As we near the magical 40 game mark (I'm not sure what makes it magical but hey why not) it probably is time to take stock to see what is sustainable and what is not. The past few years first place in early May is no guarantee of future success as on average about only half of the teams in first place at this time of year finish the year in first place. So which teams are most likely to fall off the map?
Baseball prospectus currently guesses at LA Angels and Colorado. I have no reason to disagree with the mighty BP but I would also add Cleveland to the mix. Cleveland is outperforming everyone's expectations. Why I'm starting to hesitate to immediately dismiss the North Coast revival is who in the AL Central is going to step up to catch the Tribe? Detroit's hitting and monetary constraints on Minnesota/Chicago make each passing day more likely that there's something sustainable for Acta's crew.
The one interesting race to watch might be Philly v. Atlanta. Pythag (run differential) has Atlanta and Philly neck and neck although it's hard to imagine Philly faltering with it's pitching staff. Nonetheless something to keep an eye on......
What's others predictions and thoughts?
Showing posts with label Baseball. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Baseball. Show all posts
Sunday, May 08, 2011
Wednesday, January 05, 2011
Congrats To Bert Blyleven
The suffering and the waiting are over! Bert Blyleven has finally made it into Cooperstown, thanks in large part to a greater awareness of sabermetrics and the internet movement to push for his enshrinement.
In honor of this happy news, I'd like to share a fantastic photo of the newest Hall of Fame righty.
All I can say is: so do I, Bert. So do I.
In honor of this happy news, I'd like to share a fantastic photo of the newest Hall of Fame righty.
All I can say is: so do I, Bert. So do I.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Baseball's Strange Bedfellows
In case anyone needed further evidence of the strange and sordid business that goes into joining the MLB ownership fraternity, this report intimates that Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, along with two partners, is interested in entering the bidding for the bankrupt Texas Rangers franchise.
The sordid part of the affair is that, in an effort to kill off any competing bids, Hall of Famer and current Texas Rangers team president Nolan Ryan is suing the team he works for to ward off any competition. The weirdest thing in all of this is that Nolan Ryan is actually the front man for the ownership group trying to buy the Rangers out of bankruptcy which, essentially, means that Ryan is suing himself.
Tom Hicks, the Rangers former owner, has a substantial group of unsecured creditors who have a vested interest in seeing the team sold to the highest bidder. Among this group of unsecured creditors is former Rangers SS Alex Rodriguez who has a $24.8M claim against the Rangers (the total unsecured claim against the Rangers is $46,331,199.40 held by 30 creditors).
If Mark Cuban – or any other potential owner, for that matter – can buy the Rangers out of bankruptcy for more than what Ryan’s group is willing to pay, the bankruptcy court owes it to these creditors to take the best offer possible. However, as we saw with the sale of the Chicago Cubs last year, cronyism and inside dealings led the Cubs to the Ricketts family for $900M, instead of the reported $1.2B-$1.3B that Mark Cuban was willing to spend.
I don’t expect Mark Cuban or any other rival ownership group to squeeze Nolan Ryan out of eventually owning the Rangers. But it should definitely give one pause about dealing with Bud Selig when he’s willing to seize the club by using his broad powers in order to freeze out the results of a bankruptcy court ruling.
The sordid part of the affair is that, in an effort to kill off any competing bids, Hall of Famer and current Texas Rangers team president Nolan Ryan is suing the team he works for to ward off any competition. The weirdest thing in all of this is that Nolan Ryan is actually the front man for the ownership group trying to buy the Rangers out of bankruptcy which, essentially, means that Ryan is suing himself.
Tom Hicks, the Rangers former owner, has a substantial group of unsecured creditors who have a vested interest in seeing the team sold to the highest bidder. Among this group of unsecured creditors is former Rangers SS Alex Rodriguez who has a $24.8M claim against the Rangers (the total unsecured claim against the Rangers is $46,331,199.40 held by 30 creditors).
If Mark Cuban – or any other potential owner, for that matter – can buy the Rangers out of bankruptcy for more than what Ryan’s group is willing to pay, the bankruptcy court owes it to these creditors to take the best offer possible. However, as we saw with the sale of the Chicago Cubs last year, cronyism and inside dealings led the Cubs to the Ricketts family for $900M, instead of the reported $1.2B-$1.3B that Mark Cuban was willing to spend.
I don’t expect Mark Cuban or any other rival ownership group to squeeze Nolan Ryan out of eventually owning the Rangers. But it should definitely give one pause about dealing with Bud Selig when he’s willing to seize the club by using his broad powers in order to freeze out the results of a bankruptcy court ruling.
Friday, July 02, 2010
The BSD American League All-Star Roster
As this blog’s resident American League columnist, I hereby present to you the unofficial Official Back Seat Drivers American League All-Star Roster! Hitman did a bang-up job on the NL All-Star Roster, which can be found here.
Following Hitman’s lead, I have selected 34 players to fill the 34 roster slots. Per All-Star Game rules, there is at least one player representative from each AL team. The selections have been made without regard to current injuries or fan balloting; i.e. this is my set of picks for the entire roster, as if I got to choose the entire 34-man team.
Catcher:
Starter: Victor Martinez, Red Sox. It’s been a down year for catchers in baseball and the AL has not been spared in this regard. V-Mart is hitting .289/.344/.480 with 9 HR and 38 RBI which ranks him first or second in each category among his positional peers.
Reserve: Joe Mauer, Twins. It’s not anything like the MVP season he put up in 2009 but Mauer is still the game’s best all-around catcher and has earned an All-Star appearance with a .300 average and .806 OPS.
Just Missed: None.
First Base:
Starter: Miguel Cabrera, Tigers. The AL leader in HR and RBI sports a .337 AVG and is having his finest season in a superb career. Whatever his late-season issues were last year, they’re clearly behind him now. This is good for the Tigers and good for the AL.
Reserve: Justin Morneau, Twins; Kevin Youkilis, Red Sox; Paul Konerko, White Sox. In truth, there’s just not that much separating these reserves from the starter. Each of these guys is among the league leaders in HR, RBI, AVG.
Just Missed: None.
Second Base:
Starter: Robinson Cano, Yankees. This one wasn’t even close. Given the increased value of offensive production by a middle infielder (over a corner infielder or an outfielder), Cano has been hands-down, the AL MVP and arguably the game’s best player in 2010. With a .353/.404/.588 batting line to go with his position-leading 16 HR, 54 RBI, 57 R and sterling defense, Cano is in the middle of what might end up being one of the best seasons ever by a second baseman.
Reserve: Dustin Pedroia, Red Sox; Ty Wigginton, Orioles. Pedroia started off hot, cooled off in May and then came roaring back to life towards the end of June and is now back to his usual all-around dependability (.292/.370/.502). Wigginton ranks second among 2B with 14 HR and represents the Orioles’ lone All-Star representative.
Just Missed: None.
Third Base:
Starter: Evan Longoria, Rays. One of the game’s best young players, “E-Lo” is tied for the AL 3B lead with 12 HR, ranks second in RBI and third in AVG, all while playing a stellar defensive third base.
Reserve: Adrian Beltre, Red Sox; Michael Young, Rangers. If Beltre is miffed at not getting the starting job at the hot corner he can take solace in the fact that he has the 2010 AL Comeback Player of the Year Award safely in hand. He ranks in the league leaders with a .349 AVG, 12 HR, 53 RBI and is unquestionably the game’s pre-eminent defensive third baseman. For Young it’s just another routine .300 season with double-digit homers. It must get boring being as consistently productive as Michael Young is!
Just Missed: Alex Rodriguez, Yankees.
Shortstop:
Starter: Derek Jeter, Yankees. Jeter gets the nod in an extremely weak field this year. The Yankee Captain had an MVP-type season in 2009 but has shown signs of aging thus far in 2010. Despite that, Jeter still ranks second in HR, RBI and R and third in AVG.
Reserve: Alex Gonzalez, Blue Jays; Elvis Andrus, Rangers. Gonzalez leads all AL shortstops with 14 HR and 40 RBI and Andrus, despite being the only regular AL SS with zero homers, has doubled up the field in the stolen base department, leading the position with 22 steals.
Just Missed: None.
Outfield:
Starters: Josh Hamilton, Rangers; Vernon Wells; Blue Jays; Alex Rios, White Sox. Holy Reclamation Project outfield, Batman! Hamilton’s story is well known at this point so it’s not worth rehashing. What perhaps is not known is that he’s leading AL outfielders with a .340/.385/.607 batting line, along with 18 HR and 58 RBI. He’s been the game’s hottest hitter over the past 30 days and is probably the sole reason why the Rangers have a hold on first place in the AL West. Wells (.280/.331/.557, 19 HR) and Rios (.307 AVG, 13 HR, 21 SB) were both put on outright waivers by the Blue Jays last year. One year later, they’re two-thirds of the AL’s starting outfield. Incredible.
Reserve: Ichiro Suzuki, Mariners; Torii Hunter, Angels; Shin-Soo Choo, Indians. You know it’s a pretty strong starting outfield when mainstays Torii Hunter and Ichiro Suzuki are relegated to reserve duty. Both are having strong seasons but missed out on the starting jobs because Hamilton, Wells and Rios were just doing that much better. Choo, arguably the game’s most underrated player, is Cleveland’s lone representative.
Just Missed: Nelson Cruz, Rangers; Magglio Ordonez, Tigers; Brett Gardner, Yankees; Nick Swisher, Yankees.
Starting Pitchers:
Starter: Jered Weaver, Angels. I’m sure there’s a degree of surprise with this selection, especially given some of the names listed among the reserves. The element of surprise notwithstanding, Weaver is leading all AL pitchers in strikeouts (124) and boasts a 2.82 ERA to go with his 8 wins. The Angels may only be in second place but Weaver is having a Cy Young season.
