
Sunday, August 23, 2009
That's Three
It was not exactly a great moment for Met fandom, but this was a pretty cool (and rare) play.
Also, hat's off to Angel Pagan, who is (I believe) the first Met with two home runs in a game since Daniel Murphy.
Also, hat's off to Angel Pagan, who is (I believe) the first Met with two home runs in a game since Daniel Murphy.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Itch
In 2005, Ichiro hit 15 home runs. Obviously I don't follow him or the Mariners too closely, but that definitely surprised me. I recall reading a quote from his father (I think) saying that if he wanted to, Ichiro could hit 30 home runs in a season.
Okay. But there are two things.
1. The whole point was that he could - but that that's not his game. His game is about speed and offense; and
2. It's his father, so I'm not entirely certain about how much stock we should put in what he said about Ichiro.*
* I am reminded right now of Ty Cobb. Cobb, as you probably know, was arguably the best hitter of all time. (He wasn't, but people argue that he was.) He has the highest batting average of all time, and I believe I once read something along the lines of "Ty Cobb retired having set 106 records, one of which was having set most records." Point is, he was good. And to some extent, he was an Ichiro slap-the-ball-and-run type player. Which I suppose most people were back when he played. He supposedly practiced his bunting by putting down a sweater and trying to get the ball to land on the edge of the sleeve.
Anyway, while he was a quasi-slugger (I mean, he did lead the league in slugging percentage eight times), he wasn't exactly your prototypical knock-the-cover-off-the-ball type of hitter. From 1906 (his first kind of full-time season) to 1920, he topped out at 9 home runs in a year, averaging about 4.5.
That was when the live-ball era arrived. And this aging quasi-slugger, this stolen base man, the fellow who practiced having his bunts land on the cuff of the sweater, this 34-year-old sixteen-year veteran, hit 12 home runs in a season twice.
I'm not going to say that 15 home runs is such a huge total , but it sure ain't bad from a Gold Glove outfielder who will also pound out 200 hits. On the Mets he's be batting third.
2001 was one of the best (if not the best) year for the Rookie of the Year Award. The American League Award went to Ichiro Suzuki, while the National League Award went to Albert Pujols. I just want to point out that if they each keep up their pace for the next month and a half, they will have each played nine full seasons.
In only 3 of them will Ichiro not have led the American League in hits. In only 3 of them will Albert Pujols not have had either won the MVP award or placed runner up.
Just saying.
Okay. But there are two things.
1. The whole point was that he could - but that that's not his game. His game is about speed and offense; and
2. It's his father, so I'm not entirely certain about how much stock we should put in what he said about Ichiro.*
* I am reminded right now of Ty Cobb. Cobb, as you probably know, was arguably the best hitter of all time. (He wasn't, but people argue that he was.) He has the highest batting average of all time, and I believe I once read something along the lines of "Ty Cobb retired having set 106 records, one of which was having set most records." Point is, he was good. And to some extent, he was an Ichiro slap-the-ball-and-run type player. Which I suppose most people were back when he played. He supposedly practiced his bunting by putting down a sweater and trying to get the ball to land on the edge of the sleeve.
Anyway, while he was a quasi-slugger (I mean, he did lead the league in slugging percentage eight times), he wasn't exactly your prototypical knock-the-cover-off-the-ball type of hitter. From 1906 (his first kind of full-time season) to 1920, he topped out at 9 home runs in a year, averaging about 4.5.
That was when the live-ball era arrived. And this aging quasi-slugger, this stolen base man, the fellow who practiced having his bunts land on the cuff of the sweater, this 34-year-old sixteen-year veteran, hit 12 home runs in a season twice.
I'm not going to say that 15 home runs is such a huge total , but it sure ain't bad from a Gold Glove outfielder who will also pound out 200 hits. On the Mets he's be batting third.
2001 was one of the best (if not the best) year for the Rookie of the Year Award. The American League Award went to Ichiro Suzuki, while the National League Award went to Albert Pujols. I just want to point out that if they each keep up their pace for the next month and a half, they will have each played nine full seasons.
In only 3 of them will Ichiro not have led the American League in hits. In only 3 of them will Albert Pujols not have had either won the MVP award or placed runner up.
Just saying.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Wild Game
Trivia Question: What is Ichiro Suzuki's career high in home runs? (answer later)
Another Question: Why is it that the Mets major league team doesn't cover the bases properly? (No answer forthcoming)
What a game! How often do you see a pitcher give up 8 runs in an inning - and remain in the game to pitch the next inning?
A couple of players earned a trip to the moon in frequent flier miles in tonight's game. Here's basically what happened:
Anderson Hernandez started off the game at shortstop. In the bottom of the third inning, Wilson Valdez pinch-hit for Bobby Parnell. That's where all the trouble started. Valdez remained in the game as the shortstop and Anderson Hernandez shifted to second, with Luis Castillo being double-switched out for Nelson Figueroa.
In the bottom of the fifth, Andy Green pinch-hit for Figueroa. Green remained in the game at second base and Anderson Hernandez went back to shortstop, with Wilson Valdez now shifting to left field to replace Gary Sheffield who was double-switched out of the game for Tim Redding.
In the bottom of the eighth, Cory Sullivan pinch-hit for Redding. He remained in the game as the left fielder. Valdez went back to shortstop, with Anderson Hernandez going back to second. Andy Green shifted to third taking over defensively for Fernando Tatis, whose spot in the batting order was taken by Sean Green.
This would all be so much cooler if it happened because the Mets did this in a game in which they were blowing out the enemy instead of vice-versa.
Answer: 15. For more, click here.
Another Question: Why is it that the Mets major league team doesn't cover the bases properly? (No answer forthcoming)
What a game! How often do you see a pitcher give up 8 runs in an inning - and remain in the game to pitch the next inning?
A couple of players earned a trip to the moon in frequent flier miles in tonight's game. Here's basically what happened:
Anderson Hernandez started off the game at shortstop. In the bottom of the third inning, Wilson Valdez pinch-hit for Bobby Parnell. That's where all the trouble started. Valdez remained in the game as the shortstop and Anderson Hernandez shifted to second, with Luis Castillo being double-switched out for Nelson Figueroa.
In the bottom of the fifth, Andy Green pinch-hit for Figueroa. Green remained in the game at second base and Anderson Hernandez went back to shortstop, with Wilson Valdez now shifting to left field to replace Gary Sheffield who was double-switched out of the game for Tim Redding.
In the bottom of the eighth, Cory Sullivan pinch-hit for Redding. He remained in the game as the left fielder. Valdez went back to shortstop, with Anderson Hernandez going back to second. Andy Green shifted to third taking over defensively for Fernando Tatis, whose spot in the batting order was taken by Sean Green.
This would all be so much cooler if it happened because the Mets did this in a game in which they were blowing out the enemy instead of vice-versa.
Answer: 15. For more, click here.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)