Former Milwaukee Brewer, Geoff Jenkins, was signed for two years by the Philadelphia Phillies. Jayson Werth and Geoff Jenkins will be manning right field in a platoon situation. Werth, himself, could not produce the offensive numbers that are demanded for a corner outfielder. Together, watch the right field for the Phillies to produce numbers around 20 HR and 80 RBI. These numbers are a slight improvement to what the Phillies had last year from the same position, and with this minor improvement, they’re right field position about equal to all the other teams in the National League East, and slightly better than the New York Mets. This is not an acquisition that will put their team over the top, but it is a marginal improvement. Other players they could look at on the free agent market are Emil Brown, Victor Diaz and Sammy Sosa.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Saturday, December 8, 2007
Bold Predictions for 2008: Part I
1. Lastings Milledge, if he wins the everyday role on the Washington Nationals, will hit more home runs than Ryan Church and Brian Schneider combined. Milledge getting consistent playing time will help his growth in the major leagues. Brian Schneider is not known for his offense. Ryan Church, although out of cavernous RFK, still has to hit at Shea Stadium, he's weak against lefty pitchers, and he always finds a minor injury here or there during the season that takes him off the field for periods of time.
2. Erik Bedard will have a lower ERA and more strikeouts than Johan Santana by the end of the season. Santana is coming off a season that was not a typical one for him with double digit losses, if he's still on the Twins and the Twins don't improve the team around him, he will not have the enthusiasm to excel. Bedard, although injured in the last month of the season, is coming off an excellent season and there's no reason for him not to get better. Although, both are in a contract year, Bedard has more to prove because Santana has the name recognition and the resume and Bedard wants to show that he can continue what he did last season.
3. Dontrelle Willis will struggle in his first year in Detroit. Willis struggled a lot last year with his control. His ERA ballooned to a career high. He had a losing record (he was on a bad team). He threw a career high in wild pitches and walks. This was in the National League where the lineups are weaker. Now he has to pitch to a DH in a league with the Yankees, Red Sox, and Indians. He's lucky he doesn't have to pitch his own team. Willis will have another subpar year with an under .500 winning percentage.
2. Erik Bedard will have a lower ERA and more strikeouts than Johan Santana by the end of the season. Santana is coming off a season that was not a typical one for him with double digit losses, if he's still on the Twins and the Twins don't improve the team around him, he will not have the enthusiasm to excel. Bedard, although injured in the last month of the season, is coming off an excellent season and there's no reason for him not to get better. Although, both are in a contract year, Bedard has more to prove because Santana has the name recognition and the resume and Bedard wants to show that he can continue what he did last season.
3. Dontrelle Willis will struggle in his first year in Detroit. Willis struggled a lot last year with his control. His ERA ballooned to a career high. He had a losing record (he was on a bad team). He threw a career high in wild pitches and walks. This was in the National League where the lineups are weaker. Now he has to pitch to a DH in a league with the Yankees, Red Sox, and Indians. He's lucky he doesn't have to pitch his own team. Willis will have another subpar year with an under .500 winning percentage.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Who's Out: Tampa Bay Devil Rays
For all those Devil Rays fans out there, it seems this franchise again will not be in the postseason. There are a few positive things to take away from this season, however.
The emergence of James Shields along with Scott Kazmir has formed a decently formidable front end of the rotation, which will serve the Devil Rays for years to come. Kazmir has been a solid pitchers over the past few years and Shields will have to show people more next season but he has been solid. Both have winning records and both might have double-digit victories by the end of the season on a team that has the worst records in the American League. Kazmir facing teams currently at records of .500 or better, including interleague games, holds a record of 6-3 with a 3.12 ERA, as of August 16. Those are solid statistics against very good teams.
The power emergence of the first baseman Carlos Pena has been a pleasant boost for the middle of the Devil Rays lineup. Pena has shown what the Detroit Tigers expected from him when he was in their organization a few years back. Pena has over 20 HR and although his batting average has come down a bit, he's been a quality bat in the middle of the lineup and still holding a career high average. Another young bat has been B.J. Upton, who’s had a few cups of coffee in the majors with the Devil Rays before finally emerging this year. An infielder by trade, his move to the outfield has not hurt him at the plate. He's been a consistent clutch bat batting .366 with runners in scoring position and shown his best power and ability against the division rival New York Yankees with a .463 batting average, 4 home runs, and 13 runs batted in. Upton also has not hurt the team defensively only committing 1 error in 40 games in the outfield.
The downfall: The bullpen has been bad, and that's being nice. It has been terrible. It has a collective ERA of 6.51, which is terrible. If you figure the bullpen pitches on average of 3 innings each game, this bullpen will average giving up 2-3 runs each game. The bullpen’s purpose is to stop the bleeding if a starter struggles or hold the game when a starter pitches well and gets tired. This bullpen not only puts salt in the wound, it rubs it in until you scream and beg for mercy. This has been a glaring void in the Devil Rays and the most direct cause for another losing season in Tampa.
The emergence of James Shields along with Scott Kazmir has formed a decently formidable front end of the rotation, which will serve the Devil Rays for years to come. Kazmir has been a solid pitchers over the past few years and Shields will have to show people more next season but he has been solid. Both have winning records and both might have double-digit victories by the end of the season on a team that has the worst records in the American League. Kazmir facing teams currently at records of .500 or better, including interleague games, holds a record of 6-3 with a 3.12 ERA, as of August 16. Those are solid statistics against very good teams.
The power emergence of the first baseman Carlos Pena has been a pleasant boost for the middle of the Devil Rays lineup. Pena has shown what the Detroit Tigers expected from him when he was in their organization a few years back. Pena has over 20 HR and although his batting average has come down a bit, he's been a quality bat in the middle of the lineup and still holding a career high average. Another young bat has been B.J. Upton, who’s had a few cups of coffee in the majors with the Devil Rays before finally emerging this year. An infielder by trade, his move to the outfield has not hurt him at the plate. He's been a consistent clutch bat batting .366 with runners in scoring position and shown his best power and ability against the division rival New York Yankees with a .463 batting average, 4 home runs, and 13 runs batted in. Upton also has not hurt the team defensively only committing 1 error in 40 games in the outfield.