Reserves: Jon Lester, Red Sox; David Price, Rays; CC Sabathia, Yankees; Ricky Romero, Blue Jays; Francisco Liriano, Twins; Cliff Lee, Mariners; Felix Hernandez, Mariners; Trevor Cahill, A’s. The names listed here represent the majority of the AL leaders in W, ERA and K’s. Special mention goes to Francisco Liriano for coming all the way back from two years worth of surgeries and to Trevor Cahill for being the A’s sole representative.
Just Missed: John Danks, White Sox; Phil Hughes, New York Yankees; Andy Pettitte, Yankees; Jeff Niemann, Rays, Carl Pavano, Twins; Zack Greinke, Royals; Justin Verlander, Tigers; Clay Buchholz, Red Sox; Colby Lewis, Rangers.
Relief Pitchers:
Mariano Rivera, Yankees; Jose Valverde, Tigers; Neftali Feliz, Rangers; Joakim Soria, Royals. Rivera’s selection is self-explanatory as he is the single-greatest relief pitcher in baseball history in the midst of yet another incredible season (0.89 ERA). Amazingly, Rivera’s microscopic ERA does not lead the field of AL relievers, as Valverde’s 0.53 is even more impressive. Feliz, a rookie that came up as a setup man last year, leads the AL with 21 saves and Soria joins the squad both as a deserving candidate (20 saves) and as the Royals lone representative.
Just Missed: Andrew Bailey, A’s; Rafael Soriano, Rays; Jonathan Papelbon, Red Sox; Jon Rauch, Twins.
Following Hitman’s lead, I have selected 34 players to fill the 34 roster slots. Per All-Star Game rules, there is at least one player representative from each AL team. The selections have been made without regard to current injuries or fan balloting; i.e. this is my set of picks for the entire roster, as if I got to choose the entire 34-man team.
Catcher:
Starter: Victor Martinez, Red Sox. It’s been a down year for catchers in baseball and the AL has not been spared in this regard. V-Mart is hitting .289/.344/.480 with 9 HR and 38 RBI which ranks him first or second in each category among his positional peers.
Reserve: Joe Mauer, Twins. It’s not anything like the MVP season he put up in 2009 but Mauer is still the game’s best all-around catcher and has earned an All-Star appearance with a .300 average and .806 OPS.
Just Missed: None.
First Base:
Starter: Miguel Cabrera, Tigers. The AL leader in HR and RBI sports a .337 AVG and is having his finest season in a superb career. Whatever his late-season issues were last year, they’re clearly behind him now. This is good for the Tigers and good for the AL.
Reserve: Justin Morneau, Twins; Kevin Youkilis, Red Sox; Paul Konerko, White Sox. In truth, there’s just not that much separating these reserves from the starter. Each of these guys is among the league leaders in HR, RBI, AVG.
Just Missed: None.
Second Base:
Starter: Robinson Cano, Yankees. This one wasn’t even close. Given the increased value of offensive production by a middle infielder (over a corner infielder or an outfielder), Cano has been hands-down, the AL MVP and arguably the game’s best player in 2010. With a .353/.404/.588 batting line to go with his position-leading 16 HR, 54 RBI, 57 R and sterling defense, Cano is in the middle of what might end up being one of the best seasons ever by a second baseman.
Reserve: Dustin Pedroia, Red Sox; Ty Wigginton, Orioles. Pedroia started off hot, cooled off in May and then came roaring back to life towards the end of June and is now back to his usual all-around dependability (.292/.370/.502). Wigginton ranks second among 2B with 14 HR and represents the Orioles’ lone All-Star representative.
Just Missed: None.
Third Base:
Starter: Evan Longoria, Rays. One of the game’s best young players, “E-Lo” is tied for the AL 3B lead with 12 HR, ranks second in RBI and third in AVG, all while playing a stellar defensive third base.
Reserve: Adrian Beltre, Red Sox; Michael Young, Rangers. If Beltre is miffed at not getting the starting job at the hot corner he can take solace in the fact that he has the 2010 AL Comeback Player of the Year Award safely in hand. He ranks in the league leaders with a .349 AVG, 12 HR, 53 RBI and is unquestionably the game’s pre-eminent defensive third baseman. For Young it’s just another routine .300 season with double-digit homers. It must get boring being as consistently productive as Michael Young is!
Just Missed: Alex Rodriguez, Yankees.
Shortstop:
Starter: Derek Jeter, Yankees. Jeter gets the nod in an extremely weak field this year. The Yankee Captain had an MVP-type season in 2009 but has shown signs of aging thus far in 2010. Despite that, Jeter still ranks second in HR, RBI and R and third in AVG.
Reserve: Alex Gonzalez, Blue Jays; Elvis Andrus, Rangers. Gonzalez leads all AL shortstops with 14 HR and 40 RBI and Andrus, despite being the only regular AL SS with zero homers, has doubled up the field in the stolen base department, leading the position with 22 steals.
Just Missed: None.
Outfield:
Starters: Josh Hamilton, Rangers; Vernon Wells; Blue Jays; Alex Rios, White Sox. Holy Reclamation Project outfield, Batman! Hamilton’s story is well known at this point so it’s not worth rehashing. What perhaps is not known is that he’s leading AL outfielders with a .340/.385/.607 batting line, along with 18 HR and 58 RBI. He’s been the game’s hottest hitter over the past 30 days and is probably the sole reason why the Rangers have a hold on first place in the AL West. Wells (.280/.331/.557, 19 HR) and Rios (.307 AVG, 13 HR, 21 SB) were both put on outright waivers by the Blue Jays last year. One year later, they’re two-thirds of the AL’s starting outfield. Incredible.
Reserve: Ichiro Suzuki, Mariners; Torii Hunter, Angels; Shin-Soo Choo, Indians. You know it’s a pretty strong starting outfield when mainstays Torii Hunter and Ichiro Suzuki are relegated to reserve duty. Both are having strong seasons but missed out on the starting jobs because Hamilton, Wells and Rios were just doing that much better. Choo, arguably the game’s most underrated player, is Cleveland’s lone representative.
Just Missed: Nelson Cruz, Rangers; Magglio Ordonez, Tigers; Brett Gardner, Yankees; Nick Swisher, Yankees.
Starting Pitchers:
Starter: Jered Weaver, Angels. I’m sure there’s a degree of surprise with this selection, especially given some of the names listed among the reserves. The element of surprise notwithstanding, Weaver is leading all AL pitchers in strikeouts (124) and boasts a 2.82 ERA to go with his 8 wins. The Angels may only be in second place but Weaver is having a Cy Young season.
Reserves: Jon Lester, Red Sox; David Price, Rays; CC Sabathia, Yankees; Ricky Romero, Blue Jays; Francisco Liriano, Twins; Cliff Lee, Mariners; Felix Hernandez, Mariners; Trevor Cahill, A’s. The names listed here represent the majority of the AL leaders in W, ERA and K’s. Special mention goes to Francisco Liriano for coming all the way back from two years worth of surgeries and to Trevor Cahill for being the A’s sole representative.
Just Missed: John Danks, White Sox; Phil Hughes, New York Yankees; Andy Pettitte, Yankees; Jeff Niemann, Rays, Carl Pavano, Twins; Zack Greinke, Royals; Justin Verlander, Tigers; Clay Buchholz, Red Sox; Colby Lewis, Rangers.
Relief Pitchers:
Mariano Rivera, Yankees; Jose Valverde, Tigers; Neftali Feliz, Rangers; Joakim Soria, Royals. Rivera’s selection is self-explanatory as he is the single-greatest relief pitcher in baseball history in the midst of yet another incredible season (0.89 ERA). Amazingly, Rivera’s microscopic ERA does not lead the field of AL relievers, as Valverde’s 0.53 is even more impressive. Feliz, a rookie that came up as a setup man last year, leads the AL with 21 saves and Soria joins the squad both as a deserving candidate (20 saves) and as the Royals lone representative.
Just Missed: Andrew Bailey, A’s; Rafael Soriano, Rays; Jonathan Papelbon, Red Sox; Jon Rauch, Twins.
The BSD National League All-Star Roster
As this blog's resident National League columnist, I hereby present to you the unofficial Official Back Seat Drivers National League All-Star Roster!
I have selected 34 players to fill the 34 roster slots. Following ASG rules, there is at least one player representative from each NL team. The selections have been made without regard to current injuries or fan balloting; i.e. this is my set of picks for the entire roster, as if I got to choose the entire 34-man team.
Let's get to it:
Catcher:
Starter: Miguel Olivo, Colorado. Olivo has been the best offensive catcher in the league - hitting .312, with 11 dingers, 36 runs and 39 rbi. He's also nabbed an incredible 53% of runners trying to steal on him. An easy choice to start.
Reserve: Brian McCann, Atlanta. There really isn't a good 2nd choice. I'm going with McCann because he's got the best offensive numbers among the league's regulars - but even his stats aren't compelling (.260-9-33).
Just Missed: None.
First Baseman:
Starter: Joey Votto, Cincinnati. Pujols is the reflexive choice, but Votto's been just a tad better (.314-18-55-51 runs-7 SB). Votto's also a huge reason why Cincinnati is surprisingly in contention.
Reserves: Albert Pujols, St. Louis; Adrian Gonzalez, San Diego; Ryan Howard, Philadelphia. Pujols' numbers are just behind Votto's; he's putting up a typically amazing season. Gonzalez is once again toiling in obscurity, even with the Friar's success - but with a .297-16-51 line, he absolutely belongs here. Howard is quietly putting together another terrific campaign (.297-15-55).
Just Missed: Adam Dunn, Washington.
