Things have been going so well that I didn't want to blog for awhile, for fear of breaking the flow. But I'm now reasonably convinced they can continue their winning ways, without superstition, so here it goes:
--It's not the RISP that matters, but the pitching. While no team can win any playoffs with RISP stats as bad as the Sox's have been, the fact remains that lousy RISP stats won't sink you overall. But pitching will. The Sox started off 2-10 because their starters were the worst in the majors at the time, and their relievers weren't much better. Then the starters came around, became the best in the majors, and now the Sox are 1/2 out of first. It's not brain surgery: Get good pitching, especially from your starters, and the wins will come.
--And you don't have to be Bill James to say that they're winning more because they're hitting and pitching better. Sometimes baseball can be whittled down to "Well, duh."
--The Sox's RISP stats still aren't great, even with last night's inflated score. For now it doesn't matter. Notice that even while the Sox have been winning, the boxscore shows that they're still showing RISP numbers like 2-11 and 3-12. A few days ago they won by one run and still left 14 or 15 on base. That needs to change in the playoffs, but they can get by with that for now.
--Give the Sox credit for addressing the problems fast and giving the players a reality check at the same time. Or, it's a good thing that Dice-K and Lackey got hurt when they did, if you know what I'm sayin'.
--Ditto for Wheeler and Jenks. Gentlemen, this is your wake-up call. Or, it's a coincidence that Dice-K, Lackey, Wheeler and Jenks all go on the DL at about the same time, and the Sox go 22-10.
--I'm old enough to remember when the Sox would trudge out the same ineffective pitchers time and time again, just because of their hefty (for the time) salaries. Those days are long gone. Let's remember how lucky (or spoiled) we are that our local team has the finances to shrug its shoulders when multi-year contracts and millions of dollars don't work out. The Sox have no financial problem with Dice-K, Wheeler or Jenks, all of whom are still signed for a few years for many millions. Most MLB teams cannot afford this attitude.
--I could say the same for Cameron and Drew too, by the way.
--A Sox announcer recently said that the Sox consider Dice-K a huge bust, a mistake. He wasn't, guys. He might be now, but he helped the Sox get to, and win, many World Series and playoff games since 2007. Same with Okie-Dokie. Or, name a middle reliever since 2005 to make the All-star game in his first year with an ERA hovering around 1.00. It's one thing for the average fan to have a short memory, quite another for the serious fan and industry professional to do the same.
--And Drew somehow fits in with this mindset, too. The night before last he made a play in right that most do not make. It involved nothing more than getting a great jump on the ball, but he makes it look effortless out there most of the time. He glides. It's arguable about whether he was worth the post-Trot money, but let the record show that after he signed that contract, players have stumbled over themselves to play here. That wasn't always the case.
--I'm reminded of the Steve Avery example, back in the day. Near the end of the (lousy) season, both for Avery and for the team, he was due to make a scheduled start and the Sox brass wanted to start someone else in that meaningless game. Why? Because that one more start would kick in an incentive worth lots of coin, and Avery wasn't coming back anyway. The manager at the time (Grady Little?) had to convince the brass to let him start, and the reason he gave was that future free agents wouldn't sign because they'd think the brass was cheap. They would've been right--it was. Avery pitched at least 7 shutout innings that day, if I remember right. And Duquette, who didn't own the purse strings but always acted like he did, said something snarky about the Sox paying him a lot more if he'd always pitched like that.
--The point being that the Sox don't think twice about that kind of thing anymore. Their customer relations and employee relations post-Duquette are among the best in baseball. They treat their players well financially--with the caveat being that they'll hit the DL if they're not performing. The players don't seem to have a problem with that.
--It's an ironic statement that no ownership in my baseball fandom has been as business-focused as these Sox, and yet the players love playing here, and the brass is great to them. The Yawkeys and the Duquettes were also very business-focused, but in a worse way, and the players either hated them, or didn't come to Boston to play to begin with. Or, do you think Crawford would've come to Boston in the 80s or 90s? Even for $120+ million?
--The Sox have to be wondering what they can get now for Lars Anderson. Answer: Not much. Ditto for Michael Bowden, who seems to have self-destructed his career after that game last year, when he gave up 10 or so runs in about 3 seconds. He should've turned out better. At a quick glance, I see that his fastball is straight, and gets hit, and he can't get his off-speed stuff over. That's a bad combination.
--The Oliver Stone in me thinks the Sox disabled Scutaro so they could look at Iglesias and Sutton. And don't think it's escaped their attention--or Scutaro's--that they have played much better in his absence. I suspect that Drew has more value, and Scutaro less value, than is visible by the naked eye (or boxscore). I think Drew saves a fraction of a run per game in the field and Scutaro maybe costs them a fraction of a run. I have no evidence to support this--and I'm not Bill James enough to look at their range stats, or whatever is the equivalent these days--but I've been watching games since 1984 or so, and I think I see what I think I see, if you know what I mean.
--Put another way, the Sox are a numbers organization, and they keep putting Drew in right despite his very average (or below-average) hitting stats for his position, and they're not in a hurry to get Scutaro off the DL. Which is to say that they already knew what I've just realized in the last few days, and they've already acted upon it. That's why they get paid the big bucks--and let's not forget that Bill James still works for them. I suspect that Bill James has more weight about Drew's playing time than does Drew's contract. Or Drew.
Showing posts with label Dice-K. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dice-K. Show all posts
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Lately
Been away for a few days, so a few things:
--Don't look now, but the Sox are 7-1 in their past 8 games and are finally out of the cellar.
--Baltimore is now there, being one of the faster teams to go from first to last that I've seen.
