May Days
by DanUpBaby on May 10, 2010 6:00 AM EDT
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PrintDoes it surprise you like it surprised me that all the Cardinals' various pitch ratios—the number they see per plate appearance, the number they swing at and look at and foul off—are almost identical to the league average through this point in the season? Maybe it's just baseball-watching rust; it seems as though Brendan Ryan has taken more strikes through a month and a half than he did in 2009, that Albert Pujols has swung and missed more last week than he did in 2004, that the team, in general, has gone from Ichiro to Ben Grieve.
But after a three-true-outcomes start the Cardinals have pushed their batting average up and their secondary average down, and right now their league average offense is not only average but ordinary. If Mark McGwire is secretly the hitting coach equivalent of Dave Duncan, exerting an extraordinary pull over team personnel and performance—the team's led the majors in groundball-to-flyball ratio four times since 2004, and has the three highest totals recorded during that period, too—it hasn't shown up yet.
If the offense is no longer uniquely devoted to hitting dingers and taking so many pitches that it makes game-shortening sense to just begin each count at 2-2, their performance yesterday was at least a major catharsis. Brendan Ryan and Joe Mather contributed on offense, as did Tyler Greene, another part (if temporary) on a bench whose breakout star is its least flexible piece. Greene's getaway day start, in particular, was packed tight with, well, Greene-ness—an extra-base hit, a dynamic but risky play on defense, a truly impressive stolen base, and three outs.
(Speaking of which: As the Cardinals continue to flirt with Aaron Miles (Skinny Stavinoha?) as AAA depth, Ruben Gotay's still walk-heavy line is up to .250/.370/.390 after a rough April in Memphis.)
This was the right way for this team, in this strange funk, to score 11 runs—during a getaway game, while your best pitcher doesn't really need it, with most of the runs coming from players whose major contributions have, to this point, come off the bench. It leaves the weird imprint of May's first, hard-won 25 runs fresh on the offense.
Here's my favorite May stat—Matt Holliday is having, timing-agnostically, the third best month of any Cardinal so far, but as anyone who's booed him would tell you he's had almost nothing to do, so far, with the actual business of scoring runs. His .370/.414/.481 line on the month has brought him across the plate three times and driven in one baserunner; meanwhile, Albert Pujols, slugging under .400, has driven in six runs and scored three times. Skip Schumaker, hitting .233/.300/.233, has scored three times and driven in two in eight games. It's hard to manage to have so little to do when you're batting fourth, but the slumps in front of Pujols and Holliday—spots one and two in the batting order have OBPs of .322 and .333, respectively—have made it possible.
My least favorite stat, until today's charitable triple, was Ryan Ludwick's May swoon—after his April made some of us optimistic that 2009 might be the outlier after all, his .143 run prior to yesterday's game had brought his OPS down to .767—the exact same OPS+ he had when all the disparate pieces of his streaky 2009 were added together. He's put himself in the right position to have a bounce-back year; his walk rate, even higher in May, is ahead of its 2008 highs despite pitchers having less to worry about, and his line drive rate continues to be considerably higher than the league average. May's a weird time of stat nerd-year. There's still plenty of room for optimism, and plenty of cautionary notes to sound about paying too much attention this early in the year—his 2-6 afternoon yesterday brought his OPS up 12 points.
With the big day in Pittsburgh having righted the ship, or at least kept people from jumping over the rails, the Cardinals take today off and then play host once more to the Astros. Since earning their first win of the season in St. Louis on April 15 a patented Inexplicable Astros Winning Streak has come and gone, and they return to Busch having won two of their last 14, at their weakest point since their last visit. You know what that means: it's time for more stories about the Bud Norris whammy. The handsomest man on earth hasn't won a game—or allowed fewer than four runs in one—since he beat the Cardinals for Houston's first win of the season. I'm nervous, too.
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Watch moar video...
at least we miss Oswalt and have Carp going against Norris… I predict… a sweep.
Franklin !#@$!&*%#
Also, just looking at the schedule...
Strasburg dominated in his first AAA start on May 7th. He’ll start again on the 12th. If he pitches well, might we see him make his debut on the 17th or 18th at Busch?
The Nats should wait, but they’re two back of the division lead.
Franklin !#@$!&*%#
They'll wait
They’ve publicly said they only want him to get 100 big league innings this year, AKA just enough for him not to be a Super 2.
Not afraid to nitpick
but typically super-2 is around 135 service days...
There are 180 service days in a season, and if he gets called up May 17 he’ll have missed around 45 days… It is cutting it close. Lannan is scheduled for May 18th and he’s hurt. I don’t know who will be the guy to take that start, but if it isn’t Strasburg, they are giving away a game.
Franklin !#@$!&*%#
It varies...
I know Mark Reynolds didn’t make the cut when he was called up on May 26. That same year Ryan Braun did make it when he was called up May 16th. The Nationals really should wait. At the same time, if they are competing for a wild card spot, having Strasburg make 2-3 starts instead of their #8 starter (they’ve already got #6 and #7 in the rotation). Might be worth 1.5-2.5 wins.
Franklin !#@$!&*%#
I mean I'm hoping they do
Even if it’s against the Cardinals, I really can’t wait to see him in the bigs.
Not afraid to nitpick
i'm thinking strasburg's debut will definitely be at home
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
it'll be nationally televised by espn almost for sure
so i think they’d want all that hoopla at home, with a sellout, start firing up the fanbase, national exposure for their park and city, all that. strasburg will be pumped, but i don’t know he’ll be feeling a lot of pressure – probably just confident.
now, if the nats were huge favorites in their division, and had a storied franchise with a strong fan base and attendance figures, and tony managing, then they might do the other. but from a marketing standpoint, i can’t see the nats not allowing their own fans to witness his debut in person.
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
can't remember where I heard this... (Wash post or Nats listserve?)
but what I heard was they are looking at him debuting at home against the Pirates on Tuesday, June 8th. What I had heard was that if he followed his regular schedule, he would debut on Sunday, June 6th (also at home, vs. Reds), but that the Nats already expect a good crowd for that game, so they decided to delay him ’till Tuesday (Monday is an off day) so they could get the maximum bump in attendance.
youneverknow
That could go somewhat well or really bad.
Really bad if he gets lit up by the Pirates.
Somewhat well if he strikes out a bunch of players who play for the offensively challenged Pirates.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
May 12, 2009
@ Pitt, Wellemeyer’s line: 4.1 IP, 9 H, 7 ER, 3 BB, 2 HR
"I'm gonna throw the nastiest curveball I have ever thrown...if he hits it, I'll tip my cap, but if not we're going to the Series."
--Adam Wainwright on the final pitch of the 2006 NLCS
that was buster who said that
but it makes sense
"...and pujols has given st louis the lead"
The Best Defensive Play I Have Seen in Person
follow me on teh twitterz @greenfieldt
Greene
I just love his athleticism. Not that I have anything against Skip but I really enjoyed watching the middle infield yesterday. Tyler is never going to light the world on fire but if he limits the errors he can be fun to watch.
T. Greene for SS
I don't know if you've had a chance to see him in person yet or not,
but, when he comes to Des Moines to play, it’s a treat. I feel like I’m watching a player I created on Triple Play for Play Station—incredible speed, great arm, and power. He is fun to watch.
"I'm gonna throw the nastiest curveball I have ever thrown...if he hits it, I'll tip my cap, but if not we're going to the Series."
--Adam Wainwright on the final pitch of the 2006 NLCS
Something that made me happier than it should
Francoeur is back to hitting a Francoeurian .241 .315 .426 and has 2 walks in his past 19 games.
Not afraid to nitpick
It makes me feel happy on the inside as well
It’s like knowing that gravity is now back in effect after a brief hiatus.
"If I'm in a slump, I ask myself for advice" - Ichiro
Thank god.
I'm one of those "I don't care how you killed the cow; just serve me a great steak" guys. If the results are logical and easy to understand, I'm pouring some A1 sauce on that formula and eating it. UZR qualifies. -Bill Simmons
Yeah but everyone knows Nick Stavinoha sucks
Some people, for whatever reason, want Francouer to be a great baseball player, and think he is.
by jd is legend on May 10, 2010 11:10 AM EDT up reply actions
My favorite part about the whole Frenchy thing is
Any time he has a legitimate hot streak, the RBI people come out and say “see he can do OBP and all those decimal point things!”, thus proving that RBIz mean that he was actually good the previous 200 games of <.300 OBP.
Not afraid to nitpick
It's because of his initial 3 months in the big leagues,
when he hit the holy shit out of the baseball. We stat guys are not immune to this, by the way. I can’t count the number of times I’ve heard stat guys pining for players who had an awesome streak where they looked like great hitters, only to completely suck the entire rest of their careers. How many times over the last couple of seasons have we been waiting for the real Chris Duncan and Rick Ankiel to show up, when the real Chris Duncan and Rick Ankiel were actually injury riddled, underperforming players who were good offensively for a short time?
If people are going to ridicule those who like Francoeur, then they should probably check and make sure they aren’t propping Rick Ankiel and Chris Duncan with similar type excuses.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
Frenchie and Lil' Dunc
Duncan showed an ability to get on-base at a good clip and hit for power before suffering an injury. Francoeur has never demonstrated an ability to work a walk regularly. To my knowledge, Francoeur has not seen his production suffer because of injuries, as Duncan did; rather, Francoeur just isn’t that good of an offensive player.
"I'm gonna throw the nastiest curveball I have ever thrown...if he hits it, I'll tip my cap, but if not we're going to the Series."
--Adam Wainwright on the final pitch of the 2006 NLCS
I'm not talking specifically about their skills, per se
Just that both came up, were above-average hitters for a short period of time, then dropped off the face of the earth for whatever reason. When that happens, you’re always going to have “true-believer” people who think that the initial streak they went on represents their true ability. It simply doesn’t, but that doesn’t make us immune to the fact that it’s a nice thought when that guy plays for your team. I think most baseball fans are eternal optimists at heart, so if they see a flash of something great, they assume that said player has great talent (see Reyes, Anthony) and that at some point it will be a repeatable skill. Thing is, in baseball, you can catch fire for a few weeks and then never be heard of again (see Hart, Bo), which doesn’t happen in a lot of other sports.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
What makes me happy
is all the ledge jumping going on at BCB. Good times.
Francoeur being Francoeur for the Mets is nice as well.
T. Greene for SS
heh
francouer
he is a bit eccentric
by Cards Fan in Chitown on May 10, 2010 1:02 PM EDT up reply actions
I really like how the day after McGwire told them
to be more selective, we take BB 8 vs 2 Ks. I mean, crappy pitching helps. But it was nice to see everyone wait for their pitch.
you mean, Memphis was more selective.
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
no. I mean the cardinals
Pujols had 3 walks. Yadi and Wainwright had once each. Freese had 2 and Ryan had 1.
So cardinals 5
Mempis 3
Anyway, when do we start considering the young players Cardinals instead of Redbirds?
Pujols was IBB'd, wasn't he?
Yadi is always selective. Wainwright was the pitcher.
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
my point is not that these guys are a team unto themselves
though I do joke about it (and I’m serious about it in terms of chemistry)
I mean you’re saying Mac told the team to be more selective. well, I haven’t seen the team be more selective, because most of the starters sat.
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
sure it's one game, and crappy pitching. But of the starters
P/PA – 2010 / Yesterday
Pujols – 3.83 / 4.5
Ludwick – 3.90 / 4.95
Freese – 3.92 / 5.8
Yadi – 3.70 / 4
Ryan 3.95 / 5.4
Watching Ryan bat this year I was really surprised he was averaging 3.95 P/PA this year. Only did the starters.
by Evilfrog on May 10, 2010 9:50 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I don't think I have seen Ryan look as bad as everyone else seems to
but I haven’t caught too many full games so maybe that is it. But to me Ryan has not really been struggling as much as during his PA as much as he makes one or two poor decisions per AB and they either end up being weak contact or a strike out pitch. He also has some really good swings to foul pitches off, swings at great pitches but misses them, hits directly at someone etc. He will come around and I don’t think it will take that much longer.
"Come test me every day if you want," says Pujols, "Everything I ever made in this game I would give back to the Cardinals if I got caught."
I have the same opinion of Boog.
His approach is better and he should be seeing the results of that at some point. He’s actually been 2009 Brendan Ryan for most of the last two weeks, it’s just that his start was so awful it hasn’t brought his numbers back up that much.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
Look at his BABIP
For April it was .250 and he was hitting .179/.276/.239
For May it was .217 and he is hitting .192/.276/.269
So his BABIP took a 33 point drop yet his BA went up 13 points, add in those other 33 points and he would be at .225/.209, still not good but not quite so dismal
"Come test me every day if you want," says Pujols, "Everything I ever made in this game I would give back to the Cardinals if I got caught."
by StLHugo on May 10, 2010 3:38 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
i normalized his K and BABIP rates to his career averages
and came up with a .261 batting average which is about where ZiPS puts him for the rest of the season
i’d imagine he comes around. and even if he doesn’t, anything over the mendoza line is a bonus with his D
"Moneyball: It's kind of like communism."
by prophetjohn on May 10, 2010 4:23 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Does this generate an OBP above .330?
Because, I really dislike seeing OBPs below .330 for Cardinals…
"I'm gonna throw the nastiest curveball I have ever thrown...if he hits it, I'll tip my cap, but if not we're going to the Series."
--Adam Wainwright on the final pitch of the 2006 NLCS
I can deal with it for only one player: Brendan Ryan.
Skip needs to get it together, though. I love the Hotmaker, but I love seeing the Cardinals win much more.
You can read it in any tone you like.
It is a problem magnified by Skip batting leadoff.
You can’t have the person getting the most PAs game in and game out getting on-base at a .302 clip. Of course, with Skip, we’ve seen his walk rate rise to 10.1% this season, which, at 2% above his career average, would easily be a career high and a wonderful early season development. His BA is the problem, but lets take a gander at it. His LD% is over 28 after being 21.7% and 21.6% each of the last two seasons. Nonetheless, his BABIP is .247. Here are Skip’s BABIP levels since he joined St. Louis full-time in 2007:
.363
.328
.341
This is likely why his ZiPs RoS projection is to his .287/.345/.387 (with a .320 BABIP) which brings his full season 2010 adjusted projection to .271/.336/.362 (with a .302 BABIP for the year). That line from a leadoff man is something less than ideal, to be sure, but it verifies my belief that, based on his LD% and BABIP, there is reason to be optimistic about Skip regaining his form.
"I'm gonna throw the nastiest curveball I have ever thrown...if he hits it, I'll tip my cap, but if not we're going to the Series."
--Adam Wainwright on the final pitch of the 2006 NLCS
by bgh on May 10, 2010 4:44 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
It's all McGwire's fault!