The downfall: The bullpen has been bad, and that's being nice. It has been terrible. It has a collective ERA of 6.51, which is terrible. If you figure the bullpen pitches on average of 3 innings each game, this bullpen will average giving up 2-3 runs each game. The bullpen’s purpose is to stop the bleeding if a starter struggles or hold the game when a starter pitches well and gets tired. This bullpen not only puts salt in the wound, it rubs it in until you scream and beg for mercy. This has been a glaring void in the Devil Rays and the most direct cause for another losing season in Tampa.
Monday, July 30, 2007
The National League East
As we approach the trading deadline, teams that are vying for playoff positions are trying to figure out how to make changes without destroying the team that exists.
The three teams in the National League East that are fighting for the playoffs are the New York Mets, Atlanta Braves, and the Philadelphia Philles. Each of these teams have missing pieces that they're trying to fill to make their run at a championship. The Mets need a second basemen with the loss of Jose Valentin (although most can argue they needed a second basemen even with a healthy Jose Valentin). The Braves needed a potent bat in their lineup. Their offense has been inconsistent and could use more fire power. The Phillies need starting pitching. With the losses of Freddy Garcia and Jon Lieber to injury and moving Brett Myers to the bullpen, they're starting rotation has holes that need to be filled.
The Mets addressed their void by trading two minor leaguers (which doesn't upset their current team) for Luis Castillo. Currently, the Mets have had a platoon between Ruben Gotay and Damion Easley. Gotay who has performed brilliantly when he's started apparently does not have the trust to be a quality everyday player. Castillo brings over his playoff experience (on the World Champion Florida Marlins in 2003), something which Gotay doesn't have (his past major league experience being on the Kansas City Royals). Castillo has a solid glove and consistent bat. He's shown to have speed which is good at the top of the order after Reyes and behind Beltran and he's a contact hitter, which will help Willie Randolph call the hit and run play. Although, Castillo's stolen bases have slowly become extinct, he's still a threat and he still has speed. This deal will also help with the Mets consistency. Having a platoon in the batting order causes confusion and a lack of settling for the hitters. With Castillo, he'll solidify his position in the batting order and the constant shuffling of the batting order won't be necessary (once Beltran comes back from his latest injury). When the Mets had a consistent lineup at the beginning of the season before Moises Alou's injury, the Mets played the best ball they've played all season. Excellent move by Minaya to help the Mets try to push themselves over the hump.
The Braves have struggled mightly in production from their first basemen. At the start of the season, they had a platoon of the youngster Scott Thorman and Craig Wilson. Wilson struggled at the beginning of the season, quickly fell out of favor, and was let go. The Braves did not have too much confidence in Thorman hitting against lefties, which lead to their young and talented catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia to play some first base and bat against righties. The Braves didn't like using their backup catcher as a first basemen because they would like to have the insurance if Brian McCann were to get injured, so once Julio Franco was let go by the Mets, the Braves pounced and picked up Franco to bat against lefties. Franco has struggled mightly offensively this season. At 48 (49 in August), his bat might be slowing down a bit. With Franco not producing from the right side and Thorman needing more seasoning in the minors, the Braves had to address this issue. Success came when they contacted the Rangers and made a deal to bring Mark Teixeira over. The Braves did send Saltalamacchia the other way, but with McCann signed to a long term deal, he was too valuable to just sit on the bench. Teixeira will solidify the middle of the lineup that already have potent bats just as the two Joneses, McCann, and Francoeur. They also get a quality defender, with Teixeira earning a gold glove already in his young career. He's a 40 HR guy, can drive in 100 runs and is also under contract throughout the 2008 season. He can be a difference maker on a team searching for consistent offense.
The Phillies have Cole Hamels...that's pretty much it. Yes, they have Jamie Moyer and Kyle Kendrick, but they're not the solid starters they need to make a push for a playoff spot. The Phillies needed a starter badly so they did what any other team in their situation would do, look for a hopeless team. The target: Cincinnati Reds. The Phillies acquired Kyle Lohse from the Reds for Matt Maloney, a minor league pitcher. They could have done worse, but a pitcher like Lohse is not a difference maker. He has a career ERA in the high 4's, not what you want in a pitcher that's supposed to help your season. We cannot look at his record because he was on a bad team, it's harder to have winning records when you're on a bad team (although Victor Zambrano was a winning pitcher on a bad Devil Rays team, but as a Mets fan I will not touch that subject). Lohse is a filler pitcher. He's been a pitcher that's had plenty of potential and has still not figured it out. Don't expect him to be the catalyst for the Phillies winning the pennant. They need Lieber and Garcia to get healthy. Lohse is not a proven winner, unless the Phillies are expecting Lohse to become what Jeff Weaver was to the Cardinals last year (which doesn't happen very often).
Analysis:
Mets - Luis Castillo (2B) - Good - solidifies defense and batting lineup, 3 switch hitters at the top of the order
Braves - Mark Teixeira (1B) - Great - finally found a producer out of the first base slot, which has been dormant since Adam LaRoche was traded
Phillies - Kyle Lohse (SP) - OK - he needs to show me something to prove he's worth it, the Phillies didn't give up much so even if he falters it's not a huge loss, just shows the Phillies are desperate for starters
Barring any sort of injury, the Mets and Braves should have a close race to the finish. It could be a three team race if the Phillies get their pitchers back or if Lohse actually figures it all out.
The three teams in the National League East that are fighting for the playoffs are the New York Mets, Atlanta Braves, and the Philadelphia Philles. Each of these teams have missing pieces that they're trying to fill to make their run at a championship. The Mets need a second basemen with the loss of Jose Valentin (although most can argue they needed a second basemen even with a healthy Jose Valentin). The Braves needed a potent bat in their lineup. Their offense has been inconsistent and could use more fire power. The Phillies need starting pitching. With the losses of Freddy Garcia and Jon Lieber to injury and moving Brett Myers to the bullpen, they're starting rotation has holes that need to be filled.
