Posts Tagged ‘Toronto Blue Jays’

7/20/12: Astros Get Rid Of Lyon, Carpenter and Happ

Friday, July 20th, 2012

And get 37 year old Coco Cordero, 31 year old Ben Francisco (?getting younger?) and a bunch of minor leaguers from Toronto (seems weird to have a trade with some team besides the Phils, Pads or Rays, doesn’t it?)

They are going to put Happ in the pen, which kind of surprises me because most of their starting rotation appears to be on the DL. Lyon, of course, is going into the pen and David Carpenter is going back to AAA to see if he can survive the AAA Coors field of Las Vegas.

Happ might recover his old Philly glory, youneverknow, and David Carpenter was good last year. Lyon can get out rightys.

Coco Cordero we know from years of his killing us with the Rangers, Brew Crew and Reds. This year, for whatever reason, he just sucks – so far he’s pitched half the number of innings he did all of last year, given up more hits, homers and runs than he did all of last season. He’s got an ERA of 5.77 and a WHIP of 1.86 – oh, and interesting that last year, he had significantly fewer K/9 than his career average. But at least this year, unlike other years, he isn’t letting inherited runners score – only 1 of 8. Yeah, I know. Small sample size. By the way, Coco is getting 4.5 mill this year, so the trade for Lyon, getting 5 mill, is really an even up swap. His yearly salary is approximately 1.5 mill and next year is his 3rd arb eligible year.

Ben Francisco, RH corner OF, was Cleveland’s 5th pick of the 02 draft. He’s a league average kind of hitter, OPSing in the 760s – 770s – not great for a corner OF. He was part of the Phils original trade for Cliff Lee, and he had his best year in 09 for the WS Phillies, posting a career high .843 OPS. After than, he had a 104, then a 94 last year and was traded to the Blue Jays in the offseason for some minor leaguer. He sucked with the Jays, too, posting a .656 OPS over 50 PA. Just what we need, another crappy OF who can’t hit.

Here are the minor leaguers:
RHP Joseph Musgrove: age 19, Jay’s supplemental first round pick last year, repeating rookie league – last year had a 4+ ERA, this year has thrown exactly 8 innings, given up 5 hits, no walks and 9 K. He’s a prospect, 10th or 11th on the Jay’s top 10 according to someone, I forget who.

RHP Asher Wojciechowski: age 23: Toronto’s 1st round supplemental pick in 2010, is a starter , repeating high A: started 18 games over 93.1 IP – 90 H, 3 HR, 22 BB, 76 K. NICE low homers and walks. He had nice low walks last year, too – 2/9 IP, but gave up a homer/9. He’s increased his K rate to 7.3/9 IP and decreased his H/9 from 10.7 to 8.9 – and that’s a good start. I like the good control. This year, 3.57 ERA, 1.21 WHIP – must be giving up too many doubles…

LHP David Rollins, age 22, from San Jacinto college, was a 24th rounder in 2010. He’s another A ball starter, has pitched 18 games over 77 IP (notice the innings difference between him and Asher W) 64 H, 2 HR, 36 BB, 75 K.

C Carlos Perez, age 21, repeating  A ball, is going to the Astros A club at Lexington. He is an UDFA from Venezuela. This year he has a .804 OPS over 273 AB with 6 errors. It was a good idea to get another catcher because the A ball catchers are OPSing .653 and .605. (Luis Alvarez has only 23 AB, so his OPS is too small a sample size.)

This was supposed to be a 10 player trade, but I only count 9 guys. Sounds like Astros all right. Lousy numbers.

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Posted in Brandon Lyons, David Carpenter, J.A. Happ | 5 Comments »

5/22/11: This Time, Interleague Play Is NOT For The Birds

Sunday, May 22nd, 2011

I’ve been so, well, Up Set about the thought of Jim Crane and his debt ridden buddies decimating my baseball team – yeah, I knw it’s hard to think of this Organization getting worse – that I have hardly wanted to think about it and just needed to chill a bit, seeing how my life would be with no baseball – well, that is, no MLB in it (because me n the kidz and Dogss DID go out and play Gray-style baseball a bit). Didn’t work real too good – in spite of hating interleague, I did check the scores a couple of times Fri and Sat and NO, I didn’t listen to Senile Hamilton, now tied with Hawk Harrelson and the Marlins guys for worst announcers in MLB. Does it matter if the announcers suck if the team does too?

