Monday, April 28, 2008

The Highest Paid Reliever

Who is the highest paid relief pitcher in all of baseball?

Would you guess Barry Zito?

Yes, the same Barry Zito who signed a 7 year, $126 million contract has been moved to the Giants bullpen. He is the same Barry Zito who won the Cy Young Award in 2002 winning 23 games. However, he is the same in name only. He is a far cry from that form.

He is 0-6 this season in 6 starts. Well you may all say the Giants are a light hitting team, but his ERA is over 7. Even the team where Bonds and Aurilia combined for over 100 home runs could not help this man win a game (see 2001 Giants).

What happened to this pitcher? Talent doesn’t just disappear, does it? Well perhaps for Roberto Alomar in 2002, it does, but he was getting older. Zito is still in his prime. He’s never been on the DL. No one has seen any structural damage to him.

Here’s what I believe is the problem. Rick Peterson, the current Mets pitching coach, refined his skill and made him into a great pitcher. Zito, because of the wear and tear of a season, started compensating for some minor pains he had by altering his mechanics slightly changing the way he pitches. With Peterson no longer being with Zito, the new pitching coach was unaware of how Peterson made Zito dominant. These compensations turned into habits which then turned into his new mechanics. These new mechanics are not as good and Peterson is not there to fix him.

Memo to Mets Fans: Relax!

As trying to bring reason to the lackluster beginning of the Mets season, one huge scapegoat, who also has a huge contract and is paid to supply a huge bat, is Carlos Delgado. Delgado, the power hitting first baseman, is off to a slow start batting a little over .200 with three homeruns (including the two he hit yesterday) and the Met fan sees this is a continuation of the poor output in 2007. For those who followed the pattern of Delgado’s season in 2007, whenever he looked comfortable at the plate and was hitting the ball like the Delgado the Mets wanted and traded for, he would get injured which cooled him off. He never was able to get into a rhythm.

Now to address the myth of his slowing bat that’s spiraling him into mediocrity. He is batting .306 against power pitchers this season, which means one thing: he’s able to catch up to hard pitches. He can get his bat into the zone quick enough to hit a hard fastball. Mets fans rejoice. Delgado can still hit.

During the September debacle, one figure that went unnoticed was Delgado batted .321. After the all star break last season, he batted .288 which is higher than his career average.

Yes, there is a bad taste in your mouth from the end of last season and the Mets as a whole have not gotten into a solid groove yet, but it’s early. All your booing is almost tempting me to compare you to the kind of fans you despise: Phillies fans. Insulted yet? You can be passionate without being harsh.

We both know Delgado is not in the prime of his career. He won’t be the primary clean up hitter at any point this season. But he won’t maintain his status as the black hole in the lineup for the entire season. He will be there for you, Met fans. Sit back, relax, and watch Delgado drive in those runs.

Projection: Monday, April 28, 2008

TAM 90 72 0.556

NYM 92 70 0.568
TOR 87 75 0.537

ATL 91 71 0.562
NYY 85 77 0.525

PHI 77 85 0.475
BOS 79 83 0.488

FLA 66 96 0.407
BAL 74 88 0.457

WAS 65 97 0.401










CLE 93 69 0.574

CHC 92 70 0.568
CHW 86 76 0.531

HOU 86 76 0.531
DET 76 86 0.469

MIL 85 77 0.525
MIN 76 86 0.469

STL 82 80 0.506
KC 76 86 0.469

CIN 70 92 0.432






PIT 69 93 0.426










LAA 89 73 0.549

ARI 96 66 0.593
OAK 85 77 0.525

LAD 93 69 0.574
SEA 84 78 0.519

COL 75 87 0.463
TEX 74 88 0.457

SDP 73 89 0.451






SFG 64 98 0.395

Best Team to Miss Playoffs (AL): New York Yankees
Best Team to Miss Playoffs (NL): Atlanta Braves

ALDS: Blue Jays defeat Indians, Angels defeat Rays
NLDS: Diamondbacks defeat Mets, Cubs defeat Dodgers

ALCS: Blue Jays defeat Angels
NLCS: Cubs defeat Diamondbacks

World Series: Blue Jays defeat Cubs

Note: I expect interesting comments on these projections.