F’n Big Mac.
by Willie McGee's Twin on May 10, 2010 5:08 PM EDT up reply actions
The problem, however
is that it’s likely that Aaron Miles might hit that well while playing better defense at 2B and switch hitting (meaning he’ll hit lefties better), Tyler Greene plays better defense, has better range at 2B, and can hit for power even if he can’t get on base as well, and Felipe Lopez can probably hit that in his sleep and is also ~10 runs better on defense at 2B and can switch hit in the top spot in the lineup.
If he doesn’t rip off a stretch hitting .400 or something for a couple of weeks, it’s going to be tough to watch him struggle knowing that there are better options available both defensively and offensively. I know Tony’s a big believer in him, but he can’t continue to stifle our offense while being somewhat of a defensive liability. If he’s going to stay in the lineup, I’m for moving him down in the order and letting someone else hit leadoff (Floppy when he’s starting at SS or 3B, although Colby would look really good in the leadoff spot with all his walks so far this season) Maybe he can stop pressing, figure it out , and then move back to being a productive leadoff hitter that he’s been the last couple of years.
I don’t know how much his contract is going to effect the situation. I would guess that the extra guaranteed year will help him, but in hindsight it might hurt him as well. The Cards know he’s here next year for sure at a price already determined, so why not play Lopez full time and get the most for the $1M we’re paying him? Hell, you could even dump Skip to a team looking for a lefty hitting second baseman while eating $1M of his deal for next year if they think that Dan Descalso will be ready by next season.
The point here is that there are options, where there really haven’t been options either of the last two seasons that Skip has been at the top of the lineup. And I think that since there are options they need to be exercised if he continues to struggle. He shouldn’t get the Big Papi or Ryan Howard treatment where he gets to carry a .220 batting average into the month of June.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
i didn't check and i'm at work now
if nobody gets to it by the time i get off, i’ll figure it out
"Moneyball: It's kind of like communism."
.333 OBP
but i didn’t normalize his BB% which is twice his career rate right now
"Moneyball: It's kind of like communism."
When they physically resemble Aaron Miles and hit dingers off of one knee, I believe.
"I'm gonna throw the nastiest curveball I have ever thrown...if he hits it, I'll tip my cap, but if not we're going to the Series."
--Adam Wainwright on the final pitch of the 2006 NLCS
Still too many LOBsters
Albert is striking out more than I can remember and is tied for 3rd on team in runs scored; Holliday is 6th on team in RBIs; the top of the order hasn’t set the table. Yet the Cards are 3.5 games up. These problems will be corrected and then watch out the Redbirds will be flying.
I'd like to echo paposse's above comment...
… on T. Greene. I find him fun to watch. I think paposse is right when he/she points out his athleticism. I guess that’s what it comes down to for me. The way he moves, he just LOOKS like he’s going to make something happen.
I remain unconcerned about the Cards offense being just average. However, I am now consciously aware that I am unconcerned that their offense is just average. Having good (great) pitching is awesome because it can really can give a team an aura of dominance, at least from the perspective of a fan (specifically me). But, the process of putting crooked numbers on the board is more fun.
I went to school in Maine and I really enjoyed two pound lobsters for 13-14 bucks. What a great deal, I thought. Now they make me just want to shitty puke.
YADI FOR MVP!!! I’m trying to get a grass-roots campaign going. VEB is as good a place as any to get started.
They say sing while you slave but I just get bored
I dearly would love this lack of brain cramps to continue with Greene Tea.
keep up the good work, Tyler. you’re not even a threat to Boog’s job yet, like half the clubhouse.
call the cardinals and tell them about your lobsters.
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
Getting perfect game'd 2 years in a row.
That’s soul-wrenching.
As bad as this offense looks sometimes…. never looks that bad.
"If I'm in a slump, I ask myself for advice" - Ichiro
by quick-workers
don’t they know how to call time? are they just in the AL East and hate it so much that they never call time?
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
Maybe.
And also, isn’t this the same Rays that are all ‘small-ball’ and bunt and slap hits and steal bases? Maybe they are the ant-Cardinals, i.e. they only hit well with runners ON BASE.
"If I'm in a slump, I ask myself for advice" - Ichiro
Longoria
According to Yahoo:
With no outs in the fifth inning and Oakland winning 4-0, Tampa Bay’s Evan Longoria tried to get aboard with a bunt. The attempt went foul and Longoria ended up striking out while swinging, but his debatable breach of etiquette did not go unnoticed. The partisan crowd at the Oakland Coliseum booed…
"I'm gonna throw the nastiest curveball I have ever thrown...if he hits it, I'll tip my cap, but if not we're going to the Series."
--Adam Wainwright on the final pitch of the 2006 NLCS
if he did that in the 8th/9th, maybe the 7th, then it's booable
in the 5th dudes still have a right to win however they can, methinks
They say sing while you slave but I just get bored
by Scarecrow7775 on May 10, 2010 10:00 AM EDT up reply actions
Dude...
His team was down 4-0 not 1-0. There’s only one reason for your superstar player to bunt in that situation — to try and break up the no-hit bid. It’s not like getting one runner was going to make a huge difference at that point.
What is it about Dallas Braden that makes other stud players do douchebag things when he’s on the mound?
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
it's like Albert Pujols bunting
maybe it’s something about the 209.
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
by Yadi2Second on May 10, 2010 10:06 AM EDT up reply actions
The awesomeness of Beckett beating A-Rod half to death would be cool though if he did
I really would not want to take a punch from someone who can throw a baseball 95 mph. Pretty similar set of muscles.
Not afraid to nitpick
Did you learn nothing from Crash Davis?
You don’t punch a jerk with your pitching hand!
Just one of his many free lessons!
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
Good point
But just sayin’ anecdotally pitchers don’t typically come out on the losing ends of these fights and Beckett is a big dude. I’d love to see what some pitchers could really do punching, their cores are sooooo strong. Porcello’s TD-defense/toss of Youkilis last year was so badass, he didn’t even want to fight and still pulled that off.
Not afraid to nitpick
Totally disagree with this...
Braden had retired 12 hitters to that point with 15 to go. Winning the game is still what everyone is thinking about, not the no-hitter. As for Longoria being the one bunting, if the fielders are back, it could be the right call.
I remember another slugger bunting for a base hit down 4-0… Jim Edmonds, 2nd inning, Game 1 of the 2004 WS. He scrored iirc.
Franklin !#@$!&*%#
So....
Albert Pujols should bunt if the fielders are back when the team is down 4-0 in the fifth inning?
I totally disagree with this logic. It’s a bad baseball play for sure, even if it’s not necessarily unethical.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
It depends on positioning...
in Edmonds case, because of the shift, getting the bunt down guaranteed first base. I’d have to know where the fielders are to say.
Franklin !#@$!&*%#
Doing it in the World Series
and doing it during the regular season are two entirely different things, imo. When championships are on the line, the whole “unwritten rule book” becomes much more tradition than rule of law.
If the perfecto or no-hitter wasn’t in order, there’s no effing way he does that, and therein lies the problem with it.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
there was just an article on ESPN
with 2 HOF pitchers talking about this very thing. they said they wouldn’t care – your goal is to win the game as a hitter, any way possible.
by longhornscardinals on May 10, 2010 10:45 AM EDT up reply actions
But that's just my point
How does bunting for a base hit in the fifth inning when you’re down 4-0 and are your team’s best hitter read as “trying to win the game”?
If he could run like Crawford or Upton (or even Zobrist) I could understand, but he doesn’t. He has one bunt base hit in his entire career, so it’s an extremely low percentage play.
Here’s the thing you need to ask yourself if you’re defending this: Does Evan Longoria bunt in the 5th inning of the same game with the same score if someone had singled weakly through the infield in the first inning? I really, REALLY doubt it.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
ah
i wasn’t really responding to the specific situation, moreso just responding to the “is it appropriate in a no-hitter” question.
im on your side.
by longhornscardinals on May 10, 2010 11:37 AM EDT up reply actions
you're right
he should have tried to hit a 5 run home run with no one on base.
Anyway, if it’s such a “low percentage play”, why would Braden (or anyone) be upset by it? Unless it made the perfect game too easy?
Well the girls would turn the color of the avocado when he would drive down the street in his El Dorado... -the modern lovers
Why would they be upset?
Read my last paragraph again. That would piss me off if I’m the pitcher. There’s no way he’s doing that if the perfect game isn’t in order, which means he’s trying to break up the perfecto, NOT trying to win the game.
You wanna break it up? Earn it. It’s better for your team and it doesn’t slide around the ethical standard of “no bunting during a no-hitter” by being in the fifth inning instead of the 8th.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
FWIW
WE at the time was 89.5% for the A’s. If L had successfully bunted for a hit, it would have become 87.7%. If he had hit a home run, it would have been 86.5%.
It’s complete BS to say that getting a man on first base with no one out in the 5th inning doesn’t help his team win, just because there’s a 4 run difference.
Well the girls would turn the color of the avocado when he would drive down the street in his El Dorado... -the modern lovers
Then explain why players like Longoria aren't bunting in the 5th inning of 4 run games all the time.
According to you, this should happen on a fairly regular basis, because it helps WE. Unfortunately for you, this doesn’t occur on a regular basis, and it seems suspect that the best hitter on the best offensive team in baseball would pick this specific time to attempt the second bunt hit of his career. If you really, honestly believe that Longoria is bunting there in a non-PG, non-no-hitter situation, then you can just stop discussing this with me, because we’re not going to agree. I think that’s a faulty assumption.
I’ve shown, time and again in this analysis, that Longoria had as good or better opportunities to get on base taking a regular AB than by bunting, and that by taking a regular AB would increase WE with 3 of the five outcomes over just reaching with a bunt single (by doubling, tripling, or homering, WE goes down for the A’s, a walk or a single of any other kind returns the same WE). Any of those instances are more likely, given Longoria’s skill set, than bunting for a base hit.
So, if we’re going to get nit-picky about this stuff, then any action that decreases WE is determined to be “not in the interest of winning the game”, and you’ve proved my point for me. It’s a stupid baseball play, by WE or by any other measure. He didn’t improve his team’s chances of winning the game because he bunted it foul and then struck out. Imagine what he might have done if he had that third strike back. We’ll never know….
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
....
I’ve shown, time and again in this analysis, that Longoria had as good or better opportunities to get on base taking a regular AB than by bunting
Didn’t we have an entire discussion about how it’s impossible to tell given the current information whether or not bunting would given Longoria a higher OBP expectation than a normal at bat?
Also, the fact that Braden threw a goddamn perfect game implies that he was on his game that night. Bunting successfully doesn’t really vary based on the quality of the pitch (IE, the bunt hit percentage would be similar against good Braden and bad Braden); however, getting on base through a legit hit or a walk obviously depends on the quality of the pitcher.
I think you can make a more than reasonable argument that bunting was a better play in that situation than swinging away. You certainly can’t refute the argument based on generics.
by vivaelpujols on May 11, 2010 1:26 AM EDT up reply actions
Take a closer look at what you're saying.
By bunting, he’s sacrificing any possibility at an extra base hit. So even assuming that he’d be successful 37% of the time on a bunt single attempt:
- He’s reaching base at a .396 clip on the season.
- He’s hitting .325 for the year and his isolated power is .256.
Now do the fucking math. Even assuming your high rate of success (which I remain dubious of), WE is STILL not going to be better when bunting versus just taking a regular AB. This is what I’ve been pointing out all along.
Sure, his perfect game implies that he was on his game. But normalized hit values for his game has him giving up 2 earned runs and 6 hits. From the BiS stats I looked at, Jason Bartlett hit 3 lined shots right at people. He didn’t strike out 27 hitters. He didn’t even strike out 10. He wasn’t getting tons of ground balls and easy outs. His perfect game is a great achievement, but guys were putting the ball in play against him and at least 2 got good wood on the ball because there were 4 line drives in the game. Considering those circumstances, implying that Longoria stood less of a chance of getting a hit off of Braden (that’s without considering his .340/.426/.546 line against lefties this year, btw) because he was throwing well is no more circumstantial than me stating that he’s got less of a chance than most guys who attempt to bunt for a base hit.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
dude's got a point
he’s averaging .581 bases per AB. on bunts he’s gonna average .370 bases.
"Moneyball: It's kind of like communism."
But down by four the difference between a single and a double or a single and a home run isn't as significant as it would normally be
by vivaelpujols on May 11, 2010 1:56 AM EDT up reply actions
but
if a dude has perfect game type of stuff, you need to do as much damage at a time as you can. i think that gets into his head a lot more than a bunt base hit attempt
"Moneyball: It's kind of like communism."
But the correlary is that if he has perfect game stuff you are not very likely to hit a home run or double
But you can pretty much bunt the same no matter how good the pitcher is.
by vivaelpujols on May 11, 2010 2:03 AM EDT up reply actions
we're talking about an elite hitter here
would you rather albert bunt in that situation? if not, hanram? utley?
where do you draw the line?
"Moneyball: It's kind of like communism."
based on kouzmanoff's positioning
a bunt down the third base line was a pretty close to sure thing. Watching the video, if that bunt stayed fair, it was a hit. There’s not a player in the game who is good enough to turn down a free trip to first base, especially to lead off an inning.
And yes, if albert bunted in that situation, or took a walk, or leaned his jersey into a pitch biggio-style, I’d be fine with it. Because it was a smart baseball move, in the 5th inning of a close game against a team that isn’t very good, and it’s a BASEBALL game, not Braden’s Big League No Hit Adventure.
Well the girls would turn the color of the avocado when he would drive down the street in his El Dorado... -the modern lovers
by SleepyCA on May 11, 2010 2:36 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
it shouldn't be a problem him bunting
in an unwritten-rules sense. the dude had only pitched 4 perfect innings – 4 – that’s less than half a game. i imagine that has been done a few times. that said, i watched the game twice, and braden was definitely already aware of it – as was the crowd, by their boos – so i thought it was smart to get in his head when he’s already obviously thinking about it, for whatever reason. in the sixth he tried to make a play on two foul balls that kouz took, but when do you see a pitcher sprinting toward the dugout ready to dive for those balls that the 3b had pretty easily.
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
Um
a bunt down the third base line was a pretty close to sure thing.
Except it wasn’t. It went foul. Probably because he’s a shitty bunter and shouldn’t be bunting in the first place. Then he struck out. Maybe if he doesn’t start out with an 0-1 count he doesn’t strike out and he laces a double down the line.
The unwritten rules thing is arbitrary, I agree. My point lies in the fact that it’s a bad baseball play, and that he wouldn’t have been bunting in the same situation had the perfect game not been in order.
It’s not a smart baseball move. You’re trying to call it that, and it simply ISN’T a smart move to have your best hitter bunting for a base hit in the 5th inning of a game, ever.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
Furthermore
Nobody wants to answer this question:
Does Evan Longoria bunt in the 5th inning of the same game with the same score if someone had singled weakly through the infield in the first inning?
