Bill Plaschke is a non-sensical ESPN talking head. He does "Around the Horn" and writes occasional scathing, idiotic columns as any columnist even tangentially related to ESPN is want to do. Plaschke writes mostly drivel that is reactionary and follows whatever tangent he feels like following on that day. Every once in a while he goes off the rails and does something like accuse an MLB player of using steroids or freaks out when a Dodgers player gets traded. Now Plaschke has taken it to a whole new level (if you ask me). He thinks because individuals in the Cardinals' front office were accused of hacking the Astros computer system then this must mean the Cardinals players are cheaters and this is the only way to explain how they beat the Dodgers in the postseason in each of the last two years. This is an unfair accusation and a column that lacks integrity. The Cardinals players are not the same thing as the Cardinals front office. They are two separate entities and to accuse the Cardinals of cheating on the field (even though Clayton Kershaw rightly points out some of what the Cardinals are being accused of doing by Plaschke isn't cheating) crosses some journalism ethical line. There is no evidence that the Cardinals cheated on the field or did anything improper. Yet, because the front office of the Cardinals is accused of hacking the Astros, that's where Bill Plaschke chooses to take the discussion. I'm embarrassed for him that he isn't more embarrassed for himself.
And yes, I do enjoy the jokes about "The Cardinal Way" in regard to how members of the organization are accused of spying on the Astros. It's all fun because it serves as a dichotomy from how the Cardinals are portrayed in October of every year as "playing the game the right way." They are jokes and they are fun. I don't believe any reasonable person could decide that because members of the Cardinals organization hacked a computer this means cheating is prevalent throughout the organization. Well, except for Bill Plaschke. This is the conclusion he reaches.
After watching the planet's best pitcher endure two unimaginable
meltdowns in the same situation to the same team in consecutive
Octobers, some Dodgers fans began to wonder.
Will we ever beat the Cardinals in the postseason? Why can't Clayton Kershaw pitch better in big games? What does Bill Plaschke have derogatory to say about Yasiel Puig when blaming the loss on him?
Were the St. Louis Cardinals cheating?
At the time, I really, really doubt the Dodgers players were wondering if the Cardinals players were cheating. Even now, I don't think they are asking that. I think the Dodgers players are mostly asking, "Why does Bill Plaschke still write about us? Isn't there somewhere else he can go or another team he can cover?"
Maybe not, but now federal authorities think they may be cheaters.
Nope. They don't think the Cardinals players are cheaters, they think people in the Cardinals organization are cheaters. There is a crucial difference in the Cardinals organization and the Cardinals players cheating, mainly that there is no evidence of cheating on the field as Bill Plaschke will now accuse the Cardinals of doing.
Just call them the New England Cardinals … or maybe the St. Louis Patriots …
I can't figure out why ESPN chooses to bring certain talking heads on to shows like "Around the Horn." They aren't funny, they aren't creative. It's like many of the writers the network chooses to embrace are just the loudest and say the dumbest shit (hey, I've figured them out!). This joke from Plaschke isn't funny. It's lazy. It's especially lazy in a column where Bill Plaschke unethically accuses the Cardinals players of cheating when there is zero evidence this is true.
or maybe just call them phonies in the wake of a New York Times report
that they are being investigated by the FBI for hacking computer
networks and stealing information about the Houston Astros.
Why would the Cardinals players be phonies? In everything that the FBI discovered, where is the mention of any Cardinals player as being a part of the hack or part of stealing the information? I'm sure Bill Plaschke would take offense to someone suggesting that because one "LA Times" writer was caught plagiarizing articles then that means Plaschke and others were plagiarizing as well. Of course, Plaschke isn't paid to be self-aware. He's paid to write stupid shit. So...job well done. He's managed to accuse the Cardinals players of cheating when there is zero evidence this is true.
The Cardinals have long promoted themselves as keepers of baseball's
old-fashioned flame, the curators of smart and selfless play, the
architects of what they proudly call, "The Cardinal Way."
Which, by the way, is mostly bullshit. I think most non-sportswriters understand "The Cardinal Way" isn't quite the biblical text that baseball writers like to present it as every October.
Yet the FBI believes that "way" detoured into a dark place in which
employees gained access to the Astros' database with passwords Astros
General Manager Jeff Luhnow used when he worked for the Cardinals.
There is no evidence the Cardinals' alleged spying involved any team other than the Astros.
But, there is evidence that Bill Plaschke wants there to be evidence the Cardinals were cheating in the playoffs against the Dodgers. The evidence that Plaschke wants to exist is irrefutable. It is mostly irrefutable because it doesn't exist and it's very hard to disprove a negative.
When asked Tuesday, the Dodgers publicly dismissed speculation their postseason losses involved any sort of digital espionage.
The Dodgers organization says Plaschke is barking up the wrong tree by suggesting the Cardinals are cheating and Clayton Kershaw will say Plaschke isn't correct in wondering if the Cardinals cheated. Obviously, this means Plaschke needs to just accuse the Cardinals of cheating a little bit more to better get his point across.
If the Cardinals would sneak into an opponent's computer, which is a
federal crime and far worse than deflating a few footballs, what else
would they do to gain an edge?
I don't know. You would have to ask the people who hacked the Astros computer, which was not the Cardinals players, to see what else they would do to gain an edge. Though Plaschke may be on to something...
Did the Cardinals organization, led by Yadier Molina, murder Oscar Tavares because he knew too much and was going to speak publicly? If the Cardinals committed murder like this, what else would they do to protect their secrets? Darryl Kile died of a "heart attack" but how can this be trusted without an independent investigator, chosen by Bill Plaschke of course, confirming this as true? Josh Hancock died in a "car accident," but is that what it was? Was Hancock just another innocent person looking to blow the whistle on the Cardinals organization's decades of cheating? If the Cardinals would become an organization of serial killers, what else would they do to protect their secrets? Simply cheating to beat the Dodgers would be no big deal.
If they would cheat against a long-struggling team such as the Astros,
why wouldn't they cheat to beat the richest team in baseball and their
Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw?
Because they were able to beat him without cheating. Because the Cardinals had access to hack a division rival's computer and didn't have access to the Dodgers' computer systems. Because it wasn't the players who cheated, it was members of the Cardinals organization that don't play professional baseball who cheated.
But so much of the Cardinals success was so eerie, Dodgers fans wondered
whether this so-called model franchise was actually a model of deceit.
I don't remember reading a single article after the Dodgers' last two postseason losses to the Cardinals where a member of the Dodgers team, organization or even a Dodgers beat writer suggested the Cardinals were cheating. This is all written by Plaschke in hindsight with no regard for the accuracy of his statements. Shameful.
Start with the fourth pitch to the third batter of their first game in
the 2013 NLCS. Joe Kelly sent a fastball into Hanley Ramirez's side,
fracturing one of his ribs and dramatically changing the series almost
before it started.
Did Joe Kelly have a bug in the Dodgers' locker room to learn that Hanley Ramirez's ribs could be broken by a baseball hitting them at speeds of 90 mph? Where else could Kelly have gotten this information from? How else would Kelly have known Ramirez's ribs could break if struck with a baseball at a high speed? Is it a coincidence the Red Sox traded for Joe Kelly and then signed Hanley Ramirez? Was this a move just to keep Ramirez quiet by placating him with a big, new contract or was something else afoot? Were the Red Sox in on the Cardinals' string of serial murders and cheating to beat the Dodgers? After all, the Red Sox do play in the same area as known cheaters like the New England Patriots.
At the time, Ramirez was the Dodgers' hottest playoff hitter, batting
.500 in the first round of the division series against the Atlanta
Braves with four doubles, a triple, a homer and six RBIs in just four
games. After the plunking, Ramirez could never fully swing again,
batting .133 in the series with one RBI and no extra-base hits.
And there is NO WAY Kelly would have known about Ramirez's ribs being susceptible to being broken by a baseball unless there was a listening device in the Dodgers' locker room where Ramirez detailed how his bones are all unbreakable, except for his ribs, which unlike most other human beings, will shatter when impacted by a ball thrown at a high speed.
That benefit is now gone. Does anybody not believe that hit was
intentional? Because it occurred in the first half inning of the series,
would it be so surprising if it was organizationally planned and
ordered?
JUST LIKE the Cardinals organization ordered the deaths of Tavares, Kile, and Hancock. I thought the mafia was located in Kansas City, not St. Louis? It sounds like the Cardinals are from St. Louis but are no saints. In fact, the Cardinals have "St." in front of their city name and the New Orleans Saints put a bounty on opposing players a few years ago. So if the Cardinals are saints like the New Orleans Saints were, what would stop them from intentionally injuring a player like Hanley Ramirez? HOW MUCH WAS THE BOUNTY ON RAMIREZ'S HEAD? WHERE IS MIKE MATHENY TO REFUTE THESE FACTS?
Then there was the curious case of Kershaw, who was mostly untouchable
during Cy Young Award-winning seasons in 2013 and 2014, but completely
fell apart when facing the Cardinals under pressure each of those years.
Same hitters, same situations, same results, consecutive postseason
collapses by baseball's best pitcher under very unusual circumstances
with absolutely no warning signs.
So the same hitters hit the same pitcher well in two different series, and Bill's takeaway is that the Cardinals were cheating, not that the Cardinals just hit Kershaw well?
In Game 2 of the NLCS against the Cardinals he was just as powerful,
allowing no earned runs and two hits in six innings. Nothing indicated
what would happen next, when, in Game 6, he allowed seven runs in four
innings in a 9-0, series-ending loss. He was so bad, throwing a
career-high 48 pitches in the third inning, that it looked as if the
Cardinals hitters knew exactly what was coming.
Or it could just be the Cardinals are good hitters who happened to get a lot of hits off Kershaw when he was struggling to get outs.
Turns out, maybe they did. Three of the Cardinals' four run-scoring hits
occurred with a Cardinal standing on second base peering into catcher
A.J. Ellis' glove.
Stealing signs is not really cheating. It's part of the game. Clayton Kershaw will say this exact thing in a second. So the type of cheating Bill Plaschke is choosing to accuse the Cardinals of isn't even really cheating.
Stealing signs by simply looking at the catcher is part of the game — if
you don't like it, change your signs — but who knows if that's all the
Cardinals were doing?
