Source: http://www.firejoemorgan.com/2008/09/its-cool.html
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Saturday, 30 April 2011
The Duke of Hazard
Edwin "Duke" Snider died last Sunday at the age of 84. We're talkin' baseball here. Willie, Mickey, and the Duke. Three Hall of Famers who patrolled center field in New York during the 1950s.
There have been countless tributes written about Snider during the past week, including one titled simply "The Duke" by the prolific Joe Posnanski. In addition, Duke's death has been a topic of conversation on the Society of American Baseball Research's SABR-L message board. The latter has focused on the time when Snider hurt his arm trying to throw a baseball out of the Los Angeles Coliseum in April 1958.
Posnanski mentioned that Snider "had a powerful arm when he was young but hurt it and was never quite the same after he turned 30" but doesn't provide any details. SABR members Bob Timmermann and Lloyd Davis provided excerpts from articles in the Los Angeles Times and Associated Press. I also found one from The Milwaukee Sentinel.
This story got me thinking about what my Dad, who covered the Los Angeles Dodgers from 1958-1968 for the Long Beach Independent, Press-Telegram, had to say about the matter. I pulled out his scrapbooks and found three separate stories on this subject.
The first was published in the morning newspaper (then known as the Independent) in a separate boxed insert on Thursday, April 24, 1958 as part of the Dodgers-Cubs game coverage from the previous night.
Clowns, Hurts ArmDuke Snider, who so far has failed to hit a ball out of the Coliseum, tried to throw one out Wednesday night with the adverse results.
Clowning around before batting practice, the Duke attempted to clear the concrete wall bordering the 79th row. He came close once, tossing one into the 77th row, but pulled a muscle in his arm on the final try.
Manager Walter Alston had to yank Snider from his announced lineup and he may miss today's game, too.
The second was the lead to a longer story with the headline spanning the entire newspaper of that evening's newspaper (known as the Press-Telegram).
Snider in Dodger DoghouseBy GEORGE LEDERER
There are some strained feelings among the Dodgers today, both physical and otherwise.
Physically, the strain is in Duke Snider's right elbow. Otherwise, it is between Snider and manager Walter Alston and the Dodger front office.
The Duke learned the hard way Wednesday night that he is paid roughly $40,000 per season to try and hit, not throw, the ball out of the park.
In a bit of pre-game horse play with utility infielder Don Zimmer, Snider strained a tendon in his right elbow as he tried to heave a ball out of the Coliseum, 79 rows high and some 120 feet deep.
Alston, who had already announced his lineup, was forced to make some quick changes. He not only yanked Snider, but suspended him without pay until he is ready to play again.
[snip]
Snider, who had succeeded in tossing a ball as far as the 77th row before straining his elbow, watched the action from the bench and was not informed of his suspension until after the game. His injury is believed to be not serious, but may keep him out another day or two.
Alston said he would not tolerate such antics. Snider, hitting only .217, was still showing the effects of last December's knee operation that sidelined him until late in the exhibition season.
The third article appeared in the newspaper the following day.
DAFFY DODGERS---AGAINClowning Costs Duke Day's Pay
Duke Snider was in a surprisingly good mood Thursday when he was reinstated in the Dodger lineup by Manager Walt Alston after some extra-curricular clowning cost him a day's pay.
The Duke was forced to sit out Wednesday night's 7-6 loss to the Cubs when he strained his right elbow in trying to throw a ball out of the 79-row Coliseum.
Snider was suspended for the night and docked a day's pay, which amounted to $275.
When asked how the arm felt, Snider said, "Peachy. I can't afford to lose another day's pay and neither can Uncle Sam. You know, I'm the guy who's firing all those missiles."
Alston was still somewhat sore about the incident. He also fined utility infielder Don Zimmer $25 for his part in the throwing contest. "Zimmer was just as much a part of it as Snider. The only difference is that he didn't get hurt. I would have liked to have Snider in there last night."
Dodger relief pitcher Ed Roebuck also commanded the spotlight briefly during Wednesday night's three-ring circus. Roebuck drew a $25 fine for trying to hit the scoreboard clock with fungoes in pre-game practice.
"He was supposed to hit fly balls to the outfielders," Alston said. "Instead, he was fooling around and knocking balls into the peristyle end. You won't see him hitting any today."
Snider showed no signs of being affected by the elbow injury. He threw well from left field and beat out an infield hit in his first time at bat. Rookie Don Demeter replaced Snider in the seventh inning.
There you have it ... the real story behind how the Duke of Hazard hurt his arm in 1958.
While I'm not a fan of leaders by the decade*, I found it interesting that Snider led MLB in home runs (326) and RBI (1,031) during the 1950s. You know, the decade that featured Ted Williams, Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle, Stan Musial, and Eddie Mathews. Williams missed virtually all of the 1952 and 1953 seasons to the Korean War. Mays and Mantle were rookies in 1951, and Mays missed a large portion of '52 and all of '53 to the military as well. Mathews slugged 299 HR despite debuting in 1952. Many other superstars like Hank Aaron, Ernie Banks, AL Kaline, and Frank Robinson didn't make it to the majors until the mid-1950s. By the way, Snider's teammate Gil Hodges was No. 2 in HR that decade with 310. Mathews was third, followed by Mantle (280), Musial (266), Yogi Berra (256), Mays (250), Ted Kluszewski (239), Gus Zernial (232), and Banks (228).