--The top 3 are the Yanks, Rays and Sox, which you can bet will be the three playing the shell game for the rest of the season.
--A source tells me that you can bet that the Sox will not be paying Papelbon for his services next year. As they have 3 closers on the roster now, they'll probably try to trade him if they don't think they'll go deep in the playoffs. If they do, he'll stay, but then go bye-bye via free agency.
--I also hear that all indicators are that Papelbon will have a lights-out year, as he's mentioned he'll test the free agent market next year. Nice enough guy, I'm told, and not as nutty as you'd think--but not the brightest bulb, either.
--The Angels will have trouble scoring runs consistently this year. Their pitching and defense will have to be stellar. This series they haven't been.
--Pitchers need to have better poker faces on the mound. I'm getting tired of them showing lots of emotion when a call that's not even close doesn't go their way.
--The word is that some players in MLB are taking substances not being tested for yet, sort of a Stealth HGH. I'm not surprised.
--I also hear that I may be surprised by the support that Manny may get from HOF voters after all. If he gets in within a few years of eligibility, I will be very surprised.
--You have to wonder why Dice-K can't be like this all the time, if he can be unhittable in two straight starts. What's going on in there?
--Varitek can go 0 for the season and still catch Game 7 of the World Series for me.
--Then again, so can Heidi Watney, if you know what I'm sayin'.
--The Yanks have 5 out of the top-10 batters in the league in terms of batting average, slugging percentage and on-base percentage. They'll have to be that way all year in order for them to contend.
--Mike Cameron must have pictures.
--Salty might be too tall to be a catcher.
--Ervin Santana, who could be Pedro, struck out 9 in 7 innings yesterday, but also gave up 9 hits and 5 runs, and some long homeruns. That, in a nutshell, is why he drives his management crazy. I remember when he came up, and he was lights out. Now he's still lights out, but in a different way.
--I just saw Ellsbury thrown out on the second of two consecutive pitchouts. Before the pitch, Scioscia was going through his signs in the dugout, and I thought: He's calling for another pitchout. I swear.
--I called a Jim Rice homerun just like that, when I was 14. A short story due to be in print soon (Space and Time Magazine; look for it in the summer) starts with a reference to the narrator calling a Manny homer, but it's based on me calling Rice's.
--Speaking of which, I was talking to a local former sports reporter yesterday, and when I asked him if he could guess the most perfect homerun swing I ever saw, he said, "Manny's game-winning homer off the Angels in the 2007 ALDS?" Now, how the hell did he know that? That was a little bit creepy!
--Don't look now, but the Sox are 7-1 in their past 8 games and are finally out of the cellar.
--Baltimore is now there, being one of the faster teams to go from first to last that I've seen.
--The top 3 are the Yanks, Rays and Sox, which you can bet will be the three playing the shell game for the rest of the season.
--A source tells me that you can bet that the Sox will not be paying Papelbon for his services next year. As they have 3 closers on the roster now, they'll probably try to trade him if they don't think they'll go deep in the playoffs. If they do, he'll stay, but then go bye-bye via free agency.
--I also hear that all indicators are that Papelbon will have a lights-out year, as he's mentioned he'll test the free agent market next year. Nice enough guy, I'm told, and not as nutty as you'd think--but not the brightest bulb, either.
--The Angels will have trouble scoring runs consistently this year. Their pitching and defense will have to be stellar. This series they haven't been.
--Pitchers need to have better poker faces on the mound. I'm getting tired of them showing lots of emotion when a call that's not even close doesn't go their way.
--The word is that some players in MLB are taking substances not being tested for yet, sort of a Stealth HGH. I'm not surprised.
--I also hear that I may be surprised by the support that Manny may get from HOF voters after all. If he gets in within a few years of eligibility, I will be very surprised.
--You have to wonder why Dice-K can't be like this all the time, if he can be unhittable in two straight starts. What's going on in there?
--Varitek can go 0 for the season and still catch Game 7 of the World Series for me.
--Then again, so can Heidi Watney, if you know what I'm sayin'.
--The Yanks have 5 out of the top-10 batters in the league in terms of batting average, slugging percentage and on-base percentage. They'll have to be that way all year in order for them to contend.
--Mike Cameron must have pictures.
--Salty might be too tall to be a catcher.
--Ervin Santana, who could be Pedro, struck out 9 in 7 innings yesterday, but also gave up 9 hits and 5 runs, and some long homeruns. That, in a nutshell, is why he drives his management crazy. I remember when he came up, and he was lights out. Now he's still lights out, but in a different way.
--I just saw Ellsbury thrown out on the second of two consecutive pitchouts. Before the pitch, Scioscia was going through his signs in the dugout, and I thought: He's calling for another pitchout. I swear.
--I called a Jim Rice homerun just like that, when I was 14. A short story due to be in print soon (Space and Time Magazine; look for it in the summer) starts with a reference to the narrator calling a Manny homer, but it's based on me calling Rice's.
--Speaking of which, I was talking to a local former sports reporter yesterday, and when I asked him if he could guess the most perfect homerun swing I ever saw, he said, "Manny's game-winning homer off the Angels in the 2007 ALDS?" Now, how the hell did he know that? That was a little bit creepy!