Second Baseman:
Starter: Chase Utley, Philadelphia. Unlike previous seasons, his offensive numbers aren't head-and-shoulders above his peers - but he's still been all-around terrific, and he has the highest UZR rating (that's a fielding metric) to boot. But not a slam-dunk decision this year.
Reserve: Rickie Weeks, Milwaukee; Martin Prado Atlanta. Weeks is putting together a great season, hitting .273 with 13 homers, 51 runs, and 47 RBI. Prado has led the league in batting average for most of the season, and has been a key cog in Atlanta's early success.
Just Missed: Brandon Phillips, Cincinnati.
Third Baseman:
Starter: David Wright, NY Mets. The power is back - 14 homers to date - and he's still running and hitting. Clearly the best at his position in the NL.
Reserve: Scott Rolen, Cincinnati; Ryan Zimmerman, Washington. Never thought you'd see Rolen in another ASG, did you? Well, with a .302 average and 17 bombs, he's an obvious choice. Zimmerman is still the best young player on an unknown team (sorry, Mr. Strasburg, you're not quite there yet), hitting .283 with 13 HR and 40 RBI - and we need a National.
Just Missed: Casey McGehee, Milwaukee.
Shortstop:
Starter: Hanley Ramirez, Florida. .296 average, 12 HR, 15 SB - and that's after a relatively slow start. Like Wright, he's the best at his position.
Reserve: Jose Reyes, NY Mets. Concerns about Reyes' production coming off an injury...look stupid now. He's got 19 swipes to go with a .277 average.
Just Missed: None.
Outfielders:
Starters: Ryan Braun, Milwaukee; Colby Rasmus, St. Louis; Justin Upton, Arizona. Nobody really stands out as the top two or three, but I'll say: Braun's numbers are down slightly, but he's still at .295-11-49-49 and 11 steals. Rasmus is tops among NL outfielders in OPS, with 16 homers to go with a .274 average. Upton's batting average is down but his power and speed are not (.269-14-39-48 runs-11 SB)
Reserve: Corey Hart, Milwaukee; Andrew McCutchen, Pittsburgh; Andre Ethier, Los Angeles; Carlos Gonzalez, Colorado. Hart leads all NL OF with 18 home runs and 60 RBI. McCutchen is having a nice season with .297 and 19 steals, but he's here mostly because he's a Pirate. Ethier's injury diminishes his numbers a bit, but .312 with 12 homers gets him in. Gonzalez is a budding star, at .295-11-49 RBI-12 SB.
Just Missed: Matt Holliday, St. Louis.
Starting Pitchers:
Starter: Ubaldo Jimenez, Colorado. Can there be any doubt? He is an amazing 14-1, with a 1.83 ERA and 1.05 WHIP.
Reserves: Tim Lincecum, San Francisco; Josh Johnson, Florida; Adam Wainwright, St. Louis; Roy Halladay, Philadelphia; Yovani Gallardo, Milwaukee; Chris Carpenter, St. Louis; Mat Latos, San Diego; Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles. In any other season, Lincecum and Johnson would be compelling candidates to start - they've been amazing (especially Johnson, over the last two months). I'd love to have any of these guys on my team.
Just Missed: None, although a good case could be made for the Cubs' Carlos Silva, the Giants' Matt Cain, and the Mets' Mike Pelfrey.
Relief Pitchers: Brian Wilson, San Francisco; Carlos Marmol, Chicago; Heath Bell, San Diego; Matt Lindstrom, Houston. As in years past, there are many closers who could be taken. Wilson, Bell, and Marmol are easier choices; Lindstrom is here because we need an Astro.
Just Missed: Francisco Rodriguez, NY Mets; Jonathan Broxton, Los Angeles.
I have selected 34 players to fill the 34 roster slots. Following ASG rules, there is at least one player representative from each NL team. The selections have been made without regard to current injuries or fan balloting; i.e. this is my set of picks for the entire roster, as if I got to choose the entire 34-man team.
Let's get to it:
Catcher:
Starter: Miguel Olivo, Colorado. Olivo has been the best offensive catcher in the league - hitting .312, with 11 dingers, 36 runs and 39 rbi. He's also nabbed an incredible 53% of runners trying to steal on him. An easy choice to start.
Reserve: Brian McCann, Atlanta. There really isn't a good 2nd choice. I'm going with McCann because he's got the best offensive numbers among the league's regulars - but even his stats aren't compelling (.260-9-33).
Just Missed: None.
First Baseman:
Starter: Joey Votto, Cincinnati. Pujols is the reflexive choice, but Votto's been just a tad better (.314-18-55-51 runs-7 SB). Votto's also a huge reason why Cincinnati is surprisingly in contention.
Reserves: Albert Pujols, St. Louis; Adrian Gonzalez, San Diego; Ryan Howard, Philadelphia. Pujols' numbers are just behind Votto's; he's putting up a typically amazing season. Gonzalez is once again toiling in obscurity, even with the Friar's success - but with a .297-16-51 line, he absolutely belongs here. Howard is quietly putting together another terrific campaign (.297-15-55).
Just Missed: Adam Dunn, Washington.
Second Baseman:
Starter: Chase Utley, Philadelphia. Unlike previous seasons, his offensive numbers aren't head-and-shoulders above his peers - but he's still been all-around terrific, and he has the highest UZR rating (that's a fielding metric) to boot. But not a slam-dunk decision this year.
Reserve: Rickie Weeks, Milwaukee; Martin Prado Atlanta. Weeks is putting together a great season, hitting .273 with 13 homers, 51 runs, and 47 RBI. Prado has led the league in batting average for most of the season, and has been a key cog in Atlanta's early success.
Just Missed: Brandon Phillips, Cincinnati.
Third Baseman:
Starter: David Wright, NY Mets. The power is back - 14 homers to date - and he's still running and hitting. Clearly the best at his position in the NL.
Reserve: Scott Rolen, Cincinnati; Ryan Zimmerman, Washington. Never thought you'd see Rolen in another ASG, did you? Well, with a .302 average and 17 bombs, he's an obvious choice. Zimmerman is still the best young player on an unknown team (sorry, Mr. Strasburg, you're not quite there yet), hitting .283 with 13 HR and 40 RBI - and we need a National.
Just Missed: Casey McGehee, Milwaukee.
Shortstop:
Starter: Hanley Ramirez, Florida. .296 average, 12 HR, 15 SB - and that's after a relatively slow start. Like Wright, he's the best at his position.
Reserve: Jose Reyes, NY Mets. Concerns about Reyes' production coming off an injury...look stupid now. He's got 19 swipes to go with a .277 average.
Just Missed: None.
Outfielders:
Starters: Ryan Braun, Milwaukee; Colby Rasmus, St. Louis; Justin Upton, Arizona. Nobody really stands out as the top two or three, but I'll say: Braun's numbers are down slightly, but he's still at .295-11-49-49 and 11 steals. Rasmus is tops among NL outfielders in OPS, with 16 homers to go with a .274 average. Upton's batting average is down but his power and speed are not (.269-14-39-48 runs-11 SB)
Reserve: Corey Hart, Milwaukee; Andrew McCutchen, Pittsburgh; Andre Ethier, Los Angeles; Carlos Gonzalez, Colorado. Hart leads all NL OF with 18 home runs and 60 RBI. McCutchen is having a nice season with .297 and 19 steals, but he's here mostly because he's a Pirate. Ethier's injury diminishes his numbers a bit, but .312 with 12 homers gets him in. Gonzalez is a budding star, at .295-11-49 RBI-12 SB.
Just Missed: Matt Holliday, St. Louis.
Starting Pitchers:
Starter: Ubaldo Jimenez, Colorado. Can there be any doubt? He is an amazing 14-1, with a 1.83 ERA and 1.05 WHIP.
Reserves: Tim Lincecum, San Francisco; Josh Johnson, Florida; Adam Wainwright, St. Louis; Roy Halladay, Philadelphia; Yovani Gallardo, Milwaukee; Chris Carpenter, St. Louis; Mat Latos, San Diego; Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles. In any other season, Lincecum and Johnson would be compelling candidates to start - they've been amazing (especially Johnson, over the last two months). I'd love to have any of these guys on my team.
Just Missed: None, although a good case could be made for the Cubs' Carlos Silva, the Giants' Matt Cain, and the Mets' Mike Pelfrey.
Relief Pitchers: Brian Wilson, San Francisco; Carlos Marmol, Chicago; Heath Bell, San Diego; Matt Lindstrom, Houston. As in years past, there are many closers who could be taken. Wilson, Bell, and Marmol are easier choices; Lindstrom is here because we need an Astro.
Just Missed: Francisco Rodriguez, NY Mets; Jonathan Broxton, Los Angeles.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Knowledge Is The Key To Enlightenment (Or, Don’t Make Accusations Before You Are Armed With Facts)
There is racism in America. It exists in implicit and explicit forms and it is pervasive across all regions of the country as well as the broad socioeconomic spectrum. There has also been a great deal of progress in combating racism through both legal measures and attitudinal changes. Progress is being made, even if the goal of a color blind society has not yet been achieved.
But I so tire of hearing athletes talk of racism and then offer flimsy examples to support their claims. Most recently, this rubbish came from the mouth of Minnesota Twins second baseman Orlando Hudson. To support the theory that African-American baseball players are the victims of racism in Major League Baseball, Hudson cited the continued unemployment of Jermaine Dye and Gary Sheffield, now a full week into the 2010 season.
While it would be impossible to argue that baseball doesn’t have a racist past –– after all, April 15th commemorates the 63rd anniversary of the day when Jackie Robinson ended baseball’s 71-year segregated history –– it is simply no longer the case. Baseball is now a meritocracy where teams are most interested in paying enormous sums of money to the most qualified individuals in order to turn a sport into a profit-making endeavor. Why would financially-motivated owners deprive themselves of earning every last penny by hiring substandard talent that wouldn’t help teams win or draw paying customers to watch?