*Jack Morris led the majors in wins during the 1980s and Mark Grace led in hits during the 1990s.
Source: http://baseballanalysts.com/archives/2011/03/the_duke_of_haz.php
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Doc goes distance as Phils rally, edge Mets
Doc goes distance as Phils rally, edge Mets
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Pledge Drive Update
The Baseball Musings Pledge Drive is up to $2245 through the first thirteen days of donations. With 17 days to go, continuing that pace would make this the best pledge drive in the history of Baseball Musings. Peter Gammons donated...
Source: http://www.baseballmusings.com/archives/031384.php
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Howard's slam, 6 RBIs get Phils by Mets (AP)
Two big swings by Ryan Howard made it a comfortable night on the mound for rookie fill-in Vance Worley. Howard hit two homers, including a grand slam, and drove in six runs to back six scoreless innings by Worley and lead the Philadelphia Phillies to a 10-3 victory over the New York Mets on Friday night.
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Friday, 29 April 2011
Hafner out of lineup for second straight game
Hafner out of lineup for second straight game
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Pledge Drive Update
The Baseball Musings Pledge Drive is up to $2245 through the first thirteen days of donations. With 17 days to go, continuing that pace would make this the best pledge drive in the history of Baseball Musings. Peter Gammons donated...
Source: http://www.baseballmusings.com/archives/031384.php
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Center of attention
Duke Snider remembered as the engine that drove the Dodgers
Museum News
Watch Duke's 1980 Induction Speech
COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. ? In the 1950s, three future Hall of Famers played center field for New York ball clubs: Willie Mays for the Giants, Mickey Mantle for the Yankees and Duke Snider for the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Never has there been more talent at one position in one city. And never was a player more a part of a town than the powerful Snider was for Brooklyn.
Snider passed away Sunday at the age of 84. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1980.
"Duke Snider was beloved by a nation of Dodgers fans, from Brooklyn to Los Angeles, across generations and around the world," said Jane Forbes Clark, Chairman of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. "His wonderful legacy as one of the greatest outfielders of the 1950s will always be celebrated by us in Cooperstown. Our hearts go out to Beverly and their family at what we know must be a sad and difficult time."
"The Duke of Flatbush" was born in California on Sept. 19, 1926, but his baseball home was New York. He led all major leaguers in home runs and RBI in the 1950s. He was a major contributor to six pennant-winning teams and won two World Championships with the Dodgers ? in Brooklyn in 1955 and in Los Angeles in 1959.
"We shed a tear in Cooperstown for the man affectionately tabbed by his fans, 'The Duke of Flatbush.' There was no one classier or more easy-going than Duke Snider," said Jeff Idelson, the president of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. "He was nationally renowned for his smooth fielding and powerful bat ? as evidenced by hitting more home runs in the 1950s than anyone else. He is still today revered by Brooklynites everywhere for patrolling center field in Ebbets Field with grace and dignity, leading the underdog Dodgers to six pennants and their only World Series title in New York in 1955."
Snider was named to eight All-Star Games and was named the Major League Player of the Year in 1955 by the Sporting News. He finished first in the National League in hits, runs, on-base percentage, RBIs, extra base hits, home runs, total bases and intentional walks in at least one season his career.
He was also an outstanding outfielder.
"The greatest catch I ever saw was one made by Snider in 1954, when he climbed the wall of Connie Mack Stadium like a mountain goat to take an extra base hit away from Willie Jones of the Phillies," teammate Pee Wee Reese once said.
Snider hit 40 or more home runs in each of the last five seasons the Dodgers played at Ebbets Field before spending five more years with the team in Los Angeles. He collected the first hit in Dodger Stadium and was named captain in 1962, his last season as a Dodger.
Snider finished his career with a .295 batting average, 2,116 hits, 407 home runs and 1,333 RBI, playing for the Dodgers (1947-62), Mets (1963) and Giants (1964). He also totaled 11 home runs and 26 RBI in World Series play.
"Duke was a fine man, a terrific hitter and a great friend -- even though he was a Dodger," said Hall of Famer Willie Mays. "It was great playing centerfield in New York in the 1950s along with Mickey and Duke. I have wonderful memories of that. Duke and I played on some All-Star teams together and even on the same Giants team the last year he played and today I feel that I have lost a dear friend. He was a hero to the fans in Brooklyn and a great Dodger."
Snider scouted for the Dodgers and Padres following his career and managed in the minor leagues. He went on to become a beloved broadcaster for the Montreal Expos.
Snider is survived by his wife Bev, whom he married in 1947; children Kevin, Kurt, Pam Chodola and Dawna Amino; and 10 grandchildren.
A private memorial service for Duke Snider will be held on March 12. Snider, a 1980 National Baseball Hall of Fame inductee, passed away on Sunday at the age of 84.