Sunday, April 17, 2011
3-10
Here's what I saw that worked yesterday:
--Beckett pitched. He owns 2 of their 3 wins, and is by far the most impressive pitcher on the team. His success now as compared to the past few years is simple to see: he's not throwing 100% fastballs (of any of the three types he throws) and he's getting his off-speed stuff over very consistently. Before he dogheadedly threw the #1 all the time, to every hitter, and it didn't move much, so if you're a professional hitter and you're sitting on it, you can hit it. And they did. A lot. Because he's throwing much more off-speed stuff (getting them over for strikes is a big plus), they can't sit dead-red. Gives them something else to think about, and they're also not so comfortable hitting off of him. I can see the difference in the confidence on their faces; they don't feel they can hit him as easily as before. Now that he's getting the off-speed stuff over, they have to look for that. But if they're looking for that, he can blow his #1 by them, thereby getting even more outs. I'm tellin' you, it's that simple: If you can throw 93+ and get off-speed stuff over consistently, you can pitch in the major leagues. (Another improvement is that he's not walking everyone. Those totals are down because he's not missing with his off-speed stuff, which leads to an avalanche of positive things for him. Dice-K should learn from this.)
--Varitek caught. I know that one leads to the other these days, that Beckett wants Varitek catching him, but I still stand by my opinion about how important pitch-selection is. Varitek knows all the hitters, but he can out-smart them back there, too. (He also might be a little bit of Jake Taylor back there, too, for those of you who get the reference.) NESN showed the stat yesterday that Varitek is 2-2 and the staff has an ERA below 3.0 when he catches. Salty is 0-8 with an ERA over 6. Granted that Varitek has half the control group that Salty has, but I can see what I see, and he is better back there overall. He threw someone out yesterday, too.
--Crawford didn't play and Ellsbury didn't lead off. Crawford will have to come around, and I feel badly about the boos he's getting, but, as he said, they should boo him, he deserves it. But he can hit .300 and have 200 hits and 50 stolen bases, so he absolutely must come around. Yesterday was a good mental health day for him, though. Ellsbury looks more comfortable now batting 7-9, so I would keep him there. I won't pretend to know what ails him; I haven't understood him for years, since just after he came up late in 2007, had a HOF second half...and then I don't know. Sox fans don't, either. A guy at Fenway a few nights ago (when I was there) yelled things at Ellsbury I won't repeat here, but also added the caveat that he hasn't been good for awhile now, that he had that mysterious year last year that people still whisper loudly about, and that he's only popular because women think he's handsome. The guy wasn't all right, but he wasn't all wrong, either. With the glut of outfielders the Sox have, I wouldn't be surprised if the brass grows disenchanted with him and trades him late in the year. Having said that, Ellsbury's upside is only a smidgeon lower than Crawford's, and is therefore way too potentially good to give up on. But now's the time to walk the walk.
--Jed Lowrie has always been a small favorite of mine, though I am still surprised by his hitting and defense this year, and I'm even more surprised to watch him lead off yesterday and not only go 3 for 5, but also hit scalding drives for his two outs. I love the old-fashioned gloves hanging out of his back pocket when he hits; he's scrappy looking, weighs about 170, max, and frankly makes it look like you or I could also get a hit up there. Jeff Frye struck me the same way, that if he can do it, I can do it. I can't, of course, but that's undoubtedly some of Lowrie's appeal. He looks like a throwback player, anywhere from the 1880s to the 1920s, and has the name to boot. He's playing comfortable up there, and I think it's because he knows he's coming back next year and Scutaro isn't. (Don't be surprised to see Scutaro traded, either.) The SS phenom is waiting to be the starter late this year or definitely next year, so you can't keep Lowrie and Scutaro. Lowrie can play short, second and third, and Scutaro can only play short. Lowrie has also shown that he can hit first or second like Scutaro can. His versatility makes him just a little more valuable than Scutaro.
--I'm not down on Scutaro, by the way. He is what he is, which is a singles and doubles hitting, average fielding SS who can lead off or hit lower, bat .275 to .285 at the end of the year, drive in some runs with a good lineup, maybe 80 to 85, max, in a great year, and he comes to play every day. What's not to like? Plenty of teams could use him. The problem for him is that the Sox can't. Lowrie can do all those things, too, maybe a smidge better since he's younger, and he's also cheaper and has better range and versatility. He's also never going to be any better than that, and has been that consistently for awhile now, but to the extent that, for him, there's nowhere else for him to go but down. He's on the downside now, but I'll bet his declining years will be many, as his slow but steady descent will take a few years, too. Still a valuable player for many teams.
--Yesterday the Sox were still terrible with RISP. They were 2 for 12, or something like that, and left close to 11 on base again. That has to stop.
--The umps and fans were dressed like they were watching a game in Siberia.
--Right now, it's Pedroia and Lowrie, Beckett and Lester, and pray for rain. The core has to step up. Now.
--Beckett pitched. He owns 2 of their 3 wins, and is by far the most impressive pitcher on the team. His success now as compared to the past few years is simple to see: he's not throwing 100% fastballs (of any of the three types he throws) and he's getting his off-speed stuff over very consistently. Before he dogheadedly threw the #1 all the time, to every hitter, and it didn't move much, so if you're a professional hitter and you're sitting on it, you can hit it. And they did. A lot. Because he's throwing much more off-speed stuff (getting them over for strikes is a big plus), they can't sit dead-red. Gives them something else to think about, and they're also not so comfortable hitting off of him. I can see the difference in the confidence on their faces; they don't feel they can hit him as easily as before. Now that he's getting the off-speed stuff over, they have to look for that. But if they're looking for that, he can blow his #1 by them, thereby getting even more outs. I'm tellin' you, it's that simple: If you can throw 93+ and get off-speed stuff over consistently, you can pitch in the major leagues. (Another improvement is that he's not walking everyone. Those totals are down because he's not missing with his off-speed stuff, which leads to an avalanche of positive things for him. Dice-K should learn from this.)