Monday, April 21, 2008

Hank wants Joba to Start

Joba Chamberlain should eventually be in the starting rotation, but the process would be too taxing on the pitching staff. He would have to be sent down to the minors for about a month to gradually lengthen his outings. He's usually only in the game for an inning at a time and the Yankees would need him to be on the mound an average of 6 innings. Sending Chamberlain to the minors would weaken an already susceptible bullpen and could hurt the Yankees' chances this season. When he makes his transition to the starting rotation, it should be done in spring training so the Yankees don't miss his lively arm (like the Red Sox tried with Papelbon in 2007). He's got the stuff to be a solid starting pitcher, but now can't be the time.

Also, I find it interesting that Steinbrenner leaves Mussina out of his ideal starting rotation while he's been pitching better than Hughes or Kennedy. If there was a plan to move Chamberlain to the rotation, upon his return one of the younger pitchers would be the ones out of the rotation (unless Mussina implodes). The Yankees have a difficult situation on their hands and they'll be looking around to make some moves to help their starting rotation because moving Chamberlain is not a feasible solution this season.

Projection: Monday, April 21, 2008

TOR 91 71 0.562

ATL 96 66 0.593
NYY 85 77 0.525

NYM 92 70 0.568
BOS 84 78 0.519

PHI 77 85 0.475
TAM 80 82 0.494

WAS 63 99 0.389
BAL 71 91 0.438

FLA 63 99 0.389










CLE 86 76 0.531

CHC 90 72 0.556
CHW 83 79 0.512

HOU 87 75 0.537
KC 82 80 0.506

MIL 85 77 0.525
MIN 76 86 0.469

STL 80 82 0.494
DET 70 92 0.432

CIN 77 85 0.475






PIT 70 92 0.432










LAA 87 75 0.537

ARI 105 57 0.648
SEA 81 81 0.500

LAD 92 70 0.568
TEX 80 82 0.494

COL 82 80 0.506
OAK 73 89 0.451

SDP 75 87 0.463






SFG 67 95 0.414

Best Team to Miss Playoffs (AL): Boston Red Sox
Best Team to Miss Playoffs (NL): New York Mets

ALDS: Blue Jays defeat Indians, Yankees defeat Angels
NLDS: Diamondbacks defeat Cubs, Dodgers defeat Braves

ALCS: Blue Jays defeat Yankees
NLCS: Dodgers defeat Diamondbacks

World Series: Blue Jays defeat Dodgers

Sunday, April 20, 2008

Blue Jays Release Thomas

Frank Thomas was released by the Toronto Blue Jays a day after he was left out of the lineup. He has been struggling at the start of this season, but was that the reason behind releasing him? For those who have followed Thomas after his White Sox career, you saw him have slow starts. In Oakland, retirement speculation surrounded him because of his slow start, however, if you were to compare his numbers between 2006, 2007, and 2008 in his first 16 games, you would see very little difference.


AB R H HR RBI BA OBP SLG
2006 56 8 10 4 9 0.179 0.246 0.429
2007 58 8 12 2 5 0.207 0.333 0.345
2008 60 7 10 3 11 0.167 0.306 0.333

So why release him now? There has to be another reason other than lack of production because the Blue Jays will struggle to replace his power in the middle of the lineup. They have Vernon Wells and Alex Rios, but then who else? Shannon Stewart, David Eckstein, Aaron Hill, and Gregg Zaun are not known for their power. Lyle Overbay provides good power but not enough to replace Frank Thomas. Scott Rolen could perform enough to replace Thomas, but how often will he be around during the season. Rolen has been known for his history of health issues.

Now look at how Thomas ended his 2006 and 2007 seasons after his slow starts.


AB R H HR RBI BA OBP SLG
2006 466 77 126 39 114 0.270 0.381 0.545
2007 531 63 147 26 95 0.277 0.377 0.480

Between 2006 and 2007, there was a power drop off and he's not as good as he was in his prime, but he's still got plenty left in his bat. There had to be some sort of behind the scenes issue to prompt this release, because this is not a good move for the Blue Jays who hope to overtake the Yankee-Red Sox strangehold on the AL East.