In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations be made to Fallbrook Union High School Baseball Program, c/o Fallbrook Baseball ASB, 2234 S. Stage Coach Lane, Fallbrook, CA 92028.
The Snider family extends its gratitude and appreciation for support during this time of remembrance of Duke.
Samantha Carr is the manager of web and digital media at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
Source: http://baseballhall.org/news/museum-news/center-attention
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Lastings Impression
Chico Harlan presents Lastings Milledge in his own words. Milledge is talking about the Mets here: You know, there's always a thing where, Oh, rookies have to be here 2-1/2 or three hours before stretch. No. I'm not gonna be...
Source: http://www.baseballmusings.com/archives/031389.php
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Phillies put RHP Blanton on 15-day DL (AP)
The Philadelphia Phillies have put right-hander Joe Blanton on the 15-day disabled list with an elbow injury. Vance Worley will be recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to start against the New York Mets on Friday night. Worley was 2-2 with a 2.78 ERA in four starts for the IronPigs. Blanton is 0-1 with a 5.92 ERA in four starts.
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Yankees Accidentally Leak Personal Info Of 20,000 Season Ticket Holders [Mlb] (Deadspin)
The New York Yankees accidentally distributed a file containing information on more than 20,000 season ticket accounts. The spreadsheet contains account numbers, names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses, and was mistakenly sent to thousands of current clients. More �
Source : Deadspin
Explore : MLB, New York Yankees, Sports, Sports Blogs
Source: http://wik.io/info/US/262437270
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Thursday, 28 April 2011
Red Sox's Lester now 14-0 vs. Orioles (AP)
Jon Lester remains at a loss when asked to explain all his wins over the Baltimore Orioles. The left-hander is just happy he could end a two-game Boston slide, help the Red Sox finish a road swing on an upbeat note and get his team out of last place in the AL East. Lester improved to 14-0 all-time against Baltimore with eight dominating innings, Dustin Pedroia hit a tiebreaking infield single and...
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Lester helps Red Sox avoid being swept by O's
Jon Lester improved to 14-0 all-time against Baltimore with eight dominating innings, Dustin Pedroia hit a tiebreaking infield single and the Boston Red Sox averted a three-game sweep with a 6-2 victory over the Orioles on Thursday night.Source: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=310428101&campaign=rss&source=MLBHeadlines
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Remembering Woodie Fryman and the 1966 Pirates
Woodie Fryman died last week at the age of 70. He was as average a pitcher as you can be. 141-155 during an 18 year career. He used a double-pump windup, which you didn't see very much of anymore when he broke into the majors in 1966. He was 12-9 that year with a 3.81 ERA — not bad for a rookie. Until you consider that Forbes Field was a huge pitcher's park, this was during the enormous strike zone era, and he pitched three consecutive shutouts in a two-week stretch. The rest of his season was absolutely average. The one thing that stands out is that he threw four one-hitters. I was at the first of them.
I was a rabid Pirate fan living just a few miles from Shea Stadium. July, 1966 and Fryman is pitching a Friday night game at Shea. One aside. The 1966 Pirates will forever be my favorite team. Matty Alou won the batting title, Willie Stargell had his first big power year, and shortstop Gene Alley and second baseman Bill Mazeroski helped set the all-time record for double plays in a season. And then there was Roberto Clemente. He won the National League Most Valuable Player award that year. If your only memory of Roberto is the 1971 World Series, picture him dominating games like that for an entire season. He was something to see. The Pirates were thrilling to watch and I almost never missed a game when they came to town.
Pittsburgh led the NL for most of that season, eventually finishing third to the Dodgers and Giants, three games out of first place. Whenever they team played in San Francisco or Los Angeles, I'd stay up very late listening to the games, trying to get Bob Prince coming in above the static calling the games on WWVA radio, out of Wheeling, West Virginia. The crime of that season was the Dodgers had Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale, the Giants had Juan Marichal and Gaylord Perry, and we had only Bob Veale and Al McBean!! You call that fair???
Back to Fryman's gem. Ron Hunt leads off the game for the Mets. Chops a ball over Woodie's head. Gene Alley, at short, charges it and tries to one-hand it and throw to first, but the truth is not even Ozzie Smith or Omar Vizquel could've made that play. Infield single. Hunt gets thrown out trying to steal second base and then 26 up and 26 down. A one-hit shutout. Faced only 27 batters. No incredible fielding plays, just 26 up and 26 down. Easily the best pitched game I've ever seen in person. Stargell hit two home runs and the Pirates won 12-0.
After the game, Pirates manager Harry Walker insisted on speaking to Dick Young of the Daily News, the official scorer that night. These were two rather hot-headed guys. Walker wanted Young to change the infield hit to an error, so at least Fryman could have his no-hitter. The whole thing escalates, pushing, shoving and cursing. Walker was suspended for one game and Young wrote articles for days afterward about what a jerk Harry Walker was.
By the time the Pirates became an NL power (five NL East titles between (1970-75), Woodie Fryman was long gone. But I'll never forget that night 45 years ago.