The Mets addressed their void by trading two minor leaguers (which doesn't upset their current team) for Luis Castillo. Currently, the Mets have had a platoon between Ruben Gotay and Damion Easley. Gotay who has performed brilliantly when he's started apparently does not have the trust to be a quality everyday player. Castillo brings over his playoff experience (on the World Champion Florida Marlins in 2003), something which Gotay doesn't have (his past major league experience being on the Kansas City Royals). Castillo has a solid glove and consistent bat. He's shown to have speed which is good at the top of the order after Reyes and behind Beltran and he's a contact hitter, which will help Willie Randolph call the hit and run play. Although, Castillo's stolen bases have slowly become extinct, he's still a threat and he still has speed. This deal will also help with the Mets consistency. Having a platoon in the batting order causes confusion and a lack of settling for the hitters. With Castillo, he'll solidify his position in the batting order and the constant shuffling of the batting order won't be necessary (once Beltran comes back from his latest injury). When the Mets had a consistent lineup at the beginning of the season before Moises Alou's injury, the Mets played the best ball they've played all season. Excellent move by Minaya to help the Mets try to push themselves over the hump.
The Braves have struggled mightly in production from their first basemen. At the start of the season, they had a platoon of the youngster Scott Thorman and Craig Wilson. Wilson struggled at the beginning of the season, quickly fell out of favor, and was let go. The Braves did not have too much confidence in Thorman hitting against lefties, which lead to their young and talented catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia to play some first base and bat against righties. The Braves didn't like using their backup catcher as a first basemen because they would like to have the insurance if Brian McCann were to get injured, so once Julio Franco was let go by the Mets, the Braves pounced and picked up Franco to bat against lefties. Franco has struggled mightly offensively this season. At 48 (49 in August), his bat might be slowing down a bit. With Franco not producing from the right side and Thorman needing more seasoning in the minors, the Braves had to address this issue. Success came when they contacted the Rangers and made a deal to bring Mark Teixeira over. The Braves did send Saltalamacchia the other way, but with McCann signed to a long term deal, he was too valuable to just sit on the bench. Teixeira will solidify the middle of the lineup that already have potent bats just as the two Joneses, McCann, and Francoeur. They also get a quality defender, with Teixeira earning a gold glove already in his young career. He's a 40 HR guy, can drive in 100 runs and is also under contract throughout the 2008 season. He can be a difference maker on a team searching for consistent offense.
The Phillies have Cole Hamels...that's pretty much it. Yes, they have Jamie Moyer and Kyle Kendrick, but they're not the solid starters they need to make a push for a playoff spot. The Phillies needed a starter badly so they did what any other team in their situation would do, look for a hopeless team. The target: Cincinnati Reds. The Phillies acquired Kyle Lohse from the Reds for Matt Maloney, a minor league pitcher. They could have done worse, but a pitcher like Lohse is not a difference maker. He has a career ERA in the high 4's, not what you want in a pitcher that's supposed to help your season. We cannot look at his record because he was on a bad team, it's harder to have winning records when you're on a bad team (although Victor Zambrano was a winning pitcher on a bad Devil Rays team, but as a Mets fan I will not touch that subject). Lohse is a filler pitcher. He's been a pitcher that's had plenty of potential and has still not figured it out. Don't expect him to be the catalyst for the Phillies winning the pennant. They need Lieber and Garcia to get healthy. Lohse is not a proven winner, unless the Phillies are expecting Lohse to become what Jeff Weaver was to the Cardinals last year (which doesn't happen very often).
Analysis:
Mets - Luis Castillo (2B) - Good - solidifies defense and batting lineup, 3 switch hitters at the top of the order
Braves - Mark Teixeira (1B) - Great - finally found a producer out of the first base slot, which has been dormant since Adam LaRoche was traded
Phillies - Kyle Lohse (SP) - OK - he needs to show me something to prove he's worth it, the Phillies didn't give up much so even if he falters it's not a huge loss, just shows the Phillies are desperate for starters
Barring any sort of injury, the Mets and Braves should have a close race to the finish. It could be a three team race if the Phillies get their pitchers back or if Lohse actually figures it all out.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Orioles not on Trach, unlike pitcher
Steve Trachsel will get the start today for the Baltimore Orioles. He’s entering with a 3.86 ERA and a record of two wins and three losses. He was signed in the eleventh hour because Kris Benson went down for the season. No one knew what to expect from him. He’s coming off a 2006 season with the Mets, racking up fifteen wins, but was blessed with huge run support. He had an ERA of around five last season. This season he has been a pleasant surprise. 8 of his 9 games started, he’s given up 3 or less earned runs. Not bad for a fifth starter. With the high ERA posted in his last season in the National League, it was assumed he’d implode in the American League, where there are nine hitters in a batting lineup. The Orioles need this bright spot, as unlikely as it might have been predicted, because their team is gravely underachieving with the talented personnel that they have.
Abreu isn't that bad
No, not Bobby Abreu. Winston Abreu, who broke into the major leagues in 2006 with the Baltimore Orioles at age 29, currently has an ERA of 3.24 with the Washington Nationals. This season, he’s striking out around ten batters per nine innings. He’s given up only six hits and two walks in his 8 1/3 innings pitched resulting in a WHIP of less than one. So far he’s looked like a solid pitcher coming out of the Nationals’ bullpen. On the contrary to the all right handed pitchers, he’s holding the opposing batting average of lefties to .174 as opposed to .286 to righties in his career. He has fifteen career strikeouts, twelve of them being right handed hitters. Based on these numbers in his early career, Abreu is not necessarily a specialist pitcher out of the bullpen. He holds lefties to a low batting average and strikes out righties.
This season, minus the game that he lost, his ERA is 1.17 and the game he had a loss for, the only gave up two runs against his former team. Sure he’s still early in his major league career, but from what he’s shown so far this season he is a pitcher to keep an eye on.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Untangling the Webb
As the
Don’t get me wrong, Webb is a solid pitcher and his Cy Young Award was well deserved. He’s been pitching well for a team that has looked confused since their World Series victory over the Yankees in 2001, although now the Diamondbacks have some nice young talent coming up. Power hitters hit few balls out of the park when facing Webb. His natural sink on his pitches makes him a ground ball pitcher. It seems the Colorado Rockies know how to beat this pitcher.
As was seen yesterday, even though the Rockies did lose thanks to the clutch pitching of Jorge Julio and Jeremy Affeldt, the
I think more teams should try this philosophy. I’m sure it’s not the first time it’s been mentioned, but as long as you don’t expect to clobber a homerun against him and just try to make contact up the middle or the other way with a level swing, beating Brandon Webb might be easier. Of course those hitters that are notorious pull hitters such as Barry Bonds and Carlos Delgado probably will not have as much success against Brandon Webb because they make their mark by pulling. Bonds does have a .300 batting average against Webb, but that’s in only 10 at bats and Webb has walked him 15 times. 10 at bats, 15 walks, even if Webb got out Bonds in each at bat it’s a .600 on base percentage. Delgado has a .273 batting average in only 11 at bats against Webb. Kaz Matsui, on the other hand, a guy who slaps the ball around and doesn’t depend on pulling the ball has a .474 batting average in 19 at bats. David Wright, another hitter that has a natural swing going the other way, holds a .400 batting average in 15 at bats against Webb.