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Recommendations: April 16, 2008

For teams that are struggling, here are my recommendations:

Minnesota Twins

Focus: Bullpen

Best Options (In Order)

1. Dennys Reyes
2. Joe Nathan
3. Brian Bass

Avoid for Today

1. Matt Guerrier
2. Jesse Crain
3. Pat Neshek
4. Juan Rincon

Note: Livan Hernandez will need to pitch deep into this game in order for the Twins to have a chance to win today.

Texas Rangers

Focus: Batting Lineup and Bullpen

1. Ramon Vazquez, 1b
2. Ian Kinsler, 2B
3. Milton Bradley, DH
4. Josh Hamilton, CF
5. Gerald Laird, C
6. Hank Blalock, 3B
7. David Murphy, RF
8. Michael Young, SS
9. Frank Catalanotto, LF

Best Options (In Order)

1. Wes Littleton
2. C.J. Wilson
3. Jamey Wright
4. Joaquin Benoit
5. Franklyn German

Avoid for Today

1. Dustin Nippert
2. Josh Rupe

Reason why Rangers lost: Josh Rupe was 6th on my most trusted list, meaning there were 5 better. Now I never said for him not to play so I wasn't completely correct, but there were definitely others who would have been better. Rupe gave up 3 runs. Rangers lost by 3 runs. Enough said.

Cincinnati Reds

Focus: Batting Lineup and Bullpen

1. Scott Hatteberg, 1B
2. Ken Griffey Jr., RF
3. Paul Bako, C
4. Corey Patterson, CF
5. Jeff Keppinger, SS
6. Adam Dunn, LF
7. Brandon Phillips, 2B
8. Ryan Freel, 3B
9. Josh Fogg, P

Best Options (In Order)

1. Francisco Cordero
2. Kent Mercker
3. Mike Lincoln
4. Jeremy Affeldt
5. Jared Burton
6. David Weathers

Avoid for Today

1. Todd Coffey

Reason why Reds lost: Corey Patterson cannot lead off a game, at least not yet. It seems that he presses when he leads off a game and as a result going 0 for 4 yesterday. Patterson has shown the most power in the most recent games for the Reds. If the Reds want to win, they should treat him as a power hitter for the short term.

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Recommendations: April 15, 2008

For teams that are struggling, here are my recommendations:

Texas Rangers

Focus: Batting Lineup and Bullpen

1. Ramon Vazquez, SS
2. Ian Kinsler, 2B
3. Milton Bradley, DH
4. Josh Hamilton, CF
5. Ben Broussard, 1B
6. Gerald Laird, C
7. Hank Blalock, 3B
8. David Murphy, RF
9. Frank Catalanotto, LF

Best Options (In Order)

1. Wes Littleton
2. C.J. Wilson
3. Jamey Wright
4. Franklyn German
5. Joaquin Benoit
6. Josh Rupe

Avoid for Today

1. Dustin Nippert

Reason why Rangers lost: Michael Young and Marlon Byrd need to take a break to help break the bad momentum in their bad stretch of hitting. The offense was weak yesterday and part of it was Young and Byrd going 0 for 6 and left 3 runners on base.

Cincinnati Reds

Focus: Batting Lineup and Bullpen

1. Adam Dunn, LF
2. Ken Griffey Jr., RF
3. Paul Bako, C
4. Corey Patterson, CF
5. Jeff Keppinger, SS
6. Joey Votto, 1B
7. Brandon Phillips, 2B
8. Ryan Freel, 3B
9. Aaron Harang, P

Best Options (In Order)

1. Francisco Cordero
2. Mike Lincoln
3. Jared Burton
4. Kent Mercker
5. Jeremy Affeldt
6. David Weathers

Avoid for Today

1. Todd Coffey

Monday, April 14, 2008

Recommendations: April 14, 2008

For teams that are struggling, here are my recommendations:

Texas Rangers

Focus: Batting Lineup and Bullpen

1. Ramon Vazquez, SS
2. David Murphy, LF
3. Ian Kinsler, 2B
4. Ben Broussard, 1B
5. Josh Hamilton, CF
6. Gerald Laird, C
7. Milton Bradley, RF
8. Hank Blalock, 3B
9. Frank Catalanotto, DH

Best Options (In Order)