David Bromberg has been going to baseball games since 1955. He was at Yankee Stadium two days before Don Larsen's perfect game in 1956 and at Shea Stadium two days before Jim Bunning's perfect game in 1964. He's never attended a no-hit game.
Source: http://baseballanalysts.com/archives/2011/02/remembering_woo.php
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Diamond on the Mound
Chelsea Baker donated her perfect game jersey to the Hall of Fame on Monday
Museum News
COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. ? When Chelsea Baker looks around the field this week, the diamond will look the same, but her teammates will not.
Baker, a 13-year-old baseball phenom, is playing for the first time with a new team called the Sparks ? made up of girls from all over the country ? at Cooperstown Dreams Park this week, instead of her usual male teammates.
She has noticed a difference already, and although she thinks she talks more to her female teammates, "the boys root for me too," she said.
And why wouldn't they. On Monday, she stopped at the Baseball Hall of Fame to donate a jersey she wore on April 9, 2010, to pitch her second perfect game in less than a year for her Plant City, Fla., Little League baseball team.
"This donation is just the latest way of showing that baseball is an equal opportunity employer. Size doesn't matter, it is heart that matters most," said Hall of Fame President Jeff Idelson, who accepted the jersey on behalf of the Museum. "Women are an important part of the game and an important part of baseball history and we are honored that Chelsea thought of us and is willing to donate her jersey."
One of the reasons for Baker's incredible success is a knuckleball taught to her by the late Joe Niekro, a successful Major League pitcher and brother of Hall of Fame knuckleballer Phil Niekro.
Joe Niekro taught Baker the tricky pitch shortly before he passed away in 2006, when Baker was only 8-years-old.
"I think he would have been amazed, and he would have been so proud of me," Baker said.
Baker was the only girl in her league and finished with a 12-0 record on the mound for the 2010 season. Her team finished 29-1. She also has two grand slams to her credit at the plate.
Her new team, the Sparks, is an all-girls touring baseball team that is part of the Baseball For All organization. Her teammates joined her at the Hall of Fame for Monday's donation, and her jersey will now be on display for Cooperstown visitors to see, as part of baseball history.
"It's been an honor and a privilege being here," Baker said. "This is really a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
Samantha Carr is the manager of web and digital media for the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
Source: http://baseballhall.org/news/museum-news/diamond-mound
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Wednesday, 27 April 2011
Nursing hamstring, Pujols returns to lineup
Nursing hamstring, Pujols returns to lineup
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Chipper passes Mantle for switch-hitting RBIs
Chipper passes Mantle for switch-hitting RBIs
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Federal justice officials say drug dealer kept property in Lvian Hernandez's name
Federal justice officials will meet with Major League Baseball representatives after the name of Washington Nationals pitcher Livan Hernandez surfaced in the trial of a convicted drug dealer.Source: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=6438736&campaign=rss&source=MLBHeadlines
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Carrasco plays catch, bullpen session up next
Carrasco plays catch, bullpen session up next
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Los Angeles Dodgers' Andre Ethier extends record hit streak
Andre Ethier extended his record April hitting streak to 24 games on Wednesday afternoon.Source: http://sports.espn.go.com/los-angeles/mlb/news/story?id=6437168&campaign=rss&source=MLBHeadlines
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Frank McCourt to meet with MLB officials in New York
Frank McCourt is on his way to meet with Major League Baseball.
Source: http://rssfeeds.usatoday.com/~r/UsatodaycomSports-TopStories/~3/xwvChnzPa9A/1
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Mark Herzlich 'couldn't accept' that cancer would end career
When former Boston College linebacker Mark Herzlich is selected in the NFL draft, probably not until the middle or late rounds, it will represent ...
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Tuesday, 26 April 2011
Ervin Santana's Inside Pitch
A couple weeks ago Mike Fast posted two graphs showing the average plate location of each pitcher from 2007-2010 to LHBs and RHBs. I thought it was a very cool idea as it offers some insights into how pitchers attack the zone differently. It is particularly interesting to see the outlier pitchers: Derek Lowe has the lowest (ha) pitches, and Livan Hernandez pitches the farthest away to both left-handed and right-handed batters. And without being presented the data I would never have guessed that Ervin Santana throws the farthest inside to left-handed batters of any pitcher. With most pitchers throwing extremely away to lefties I wanted to see what was going on with Santana.
*As a quick side note, I think that these are the raw values straight from gameday and not Mike's corrected values (Mike can correct me if I am wrong). But recently both Mike and Max Marchi described park correction systems to the plate locations they developed. Though take slightly different approaches they seem to get similar results, which is reassuring. Also they both come to the conclusion that for most parks on most days the data are probably off by less than an inch or two, also reassuring. But still I think the correction process is an important one, and I hope to give it some thought soon.*
Turning back to Santana, although he occasionally throws a change up he is largely a two-pitch pitcher throwing his fastball 59% of the time and his slider 36% of the time (he stopped throwing a curve in 2007) . This is the case even to left-hand batters, to whom he still throws his change up under 10% of the time and throws his slider over 30% of the time. For a right-handed starter is this is a very high percentage, maybe one of the highest in the league, for slider use to left-handed batters.