This approach might be the ticket to beating Brandon Webb. Just make contact. Don’t go up to the plate assuming home run because if that’s the case, you’ll have no success, unless you’re lucky. Brandon Webb have very good control of his pitches, so don’t expect him to hang too many out there to be hammered, but just make contact with the pitches in the strike zone.
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
Key Questions for April 3, 2007
BAL v. MIN: Will Daniel Cabrera have the control he's been working towards? How will the youngster, Boof Bonser, handle being the number 2 starter behind Johan Santana?
Cabrera did not pitch that terribly giving up only 3 ER and striking out 9 through 7 innings, but he gave up 4 walks. His main issue that has prevented him from being the dominating starter is his control. He had over 100 walks last season and that number needs to be cut down. He was able to get out of most trouble, but walks did him in the 5th inning and 7th inning where two of his walks scored. The Orioles lost 3-2, where 2 of the Twins runs were scored because they were put on with walks.
Bonser pitched decently giving up 2 ER through 6 innings with striking out 6. Bonser also had some control issues by issuing 3 walks, but giving up 2 ER is what you ask from your starting pitcher. He was able to pitch around the trouble because none of his walks came around to score. Bonser seemed today to be a good number 2 starter, but again, like Cabrera, command of the strike zone needs improvement.
SD v. SF - Will Barry Bonds hit a homerun? How will Barry Zito begin his National League career? Will Jake Peavy return to his form before his subpar 2006 season? How will the Padres rookie third baseman, Kouzmanoff perform?
Barry Bonds remains at homerun total 734, going 1 for 3 and shocked the world when he stole a base. Bonds has shown that he is fully healthy. Zito kept the Giants in the game only putting 6 men on base over 5 innings and giving up 3 R (2 ER). The Giants decided not to show up at the plate sporting Zito 0 runs of support.
Peavy looked like his old self again 6 IP, 6 K, 3 H, completely stymieing the Giants.
Kouzmanoff went 1 for 5 in his first game with the Padres. He probably had the Opening Day jitters, which are much worse for younger players or those trying to prove what they can do with a new team. The number that jumps out is he left 5 men on base in his at bats. That's a large number (not that the Padres needed those extra runs tonight winning 7-0) but he may be needed to come through in other games. He's young, no need to worry yet.
FLA v. WSH: Will Scott Olsen continue his strides toward being a dominating pitcher? Will the Nationals' pitching staff recover from the clobbering they got from the Florida offense yesterday, giving up 9 runs?
Olsen gave up 2 ER over 5-1/3 innings pitched, which is a solid start, but he gave up 5 walks. It didn't hurt him terribly, but that's about 1 walk per inning.
Nationals' pitching staff came far from recovering from the clobbering they got from the Florida Marlins yesterday. They came out for a second game and allowed another 9 runs. Even with Jon Rauch pitching a perfect inning today, the Nationals' team ERA is 9.00. I assume that will decrease as the season goes on.
LAD v. MIL: Is Milwaukee that good? Although, still to early to tell, but after winning with a great performance from Ben Sheets, can they do it behind other pitchers (today Capuano)? Who will step up as the Dodgers power in their lineup?
Milwaukee pulls off another win against the Dodgers, although their game was much closer than yesterdays. Chris Capuano kept the Brewers in the game by giving up only 3 runs and the Brewers scored 4. Kevin Mench's go ahead 2-run homerun in the 6th inning and the Brewers bullpen pitching 4 scoreless innings, lead them to victory. It seems they have to tools to win, but we'll still have to wait and see.
After Jeff Kent sported the power for the Dodgers yesterday, Russell Martin hit the lone home run for the Dodgers today. It's good to see that more than one batter is capable of hitting the long ball, but the Dodgers need to find who will step up and have the consistent threat.
PIT v. HOU: Will Houston use Lidge as closer today (if needed) after he gave up the game tying home run to Xavier Nady yesterday in the 9th innning and resulting in a Houston loss in extra innings?
The Astros were not in position to bring in their closer, Lidge, today because Xavier Nady destroyed their day again by hitting a go-ahead 2 run home run in the 8th to give the Astros a 2nd loss this season.
NYM v. STL: Will Orlando Hernandez return to form after being injured last postseason? How will Kip Wells fit into the St. Louis rotation that has been completely reshuffled from that of their championship team?
Hernandez gave up only 1 ER over 7 innings and posted a WHIP of 1.00 today leading the Mets to a victory. Excellent job for his first start this season and he looks like he's back to form from his nagging injuries last season and spring training.
Wells gave up 4 R, 2 earned, in 6 innings. Defense was not played behind Wells and you can't completely blame him for the loss. He struck out 7, he had command of his pitches. He did what was asked him, but he received only 1 run of support and it's tough to win with such little support.
(It is still early in the season and for all of these starters it is their first outings of the season. Walks will be high because of excitement and still putting together some finishing touches on their technique from Spring Training.)
Cabrera did not pitch that terribly giving up only 3 ER and striking out 9 through 7 innings, but he gave up 4 walks. His main issue that has prevented him from being the dominating starter is his control. He had over 100 walks last season and that number needs to be cut down. He was able to get out of most trouble, but walks did him in the 5th inning and 7th inning where two of his walks scored. The Orioles lost 3-2, where 2 of the Twins runs were scored because they were put on with walks.
Bonser pitched decently giving up 2 ER through 6 innings with striking out 6. Bonser also had some control issues by issuing 3 walks, but giving up 2 ER is what you ask from your starting pitcher. He was able to pitch around the trouble because none of his walks came around to score. Bonser seemed today to be a good number 2 starter, but again, like Cabrera, command of the strike zone needs improvement.
SD v. SF - Will Barry Bonds hit a homerun? How will Barry Zito begin his National League career? Will Jake Peavy return to his form before his subpar 2006 season? How will the Padres rookie third baseman, Kouzmanoff perform?