--Varitek caught. I know that one leads to the other these days, that Beckett wants Varitek catching him, but I still stand by my opinion about how important pitch-selection is. Varitek knows all the hitters, but he can out-smart them back there, too. (He also might be a little bit of Jake Taylor back there, too, for those of you who get the reference.) NESN showed the stat yesterday that Varitek is 2-2 and the staff has an ERA below 3.0 when he catches. Salty is 0-8 with an ERA over 6. Granted that Varitek has half the control group that Salty has, but I can see what I see, and he is better back there overall. He threw someone out yesterday, too.
--Crawford didn't play and Ellsbury didn't lead off. Crawford will have to come around, and I feel badly about the boos he's getting, but, as he said, they should boo him, he deserves it. But he can hit .300 and have 200 hits and 50 stolen bases, so he absolutely must come around. Yesterday was a good mental health day for him, though. Ellsbury looks more comfortable now batting 7-9, so I would keep him there. I won't pretend to know what ails him; I haven't understood him for years, since just after he came up late in 2007, had a HOF second half...and then I don't know. Sox fans don't, either. A guy at Fenway a few nights ago (when I was there) yelled things at Ellsbury I won't repeat here, but also added the caveat that he hasn't been good for awhile now, that he had that mysterious year last year that people still whisper loudly about, and that he's only popular because women think he's handsome. The guy wasn't all right, but he wasn't all wrong, either. With the glut of outfielders the Sox have, I wouldn't be surprised if the brass grows disenchanted with him and trades him late in the year. Having said that, Ellsbury's upside is only a smidgeon lower than Crawford's, and is therefore way too potentially good to give up on. But now's the time to walk the walk.
--Jed Lowrie has always been a small favorite of mine, though I am still surprised by his hitting and defense this year, and I'm even more surprised to watch him lead off yesterday and not only go 3 for 5, but also hit scalding drives for his two outs. I love the old-fashioned gloves hanging out of his back pocket when he hits; he's scrappy looking, weighs about 170, max, and frankly makes it look like you or I could also get a hit up there. Jeff Frye struck me the same way, that if he can do it, I can do it. I can't, of course, but that's undoubtedly some of Lowrie's appeal. He looks like a throwback player, anywhere from the 1880s to the 1920s, and has the name to boot. He's playing comfortable up there, and I think it's because he knows he's coming back next year and Scutaro isn't. (Don't be surprised to see Scutaro traded, either.) The SS phenom is waiting to be the starter late this year or definitely next year, so you can't keep Lowrie and Scutaro. Lowrie can play short, second and third, and Scutaro can only play short. Lowrie has also shown that he can hit first or second like Scutaro can. His versatility makes him just a little more valuable than Scutaro.
--I'm not down on Scutaro, by the way. He is what he is, which is a singles and doubles hitting, average fielding SS who can lead off or hit lower, bat .275 to .285 at the end of the year, drive in some runs with a good lineup, maybe 80 to 85, max, in a great year, and he comes to play every day. What's not to like? Plenty of teams could use him. The problem for him is that the Sox can't. Lowrie can do all those things, too, maybe a smidge better since he's younger, and he's also cheaper and has better range and versatility. He's also never going to be any better than that, and has been that consistently for awhile now, but to the extent that, for him, there's nowhere else for him to go but down. He's on the downside now, but I'll bet his declining years will be many, as his slow but steady descent will take a few years, too. Still a valuable player for many teams.
--Yesterday the Sox were still terrible with RISP. They were 2 for 12, or something like that, and left close to 11 on base again. That has to stop.
--The umps and fans were dressed like they were watching a game in Siberia.
--Right now, it's Pedroia and Lowrie, Beckett and Lester, and pray for rain. The core has to step up. Now.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Game 2--Beltre, Rangers 12 Sox 5, and More
--Still no time to panic, though you are allowed to feel a strong sense of unease. I do.
--To state the obvious, the pitching looks to be a bit of a problem right now. I'm more concerned about the relief pitching than the starting pitching, though you would think Lackey wouldn't leave a pitch middle in to a right handed hitter, especially one of Beltre's caliber.
--If you leave the ball up, the Rangers hitters will hit it. Hard. Everyone, of almost any caliber or type of pitcher, needs to keep the ball either down or away from them. Even their 8th and 9th hitters look good.
--The worry with the starting pitching is that we haven't gotten to Beckett and Dice-K yet, who we expect to do badly. So if the others do as well...
--It's early, but a win today is strongly needed. You don't want to be swept during the first series of the season.
--A little perspective: The Rays lost 2 straight to the Orioles. The Orioles are not better than the Rays, I assure you.
--Ortiz hit another homer, good for him. Then again, so did Ian Kinsler...and Ellsbury looks good at the plate, too. In fact, the whole Sox offense looks good, except for Crawford, who really looks like he's pressing. I was guessing at that yesterday, but a golf-swing and miss on a pitch low and away yesterday proved it.
--The Cleveland pitching staff looks helpless. This against the Chicago White Sox, who don't have a thunderous lineup.
--I won't look at the standings until the Sox win one.
--Lou Gorman was apparently a really nice guy. That's always said when someone dies, but it's been the overwhelming thing that everyone's been saying about him, even before his 30 years or so in the business. He was the GM when I first started watching baseball, in 1984, and I remember that during interview spots he would always talk very slowly, very muffled, and that he cared more about the players themselves than is usual for GMs, then or now. He was the exact polar opposite of Dan Duquette. I have a very vague memory of maybe talking to him--or at least he was in the same room with me--when I was at McCoy when very young. This is back when Mike Stenhouse was involved with the team and he gave my Dad tickets, or maybe just AMICA in general.
--Dunkin' Donuts doesn't sponsor Sox games anymore? No more Dugout? I saw a Honey Dew commercial on NESN and I almost fell over.