Well apparently you know because you are writing an entire column around the premise that because the Cardinals cheated by hacking into the Astros' computer then the Cardinals players were obviously cheating on the field as well. The entire basis of this column is that Plaschke knows the Cardinals were cheating against the Dodgers. He's accusing them of this in this column.
Kershaw was asked Tuesday whether he thought the Cardinals could have used anything against him.
"No," he said,
Then, mostly assuming Kershaw is a part of the conspiracy as well, Plaschke furthers on completely ignoring Kershaw's answer. After all, Kershaw grew up in Texas with Matthew Stafford who plays for the Detroit Lions, which means maybe by saying "no" Kershaw was trying to give the hint to Plaschke that he knew more and was "lyin'" when he claimed the Cardinals weren't cheating? Was this answer of "No" a crime for help from Kershaw? Is Clayton Kershaw next on the hit list for the Cardinals organization? When will his eventual murder take place?
Plus, Kershaw is from Dallas, Texas and the Astros are located in Texas as well. It's entirely possible that Kershaw is a mole for the Cardinals organization.
"I don't know anything but if the FBI's involved, it's a criminal act,"
he said of the Cardinals. "Stealing pitches isn't a criminal act, it's
part of the game."
Of course Clayton Kershaw poo-pooing the idea the Cardinals were cheating won't stop Plaschke from continuing down this road. He already had 250 words written. There's no time to change column topics now.
Then there was Game 4, a 3-2 loss in which Kershaw allowed all three
runs in the seventh inning on arguably the most unusual home run of the
season. Matt Adams went deep on a Kershaw curveball for the first homer
by a left-handed hitter against the pitcher all season.
Didn't Ozzie Smith one time hit a rare home run (rare for him, that is) in the playoffs in a key situation? What are the odds a light-hitting shortstop hits a home run in the playoffs in a key situation without cheating being involved? This brings David Eckstein into question as well. What information did Eckstein have which helped him hit the cover off the ball in the 2006 World Series? Was Eckstein blackballed from MLB by the Cardinals because he knew too much and they didn't have the heart to kill such a scrappy little overachiever?
It was also the first home run by a left-handed hitter on a curveball in
Kershaw's seven-year career. And, what a surprise, there was a Cardinal
on second base.
I'm pretty sure Clayton Kershawk just clarified that stealing pitches is part of the game, if this even happened. Plaschke is not only making up shit the Cardinals have done in an effort to call them cheaters, but he's also managing to accuse the Cardinals of cheating in situations where some MLB players don't even consider it cheating.
Ellis said Tuesday the team's pitching plan was not kept digitally and
would be impossible to steal. He said there was nothing that would make
him worry about the Cardinals in the future.
Is this the same A.J. Ellis that is from Missouri? St. Louis is in Missouri! My God, where does this conspiracy end? Kershaw AND Ellis were in on the conspiracy to be moles within the Dodgers organization for the Cardinals? The question has to remain: How many people has A.J. Ellis killed in order to protect his secrets?
But still … were the Dodgers beaten by the Cardinal Way, or the Cardinal Con?
Go away. Please. Do it for the kids.
It might be unfair to reach that conclusion, but it is now fair to ask that question.
No, it is not fair to ask this question now. Members of the Cardinals organization are accused of hacking the Astros' computer system. This doesn't mean the Cardinals players were involved with any type of cheating. As I said earlier, this is like saying because one "LA Times" writer was accused of plagiarism, that every writer at the newspaper was also plagiarizing articles when there is no evidence to support this.
Bill Plaschke has crossed the line from a dopey useless sportswriter who yells things in order to gain attention into a dopey useless sportswriter who unethically accuses a professional organization of cheating when there is no proof this is true.
Showing posts with label David Eckstein. Show all posts
Showing posts with label David Eckstein. Show all posts
Monday, July 13, 2015
Monday, July 11, 2011
6 comments Wanted: One MLB Team To Hire a Scrappy, Hustling Ex-World Series MVP
You all have probably felt the void. The patron saint of Bottom of the Barrel, David Eckstein, currently doesn't have a job playing professional baseball. As the ex-co-owner of David Eckstein's Baseball-Reference page, we need to keep David in our thoughts at this time. It doesn't appear he is struggling emotionally, but I think he's just keeping on a scrappy face for us. As Mike DiGiovanna tells us Eckstein isn't retired, but has made a decision not to play baseball at this point. Then DiGiovanna goes Eckstein-crazy over David Eckstein's massive amount of grit and starts writing gibberish.
I do realize my Twitter page says I am the proud co-owner of David Eckstein's Baseball-Reference page, and I don't plan to update it. I figure if Eckstein can continuously live off his 2006 World Series MVP award and "helping" the Angels win the 2002 World Series I can live off once co-owning his Baseball-Reference page. Let's see what's new in Scrappy McFuckstein's world.
David Eckstein is not playing baseball, but the scrappy 36-year-old infielder
It's like a disease or a reflex. Whenever a sportswriter says "David Eckstein," the word "scrappy" has to appear somewhere in the sentence. Actually, it is just lazy writing to fall back on a description like that since simply saying "....not playing baseball, but the 36-year-old infielder..." would suffice.
who helped the Angels win the 2002 World Series and won World Series most-valuable-player honors with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2006 has not officially retired.
It's always awkward when a player hasn't officially retired and he doesn't currently have a job with a team yet. At a certain point, you need to save face and just officially retire, because very few things are sadder than a player who can't get a job with a professional team but insists he hasn't retired. I would probably rather see a player get a job with another team and struggle than a player who insists he isn't retired, but can't seem to find a job. At some point, this refusal to submit to reality leads a player to Japan, Russia or another country to play professionally in another league.
What's sadder to think about in these two situations:
-Stephon Marbury retires when getting no interest from NBA teams and goes about his life.
-Stephon Marbury doesn't retire and is now playing for the Foshan Dralions in China.
Personally, I think combined with his bizarre offseason webcam antics last year, it is more sad Marbury is playing in China. Think about how you felt when you learned Allen Iverson was going to play basketball in Turkey. Personally, I was sad.
I'm not sad about Eckstein not currently having a job, simply because it prevents the media from shoving the typical "scrappy, plays the game right, and he hustles" storylines down my throat. Apparently, even when Eckstein isn't officially retired, we still get the same stories about him, so maybe there is no avoiding this crap.
Nor has the game retired him, like it has so many veterans who simply fade away.
Wow, this is uncomfortable. Yeah...it has. If no MLB teams want to pay him to play for them in a capacity Eckstein believes he deserves, he may still have the game running through his grit-based veins, but the game doesn't appear to want him at this time.
Eckstein, who played the 2009 and 2010 seasons with the San Diego Padres, got an offer to sign with a club four weeks ago and turned it down.
I can understand that decision though, look what club offered to sign Eckstein.
David Eckstein wants you to know Rancho San Diego Little League, David Eckstein won't just sign with any team. Quit offering him the position to compete at shortstop on the 11-12 team. Little Jimmy Morell will move to second base from shortstop if you want David Eckstein on your team because an ex-World Series MVP won't compete with anyone for a starting job.
He said he received more offers — including major league deals —last winter than he ever has a free agent but has spent the last few months working for his wife,
This is getting even more sad. When a player has to explain, that yes, he is receiving offers from Major League teams, and yes, he wants to continue to play baseball it tells me two things:
1. The player is getting offered a minor league deal.
2. Eckstein's ego believes he deserves more than a minor league deal. So assuming this is correct, I am supposed to feel sympathy and be able to relate to a baseball player who miscalculates his own current skill set? No thanks, I won't do that.
So I am sad that Eckstein, a guy who claims to only think about the team and just loves to play the game of baseball, has too much ego to accept a lesser role on a team.
and not diving around infields and driving up pitch counts.
And OPSing 0.647 last year, while getting on-base at a 0.321, which is the lowest percentage of his career.
"I made a decision not to play," said Eckstein, who was in Angel Stadium on Wednesday to visit his brother Rick, the Nationals' batting coach.
Are there any physical reasons? "No," Eckstein said.
Gritty. Hustling. Eckstein.
Asked whether he hoped to play again, Eckstein, who also visited Manager Mike Scioscia and several players in the Angels clubhouse, shrugged his shoulders.
"As soon as some team panics because of a lack of infield depth and chooses to give me a Major League deal to where my ego is satisfied, I will play again. Mainly it is just about what I believe myself to be worth, not what my actual worth may be. Have I ever mentioned I have read all the press about how awesome I am and I believe it all?"
"It totally has to be the right situation, but when you say that, it's like you're disrespecting the clubs that have talked to you," Eckstein said.
You certainly sound like a bit of a diva who doesn't want to compete for a job or take a minor league deal because you are "too good for that" or don't perceive that as your current value. Of course, this is David Eckstein, so he would NEVER be guilty of doing this because we've been told for years just how perfect and unselfish he truly is.
Much of David Eckstein's value goes well beyond statistics —
And here we go with this crap again...
I have always found it interesting many of the same people who defend David Eckstein against the ire of the grit-hating public are also people who love the intangibles of a player, but these people also don't enjoy going beyond basic statistics to evaluate a player. Maybe I'm stereotyping here, but that's the way I feel. It is the use of statistics when it goes to prove a point these people want to prove. Statistics show that Player X is better than Player Y when determining the Cy Young/MVP, which is why wins and RBI's aren't misleading numbers. This is while Player Z may only have 35 RBI's, but his value can't be measured in statistics because it isn't convenient for the point trying to be proven.
When it is convenient to see CC Sabathia has 21 wins and Felix Hernandez has 13 wins that's when the statistics speak for themselves, but once a player seems to exhibit some sort of scrappiness then the statistics no longer speak for what that player provides to a team and that player has intangibles.
So basically, if Felix Hernandez was a short (most likely) white pitcher who "got the most out of his ability" then everyone would have supported him to win the Cy Young last year. Unfortunately, only intelligent people supported and helped him win the Cy Young.
his grit and desire,
No other players care as much as David Eckstein cares. It's an intangible he has which can't be measured, but is measured to be more than anyone else currently playing baseball.
his knowledge of and instincts for the game,
"He does what it takes to win."
his willingness to sacrifice himself for the good of the team by advancing runners with ground-ball outs.