Gary Sheffield may be a unique case. Baseball has certainly blackballed its own outspoken members before and Sheffield is certainly outspoken (to put it mildly). But even in ostracism, baseball has been an equal-opportunity offender, as pitcher-turned-author Jim Bouton can attest.
Perhaps, then, Hudson should be asked to look at the players he uses as his case study. In case he hadn’t noticed, MLB general managers have become far more judicious in their allocation of resources and baseball has seen a trend of teams going younger, cheaper and more athletic whenever possible. In other words, the days of simply signing veteran hitters to multi-million dollar contracts are over. Furthermore, as defensive metrics become more and more commonly-accepted around baseball, teams are valuing a player’s defensive capabilities in the overall equation. There will always be 14 openings in the American League for designated hitters but, even there, teams are opting to either go with a primary DH for his slugging capabilities or using that spot in the lineup to cycle players in order to give everyone a day off from fielding duty.
So, then, let’s examine the most recent statistical data on Sheffield and Dye. Using traditional metrics (AVG/OBP/SLG), sabermetrics (OPS+/wOBA/WAR) and defensive metrics (UZR/150), I will attempt to illustrate why Hudson’s point is entirely without merit.
Gary Sheffield (2007-2009):
Traditional: .253/.358/.437
Saber: 108/.351/1.1
Defense: inconclusive*
Jermaine Dye (2007-2009):
Traditional: .267/.334/.496
Saber: 112/.354/0.33
Defense: -22.46
Since the decision to offer contracts to players ultimately come down to finances, one must look at how a player’s output directly correlates to wins. Thus, according to WAR, Sheffield was worth only one win above a replacement player over the previous three seasons, and was worth only half a win over a replacement player over 2008-2009. In other words, for the money it would cost to pay Sheffield (let’s assume he would accept no less than twice the MLB minimum salary of $400,000, or $800,000) a team would do just as well signing a player for the minimum salary and receiving exactly the minimum level of output.
For Dye, the situation is even direr. Over a three-year period, Dye was worth only one-third of a win and, in fact, was worth less than a win in 2007 and 2009. Despite his offensive output –– slightly better than league average, according to wOBA and OPS+ –– his defensive decline was so steep that it actually cut into his offensive value. As such, the Chicago White Sox would have actually been better off playing a replacement player over Dye given how Dye cut into the team’s win chances in those two seasons. It was reported that the Nationals, Cubs and Brewers were interested in signing Dye this offseason but that he balked at signing contracts worth less than $3M. Given this data, Dye should be lucky to even be offered the minimum salary, given how he brings absolutely nothing to the table.
Racism exists in all walks of life and it might even exist in baseball’s front offices. But on the playing field, I just don’t see it. It would behoove Orlando Hudson and other players who share his opinion to educate themselves on baseball statistics because these tools play a determining factor in how much they are entitled to earn.
*The three-year defensive data for Sheffield is inconclusive because Sheffield was a DH for 2007 and 2008 and thus did not log enough innings in the field for data to be reliable. For 2009, Sheffield played 502 defensive innings and registered -31.0, third-worst in baseball among all players that played at least 500 defensive innings in the outfield. Incidentally, Dye was eighth-worst among all outfielders that played at least 500 defensive innings in 2009 and fourth-worst among all outfielders that played at least 1100 defensive innings in 2007 and 2008.
But I so tire of hearing athletes talk of racism and then offer flimsy examples to support their claims. Most recently, this rubbish came from the mouth of Minnesota Twins second baseman Orlando Hudson. To support the theory that African-American baseball players are the victims of racism in Major League Baseball, Hudson cited the continued unemployment of Jermaine Dye and Gary Sheffield, now a full week into the 2010 season.
While it would be impossible to argue that baseball doesn’t have a racist past –– after all, April 15th commemorates the 63rd anniversary of the day when Jackie Robinson ended baseball’s 71-year segregated history –– it is simply no longer the case. Baseball is now a meritocracy where teams are most interested in paying enormous sums of money to the most qualified individuals in order to turn a sport into a profit-making endeavor. Why would financially-motivated owners deprive themselves of earning every last penny by hiring substandard talent that wouldn’t help teams win or draw paying customers to watch?
Gary Sheffield may be a unique case. Baseball has certainly blackballed its own outspoken members before and Sheffield is certainly outspoken (to put it mildly). But even in ostracism, baseball has been an equal-opportunity offender, as pitcher-turned-author Jim Bouton can attest.
Perhaps, then, Hudson should be asked to look at the players he uses as his case study. In case he hadn’t noticed, MLB general managers have become far more judicious in their allocation of resources and baseball has seen a trend of teams going younger, cheaper and more athletic whenever possible. In other words, the days of simply signing veteran hitters to multi-million dollar contracts are over. Furthermore, as defensive metrics become more and more commonly-accepted around baseball, teams are valuing a player’s defensive capabilities in the overall equation. There will always be 14 openings in the American League for designated hitters but, even there, teams are opting to either go with a primary DH for his slugging capabilities or using that spot in the lineup to cycle players in order to give everyone a day off from fielding duty.
So, then, let’s examine the most recent statistical data on Sheffield and Dye. Using traditional metrics (AVG/OBP/SLG), sabermetrics (OPS+/wOBA/WAR) and defensive metrics (UZR/150), I will attempt to illustrate why Hudson’s point is entirely without merit.
Gary Sheffield (2007-2009):
Traditional: .253/.358/.437
Saber: 108/.351/1.1
Defense: inconclusive*
Jermaine Dye (2007-2009):
Traditional: .267/.334/.496
Saber: 112/.354/0.33
Defense: -22.46
Since the decision to offer contracts to players ultimately come down to finances, one must look at how a player’s output directly correlates to wins. Thus, according to WAR, Sheffield was worth only one win above a replacement player over the previous three seasons, and was worth only half a win over a replacement player over 2008-2009. In other words, for the money it would cost to pay Sheffield (let’s assume he would accept no less than twice the MLB minimum salary of $400,000, or $800,000) a team would do just as well signing a player for the minimum salary and receiving exactly the minimum level of output.
For Dye, the situation is even direr. Over a three-year period, Dye was worth only one-third of a win and, in fact, was worth less than a win in 2007 and 2009. Despite his offensive output –– slightly better than league average, according to wOBA and OPS+ –– his defensive decline was so steep that it actually cut into his offensive value. As such, the Chicago White Sox would have actually been better off playing a replacement player over Dye given how Dye cut into the team’s win chances in those two seasons. It was reported that the Nationals, Cubs and Brewers were interested in signing Dye this offseason but that he balked at signing contracts worth less than $3M. Given this data, Dye should be lucky to even be offered the minimum salary, given how he brings absolutely nothing to the table.
Racism exists in all walks of life and it might even exist in baseball’s front offices. But on the playing field, I just don’t see it. It would behoove Orlando Hudson and other players who share his opinion to educate themselves on baseball statistics because these tools play a determining factor in how much they are entitled to earn.
*The three-year defensive data for Sheffield is inconclusive because Sheffield was a DH for 2007 and 2008 and thus did not log enough innings in the field for data to be reliable. For 2009, Sheffield played 502 defensive innings and registered -31.0, third-worst in baseball among all players that played at least 500 defensive innings in the outfield. Incidentally, Dye was eighth-worst among all outfielders that played at least 500 defensive innings in 2009 and fourth-worst among all outfielders that played at least 1100 defensive innings in 2007 and 2008.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
The Four Greatest Words in the English Language
"Pitchers and Catchers Report"
Happy spring, everybody!
Friday, November 20, 2009
Finally, A Slow Awakening?
A cursory search of this site with the string “BBWAA” will yield several pieces where I lambaste the Baseball Writers Association of America for all the stupid, antiquated and borderline criminal work they do in the field of baseball writing. Their record is legendary in this regard.
But since one should always offer praise when it is well-deserved – even to a fool – I will let Dave Cameron of FanGraphs do my praising for me.
Congrats to the BBWAA for getting both Cy Young picks right. Perhaps it means the dawning of a new age or perhaps it was just dumb luck. Either way, I’m happy that Greinke and Lincecum got the hardware they so richly deserved.
But since one should always offer praise when it is well-deserved – even to a fool – I will let Dave Cameron of FanGraphs do my praising for me.
Congrats to the BBWAA for getting both Cy Young picks right. Perhaps it means the dawning of a new age or perhaps it was just dumb luck. Either way, I’m happy that Greinke and Lincecum got the hardware they so richly deserved.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Breaking News: Snot-Nosed Know-It-All Gets Fucked In Own Ass By Wildly Wrong Prediction
The heartiest, most deeply-felt and emphatic “FUCK YOU!” goes to Matt Taibbi for penning this article back in April. In it, he spouts out lies, half-truths, common misconceptions, pedantic arguments, tired clichés and ad hominem attacks. None of that bothers me, given the fact that, as I’ve learned in writing online on a semi-regularly basis, every author is prone to these kinds of rants.The danger, of course, is being proven wrong and having your words spoon-fed back to you through a feeding tube, presumably because someone punched you in your arrogant, dirty, cock-sucking mouth.
Eat up Matty, while the food’s still hot.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Schadenfreude, Anyone?
Oh, to be a fly on the wall in Busch Stadium sometime next season, when Coach McGwire tries to talk to a young hitter about his approach at the plate:
McGwire: Bobby, last night you went 0-for-4 with 4 strikeouts. The night before, you didn't hit the ball out of the infield. You're hitting .147 this season. Let's work on your fundamentals.
Bobby: F*ck you, Coach. I'm not here to talk about the past.