Barry Bonds remains at homerun total 734, going 1 for 3 and shocked the world when he stole a base. Bonds has shown that he is fully healthy. Zito kept the Giants in the game only putting 6 men on base over 5 innings and giving up 3 R (2 ER). The Giants decided not to show up at the plate sporting Zito 0 runs of support.
Peavy looked like his old self again 6 IP, 6 K, 3 H, completely stymieing the Giants.
Kouzmanoff went 1 for 5 in his first game with the Padres. He probably had the Opening Day jitters, which are much worse for younger players or those trying to prove what they can do with a new team. The number that jumps out is he left 5 men on base in his at bats. That's a large number (not that the Padres needed those extra runs tonight winning 7-0) but he may be needed to come through in other games. He's young, no need to worry yet.
FLA v. WSH: Will Scott Olsen continue his strides toward being a dominating pitcher? Will the Nationals' pitching staff recover from the clobbering they got from the Florida offense yesterday, giving up 9 runs?
Olsen gave up 2 ER over 5-1/3 innings pitched, which is a solid start, but he gave up 5 walks. It didn't hurt him terribly, but that's about 1 walk per inning.
Nationals' pitching staff came far from recovering from the clobbering they got from the Florida Marlins yesterday. They came out for a second game and allowed another 9 runs. Even with Jon Rauch pitching a perfect inning today, the Nationals' team ERA is 9.00. I assume that will decrease as the season goes on.
LAD v. MIL: Is Milwaukee that good? Although, still to early to tell, but after winning with a great performance from Ben Sheets, can they do it behind other pitchers (today Capuano)? Who will step up as the Dodgers power in their lineup?
Milwaukee pulls off another win against the Dodgers, although their game was much closer than yesterdays. Chris Capuano kept the Brewers in the game by giving up only 3 runs and the Brewers scored 4. Kevin Mench's go ahead 2-run homerun in the 6th inning and the Brewers bullpen pitching 4 scoreless innings, lead them to victory. It seems they have to tools to win, but we'll still have to wait and see.
After Jeff Kent sported the power for the Dodgers yesterday, Russell Martin hit the lone home run for the Dodgers today. It's good to see that more than one batter is capable of hitting the long ball, but the Dodgers need to find who will step up and have the consistent threat.
PIT v. HOU: Will Houston use Lidge as closer today (if needed) after he gave up the game tying home run to Xavier Nady yesterday in the 9th innning and resulting in a Houston loss in extra innings?
The Astros were not in position to bring in their closer, Lidge, today because Xavier Nady destroyed their day again by hitting a go-ahead 2 run home run in the 8th to give the Astros a 2nd loss this season.
NYM v. STL: Will Orlando Hernandez return to form after being injured last postseason? How will Kip Wells fit into the St. Louis rotation that has been completely reshuffled from that of their championship team?
Hernandez gave up only 1 ER over 7 innings and posted a WHIP of 1.00 today leading the Mets to a victory. Excellent job for his first start this season and he looks like he's back to form from his nagging injuries last season and spring training.
Wells gave up 4 R, 2 earned, in 6 innings. Defense was not played behind Wells and you can't completely blame him for the loss. He struck out 7, he had command of his pitches. He did what was asked him, but he received only 1 run of support and it's tough to win with such little support.
(It is still early in the season and for all of these starters it is their first outings of the season. Walks will be high because of excitement and still putting together some finishing touches on their technique from Spring Training.)
Monday, March 26, 2007
Beware, Orioles have re-stocked
The Baltimore Orioles are the sleeper team of 2007. They have dealt with their issues from 2005 and 2006 in more ways than one. In 2005, it was the lack of team chemistry after the numerous injuries that plagued the team and Rafael Palmeiro pinning the blame on Miguel Tejada for him testing positive on steroids. In 2006, it was the lack of pitching they had to keep themselves in the game. They had no bridge from the starting rotation, which had some holes in and of itself, to Chris Ray.
Before the 2006 season, they let go of Rafael Palmeiro and they signed Kevin Millar. Millar has known to be a positive presence in the lineup and a member of the 2004 World Champion "idiots".
This past offseason, the Orioles have completely retooled their bullpen, improved the starting rotation, and added some depth on the bench and on the field.
The addition of Aubrey Huff adds some power to the Orioles' lineup. Huff, being a member of the Devil Rays and the Astros last season, now has a home in Baltimore. Orioles will be slotting Huff at the first base position, a position he has some experience playing. Although, Huff had an off-season with the bat last year, having a consistent position and a permanent home may help him get back to number that made him a dangerous hitter. Being 30 years old when the season begins, Huff is more than capable of posting 25 HR and 100 RBI as he has done previously in his career.
Brian Roberts, the allstar second baseman, is hoping his injury plagued days are behind him and hoping to return to his 2005 form. Roberts has the speed at the top of the lineup that can create excitement when he gets on base, stealing 33 bases in 2006. In 2005, he developed and showed off the pop he has in his bat by hitting 18 home runs and was 18th in American League MVP voting. He's a dangerous gap hitter, hitting 50 doubles in 2004.
Miguel Tejada, not much I really need to say about him. He's a stellar shortshop, who will hit over .300, hit for power, drive in runs, and hasn't broke triple digits in the strikeout department since 2000. Need I say more? He's the cleanup hitter.
Entering this season at 35 years old, Melvin Mora's bat might be slowing down a bit, Mora still has the ability of reaching 15 HR and 75 RBI and hitting .280.
In left field, it appears Jay Payton will be getting the starting role. He is a solid contact hitter which will be ideal for those hit and run situations. He's averaged 51 strikeouts over the past three season and will give you a .285 batting average. Last season with the Athletics, he developed his doubles hitting posting 32 in the span of he season.
Corey Patterson will be manning center field and has the speed to man the entire outfield all by himself. The speed demon has resurrected his career in Baltimore after struggling in Chicago. In 2006, he stole a career high 45 bases and coming into this season at 27 years of age, he still can get better.
The young and talented Nick Markakis finishes up the outfield in right this season. After the all-star break, he found his power stroke hitting 14 of his 16 home runs. As a rookie, 22 years old, his totals in 2006 were .291, 16 HR, 62 RBIs with 491 at bats, which isn't a full season. His 10 home run August shows his potential to be a 30 home run person. Markakis showed very good plate discipline with a .351 on base percentage. Also, Markakis only made 1 error in all of 2006. With all of this on his resume at 22 years old, his future looks bright in the major leagues.