I think that’s because everyone knows in the back of their head that there’s no fucking way that Evan Longoria is ever bunting in that situation if there isn’t a no-hitter or perfect game going on. If you truly believe he was making a “savvy baseball play” that’s your opinion, but if so, we’re not going to agree, so just drop the subject.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
i think he attempted to bunt specifically because it was a no-hitter
but i think it was still a winnable game, and he was trying to increase their chances, not in a statistical WE manner as determined by a successful bunt, but in a get-in-his-head manner to throw him off his game – he’s shown he can be volatile. in that sense i think it was smart – if that’s what happened, because i have no idea what he was thinking, and i just looked on the rays site to see if maybe he was asked, but saw nothing. so i guess i’m somewhat in the middle – i think he only bunted because it was a no-no, but i think it was smart in an attempt to win the game, psychologically if not statistically.
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
I think that argument has merit.
But I also think, given the situation of the perfect game and the fact that you’re a player that never bunts, it’s a lose-lose situation for him. It’s not a successful baseball play in terms of WE, and if he succeeds in bunting for a hit with a perfect game going on, he’s going to be chastised from here to eternity on every talk show in America for at least a week because it could be perceived as a dick move.
I personally think that a perfect game is a team effort, and if you’re not going to defend the bunt hit, then players have the right to lay one down on you. However, if you’re specifically doing it to break up a perfect game, I think that’s poor sportsmanship.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
Bunts have about a .400 BABIP
Bunts with fielders in bad positioning may go for hits 50% of the time. It’s not always a bad play, espeically if the pitcher is pitching well that night.
by vivaelpujols on May 10, 2010 9:49 PM EDT up reply actions
From righties?
I'm one of those "I don't care how you killed the cow; just serve me a great steak" guys. If the results are logical and easy to understand, I'm pouring some A1 sauce on that formula and eating it. UZR qualifies. -Bill Simmons
Crap, they don't have double splits
Lemme check my Gameday database!
by vivaelpujols on May 10, 2010 9:59 PM EDT up reply actions
Okay
In 2009 there were 595 bunt attempts by right handed batters with nobody on base. They went for a hit at a .377 clip. My point stands.
by vivaelpujols on May 10, 2010 10:09 PM EDT up reply actions
I disagree
read below. I think this is a pretty good example of sampling error.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
I agree, but the sampling cuts both ways
The guys who are going to be bunting a lot also will have tighter positioning due to speed. Longoria isn’t going to be as good of a bunter, but he’s also going to have much easier positioning.
I would think the two effects come close to canceling eachother out.
by vivaelpujols on May 10, 2010 10:12 PM EDT up reply actions
That's where we disagree...
I would think the two effects come close to canceling eachother out.
I don’t think they do, and I also don’t think it’s probably even close enough to make the assumption that they would.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
I'm saying that the .376 number is a function of good bunters and thus good positioning and that the effects will come close to canceling eachother out
You are saying that the .376 number is predominantly a function good bunters.
How can we prove this either way?
by vivaelpujols on May 10, 2010 10:24 PM EDT up reply actions
I don't think that we can
because we don’t have a good sample of hitters like Longoria.
I can only assume that if the expectation was as good as you say it is, we would see more hitters try it, and we’ve actually seen fewer hitters trying it in the last decade.
FWIW, I think that assuming that good bunters and always played with “good positioning” is an erroneous assumption. I think there are certain hitters that are played this way, but a lot of them take advantage of a situation where the defense is caught off guard, as Longoria was presumed to be doing on Sunday.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
Can you match up the bunt attempts
with some kind of speed score? I’m just brainstorming but it would seem you could run some kind of correlation between speed and success rate to see what BABIP on bunts is for faster and slower runners. That’s not necessarily indicative of a good bunter, but speed has to be a key component of a bunt’s success me thinks.
Think; It's not illegal yet.
Yes
You’d absolutely have to split up lefties and righties in any analysis.
Think; It's not illegal yet.
I think you can make the assumption that
a right handed slugger even with average to above average speed is going to have the worst bunt percentages for three reasons:
- He doesn’t hardly ever practice bunting
- He doesn’t have a 2 step advantage towards 1st base.
- He’s not likely to be better than 4.3 seconds down the first base line.*
*The scouts that I know measure anyone above 4.3 as having “bunt speed”. Any slower than that and you shouldn’t be bunting as you have below average speed.
I’m going to guess that most good bunters in the big leagues are below 3.9 (I think Ichiro is a 3.5 swinging). No matter what the positioning, 0.4 of a second is an eternity for a fielder to field the ball and get a good throw off to first base.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
The 2 step advantage towards first base is already accounted for
I said that RHH have a .376 average on bunt hit attempts in 2009.
by vivaelpujols on May 10, 2010 11:37 PM EDT up reply actions
I meant in any analysis with speed scores
I know you split up the data above. I’m inclined to agree with fourstick in that it seems like there’s a massive sampling problem with who is dropping bunts but I don’t have any evidence to prove that.
Think; It's not illegal yet.
Kinda tough to do with my current database schema
And I don’t have time tonight to get to that. I’ll look into it later if someone reminds me.
by vivaelpujols on May 10, 2010 11:35 PM EDT up reply actions
There was a BPro article that implied something like this a while back.
Had Paul Molitor as one of the best bunt-hitters ever because he took advantage of positioning.
I'm one of those "I don't care how you killed the cow; just serve me a great steak" guys. If the results are logical and easy to understand, I'm pouring some A1 sauce on that formula and eating it. UZR qualifies. -Bill Simmons
Or assuming he was taking advantage of positioning i should say.
I'm one of those "I don't care how you killed the cow; just serve me a great steak" guys. If the results are logical and easy to understand, I'm pouring some A1 sauce on that formula and eating it. UZR qualifies. -Bill Simmons
It is a pretty effective weapon
when used the right way by those who have the proper skill level to do it right.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
Molitor probably wasn't that good a bunter.
66 tries isn’t much of a sample. But I assume modern players could do it if they practiced. It was one of Willy Taveras’s only redeeming qualities.
I'm one of those "I don't care how you killed the cow; just serve me a great steak" guys. If the results are logical and easy to understand, I'm pouring some A1 sauce on that formula and eating it. UZR qualifies. -Bill Simmons
Different era, different game
Butler might have been the last great bunter.
>Pitcher Change: Felipe Lopez replaces Ryan Franklin, batting 7th, replacing third baseman Felipe Lopez
You're right
My guess is that he might have been even better than that, because this data is only from ‘88 on, which would have been Paul’s 10th season in the league.
I also don’t think you’re going to find any hitter with a huge sample of bunts for hits. If Vince Coleman, Otis Nixon, and Lonnie Smith don’t have big samples, nobody probably is.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
Better than .726?
I'm one of those "I don't care how you killed the cow; just serve me a great steak" guys. If the results are logical and easy to understand, I'm pouring some A1 sauce on that formula and eating it. UZR qualifies. -Bill Simmons
I doubt that.
That’s a rec league softball average.
>Pitcher Change: Felipe Lopez replaces Ryan Franklin, batting 7th, replacing third baseman Felipe Lopez
I'm just guessing that he
was probably a better runner early in his career, and this data would have been his age 31-41 years when he was essentially just a DH. He hardly played the field after 1990.
Whether he was better than that it’s hard to say, but I’d have a hard time believing he was much worse than that considering the part of his career that we’re missing is his younger years.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
But that's assuming that .726 was his talent level in those years.
I'm one of those "I don't care how you killed the cow; just serve me a great steak" guys. If the results are logical and easy to understand, I'm pouring some A1 sauce on that formula and eating it. UZR qualifies. -Bill Simmons
Yes
but considering that his talent level was .726 when he probably didn’t run as well, I would think it would be similar when he ran well, although defenses may have played him differently at that time as well.
Regardless, that’s a pretty awesome statistic.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
Brett Butler is the first guy I thought of...
381 attempts from ’88 to ’97 (missing 1st seven years of career).
Kenny Lofton had 340 attempts (.582 avg) beginning in 1991.
>Pitcher Change: Felipe Lopez replaces Ryan Franklin, batting 7th, replacing third baseman Felipe Lopez
I'll go out on a limb here
and state that nobody in the history of the game has ever bunted that well.
Problem is that Retrosheet only goes back to 1988.
Vince Coleman was 88/178, .455 avg. and he’s a guy who clearly should have been bunting just about every time he came to the plate.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
Wow.
Brett Butler only hit .486 (185 for 381).
>Pitcher Change: Felipe Lopez replaces Ryan Franklin, batting 7th, replacing third baseman Felipe Lopez
DFA
I'm one of those "I don't care how you killed the cow; just serve me a great steak" guys. If the results are logical and easy to understand, I'm pouring some A1 sauce on that formula and eating it. UZR qualifies. -Bill Simmons
And as mentioned above by fourstick
That’s from 1988 to 1997. His first season was 1981.
>Pitcher Change: Felipe Lopez replaces Ryan Franklin, batting 7th, replacing third baseman Felipe Lopez
Hell, for all I know it could be higher than average for those hitters
But I think that assuming these type of things can make all of us look silly when there’s no good data to use as a legit sample.
Speaking of Molitor, I’m also going to guess that he was a pretty accomplished bunter. I’m also going to guess that Longoria doesn’t even practice bunting in batting practice most of the time.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
I was thinking Longoria's OBP hitting would be dramatically higher than his OBP bunting.
And I still think it might be, but I had no idea that it would even be close
I'm one of those "I don't care how you killed the cow; just serve me a great steak" guys. If the results are logical and easy to understand, I'm pouring some A1 sauce on that formula and eating it. UZR qualifies. -Bill Simmons
I still think it probably is...
unless someone can prove to me that Longoria is an accomplished bunter.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
i'd have a hard time thinking longoria
is half the bunter of molitor, since he likely never even bunted growing up. molitor must have been the best bunter with pop ever, by those numbers. i’ve always considered furcal a good bunter, of that group of guys one would expect to bunt.
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
He wasn't a homerun hitter
He was a bunter with pop
by jd is legend on May 11, 2010 12:34 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
This is a very noisy sample, though
You have to admit.
Prince Fielder isn’t out there laying down a bunt in an attempt for a base hit every couple of weeks. The guys that do so are ones that should have a high success rate, otherwise they shouldn’t be doing it at all. I’d wager that if everyone started bunting for base hits, the BABIP on bunts would go down considerably.
If you’re telling me that a guy who’s bunted for a hit exactly twice in a 3 year career should have an expectation of reaching 40% of the time on those hits, I totally disagree with that logic.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
and keep in mind
that .400 BABIP includes all the pitchers who try to sacrifice, fail, and have the lead runner thrown out.
I’m guessing that a non-pitcher BABIP on bunts would be much higher.
Well the girls would turn the color of the avocado when he would drive down the street in his El Dorado... -the modern lovers
In 2009...
RHH bunted .377 in 595 atttempts with the bases empty. LHH bunted .406 in 729 attempts with the bases empty.
by vivaelpujols on May 10, 2010 11:39 PM EDT up reply actions
what if by bunting in the fifth Longoria (or Maddon) was trying to get all of the strategies back on the table
that are proscribed by the Unwritten Rules of Baseball in the later innings of a perfect game bid?
can someone just get it out of the way
and write down these unwritten rules.
"...and pujols has given st louis the lead"
The Best Defensive Play I Have Seen in Person
follow me on teh twitterz @greenfieldt
That would ruin the fun
of arguing about what they actually mean. Plus, it’s a lot shorter list than it used to be. You can steal bases when your team is up by 8 runs now — that one went away in the 80’s when Rickey and Vince were trying to break records.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
No outs - beginning of an inning - No breach
You have no right to try and get on base however you can???
I think Braden would be more than happy to have Longoria bunting and not hitting.
Not afraid to nitpick
especially considering how many balls were smoked off him
bartlett himself had 3.
i think it was borderline enough that i understood the fans booing when i watched it. and you don’t typically see the clean-up hitter bunting – crawford bunting to lead off the fifth of a game whose outcome is still in doubt at 4-0 probably wouldn’t draw any discussion, and that probably sways my opinion into longoria’s favor. looking at it in only a baseball-probability sense, such as longoria probably had a better chance of hitting his way on, might not suit the purpose here – if you are trying to win the game, not a bad idea to throw the pitcher off his game by getting in his head, and this was a way of bringing up the no-no to him without talking about it, if that makes sense.
if it was 5-0 in the seventh i’d feel differently than 4-0 in the fifth. the last out, i think it was kapler, who had been a tough out for braden on the day, tried his hardest to draw a walk, and at that point i was wanting the ump to call the payoff pitch a strike regardless.
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
btw, it was also kapler who was robbed by wise last year
in that perfect game.
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
If this was Carl Crawford or BJ Upton
I’d agree. But how many bunt hits does Longoria have in his career? I’m going to guess…..zero. He’s got a much better chance of hitting a home run than bunting himself on, even with Braden dealing the way he was. The only reason to do it is to shake him up by making him field a bunt — while it’s a debatable breach of etiquette, it’s mainly just a stupid baseball play, imo.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
I get your point...
but I totally disagree with this…
He’s got a much better chance of hitting a home run than bunting himself on
Longoria might not be Crawford or Upton, but he’s no Yadi either. With the defense back, I but Longoria makes it safe once or twice out of ten tries…he hits a homerun roughly once every 19-20 plate appearances in his career. In other words he’s twice as likely to bunt safely than hit a HR in my estimation.
If you see a guy open the car door for his girlfriend, either the car is new or the girlfriend is.
by cardzfanbub on May 10, 2010 12:30 PM EDT up reply actions
but = bet
If you see a guy open the car door for his girlfriend, either the car is new or the girlfriend is.
by cardzfanbub on May 10, 2010 12:31 PM EDT up reply actions
Longoria is right-handed,
so that’s another strike against his bunt-hitting percentage.
It’s probably still likely to fall in the 100-200 range. Even the worst bunt-hitters historically hit over .100.
I'm one of those "I don't care how you killed the cow; just serve me a great steak" guys. If the results are logical and easy to understand, I'm pouring some A1 sauce on that formula and eating it. UZR qualifies. -Bill Simmons
You've got bad logic here though
If he hits a home run, that’s a RUN. If he bunts his way on, he’s on 1B, which means that a combination of other things needs to happen for him to score. Also, he hits a home run once every 16 PA’s or so, but how often does he reach 1st or 2nd base off of a hit or walk in those other 15 PA’s? At worst probably 3 other times.
The leadoff hitter probably scores about 25% of the time when reaching 1B, although even that may be generous at the big league level.
So given the expectations, it’s phenomenally stupid for him to bunt his way on, well, EVER, unless the defense is playing him in a shift like they used to play Barry Bonds.
It’s a horribly bad baseball play unless you have great speed or are assured a .450 or better shot of reaching first base. Since there’s absolutely no way they were playing him shifted enough to give him that kind of advantage, it’s stupid play.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
I said...