Listen here people! David Eckstein is not afraid to get a ground ball out. While Rickie Weeks is trying to get a base hit to selfishly get himself on-base, David Eckstein cares more about the team than himself and doesn't care if he gets on-base as long as the runners advance. Trying to get a base hit to advance the runners is selfish, getting out to advance the runners helps the team in a way trying to selfishly get on-base doesn't.
It appeared several teams focused on Eckstein's statistics, which are not overwhelming — he had a .280 average, .345 on-base percentage and 1,414 hits in 10 big league seasons —
What? Why would a team focus on a player's statistics when paying him to play baseball? Albert Pujols is a great baseball player, but the smart teams won't focus on this when he becomes a free agent and will focus on the delicious chocolate chip pancakes he makes in the clubhouse before games. THAT'S the real value to the team, breakfast creations, not his selfish insistence on getting on-base at the expense of the team. These are the intangibles that make Albert Pujols worth millions, not getting all over-focused on his statistics.
Given the choice between signing Rickie Weeks to play second base and signing David Eckstein, the stupid teams would choose Weeks based on the simple premise he is actually very good at his job and is the better baseball player. The smart teams don't focus on statistics and choose Eckstein because you can't measure his value with a tangible benefit, but you measure his value using only non-existent measurements called intangibles.
and not his overall value.
Did David Eckstein pay Mike DiGiovanna to write this column? No sportswriter worth a crap would actually write teams pay too much attention to a player's statistics and not the player's "overall value." Aren't statistics part of a player's overall value? How can any person with a straight face truly believe Eckstein has more grit and desire than another player? Eckstein seems to be trying really hard because he is so damn small and he seriously has the weakest throwing arm I've ever seen on a grown man.
If Eckstein had so much grit and desire why doesn't he grit it out and desire to play professional baseball in situation he doesn't feel is ideal? What kind of leader, who claims he loves the game of baseball so much it hasn't left him, avoids any situation he feels isn't good enough for him to play baseball? A real leader would accept a job that pays him to play baseball, because he loves the game so much, and then use his leadership abilities to help the team out. A player who was really willing to sacrifice himself for the betterment of the team would accept a situation that isn't "right" if it makes the team better. Eckstein doesn't seem to want to do any of these things.
"I think in this game you get to a point where you know what you can do, and you want to be in a situation where people believe in you," Rick Eckstein said.
Translation: Eckstein wants either (a) a Major League contract, not a minor league contract and/or (b) an opportunity to start for a MLB team. It isn't selfish to want this, but it is also hard to believe if Eckstein is truly holding out for this then he is as selfless and team-oriented as we are made to believe. If Eckstein's skill set was as great as we are led to believe and he only cares about the team as much as we are led to believe, then I would think any opportunity he received to play in the majors would be welcome.
"David has been a great attribute to baseball for 10 years. He brings a certain element to every team he's been a part of, and at some point, what he brings, people don't see it as a value. So, he's decided [he won't play]."
This scrappy, hustling, team-oriented-only guy is taking his ball and going home because teams don't see just how fucking great he is. Sounds pretty selfish and not selfless doesn't it?
Does Rick Eckstein, who seven months ago donated a kidney to another Eckstein brother, Kenny, think David will play again?
"If the right situation presents itself, absolutely," he said.
Rick sounds about as insufferable as I imagine David Eckstein truly may be.
"David knows who he is. It's that simple."
Here's a startling revelation. We know who David Eckstein is as well. He is a career .280/.345/.355 hitter with a career OPS+ of 83 and WAR of 21.2 for his career.
Eckstein, the clutchiest of postseason players, also has a .278/.345/.335 line in the postseason. If this performance could be measured by statistics, which I am constantly told it can't, I would say he is about as good in the postseason as he is in the regular season.
It seems the rest of the majors know who David Eckstein is as well, and based on this knowledge, it may explain why a major league contract or starting job isn't being handed to a declining 36 year old second baseman. I think the problem is that David Eckstein and those around him can't accept who Eckstein is. It certainly seems that way.
I hope this is the last David Eckstein "hustle, grit, scrappy, intangibles, the statistics don't matter" piece I ever read. I doubt it though.
I do realize my Twitter page says I am the proud co-owner of David Eckstein's Baseball-Reference page, and I don't plan to update it. I figure if Eckstein can continuously live off his 2006 World Series MVP award and "helping" the Angels win the 2002 World Series I can live off once co-owning his Baseball-Reference page. Let's see what's new in Scrappy McFuckstein's world.
David Eckstein is not playing baseball, but the scrappy 36-year-old infielder
It's like a disease or a reflex. Whenever a sportswriter says "David Eckstein," the word "scrappy" has to appear somewhere in the sentence. Actually, it is just lazy writing to fall back on a description like that since simply saying "....not playing baseball, but the 36-year-old infielder..." would suffice.
who helped the Angels win the 2002 World Series and won World Series most-valuable-player honors with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2006 has not officially retired.
It's always awkward when a player hasn't officially retired and he doesn't currently have a job with a team yet. At a certain point, you need to save face and just officially retire, because very few things are sadder than a player who can't get a job with a professional team but insists he hasn't retired. I would probably rather see a player get a job with another team and struggle than a player who insists he isn't retired, but can't seem to find a job. At some point, this refusal to submit to reality leads a player to Japan, Russia or another country to play professionally in another league.
What's sadder to think about in these two situations:
-Stephon Marbury retires when getting no interest from NBA teams and goes about his life.
-Stephon Marbury doesn't retire and is now playing for the Foshan Dralions in China.
Personally, I think combined with his bizarre offseason webcam antics last year, it is more sad Marbury is playing in China. Think about how you felt when you learned Allen Iverson was going to play basketball in Turkey. Personally, I was sad.
I'm not sad about Eckstein not currently having a job, simply because it prevents the media from shoving the typical "scrappy, plays the game right, and he hustles" storylines down my throat. Apparently, even when Eckstein isn't officially retired, we still get the same stories about him, so maybe there is no avoiding this crap.
Nor has the game retired him, like it has so many veterans who simply fade away.
Wow, this is uncomfortable. Yeah...it has. If no MLB teams want to pay him to play for them in a capacity Eckstein believes he deserves, he may still have the game running through his grit-based veins, but the game doesn't appear to want him at this time.
Eckstein, who played the 2009 and 2010 seasons with the San Diego Padres, got an offer to sign with a club four weeks ago and turned it down.
I can understand that decision though, look what club offered to sign Eckstein.
David Eckstein wants you to know Rancho San Diego Little League, David Eckstein won't just sign with any team. Quit offering him the position to compete at shortstop on the 11-12 team. Little Jimmy Morell will move to second base from shortstop if you want David Eckstein on your team because an ex-World Series MVP won't compete with anyone for a starting job.
He said he received more offers — including major league deals —last winter than he ever has a free agent but has spent the last few months working for his wife,
This is getting even more sad. When a player has to explain, that yes, he is receiving offers from Major League teams, and yes, he wants to continue to play baseball it tells me two things:
1. The player is getting offered a minor league deal.
2. Eckstein's ego believes he deserves more than a minor league deal. So assuming this is correct, I am supposed to feel sympathy and be able to relate to a baseball player who miscalculates his own current skill set? No thanks, I won't do that.
So I am sad that Eckstein, a guy who claims to only think about the team and just loves to play the game of baseball, has too much ego to accept a lesser role on a team.
and not diving around infields and driving up pitch counts.
And OPSing 0.647 last year, while getting on-base at a 0.321, which is the lowest percentage of his career.
"I made a decision not to play," said Eckstein, who was in Angel Stadium on Wednesday to visit his brother Rick, the Nationals' batting coach.
Are there any physical reasons? "No," Eckstein said.
Gritty. Hustling. Eckstein.
Asked whether he hoped to play again, Eckstein, who also visited Manager Mike Scioscia and several players in the Angels clubhouse, shrugged his shoulders.
"As soon as some team panics because of a lack of infield depth and chooses to give me a Major League deal to where my ego is satisfied, I will play again. Mainly it is just about what I believe myself to be worth, not what my actual worth may be. Have I ever mentioned I have read all the press about how awesome I am and I believe it all?"
"It totally has to be the right situation, but when you say that, it's like you're disrespecting the clubs that have talked to you," Eckstein said.
You certainly sound like a bit of a diva who doesn't want to compete for a job or take a minor league deal because you are "too good for that" or don't perceive that as your current value. Of course, this is David Eckstein, so he would NEVER be guilty of doing this because we've been told for years just how perfect and unselfish he truly is.
Much of David Eckstein's value goes well beyond statistics —
And here we go with this crap again...
I have always found it interesting many of the same people who defend David Eckstein against the ire of the grit-hating public are also people who love the intangibles of a player, but these people also don't enjoy going beyond basic statistics to evaluate a player. Maybe I'm stereotyping here, but that's the way I feel. It is the use of statistics when it goes to prove a point these people want to prove. Statistics show that Player X is better than Player Y when determining the Cy Young/MVP, which is why wins and RBI's aren't misleading numbers. This is while Player Z may only have 35 RBI's, but his value can't be measured in statistics because it isn't convenient for the point trying to be proven.
When it is convenient to see CC Sabathia has 21 wins and Felix Hernandez has 13 wins that's when the statistics speak for themselves, but once a player seems to exhibit some sort of scrappiness then the statistics no longer speak for what that player provides to a team and that player has intangibles.
So basically, if Felix Hernandez was a short (most likely) white pitcher who "got the most out of his ability" then everyone would have supported him to win the Cy Young last year. Unfortunately, only intelligent people supported and helped him win the Cy Young.
his grit and desire,
No other players care as much as David Eckstein cares. It's an intangible he has which can't be measured, but is measured to be more than anyone else currently playing baseball.
his knowledge of and instincts for the game,
"He does what it takes to win."
his willingness to sacrifice himself for the good of the team by advancing runners with ground-ball outs.
Listen here people! David Eckstein is not afraid to get a ground ball out. While Rickie Weeks is trying to get a base hit to selfishly get himself on-base, David Eckstein cares more about the team than himself and doesn't care if he gets on-base as long as the runners advance. Trying to get a base hit to advance the runners is selfish, getting out to advance the runners helps the team in a way trying to selfishly get on-base doesn't.