--The Sox pitching coach will be earning his money starting right now.
--I want to see Varitek behind the plate today. Let's see if he can bring the staff ERA down. If he is in, and if Bucholz has a good game, I want to see him in there the next day, too. Even if Salty has a batting average a 100 points higher than Varitek's, it won't be worth it if Varitek calls a superior game and takes hits and runs off the board doing so. I believe this can happen, and that it has happened. With the Sox lineup the way it is, they can afford a great game-caller with a weak batting average hitting ninth.
--Castig has gotten even more nasal, if that's possible.
--By the way, why's Lackey the Number 2 over Bucholz? At this point, Lackey and Beckett are capable of each winning 20, but are presently lumbering innings-eaters. Let's have the younger guys who've been pitching much better and winning more consistently at the top of the rotation, okay?
--If you have 3 doubles, 2 triples and 2 homers (one a grand slam) hit off you in 3 2/3 innings, now that's a bad day.
--Someone needs to keep the cameras off of pitchers during obvious f-word moments, such as Lackey's yesterday right after Beltre's slam. They're obviously putting the lens on these guys at those moments so that we, the viewers, can see them mouthing the f-word.
--Completely unnecessary, by the way, as we are saying the same thing at the time ourselves.
--The guys next to me were very vocal against Francona, as if they expected him to pull his starting pitcher, who is getting paid about $12 million this year to win and eat innings, in the fourth inning of the second game of the year. There's 160 of these left, guys. Take it easy.
--I see now why sports pros from across the country say that Sox fans are unique in their rabidity for the team. Every game really is life or death for many of these guys. These guys yesterday were an example, confusing the second game of the year for an ALCS or World Series game.
--By the way, kudos to my better half, who sat through five innings of a game, at a local restaurant/bar, surrounded by these guys, watching her second game in a row--while not appearing tortured. Though she still calls "uniforms" "outfits." I tried to explain that ballplayers wear uniforms and tennis players wear outfits, but she was not deterred.
--She said that she was now a Rangers fan because they at least make things happen. And said that all teams should use just one pitcher every day. I took that opportunity to speak about the 1880s Providence Greys, and Old Hoss Radbourne, and how teams then did just have one pitcher, who would often win 40-60 games a season while tossing 400 to 600 innings. Luckily she was on her second Mojito at the time and so was able to make it through my explanation without her eyes glazing over. (I did have to explain who Nomar was.)
--Beltre 1, Sox 0 for those keeping track.
--Speaking of Beltre, I didn't know that he'd been offered a one-year, $10 million contract by the Sox last year. Instead he signed a guaranteed 5 year, $80 million contract with the Rangers. That's an average of $16 million a year, each year for five years, for those bad at math. I'd turn down the Sox offer for that, wouldn't you? Sox fans vilified him, as they had Damon when he left for much more money than the Sox offered.
--As part of that contract, Beltre makes $14 million this year, and one million more each year until 2016, when he drops back down to $16 million a year. Included also is the stipulation that the Rangers can defer $12 million of the 2016 contract at 1% interest. Oh, and it's in his contract that he gets uniform #29.
--Remember that this guy was in the slush pile after 5 very bad years in Seattle, on an exorbitant contract that he landed after his one--and, at that time, only--great season with the Dodgers. His stats that year, especially the 49 homers, are dubious when compared to those 5 terrible seasons, a drop-off that he has never fully explained. Then one more great year, this time in Boston, and he uses that one good year again to garner an exorbitant long-term contract. I hope he does well this year, or else this would form a very questionable pattern of behavior, if you know what I'm sayin'.
--And speaking of money, Cliff Lee said No to the Rangers this past offseason when they offered him a 6-year/$138 million contract so he could return to the Phillies. That's an average of $23 million per year. And he said No. Tough to fathom, isn't it?
--To state the obvious, the pitching looks to be a bit of a problem right now. I'm more concerned about the relief pitching than the starting pitching, though you would think Lackey wouldn't leave a pitch middle in to a right handed hitter, especially one of Beltre's caliber.
--If you leave the ball up, the Rangers hitters will hit it. Hard. Everyone, of almost any caliber or type of pitcher, needs to keep the ball either down or away from them. Even their 8th and 9th hitters look good.
--The worry with the starting pitching is that we haven't gotten to Beckett and Dice-K yet, who we expect to do badly. So if the others do as well...
--It's early, but a win today is strongly needed. You don't want to be swept during the first series of the season.
--A little perspective: The Rays lost 2 straight to the Orioles. The Orioles are not better than the Rays, I assure you.
--Ortiz hit another homer, good for him. Then again, so did Ian Kinsler...and Ellsbury looks good at the plate, too. In fact, the whole Sox offense looks good, except for Crawford, who really looks like he's pressing. I was guessing at that yesterday, but a golf-swing and miss on a pitch low and away yesterday proved it.
--The Cleveland pitching staff looks helpless. This against the Chicago White Sox, who don't have a thunderous lineup.
--I won't look at the standings until the Sox win one.
--Lou Gorman was apparently a really nice guy. That's always said when someone dies, but it's been the overwhelming thing that everyone's been saying about him, even before his 30 years or so in the business. He was the GM when I first started watching baseball, in 1984, and I remember that during interview spots he would always talk very slowly, very muffled, and that he cared more about the players themselves than is usual for GMs, then or now. He was the exact polar opposite of Dan Duquette. I have a very vague memory of maybe talking to him--or at least he was in the same room with me--when I was at McCoy when very young. This is back when Mike Stenhouse was involved with the team and he gave my Dad tickets, or maybe just AMICA in general.
--Dunkin' Donuts doesn't sponsor Sox games anymore? No more Dugout? I saw a Honey Dew commercial on NESN and I almost fell over.