McGwire: Bobby, last night you went 0-for-4 with 4 strikeouts. The night before, you didn't hit the ball out of the infield. You're hitting .147 this season. Let's work on your fundamentals.
Bobby: F*ck you, Coach. I'm not here to talk about the past.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Baseball Quickies
Two baseball-related points:
1. Would someone at Fox Sports care to explain why Ozzie Guillen was picked as a guest analyst for the World Series? The list of alternatives is not only a mile long, but I assume that most of those potential alternative choices don’t have a record of self-important and deceitful behavior (at best) or racist and homophobic utterances on record (at worst).
Finally –– and though this may seem insensitive, it still remains a fact –– part of being a good television personality is a mastery of the native language. Even if he were a saint, Guillen’s enunciation and diction are not suitable for the role he is being asked to play. It’s hard for a TV audience to appreciate any insights he might share when that audience can’t fully comprehend what he’s saying. Sorry folks, it’s true.
2. It looks like the Indians are interested in hiring veteran MLB (and Japanese League) manager Bobby Valentine as the 49th field general in franchise history. But buried in the story is an odd little tidbit that the franchise considered re-hiring former manager Mike Hargrove. Really?
I’ve never understood that kind of thinking. Teams hire (and fire) managers on the faulty premise that managers actually make a difference in the win-loss column; the fact remains, however, that managers are merely window dressing and that wins and losses are determined almost exclusively by the players themselves, with luck filling in the margins of what talent does not capture.
Assuming for a moment that this is not the case –– that managers actually do matter –– then why re-hire a candidate you once deemed unfit to run your ballclub? And if the reverse is true –– that managers make almost no difference whatsoever on the fortunes of the clubs they run –– then why did you fire someone like Hargrove in the first place, if he’s now considered good enough to revisit history with?
In any event, it appears that Bobby Valentine and Don Mattingly are the leading candidates in Cleveland. Each has certain skills that make them attractive to the Indians ballclub. Valentine is known for being a master tactician and an amusing personality, although tactics are less important in the American League and his personality does tend to grate after a while. Mattingly is a well-respected ex-player who could certainly coax accountability and leadership out of what has become an increasingly rudderless and lazy ballclub. His association with Joe Torre has only furthered his reputation as a “winner” (fallacy that it is, the media has nevertheless run with that meme). His credentials notwithstanding, Mattingly is a quiet man by nature and brings no previous managerial experience to the table.
If I were the Indians, I’d hire the guy that would do the job for the least amount of money. No sense pouring resources into a titular position of no real consequence when the team itself is starved for talent and cannot afford to divert funds away from the player and scouting budgets.
1. Would someone at Fox Sports care to explain why Ozzie Guillen was picked as a guest analyst for the World Series? The list of alternatives is not only a mile long, but I assume that most of those potential alternative choices don’t have a record of self-important and deceitful behavior (at best) or racist and homophobic utterances on record (at worst).
Finally –– and though this may seem insensitive, it still remains a fact –– part of being a good television personality is a mastery of the native language. Even if he were a saint, Guillen’s enunciation and diction are not suitable for the role he is being asked to play. It’s hard for a TV audience to appreciate any insights he might share when that audience can’t fully comprehend what he’s saying. Sorry folks, it’s true.
2. It looks like the Indians are interested in hiring veteran MLB (and Japanese League) manager Bobby Valentine as the 49th field general in franchise history. But buried in the story is an odd little tidbit that the franchise considered re-hiring former manager Mike Hargrove. Really?
I’ve never understood that kind of thinking. Teams hire (and fire) managers on the faulty premise that managers actually make a difference in the win-loss column; the fact remains, however, that managers are merely window dressing and that wins and losses are determined almost exclusively by the players themselves, with luck filling in the margins of what talent does not capture.
Assuming for a moment that this is not the case –– that managers actually do matter –– then why re-hire a candidate you once deemed unfit to run your ballclub? And if the reverse is true –– that managers make almost no difference whatsoever on the fortunes of the clubs they run –– then why did you fire someone like Hargrove in the first place, if he’s now considered good enough to revisit history with?
In any event, it appears that Bobby Valentine and Don Mattingly are the leading candidates in Cleveland. Each has certain skills that make them attractive to the Indians ballclub. Valentine is known for being a master tactician and an amusing personality, although tactics are less important in the American League and his personality does tend to grate after a while. Mattingly is a well-respected ex-player who could certainly coax accountability and leadership out of what has become an increasingly rudderless and lazy ballclub. His association with Joe Torre has only furthered his reputation as a “winner” (fallacy that it is, the media has nevertheless run with that meme). His credentials notwithstanding, Mattingly is a quiet man by nature and brings no previous managerial experience to the table.
If I were the Indians, I’d hire the guy that would do the job for the least amount of money. No sense pouring resources into a titular position of no real consequence when the team itself is starved for talent and cannot afford to divert funds away from the player and scouting budgets.
Tuesday, October 06, 2009
Dishing Out the 2009 Hardware: American League
As the American League Fellow of the Buck O’Neil Institute for Baseball Excellence, it is my distinct pleasure and honor to present the following analysis of the 2009 postseason awards for the Junior Circuit. Hitman, my colleague at the Institute, has already posted his picks for the NL here.
(One little note: The Trustees at the Buck O’Neil Institute for Baseball Excellence permit their Fellows to use various modes of analysis. In my case, I prefer to analyze things sabermetrically and, as such, I have picked my winners based on who I think should win based on the advanced metrics. I will add my actual “who will win” picks in the comments field).
Manager of the Year: Mike Scioscia, Los Angeles. There seems to be a groundswell of support for Scioscia’s candidacy, based in large part to the fact that he managed a team coping with the loss of pitcher Nick Adenhart, who was killed on April 9th in a drunken driving accident. Personally, I find the principle behind that line of reasoning to be specious at best but, abiding by the saying that instructs us to either say something nice or nothing at all, I will simply move on to who I think should win.
In a perfect, unsentimental world, the voting for the Manager of the Year Award would go to Ron Washington (Texas Rangers). I don’t believe anyone picked the Rangers to contend for a playoff spot in 2009, certainly not if you told them that last year’s feel good story Josh Hamilton would only play in 89 games and hit 10 homers a year after playing 156 games and hitting 32. The Rangers faded down the stretch and missed the playoffs for the 10th consecutive season but, thanks to the deepest farm system in the majors, the future finally looks a little bit brighter. Ron Washington led the team to eight more victories and the team’s best record since 2004. Runners-up: Joe Girardi, New York; Don Wakamatsu, Seattle.
Rookie of the Year: Andrew Bailey, Oakland. This was a very tough choice. Despite the fact that I find the save statistic to be utterly meaningless, I am not able to completely discount the fact that closers, in some cases, enter ballgames in high leverage situations and have a critical impact on the outcome of a baseball game. As a result, I’ve decided to give this award to Andrew Bailey, the terrific rookie closer for the A’s based on his impressive 2.33 WPA (Win Probability Added^). In context, only 13 other relievers had a higher WPA and of those 13, none scored as high as Bailey on the WPA/LI index which measures the win probability when divided by the leverage of a game situation. In other words, no relief pitcher in baseball was tested more than Bailey and no one scored higher. That’s impressive on its own merit and doubly impressive for a rookie.
Because the field of potential award-winners was so close, I created a quick-and-dirty test where I added each finalist’s WAR (explained directly below) and WPA and picked my winner according to the results. Bailey (4.73) scored considerably higher than the other deserving players. Toss in his conventional stats –– 6-3 record, 1.84 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 91 strikeouts, 26 saves/30 chances –– and there’s your winner. Runners-up: Brett Anderson, Oakland; Rick Porcello, Detroit; Elvis Andrus, Texas.
Cy Young Award: Zack Greinke, Kansas City. Using a stat called WAR (Wins Above Replacement*, and a logical successor to VORP (Value Over Replacement Player)), Zack Greinke was a 9.3 WAR player this year. Translation: Greinke contributed 9 pure wins to the Royals this year or, put another way, a 10-man staff of the ’09 version of Greinke would’ve contributed 90 wins to the team. Incredible! To further put this stat into context, you have to go back to 2004, when Randy Johnson posted a 9.9 WAR to find another pitcher that has posted a WAR above 7.7 (CC Sabathia, 2008). Simply put, a 9-win above replacement pitcher is practically unheard of given that starting pitchers only factor into roughly 20% of a team’s season. But if we must stick to conventional stats, Greinke’s 17 wins, 2.16 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 242 strikeouts and three shutouts ranked him third, first, first, second and second in the American League in those categories. Runners-up: Felix Hernandez, Seattle; CC Sabathia, New York.
Most Valuable Player: Joe Mauer, Minnesota. Sticking with WAR, Joe Mauer was an 8-win above replacement player. Playing 127 games primarily as a catcher –– acknowledged as the most difficult and physically taxing position in baseball –– any player that finishes second to only Albert Pujols in BRAR (Batting Runs Above Replacement) is the clear MVP of his league. Mauer also led the league in AVG (.364), OBP (.442), SLG (.586), OPS (1.027) and finished with 28 HR, 96 RBI and 94 R. The Twins might not have even been a .500 team without him and yet they’re playing for a playoff spot this afternoon. Runners-up: Mark Teixeira, New York; Ben Zobrist, Tampa; Kevin Youkilis, Boston.
^For an explanation of WPA and win probability metrics, click here.
*For an explanation of WAR and win-value metrics, click here.
(One little note: The Trustees at the Buck O’Neil Institute for Baseball Excellence permit their Fellows to use various modes of analysis. In my case, I prefer to analyze things sabermetrically and, as such, I have picked my winners based on who I think should win based on the advanced metrics. I will add my actual “who will win” picks in the comments field).