1. C.J. Wilson
2. Jamey Wright
3. Franklyn German
4. Joaquin Benoit
5. Josh Rupe

Avoid for Today

1. Dustin Nippert

Projection: Monday, April 14, 2008

NYY 90 72 0.556

ATL 93 69 0.574
TOR 88 74 0.543

NYM 91 71 0.562
TAM 82 80 0.506

PHI 73 89 0.451
BOS 81 81 0.500

WAS 68 94 0.420
BAL 70 92 0.432

FLA 63 99 0.389










CLE 91 71 0.562

HOU 88 74 0.543
KC 88 74 0.543

CHC 86 76 0.531
MIN 80 82 0.494

MIL 86 76 0.531
CHW 77 85 0.475

CIN 84 78 0.519
DET 70 92 0.432

STL 77 85 0.475






PIT 71 91 0.438










TEX 81 81 0.500

ARI 94 68 0.580
LAA 81 81 0.500

LAD 91 71 0.562
OAK 79 83 0.488

SDP 84 78 0.519
SEA 74 88 0.457

COL 79 83 0.488






SFG 70 92 0.432

Best Team to Miss Playoffs (AL): Boston Red Sox
Best Team to Miss Playoffs (NL): Milwaukee Brewers

ALDS: Blue Jays defeat Indians, Yankees defeat Rangers
NLDS: Diamondbacks defeat Astros, Dodgers defeat Braves

ALCS: Yankees defeat Blue Jays
NLCS: Dodgers defeat Diamondbacks

World Series: Yankees defeat Dodgers

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Recommendations: April 13, 2008

For teams that are struggling, here are my recommendations:

Cleveland Indians

Focus: Bullpen

Best Options (In Order)

1. Craig Breslow
2. Masahide Kobayashi
3. Jorge Julio
4. Jensen Lewis

Avoid for Today

1. Joe Borowski
2. Rafael Perez
3. Rafael Betancourt

Washington Nationals

Focus: Batting Lineup and Bullpen

1. Nick Johnson, 1B
2. Lastings Milledge, CF
3. Johnny Estrada, C
4. Cristian Guzman, SS
5. Ronnie Belliard, 2B
6. Ryan Zimmerman, 3B
7. Wily Mo Pena, LF
8. Felipe Lopez, RF
9. Tim Redding, P

Best Options (In Order)

1. Jesus Colome
2. Saul Rivera
3. Ray King
4. Chris Schroder
5. Luis Ayala

Avoid for Today

1. Jon Rauch
2. Joel Hanrahan

Reason why Nationals lost: I could not have foresaw the Nationals using struggling starter Jason Bergmann to come out of the bullpen. However, he came out and gave up 4 runs. Also, Jesus Flores should have gotten the at bats yesterday because he's a solid player and getting sent down today with Bergmann to make roster spots available.

Saturday, April 12, 2008

Recommendations: April 12, 2008

For teams that are struggling, here are my recommendations:

Baltimore Orioles

Focus: Batting Lineup and Bullpen

1. Luke Scott, 3B
2. Kevin Millar, 1B
3. Nick Markakis, RF
4. Aubrey Huff, DH
5. Melvin Mora, 3B
6. Brian Roberts, 2B
7. Luis Hernandez, SS
8. Adam Jones, CF
9. Guillermo Quiroz, C

Best Options (In Order)

1. Matt Albers
2. George Sherrill
3. Randor Bierd
4. Chad Bradford
5. Dennis Sarfate

Avoid for Today

1. Greg Aquino
2. Jamie Walker

Washington Nationals

Focus: Batting Lineup and Bullpen

1. Jesus Flores, C
2. Lastings Milledge, CF
3. Cristian Guzman, SS
4. Ryan Zimmerman, 3B
5. Ronnie Belliard, 2B
6. Nick Johnson, 1B
7. Austin Kearns, RF
8. Felipe Lopez, LF
9. John Lannan, P

Best Options (In Order)

1. Saul Rivera
2. Jesus Colome
3. Ray King
4. Chris Schroder
5. Luis Ayala

Avoid for Today

1. Jon Rauch
2. Joel Hanrahan

Reason why Nationals lost: Aside from the Nationals not scoring one run, I recommended Jon Rauch should not have pitched yesterday. As a result, Rauch gave up 2 runs over 1 inning.