--The Sox pitching coach will be earning his money starting right now.
--I want to see Varitek behind the plate today. Let's see if he can bring the staff ERA down. If he is in, and if Bucholz has a good game, I want to see him in there the next day, too. Even if Salty has a batting average a 100 points higher than Varitek's, it won't be worth it if Varitek calls a superior game and takes hits and runs off the board doing so. I believe this can happen, and that it has happened. With the Sox lineup the way it is, they can afford a great game-caller with a weak batting average hitting ninth.
--Castig has gotten even more nasal, if that's possible.
--By the way, why's Lackey the Number 2 over Bucholz? At this point, Lackey and Beckett are capable of each winning 20, but are presently lumbering innings-eaters. Let's have the younger guys who've been pitching much better and winning more consistently at the top of the rotation, okay?
--If you have 3 doubles, 2 triples and 2 homers (one a grand slam) hit off you in 3 2/3 innings, now that's a bad day.
--Someone needs to keep the cameras off of pitchers during obvious f-word moments, such as Lackey's yesterday right after Beltre's slam. They're obviously putting the lens on these guys at those moments so that we, the viewers, can see them mouthing the f-word.
--Completely unnecessary, by the way, as we are saying the same thing at the time ourselves.
--The guys next to me were very vocal against Francona, as if they expected him to pull his starting pitcher, who is getting paid about $12 million this year to win and eat innings, in the fourth inning of the second game of the year. There's 160 of these left, guys. Take it easy.
--I see now why sports pros from across the country say that Sox fans are unique in their rabidity for the team. Every game really is life or death for many of these guys. These guys yesterday were an example, confusing the second game of the year for an ALCS or World Series game.
--By the way, kudos to my better half, who sat through five innings of a game, at a local restaurant/bar, surrounded by these guys, watching her second game in a row--while not appearing tortured. Though she still calls "uniforms" "outfits." I tried to explain that ballplayers wear uniforms and tennis players wear outfits, but she was not deterred.
--She said that she was now a Rangers fan because they at least make things happen. And said that all teams should use just one pitcher every day. I took that opportunity to speak about the 1880s Providence Greys, and Old Hoss Radbourne, and how teams then did just have one pitcher, who would often win 40-60 games a season while tossing 400 to 600 innings. Luckily she was on her second Mojito at the time and so was able to make it through my explanation without her eyes glazing over. (I did have to explain who Nomar was.)
--Beltre 1, Sox 0 for those keeping track.
--Speaking of Beltre, I didn't know that he'd been offered a one-year, $10 million contract by the Sox last year. Instead he signed a guaranteed 5 year, $80 million contract with the Rangers. That's an average of $16 million a year, each year for five years, for those bad at math. I'd turn down the Sox offer for that, wouldn't you? Sox fans vilified him, as they had Damon when he left for much more money than the Sox offered.
--As part of that contract, Beltre makes $14 million this year, and one million more each year until 2016, when he drops back down to $16 million a year. Included also is the stipulation that the Rangers can defer $12 million of the 2016 contract at 1% interest. Oh, and it's in his contract that he gets uniform #29.
--Remember that this guy was in the slush pile after 5 very bad years in Seattle, on an exorbitant contract that he landed after his one--and, at that time, only--great season with the Dodgers. His stats that year, especially the 49 homers, are dubious when compared to those 5 terrible seasons, a drop-off that he has never fully explained. Then one more great year, this time in Boston, and he uses that one good year again to garner an exorbitant long-term contract. I hope he does well this year, or else this would form a very questionable pattern of behavior, if you know what I'm sayin'.
--And speaking of money, Cliff Lee said No to the Rangers this past offseason when they offered him a 6-year/$138 million contract so he could return to the Phillies. That's an average of $23 million per year. And he said No. Tough to fathom, isn't it?
Friday, March 25, 2011
The Morality Bloodhounds
Okay, so it's been awhile. Okay, so it's been a long while. Had some things goin' on, lost a family member, got really sick, got tied up with Paying the Man. But now I'm back, talkin' baseball, so let's get caught up with a few things:
--The Bonds trial has quickly become a circus. The topic in court today was how he walked around with a smaller size bat, if you know what I'm sayin'. What that has to do with him perjuring himself, I don't know, as that soon won't be something you can lie about, if you further know what I'm sayin'. This tells you something about Barry: Yuckiness seems to follow him, 700+ homeruns or not. Bad for baseball. Bad for my acid reflux.
--I worry a little about the Morality Bloodhounds. First Barry. Clemens is next, mark my words. The same legal moral railing didn't turn out so well for Kenneth Starr, and it won't end well for whoever's in charge of this fiasco, either. Bonds is a jerk, not the Antichrist. Slap him with a year in jail, or probation, and take away his HOF entrance for 14 years (You can't keep him out. He's up there with Ruth and Williams, 'roids or not, and you can't just whisk that away.) and move on. Stop bathing baseball fans in the mud.
--The Yanks may win more games than you would think. If they have the lead after the 7th, they'll win about 99% of the time. Soriano and Rivera are the newest Rivera and Wetteland. The Yanks may be playing 7 inning ballgames this year. And with that offense, they'll have a lot of leads. But with that starting pitching...Don't rule these guys out. They could surprise and win the division.
--But I don't think they will. Go Sox. The Fenway opener against the Yanks will mean more than usual, even if it is the very beginning of the season. Speaking of which, the games with the Rangers will show a lot as well. But why start at 4, then 8, then 2? I'm just sayin'. I mean, we all have DVR.