Manager of the Year: Mike Scioscia, Los Angeles. There seems to be a groundswell of support for Scioscia’s candidacy, based in large part to the fact that he managed a team coping with the loss of pitcher Nick Adenhart, who was killed on April 9th in a drunken driving accident. Personally, I find the principle behind that line of reasoning to be specious at best but, abiding by the saying that instructs us to either say something nice or nothing at all, I will simply move on to who I think should win.
In a perfect, unsentimental world, the voting for the Manager of the Year Award would go to Ron Washington (Texas Rangers). I don’t believe anyone picked the Rangers to contend for a playoff spot in 2009, certainly not if you told them that last year’s feel good story Josh Hamilton would only play in 89 games and hit 10 homers a year after playing 156 games and hitting 32. The Rangers faded down the stretch and missed the playoffs for the 10th consecutive season but, thanks to the deepest farm system in the majors, the future finally looks a little bit brighter. Ron Washington led the team to eight more victories and the team’s best record since 2004. Runners-up: Joe Girardi, New York; Don Wakamatsu, Seattle.
Rookie of the Year: Andrew Bailey, Oakland. This was a very tough choice. Despite the fact that I find the save statistic to be utterly meaningless, I am not able to completely discount the fact that closers, in some cases, enter ballgames in high leverage situations and have a critical impact on the outcome of a baseball game. As a result, I’ve decided to give this award to Andrew Bailey, the terrific rookie closer for the A’s based on his impressive 2.33 WPA (Win Probability Added^). In context, only 13 other relievers had a higher WPA and of those 13, none scored as high as Bailey on the WPA/LI index which measures the win probability when divided by the leverage of a game situation. In other words, no relief pitcher in baseball was tested more than Bailey and no one scored higher. That’s impressive on its own merit and doubly impressive for a rookie.
Because the field of potential award-winners was so close, I created a quick-and-dirty test where I added each finalist’s WAR (explained directly below) and WPA and picked my winner according to the results. Bailey (4.73) scored considerably higher than the other deserving players. Toss in his conventional stats –– 6-3 record, 1.84 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 91 strikeouts, 26 saves/30 chances –– and there’s your winner. Runners-up: Brett Anderson, Oakland; Rick Porcello, Detroit; Elvis Andrus, Texas.
Cy Young Award: Zack Greinke, Kansas City. Using a stat called WAR (Wins Above Replacement*, and a logical successor to VORP (Value Over Replacement Player)), Zack Greinke was a 9.3 WAR player this year. Translation: Greinke contributed 9 pure wins to the Royals this year or, put another way, a 10-man staff of the ’09 version of Greinke would’ve contributed 90 wins to the team. Incredible! To further put this stat into context, you have to go back to 2004, when Randy Johnson posted a 9.9 WAR to find another pitcher that has posted a WAR above 7.7 (CC Sabathia, 2008). Simply put, a 9-win above replacement pitcher is practically unheard of given that starting pitchers only factor into roughly 20% of a team’s season. But if we must stick to conventional stats, Greinke’s 17 wins, 2.16 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 242 strikeouts and three shutouts ranked him third, first, first, second and second in the American League in those categories. Runners-up: Felix Hernandez, Seattle; CC Sabathia, New York.
Most Valuable Player: Joe Mauer, Minnesota. Sticking with WAR, Joe Mauer was an 8-win above replacement player. Playing 127 games primarily as a catcher –– acknowledged as the most difficult and physically taxing position in baseball –– any player that finishes second to only Albert Pujols in BRAR (Batting Runs Above Replacement) is the clear MVP of his league. Mauer also led the league in AVG (.364), OBP (.442), SLG (.586), OPS (1.027) and finished with 28 HR, 96 RBI and 94 R. The Twins might not have even been a .500 team without him and yet they’re playing for a playoff spot this afternoon. Runners-up: Mark Teixeira, New York; Ben Zobrist, Tampa; Kevin Youkilis, Boston.
^For an explanation of WPA and win probability metrics, click here.
*For an explanation of WAR and win-value metrics, click here.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Just Because
For no particular reason, I just wanted to post this story about Mickey Mantle. It always cracks me up. I suppose you would really have to know a bit about the Mickey-Billy dynamic to fully appreciate it, but here it is anyway:
Mickey Mantle took teammate Billy Martin hunting one day in Oklahoma and told him to wait in the car while he went and asked a friend of his who was a farmer for permission to hunt on his land.
The farmer agreed, but asked Mickey for a favor. He had an old cow that needed putting down and asked Mickey to do it for him because he didn’t have the heart to. So Mickey decided to play a trick on Billy.
Mickey came back to the car, pretended he was mad and got his rifle. “That son of a gun won’t let us hunt,” he said. “I’m going to shoot his cow.”
So Mantle when into the barn with Billy trailing behind. Bang! He shot the cow dead.
Suddenly he heard two more shots. Bang! Bang!
He turned around and there was Billy with a smoking rifle. “I got two of his horses, Mick,” he said. “That’ll show him.”
Mickey Mantle took teammate Billy Martin hunting one day in Oklahoma and told him to wait in the car while he went and asked a friend of his who was a farmer for permission to hunt on his land.
The farmer agreed, but asked Mickey for a favor. He had an old cow that needed putting down and asked Mickey to do it for him because he didn’t have the heart to. So Mickey decided to play a trick on Billy.
Mickey came back to the car, pretended he was mad and got his rifle. “That son of a gun won’t let us hunt,” he said. “I’m going to shoot his cow.”
So Mantle when into the barn with Billy trailing behind. Bang! He shot the cow dead.
Suddenly he heard two more shots. Bang! Bang!
He turned around and there was Billy with a smoking rifle. “I got two of his horses, Mick,” he said. “That’ll show him.”
Wednesday, August 05, 2009
For The Good Of The Game: Honor Your Agreement
I generally have no tolerance for opinionated old codgers that played baseball in an era I’ll sarcastically refer to as “yesteryear”. I question their motivation every time they talk about the steroids issue and what they’d suggest as a solution.
This time, it’s Hank Aaron doing the talking. While I agree completely that Pete Rose should be reinstated and made eligible for the Hall of Fame (but not eligible for a job in baseball as a coach or manager), I think releasing the list of names is irresponsible and illegal.
The Major League Baseball Players Association agreed to the 2003 survey drug testing on the grounds that any and all test results would remain confidential. It is unfortunate that leaks have exposed Alex Rodriguez, Sammy Sosa, Manny Ramirez, David Ortiz and a handful of other, less prominent players but there’s nothing that can be done to remedy that situation. However, just because 5% of the list has been leaked, it doesn’t mean that the remaining 95% of the players appearing on that list should have their rights trampled under the pretense that this will be “for the good of the game.”
The game of baseball has survived many other trials and tribulations and seems to be surviving the tremors and aftershocks of the so-called “Steroids Era” just fine. The game doesn’t need to violate an agreement between the union and management to save itself. The game – meaning, in this case, baseball’s management – should respect its agreement with the MLBPA in the same manner that it would expect the MLBPA to respect its agreement with management.
The list was supposed to be confidential. One or more individuals seem to be taking pleasure (and perhaps accepting payment or other quid pro quo favors) in exposing the 103 names on the 2003 survey one by one. This is not only wrong, it is also illegal. Instead of state and federal monies being spent on hearings and trials on individuals like Barry Bonds, Miguel Tejada and Roger Clemens, our state and federal government should go after those individuals that are leaking the names. Last I checked, it was not illegal to use steroids but it was most certainly illegal to leak grand jury testimony or evidence that was seized in a federal raid.
Enough is enough. I sincerely hope that Bud Selig, in his infinite foolishness, does not decide to name the remaining 98 or so names. That would be a flagrant breach of trust (not to mention a signed contract) and would be unforgivable.
This time, it’s Hank Aaron doing the talking. While I agree completely that Pete Rose should be reinstated and made eligible for the Hall of Fame (but not eligible for a job in baseball as a coach or manager), I think releasing the list of names is irresponsible and illegal.
The Major League Baseball Players Association agreed to the 2003 survey drug testing on the grounds that any and all test results would remain confidential. It is unfortunate that leaks have exposed Alex Rodriguez, Sammy Sosa, Manny Ramirez, David Ortiz and a handful of other, less prominent players but there’s nothing that can be done to remedy that situation. However, just because 5% of the list has been leaked, it doesn’t mean that the remaining 95% of the players appearing on that list should have their rights trampled under the pretense that this will be “for the good of the game.”
The game of baseball has survived many other trials and tribulations and seems to be surviving the tremors and aftershocks of the so-called “Steroids Era” just fine. The game doesn’t need to violate an agreement between the union and management to save itself. The game – meaning, in this case, baseball’s management – should respect its agreement with the MLBPA in the same manner that it would expect the MLBPA to respect its agreement with management.
The list was supposed to be confidential. One or more individuals seem to be taking pleasure (and perhaps accepting payment or other quid pro quo favors) in exposing the 103 names on the 2003 survey one by one. This is not only wrong, it is also illegal. Instead of state and federal monies being spent on hearings and trials on individuals like Barry Bonds, Miguel Tejada and Roger Clemens, our state and federal government should go after those individuals that are leaking the names. Last I checked, it was not illegal to use steroids but it was most certainly illegal to leak grand jury testimony or evidence that was seized in a federal raid.
Enough is enough. I sincerely hope that Bud Selig, in his infinite foolishness, does not decide to name the remaining 98 or so names. That would be a flagrant breach of trust (not to mention a signed contract) and would be unforgivable.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Peter Gammons: Moron
Its been ages since I ripped on Peter Gammons so I may as well break the dry spell by sharing a direct quote from Mr. Gammons on this morning’s “Mike & Mike In The Morning” show:
“The White Sox have become a national team. They’re as national as any team other than the Yankees, Red Sox and Cubs.”