I got your point…
He’s just not MORE likely to hit a homerun than reach safely on a bunt attempt in my estimation.
If you see a guy open the car door for his girlfriend, either the car is new or the girlfriend is.
He has one bunt hit, right?
So your estimation is based on what? How many times has he bunted and not made it safely?
You can read it in any tone you like.
my estimation is based on nothing...
I took a conservative stab that with the infield playing back if Longoria bunted 10 times he would reach base safely at least once…maybe twice. I may be wrong, but I didn’t say I was right.
If you see a guy open the car door for his girlfriend, either the car is new or the girlfriend is.
it was a foul ball on the first pitch
he swung away after that, and struck out. if he was 1 for 1, then he still is – right?
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
I don't necessarily disagree with that
Although I’m going to guess, due to his isolated power numbers, that he’s more likely to get an extra base hit than bunt his way on to first in any situation, thereby making it a poor baseball decision.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
Let me put this another way
We know through trial and error that sacrificing a man over to second base with nobody out in an inning has a negative run expectation in the long run. Considering that Longoria is not a good bunter and has only bunted for a hit once in his career (successfully), his expectation for reaching cannot be better than around .150. Even if he does, he’s still on first with nobody out in a four run game. He’s the best hitter on their team, but he can’t drive himself in if he’s standing on first base.
Like I said, if it was BJ Upton, someone who’s struggled to hit consistently for going on two years now, I wouldn’t even be making the case against it. If it’s Carl Crawford, who can nearly out run the baseball to first base, the play has a better outcome. Both of those guys have a 75-80% chance to steal second base as well, so they can put themselves in scoring position without help from anyone else by using a bunt single. It’s an effective weapon for them. This isn’t the case with Longoria, who’s got a better chance of hitting a dinger than he does bunting himself on, stealing second, then being driven in by a weaker hitter than he is in the lineup.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
Sacrifice bunt are a different matter than regular ones
If you look at all bunt attempts last year, theres a .376 BABIP
http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/split.cgi?t=b&lg=MLB&year=2009#traj
BABIP takes sacrifice bunts out of the denominator so that should weed out the bunt hit attempts. If you figure that Longoria has above average speed, below average bunting ability and that the fielders are going to be positioned way back on him, he should be able to get a .400 BABIP on bunt attempts. That’s a .400 OBP, which would be as good or better than the normal expectation for an at bat from him.
If you are down by 4 runs, you need baserunners, not extra base hits. Bunts are actually a pretty good way to acheive that.
by vivaelpujols on May 10, 2010 9:58 PM EDT up reply actions
I disagree with this logic
and I’ve stated so above in reply to your other post.
The guys who bunt for base hits are all good bunters with above average speed, and even THEY only get on at a .376 BABIP. If any hitter could reach 37% of the time on bunts, which is what you’re suggesting, then why in the hell isn’t Tony LaRussa bunting all the damn time? He loves those small edges, so he would be bunting and bunting and running a whole lot more often if the given expectation for hits is over 37%.
It’s a sampling error, because guys who shouldn’t bunt for hits don’t bunt for hits hardly ever, so you can’t use league-wide data in this instance because it doesn’t effectively sample the players that we’re talking about.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
I know I replied to that above
Let’s try to keep it all in subtrhead ;)
by vivaelpujols on May 10, 2010 10:17 PM EDT up reply actions
Longball Longoria Should not be Bunting Period!
:=8/
If he’s bunting in the 5th that’s a tip of the cap to the pitcher, IMO.
Big McLargehuge!
:=8O
maybe he thought it would be a lot of cheeeese
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
by Yadi2Second on May 10, 2010 10:13 AM EDT up reply actions
Yeah
Doesn’t Dallas Braden win $1 million now or something?
by jd is legend on May 10, 2010 11:14 AM EDT up reply actions
more than Longoria makes this year!
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
by Yadi2Second on May 10, 2010 11:17 AM EDT up reply actions
Witness to a perfect game.
I really wish I could be lucky enough to watch every out of a perfect game once in my life. I’ve never had it happen. I have seen two imperfect no-hitters, which were real treats, but I’ve never seen a perfect game. In fact, I’ve never seen the majority of a perfect game, only the last few innings when ESPN or FOX cuts away to the game. It’s such a rare and incredible accomplishment for a pitcher and defense. It would be so cool to watch one.
"I'm gonna throw the nastiest curveball I have ever thrown...if he hits it, I'll tip my cap, but if not we're going to the Series."
--Adam Wainwright on the final pitch of the 2006 NLCS
buhrle's about due for another, so just start watching sox games
Blaine Matthew Burns: Albert Pujols' biggest fan (his first words will for sure be "Albert Pujols is RIDICULOUS")
the line begins around the corner
what is it now, 19 in total? something like that.
They say sing while you slave but I just get bored
by Scarecrow7775 on May 10, 2010 9:58 AM EDT up reply actions
Nineteen in the history of the game
and 7 of those have come in the last 20 years.
Back to back seasons with a perfect game has happened two other times: ’98 (Wells) and ’99 (Cone) and ’64 (Bunning) and ’65 (Koufax).
The first two ever recorded happened within 5 days of each other in 1880.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
Here's my question about this:
How many perfect games (and no-hitters) have come during a day game following a night game or the second game of a double header?
I’m pretty positive Buerhle’s did last year, Braden’s was, Cone and Wells were day games, but I can’t speak to the rest of them. I also believe the Nolan Ryan had 2 or 3 of his no-hitters on games such as those.
Not that it’s lucky to throw one, you have to have great stuff to do so, but it’s got to help if the other team is dead tired AND you have your good stuff.
I don’t even know where to go to look this up….
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
and how many of those were thrown by the home team?
conspiracy theorists would suggest that maybe the visitor’s clubhouse food/dring was spike with sleeping pills.
Since 1956...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perfect_game
Day:
Braden
Buerhle
Wells
Cone
Martinez
Witt
Bunning
Larsen
Night:
Johnson
Rogers
Browning
Barker
Hunter
Koufax
Franklin !#@$!&*%#
He faced the minimum...
in one of his other no-hitters. He walked a guy, then caught him stealing. Maybe that’s what you’re thinking of…
Franklin !#@$!&*%#
Braden's was hugely lucky
there were four line drives and hot shots all over the place.
Franklin !#@$!&*%#
Agreed
But all perfect games are lucky. If not for that great catch in the OF, Beurhle would have lost the perfecto, the no-hitter, and the shut-out on one ball in play.
The coolest no-hitter by far was Catfish Hunter’s, since he also went 3-4 at the plate and drove in 3 runs while throwing it. Talk about a perfect day…
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
Looking at just part of the game...
Braden’s perfect game might be the most amazing convergence of good luck I’ve ever seen… With average luck his line would have been 6-7 innings pitched, 5-7 baserunners allowed, and 2-3 runs scored. It’s just a case where the balls went directly to the fielders all day.
Franklin !#@$!&*%#
That's going to happen with almost every perfect game
Buehrle struck out six in his last year and had a borderline HR-robbing catch.
Not afraid to nitpick
Yeah...
I didn’t see that game, aside from The Catch. Kouzmanoff made two great plays and snared a line drive down the line in the first. There were just so many line drives and fly balls that the outfielders were able to catch after taking a couple steps.
Franklin !#@$!&*%#
That's why any smart pitcher would deflect as much credit to his teammates as possible.
Without some great D none of those perfectos happen.
You're the fail to my win?
"There is not a better feeling in the whole world than knowing that you are the best team in both leagues."- Bob Forsch on winning the 1982 World Series.
by MaytheForschbewithyou on May 10, 2010 12:30 PM EDT up reply actions
There weren't too many well-struck balls, though.
The fly balls were cans of corn and the line drives were mainly floaty. I’d say there were only 3 or 4 well-struck balls.
You can read it in any tone you like.
Seems odd that so many perfect games are thrown by lefties,
and that some of them are softer-throwing. Perhaps the contact is lighter against them or something.
I'm one of those "I don't care how you killed the cow; just serve me a great steak" guys. If the results are logical and easy to understand, I'm pouring some A1 sauce on that formula and eating it. UZR qualifies. -Bill Simmons
When you put it that way...
I’m surprised the Cards haven’t been PG’d five or six times in the last decade.
If you see a guy open the car door for his girlfriend, either the car is new or the girlfriend is.
truth.
"The outfield is deep and playing him straight-away, and the infield is the same, except first, second, third, and short are playing him to pull."
-Mike Shannon
I posted the wiki above
but it doesn’t tell you about the previous game of the series for both teams, although none of them were second games of a double header, so it answers that question (Bunning’s was the opening game of a double header) That’s specifically what I’m interested in: Did the two teams play a knockout, drag-out game the night before and could have been physically and mentally exhausted the next day?
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
I suppose I could look it up using B-Ref
by going through the game log database while using the dates of the perfect games and no-hitters.
Could be an interesting Fanpost if I ever get the time to put it together.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
Let's see...
Pitcher – Previous days start time for losing team – Previous days game time for losing team
Braden – 4:05 – 2:31
Buerhle – 7:11 – 2:46
Johnson – Off day
Cone – 7:05 – 2:23
Wells – 1:36 – 2:22
Rogers 1:34 – 3:14
Martinez – unknown – 2:46
Not seeing any evidence of this. Good idea though.
Franklin !#@$!&*%#
more people have orbited the moon than thrown no hitters.
okay, THAT is crazy.
"...and pujols has given st louis the lead"
The Best Defensive Play I Have Seen in Person
follow me on teh twitterz @greenfieldt
by tgreenfield on May 10, 2010 11:23 AM EDT up reply actions
Eh, not really
Orbiting the moon is something people can actively do. NASA could say “let’s get five people to orbit the moon”, train them, and there’s a pretty good chance that they’d make it to the moon and back safely. Any major league pitcher could say “I’m going to throw a no-hitter today” and the chances are almost nil that it happens.
by jd is legend on May 10, 2010 11:27 AM EDT up reply actions
no no
i’m saying the fact that there have been more people who have gone to the moon than thrown a perfect game says to how rare a perfecto actually is
"...and pujols has given st louis the lead"
The Best Defensive Play I Have Seen in Person
follow me on teh twitterz @greenfieldt
by tgreenfield on May 10, 2010 11:53 AM EDT up reply actions
Perfect Game
I was lucky enough to be at the ball park in Round Rock a while back when Many Para through his perfect game. In the ninth, a Round Rock hitter hit a slow roller down the third base line that barely went foul. When he hit it a collective groan went up from the crowd. That would have been a horrible way to break it up, but still better than a bunt.
by Remember Kenny B on May 10, 2010 10:44 AM EDT up reply actions
leake lost his no-hitter yesterday
on an infield hit that should’ve been scored an error. phillips throw to first pulled votto off the bag. (wasn’t a particularly difficult play for phillips where it would be a highlight) and that was his own scorekeeper making that ruling.
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
Stavinfection Walk Watch
3 PA’s yesterday, 1 hit, NO BASES ON BALLS.
2010 Season:
24 PA’s, 24 AB’s, .375/.375/.667
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
I, in the back of my head, am rooting for him not to walk all season
Even if it goes against the Cards’ interests, that’d be sweet.
Not afraid to nitpick
anti-Gotay?
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
by Yadi2Second on May 10, 2010 10:53 AM EDT up reply actions
If Stav had Gotay's patience,
he’d be Magglio Ordonez.
I'm one of those "I don't care how you killed the cow; just serve me a great steak" guys. If the results are logical and easy to understand, I'm pouring some A1 sauce on that formula and eating it. UZR qualifies. -Bill Simmons
That would be wonderful.
"I'm gonna throw the nastiest curveball I have ever thrown...if he hits it, I'll tip my cap, but if not we're going to the Series."
--Adam Wainwright on the final pitch of the 2006 NLCS
And Gotay with Stav's power would be Ty Wigginton.
This is fun.
I'm one of those "I don't care how you killed the cow; just serve me a great steak" guys. If the results are logical and easy to understand, I'm pouring some A1 sauce on that formula and eating it. UZR qualifies. -Bill Simmons
i've always been all for zombie cardinals
at least in theory
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
I am against zombie cows
/political
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
you would think zombie cows should be avoided
they drive me mad
/shows self out
"...and pujols has given st louis the lead"
The Best Defensive Play I Have Seen in Person
follow me on teh twitterz @greenfieldt
Isn't either case still miles better than Stav?
I'm one of those "I don't care how you killed the cow; just serve me a great steak" guys. If the results are logical and easy to understand, I'm pouring some A1 sauce on that formula and eating it. UZR qualifies. -Bill Simmons
On the field, yes
Off the field, don’t you think we’ve had enough drinking related incidents the past 3 seasons?
I mean, a few more, and our team will resemble a group of Cubs fans or something….
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
miles IS stav
Blaine Matthew Burns: Albert Pujols' biggest fan (his first words will for sure be "Albert Pujols is RIDICULOUS")
Stavinfection has had 3 PAs in which he has worked a 3-ball count out of 24 total PAs this season.
"I'm gonna throw the nastiest curveball I have ever thrown...if he hits it, I'll tip my cap, but if not we're going to the Series."
--Adam Wainwright on the final pitch of the 2006 NLCS
What does that mean?
Baseball first, teams second, players third, agents last.
by Dave Pendleton on May 10, 2010 4:14 PM EDT up reply actions
0% BB rate,
and only 12.5% does he even get to ball three.
I'm one of those "I don't care how you killed the cow; just serve me a great steak" guys. If the results are logical and easy to understand, I'm pouring some A1 sauce on that formula and eating it. UZR qualifies. -Bill Simmons
As opposed to say, Pujols,
who goes to three balls in 25% of his plate appearances.
I'm one of those "I don't care how you killed the cow; just serve me a great steak" guys. If the results are logical and easy to understand, I'm pouring some A1 sauce on that formula and eating it. UZR qualifies. -Bill Simmons
does that count IBB's?
considering we lead the league in that dept. i’m wondering if it skews our team P/PA number (also the UIBB’s to albert) this early in the season.
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
i doubt it
IBB is 4 pitches…. that hardly affects a P/PA in the long run
Rasmus can hit lefties
cardinalred
St. Louis Sports blog
by stlcardsfan4 on May 10, 2010 10:10 PM EDT up reply actions
well, if you bat twice
and once get walked on 4 intentional balls, and the other time swing at the first pitch, then your avg. is 2.5, which is pretty misleading – i’m talking about this early in the season, when SSS is in effect.
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
i guess, but that seems to only be a problem if a hitter has less than 100 PAs
at the very least, i don’t think it would substantially change our P/PA
Rasmus can hit lefties
cardinalred
St. Louis Sports blog
by stlcardsfan4 on May 10, 2010 10:47 PM EDT up reply actions
i'm only wondering since we lead the league in IBB's and probably
UIBB’s too, though the latter cannot be determined. and many of the UIBB’s involve more than 4 pitches. maybe this early in the season it has some decimal-point effect that, with everyone bunched, would drop us significant spots in the rankings.