It appeared several teams focused on Eckstein's statistics, which are not overwhelming — he had a .280 average, .345 on-base percentage and 1,414 hits in 10 big league seasons —
What? Why would a team focus on a player's statistics when paying him to play baseball? Albert Pujols is a great baseball player, but the smart teams won't focus on this when he becomes a free agent and will focus on the delicious chocolate chip pancakes he makes in the clubhouse before games. THAT'S the real value to the team, breakfast creations, not his selfish insistence on getting on-base at the expense of the team. These are the intangibles that make Albert Pujols worth millions, not getting all over-focused on his statistics.
Given the choice between signing Rickie Weeks to play second base and signing David Eckstein, the stupid teams would choose Weeks based on the simple premise he is actually very good at his job and is the better baseball player. The smart teams don't focus on statistics and choose Eckstein because you can't measure his value with a tangible benefit, but you measure his value using only non-existent measurements called intangibles.
and not his overall value.
Did David Eckstein pay Mike DiGiovanna to write this column? No sportswriter worth a crap would actually write teams pay too much attention to a player's statistics and not the player's "overall value." Aren't statistics part of a player's overall value? How can any person with a straight face truly believe Eckstein has more grit and desire than another player? Eckstein seems to be trying really hard because he is so damn small and he seriously has the weakest throwing arm I've ever seen on a grown man.
If Eckstein had so much grit and desire why doesn't he grit it out and desire to play professional baseball in situation he doesn't feel is ideal? What kind of leader, who claims he loves the game of baseball so much it hasn't left him, avoids any situation he feels isn't good enough for him to play baseball? A real leader would accept a job that pays him to play baseball, because he loves the game so much, and then use his leadership abilities to help the team out. A player who was really willing to sacrifice himself for the betterment of the team would accept a situation that isn't "right" if it makes the team better. Eckstein doesn't seem to want to do any of these things.
"I think in this game you get to a point where you know what you can do, and you want to be in a situation where people believe in you," Rick Eckstein said.
Translation: Eckstein wants either (a) a Major League contract, not a minor league contract and/or (b) an opportunity to start for a MLB team. It isn't selfish to want this, but it is also hard to believe if Eckstein is truly holding out for this then he is as selfless and team-oriented as we are made to believe. If Eckstein's skill set was as great as we are led to believe and he only cares about the team as much as we are led to believe, then I would think any opportunity he received to play in the majors would be welcome.
"David has been a great attribute to baseball for 10 years. He brings a certain element to every team he's been a part of, and at some point, what he brings, people don't see it as a value. So, he's decided [he won't play]."
This scrappy, hustling, team-oriented-only guy is taking his ball and going home because teams don't see just how fucking great he is. Sounds pretty selfish and not selfless doesn't it?
Does Rick Eckstein, who seven months ago donated a kidney to another Eckstein brother, Kenny, think David will play again?
"If the right situation presents itself, absolutely," he said.
Rick sounds about as insufferable as I imagine David Eckstein truly may be.
"David knows who he is. It's that simple."
Here's a startling revelation. We know who David Eckstein is as well. He is a career .280/.345/.355 hitter with a career OPS+ of 83 and WAR of 21.2 for his career.
Eckstein, the clutchiest of postseason players, also has a .278/.345/.335 line in the postseason. If this performance could be measured by statistics, which I am constantly told it can't, I would say he is about as good in the postseason as he is in the regular season.
It seems the rest of the majors know who David Eckstein is as well, and based on this knowledge, it may explain why a major league contract or starting job isn't being handed to a declining 36 year old second baseman. I think the problem is that David Eckstein and those around him can't accept who Eckstein is. It certainly seems that way.
I hope this is the last David Eckstein "hustle, grit, scrappy, intangibles, the statistics don't matter" piece I ever read. I doubt it though.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
18 comments Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Diego Padres, and San Francisco Giants 2010 Team Preview
This week I am previewing the Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Diego Padres, and San Francisco Giants for the 2010 season. This week the previews are the favorite in the National League to win the World Series, two bottom feeders and a mysterious team in San Francisco because they have pretty good pitching but are in a tough NL West. I will start with the Phillies.
Philadelphia Phillies
Lineup
Much like the Yankees, much of America is already familiar with the Phillies' lineup. The scary part is the Phillies have probably gotten better in the infield and in the outfield. Other than that, they have are the exact same team, except for the fact they have more depth with Ross Gload, a full season of Ben Francisco, and a star-on-the-rise Domonic Brown. So basically their best hitters are in the prime and they have another great hitter on the way. Placido Polanco over Pedro Feliz is an upgrade and other than that there hasn't been much done to the starting order. I don't how I feel about Jimmy Rollins. I think he is a great shortstop, but I do have a tendency to believe may be slightly overrated. Not that he isn't a great shortstop, but I don't know if he is as elite as he, and others, seem to believe he currently is. This is a strong lineup and really nothing has changed that would make me think it will get any weaker. This is a lineup that can win a World Series this year.
Rotation
Here's the semi-question for this rotation. Would you rather have Cliff Lee or Roy Halladay? Really, it is a simplified form of the question because it takes out important factors like how many prospects they traded for both players and if those players will end up panning out or not. This question won't be resolved for a few years. As I have written here several times, I take Roy Halladay over Cliff Lee. The rest of the rotation is pretty solid. I look for Hamels to bounce back from a tough year last year, which was probably partially due to a World Series hangover, and Joe Blanton is a good 3rd starter. The real wild card in this rotation is going to be J.A. Happ. Is he the pitcher that he was last year or is that one good year he had at the age of 27? I happen to believe he can have another year like last year, so if he pitches well he is going to be the #3 starter essentially in a short playoff series. I have read different things, but it seems like Kyle Kendrick and Jamie Moyer are going to be battling it out for the 5th rotation spot. Moyer will probably win that spot and then get the 5th starter position. I am not exactly sure what the Phillies will do with him if he doesn't win this spot, since he doesn't usually work out of the bullpen.
Bullpen
I think Brad Lidge is going to bounce back from a really tough year last year. Despite his bad year, the Phillies still found a way to make it to the World Series. That says a lot about the offense and pitching of this team. I like the way this bullpen sets up with Durbin, Kendrick (possibly), Madsen, Baez, and Romero coming in as relievers. They even added Jose Contreras to the bullpen, which I think is going to be interesting to watch...unless he ends up back in the rotation. I am not sure how much he has really pitched out of the bullpen in his career. Overall, this is a really solid bullpen and if Lidge is able to not go mentally crazy and blow saves, this should be one of the best bullpens in the National League.
What I Like
I like the depth the Phillies now have in their rotation and the players they added to their bench. Domonic Brown is a star waiting for a chance and the Phillies have Kendrick and Contreras for the 5th starter spot if Jamie Moyer finally realizes he is 47 years old and can't pitch effectively anymore. The bench of the Phillies is very strong with Schneider, Gload, Juan Castro and Gregg Dobbs coming off the bench. I like Halladay because he will be willing to take the ball on 3 days rest, which is something it didn't seem like Cliff Lee really wanted to do. He is the stud pitcher the Phillies have been trying to get in order to pair him up with Cole Hamels. Of course I also like the lineup, which is essentially an American League lineup because it is strong all the way through. Overall, this is the National League representative in the World Series until another NL team tries to challenge them.
What I Don't Like
I don't like the backend of the Phillies' rotation. It may sound picky but Happ hasn't had enough of a track record to tell us he can repeat his year from last year, Blanton was just a barely above average pitcher last year and Moyer was well below average. Obviously the Phillies have an offense that doesn't require excellent pitching every time out, but for a team that is playing in October consistently, it feels like quite a drop-off from Halladay to Hamels to Blanton to Moyer. This is fairly minor, but overall I do like the Phillies and see them having a great year. In regard to the bullpen, I don't like how unsure Brad Lidge can be at times. I don't know how much it affects the team since they almost won the World Series last year when he had a terrible year. If he does have another poor performance it is going to weaken the bullpen because Ryan Madsen may end up having to close, which would put Durbin or Baez as his RH set up guy.
Final record
I can't argue with their offense really and the bench is strong as well. If the back-of-the-rotation problems figure themselves out then this is going to be the National League favorite to be in the World Series. Actually, even if those minor problems aren't figured out, the Phillies will still be the favorite. This was the best team in the National League two years ago, last year, and will be again this year. They have a great offense, good pitching, and a reliable and veteran bullpen. Outside of injuries or some other unforeseen circumstance the Phillies will be winning the NL East and at least making an appearance in the NLCS. By no means do I believe this team is unbeatable, I just don't know, assuming Halladay stays healthy and if Hamels bounces back and focuses less on everything else going on in his life and more on baseball, if another team can beat them in a short series or for the NL East.
Last year: 93-69
This year: 91-71
Pittsburgh Pirates
Lineup
This is a terrible lineup. The saddest part is I am getting the feeling of late they are actually trying to put a good team together now and the Pirates still have a bad team. Their entire infield is a mix of prospects that haven't worked out and players that should be bench players on good teams. Doumit regressed last year, Jeff Clement has been a bust, Iwamura is not a terrible starter, Andy LaRoche is going to lose his job very soon to Pedro Alvarez, and Ronny Cedeno is just horrible. The outfield is a guy no one should really want (Milledge), an actual good baseball player (McCutchen), and a guy who had a year last year I don't know if he can repeat (Garrett Jones). Oh yeah, backing them up is Ryan Church who got traded (dumped) for Jeff Francouer. This lineup is a general manager's nightmare. Even if Milledge was going to turn it all around, this isn't the team to do that. Andrew McCutchen and the future trade value of Pedro Alvarez are the only reasons to watch this team. There is nothing offensively that can be considered redeemable in my mind on this team. They aren't completely terrible, but just hoping Jeff Clement can be a serviceable player and thinking they can play guys who haven't been successful in their career and they will find success doesn't strike me as a real plan.