I think this is a big part of the reason he throws so far inside to left-handed batters. Sliders have glove-side movement compared to fastballs, so from right-handed pitchers they move away to right-hand batters and in to left-handed batters. Thus from a right-handed pitcher they often end up inside to left-handed batters. Since Santana throws more sliders to left-handed batters than the almost any right-handed pitcher he will tend to throw more inside pitches. And his sliders are even more inside than the average right-handed pitcher's:
So Santana is throwing sliders to left-handed batters much more than other right-handed batters do and throwing them even farther inside than others do. Most right-handed pitchers throw fastballs and change ups to left-handed batters and when they do they throw them outside. Santana throws his share of fastballs to left-handed batters, but when he does he throws them slightly more inside than average:
When you add up all these parts — fastball not as extremely outside as other RHPs, lots of inside sliders rather than outside change ups — you get Santana's extreme inside pitches to left-handed batters. But does it work? What are Santana's numbers against LHBs like?
Santana has averaged a 4.7 FIP against lefties versus a 3.94 FIP against righties — a pretty reasonable platoon split and generally an okay performance against lefties. Also his slider is better against lefties than his change is, getting more whiffs (17% versus 10%), more out-of-zone swings (35% versus 24%), fewer in-zone swings (53% versus 72%), and a lower slugging on balls in play (.583 versus .626). So given what he has to work with it looks like Santana is right to go with his inside slider against LHBs so much over his change. And as a result of this he is the only pitcher whose pitches on average end up on the inside half of the plate to left-handed batters.
Source: http://baseballanalysts.com/archives/2011/03/ervin_santanas.php
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Recapping my week 4 results
And building momentum for week five
Click the title to read more.
Read more great baseball stuff at The Hardball Times.
Click the title to read more.
Read more great baseball stuff at The Hardball Times.
Source: http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/fantasy/article/recapping-my-week-4-results/
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Flyers need to find remedy to fingers-crossed goalie strategy
Shouldn't be a goaltender controversy for the Philadelphia Flyers going into Game 7 Tuesday against the Buffalo Sabres. Brian Boucher's solid ...
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Prince Fielder says he's happy for Ryan Braun, but wants Milwaukee Brewers to make effort to re-sign him
Prince Fielder says he's ecstatic Ryan Braun received a $105 million, five-year extension and hopes that the Brewers will make an effort to sign him to a long-term deal in the offseason.Source: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=6411334&campaign=rss&source=MLBHeadlines
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The kids are all right: MLB's best 25-and-unders
The kids are all right: MLB's best 25-and-unders
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News and Views: New York Yankees Starting Rotation
The New York Yankees reportedly signed Kevin Millwood to a minor league deal on Friday. The 36-year-old righthander will compete with the 37-year-old Bartolo Colon and the 34-year-old Freddy Garcia for the fifth spot in the team's starting rotation. And let's not forget Mark Prior who hasn't pitched in the major leagues since 2006!
These candidates would make for a nice staff if this were 2003 rather than 2011. I mean, this foursome might even give the Philadelphia Phillies' quartet a run for their money. You see, eight years ago, Colon, Garcia, Millwood, and Prior combined to post a 59-45 record with a 3.71 ERA and 733 SO/256 BB in 876.2 IP when all four starters were in their 20s.
Hey, if it's not 2003, then maybe it is the 1960s as we shouldn't forget that the club is also counting on a first-generation Nova.
Source: http://baseballanalysts.com/archives/2011/03/news_and_views_4.php
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Monday, 25 April 2011
Understanding the Standings
Two-and-a-half weeks into the season and the standings are pretty much in-line with the consensus viewpoint prior to Opening Day. While this observation is no solace for Red Sox fans, who is all that surprised that the Yankees, Rangers, Phillies, Reds, and Rockies are atop their divisions? Or that the Mariners, Mets, Astros, and Diamondbacks are in the basement?
Among teams in first or last place, only the Red Sox, Indians, and Twins would cause those in the know to scratch their head. As it relates to clubs in the middle of the pack, maybe the Royals are outperforming as much as the Braves are underperforming but there is really very little to quibble about as far as the rest of the W-L records are concerned. Oh, there might be a few fans out there who were hoping that their favorite team got off to a better start, but I don't see how anyone outside Boston or Minnesota could argue for more than one win or perhaps two at this juncture.
With respect to the Red Sox, absent some permanent change in the fundamental outlook, I would simply lower their projected win total for the year by the difference between the actual (5) and expected (9) wins to date. In other words, if 95 wins was a good estimate before the season, then I would be inclined to go with 91 today. Going 86-61 (.585) the rest of the way doesn't seem so unreasonable to me.
Same thing with the Twins. Instead of winning, say, 85 games, perhaps the team ends up with 82 or 83. As for Cleveland, maybe the Indians win 75 to 80 games rather than 70 to 75. I know this is a simplistic way of looking at today's standings — especially without taking into consideration strength of schedules — but I believe it is more rational than making some sweeping conclusions about this team or that team 14 to 17 games into the season.