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
you don't walk your way off the island
assuming stav is actually from atlantis, where all residents hit dingers from one knee.
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
by cardball on May 10, 2010 5:02 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
if you believe him
he apparently ruled atlantis
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
How much better would his slash #s have been if he'd retired after the '82 season?
He had two decent seasons in his last 5, but they were in between three shitty ones. I don’t know why I’m wondering about this.
You can read it in any tone you like.
per baseball-reference it looks like his last years
brought him from .272/.363/.512 (OPS+ 149) to .252/.356/.490 (OPS+ 139)
i guess he added some counting numbers, anyway
i was at yankee stadium for his last game, and have never really forgiven tony for not playing him. he should have pinch-hit and gotten the ovation everyone was there for, but instead the game ended in a chorus of boos.
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
True. He wouldn't have broken 500 HRs without a few of those last 5 seasons.
You can read it in any tone you like.
atlantis blew up
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
Yea, I get all that,
But what does it mean? I don’t see the usefulness of this stat…..unless he isn’t hitting.
if he goes to ball 3 100% of the time, so what, if he comes up with a hit.
Baseball first, teams second, players third, agents last.
by Dave Pendleton on May 12, 2010 5:11 AM EDT up reply actions
Getting shut down by a rookie
with less than 3 months of minor league experience will do that to you.
Mike Leake was dealing yesterday.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
I'd like to see VEP pulling his hair out trying to do a Pitch F/X on Leake
He throws 5 or 6 different pitches and the classifications have to be a bitch…
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
I'm still not too sold on him
Not sure his stuff is good enough for his kinda mediocre command. 2nd time around the league might get hairy.
Not afraid to nitpick
OR
He adjusts to how things get called in the big leagues, his walk rate drops, and he has continued success.
He’s got pretty good stuff and he’s very good at pitching.
Remember, he’s had exactly 4 months in pro ball, and only 1 of those was above A-ball, that was his April in the big leagues.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
this was his second time against the cubs, i'm pretty sure
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
Sure
but everyone owns the Cubs, I’m not sure what you’re saying here…..
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
that we'll have to hold judgement on this second-time around thing
a lot of people are of the belief he won’t fare so well, but so far all we have is this one example, and he did pretty well.
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
I was being a bit sarcastic, focusing on the plight of the Cubs...lol
Agreed. I think he’s a great talent and that he and Chapman could anchor their rotation for quite some time in this decade. If I’m a Reds fan, I’d be pretty excited about the next 2 or 3 years, especially if Bailey can get it together and either Dickerson or Stubbs can round into a true leadoff hitter.
Of course, getting rid of Dusty would probably help all of those things.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
I'm sorry, he seems to indicate Cubs were more successfull
Cubs went to 10, won 2…. cards went to 8, won 4…. in the long run, i think cards is more successfull
anyway, cards didn’t start being good until 1920s, then we really took off….
Rasmus can hit lefties
cardinalred
St. Louis Sports blog
by stlcardsfan4 on May 10, 2010 10:15 PM EDT up reply actions
well, they just lost 4-2
3 errors by castro, and a go-ahead homer in the 7th by the marlins.
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
And the Marlins stole home.
You can read it in any tone you like.
by spants on May 10, 2010 10:34 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
really?
do you know who? it was already 4-2 when i started watching.
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
did they take the jersey for that game, too?
I DON'T GIVE A FUCK!
by mattyfrommo on May 10, 2010 11:49 PM EDT up reply actions
SBN took my parenthetical
they = HOF
I DON'T GIVE A FUCK!
by mattyfrommo on May 10, 2010 11:49 PM EDT up reply actions
20% of the season has been played
32 games out of the 162. In the first tenth of the season, the Cards went 10-6. In the just concluded second tenth of the season, the Cards also went 10-6. Still on a pace for 100 wins, in spite of Philadelphia, the large amount of lobsters, and Lohse not pitching very well.
throw off the ankle weights!
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
by Yadi2Second on May 10, 2010 11:07 AM EDT up reply actions
I read this as ankiel weights.
Boy howdy was I confused for a second there.
by Cardfanintherock on May 10, 2010 4:13 PM EDT up reply actions
this is essentially the same concept.
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
the team is reliant on quality starting pitching
so with our staff, our record isn’t really surprising. per fangraphs, in order of FIP: waino 2.55, garcia 2.78, penny 3.14, lohse 3.30, carp 3.45. that’s pretty outstanding.
hopefully lohse can improve his results with a little more luck. his BABIP is .342 compared to carp’s .273, and his LOB % is 57.6 compared to carp’s 76.7 (and garcia and penny are well over 80). Lohse has the lowest GB/FB rate on the team, but at least those FB’s aren’t going for homers (just the one into the wind in philly) – in fact, his IFFB % is 13.3, compared to 0 for carp and garcia, and 4.3 and 9.8 for waino and penny, respectively. lohse doesn’t strike out as many as carp, which means more balls in play, so he’ll give up a few more liners, even though percentage-wise they’re not too far out-of-whack: lohse at 20 and carp at 18.5.
lohse’s main problem right now is he’s not going deep enough in games, which he’s sorta paid to do. he averages the fewest innings per start, at 5.5, whereas the others are around 6.5 and waino is above seven. he’s throwing too many pitches, but his BB/9 is at 2.73, compared to 2.60 for carp and 3.55 for garcia. hopefully a few more balls find gloves, and he can get deeper in games.
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
Now let's look at xFIP:
Carp – 3.06
Waino – 3.51
Garcia – 3.60
Penny – 3.88
Lohse – 4.77
One of these is not like the other.
LOB% – 2010/Career
Garcia – 83.3/80.8*
Penny – 83.3/71.3
Carp – 76.7/72.6
Waino – 76.1/76.4
Lohse – 57.6/70.3
*Garcia’s numbers reflect his entire career, including minor leagues. Still, SSS caveats apply.
So Lohse is definitely not stranding runners anywhere near his career average. Anyone have a guess as to why?
You can read it in any tone you like.
so...
the same day you post this:
I almost always respond to hardcore baseball posts in earnest,
and if I respond in jest, I always appreciate the efforts.
you post something like what you just posted. STOP CONFUSING ME!!!!!
follow me on twitter @nickg105
by stlcardinalsfang on May 10, 2010 8:39 PM EDT up reply actions
penny's getting a bit lucky, too
could be a change in approach, thoguh
"Moneyball: It's kind of like communism."
Prolly just luck
Strand rate is going to be something with a lot of noise in it.
by vivaelpujols on May 10, 2010 9:40 PM EDT up reply actions
It looks like he has some skill at stranding runners
by vivaelpujols on May 10, 2010 10:09 PM EDT up reply actions
i will forever believe that waino has that skill to buckle down
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
2006 lives on
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
by Yadi2Second on May 10, 2010 10:34 PM EDT up reply actions
i would be curious what lohse's xFIP and actual FIP were for 2008
because to my eyes he looks like much the same pitcher. i didn’t mention xFIP because CRay was talking about his performance to date, but i’m optimistic, since his FIP is good despite the BABIP/strand rate, which should regress. right now, in SSS territory, too many balls seem to be finding holes at the wrong time – some of them you couldn’t throw out there and get better results. the only guy i’ve seen with much worse luck on balls in play is allen craig.
now, i think lohse is our fifth-best starter, but if he performs to 2008 levels, which is what got him the contract, then it doesn’t matter where he stands on the totem pole – that just says how fortunate we are with the other four (only one of whom could be counted on at the time he signed – in his defense, i think mo was looking for some certainty in an uncertain world, so he could move ahead to other issues, but of course lohse’s injury last year just proves there is no such thing)
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
I definitely agree that he's having some bad luck. I'm just not sure it's all bad luck.
You can read it in any tone you like.
I think I've only seen two of his starts.
And one of them was the start in MIL when he was getting squeezed a bit. So I cannot speak to this.
You can read it in any tone you like.
well, it's not all bad luck
but he’s had some. he’s not as good as the other four, but his strand rate should improve (if it doesn’t, then maybe he just sucks, especially under pressure)
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
He said after one of his starts early in the year
that he was struggling to find his rhythm while pitching from the stretch. I would guess that would lead to problems stranding runners.
Lohse 2010 Men On Base: .392/.468/.608/1.076; 0.89 K/BB; .432 BABIP
League Avg Men On Base: .268/.352/.424/.776; 1.68 K/BB; .308 BABIP
Lohse 2010 Nobody On: .247/.256/.296/.552; 10.00 K/BB; .282 BABIP
League Avg Nobody On: .248/.313/.389/.703; 2.49 K/BB; .293 BABIP
So, he’s been AWFUL pitching with men on base, and above average pitching with the bases empty. He rarely walks the first runner to reach, but walks a ton once other runners are on base. I don’t know exactly what his issues are for sure, but the data here points to him having issues with locating his pitches while in the stretch.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
by fourstick on May 10, 2010 10:00 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Interestingly
His career K:BB ratio with nobody on vs. runners on is 1.84. League average is 1.35, so Lohse has always had a problem with runners on base. I think the 2010 is too small of a sample size so far.
by vivaelpujols on May 10, 2010 10:07 PM EDT up reply actions
It is too small a sample...
but the size of the ranges between him and the league average is pretty significant, which is why I posted it. We’re talking .300 OPS points one way and .200 OPS points the other way.
Even in a small sample, it’s clear that he is really struggling to locate when he’s in the stretch, and my guess is that if you pitch f/x’d it, he’s missing UP in the zone, which is why he’s getting hammered when he throws a strike.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
i'd agree with a mechanical issue from the stretch
but also add an observation: he’s been getting two strikes on a hitter when runners are on, making a good pitch, like a change low and away that howard nubbed up the middle or having the pitch fouled off – in the latter, coming back with something else, and leaving it over the plate. when one of these two happens, he is visibly frustrated – that’s on him. he doesn’t have the greatest stuff in the world, but i think he’s pitching up to his abilities, circa 2008, except perhaps mentally.
the philly game i’d say he was clearly frustrated. there was a victorino ball to center, an ibanez hit to left, howard’s nubber, a ball through freezer’s legs, and an error given to greene that could have all been outs with a little luck. add in the two-out 2-strike wind-blown homer by werth on a good pitch away, and it’s somewhat understandable, even if not acceptable.
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
Buy one get one free
code: JERSEY
Mon-Thurs games. I’ve never tried it, so if anyone has used this, please let me know if it works.
"Baseball is like Church, many attend, few understand" - Wes Westrum
Isn't half off the same as buy one get on free?
"I'm gonna throw the nastiest curveball I have ever thrown...if he hits it, I'll tip my cap, but if not we're going to the Series."
--Adam Wainwright on the final pitch of the 2006 NLCS
I know we're in our mother's basement
But I’d like to think that we all have one friend.
Not afraid to nitpick
then you use
my code AND your code!
"Baseball is like Church, many attend, few understand" - Wes Westrum
Update on my car
So I took an alternator off a car at the junk yard. Took it apart and cleaned it. Than my belt magically stopped squealing right before I was going to put it in.
rojo johnson pitching for the round rock express
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haHlFA_bDkI
"Moneyball: It's kind of like communism."
venezuelan pitching phenom if you're not familiar
"Moneyball: It's kind of like communism."
by prophetjohn on May 10, 2010 12:20 PM EDT up reply actions
Welp, back from Colorado
1) Best weekend ever. Fort Collins is truly a great college town, but that might be due to small sample size
2) Played better ultimate than we ever have
3) Discussed time travel theory with teammates
Of all sad words of tongue or pen; the saddest are these: 'It might have been!'
points if you brought up Amaury Marti Cazana
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
by Yadi2Second on May 10, 2010 12:34 PM EDT up reply actions
My apologies, I did not
Basically, the argument is:
1) The speed of light is the limit on how fast anything can travel
2) If a plane is going around the world at JUST under the speed of light, and somebody sprints from the back of the plane to the front, could she exceed the speed of light?
3) No, she couldn’t, but time would slow down to accommodate that fact
Of all sad words of tongue or pen; the saddest are these: 'It might have been!'
What if the "she" in question is Marion Jones
and she took steroids? Does the world just end?
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
Asterisk
"I'm gonna throw the nastiest curveball I have ever thrown...if he hits it, I'll tip my cap, but if not we're going to the Series."
--Adam Wainwright on the final pitch of the 2006 NLCS
my current residence....
hope you hit the breweries….
We went to CooperSmith's for dinner
And Road34 for lunch. Both were amazing
Of all sad words of tongue or pen; the saddest are these: 'It might have been!'
But we didn't get a chance to go to Coors or New Belgium or Budweiser or anything
Of all sad words of tongue or pen; the saddest are these: 'It might have been!'
odells and new belgium
and if ambitious, fort collins brewery – all recommended next time you are in town. There is also a small new brew pub called Equinox, which I have not yet been to, but have heard good things about.
Nope, just CooperSmith's and Road34
Of all sad words of tongue or pen; the saddest are these: 'It might have been!'
Well, I go to school in LA
So Mexican food east of here and north of Texas doesn’t really do it for me
Of all sad words of tongue or pen; the saddest are these: 'It might have been!'
hey vexed
you gotta make that stav pic into some kind of super mario jump, his legs are just in the right position.
great article, dan!
he is a bit eccentric
by Cards Fan in Chitown on May 10, 2010 12:56 PM EDT reply actions
Whoooooo Liiiiikes the YAANNNNNNKEEEEEEES!!!
ESPN Sunday night baseball: Yankees
ESPN Monday night baseball: Yankees
ESPN Wednesday night baseball: Yankees
ugh, not that I can really stand the EPSN broadcast anyway, but every once in a while its nice to watch a game I care about on the big screen rather than my computer.
(this last) Saturday Fox game of the week: Yankees
At least here on the east coast. That makes four national spotlight games in 5 nights.
Thank Scott Stapp for MLB.tv.
T. Greene for SS
Sad day for baseball
Dom DiMaggio died today
http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2009/05/former_red_sox_1.html?s_campaign=8315
Currently selling signature space. All offers considered.
by RosevilleRedbird on May 10, 2010 1:54 PM EDT reply actions
That woulda been a helluva thing being on the same team as Williams and having an older brother like Joe.
You're the fail to my win?
"There is not a better feeling in the whole world than knowing that you are the best team in both leagues."- Bob Forsch on winning the 1982 World Series.
by MaytheForschbewithyou on May 10, 2010 2:02 PM EDT up reply actions
?
If you read the article, he evidently was no slouch. He woulda had to play twice as hard to get any daylight with the shadow of those two around him though.
You're the fail to my win?
"There is not a better feeling in the whole world than knowing that you are the best team in both leagues."- Bob Forsch on winning the 1982 World Series.
by MaytheForschbewithyou on May 10, 2010 8:21 PM EDT up reply actions
Should McGwire be taking any heat?
I think he should.