Rotation
There is actual talent here. I promise. Paul Maholm, Zach Duke, and Ross Ohlendorf are not terrible pitchers, even though they have pitched terribly. The good news is the rotation seems to be set with Charlie Morton and Kevin Hart rounding up the back-end of the rotation. The bad news is that there is no one on this roster who can compete with Kevin Hart and Charlie Morton for spots in the back of the rotation. There is a chance Daniel McCutchen will be able to take the 5th starter job from Kevin Hart, but that isn't going to have a huge effect on this team. It sounds crazy to say since all of these starters were at league average or worse last year, but I think if they were put in the right pitching coach's hands they could have a good career in the majors. It's just not going to happen in Pittsburgh. For the first time in a while, I can look at the pitching staff of the Pirates and not just absolutely hate it. Now I just don't like it. That's an improvement.
Bullpen
The Pirates signed a new closer, Octavio Dotel, who is going to close out the 5 games this year they are ahead in the 9th inning (I am just kidding, there will be more games than that, they are in the Astros' division). This is like putting $2,500 tires on a 1994 Honda Accord. What's the point of spending $6 million on Dotel? Is there a point in that? Other than to say you spent money? Injuries aside, I think Brendan Donnelly has at least one more year left in the majors, which makes me wonder why the hell he is playing for the Pirates. This isn't a great bullpen, but did anyone really expect it to be? When you are picking up guys who the Nationals have cut and guys for some reason your team traded for, it's not going to be a good bullpen. Evan Meek has potential and Javier Lopez may recover from a tough year last year. Still, how much are they going to be able to do in Pittsburgh in this bullpen? It's not a terrible bullpen, but is a group where they will get to close out plenty of 10-3 games.
What I Like
I like Andrew McCutchen. I like the intent of the team to compete. I like Pedro Alvarez and I like the fact I personally would like to be the General Manager of this team, just to see how hard it would really be to turn this team around. I like that I still like Jeff Clement and he is only 26 years old. I like they have good backups in Moss, Young, and Church. Most of all, I like that they have John Raynor on this team. He is my favorite ex-Greensboro Grasshopper and whether he knows it or not, I am his good luck charm. In 2007, I went to just a few Grasshoppers games and saw him hit 6 of his home runs. Plus, he is fast and can steal bases. Stolen bases are exciting to see when you are watching them live. What was I talking about again?
What I Don't Like
The rest of the team. Few things in sports irritate me more than having a team that stinks because can't identify prospects, so they are perpetually rebuilding. The Pirates have been rebuilding for decades now and owe the fans of the team untold millions of dollars for what they have witnessed on the field that is supposed to be a team. We always hear the new GM knows what he is doing and then it turns out he doesn't know what he is doing. Even if the pitching staff was good, how would they win games with an offense that has no viable MLB players, save 1 or 2 guys in the everyday lineup? It can't. This is a small market team that has no hope because those in charge don't have a clue about how to run a team.
Final Record
Not to keep harping, but when is this team looking to contend? At any point in the future? There's no pitching, no hitting, and they are going with the Royals plan of hoping they can rehabilitate other team's top prospects that never panned out for them. That doesn't seem to work all that often. What frustrates me more is they somehow believe spending money on Ryan Church, Bobby Crosby, and Octavio Dotel is going to convince anyone they are trying to contend in the NL Central. I like the Iwamuri signing, but other than that I think they have questionable personnel moves. I want to like the Pirates, but they haven't seem to get a clue in the past and I don't know if they will get one now. If there is a plan here, I am missing it.
Last year: 62-99
This year: 60-102
San Diego Padres
Lineup
They have Adrian Gonzalez. That's an advantage many other teams wish they could claim. Other than that, there isn't much out there. I am not going to lie, and maybe it is my West Coast bias, but the Padres don't look good right now, but I feel good about their future. I think Jed Hoyer knows what he is doing and is getting good young players on the roster for the future. Though, I still don't know why he has the patron saint of Bottom of the Barrel, David Eckstein, at second base...I can forgive him for that because every team needs an Ecksteinian push to help them. This is a young team. There are a couple of guys on this team that I think are going to make progress this year in terms of being Major League Baseball ready hitters. I think Chase Headley will continue to improve, Everth Cabrera is going to be solid in his first full year in the majors, I actually really like Kyle Blanks though he does strike out a lot, and...ok, that is all for what I like about this lineup, but it's better than some of the other crappy teams in baseball. This team isn't going to hit the ball well, but I feel like the lineup is taking a step in the right direction and as long as they have Gonzalez in the lineup, they will have a good lineup in my mind for at least one spot.
Rotation
This is the part of the Padres future I like the most. I know I am supposed to be previewing how they will do this year, but I can sum it up fairly easily. They aren't good. If Chris Young can bounce back he is a decent starter, Kevin Correia decided to be a good starter last year and Jon Garland is going to eat some innings. They aren't great starters but for a crappy team they are some decent bets to keep the Padres in games. After that, the guys who are supposedly fighting for the 4th/5th spots in the rotation, Aaron Poreda, Mat Latos, Clayton Richard, and Wade LeBlanc are not bad young guys to choose from (LeBlanc being in clear last place for who I would want on my team). I see Richard having a really good year this year and Latos and Poreda should be in the Padre rotation for years to come. Of course that doesn't help the Padres that much this year, but at least they have guys like (healthy) Chris Young and Jon Garland who may not be anything more than #3/#4 starters but they will eat innings. I see the future is pretty bright for this rotation, but they are one year away from even seeing this potential.
Bullpen
Heath Bell is a shockingly good closer, so if the Padres get the ball to him in the 9th inning he will be able to shut the door on teams. This was a really good bullpen last year. It really was. Edward Mujica, Luke Gregorson, Mike Adams, Joe Thatcher, and Adam Russell combined to be very effective last year. If you put a gun to my head and asked me the strongest part of this team, I would actually say the bullpen. Many of these guys had good years last year and could very well have good years for the upcoming year. If the Padres can get a lead, then this bullpen is going to keep that lead. I think many other teams would like to have a bullpen that is as good as the Padres bullpen can be.
What I Like
I like the bullpen and I like the way this team is being built. I feel like it is being built around pitching and that seems like a formula for success to me. The Pirates could take a lesson from the Padres in finding out how to get effective prospects back in trades for proven players. They did a good job of it last year. I like they have Yorvit Torrealba and Matt Stairs off the bench, but Stairs can't play the field and Torrealba isn't a great catcher, which is why I guess he is the backup. The starting pitching is definitely not great, but I feel like it is being built in the right direction to help this team succeed in the future. They have young guys with good upside for the future and pitchers who can eat innings for the present. The lineup is too young and unproven to be considered great or bad really. Of course I love Gonzalez, but I think Kyle Blanks will have a great year while striking out 248 times. They don't have too much in the lineup that can be considered good everyday players, which means they still have a lot of work to do...but I feel like they are getting there.
What I Don't Like
I don't really like the backups in the lineup. They aren't terrible, but there also aren't great options behind the young starters for this team. Jerry Hairston Jr. and Oscar Salazar are the main backups in the infield, while Tony Gwynn Jr. and Aaron Cunningham are the backups in the outfield. I also don't really like this team is built for the future, but there isn't a whole lot on the team right now. This lineup is not even going to be close to being good enough to win games this year. Anyone who says otherwise is lying. I wish the Padres had more of a foundation in place offensively than they currently do. Their future seems to be built around hoping these young guys learn to play in the majors and there isn't really anyone on the roster that can even come close to Gonzalez's production. So when/if he gets traded, these young guys had better be ready to hit the ball or it won't matter how good the pitching is, the team won't win games.
Final record
Simply because I feel like the Padres are building this team correctly doesn't mean it is true. Either way, they will struggle this year because they don't have sufficient hitting or pitching to compete in the NL West. The future for the Padres is already up in the majors. They used a bunch of rookies last year and the farm system isn't bare, but it also doesn't have a whole lot more prospects coming up the pipeline that can help the team. So either the team that is being built will work out for them in the next 2 years or they are going to have to wait a little bit longer to compete. The team is being built right for a ball park that is a pitcher's park, but there isn't enough offense in place for the team to compete this upcoming year. Throw in the fact the NL West seems like it is going to be fairly strong this year and the Padres are going to have to wait another year at best to compete.
Last year: 75-87
This year: 68-94
San Francisco Giants
Lineup
This is a pretty old team in term of position players. Brian Sabean has drafted fairly well of late in regard to pitching, but there hasn't been much to brag about when it comes to the position players the Giants have developed. This is a pretty old everyday lineup and an everyday lineup that doesn't have much, if any, upside. So it's not like I expect any of these 30+ year old guys to have a career year, because they had their career years 4-5 years ago. They have signed Aubrey Huff to play first base this year and he is coming off the worst year of his career. Freddy Sanchez isn't terrible as second basemen go, but he also isn't going to get any better and the same goes for Edgar Renteria, who if he were a dog would have to be helped up on the couch at this point and fed special dog food so it doesn't upset his stomach. Bengie Molina has power, but he is just holding down the catcher position until Buster Posey takes over for him, which hopefully will be sooner for the Giants rather than later. I can't say enough positive things about Pablo Sandoval, he really is the bright spot in this lineup...but why focus on the positive? Aaron Rowand is declining and the big free agent acquisition this offseason was Mark DeRosa, who is also probably declining. This is an old lineup without much upside.
Rotation
I thought Mason Bumgarner was going to be in the rotation but he has gotten sent down to the minors. When he comes back up it will make this rotation even stronger than it currently is. This is the strength of the team. Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain are two great building blocks for a pitching staff and very well could also be two of the best pitchers in the National League...and they are both only 25 years old. Barry Zito will never be worth the money he is paid, but he should be a consistent and helpful 3rd/4th starter and I feel like Jonathan Sanchez should be a better pitcher at this point than he is. Todd Wellermeyer is just the 5th starter until Mason Bumgarner is ready to start for the Giants. He is essentially just a placeholder in the rotation because someone has to be the 5th starter. It's a good rotation if not a little top heavy.
Bullpen
Brian Wilson is a good closer. That's always a good start. Not to mention I always seem to get Wilson as my closer in baseball fantasy leagues, so I feel like his success is my success...and last year he had some success. Jeremy Affeldt has found his niche as a LH set up guy out of the bullpen and he is very good at the job. Sergio Romo isn't terrible and he actually threw really well out of the pen, so I have hopes for him that he could pitch well this year. Henry Sosa seems to be healthy and the Giants former top prospect should be able to contribute something to the pen this year, as well Dan Runzler should make the bullpen this year and projects as a top notch set up guy as well. Brandon Medders was also a good contributor in the bullpen last year and will only add to the strength of the pen for this year. The Giants have a good bullpen and if the offense somehow manages to get a lead this pen shouldn't have a problem keeping that lead.