Ramon Hernandez had an excellent return to the American League in 2006 after his brief stint with the San Diego Padres, hitting a career high 23 HR and 91 RBIs. With the improved protection in the lineup, look for him to post similar numbers to last year.
Jay Gibbons, the oft-injured former right fielder, will be fitting into his role as designated hitter. When healthy, Gibbons is a power threat and capable of driving in runs. With a healthy Jay Gibbons, Miguel Tejada, Nick Markakis, Aubrey Huff and even Ramon Hernandez, the Orioles have a dangerous middle of the batting order.
Erik Bedard has been a quality starter for the Orioles with a 3.76 ERA in 2006 and is expected to put up similar numbers, if not better. Daniel Cabrera has improved every year since his rookie season. The flame-throwing right hander is capable of striking out any hitting in the big leagues with his fastball topping out at 98 MPH. The one thing he has to learn is throwing a 95 MPH fastball with location is better than a 98 MPH erratic fastball. Once he puts that together, he'll be one of the dominant pitcher in the American League. Bringing in Jaret Wright from the Yankees has been overlooked as a good move this offseason, but taking Wright out of the New York spotlight will alleviate the pressure he felt with every outing. Wright had a breakthrough season with Atlanta in 2004, going 15-8 with a 3.28 ERA. He has the talent. In a more relaxed atmosphere, expect those numbers to return in 2007. Adam Loewen is a young and unproven pitcher with potential. With Leo Mazzone as pitching coach, the same pitching coach that coached two future hall of famers, Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux, Loewen will learn his trade and improve as the season progresses. Steve Trachsel in the five spot in the rotation is an inning eater. He went 15-8 last season, mostly because of large run support, but the Orioles have the capabilities of doing the same in 2007.
The revamped bullpen features a former closer in Danys Baez who will be the setup man to closer, Chris Ray. Ray had 33 saves in his first season as closer for a team that had only 70 wins. But the duo that will be frequently seen warming up together will be that of Chad Bradford from the right and Jamie Walker from the left. Bradford, after having seasons with injuries, put together a solid 2006 with a 2.90 ERA and a 4-2 record with the Mets. Walker, with the AL champion Detroit Tigers last year, posted a 2.81 ERA. ERAs below 3 is what you look for in relief pitching and Orioles found what they have been missing with these pitcher.
The key member of the Orioles bench is Kevin Millar. He can be a backup first baseman or outfielder. But the most important aspect is he's part of the insurance policy for if Jay Gibbons is to return to the disabled list during the season. If Gibbons is to get hurt, which has happened each of the past few seasons, Aubrey Huff would take over the DH role and Kevin Millar would play first base.
Adding Paul Bako, as a backup to Ramon Hernandez, brings a veteran presence to the team to help out with the young pitchers. Bako will play once a week to give Hernandez a rest, but his main purpose is to shape pitchers like Daniel Cabrera and Adam Loewen into productive starters.
Chris Gomez, the super-utility man, was able to do it all last year. Gomez played all infield positions for the Orioles at different times throughout the season and committed only 3 errors while batting .341 off the bench. Put him in for defense, put him in as a pinch hitter, no matter what role the Orioles need him to play, he can do it and do it very well.
The Orioles have the tools and depth to be a dangerous team even in the tough AL East.
Before the 2006 season, they let go of Rafael Palmeiro and they signed Kevin Millar. Millar has known to be a positive presence in the lineup and a member of the 2004 World Champion "idiots".
This past offseason, the Orioles have completely retooled their bullpen, improved the starting rotation, and added some depth on the bench and on the field.
The addition of Aubrey Huff adds some power to the Orioles' lineup. Huff, being a member of the Devil Rays and the Astros last season, now has a home in Baltimore. Orioles will be slotting Huff at the first base position, a position he has some experience playing. Although, Huff had an off-season with the bat last year, having a consistent position and a permanent home may help him get back to number that made him a dangerous hitter. Being 30 years old when the season begins, Huff is more than capable of posting 25 HR and 100 RBI as he has done previously in his career.
Brian Roberts, the allstar second baseman, is hoping his injury plagued days are behind him and hoping to return to his 2005 form. Roberts has the speed at the top of the lineup that can create excitement when he gets on base, stealing 33 bases in 2006. In 2005, he developed and showed off the pop he has in his bat by hitting 18 home runs and was 18th in American League MVP voting. He's a dangerous gap hitter, hitting 50 doubles in 2004.
Miguel Tejada, not much I really need to say about him. He's a stellar shortshop, who will hit over .300, hit for power, drive in runs, and hasn't broke triple digits in the strikeout department since 2000. Need I say more? He's the cleanup hitter.
Entering this season at 35 years old, Melvin Mora's bat might be slowing down a bit, Mora still has the ability of reaching 15 HR and 75 RBI and hitting .280.
In left field, it appears Jay Payton will be getting the starting role. He is a solid contact hitter which will be ideal for those hit and run situations. He's averaged 51 strikeouts over the past three season and will give you a .285 batting average. Last season with the Athletics, he developed his doubles hitting posting 32 in the span of he season.
Corey Patterson will be manning center field and has the speed to man the entire outfield all by himself. The speed demon has resurrected his career in Baltimore after struggling in Chicago. In 2006, he stole a career high 45 bases and coming into this season at 27 years of age, he still can get better.
The young and talented Nick Markakis finishes up the outfield in right this season. After the all-star break, he found his power stroke hitting 14 of his 16 home runs. As a rookie, 22 years old, his totals in 2006 were .291, 16 HR, 62 RBIs with 491 at bats, which isn't a full season. His 10 home run August shows his potential to be a 30 home run person. Markakis showed very good plate discipline with a .351 on base percentage. Also, Markakis only made 1 error in all of 2006. With all of this on his resume at 22 years old, his future looks bright in the major leagues.
Ramon Hernandez had an excellent return to the American League in 2006 after his brief stint with the San Diego Padres, hitting a career high 23 HR and 91 RBIs. With the improved protection in the lineup, look for him to post similar numbers to last year.
Jay Gibbons, the oft-injured former right fielder, will be fitting into his role as designated hitter. When healthy, Gibbons is a power threat and capable of driving in runs. With a healthy Jay Gibbons, Miguel Tejada, Nick Markakis, Aubrey Huff and even Ramon Hernandez, the Orioles have a dangerous middle of the batting order.