What? What does that even mean? First of all, the White Sox are absolutely not a national team. How do I know? Here in New York, no one thinks about the White Sox, nobody cares about the White Sox and nobody talks about the White Sox. If they’re not talked about in New York then, by definition, they’re not a national team.
Secondly, Gammons’s sentence doesn’t even make sense. He’s creating degrees of “national-ness”, with the Yanks/Red Sox/Cubs as the most national and then placing the White Sox right below them. But what other teams are “as national” as the White Sox, other than the aforementioned three? What the hell is this idiot talking about?
The only reason the White Sox get any national attention is because their manager is one of the most bigoted and self-involved figures in all of professional sports. Beyond the negative attention that Ozzie Guillen attracts to the team, nobody pays attention to the other baseball team from Chicago.
“The White Sox have become a national team. They’re as national as any team other than the Yankees, Red Sox and Cubs.”
What? What does that even mean? First of all, the White Sox are absolutely not a national team. How do I know? Here in New York, no one thinks about the White Sox, nobody cares about the White Sox and nobody talks about the White Sox. If they’re not talked about in New York then, by definition, they’re not a national team.
Secondly, Gammons’s sentence doesn’t even make sense. He’s creating degrees of “national-ness”, with the Yanks/Red Sox/Cubs as the most national and then placing the White Sox right below them. But what other teams are “as national” as the White Sox, other than the aforementioned three? What the hell is this idiot talking about?
The only reason the White Sox get any national attention is because their manager is one of the most bigoted and self-involved figures in all of professional sports. Beyond the negative attention that Ozzie Guillen attracts to the team, nobody pays attention to the other baseball team from Chicago.
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
The BSD American League All-Star Roster
As this blog’s resident American League columnist, I hereby present to you the unofficial Official Back Seat Drivers American League All-Star Roster! Hitman did a bang-up job on the NL All-Star Roster, which can be found here.
Following Hitman’s lead, I have selected 32 players to fill the 32 roster slots. Per All-Star Game rules, there is at least one player representative from each AL team. The selections have been made without regard to current injuries or fan balloting; i.e. this is my set of picks for the entire roster, as if I got to choose the entire 32-man team.
Catcher:
Starter: Joe Mauer, Twins. Although he doesn’t yet have enough at-bats to qualify for the batting title, Joe Mauer is leading the majors with a ridiculous .383 average at the plate this year. He’s also leading all major league catchers with a 1.117 OPS. There isn’t a catcher in the game within a mile of his skill-set.
Reserve: Victor Martinez, Indians. V-Mart is no longer exclusively a catcher, having played an equal number of games behind the plate (38) and at first base (39). He’s hitting the ball again, with a sterling batting line of .313/.392/.522, along with 14 homers and 57 RBI.
Just Missed: None.
First Baseman:
Starter: Justin Morneau, Twins. The other half of Minnesota’s M&M boys, check out Morneau’s ranking among AL first basemen batting leaders: 19 HR (tied for 3rd), 64 RBI (1st), and .313 AVG (4th). He’s the most complete player at the position thus far.
Reserve: Mark Teixeira, Yankees; Kevin Youkilis, Red Sox; Russell Branyan, Mariners. Teixeira has the second-most HR and RBI at the position, Youkilis is leading all AL first basemen with a 1.031 OPS, and Branyan is having a career year with 19 homers, a .303 average, and higher OPS (1.006) than Miguel Cabrera (.954). He has been Seattle’s best player and can’t be excluded in good conscience.
Just Missed: Miguel Cabrera, Tigers.
Second Baseman:
Starter: Ian Kinsler, Rangers. Although the second base position has gotten deeper over the years, Kinsler is the class of the position in the American League. He’s tied for the league lead for homers at the position (19) with Aaron Hill and also leads in the steals department (16).
Reserve: Aaron Hill, Blue Jays. Kinsler may get the starting nod but Hill is having a breakout season with his superb .305/.344/.510 batting line and 19 HR.
Just Missed: Robinson Cano, Yankees.
Third Baseman:
Starter: Evan Longoria, Rays. Simply put, Longoria is the best all-around player at his position right now. He’s killing the ball to the tune of .301/.381/.566 with 16 HR and 63 RBI while playing top notch defense (+13.4 UZR/150).
Reserve: Brandon Inge, Tigers. Inge leads all AL third basemen with 18 homers and is hitting a respectable .275. He has the second-highest OPS at the position and has been just as good in the field as Longoria (+13.3 UZR/150).
Just Missed: Michael Young, Rangers.
Shortstop:
Starter: Derek Jeter, Yankees. The old man takes a licking and keeps on ticking. He’s posting another good season in a Hall-of-Fame career, leading all qualified players at the position with a .307 batting average and tied for the positional lead with 17 stolen bases.
Reserve: Alexei Ramirez, White Sox; Jason Bartlett, Rays. After a horrifically slow start and several benchings, Ramirez has quietly begun to hit consistently for the White Sox. He leads all AL shortstops in homers (10) and is second to Jeter in steals (11). Bartlett missed time due to injury but has a .366 AVG, 7 HR, 36 RBI and 17 SB in just 58 games.
Just Missed: Marco Scutaro, Blue Jays.
Outfielders:
Starters: Jason Bay, Red Sox; Carl Crawford, Rays; Torii Hunter, Angels. A somewhat unglamorous starting outfield, to be sure, but statistically the most complete offensive group in the AL. Bay leads all outfielders with 69 RBI and is tied with Nelson Cruz for the league lead with 19 HR. Hunter is having a renaissance season with 17 HR, 12 SB and a .303 AVG and makes the team as the only member of the Angels everyday lineup. Crawford leads the majors with 40 steals and has the second-highest batting average at the position, hitting .321.
Reserve: Ben Zobrist, Rays; Nelson Cruz, Rangers; Adam Jones, Orioles. Again, an unglamorous corps of outfielders in reserve, but all have played their way into the Midsummer Classic. Zobrist went from backup shortstop/super-sub to sixth in the AL among OF with 16 HR and a .290 AVG, Cruz has a share of the HR lead among OF with 19 HR and has contributed 12 steals, and Adam Jones is the only Oriole on the AL ASG roster, hitting a robust .305 with 12 HR and 50 RBI.
Just Missed: Juan Rivera, Angels; Johnny Damon, Yankees; Adam Lind, Blue Jays; Jermaine Dye, White Sox.
Starting Pitchers:
Starter: Zack Greinke, Royals. Unlike years past, where a member of the Royals only made it as a token participant, Greinke has pitched his way onto the roster as the major league leader in innings pitched (115.1), wins (10), ERA (1.95) and second in the AL in strikeouts (114). He’s been the best pitcher in the league thus far, hands down.
Reserves: Cliff Lee, Indians; Justin Verlander, Tigers; CC Sabathia, Yankees; Felix Hernandez, Mariners; Roy Halladay, Blue Jays; Josh Beckett, Red Sox; Kevin Millwood, Rangers; and Jered Weaver, Angels. All of these guys make it on merit, appearing on the AL leaderboard for wins, strikeouts, ERA and innings.
Just Missed: Mark Buehrle, White Sox, Jon Lester, Red Sox
Relief Pitchers: Joe Nathan, Twins; Mariano Rivera, Yankees; Jonathan Papelbon, Red Sox; and Andrew Bailey, A’s. The first three names are self-explanatory. Andrew Bailey might be the lone no-name but he has had an outstanding season as a converted middle reliever and makes the team as the sole member of the Oakland A’s.
Just Missed: Brian Fuentes, Angels; Frank Francisco, Rangers; Bobby Jenks, White Sox.
Following Hitman’s lead, I have selected 32 players to fill the 32 roster slots. Per All-Star Game rules, there is at least one player representative from each AL team. The selections have been made without regard to current injuries or fan balloting; i.e. this is my set of picks for the entire roster, as if I got to choose the entire 32-man team.
Catcher:
Starter: Joe Mauer, Twins. Although he doesn’t yet have enough at-bats to qualify for the batting title, Joe Mauer is leading the majors with a ridiculous .383 average at the plate this year. He’s also leading all major league catchers with a 1.117 OPS. There isn’t a catcher in the game within a mile of his skill-set.
Reserve: Victor Martinez, Indians. V-Mart is no longer exclusively a catcher, having played an equal number of games behind the plate (38) and at first base (39). He’s hitting the ball again, with a sterling batting line of .313/.392/.522, along with 14 homers and 57 RBI.
Just Missed: None.
First Baseman:
Starter: Justin Morneau, Twins. The other half of Minnesota’s M&M boys, check out Morneau’s ranking among AL first basemen batting leaders: 19 HR (tied for 3rd), 64 RBI (1st), and .313 AVG (4th). He’s the most complete player at the position thus far.
Reserve: Mark Teixeira, Yankees; Kevin Youkilis, Red Sox; Russell Branyan, Mariners. Teixeira has the second-most HR and RBI at the position, Youkilis is leading all AL first basemen with a 1.031 OPS, and Branyan is having a career year with 19 homers, a .303 average, and higher OPS (1.006) than Miguel Cabrera (.954). He has been Seattle’s best player and can’t be excluded in good conscience.
Just Missed: Miguel Cabrera, Tigers.
Second Baseman:
Starter: Ian Kinsler, Rangers. Although the second base position has gotten deeper over the years, Kinsler is the class of the position in the American League. He’s tied for the league lead for homers at the position (19) with Aaron Hill and also leads in the steals department (16).
Reserve: Aaron Hill, Blue Jays. Kinsler may get the starting nod but Hill is having a breakout season with his superb .305/.344/.510 batting line and 19 HR.