What I Like
I like the pitching for this team. The starters aren't all that strong after Lincecum and Cain, but just having those two in the rotation makes it a strong rotation. The bullpen for the Giants is also fairly strong and it strikes me as interesting the Giants can't seem to cultivate prospects from the farm system that contribute who are everyday players, but they do a good job with cultivating pitching from their system. I like the uh, experience, of the everyday lineup. No one can accuse the lineup of not having enough experience in the majors. Really, I also like the fact Buster Posey will be in the everyday lineup very soon and that is something for Giants fans to be excited about. This team could easily contend in the NL West if they had any type of hitting, that's how strong the pen and the front part of the rotation is. If only this team could develop hitters better I think they could make it a race for the NL West title. I do like the versatility of DeRosa and the bench with Ishikawa, Uribe, and Fred Lewis. They aren't starters, but they are solid bench players.
What I Don't Like
This lineup finished last in the majors leagues in OPS last year and they are one year older. There is nothing this team has done to the lineup that makes me believe this could change. This lineup is full of the stop-gap players that some teams put in their lineup to fill a whole they have which surrounds a talented lineup. For example, if the Mets had signed Aubrey Huff, I wouldn't have hated it because he isn't going to be the best hitter in the lineup, but in San Francisco Huff has to be a regular contributor. The lineup is full of guys who are puzzle pieces and not key pieces to a successful team. I also don't really like the fact this team just is wasting Lincecum and Cain's early years in the majors. It kind of pisses me off. Even if Jonathan Sanchez finally finds his command and quits walking players, is this team going to score enough runs to get him the wins? I really don't know.
Final Record
If they only had a lineup. While this team can pitch pretty well with any other team in the NL West, they can't hit with anyone in the NL West, so they seem to stand no chance of winning the division. It's a shame really, because even when Buster Posey comes up to the majors, there isn't going to be a whole lot around him. He will have plenty of veterans to give him advice, but unfortunately only a couple players can show him how to hit well and actually lead by example, rather than giving him stories about "the good old days." I want to see Sanchez pitch well this year because he has the stuff, just not the control at this point, and I can't wait to see Mason Bumgarner pitch in the majors. Still, there is that whole offense problem that isn't going away. Sandoval can't do it all himself.
Last year: 88-74
This year: 86-76
I will be back next week with three more teams one day and then three more teams on next Saturday.
Philadelphia Phillies
Lineup
Much like the Yankees, much of America is already familiar with the Phillies' lineup. The scary part is the Phillies have probably gotten better in the infield and in the outfield. Other than that, they have are the exact same team, except for the fact they have more depth with Ross Gload, a full season of Ben Francisco, and a star-on-the-rise Domonic Brown. So basically their best hitters are in the prime and they have another great hitter on the way. Placido Polanco over Pedro Feliz is an upgrade and other than that there hasn't been much done to the starting order. I don't how I feel about Jimmy Rollins. I think he is a great shortstop, but I do have a tendency to believe may be slightly overrated. Not that he isn't a great shortstop, but I don't know if he is as elite as he, and others, seem to believe he currently is. This is a strong lineup and really nothing has changed that would make me think it will get any weaker. This is a lineup that can win a World Series this year.
Rotation
Here's the semi-question for this rotation. Would you rather have Cliff Lee or Roy Halladay? Really, it is a simplified form of the question because it takes out important factors like how many prospects they traded for both players and if those players will end up panning out or not. This question won't be resolved for a few years. As I have written here several times, I take Roy Halladay over Cliff Lee. The rest of the rotation is pretty solid. I look for Hamels to bounce back from a tough year last year, which was probably partially due to a World Series hangover, and Joe Blanton is a good 3rd starter. The real wild card in this rotation is going to be J.A. Happ. Is he the pitcher that he was last year or is that one good year he had at the age of 27? I happen to believe he can have another year like last year, so if he pitches well he is going to be the #3 starter essentially in a short playoff series. I have read different things, but it seems like Kyle Kendrick and Jamie Moyer are going to be battling it out for the 5th rotation spot. Moyer will probably win that spot and then get the 5th starter position. I am not exactly sure what the Phillies will do with him if he doesn't win this spot, since he doesn't usually work out of the bullpen.
Bullpen
I think Brad Lidge is going to bounce back from a really tough year last year. Despite his bad year, the Phillies still found a way to make it to the World Series. That says a lot about the offense and pitching of this team. I like the way this bullpen sets up with Durbin, Kendrick (possibly), Madsen, Baez, and Romero coming in as relievers. They even added Jose Contreras to the bullpen, which I think is going to be interesting to watch...unless he ends up back in the rotation. I am not sure how much he has really pitched out of the bullpen in his career. Overall, this is a really solid bullpen and if Lidge is able to not go mentally crazy and blow saves, this should be one of the best bullpens in the National League.
What I Like
I like the depth the Phillies now have in their rotation and the players they added to their bench. Domonic Brown is a star waiting for a chance and the Phillies have Kendrick and Contreras for the 5th starter spot if Jamie Moyer finally realizes he is 47 years old and can't pitch effectively anymore. The bench of the Phillies is very strong with Schneider, Gload, Juan Castro and Gregg Dobbs coming off the bench. I like Halladay because he will be willing to take the ball on 3 days rest, which is something it didn't seem like Cliff Lee really wanted to do. He is the stud pitcher the Phillies have been trying to get in order to pair him up with Cole Hamels. Of course I also like the lineup, which is essentially an American League lineup because it is strong all the way through. Overall, this is the National League representative in the World Series until another NL team tries to challenge them.
What I Don't Like
I don't like the backend of the Phillies' rotation. It may sound picky but Happ hasn't had enough of a track record to tell us he can repeat his year from last year, Blanton was just a barely above average pitcher last year and Moyer was well below average. Obviously the Phillies have an offense that doesn't require excellent pitching every time out, but for a team that is playing in October consistently, it feels like quite a drop-off from Halladay to Hamels to Blanton to Moyer. This is fairly minor, but overall I do like the Phillies and see them having a great year. In regard to the bullpen, I don't like how unsure Brad Lidge can be at times. I don't know how much it affects the team since they almost won the World Series last year when he had a terrible year. If he does have another poor performance it is going to weaken the bullpen because Ryan Madsen may end up having to close, which would put Durbin or Baez as his RH set up guy.
Final record
I can't argue with their offense really and the bench is strong as well. If the back-of-the-rotation problems figure themselves out then this is going to be the National League favorite to be in the World Series. Actually, even if those minor problems aren't figured out, the Phillies will still be the favorite. This was the best team in the National League two years ago, last year, and will be again this year. They have a great offense, good pitching, and a reliable and veteran bullpen. Outside of injuries or some other unforeseen circumstance the Phillies will be winning the NL East and at least making an appearance in the NLCS. By no means do I believe this team is unbeatable, I just don't know, assuming Halladay stays healthy and if Hamels bounces back and focuses less on everything else going on in his life and more on baseball, if another team can beat them in a short series or for the NL East.
Last year: 93-69
This year: 91-71
Pittsburgh Pirates
Lineup
This is a terrible lineup. The saddest part is I am getting the feeling of late they are actually trying to put a good team together now and the Pirates still have a bad team. Their entire infield is a mix of prospects that haven't worked out and players that should be bench players on good teams. Doumit regressed last year, Jeff Clement has been a bust, Iwamura is not a terrible starter, Andy LaRoche is going to lose his job very soon to Pedro Alvarez, and Ronny Cedeno is just horrible. The outfield is a guy no one should really want (Milledge), an actual good baseball player (McCutchen), and a guy who had a year last year I don't know if he can repeat (Garrett Jones). Oh yeah, backing them up is Ryan Church who got traded (dumped) for Jeff Francouer. This lineup is a general manager's nightmare. Even if Milledge was going to turn it all around, this isn't the team to do that. Andrew McCutchen and the future trade value of Pedro Alvarez are the only reasons to watch this team. There is nothing offensively that can be considered redeemable in my mind on this team. They aren't completely terrible, but just hoping Jeff Clement can be a serviceable player and thinking they can play guys who haven't been successful in their career and they will find success doesn't strike me as a real plan.
Rotation
There is actual talent here. I promise. Paul Maholm, Zach Duke, and Ross Ohlendorf are not terrible pitchers, even though they have pitched terribly. The good news is the rotation seems to be set with Charlie Morton and Kevin Hart rounding up the back-end of the rotation. The bad news is that there is no one on this roster who can compete with Kevin Hart and Charlie Morton for spots in the back of the rotation. There is a chance Daniel McCutchen will be able to take the 5th starter job from Kevin Hart, but that isn't going to have a huge effect on this team. It sounds crazy to say since all of these starters were at league average or worse last year, but I think if they were put in the right pitching coach's hands they could have a good career in the majors. It's just not going to happen in Pittsburgh. For the first time in a while, I can look at the pitching staff of the Pirates and not just absolutely hate it. Now I just don't like it. That's an improvement.
Bullpen
The Pirates signed a new closer, Octavio Dotel, who is going to close out the 5 games this year they are ahead in the 9th inning (I am just kidding, there will be more games than that, they are in the Astros' division). This is like putting $2,500 tires on a 1994 Honda Accord. What's the point of spending $6 million on Dotel? Is there a point in that? Other than to say you spent money? Injuries aside, I think Brendan Donnelly has at least one more year left in the majors, which makes me wonder why the hell he is playing for the Pirates. This isn't a great bullpen, but did anyone really expect it to be? When you are picking up guys who the Nationals have cut and guys for some reason your team traded for, it's not going to be a good bullpen. Evan Meek has potential and Javier Lopez may recover from a tough year last year. Still, how much are they going to be able to do in Pittsburgh in this bullpen? It's not a terrible bullpen, but is a group where they will get to close out plenty of 10-3 games.