Erik Bedard has been a quality starter for the Orioles with a 3.76 ERA in 2006 and is expected to put up similar numbers, if not better. Daniel Cabrera has improved every year since his rookie season. The flame-throwing right hander is capable of striking out any hitting in the big leagues with his fastball topping out at 98 MPH. The one thing he has to learn is throwing a 95 MPH fastball with location is better than a 98 MPH erratic fastball. Once he puts that together, he'll be one of the dominant pitcher in the American League. Bringing in Jaret Wright from the Yankees has been overlooked as a good move this offseason, but taking Wright out of the New York spotlight will alleviate the pressure he felt with every outing. Wright had a breakthrough season with Atlanta in 2004, going 15-8 with a 3.28 ERA. He has the talent. In a more relaxed atmosphere, expect those numbers to return in 2007. Adam Loewen is a young and unproven pitcher with potential. With Leo Mazzone as pitching coach, the same pitching coach that coached two future hall of famers, Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux, Loewen will learn his trade and improve as the season progresses. Steve Trachsel in the five spot in the rotation is an inning eater. He went 15-8 last season, mostly because of large run support, but the Orioles have the capabilities of doing the same in 2007.
The revamped bullpen features a former closer in Danys Baez who will be the setup man to closer, Chris Ray. Ray had 33 saves in his first season as closer for a team that had only 70 wins. But the duo that will be frequently seen warming up together will be that of Chad Bradford from the right and Jamie Walker from the left. Bradford, after having seasons with injuries, put together a solid 2006 with a 2.90 ERA and a 4-2 record with the Mets. Walker, with the AL champion Detroit Tigers last year, posted a 2.81 ERA. ERAs below 3 is what you look for in relief pitching and Orioles found what they have been missing with these pitcher.
The key member of the Orioles bench is Kevin Millar. He can be a backup first baseman or outfielder. But the most important aspect is he's part of the insurance policy for if Jay Gibbons is to return to the disabled list during the season. If Gibbons is to get hurt, which has happened each of the past few seasons, Aubrey Huff would take over the DH role and Kevin Millar would play first base.
Adding Paul Bako, as a backup to Ramon Hernandez, brings a veteran presence to the team to help out with the young pitchers. Bako will play once a week to give Hernandez a rest, but his main purpose is to shape pitchers like Daniel Cabrera and Adam Loewen into productive starters.
Chris Gomez, the super-utility man, was able to do it all last year. Gomez played all infield positions for the Orioles at different times throughout the season and committed only 3 errors while batting .341 off the bench. Put him in for defense, put him in as a pinch hitter, no matter what role the Orioles need him to play, he can do it and do it very well.
The Orioles have the tools and depth to be a dangerous team even in the tough AL East.
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Miller astounding, Ramirez in regular season form
Wade Miller looked like the Wade Miller of old posting 3 hits and 5 strikeouts over 5 innings and making a strong case to make the starting rotation for the Chicago Cubs. Miller hasn't completed a full season since 2003 due to injuries. He's trying to put that all behind him and start fresh with his talented arm. If he remains healthy, he'll be a key member of the Chicago pitching staff and a dangerous pitcher to opposing lineups. He's capable of consistent pitching and posting an ERA in the 3's. A great pitcher to pitch behind Carlos Zambrano in the rotation.
Aramis Ramirez seems poised to continue his dangerous hitting into the 2007 season, hitting .333 with 5 home runs and 12 runs batted in this spring. Ramirez in his 3 years with the Cubs has averaged 35 home runs and 105 RBIs. With Derrek Lee completely recovered from his wrist injury and the addition of Alfonso Soriano to the lineup, this could give the protection that Ramirez was missing last season. Even though, Ramirez posted 38 home runs and 119 RBIs, which isn't too shabby, in 2006, he may improve on those figures in 2007 by getting a better selection of pitches to hit.
Aramis Ramirez seems poised to continue his dangerous hitting into the 2007 season, hitting .333 with 5 home runs and 12 runs batted in this spring. Ramirez in his 3 years with the Cubs has averaged 35 home runs and 105 RBIs. With Derrek Lee completely recovered from his wrist injury and the addition of Alfonso Soriano to the lineup, this could give the protection that Ramirez was missing last season. Even though, Ramirez posted 38 home runs and 119 RBIs, which isn't too shabby, in 2006, he may improve on those figures in 2007 by getting a better selection of pitches to hit.
Saturday, March 24, 2007
The Mets have a starting rotation
With Pedro Martinez out probably until August, there was a tough competition for the last slot in the pitching rotation. In the offseason, Mets GM Omar Minaya brought in pitchers to compete with the young pitchers in the Mets minor league system.
Minaya brought in Aaron Sele, Jorge Sosa, and Chan Ho Park to name a few to compete with highly touted prospects Philip Humber and Mike Pelfrey. Poor outings in the starting roles quickly weeded out Sosa and Sele. The inexperience of Philip Humber, set back a year because of Tommy John surgery, showed up in his outings and resulted in him getting sent down to the minors. Leaving Mike Pelfrey and Chan Ho Park left for the fifth spot.
Mike Pelfrey over the spring has posted: 14 IP, 1.29 ERA, 2 ER, 17 H, 1 BB, 3 K
Chan Ho Park over the spring has posted: 12-1/3 IP, 6.57 ERA, 9 ER, 14 H, 7 BB, 15 K
Pelfrey has performed better and it appears Willie Randolph has noticed this as well. Park pitched today against the Orioles and was surprisingly pulled after 3 perfect innings, much to the chagrin of Park. He was informed later on that he will be pitching again in a few days to see how he performs if he was to come out of the bullpen. That might be the clue that Pelfrey has won the 5th spot.
Mets projected rotation at the beginning of the season: Glavine, Hernandez, Maine, Perez, Pelfrey. Park could be an asset in case one of the starters happens to get hurt during the season. Keeping him on the pitching staff adds extra depth to the Mets rotation. Orlando Hernandez has had a few injuries that have hampered him this spring. Park, who has known to be a quality starter at times in his career, will be a good insurance policy.
Minaya brought in Aaron Sele, Jorge Sosa, and Chan Ho Park to name a few to compete with highly touted prospects Philip Humber and Mike Pelfrey. Poor outings in the starting roles quickly weeded out Sosa and Sele. The inexperience of Philip Humber, set back a year because of Tommy John surgery, showed up in his outings and resulted in him getting sent down to the minors. Leaving Mike Pelfrey and Chan Ho Park left for the fifth spot.