Milwaukee Brewers

Focus: Batting Lineup and Bullpen

1. Mike Rivera, C
2. Rickie Weeks, 2B
3. Gabe Kapler, CF
4. Bill Hall, 3B
5. Ryan Braun, LF
6. Prince Fielder, 1B
7. Corey Hart, RF
8. Craig Counsell, SS
9. Ben Sheets, P

Best Options (In Order)

1. Brian Shouse
2. David Riske
3. Guillermo Mota
4. Salomon Torres
5. Derrick Turnbow

Avoid for Today

1. Seth McClung
2. Eric Gagne

Houston Astros

Focus: Bullpen

Best Options (In Order)

1. Doug Brocail
2. Wesley Wright
3. Dave Borkowski
4. Geoff Geary
5. Brian Moehler
6. Oscar Villareal

Avoid for Today

1. Jose Valverde

Los Angeles Dodgers

Focus: Bullpen

Best Options (In Order)

1. Takashi Saito
2. Jonathan Broxton
3. Chan Ho Park
4. Joe Beimel

Avoid for Today

1. Ramon Troncoso
2. Scott Proctor

Friday, April 11, 2008

Recommendations: April 11, 2008

For teams that are struggling, here are my recommendations:

Toronto Blue Jays

Recommendation: Trust of Bullpen

Best Options (In Order)

1. Jesse Carlson
2. Jason Frasor
3. Scott Downs
4. Brian Tallet
5. Brian Wolfe

Avoid for Today

1. Jeremy Accardo
2. Brandon League

Atlanta Braves

Recommendation: Batting Lineup Shake Up for Today and Trust of Bullpen

1. Martin Prado, 2B
2. Mark Kotsay, CF
3. Chipper Jones, 3B
4. Brian McCann, C
5. Mark Teixeira, 1B
6. Yunel Escobar, SS
7. Matt Diaz, LF
8. Jeff Francoeur, RF
9. Tim Hudson, P

Best Options (In Order)

1. Will Ohman
2. Peter Moylan
3. Jeff Bennett

Avoid for Today

1. Chris Resop
2. Royce Ring
3. Manny Acosta
4. Blaine Boyer

Reason Why Braves Are Still Here: Game in Colorado was canceled yesterday.
Note: The Braves need Tim Hudson to go deep into this ballgame to ensure a win.

Washington Nationals

Recommendation: Trust of Bullpen

Best Options (In Order)

1. Saul Rivera
2. Jesus Colome
3. Ray King
4. Chris Schroder
5. Luis Ayala

Avoid for Today

1. Joel Hanrahan
2. Jon Rauch

Reason why Nationals lost: The Nationals lost by a run. Jon Rauch gave up one run. He's a good pitcher going through a bad streak and was not recommended for yesterday's game.

Pittsburgh Pirates

Recommendation: Trust of Bullpen

Best Options (In Order)

1. John Grabow
2. Tyler Yates
3. Phil Dumatrait
4. Franquelis Osoria
5. Matt Capps

Avoid for Today

1. Damaso Marte
2. Evan Meek

Los Angeles Dodgers

Recommendation: Batting Lineup Shake Up for Today and Trust of Bullpen

1. Rafael Furcal, SS
2. Blake DeWitt, 3B
3. James Loney, 1B
4. Jeff Kent, 2B
5. Andre Ethier, LF
6. Russell Martin, C
7. Matt Kemp, RF
8. Delwyn Young, CF
9. Brad Penny, P

Best Options (In Order)

1. Takashi Saito
2. Joe Beimel
3. Jonathan Broxton
4. Chan Ho Park

Avoid for Today

1. Scott Proctor
2. Ramon Troncoso

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Recommendations: April 10, 2008

For teams that are struggling, here are my recommendations:

Tampa Bay Rays

Recommendation: Batting Lineup Shake Up for Today

1. Eric Hinske, 3B
2. Carl Crawford, LF
3. Justin Ruggiano, RF
4. Carlos Pena, 1B
5. Jonny Gomes, DH
6. Shawn Riggans, C
7. Willy Aybar, 2B
8. Jason Bartlett, SS
9. B.J. Upton, CF

Reason why Rays lost: Cliff Floyd went on the DL. If healthy he should have batted 3rd last night.