Some of the team is hitting ok but theres’ some slumping and unproductive hitting going on. Is it just coincidence that we have a new hitting coach this year?
Have Pujols and Holliday been listening to something Big Mac is telling them?
Neither Schumacher or Ryan seem to be getting benefit from Big Mac.
Maybe it is coincidence but I just don’t see what McGwire has brought to the table yet.
Baseball first, teams second, players third, agents last.
the whole hitting coach thing seems shrouded in mystery
no one can really tell what the effect is. surely he can’t be any worse than mcrae. and of course he won’t have the type of effect as duncan has on the pitching… which seems mainly strategy based. sometimes I wonder why all pitching staffs just don’t try to pitch to contact and stay low in the zone.
he is a bit eccentric
by Cards Fan in Chitown on May 10, 2010 4:07 PM EDT up reply actions
Why not?
Baseball first, teams second, players third, agents last.
by Dave Pendleton on May 10, 2010 4:11 PM EDT up reply actions
The offense is, at its worse, average
Too early in the season to be throwing fits about an average offense when your pitching staff is so stacked.
Even if hitting was a real problem, how can you quantify such a thing? It’s up to the manager and only in extreme circumstances does outside pressure get a hitting coach out of the way (see: Mariners).
"If I'm in a slump, I ask myself for advice" - Ichiro
as far as boog and schu go
do you think mac’s changed what he’s teaching them now that he’s their official hitting coach rather than unofficial off-season instructor? now boog you could argue, because his swing has indeed been changed, but after reading an article on grady sizemore changing his swing to protect his fragile elbow, i wonder if this wasn’t necessary to protect that wrist – i haven’t heard that from anyone, so it’s merely speculation, but sizemore has yet to adjust to his new swing, so it might take awhile.
i don’t think mac has worked long enough with the vast majority of these guys to judge him on it yet.
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
Because we are six weeks into the season
If we are taking away credit for what skippy and Ryan are doing, are we giving credit for Freese?
For Rasmus suddenly learning how to walk again?
Yadi’s clutchness?
Some how I doubt McGwire went up to Pujols and told him to start swinging at pitches low and outside the zone. The two guys that McGwire should have the least effect on is Holliday and Pujols.
As far as Ryan goes we had a small discussion above. He is hitting LDs. He is seeing a lot of pitches per PA. And he has a really bad BABIP.
But really what it comes down to is it is his first 6 weeks on the job.
This.
Some people are doing better, some are doing worse. While it seems unlikely that Mac is strongly affecting players like Pujols and Holliday, it seems obvious that he is having a very good effect on Colby Rasmus, a player who obviously had problems with our previous hitting coach.
Also, some hitters are definitely still posting likes strongly affected by bad or good luck (Freese and Stav good luck, Schu and Ryan bad luck). It appears as though there is evidence that Ryan is taking a better approach: .5 P/PA increase, and Ludwick seems to be bouncing back from a down year, but it’s really not clear that Mac can be blamed for these events.
In all, I don’t think much can really be said about his effect so far.
I'm one of those "I don't care how you killed the cow; just serve me a great steak" guys. If the results are logical and easy to understand, I'm pouring some A1 sauce on that formula and eating it. UZR qualifies. -Bill Simmons
Neither Schumacher or Ryan seem to be getting benefit from Big Mac.
Wasn’t Mac already Schumaker’s hitting coach before this year, when he was hitting .300?
Albert’s and Holliday’s problems (IMO) are that they’re swinging at too many pitches outside the zone. Since Mac’s philosophy is precisely NOT to do this, I’m thinking their problems shouldn’t be laid at Mac’s feet.
Some “slumping and unproductive hitting” is always going to happen, especially over small stretches of games. Let’s put away the pitchforks — we’re on pace to win 100 games.
by Willie McGee's Twin on May 10, 2010 4:26 PM EDT up reply actions
Schumaker
I was going to make this exact point. McGwire started working with Schumaker after the 2007 season, if I remember correctly. The last two seasons of offensive production from him have been about as good as we could hope for.
"I'm gonna throw the nastiest curveball I have ever thrown...if he hits it, I'll tip my cap, but if not we're going to the Series."
--Adam Wainwright on the final pitch of the 2006 NLCS
plus
Maybe Skip and Ryan just aren’t good offensive players? I know Skip has had a good last couple of years here in the majors, but is it possible he was playing over his head? I know I never thought he was going to be anything special. His minor league #s never made my jaw drop.
And Ryan? Um…yeah.
I DON'T GIVE A FUCK!
wardinger
he is a bit eccentric
by Cards Fan in Chitown on May 10, 2010 4:36 PM EDT up reply actions
As DanUp pointed out above:
Ludwick’s 2-for-6 afternoon yesterday made his OPS rise by 12 points. We’re still in the part of a season where one can raise his OPS that much without homering. This isn’t Seattle. It’s too early to be heating the seats of players or coaches.
"I'm gonna throw the nastiest curveball I have ever thrown...if he hits it, I'll tip my cap, but if not we're going to the Series."
--Adam Wainwright on the final pitch of the 2006 NLCS
that's the biggest point
McGwire has only been a hitting coach for a couple of months. what if the whole team is overperforming at the end of the year? then many will be heaping praises upon him
he is a bit eccentric
by Cards Fan in Chitown on May 10, 2010 4:37 PM EDT up reply actions
and had he been 1-6
with the triple ruled an error, or just caught, his OPS i suppose would have dropped. so yeah, when one single scoring decision can have that much effect, it’s probably too early to look at batting stats other than those which focus more on the quality of the at-bats themselves rather than the results, such as LD%, P/PA, contact and chasing rates, etc.
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
Kyle McClellan has an OPS+ of 438
Since TLRDGAFASSS, he’s going to PH w/ McClellan pretty soon.
Meanwhile Allen Craig isn’t exactly making it hard for the org to keep him in Memphis.
34 AB’s and .265/.324/.324
He needs to get hot soon or else he will forever remain on milk cartons. I’m increasingly convinced Mo just sees him as trade bait for July and thus he will stay in AAA barring a catastrophic string of injuries to our OF.
Is that necessarily a bad thing? Do the Cards see our OF as pretty much set, and Craig as more or less unnecessary? I can’t say I’m upset with how our bench currently looks, and it is conceivable that Craig brings more value in a trade than he does as a guy that sees 150 PA and 10 starts since he is just another RH OF.
"If I'm in a slump, I ask myself for advice" - Ichiro
He probably has the most value as a RF platoon partner with John Jay next season.
"I'm gonna throw the nastiest curveball I have ever thrown...if he hits it, I'll tip my cap, but if not we're going to the Series."
--Adam Wainwright on the final pitch of the 2006 NLCS
So you're saying they'll trade Ludwick?
I think they may, too.
You can read it in any tone you like.
FWIW...
the league has the following babips:
231 on grounders
143 on flies
721 on line drives
The Cardinals are at:
251 on grounders
112 on flies
653 on line drives
I would argue that those fly balls and line drives that get down are frequently xbhs and do a lot to generate runs. Once those start falling our league average offense will be in the top 3 or 4.
Franklin !#@$!&*%#
by guayzimi on May 10, 2010 5:05 PM EDT reply actions 8 recs
Wow earnestness...
I should add retrosheet has us leading the league in LD% by a mile, while fangraphs has us #3, just off the league lead. In any case, I think the Cards are hitting the ball really well.
Franklin !#@$!&*%#
I almost always respond to hardcore baseball posts in earnest,
and if I respond in jest, I always appreciate the efforts.
You can read it in any tone you like.
I've never posted...
anything here that wasn’t a hardcore baseball post. Even the bacon shots have profound baseball wisdom if you think about them long enough.
Franklin !#@$!&*%#
by guayzimi on May 10, 2010 5:20 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
You post sarcastic stuff all the ti-
I see what you did there.
You can read it in any tone you like.
underneath the bold of the subject line it actually read
nice post[, sherlock.]
by DanUpBaby on May 10, 2010 5:14 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
good to hear
he is a bit eccentric
by Cards Fan in Chitown on May 10, 2010 5:33 PM EDT up reply actions
Which site is this from?
Fangraphs?
"I'm gonna throw the nastiest curveball I have ever thrown...if he hits it, I'll tip my cap, but if not we're going to the Series."
--Adam Wainwright on the final pitch of the 2006 NLCS
I would guess Baseball reference, but I can't say for sure
Of all sad words of tongue or pen; the saddest are these: 'It might have been!'
sometimes checking twitter is a bad idea
BJRains Look for an announcement on Aaron Miles in the next few days…the Cardinals are wanting to see how he does today and tomorrow in Florida about 1 hour ago via web
I have also learned that TLR will be on a show billed as “supernanny for cats”. when I figure out what that means, I will probably wash my brain out with bleach.
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
I've filed a petition for a name change on Ruben Gotay's behalf
He’s registered “Aaron Mi1es” as his new IRC nickname. Hopefully La Russa uses a fixed-width font.
by DanUpBaby on May 10, 2010 5:16 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
it's interesting that being a Friend of Albert
does nothing for one’s chances of making the team.
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
that comes under the nepotism umbrella
it would be interesting to contrast with Friend of Tony… Idol of Adam….
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
I'm ok with nepotism...
but a 6th round pick is actually pretty valuable. LaSorda selected his godson… in the 62nd round. That’s appropriate.
Franklin !#@$!&*%#
*Cardinals* nepotism.
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
There's another Pagnozzi?
>Pitcher Change: Felipe Lopez replaces Ryan Franklin, batting 7th, replacing third baseman Felipe Lopez
(makes room for spants to do her thing)
by jd is legend on May 10, 2010 10:03 PM EDT up reply actions
But you helped kill the wave!
Here’s a key to the city.
by jd is legend on May 10, 2010 10:23 PM EDT up reply actions
(Aww((pulls a jd)) it's been fun whil..)
I DON'T GIVE A FUCK!
by mattyfrommo on May 10, 2010 11:36 PM EDT up reply actions
I still can't believe that was anything more than nepotism.
At the time I really wanted Wilfrido to prove me wrong, but alas.
Did they think he was going to get snatched up in the early 7th round? Oh well, still no Kozma I guess.
"If I'm in a slump, I ask myself for advice" - Ichiro
I read a post about the TLR Show for Cats
it is an Animal Planet show called something like “housecalls for housecats” where a Dr. comes in to work with naughty kitties. TLR will be on it to talk about ARF only .
"Come test me every day if you want," says Pujols, "Everything I ever made in this game I would give back to the Cardinals if I got caught."
no naughty cats, got it.
his daughters are on there.
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
let's hope the decision is about whether he's ready to join memphis yet
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
BJ Rains pulling midnight strauss nonsense
except more annoying. next day, not even midnight.
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
Eh, less annoying if you ask me
That way I’m not tempted to stay up until 1 AM Eastern
by jd is legend on May 10, 2010 6:36 PM EDT up reply actions
he'll also tweet it about five more times.
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
and also because we don't care nearly as much about this
or at all, really.
"Did you just grow a mustache?"
"While SPINNING."
This is so effing stupid
He has hit .253 .267 .299 in the PCL!!!! You know, the league that you have to completely discount because it’s such a hitter’s league. Miles is terrible, he’s well worse than replacement and should barely be on the AAA roster taking ABs.
Not afraid to nitpick
The grit hides all flaws.
See?
>Pitcher Change: Felipe Lopez replaces Ryan Franklin, batting 7th, replacing third baseman Felipe Lopez
Scott Gorgen has a brother?!
his feelings have now betrayed him too. Tampa Bay was wise to hide him.
Q: The rotation in Springfield seems be doing well as a group. How well do you know each other, moving up, and do you feed off of each other?
SG: We watch each other. We study each other. We’re always talking about finding different ways to go after the same lineup. We’re always talking about how to attack another team. There’s good camaraderie between the starters. We’re all competing, and I think we all know that we’re competing with each other to move up, too, but that doesn’t get in the way. We’re a tight group. Talking hitters. We’re talking lineups, different pitches, in the dugout talking through every pitch, or what is the right pitch to throw. We’re doing game plans together.
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
they're like mini-Carps. sniff.
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
so long and thanks for all the...
This will solve Pittsburgh's problems for sure.
"If I'm in a slump, I ask myself for advice" - Ichiro
what about ours?
all those shiny runs
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
We will have to find a new punching bag.
May I suggest Bud F. Norris?
"If I'm in a slump, I ask myself for advice" - Ichiro
'dammit Jim, I'm a baseball player not a miracle worker'
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
I recognize the quote
I’m not sure what it has to do with Bud Norris, however, but points for you anyway.
I cannot find the web gems poll to stuff the box for Greene Tea
anyone have better luck?
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
meanwhile I am boggled by FESPN
voice-overing Joe Mather as “former Memphis Redbird”.
uhhhhh most of them are.
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
web gems
Tyler Greene: http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=5176204
seems like Boog’s has already been erased and/or redirected.
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
It was the same day you linked to it...
I had to find it on mlb, same with bomb’s stolen base.
Asshattery: it's an epidemic.
Also, Dave Concepcion.
i think this is it
http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/post/_/id/5176424/sunday-9
http://search.espn.go.com/web-gems/
"Moneyball: It's kind of like communism."
they can't even spell his name right!
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
even if they don't re-air these polls
points are tallied at the end of the year for their top web gem thing
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
final days of griffey?
“But what is surprising is that it’s being reported that Griffey hasn’t exactly been the teammate he has continually been touted to be. LaRue writes that there “have been times during games when [Griffey has] retired to the clubhouse, texted friends [and] watched the TV broadcast.” Two players also told LaRue that Griffey wasn’t available for a pinch-hit opportunity last week because he was asleep in the Mariners clubhouse. Yikes."
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
Why do people care about what Pornstache has to say about Junior?
by jd is legend on May 10, 2010 6:36 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
that's what I was thinking
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
if he had a blog i'm sure many would read it
though i can’t imagine larue sitting and writing.
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
he stands up
in his pickup truck and talks to his gun rack. that would be a good video blog.
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
The sub-Mendoza offense is still the bigger problem
Sad to see Griffey go this way. To think, only a few years ago it looked like he was going to go out in style.
"If I'm in a slump, I ask myself for advice" - Ichiro
yeah, maybe in his defense, he probably figured no one would be looking for him to pinch-hit
with those numbers. bradley, byrnes, griffey – i doubt firing the hitting coach will keep the manager off the hot seat. of course, i guess it’s the gm who put the roster together.
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
repeat after me..
the Mariners’ GM is a Zdgenius…
Don’t make me drag Dave Cameron into this…
Franklin !#@$!&*%#
Certainly shifts the focus off of Epstein for this year (in the AL at least).
I still don’t see the Mariners finishing too far out of the AL West lead; they’ll disappoint like the ’09 Cubs I guess. Just a lot of probably undeserved preseason hype blew up in their faces.