Mike Pelfrey over the spring has posted: 14 IP, 1.29 ERA, 2 ER, 17 H, 1 BB, 3 K
Chan Ho Park over the spring has posted: 12-1/3 IP, 6.57 ERA, 9 ER, 14 H, 7 BB, 15 K
Pelfrey has performed better and it appears Willie Randolph has noticed this as well. Park pitched today against the Orioles and was surprisingly pulled after 3 perfect innings, much to the chagrin of Park. He was informed later on that he will be pitching again in a few days to see how he performs if he was to come out of the bullpen. That might be the clue that Pelfrey has won the 5th spot.
Mets projected rotation at the beginning of the season: Glavine, Hernandez, Maine, Perez, Pelfrey. Park could be an asset in case one of the starters happens to get hurt during the season. Keeping him on the pitching staff adds extra depth to the Mets rotation. Orlando Hernandez has had a few injuries that have hampered him this spring. Park, who has known to be a quality starter at times in his career, will be a good insurance policy.
Chien-Ming Wang is down for the count
Yankees report Chien-Ming Wang will begin the season on the DL after tweaking a hamstring yesterday. Wang, last season, was arguably the best pitcher and the anchor of the Yankees starting rotation. Yankees were hoping for Wang to build upon the success of last year and was slotted as the number one starter in the rotation (probably making Mike Mussina happy, who never liked being number one in a pitching rotation).
There's speculation that oft-injured pitcher, Carl Pavano, may be slotted to pitch Opening Day against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Pavano has had an inconsistent Spring Training so far, with him posting 4-1/3 IP, 3 R, 3 ER, 8 H, 2 BB, 2 K in his last outing. Not stellar numbers this late into spring, with Opening Day a little over a week away. I'm sure Joe Torre will wait to announce who will start Opening Day in order to see how his other starters perform.
The Yankees are going to face Scott Kazmir, a young and very talented lefty. It would be a better idea for them to start a pitcher that has been consistent and better over the past month.
Mike Mussina has been the Opening Day starter before, so why not choose him? He's been a consistent starter throughout the spring and he's known to pitch quality games. They'll need a good starter out there to match up with Kazmir. Of course, the manager needs to have faith in every pitcher he has on his staff, but you also want to start the season on the right foot.
Although Kazmir is young and has limited major league experience, he has a winning record in his career even though he's been on a lackluster team. His ERA in 2006 was 3.24, with 163 strikeouts, over 144-2/3 innings pitched.
Even newcomer Kei Igawa has pitched better than Pavano has. Andy Pettitte might have some injury issues, so he could be out of the question. The point is Pavano is not who you want against Kazmir.
The Devil Rays do have a very balanced and potent lineup that few give credit for. Carl Crawford has power, speed and hits for average, as does Rocco Baldelli. Delmon Young is a great young talent and showed his talent off with his brief stint with the Devil Rays last year batting .317 in 126 at bats. Ty Wigginton had a break out season with power hitting 24 HR in 122 games. Jorge Cantu will try to bring himself back to his 2005 numbers of .286, 28 HR, 117 RBI after an injury plagued season last year. There's a lot of talent right there.
The Yankees lineup is very potent as well, but don't expect the Yankees to be teeing off Kazmir. They need a pitcher that will guarantee keeping them in the game and Pavano hasn't proven that he can be counted on, yet. I'm sure the Yankees will beat upon the following starters because the Devil Rays don't have much depth in the starting rotation, but to win that first game you need a solid pitcher. The Yankees can throw any pitcher out there the next two days. They could be very high scoring games as the Yankees tee off on Devil Rays pitching, they'll have enough offense to win games even if their starter is weak, because the Devil Rays are weaker.
They need to start the season on the right foot and maybe Pavano could be a surprise and have a solid outing, but go for more of a sure thing.
There's speculation that oft-injured pitcher, Carl Pavano, may be slotted to pitch Opening Day against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Pavano has had an inconsistent Spring Training so far, with him posting 4-1/3 IP, 3 R, 3 ER, 8 H, 2 BB, 2 K in his last outing. Not stellar numbers this late into spring, with Opening Day a little over a week away. I'm sure Joe Torre will wait to announce who will start Opening Day in order to see how his other starters perform.
The Yankees are going to face Scott Kazmir, a young and very talented lefty. It would be a better idea for them to start a pitcher that has been consistent and better over the past month.
Mike Mussina has been the Opening Day starter before, so why not choose him? He's been a consistent starter throughout the spring and he's known to pitch quality games. They'll need a good starter out there to match up with Kazmir. Of course, the manager needs to have faith in every pitcher he has on his staff, but you also want to start the season on the right foot.
Although Kazmir is young and has limited major league experience, he has a winning record in his career even though he's been on a lackluster team. His ERA in 2006 was 3.24, with 163 strikeouts, over 144-2/3 innings pitched.
Even newcomer Kei Igawa has pitched better than Pavano has. Andy Pettitte might have some injury issues, so he could be out of the question. The point is Pavano is not who you want against Kazmir.
The Devil Rays do have a very balanced and potent lineup that few give credit for. Carl Crawford has power, speed and hits for average, as does Rocco Baldelli. Delmon Young is a great young talent and showed his talent off with his brief stint with the Devil Rays last year batting .317 in 126 at bats. Ty Wigginton had a break out season with power hitting 24 HR in 122 games. Jorge Cantu will try to bring himself back to his 2005 numbers of .286, 28 HR, 117 RBI after an injury plagued season last year. There's a lot of talent right there.
The Yankees lineup is very potent as well, but don't expect the Yankees to be teeing off Kazmir. They need a pitcher that will guarantee keeping them in the game and Pavano hasn't proven that he can be counted on, yet. I'm sure the Yankees will beat upon the following starters because the Devil Rays don't have much depth in the starting rotation, but to win that first game you need a solid pitcher. The Yankees can throw any pitcher out there the next two days. They could be very high scoring games as the Yankees tee off on Devil Rays pitching, they'll have enough offense to win games even if their starter is weak, because the Devil Rays are weaker.
They need to start the season on the right foot and maybe Pavano could be a surprise and have a solid outing, but go for more of a sure thing.
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