What I Like
I like Andrew McCutchen. I like the intent of the team to compete. I like Pedro Alvarez and I like the fact I personally would like to be the General Manager of this team, just to see how hard it would really be to turn this team around. I like that I still like Jeff Clement and he is only 26 years old. I like they have good backups in Moss, Young, and Church. Most of all, I like that they have John Raynor on this team. He is my favorite ex-Greensboro Grasshopper and whether he knows it or not, I am his good luck charm. In 2007, I went to just a few Grasshoppers games and saw him hit 6 of his home runs. Plus, he is fast and can steal bases. Stolen bases are exciting to see when you are watching them live. What was I talking about again?
What I Don't Like
The rest of the team. Few things in sports irritate me more than having a team that stinks because can't identify prospects, so they are perpetually rebuilding. The Pirates have been rebuilding for decades now and owe the fans of the team untold millions of dollars for what they have witnessed on the field that is supposed to be a team. We always hear the new GM knows what he is doing and then it turns out he doesn't know what he is doing. Even if the pitching staff was good, how would they win games with an offense that has no viable MLB players, save 1 or 2 guys in the everyday lineup? It can't. This is a small market team that has no hope because those in charge don't have a clue about how to run a team.
Final Record
Not to keep harping, but when is this team looking to contend? At any point in the future? There's no pitching, no hitting, and they are going with the Royals plan of hoping they can rehabilitate other team's top prospects that never panned out for them. That doesn't seem to work all that often. What frustrates me more is they somehow believe spending money on Ryan Church, Bobby Crosby, and Octavio Dotel is going to convince anyone they are trying to contend in the NL Central. I like the Iwamuri signing, but other than that I think they have questionable personnel moves. I want to like the Pirates, but they haven't seem to get a clue in the past and I don't know if they will get one now. If there is a plan here, I am missing it.
Last year: 62-99
This year: 60-102
San Diego Padres
Lineup
They have Adrian Gonzalez. That's an advantage many other teams wish they could claim. Other than that, there isn't much out there. I am not going to lie, and maybe it is my West Coast bias, but the Padres don't look good right now, but I feel good about their future. I think Jed Hoyer knows what he is doing and is getting good young players on the roster for the future. Though, I still don't know why he has the patron saint of Bottom of the Barrel, David Eckstein, at second base...I can forgive him for that because every team needs an Ecksteinian push to help them. This is a young team. There are a couple of guys on this team that I think are going to make progress this year in terms of being Major League Baseball ready hitters. I think Chase Headley will continue to improve, Everth Cabrera is going to be solid in his first full year in the majors, I actually really like Kyle Blanks though he does strike out a lot, and...ok, that is all for what I like about this lineup, but it's better than some of the other crappy teams in baseball. This team isn't going to hit the ball well, but I feel like the lineup is taking a step in the right direction and as long as they have Gonzalez in the lineup, they will have a good lineup in my mind for at least one spot.
Rotation
This is the part of the Padres future I like the most. I know I am supposed to be previewing how they will do this year, but I can sum it up fairly easily. They aren't good. If Chris Young can bounce back he is a decent starter, Kevin Correia decided to be a good starter last year and Jon Garland is going to eat some innings. They aren't great starters but for a crappy team they are some decent bets to keep the Padres in games. After that, the guys who are supposedly fighting for the 4th/5th spots in the rotation, Aaron Poreda, Mat Latos, Clayton Richard, and Wade LeBlanc are not bad young guys to choose from (LeBlanc being in clear last place for who I would want on my team). I see Richard having a really good year this year and Latos and Poreda should be in the Padre rotation for years to come. Of course that doesn't help the Padres that much this year, but at least they have guys like (healthy) Chris Young and Jon Garland who may not be anything more than #3/#4 starters but they will eat innings. I see the future is pretty bright for this rotation, but they are one year away from even seeing this potential.
Bullpen
Heath Bell is a shockingly good closer, so if the Padres get the ball to him in the 9th inning he will be able to shut the door on teams. This was a really good bullpen last year. It really was. Edward Mujica, Luke Gregorson, Mike Adams, Joe Thatcher, and Adam Russell combined to be very effective last year. If you put a gun to my head and asked me the strongest part of this team, I would actually say the bullpen. Many of these guys had good years last year and could very well have good years for the upcoming year. If the Padres can get a lead, then this bullpen is going to keep that lead. I think many other teams would like to have a bullpen that is as good as the Padres bullpen can be.
What I Like
I like the bullpen and I like the way this team is being built. I feel like it is being built around pitching and that seems like a formula for success to me. The Pirates could take a lesson from the Padres in finding out how to get effective prospects back in trades for proven players. They did a good job of it last year. I like they have Yorvit Torrealba and Matt Stairs off the bench, but Stairs can't play the field and Torrealba isn't a great catcher, which is why I guess he is the backup. The starting pitching is definitely not great, but I feel like it is being built in the right direction to help this team succeed in the future. They have young guys with good upside for the future and pitchers who can eat innings for the present. The lineup is too young and unproven to be considered great or bad really. Of course I love Gonzalez, but I think Kyle Blanks will have a great year while striking out 248 times. They don't have too much in the lineup that can be considered good everyday players, which means they still have a lot of work to do...but I feel like they are getting there.
What I Don't Like
I don't really like the backups in the lineup. They aren't terrible, but there also aren't great options behind the young starters for this team. Jerry Hairston Jr. and Oscar Salazar are the main backups in the infield, while Tony Gwynn Jr. and Aaron Cunningham are the backups in the outfield. I also don't really like this team is built for the future, but there isn't a whole lot on the team right now. This lineup is not even going to be close to being good enough to win games this year. Anyone who says otherwise is lying. I wish the Padres had more of a foundation in place offensively than they currently do. Their future seems to be built around hoping these young guys learn to play in the majors and there isn't really anyone on the roster that can even come close to Gonzalez's production. So when/if he gets traded, these young guys had better be ready to hit the ball or it won't matter how good the pitching is, the team won't win games.
Final record
Simply because I feel like the Padres are building this team correctly doesn't mean it is true. Either way, they will struggle this year because they don't have sufficient hitting or pitching to compete in the NL West. The future for the Padres is already up in the majors. They used a bunch of rookies last year and the farm system isn't bare, but it also doesn't have a whole lot more prospects coming up the pipeline that can help the team. So either the team that is being built will work out for them in the next 2 years or they are going to have to wait a little bit longer to compete. The team is being built right for a ball park that is a pitcher's park, but there isn't enough offense in place for the team to compete this upcoming year. Throw in the fact the NL West seems like it is going to be fairly strong this year and the Padres are going to have to wait another year at best to compete.
Last year: 75-87
This year: 68-94
San Francisco Giants
Lineup
This is a pretty old team in term of position players. Brian Sabean has drafted fairly well of late in regard to pitching, but there hasn't been much to brag about when it comes to the position players the Giants have developed. This is a pretty old everyday lineup and an everyday lineup that doesn't have much, if any, upside. So it's not like I expect any of these 30+ year old guys to have a career year, because they had their career years 4-5 years ago. They have signed Aubrey Huff to play first base this year and he is coming off the worst year of his career. Freddy Sanchez isn't terrible as second basemen go, but he also isn't going to get any better and the same goes for Edgar Renteria, who if he were a dog would have to be helped up on the couch at this point and fed special dog food so it doesn't upset his stomach. Bengie Molina has power, but he is just holding down the catcher position until Buster Posey takes over for him, which hopefully will be sooner for the Giants rather than later. I can't say enough positive things about Pablo Sandoval, he really is the bright spot in this lineup...but why focus on the positive? Aaron Rowand is declining and the big free agent acquisition this offseason was Mark DeRosa, who is also probably declining. This is an old lineup without much upside.
Rotation
I thought Mason Bumgarner was going to be in the rotation but he has gotten sent down to the minors. When he comes back up it will make this rotation even stronger than it currently is. This is the strength of the team. Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain are two great building blocks for a pitching staff and very well could also be two of the best pitchers in the National League...and they are both only 25 years old. Barry Zito will never be worth the money he is paid, but he should be a consistent and helpful 3rd/4th starter and I feel like Jonathan Sanchez should be a better pitcher at this point than he is. Todd Wellermeyer is just the 5th starter until Mason Bumgarner is ready to start for the Giants. He is essentially just a placeholder in the rotation because someone has to be the 5th starter. It's a good rotation if not a little top heavy.
Bullpen
Brian Wilson is a good closer. That's always a good start. Not to mention I always seem to get Wilson as my closer in baseball fantasy leagues, so I feel like his success is my success...and last year he had some success. Jeremy Affeldt has found his niche as a LH set up guy out of the bullpen and he is very good at the job. Sergio Romo isn't terrible and he actually threw really well out of the pen, so I have hopes for him that he could pitch well this year. Henry Sosa seems to be healthy and the Giants former top prospect should be able to contribute something to the pen this year, as well Dan Runzler should make the bullpen this year and projects as a top notch set up guy as well. Brandon Medders was also a good contributor in the bullpen last year and will only add to the strength of the pen for this year. The Giants have a good bullpen and if the offense somehow manages to get a lead this pen shouldn't have a problem keeping that lead.
What I Like
I like the pitching for this team. The starters aren't all that strong after Lincecum and Cain, but just having those two in the rotation makes it a strong rotation. The bullpen for the Giants is also fairly strong and it strikes me as interesting the Giants can't seem to cultivate prospects from the farm system that contribute who are everyday players, but they do a good job with cultivating pitching from their system. I like the uh, experience, of the everyday lineup. No one can accuse the lineup of not having enough experience in the majors. Really, I also like the fact Buster Posey will be in the everyday lineup very soon and that is something for Giants fans to be excited about. This team could easily contend in the NL West if they had any type of hitting, that's how strong the pen and the front part of the rotation is. If only this team could develop hitters better I think they could make it a race for the NL West title. I do like the versatility of DeRosa and the bench with Ishikawa, Uribe, and Fred Lewis. They aren't starters, but they are solid bench players.
What I Don't Like
This lineup finished last in the majors leagues in OPS last year and they are one year older. There is nothing this team has done to the lineup that makes me believe this could change. This lineup is full of the stop-gap players that some teams put in their lineup to fill a whole they have which surrounds a talented lineup. For example, if the Mets had signed Aubrey Huff, I wouldn't have hated it because he isn't going to be the best hitter in the lineup, but in San Francisco Huff has to be a regular contributor. The lineup is full of guys who are puzzle pieces and not key pieces to a successful team. I also don't really like the fact this team just is wasting Lincecum and Cain's early years in the majors. It kind of pisses me off. Even if Jonathan Sanchez finally finds his command and quits walking players, is this team going to score enough runs to get him the wins? I really don't know.