Here’s a scary thought – even with how terrible the Mariners offense is… Houston is much worse. Not a single position player on the Astros roster has an OPS+ in the triple digits.
"If I'm in a slump, I ask myself for advice" - Ichiro
yeah i've been checking on the numbers...
they are probably historically bad for this point in the season. The other day their lineup was Bourn with a .291batting average, Feliz with a .230, and seven guys below the mendoza line. That’s one that really stuck with me.
Franklin !#@$!&*%#
They better fire their 20th manager in the past 3 seasons
It’s clearly the manager’s fault. Every time.
by jd is legend on May 10, 2010 7:54 PM EDT up reply actions
They should fire their hitting coach.
by Willie McGee's Twin on May 10, 2010 8:00 PM EDT up reply actions
They should fire Ed Wade. Period.
But the longer he’s employed by the Astros organization, the funnier it gets.
by jd is legend on May 10, 2010 8:01 PM EDT up reply actions
I hear some calliope music
I think it’s coming from their ballpark.
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
Was my response not sarcastic enough? (I was playing off the McGwire complaints)
by Willie McGee's Twin on May 10, 2010 8:07 PM EDT up reply actions
I'm sure it was
I just suck at picking up on it
by jd is legend on May 10, 2010 8:09 PM EDT up reply actions
In your defense, every time I'm in Houston
People randomly blurt out “fire Ed Wade”… it’s like Houston tourette’s.
"If I'm in a slump, I ask myself for advice" - Ichiro
They should fire Uncle Drayton
he’s no longer interested in being a champion everyday
>Pitcher Change: Felipe Lopez replaces Ryan Franklin, batting 7th, replacing third baseman Felipe Lopez
fixed your post
He’s no longer interested in being a champion everyday
You can read it in any tone you like.
Heh
His “thing” is asking people in the organization what they’re doing to be a champion.
This year, he might be asking them if they could show up. I notice on TV he’s not in his box behind the plate as much.
>Pitcher Change: Felipe Lopez replaces Ryan Franklin, batting 7th, replacing third baseman Felipe Lopez
He thinks that's his "thing."
His real “thing” is putting together a crappy team.
You can read it in any tone you like.
Lopez has both arms!!
meanwhile, steer clear of the twitter feeds. there is talk of persons on romance novel covers.
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
looks like
if everything goes well, he’ll be back in a week or so. Good news.
"Baseball is like Church, many attend, few understand" - Wes Westrum
he does. he checks it. then he goes back and checks it again.
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
Was it Vina or Kruk?
If so, I need to find the flying pigs.
"If I'm in a slump, I ask myself for advice" - Ichiro
I think it was Friday I had left ESPN on and Sportscenter came on
The anchor led off by saying “Lots of baseball action today, but first and most importantly, the Yankees…”
I laughed out loud and then came to terms with the fact that this was, in fact, an encouraging development. At least they’re no longer hiding it…
"If I'm in a slump, I ask myself for advice" - Ichiro
by Toppins on May 10, 2010 7:40 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Al getting metaphysical...
When nothing seems to help, I go and look at a stonecutter hammering away at his rock perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the hundred and first blow it will split in two, and I know it was not that blow that did it, but all that had gone before. Metaphorically, the Cubs have hit that rock 102 times without a crack. But the “split” will come — perhaps when we least expect it, when the team is coming off its lowest ebb, and perhaps from the most unexpected of sources.
Here’s an idea: rename the damn team and change the unis. Tear down the ivy and nail some padded, green panels over the brick wall. Call the stadium United Airways Field and add a third deck. Hire that vietnamese women the statheads always swoon over to run the team. Trade everyone on the 40-man roster and tell everyone you’re an expansion team.
If I were the new owner I’d do these things…
Franklin !#@$!&*%#
Kim Ng? She's Chinese
Of all sad words of tongue or pen; the saddest are these: 'It might have been!'
I always thought the "ng" construction...
as in nguyen was Vietnamese. How does one pronounce that anyway?
Franklin !#@$!&*%#
I've seen it spelled both "Ng" and "Eng"
I think Eng is just the Anglicized version of the Cantonese Ng
Of all sad words of tongue or pen; the saddest are these: 'It might have been!'
mlb says "pronounced ANG"
and she’s American.
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
born in Indiana, raised in New York
thanks wiki
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
That won't help her in Arizona, heh heh heh
/shouldn’t have made that joke, couldn’t help myself
by jd is legend on May 10, 2010 8:06 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
only slightly apropos — you know what else wiki says?
“In November 2006, [Bill Singer] was added to the Washington Nationals’ scouting roster where he coordinates scouting operations in Asia.”
he’s the guy who was fired from the Mets for this.
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
wow, i didn't realize it was that bill singer
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
Oh, Nguyen
Yeah, it’s pronounced pretty similarly to “win.” It’s closer to “nwin” though
Of all sad words of tongue or pen; the saddest are these: 'It might have been!'
Well Nguyen is pronounced "Win"
So Ng is clearly supposed to be… “W”
"If I'm in a slump, I ask myself for advice" - Ichiro
Let it be known
that I am now in first place in the Yahoo League.
(Thank you Dallas Braden)
In football, the object is for the quarterback, otherwise known as the field general, to be on target with his aerial assault, riddling the defense by hitting his recievers with deadly accuracy in spite of the blitz, even if he has to use the shotgun. With short bullet passes and long bombs, he marches his troops into enemy territory, balancing this aerial assault with a sustained ground attack that punches holes in the forward wall of the enemy's defensive line.
In baseball the object is to go home! And to be safe! "I hope I'll be safe at home!"
-George Carlin (RIP)
I'm first in my division in viva el league
are you one of the undefeateds?
he is a bit eccentric
by Cards Fan in Chitown on May 10, 2010 8:20 PM EDT up reply actions
Which yahoo league?
Not the one I’m in (Winnie the Pujols) — I’m leading that one and have been for most of the past two weeks.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
i'm fourstick and i'm awesome!
/said in whiny, jealous voice
follow me on twitter @nickg105
by stlcardinalsfang on May 10, 2010 10:10 PM EDT up reply actions
that's so nice for you to talk about my girl like that.
follow me on twitter @nickg105
by stlcardinalsfang on May 10, 2010 10:13 PM EDT up reply actions
Are you talking about my tweet
about the lady?
by LandSickness on May 10, 2010 10:31 PM EDT up reply actions
no.
follow me on twitter @nickg105
by stlcardinalsfang on May 10, 2010 11:40 PM EDT up reply actions
Couldn't you reply
to every comment in this thread, including the OP, with this?
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
hah!
probably…
follow me on twitter @nickg105
by stlcardinalsfang on May 10, 2010 10:22 PM EDT up reply actions
FWIW
I am awesome, but I’m not vain enough to go around stating it unequivocally. :-D
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
haha
fair enough. i’m just surprise you’re posting after like 4. don’t remember the last time that happened.
follow me on twitter @nickg105
by stlcardinalsfang on May 10, 2010 10:26 PM EDT up reply actions
Good discussion in this thread
and I can’t watch TV or do much of anything else when the baby ridden with colic is crying while fighting going to sleep….poor thing.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
OT: Kelvin Jimenez watch
For those who wonder what our boy Jimenez is doing…
Kelvin Jimenez, the opening day starter for the Doosan Bears in Korea, has pitched so far:
8 G, 8 GS, 6 W, 1 L, 45.2 IP, 5.12 ERA, 27 K, 16 BB, 1.47 WHIP
4.06 FIP, 5.32 K/9, 3.15 BB/9, 1.69 K/BB, 0.39 HR/9, 0.327 BABIP
Well, he has been pitching better than I expected.
He is 2nd on W(stupid stat, I know), 8th on FIP, 21th on ERA among 26 qualified starters. We have little PbP data here so xFIP is not available; however, given the league HR/9 average(0.87), I think he has been a little lucky with preventing HR.
Currently his team, the Bears, is 2nd in the 8-team Korean baseball league. He is often praised as a great offseason acquision by newspapers, citing his 6 wins.
Cardinals fan from Korea
by FreeRedbird on May 10, 2010 10:22 PM EDT reply actions 2 recs
I really wish that I could add to the excellent baseball talk going on in here today
but I think we all know that’s not happening. So I’ll just add this:
Also: Starlin Castro is human.
I never would slip you Mickey! It is merely rhinoceros horn. This makes the champagna bubble.
by The Continental on May 10, 2010 10:32 PM EDT reply actions
i am hoping for an epic battle for last place, early next month
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
by Yadi2Second on May 10, 2010 10:38 PM EDT up reply actions
does anybody else
think that this is a good deal?
Asshattery: it's an epidemic.
Also, Dave Concepcion.
hahaha
I’m going to that game and VEB day is that weekend!
But I’m not spending 900 dollars on tickets to either game.
Think; It's not illegal yet.
In the 3rd deck!!!!
My gf was looking through there, because that’s the only day we don’t have tickets for yet. I laughed.
Asshattery: it's an epidemic.
Also, Dave Concepcion.
every Mariners fan wants to come to that game?
I DON'T GIVE A FUCK!
by mattyfrommo on May 10, 2010 11:36 PM EDT up reply actions
Do they come with complimentary...
- …bottle service of Cristal?
- …bottomless beluga caviar?
- …topless waitresses sampling corn dogs?
If so, they might be worth it…
Otherwise, probably not.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
A man can dream fourstick, a man can dream.
Especially the last one.
In football, the object is for the quarterback, otherwise known as the field general, to be on target with his aerial assault, riddling the defense by hitting his recievers with deadly accuracy in spite of the blitz, even if he has to use the shotgun. With short bullet passes and long bombs, he marches his troops into enemy territory, balancing this aerial assault with a sustained ground attack that punches holes in the forward wall of the enemy's defensive line.
In baseball the object is to go home! And to be safe! "I hope I'll be safe at home!"
-George Carlin (RIP)
no
"Moneyball: It's kind of like communism."
by prophetjohn on May 10, 2010 11:35 PM EDT up reply actions
oh
is joke
"Moneyball: It's kind of like communism."
by prophetjohn on May 10, 2010 11:36 PM EDT up reply actions
This is freaking amazing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MeiwLLZjDo&feature=player_embedded
Think; It's not illegal yet.
let the record show that I can do all of this crap in smash brothers
by DanUpBaby on May 10, 2010 11:24 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
N64, GameCube or Wii?
Because it’s an important distinction. N64 was the skill-based version of the game, GameCube was a total button masher and the Wii version is somewhere in between.
Think; It's not illegal yet.
Super Smash Bros
has to be one of my favorite video game iterations of all time. It was never that daunting for my friends who didn’t play often and if you did play a lot, it really was a skill video game. I’m still partial to the original though I haven’t played it in some time.
Think; It's not illegal yet.
yeah
all three of them are my favorite multiplayer games ever. so many options, so much intuitive depth, and an earthbound character. That’s all I ask of a videogame.
best video game ever.
my favorite one was the one for gamecube. best 8-guys-in-the-same-room-wanting-to-be-better-than-everyone-at-this-game ever.
follow me on twitter @nickg105
by stlcardinalsfang on May 11, 2010 12:51 AM EDT up reply actions
I'm with you
64 version rocks the best. An awesome series
"I told you, I don't like to be manhandled!"
Indeed.
Captain Falcon was my man on the N64. Still is to this day when I play it on the Wii.
In football, the object is for the quarterback, otherwise known as the field general, to be on target with his aerial assault, riddling the defense by hitting his recievers with deadly accuracy in spite of the blitz, even if he has to use the shotgun. With short bullet passes and long bombs, he marches his troops into enemy territory, balancing this aerial assault with a sustained ground attack that punches holes in the forward wall of the enemy's defensive line.
In baseball the object is to go home! And to be safe! "I hope I'll be safe at home!"
-George Carlin (RIP)
he is a monkey
clearly
Rasmus can hit lefties
cardinalred
St. Louis Sports blog
by stlcardsfan4 on May 10, 2010 11:27 PM EDT up reply actions
Those Parkour guys are incredible
I highly recommend you check out the films by David Belle and Sébastien Foucan if you enjoy this type of stuff. They are credited with founding the practice of Parkour, and a lot of their stuff puts what this guy is doing to shame — like climbing vertically in an alley by bouncing from leg to leg between the buildings….
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
I would love to try some of this stuff
but I would injure myself the very first time I tried. Not to mention, I’m not nearly in good enough shape to try it.
Think; It's not illegal yet.
There was a fantastic piece in The New Yorker
a couple of years ago about a club in Denver interested in learning parkour. It’s incredibly funny, depressing, and painful at the same time, since half of these guys end up getting themselves hurt trying to jump over park benches and hurdle statues in a park.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
Another Global Ex-Cardinals Update
So suffered a torn hammy in late April. Progress appears to be good and should be back in late May or early June. He had a line of .300 / .340 / .440 in 53 PA (if I’ve done the math right).
I never would slip you Mickey! It is merely rhinoceros horn. This makes the champagna bubble.
by The Continental on May 10, 2010 11:32 PM EDT reply actions
oh good
i picked up on that in the ex-Cardinals post a bit back (I guess that was april! hfs the time flies). Good to know he’s expected back.
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
by Yadi2Second on May 11, 2010 12:02 AM EDT up reply actions
Hi!
Note: Above comment may contain gratuitous amounts of sarcasm.
BOYCOTT HASS AVOCADOS
Hey Houston,
Suck it; you suck
GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE I HATE YOU
Of all sad words of tongue or pen; the saddest are these: 'It might have been!'
by mysterui on May 10, 2010 11:46 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
Aw maaaan.
Note: Above comment may contain gratuitous amounts of sarcasm.
BOYCOTT HASS AVOCADOS
Hey Houston,
Suck it; you suck
by vexedtechie on May 10, 2010 11:48 PM EDT up reply actions
See ya
Note: Above comment may contain gratuitous amounts of sarcasm.
BOYCOTT HASS AVOCADOS
Hey Houston,
Suck it; you suck
by vexedtechie on May 10, 2010 11:48 PM EDT up reply actions
Heh heh heh...
Worked to perfection
Of all sad words of tongue or pen; the saddest are these: 'It might have been!'
"Moneyball: It's kind of like communism."
by prophetjohn on May 10, 2010 11:48 PM EDT up reply actions
ha!
follow me on twitter @nickg105
by stlcardinalsfang on May 10, 2010 11:49 PM EDT up reply actions
in before subject line
it’s 75×25!
"Moneyball: It's kind of like communism."
by prophetjohn on May 10, 2010 11:49 PM EDT up reply actions
I'll unrec your face
Of all sad words of tongue or pen; the saddest are these: 'It might have been!'
shall i chec myself?
"Moneyball: It's kind of like communism."
by prophetjohn on May 10, 2010 11:50 PM EDT up reply actions
those bastards
FSM has a new Smoltz video.
effin golf.