--When I heard that Jeter's shirts and apparel were the best-selling in baseball, by far, his recent contract made a lot more sense to me. It ain't all about the play on the field.
--By the way, Pedroia outsold A-rod, for those of you keeping track. And I was very surprised that Pujols barely made the top-10. That ain't right.
--Beltre could've hit 30 homers a year at Fenway alone, had he stayed. Just take a knee, and swing. I haven't seen a swing better fit for Fenway, ever. That swing would make all of those shots go over the Wall for Beltre, too. He didn't have too many wall-balls last year.
--There's something going on with Beckett that we may read about in a few years. Maybe Pap, too.
--The Sox and Yanks measure up closer than you'd think. Both have questionable starting pitching that could either excel, or flame out. The Sox starters, overall, are better, with Lester and Buchholz, but if Beckett and Lackey don't perform, and Dice-K's arm falls off, this could be a very disappointing year. The 8th and 9th innings should be great for both teams--with the Yanks getting the nod--and the offense should be stellar, as well, with the Yanks getting the nod there as well, though the Sox's offense could pull away, as they've gotten younger while the Yanks have gotten older. But this year may be a draw, with the Sox getting the upper hand offensively for the next few years. The difference could come down to middle relief, of all things. Or injuries.
--Because of this, watch out for the Rays. And Rangers. The Rays may still surprise, despite the firesale. If their rookies perform well--and they might--they could be in the thick of the wild card.
--Sox and Phils at the end.
--The Bonds trial has quickly become a circus. The topic in court today was how he walked around with a smaller size bat, if you know what I'm sayin'. What that has to do with him perjuring himself, I don't know, as that soon won't be something you can lie about, if you further know what I'm sayin'. This tells you something about Barry: Yuckiness seems to follow him, 700+ homeruns or not. Bad for baseball. Bad for my acid reflux.
--I worry a little about the Morality Bloodhounds. First Barry. Clemens is next, mark my words. The same legal moral railing didn't turn out so well for Kenneth Starr, and it won't end well for whoever's in charge of this fiasco, either. Bonds is a jerk, not the Antichrist. Slap him with a year in jail, or probation, and take away his HOF entrance for 14 years (You can't keep him out. He's up there with Ruth and Williams, 'roids or not, and you can't just whisk that away.) and move on. Stop bathing baseball fans in the mud.
--The Yanks may win more games than you would think. If they have the lead after the 7th, they'll win about 99% of the time. Soriano and Rivera are the newest Rivera and Wetteland. The Yanks may be playing 7 inning ballgames this year. And with that offense, they'll have a lot of leads. But with that starting pitching...Don't rule these guys out. They could surprise and win the division.
--But I don't think they will. Go Sox. The Fenway opener against the Yanks will mean more than usual, even if it is the very beginning of the season. Speaking of which, the games with the Rangers will show a lot as well. But why start at 4, then 8, then 2? I'm just sayin'. I mean, we all have DVR.
--When I heard that Jeter's shirts and apparel were the best-selling in baseball, by far, his recent contract made a lot more sense to me. It ain't all about the play on the field.
--By the way, Pedroia outsold A-rod, for those of you keeping track. And I was very surprised that Pujols barely made the top-10. That ain't right.
--Beltre could've hit 30 homers a year at Fenway alone, had he stayed. Just take a knee, and swing. I haven't seen a swing better fit for Fenway, ever. That swing would make all of those shots go over the Wall for Beltre, too. He didn't have too many wall-balls last year.
--There's something going on with Beckett that we may read about in a few years. Maybe Pap, too.
--The Sox and Yanks measure up closer than you'd think. Both have questionable starting pitching that could either excel, or flame out. The Sox starters, overall, are better, with Lester and Buchholz, but if Beckett and Lackey don't perform, and Dice-K's arm falls off, this could be a very disappointing year. The 8th and 9th innings should be great for both teams--with the Yanks getting the nod--and the offense should be stellar, as well, with the Yanks getting the nod there as well, though the Sox's offense could pull away, as they've gotten younger while the Yanks have gotten older. But this year may be a draw, with the Sox getting the upper hand offensively for the next few years. The difference could come down to middle relief, of all things. Or injuries.
--Because of this, watch out for the Rays. And Rangers. The Rays may still surprise, despite the firesale. If their rookies perform well--and they might--they could be in the thick of the wild card.
--Sox and Phils at the end.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Relief
With the newer acquisitions of Dan Wheeler and Bobby Jenks, the team is really shaping up. I have to see what transactions the Sox have made on their 40-man to include these two...and I should probably do that now before I say anything else...okay, brb...
Well, the Sox have signed a ton of lefties to minor league deals and have invited some to Spring Training. Of the bunch, Albers is maybe the most promising, if he can just hit his spots all the time, and Miller needs to keep his pitches down all the time. When these two guys don't do that, they get hit. Hard. DiNardo is another one who has to keep hitting his spots and keep the ball down. These guys have met with limited success in the majors--and you can throw Hill in with that, too, and he actually shows the most consistent potential out of the whole bunch. These guys don't have me jumping with joy; I suspect that Theo will keep the 95 corridor well-traversed with these guys. I think he'll play the hand that's hot, send 'em down when they're not, and do that all year unless one of them catches fire and sticks around. And Tazawa needs to be mentioned, too. I feel this guy will be the sleeper that Atchison was last year.
Eric Patterson, we hardly knew ya. Fast guy who couldn't hit--except for that one game last year when he clouted three of 'em in one game, just to show you what he could do, maybe, possibly. This guy should've been laying down bunts and spraying line drives. Lou Brown would've made him give 'em 20 whenever he hit one in the air. He took circuitious routes in the outfield, too. Drove ya crazy. Would've made a great pinch-runner, but didn't exactly have the acumen on the bases like Dave Roberts had, though Patterson is probably faster. Didn't walk much, either, to try to steal. Not my kind of player. Head-scratcher of Theo's to begin with.