Atlanta Braves

Recommendation: Batting Lineup Shake Up for Today and Trust of Bullpen

1. Martin Prado, 2B
2. Mark Kotsay, CF
3. Chipper Jones, 3B
4. Brian McCann, C
5. Mark Teixeira, 1B
6. Yunel Escobar, SS
7. Matt Diaz, LF
8. Jeff Francoeur, RF
9. Tim Hudson, P

Best Options (In Order)

1. Will Ohman
2. Peter Moylan
3. Jeff Bennett

Avoid for Today

1. Chris Resop
2. Royce Ring
3. Manny Acosta
4. Blaine Boyer

Note: The Braves need Tim Hudson to go deep into this ballgame to ensure a win.

Washington Nationals

Recommendation: Trust of Bullpen

Best Options (In Order)

1. Luis Ayala
2. Saul Rivera
3. Jesus Colome
4. Ray King
5. Chris Schroder

Avoid for Today

1. Joel Hanrahan
2. Jon Rauch

Reason why Nationals lost: Jason Bergmann had a bad game to start, but Hanrahan was not going to be the guy to stop the bleeding. I recommended to avoid using Hanrahan yesterday, however he was used and surrendered 3 runs.

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Recommendations: April 9, 2008

For teams that are struggling, here are my recommendations:

Tampa Bay Rays

Recommendation: Batting Lineup Shake Up for Today

1. Eric Hinske, LF
2. Mike DeFelice, C
3. Cliff Floyd, DH
4. Jonny Gomes, RF
5. Carlos Pena, 1B
6. B.J. Upton, CF
7. Jason Bartlett, SS
8. Willy Aybar, 3B
9. Akinori Iwamura, 2B

Detroit Tigers

Recommendation: Trust of Bullpen

Best Options (In Order)

1. Todd Jones
2. Bobby Seay
3. Aquilino Lopez
4. Denny Bautista
5. Francis Beltran
6. Zach Miner

Avoid for Today

1. Jason Grilli
2. Yorman Bazardo

New York Mets

Recommendation: Trust of Bullpen

Best Options (In Order)

1. Billy Wagner
2. Carlos Muniz
3. Pedro Feliciano
4. Joe Smith

Avoid for Today

1. Jorge Sosa
2. Aaron Heilman
3. Scott Schoeneweis

Washington Nationals

Recommendation: Trust of Bullpen

Best Options (In Order)

1. Luis Ayala
2. Saul Rivera
3. Jesus Colome
4. Chris Schroder
5. Ray King

Avoid for Today

1. Joel Hanrahan
2. Jon Rauch

Monday, April 7, 2008

Projection: Monday, April 7, 2008

NYY 89 73 0.549

ATL 92 70 0.568
TOR 88 74 0.543

NYM 91 71 0.562
TAM 83 79 0.512

WAS 73 89 0.451
BOS 82 80 0.506

PHI 72 90 0.444
BAL 72 90 0.444

FLA 56 106 0.346










CLE 93 69 0.574

MIL 92 70 0.568
KC 85 77 0.525

HOU 89 73 0.549
MIN 79 83 0.488

CHC 87 75 0.537
CHW 79 83 0.488

CIN 79 83 0.488
DET 73 89 0.451

STL 75 87 0.463






PIT 68 94 0.420










TEX 85 77 0.525

LAD 98 64 0.605
LAA 82 80 0.506

ARI 92 70 0.568
OAK 80 82 0.494

SDP 83 79 0.512
SEA 71 91 0.438

COL 74 88 0.457






SFG 68 94 0.420

Best Team to Miss Playoffs (AL): Boston Red Sox
Best Team to Miss Playoffs (NL): Houston Astros

ALDS: Blue Jays defeat Indians, Yankees defeat Rangers
NLDS: Dodgers defeat Braves, Brewers defeat Diamondbacks

ALCS: Yankees defeat Blue Jays
NLCS: Brewers defeat Dodgers

World Series: Yankees defeat Brewers
 
flower power by time life
flower power by time life