Will there be surprises this year? Most definitely. No season ever goes according to plan. Injuries, breakouts/breakdowns, and good luck/bad luck all come into play each and every campaign. There is no reason why this year will be different. But don't give up on the Red Sox or Twins, or raise that 2011 AL Central Championship banner in Cleveland quite yet.
AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST TEAM W L PCT GB Yankees 9 5 .643 - Rays 7 9 .438 3 Blue Jays 7 9 .438 3 Orioles 6 9 .400 3.5 Red Sox 5 10 .333 4.5
AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL TEAM W L PCT GB Indians 12 4 .750 - Royals 10 6 .625 2 Tigers 8 9 .471 4.5 White Sox 7 9 .438 5 Twins 6 10 .375 6
AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST TEAM W L PCT GB Rangers 11 5 .688 - Angels 10 6 .625 1 A's 8 8 .500 3 Mariners 5 12 .294 6.5
NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST TEAM W L PCT GB Phillies 10 5 .667 - Marlins 8 6 .571 1.5 Nationals 8 7 .533 2 Braves 7 10 .412 4 Mets 5 11 .313 5.5
NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL TEAM W L PCT GB Reds 9 7 .563 - Pirates 8 8 .500 1 Cardinals 8 8 .500 1 Cubs 8 8 .500 1 Brewers 8 8 .500 1 Astros 5 11 .313 4
NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST TEAM W L PCT GB Rockies 12 4 .750 - Giants 9 7 .563 3 Dodgers 8 9 .471 4.5 Padres 7 9 .438 5 Diamondbacks 6 8 .429 5
Back in January, I thought the A's, Brewers, and Rockies were the best bets to exceed their projected win totals. I lowered my expectations for Milwaukee after learning about Zack Greinke's injury but still thought the NL Central would be a wide-open affair with the Reds, Cardinals, Cubs, and Brewers fighting it out for most of the summer. I have little or no reason to change my outlook for the A's or Rockies and wouldn't be totally surprised if one or both ended up in the World Series.
Source: http://baseballanalysts.com/archives/2011/04/understanding_t.php
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Wolf, hawk steal show as Brewers oust Astros
Randy Wolf allowed four hits over eight sharp innings and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Houston Astros 4-1 on Sunday.Source: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=310424108&campaign=rss&source=MLBHeadlines
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Gardy sticking with Cuddyer at second base
Gardy sticking with Cuddyer at second base
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Yankees overcome blown save to best O's in 11
Russell Martin singled home the tiebreaking run in the 11th inning after Mariano Rivera gave up the lead in the ninth, and the New York Yankees beat the Baltimore Orioles 6-3 Sunday for a two-game sweep.Source: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=310424101&campaign=rss&source=MLBHeadlines
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Sunday, 24 April 2011
Remembering Woodie Fryman and the 1966 Pirates
Woodie Fryman died last week at the age of 70. He was as average a pitcher as you can be. 141-155 during an 18 year career. He used a double-pump windup, which you didn't see very much of anymore when he broke into the majors in 1966. He was 12-9 that year with a 3.81 ERA — not bad for a rookie. Until you consider that Forbes Field was a huge pitcher's park, this was during the enormous strike zone era, and he pitched three consecutive shutouts in a two-week stretch. The rest of his season was absolutely average. The one thing that stands out is that he threw four one-hitters. I was at the first of them.
I was a rabid Pirate fan living just a few miles from Shea Stadium. July, 1966 and Fryman is pitching a Friday night game at Shea. One aside. The 1966 Pirates will forever be my favorite team. Matty Alou won the batting title, Willie Stargell had his first big power year, and shortstop Gene Alley and second baseman Bill Mazeroski helped set the all-time record for double plays in a season. And then there was Roberto Clemente. He won the National League Most Valuable Player award that year. If your only memory of Roberto is the 1971 World Series, picture him dominating games like that for an entire season. He was something to see. The Pirates were thrilling to watch and I almost never missed a game when they came to town.
Pittsburgh led the NL for most of that season, eventually finishing third to the Dodgers and Giants, three games out of first place. Whenever they team played in San Francisco or Los Angeles, I'd stay up very late listening to the games, trying to get Bob Prince coming in above the static calling the games on WWVA radio, out of Wheeling, West Virginia. The crime of that season was the Dodgers had Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale, the Giants had Juan Marichal and Gaylord Perry, and we had only Bob Veale and Al McBean!! You call that fair???
Back to Fryman's gem. Ron Hunt leads off the game for the Mets. Chops a ball over Woodie's head. Gene Alley, at short, charges it and tries to one-hand it and throw to first, but the truth is not even Ozzie Smith or Omar Vizquel could've made that play. Infield single. Hunt gets thrown out trying to steal second base and then 26 up and 26 down. A one-hit shutout. Faced only 27 batters. No incredible fielding plays, just 26 up and 26 down. Easily the best pitched game I've ever seen in person. Stargell hit two home runs and the Pirates won 12-0.