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
okay and he's out
after giving up a single, a WP and and error by the left fielder
i can root for the rays now
"Moneyball: It's kind of like communism."
by prophetjohn on May 11, 2010 12:15 AM EDT up reply actions
and holliday would have caught that
"Moneyball: It's kind of like communism."
by prophetjohn on May 11, 2010 12:14 AM EDT up reply actions
but no puerto rican team would have let him play
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
by Yadi2Second on May 11, 2010 12:20 AM EDT up reply actions
Billy Beane doesn't need to watch no stinkin' game
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/Dallas-Braden-shows-Alex-Rodriguez-hes-here-to-stay
(it’s from the gnome)
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
interesting that garza still pitching bottom of 8th
down 4-1. probably wouldn’t see that too often in the non-DH league.
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
i was wondering if anyone else watching
i don’t think i’ve ever seen a pitcher work slower than garxa is right now
"Moneyball: It's kind of like communism."
by prophetjohn on May 11, 2010 12:51 AM EDT up reply actions
like 20 seconds between pitches
"Moneyball: It's kind of like communism."
by prophetjohn on May 11, 2010 12:52 AM EDT up reply actions
pretty slow
now it’s a game, though they might need a dinger
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
well, longo could bunt for a hit here
put the tying run in scoring position.
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
or double to tie it
joel denied.
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
i'm glad mo didn't sign fuentes
he’s kinda bad, but not as bad as his mustache
"Moneyball: It's kind of like communism."
That was prolly one of the best non-signings he could've accomplished.
You're the fail to my win?
"There is not a better feeling in the whole world than knowing that you are the best team in both leagues."- Bob Forsch on winning the 1982 World Series.
by MaytheForschbewithyou on May 11, 2010 1:15 AM EDT up reply actions
a pitch behind the batter?
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
doubled to left center to tie it up with two outs in the ninth
"Moneyball: It's kind of like communism."
rays actually remind me somewhat of cards
getting great starting pitching, bullpen a little uncertain, and some hitting stars and a lineup that isn’t clicking on all cylinders. i guess the rays defense is better.
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
The Cards defense is pretty damn good
Yadi, Pujols, Ryan and Colby are all in the op 5 at their position, Ludwick is above average for a RH, and Holliday and Freese are at least average. Our only bad defender would be Skip/Lopez at second and their not that bad.
by vivaelpujols on May 11, 2010 1:28 AM EDT up reply actions
yeah, i'm not certain which would be better
so i guessed. yadi is our clear advantage. rays are pretty strong all over the field, it seems. boog would be a clear advantage over most guys, but bartlett is pretty damn good, as is upton in center. and crawford is the best in left. i’d imagine apu is better than pena, but haven’t really paid much attention to pena.
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
I think Pujols, Yadi and Ryan are clearly the best at their positions in the majors
Bartlett is good, but he isn’t at the same level as Ryan.
Colby is as good as Upton and Crawford blows away Holliday, but I would think that Ludwick is at least as good as Joyce or whoever they have in right. Zobrist is better than Skip, but not my a lot IMO.
by vivaelpujols on May 11, 2010 1:51 AM EDT up reply actions
Ryan is better than Jack Wilson or Elvis Andrus?
I dunno about that. Wilson has started slow with the glove this year but was worth between 15 and 25 runs last year on defense. Andrus was worth between 10 and 20 runs in 2009. I think Izturis and J.J. Hardy also have to be factored into that equation.
I agree on Pujols and Yadi, although Derrick Lee and Casey Kotchman are pretty solid at first base and could merit an argument. Nobody holds a candle to Yadi behind the plate.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
Ryan is definitely better than Wilson
You might have a point about Andrus.
by vivaelpujols on May 11, 2010 1:05 PM EDT up reply actions
I was going to say Wilson.
He’s getting up there in age though. I expect at least some regression as he gets slower.
I think the torch will be passed to Andrus as the best defensive SS, but Ryan is at least top 5.
In football, the object is for the quarterback, otherwise known as the field general, to be on target with his aerial assault, riddling the defense by hitting his recievers with deadly accuracy in spite of the blitz, even if he has to use the shotgun. With short bullet passes and long bombs, he marches his troops into enemy territory, balancing this aerial assault with a sustained ground attack that punches holes in the forward wall of the enemy's defensive line.
In baseball the object is to go home! And to be safe! "I hope I'll be safe at home!"
-George Carlin (RIP)
bad night to argue, though
i hope greene is given a shot.
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
yadi and ryan are the best in the game
albert and colby aren’t quite on their level
i think freese and holliday are both above average and skip is probably close to average
"Moneyball: It's kind of like communism."
Can you think of a better first baseman than Pujols?
Maybe Tex, but the metrics disagree. Pujols isn’t a great defender, but I think he’s got to be considered the best first baseman in the game.
I agree with you about Rasmus, but he is very close to the top at his position. He’s probably on the same level as Upton and Jones and Gomez, right below Guttierez and Morgan.
by vivaelpujols on May 11, 2010 1:48 AM EDT up reply actions
Pujols is a great defender in my mind
I’ve seen him make countless amazing plays
he is a bit eccentric
by Cards Fan in Chitown on May 11, 2010 1:50 AM EDT up reply actions
I think great is pushing
Like I said, he’s the best first basemen in the game, but probably not in the top 100 of all position players in terms of total defensive ability. He has good instincts and really good hands, but his athleticism and quickness are subpar compared to a lot of other guys.
by vivaelpujols on May 11, 2010 1:53 AM EDT up reply actions
i would say
even among players with similar positional adjustment values (ie: RF/LF), he is probably among the best in pure defensive talent.
i think he could be an above average 3B if his arm held up
"Moneyball: It's kind of like communism."
I would put him in some of the more quicker defensive players in reaction time
but I am just going with my personal observations here
he is a bit eccentric
by Cards Fan in Chitown on May 11, 2010 2:06 AM EDT up reply actions
albert is probably the best 1B in baseball
tallest midget thing. he’s a great defender, just not great like boog and yadi are great. colby is also great and i’m not sure i can think of a better CF, but he hasn’t proven to me that he’s special like boog and yadi
"Moneyball: It's kind of like communism."
i believe apu is the best at 1b and it's not even close
i don’t like to say that because sometimes he makes errors and so his numbers might not hold up to my assertion, but plays he makes to other bases blow anyone away, imo
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
Pujols is a little to flashy at first
He makes great diving plays on balls that Skip would have had easily, which make him look better than he is. It’s also the reason that UZR has him so high.
by vivaelpujols on May 11, 2010 1:58 AM EDT up reply actions
i don't think that necessarily inflating his numbers
he’s getting to all the balls he can. just some of those are more than he has to get to
"Moneyball: It's kind of like communism."
But that inflates his numbers because UZR rewards assists and not putouts
by vivaelpujols on May 11, 2010 2:01 AM EDT up reply actions
they factor in errors too, don't they?
he makes more than many first baseman, maybe, but the outs he gets, not only at first but at second, third, and home, just seem to overwhelm what other 1b do. in critical situations, i’m always hoping he gets a chance to touch the ball.
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
ah
that clears it up…. among first basemen, I think albert is the best defensively
he is a bit eccentric
by Cards Fan in Chitown on May 11, 2010 2:06 AM EDT up reply actions
Derrek Lee
is the only one that comes to mind. He’s got very good range over there and I think he’s better at digging balls out of the dirt than Albert is.
Casey Kotchman is pretty good as well.
Can Colby round out our new MV3?
from the rays site
this definitely reminds me of the cards (especially in a fan sense):
“The problem is really the flaws in the team. We stink vs junk tossing lefties. We have extremely streaky hitters. Combine the two, and you may get a PG.”
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
according to that site
braden throws a scroogie, which is pretty rare (the little lefty on the reds is the only one comes to mind). he has a really good change – can pitch f/x distinguish between the two, if indeed this other exists?
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
if we played them in the WS, could be interesting
maybe it’d be a streaky slugfest, with who could win four 10-1 games first.
rays doing the five-infielders again.
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
that's what I was thinking
it would be a crapshoot I think. who would be streaky at the right time (part of the reason why I think we got swept vs the bosox in the world series, it seems like we’ve been a streaky team for a while)
he is a bit eccentric
by Cards Fan in Chitown on May 11, 2010 2:25 AM EDT up reply actions
suffice to say
i’d love to take my chances in a world series
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
It would beat the hell outta not playing in one.
You're the fail to my win?
"There is not a better feeling in the whole world than knowing that you are the best team in both leagues."- Bob Forsch on winning the 1982 World Series.
by MaytheForschbewithyou on May 11, 2010 2:58 AM EDT up reply actions
pretty much
with the added benefit that it means neither the yanks or bosox are there.
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
Yip
That is always an added benefit, whether we’re there or not. Just don’t tell my fiance, she gets pissed when I say things like that.lol
You're the fail to my win?
"There is not a better feeling in the whole world than knowing that you are the best team in both leagues."- Bob Forsch on winning the 1982 World Series.
by MaytheForschbewithyou on May 11, 2010 3:03 AM EDT up reply actions
she bosox or yanks?
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
BoSox.
She’s from Maine and they live a die Sawx up there. She does support our Cardinals, I have at least rubbed that much off on her. But she gets mad if I make any cracks about the Sawx. I was teasing her about the Yanks beating them last weekend, I thought she was going to throw something at me.
You're the fail to my win?
"There is not a better feeling in the whole world than knowing that you are the best team in both leagues."- Bob Forsch on winning the 1982 World Series.
by MaytheForschbewithyou on May 11, 2010 3:09 AM EDT up reply actions
i dislike the yanks more
but the last time we played the yanks we won – ‘64 i think – so i’d rather beat the sox, that being more recent and raw (negating that we did beat them in ‘67) – and we’ve already avenged the tigers in ‘68. wouldn’t mind the twins either, i guess (my preseason prediction), but we may never get a shot at the royals again.
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
I'm not particularly cracked on either of them.
I have had my fill of the Yanks, but that bandwagonning shit that went on after 04 really makes me not like Boston. Actually, we have beaten the Sox twice in the WS the first was in 46 so I guess we’re still one up on them. I think a series against the Twins would be fun, but that would be god-awful to be playing in Minnesota outside in Nov.
You're the fail to my win?
"There is not a better feeling in the whole world than knowing that you are the best team in both leagues."- Bob Forsch on winning the 1982 World Series.
by MaytheForschbewithyou on May 11, 2010 3:28 AM EDT up reply actions
maybe better than the dome though
considering we lost all 4 games there (and won the 3 at home) – i think it was rotating back then, and twins having the odd-year home-field might have cost us a series, even as undermanned as we were.
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
after a walk to zobrist - that was a good at-bat, still can't walk him
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
So...
I just realized I missed jury duty on the 3rd. How much trouble am I in?
You can read it in any tone you like.
I don't think it's too big of a deal
or are you in contempt of court??
he is a bit eccentric
by Cards Fan in Chitown on May 11, 2010 1:51 AM EDT up reply actions
usually you have to make a pattern of ignoring jury duty calls
they probably have that happen all the time where someone forgets to go
he is a bit eccentric
by Cards Fan in Chitown on May 11, 2010 2:09 AM EDT up reply actions
I was excited to go!
I just had it in my mind that it was next Monday and not last Monday. I’ve been a bit overwhelmed lately.
You can read it in any tone you like.
I shoulda skipped my jury duty call
ended up having to be on a murder trial. it was one west side gang banger’s word against another. hard to decipher what happened, yet somehow we came to a verdict. murder trials are weird, to say the least
he is a bit eccentric
by Cards Fan in Chitown on May 11, 2010 2:08 AM EDT up reply actions
what!
the rays are playing 5 infielders and 2 outfielders right now!
"Moneyball: It's kind of like communism."
they did that in the world series
makes sense in sudden-death, runner on third less than 2 outs, imo. i’ve used it quite a few times, and usually ends up just like it did there – didn’t affect anything.
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
Zito? really?
best start of his career so far http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/gametracker/recap/MLB_20100505_SF@FLA
he is a bit eccentric
by Cards Fan in Chitown on May 11, 2010 2:17 AM EDT reply actions
exactly!
what is going on!?
he is a bit eccentric
by Cards Fan in Chitown on May 11, 2010 2:23 AM EDT up reply actions
all the sudden he is better than Lincecum
(we’ll see how long that lasts)
or maybe he just had a years long statistical anomaly? or something
he is a bit eccentric
by Cards Fan in Chitown on May 11, 2010 2:24 AM EDT up reply actions
there was an interview i heard a discussion on last year
if anyone also heard this, the interview was with koufax, and he was talking about how there was too much hump in zito’s curve, more than when he was with oakland. since then, zito has been pretty good – it would be rather ironic if a dodger icon helped a giant in any way.
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
now that would be funny
especially if he brought it up!
he is a bit eccentric
by Cards Fan in Chitown on May 11, 2010 2:38 AM EDT up reply actions
"This first really slow blob is his curveball, and this other kind of slow blob is his fastball."
Now that I’ve got one under my belt I’m not sure what was taking you so long.
maybe he learned the smoke and mirrors trick
he is a bit eccentric
by Cards Fan in Chitown on May 11, 2010 2:38 AM EDT up reply actions
not suggesting that garcia is smoke and mirrors
but i like how tony got him inserted between carp and waino. it was a great move, which he couldn’t, etiquette-wise, really begin the season with, but he managed to set it up with the nationally-televised/pressure story, when he flip-flopped carp and garcia – at least that’s what i believe went down. it helps both garcia and waino without putting anything further on carp’s shoulders, imo.
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
That was pretty sharp on his part for doing that.
A rookie lefty with good stuff tucked in between the two aces would provide enough of a different set of looks that they couldn’t just set up for righty pitching. That would be a tough combo.
You're the fail to my win?
"There is not a better feeling in the whole world than knowing that you are the best team in both leagues."- Bob Forsch on winning the 1982 World Series.
by MaytheForschbewithyou on May 11, 2010 3:06 AM EDT up reply actions
being a cards fan
my opinion of carp may be biased, but i thought no one in baseball had better raw stuff than him last year. he hasn’t been exactly the same yet this year, with velocity a bit down and usually pitching each game short one (non-working) pitch, but he’s so talented that his B-game we’ve been seeing is better than 95% of A-games. not a bad place to slot a young lefty with a change, right after him. personally, i think carp is calibrating too, gearing toward the second half.
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
Very true.
Carp is about as intelligent of a pitcher as you’ll ever find. I’m betting he makes Dunc’s job a lot easier than it could be. Otherwise, I don’t think he would be half as successful as he is when he doesn’t have all his pitches working. And I agree that he is probably retooling a bit for later in the season. Which is why we’re not seeing him chucking the ball in there with the same velocity.
You're the fail to my win?
"There is not a better feeling in the whole world than knowing that you are the best team in both leagues."- Bob Forsch on winning the 1982 World Series.
by MaytheForschbewithyou on May 11, 2010 3:23 AM EDT up reply actions
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