Just Missed: Robinson Cano, Yankees.
Third Baseman:
Starter: Evan Longoria, Rays. Simply put, Longoria is the best all-around player at his position right now. He’s killing the ball to the tune of .301/.381/.566 with 16 HR and 63 RBI while playing top notch defense (+13.4 UZR/150).
Reserve: Brandon Inge, Tigers. Inge leads all AL third basemen with 18 homers and is hitting a respectable .275. He has the second-highest OPS at the position and has been just as good in the field as Longoria (+13.3 UZR/150).
Just Missed: Michael Young, Rangers.
Shortstop:
Starter: Derek Jeter, Yankees. The old man takes a licking and keeps on ticking. He’s posting another good season in a Hall-of-Fame career, leading all qualified players at the position with a .307 batting average and tied for the positional lead with 17 stolen bases.
Reserve: Alexei Ramirez, White Sox; Jason Bartlett, Rays. After a horrifically slow start and several benchings, Ramirez has quietly begun to hit consistently for the White Sox. He leads all AL shortstops in homers (10) and is second to Jeter in steals (11). Bartlett missed time due to injury but has a .366 AVG, 7 HR, 36 RBI and 17 SB in just 58 games.
Just Missed: Marco Scutaro, Blue Jays.
Outfielders:
Starters: Jason Bay, Red Sox; Carl Crawford, Rays; Torii Hunter, Angels. A somewhat unglamorous starting outfield, to be sure, but statistically the most complete offensive group in the AL. Bay leads all outfielders with 69 RBI and is tied with Nelson Cruz for the league lead with 19 HR. Hunter is having a renaissance season with 17 HR, 12 SB and a .303 AVG and makes the team as the only member of the Angels everyday lineup. Crawford leads the majors with 40 steals and has the second-highest batting average at the position, hitting .321.
Reserve: Ben Zobrist, Rays; Nelson Cruz, Rangers; Adam Jones, Orioles. Again, an unglamorous corps of outfielders in reserve, but all have played their way into the Midsummer Classic. Zobrist went from backup shortstop/super-sub to sixth in the AL among OF with 16 HR and a .290 AVG, Cruz has a share of the HR lead among OF with 19 HR and has contributed 12 steals, and Adam Jones is the only Oriole on the AL ASG roster, hitting a robust .305 with 12 HR and 50 RBI.
Just Missed: Juan Rivera, Angels; Johnny Damon, Yankees; Adam Lind, Blue Jays; Jermaine Dye, White Sox.
Starting Pitchers:
Starter: Zack Greinke, Royals. Unlike years past, where a member of the Royals only made it as a token participant, Greinke has pitched his way onto the roster as the major league leader in innings pitched (115.1), wins (10), ERA (1.95) and second in the AL in strikeouts (114). He’s been the best pitcher in the league thus far, hands down.
Reserves: Cliff Lee, Indians; Justin Verlander, Tigers; CC Sabathia, Yankees; Felix Hernandez, Mariners; Roy Halladay, Blue Jays; Josh Beckett, Red Sox; Kevin Millwood, Rangers; and Jered Weaver, Angels. All of these guys make it on merit, appearing on the AL leaderboard for wins, strikeouts, ERA and innings.
Just Missed: Mark Buehrle, White Sox, Jon Lester, Red Sox
Relief Pitchers: Joe Nathan, Twins; Mariano Rivera, Yankees; Jonathan Papelbon, Red Sox; and Andrew Bailey, A’s. The first three names are self-explanatory. Andrew Bailey might be the lone no-name but he has had an outstanding season as a converted middle reliever and makes the team as the sole member of the Oakland A’s.
Just Missed: Brian Fuentes, Angels; Frank Francisco, Rangers; Bobby Jenks, White Sox.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Being Jackie Robinson
On this, the 62nd anniversary of Jackie Robinson's debut in MLB, I thought it was a very nice tribute to have every player and umpire don his universally-retired #42. But as I struggled to keep track of players on unfamiliar teams, I couldn't help but think of this famous scene:
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
Man, The Writers of ESPN Suck
Just as a disclaimer again. I am a Reds and Rockies fan, I am not a big fan of any East Coast team, as Jim Morrison says I think that the West is the best with our weather, our people and our environment.
But I do have to say something about those non-bias journalists at ESPN. Jerry Crasnick wrote an article on the front page of the baseball section on ESPN.com entitled "Big names bomb in debut with Yanks". Just a short synopsis of the article is that he says that the two high priced players in NY, CC and Tex did poorly yesterday and he was basically lambasting the Yankees for paying too much money for these two players. He also mentioned that Arod was on speed-text with Joe Girardi. Does Crasnick know this as a fact? Does he watch Arod's or Girardi's phone service? It seems laughable to say that the acquisition of the Tex and the Fat Man is doomed after one game. That is like saying the H in HAVOC was just as good as Johan Santana because he was able to just give up 2 runs to the juggernaut Mets team and only lose 2-1. It is just crazy talk.
I really hope tonight that Jonathan Papelboner comes in when the Sox are up 7-4 and gives up a single to Crawford, walks Upton, and walks Pena and then gives up a GS to Longoria.
I think that ESPN should change their moniker to the Worldwide Leader in Boston Butt Sex.
But I do have to say something about those non-bias journalists at ESPN. Jerry Crasnick wrote an article on the front page of the baseball section on ESPN.com entitled "Big names bomb in debut with Yanks". Just a short synopsis of the article is that he says that the two high priced players in NY, CC and Tex did poorly yesterday and he was basically lambasting the Yankees for paying too much money for these two players. He also mentioned that Arod was on speed-text with Joe Girardi. Does Crasnick know this as a fact? Does he watch Arod's or Girardi's phone service? It seems laughable to say that the acquisition of the Tex and the Fat Man is doomed after one game. That is like saying the H in HAVOC was just as good as Johan Santana because he was able to just give up 2 runs to the juggernaut Mets team and only lose 2-1. It is just crazy talk.
I really hope tonight that Jonathan Papelboner comes in when the Sox are up 7-4 and gives up a single to Crawford, walks Upton, and walks Pena and then gives up a GS to Longoria.
I think that ESPN should change their moniker to the Worldwide Leader in Boston Butt Sex.
Monday, April 06, 2009
News Flash: Member Of Red Sox Has High Opinion Of Himself!
Today is Opening Day 2009 and I haven’t done any season preview write-ups. I haven’t written a digest of this past winter’s free agency and trade market. I haven’t even given you my picks for the ’09 season. But what I will do for you is tell you why Dustin Pedroia – the reigning AL MVP – is a self-centered little jerk. Why will I do this for you? Because I’m a swell guy, that’s why.
Straight from the pages of Boston Magazine, here’s a featured article on the pompous little dick.
Now, if you read it all the way through, you’ll see where he calls A-Rod “a dork” and then tries to retract the statement. I didn’t really take exception to that because, at this point, I’ve accepted that A-Rod is not well-liked for some mysterious and very unfair reason. What I took exception to was the following excerpt:
“Woodland is a bedroom community of more than 50,000 people that lies 20 miles northwest of Sacramento...“It’s a dump,” says Pedroia...“You can quote me on that. I don’t give a shit.” Pedroia acknowledges he’s angry with the town for something he won’t specify...“The place sucks. The newspaper there, I don’t really get along with. I come from your town. You should embrace me. I play for the Boston Red Sox.”
Are you kidding me? I come from your town. You should embrace me. Could you BE more full of yourself? Eat shit and die, Dustin.
Straight from the pages of Boston Magazine, here’s a featured article on the pompous little dick.
Now, if you read it all the way through, you’ll see where he calls A-Rod “a dork” and then tries to retract the statement. I didn’t really take exception to that because, at this point, I’ve accepted that A-Rod is not well-liked for some mysterious and very unfair reason. What I took exception to was the following excerpt:
“Woodland is a bedroom community of more than 50,000 people that lies 20 miles northwest of Sacramento...“It’s a dump,” says Pedroia...“You can quote me on that. I don’t give a shit.” Pedroia acknowledges he’s angry with the town for something he won’t specify...“The place sucks. The newspaper there, I don’t really get along with. I come from your town. You should embrace me. I play for the Boston Red Sox.”
Are you kidding me? I come from your town. You should embrace me. Could you BE more full of yourself? Eat shit and die, Dustin.
Monday, March 09, 2009
Shoddy Sportswriting Is Contagious
Proving that ESPN does not hold supremacy over disingenuous sports reporting or specious logic, SI.com provided this article today which essentially demonstrates two things: first, that this outrageous piece of garbage is further evidence that the entire sports media universe has gone gaga over the Red Sox in the most transparent way and second, that those like ourselves here at BSD who rail against the mainstream sports media might actually be winning the battle (seriously, check the comments on that article. More than a few folks point out its stupidity).The reason this article is so offensive is simple: it completely neglects the fact that the Red Sox actually made an offer to Mark Teixeira (as this link clearly demonstrates). Don’t tell me the Red Sox are the best-run team in baseball because they prefer to re-sign their young players instead of spending in free agency. If you want to make the case that the Red Sox are indeed the best-run team in baseball I have no problem with that. But it’s not because they eschew free agents. Give me a break. It’s common knowledge that the Red Sox made a tremendous push to get Teixeira and lost him at the last moment.
I hate it when reporters conveniently omit facts in order to make an argument. If you can’t write a story without obscuring relevant details then you probably shouldn’t be writing for a living. Incidentally, the author of this steaming turd (Dave Heuschkel) was an employee of the Hartford Courant (until he was recently laid off as a part of Tribune Company’s reorganization and bankruptcy). His job at the Courant was as a beat writer for the Boston Red Sox. As the Church Lady would say, “well isn’t that convenient?”
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