After the game, Pirates manager Harry Walker insisted on speaking to Dick Young of the Daily News, the official scorer that night. These were two rather hot-headed guys. Walker wanted Young to change the infield hit to an error, so at least Fryman could have his no-hitter. The whole thing escalates, pushing, shoving and cursing. Walker was suspended for one game and Young wrote articles for days afterward about what a jerk Harry Walker was.
By the time the Pirates became an NL power (five NL East titles between (1970-75), Woodie Fryman was long gone. But I'll never forget that night 45 years ago.
David Bromberg has been going to baseball games since 1955. He was at Yankee Stadium two days before Don Larsen's perfect game in 1956 and at Shea Stadium two days before Jim Bunning's perfect game in 1964. He's never attended a no-hit game.
Source: http://baseballanalysts.com/archives/2011/02/remembering_woo.php
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Birdland: Uninvited guest takes flight at Miller
Birdland: Uninvited guest takes flight at Miller
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Team Offense, Colorado Rockies
Brad HawpePhoto: Icon SMI The series on team offense continues with the Colorado Rockies. I plug the probable lineup from CBSSportsLine into the Lineup Analysis Tool, and fill in the numbers with Marcel the Monkey projections. For pitchers, I...
Source: http://www.baseballmusings.com/archives/031380.php
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Team Offense, Colorado Rockies
Brad HawpePhoto: Icon SMI The series on team offense continues with the Colorado Rockies. I plug the probable lineup from CBSSportsLine into the Lineup Analysis Tool, and fill in the numbers with Marcel the Monkey projections. For pitchers, I...
Source: http://www.baseballmusings.com/archives/031380.php
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The Cubs in 2011
Sometimes it just all goes wrong. You could say that was the story of the 2010 Red Sox. They suffered injuries all over the roster. Kevin Youkilis, Dustin Pedroia, Jacoby Ellsbury, Mike Cameron, Josh Beckett, you name the Red Sox player and it's likely they missed a chunk of time. John Lackey also fell short of expectations, Jonathan Papelbon imploded down the stretch, and the end result was a 3rd place finish.
But then again, what about the MVP season Adrian Beltre put up? And didn't Clay Buchholz somehow post a 2.33 ERA? Jon Lester had another Cy Young caliber season. Jed Lowrie posted a better OPS+ than Troy Tulowitzki in limited time. You get the point. There were bright spots for the Red Sox, and it's how they managed to win 89 games.
For the Cubs, things went south quickly. They started terribly out of the gate, and a short-tempered Lou Piniella, on his last managerial legs, reacted poorly. He mishandled Carlos Zambrano, whose awful April and delicate temperament seemed to overwhelm Piniella. Inexplicably, Piniella actually played Koyie Hill regularly while one of the game's best hitting catchers sat on the bench. In an unceremonious end to his career, Pinella quit over the summer when the Cubs were 51-74.
It wasn't just Piniella's fault, of course. From 2004 to 2009, Aramis Ramirez hit .303/.368/.551 in over 3,300 plate appearances. In 2010, he hit .241/.294/.452 on the heels of his worst BABIP, .245, since his 21-year old season for the Pirates. Derrek Lee hit .304/.384/.515 from 2007 to 2009 and then fell to .251 /.335/.416 last season for the Cubs. Sure it's probably just one of those things and not attributable to much at all, but the fact that Lee went and hit .287/.384/.465 for the Braves over the last 39 games does little to discredit the notion that there was a corrosiveness surrounding the Cubs in 2010.
There were also the 412 plate appearances of .647 OPS output that Ryan Theriot contributed. Indeed, the most productive Cubs infielder in 2010 was Starlin Castro, an exciting development that bodes well for the North Siders' future. But let's be honest. If a 20-year old shortstop is your best hitting infielder, chances are you're doing it very, very wrong.
On the pitching side, Zambrano notwithstanding, things started out pretty good for the Cubs. The problems arose over the summer. In June and July, they yielded 323 runs over a 55-game stretch. That amounts to 5.87 runs per game, or 951 allowed extrapolated over a full season. No National League team in the last 10 seasons has managed 951 runs. It was a disaster. On the bright side, the Cubs did finish 24-13 under new Manager, Mike Quade, who returns this season.
So what about 2011? Lee is gone and Carlos Pena is in. While it may be a lot to ask of an antsy fan base to grin and bear such a low batting average and a ton of strikeouts, Pena looks poised for a big bounce-back. Dan Szymborski's ZIPS has Lee at .239/.363/.508 with 31 home runs. On the other corner, Ramirez is another great candidate to return to form. At second, Theriot's out of the picture and while Blake DeWitt and Jeff Baker might not amount to much, Theriot gone, and playing for the rival Cards no less, may well amount to addition by subtraction. Baker has hit .308/.363/.545 in his career against lefties, so Quade may have a tactical lever to pull in order to squeeze a bit more production out of second. At short, Castro's another year older and projects as a star one day. He might not get there this year but you never know when a player of his talent might make that leap. They're not the Phillies, the Red Sox or the Yankees but it should be a productive infield, which is a lot more than the Cubbies could say in 2010.