But Wheeler and Jenks are a different story. I work with a guy who knows Wheeler well, and I've got Wheeler's autograph on a glove around here somewhere...He was big around here when Kenny Giard was (and I have his autograph on a missing glove, too). Always seemed to do well against the Sox when with the Rays. I'm surprised he never amounted to more because he shut 'em down every time I saw him. But he's bounced around a bit now, and his arm is suspect--but if he's healthy, he's another 7th inning guy, maybe pushed down to the 6th inning with the glut of 7th, 8th and 9th inning guys the Sox have now. He'll pitch a lot when Dice-K does, mark my words. An exciting grab if he can stay healthy and remain focused. He'd better, because he's getting $3M this year (I think) with a club option for 2012. The club option part means the Sox are a little leary about something with him. It's a year to impress for him. I feel that he will.
Also needing to impress, though not as much, is Jenks, signed for 2 years at $6 million per year. This signing tells me that the Sox have soured on Papelbon's attitude--and also maybe his blown saves last year. I think they're taking him seriously on his talk about testing the free agent market after this year. I think the Sox will let him. He'll have a great year--barring injury--because he is in a contract year, and they'll tender him an offer that he probably could and would refuse. If that happens, the Sox have Bard and Jenks as potential closers, plus whoever else is available as a free agent next year, or someone who lights their fire in the minors. Papelbon must be seething about the Sox approaching Rivera--though that may have been nothing more than the Sox making the Yanks spend more money on him. I don't see Rivera ever leaving the Yanks. He either pitches for them, or he retires. I know the Sox have told Bard and Jenks that they're pitching this year for the potential closer's role next year (Which can't make Papelbon happy, either, but what did he expect with all of that free agency and making millions talk?), and if so, Papelbon, Jenks and Bard should all have great years. With Wheeler in the mix, plus a mishmash of the other guys I mentioned, each Sox game this year has the capability of becoming just 6 or 7 inning games. And with their offense, and the potential of their starters...
It's hard not to envision a Series ring this year. I know it's (VERY) early, but on paper this is the team to beat.
Well, the Sox have signed a ton of lefties to minor league deals and have invited some to Spring Training. Of the bunch, Albers is maybe the most promising, if he can just hit his spots all the time, and Miller needs to keep his pitches down all the time. When these two guys don't do that, they get hit. Hard. DiNardo is another one who has to keep hitting his spots and keep the ball down. These guys have met with limited success in the majors--and you can throw Hill in with that, too, and he actually shows the most consistent potential out of the whole bunch. These guys don't have me jumping with joy; I suspect that Theo will keep the 95 corridor well-traversed with these guys. I think he'll play the hand that's hot, send 'em down when they're not, and do that all year unless one of them catches fire and sticks around. And Tazawa needs to be mentioned, too. I feel this guy will be the sleeper that Atchison was last year.
Eric Patterson, we hardly knew ya. Fast guy who couldn't hit--except for that one game last year when he clouted three of 'em in one game, just to show you what he could do, maybe, possibly. This guy should've been laying down bunts and spraying line drives. Lou Brown would've made him give 'em 20 whenever he hit one in the air. He took circuitious routes in the outfield, too. Drove ya crazy. Would've made a great pinch-runner, but didn't exactly have the acumen on the bases like Dave Roberts had, though Patterson is probably faster. Didn't walk much, either, to try to steal. Not my kind of player. Head-scratcher of Theo's to begin with.
But Wheeler and Jenks are a different story. I work with a guy who knows Wheeler well, and I've got Wheeler's autograph on a glove around here somewhere...He was big around here when Kenny Giard was (and I have his autograph on a missing glove, too). Always seemed to do well against the Sox when with the Rays. I'm surprised he never amounted to more because he shut 'em down every time I saw him. But he's bounced around a bit now, and his arm is suspect--but if he's healthy, he's another 7th inning guy, maybe pushed down to the 6th inning with the glut of 7th, 8th and 9th inning guys the Sox have now. He'll pitch a lot when Dice-K does, mark my words. An exciting grab if he can stay healthy and remain focused. He'd better, because he's getting $3M this year (I think) with a club option for 2012. The club option part means the Sox are a little leary about something with him. It's a year to impress for him. I feel that he will.
Also needing to impress, though not as much, is Jenks, signed for 2 years at $6 million per year. This signing tells me that the Sox have soured on Papelbon's attitude--and also maybe his blown saves last year. I think they're taking him seriously on his talk about testing the free agent market after this year. I think the Sox will let him. He'll have a great year--barring injury--because he is in a contract year, and they'll tender him an offer that he probably could and would refuse. If that happens, the Sox have Bard and Jenks as potential closers, plus whoever else is available as a free agent next year, or someone who lights their fire in the minors. Papelbon must be seething about the Sox approaching Rivera--though that may have been nothing more than the Sox making the Yanks spend more money on him. I don't see Rivera ever leaving the Yanks. He either pitches for them, or he retires. I know the Sox have told Bard and Jenks that they're pitching this year for the potential closer's role next year (Which can't make Papelbon happy, either, but what did he expect with all of that free agency and making millions talk?), and if so, Papelbon, Jenks and Bard should all have great years. With Wheeler in the mix, plus a mishmash of the other guys I mentioned, each Sox game this year has the capability of becoming just 6 or 7 inning games. And with their offense, and the potential of their starters...
It's hard not to envision a Series ring this year. I know it's (VERY) early, but on paper this is the team to beat.
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