Final Record
If they only had a lineup. While this team can pitch pretty well with any other team in the NL West, they can't hit with anyone in the NL West, so they seem to stand no chance of winning the division. It's a shame really, because even when Buster Posey comes up to the majors, there isn't going to be a whole lot around him. He will have plenty of veterans to give him advice, but unfortunately only a couple players can show him how to hit well and actually lead by example, rather than giving him stories about "the good old days." I want to see Sanchez pitch well this year because he has the stuff, just not the control at this point, and I can't wait to see Mason Bumgarner pitch in the majors. Still, there is that whole offense problem that isn't going away. Sandoval can't do it all himself.
Last year: 88-74
This year: 86-76
I will be back next week with three more teams one day and then three more teams on next Saturday.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
27 comments I Liked Jim Rice Better Before He Got Into The HOF
UPDATE: It seems Joe Posnanski saw the exact same thing and is hopefully preparing a strong rebuttal that will probably blow the doors off mine. Stay tuned.
If theres one dude you dont want hearing about the smack you've been talking about Greinke, its Joe.
Hello everyone. Gosh, its been a long time since I've posted. Sorry, I've been busy with some things lately. What could possibly be more important than posting on a blog that I don't get paid to write on, you might ask? I'm glad you did. Well, I happened to be cruising car dealerships to look at cars and I stopped at one and came away with this beauty.
Yup, I bought a brand new 2010 Camaro, as you can see it proudly displayed in my mothers basement. But anyways I had to go through the pain in the ass process of getting it registered in NH to avoid getting killed by RI taxes, so I've been busy the past couple of weeks. Well, that and I've been playing Smokey and the Bandit with it since I got it.
Okay, now that I've got that out of the way, on to more important matters. Some of you might remember Jim Rice basically talking smack about Derek Jeter and a bunch of other ball players to some little league kids. In a nutshell it was along the lines of "they arent half as good as the players back in my day, I was dominant and feared, blah blah blah.....". Well, Mr. Rice has a blog and on it he made an interesting observation about Zack Grienke.
Greinke is a Good Pitcher-Not Dominant
To this I say: Jim Rice was a Good Ballplayer-Not Dominant. Really, Jim Rice? Now your going to start talking shit about Zack? This coming from the man who got elected into the HOF from a bunch of boston sportswriters lobbying the supposed "fear" he put into opposing pitchers? Nevermind the fact that Dick Allen, Albert Bell, hell, even Ron Santos has a better Cooperstown argument then you do.
Zack Greinke didn’t really impress me last night. He pitched well and maybe I caught him on a bad night, but to me he didn’t seem dominant.
Keeping in mind the fact that he is one start removed from having a Miguel Cabrera line drive hit him in the elbow, Zack threw six shutout innings, allowing only 2 hits, striking out 5 and walking 0. Maybe not his most dominant performance but, he did shut down one of the most potent lineups in the league. What? Theres more? Okay.
Greinke has may have the lowest ERA in the AL since Pedro Martinez in 2000, but he doesn’t strike me as the dominant force that Pedro was during his statistical peak.
Its kind of unfair to compare Greinke to a pitcher that had one of the most dominant pitching runs IN MLB HISTORY, dont you think, Jim? I mean, christ. After the game his ERA stood at 2.08. That is insane. He is 2nd in the league in K's and first in just about every meaningful statistic.
Don’t get me wrong, Greinke pitched very effectively but he was not the unhittable beast on the mound that Pedro or Clemens (or even Johan Santana) were during their reign of dominance.
Actually, I think I am getting you wrong. You are basically telling me that instead of being one of the best pitchers in the league, he is just.....meh. Not to mention, this is the only game you have seen him in this year. You know he does pitch to others teams besides those that reside in the AL East, right?
Side Rant: Why does it matter that he hasnt pitched that much to teams in the AL East? The AL Central has some really good hitters, too. Cabrera, Mauer, Morneau, Konerko, Thome (when he was still with the ChiSox), Beckham, Choo.....This seems to be the argument idiots make when saying they will not vote for him. Well, that and he doesnt have enough wins, which, I guess, is even stupider.
He only gave up two hits in 6 innings but struggled with his command and, with 5 strikeouts, it’s not like he was punching tickets up and down the Red Sox lineup
Yes. He struggled with his command WHILE WALKING ZERO BATTERS!!!!ZERO!!! He also struck out a little less than 1 per inning. What did you want, 10K's against one of the better hitting teams in the league? Plus he was one start removed from getting smacked on the elbow by a line drive. Man, Jim, its a good thing the HOF doesnt have the standards you have, eh?
He reminds me of a right-handed Roger Moret. He has that long and lean frame but good speed on his fastball and sporadic command.
Roger Moret: Career ERA+ 108. Career High ERA+ 128 Highest K Total: 111
Zack Greinke: Career ERA+120 Career High ERA+ sitting at 210 this year Highest K total: 229 and counting this year.
Where are the similarities? I mean, asides from them both having long and lean frames. Its like comparing Dustin Pedroia to David Eckstein (all hail the mighty ball of grit) even though the only thing similar is they are short and white.
How the fuck can you call Greinke good but not dominant based on one start? Jim Rice: Congrats on being elected into the HOF, but please stop writing stupid entries, such as this one, on your blog.
If theres one dude you dont want hearing about the smack you've been talking about Greinke, its Joe.
Hello everyone. Gosh, its been a long time since I've posted. Sorry, I've been busy with some things lately. What could possibly be more important than posting on a blog that I don't get paid to write on, you might ask? I'm glad you did. Well, I happened to be cruising car dealerships to look at cars and I stopped at one and came away with this beauty.
Yup, I bought a brand new 2010 Camaro, as you can see it proudly displayed in my mothers basement. But anyways I had to go through the pain in the ass process of getting it registered in NH to avoid getting killed by RI taxes, so I've been busy the past couple of weeks. Well, that and I've been playing Smokey and the Bandit with it since I got it.
Okay, now that I've got that out of the way, on to more important matters. Some of you might remember Jim Rice basically talking smack about Derek Jeter and a bunch of other ball players to some little league kids. In a nutshell it was along the lines of "they arent half as good as the players back in my day, I was dominant and feared, blah blah blah.....". Well, Mr. Rice has a blog and on it he made an interesting observation about Zack Grienke.
Greinke is a Good Pitcher-Not Dominant
To this I say: Jim Rice was a Good Ballplayer-Not Dominant. Really, Jim Rice? Now your going to start talking shit about Zack? This coming from the man who got elected into the HOF from a bunch of boston sportswriters lobbying the supposed "fear" he put into opposing pitchers? Nevermind the fact that Dick Allen, Albert Bell, hell, even Ron Santos has a better Cooperstown argument then you do.
Zack Greinke didn’t really impress me last night. He pitched well and maybe I caught him on a bad night, but to me he didn’t seem dominant.
Keeping in mind the fact that he is one start removed from having a Miguel Cabrera line drive hit him in the elbow, Zack threw six shutout innings, allowing only 2 hits, striking out 5 and walking 0. Maybe not his most dominant performance but, he did shut down one of the most potent lineups in the league. What? Theres more? Okay.
Greinke has may have the lowest ERA in the AL since Pedro Martinez in 2000, but he doesn’t strike me as the dominant force that Pedro was during his statistical peak.
Its kind of unfair to compare Greinke to a pitcher that had one of the most dominant pitching runs IN MLB HISTORY, dont you think, Jim? I mean, christ. After the game his ERA stood at 2.08. That is insane. He is 2nd in the league in K's and first in just about every meaningful statistic.
Don’t get me wrong, Greinke pitched very effectively but he was not the unhittable beast on the mound that Pedro or Clemens (or even Johan Santana) were during their reign of dominance.
Actually, I think I am getting you wrong. You are basically telling me that instead of being one of the best pitchers in the league, he is just.....meh. Not to mention, this is the only game you have seen him in this year. You know he does pitch to others teams besides those that reside in the AL East, right?
Side Rant: Why does it matter that he hasnt pitched that much to teams in the AL East? The AL Central has some really good hitters, too. Cabrera, Mauer, Morneau, Konerko, Thome (when he was still with the ChiSox), Beckham, Choo.....This seems to be the argument idiots make when saying they will not vote for him. Well, that and he doesnt have enough wins, which, I guess, is even stupider.
He only gave up two hits in 6 innings but struggled with his command and, with 5 strikeouts, it’s not like he was punching tickets up and down the Red Sox lineup
Yes. He struggled with his command WHILE WALKING ZERO BATTERS!!!!ZERO!!! He also struck out a little less than 1 per inning. What did you want, 10K's against one of the better hitting teams in the league? Plus he was one start removed from getting smacked on the elbow by a line drive. Man, Jim, its a good thing the HOF doesnt have the standards you have, eh?
He reminds me of a right-handed Roger Moret. He has that long and lean frame but good speed on his fastball and sporadic command.
Roger Moret: Career ERA+ 108. Career High ERA+ 128 Highest K Total: 111
Zack Greinke: Career ERA+120 Career High ERA+ sitting at 210 this year Highest K total: 229 and counting this year.
Where are the similarities? I mean, asides from them both having long and lean frames. Its like comparing Dustin Pedroia to David Eckstein (all hail the mighty ball of grit) even though the only thing similar is they are short and white.
How the fuck can you call Greinke good but not dominant based on one start? Jim Rice: Congrats on being elected into the HOF, but please stop writing stupid entries, such as this one, on your blog.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
2 comments Its Official!
He is now sponsored by us.
Fuckin. A. Right.
Tune in later this afternoon, for Bens take down of MMQB Tuesday edition.
I planned on having Panteras "Walk" music video here, but couldnt because blogger wouldnt let me. Tell me that wouldnt be a kickass song for David Eckstein to come to the plate to.
Evan, if your still out there, let me know if there is another blog who sponsors scrappy players and tries to come up with kickass theme songs for them.
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