Behind the plate, Quade's mandate is simple. Play Geovany Soto. Play him as much as possible without risking injury. DH him in the AL parks. It was only nine games but I found this to be one of the very saddest things about the 2010 Cubs. Their pitchers hit .132/.170/.159 last season. In their nine interleague games in AL ballparks, Cubs DH's hit .154/.175/.179. They might as well have stuck with their pitcher. Sorry to get off topic but the point here is straightforward. Play Soto a lot. Play Hill as little as possible.
The outfield of (left to right) Alfonso Soriano, Marlon Byrd and Kosuke Fukudome returns in place and while it's old and not the most prolific bunch, it's also steady. None of them figures to turn in a stinker of a season provided they can stay healthy. I'm not a big Tyler Colvin fan but he's versatile and fine enough as a fourth option.
On the pitching side, Ryan Dempster returns and Quade has already named him the Opening Day starter. It's a small thing but I like the early announcement for a few reasons. First, it shows that Quade appreciates what Dempster has managed to accomplish over the last few seasons. Since 2008, he ranks 14th in Fangraphs Wins Above Replacement among all Major League pitchers. Rewarding Dempster for that sort of output reflects well on Quade. Second, it takes a hint pressure off of Zambrano and newcomer Matt Garza. Zambrano hasn't always reacted well to the expectations that come with a big paycheck in a media market like Chicago. And, like Zambrano, Garza is a fiery competitor who can feed off of, or be done in by, his emotions. Again, it's not a big deal but it reflects a level of thoughtfulness that was lacking during the Piniella days. The Cubs had a 103 team ERA+ last season, they return four of five starters, swap Garza in for Tom Gorzelanny and have added Kerry Wood to a bullpen that returns key pieces Carlos Marmol and Sean Marshall.
If the Cubs fail to make a playoff push this season, it will likely be due to a lack of depth. That's a shame for a club with Chicago's payroll but it's the reality. A Soriano injury means everyday Tyler Colvin. If Pena or Ramirez miss time, does Baker move to a corner infield position? There's not much rotation depth at all, and outside of the top three or four or five options depending on how you feel about live arms Andrew Cashner and Thomas Diamond, the bullpen gets thin quickly.
Nonetheless there's a path to success for the Cubs this season. It's tenuous because of how thin they are, but it's there. With health, more of the same from the pitching staff, above average corner infield production, continued excellence and more playing time for Soto and a leap forward from Castro, the Cubs have the look of a contender. They look even more like one with yesterday's Adam Wainwright news, and if you compare the Cubs' reaction to the news to Cincinnati's, who knows? Karma monitors these things, and maybe the Cubs will find it on their side this year?
Source: http://baseballanalysts.com/archives/2011/02/the_cubs_in_201.php
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Saturday, 23 April 2011
Texas Rangers' Josh Hamilton running/throwing but not swinging; Brandon Webb headed to extended spring training
Texas Rangers slugger Josh Hamilton is able to run and throw as he recovers from a broken right shoulder expected to sideline the reigning AL MVP for up to two months, and pitcher Brandon Webb is heading to extended spring games in Surprise, Ariz.Source: http://sports.espn.go.com/dallas/mlb/news/story?id=6411462&campaign=rss&source=MLBHeadlines
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Los Angeles Dodgers vice chairman Steve Soboroff blasts MLB's takeover, defends Frank McCourt (ESPN)
The newest Los Angeles Dodgers executive came to the defense of embattled owner Frank McCourt on Wednesday, blasting commissioner Bud Selig's decision to have Major League Baseball assume control of the team.
Source : ESPN
Explore : Authors, Fine Arts, Los Angeles Dodgers, MLB, Sports
Source: http://wik.io/info/US/261388925
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Detroit jury finds Terry Jones guilty of breach of peace for attempted protest outside Islamic center (Hot Air)
Banned. He wanted to protest outside the Islamic center in Dearborn but the city refused him a permit, fearful that some local Muslim might go nuts as a result. So they put him on trial, with the jury asked to determine what they thought his intent would be in holding the protest. If they thought his [...] Read this post �
Source : Hot Air
Explore : Baseball Players, Sports, Terry Jones
Source: http://wik.io/info/US/261582684
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Court won't give definitive judgment of Barry Bonds; ultimately, will MLB?
We probably will never get closure on the steroids problem in baseball from the last generation of players. History will judge these players -- both guilty and innocent -- differently that past generations, knowing that the power stats were exaggerated. Hall of Fame voters will likely keep those with clear evidence of cheating out of Cooperstown, but those players still made big money because they extended their careers, or pushed them to new heights.
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Rangers power past KC behind five homers
Rangers power past KC behind five homers
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Friday, 22 April 2011
Team Offense, Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pirates have not reached .500 since Barry Bonds departed for free agency.Photo: Icon SMI The series on team offense continues with the Pittsburgh Pirates. I plug the probable lineup from CBSSportsLine into the Lineup Analysis Tool, and fill...
Source: http://www.baseballmusings.com/archives/031383.php
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Stadium Pictures
Bob Ruffolo got inside the new Yankee Stadium and post pictures of facility. I like the way they kept the look and feel of the old ballpark....
Source: http://www.baseballmusings.com/archives/031386.php
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