Anyway, I STILL luuuuvvv me some Wandy and I checked during the 6th inning just in time to see him give up his second solo homer – man, those Grackles sure hit a lot of homers, don’t they – and finish the inning, leading 3-2. Last couple of times he’s left with a lead, he’s had nothing to show for it, but even though he was only at 90 pitches, he wasn’t sent out to start the 7th – Wilton Lopez pitched 1.1 innings and Melancon had a 1.2 inning save – left with bases loaded. Wandy must have had himself some SERIOUS blood pressure fer SHER there. I know I sure nuff did.

Of  note – are you ready for this? The bullpen did NOT suck for ONCE, well, actually, for THRICE – pitched 7 scoreless innings over 3 games, plus an inning in which Jose Valdez gave up a homer with the Astros already losing (the ol WB reverting to his normal lifelong suckage performance).

Anery Rodriguez managed to give up only 2 ER over 5 IP – he didn’t get freaked or flustered by umps/opposing players/his own team flubbing easy outs/his manager leaving him in to get stomped.

Wandy threw 6 innings, giving up 3 walks, 2 HR, 2 doubles, 2 singles and 6 K. Not his best performance, but still excellent.

Mills is continuing to bench Brett Wallace against leftys. Clank flashed great leather as the DH. Bill Hall was benched for 2 games in favor of Angel Sanchez, who went 3 fer 8 with an RBI, a walk and a run scored. He fielded just fine.

Barmes continues to uck-say with the bat as badly as Hall does, but he doesn’t have another ML SS waiting as Hall does with Sanchez. And NO, Keppinger is absolutely positively NOT a SS – and yes, he’s hitting fine at AAA. Gonna be VERY interesting to see what happens when Kepp (and Bourgeois) ready to come offn the DL. Now we KNOW that Bogusevic will have to go down to keep Jason Michaels – after all, look who is earning more money. Infielders are Barmes, Sanchez, Hall, Downs, Wallace and CJ. Downs is hitting. Sanchez is hitting (and has no options) and CJ has started hitting again and is fielding VERY well. Barmes + Hall = 9 mill. Barmes line is .211/.325/.324/.649 over 71 AB with 1 HR and 4 RBI (so much for the Tulowitski-like production) and Hall’s line is .221/.275/.336/.611 over 131 AB with 2 triples, 2 HR and 13 RBIs (so much for Jeff Kent-like production). Downs, in case all yall curious, is hitting .269/.339/.538/.877 over 52 AB with 11 RBI.

Chris Johnson had himself a great weekend, going 5 fer 10 with 5 RBIs and 1 run – including the game winning homer Friday night. Did great with the glove, too. Hopefully, now that his BA is back up to his weight, he’ll start gaining – although he still doesn’t walk near as much as he should – swings at too much stuff out of the zone.

JR Towles is in a terrible hitless streak – now at ofer 32 (last 7 games) which started when they put him in the 2-hole. Funny that the exact same thing happened with Brad Ausmus back in 05 – he was hitting over 300 with a bunch of walks and the rest of the team was, uh, not hitting and Phil Garner put him in the 2-hole and he went ofer 40. Weird. Fortunately for JR, Wandy likes him and there is no one killing the ball at AAA.

Michael Bourn went 5 fer 12 with 3 walks with an RBI and 3 runs. He’s been on base in every game he’s played except for 4. Pretty darn good for a leadoff hitter.

Hitter Pence had a great series, going 6 fer 14 with the game winning homer tonight (Wandy owes him a cold beveraege of choice)  with 4 RBIs and 3 runs scored.

Clank went 3 fer 13 with 2 runs. And a stolen base (the usual Clank kind where they don’t notice him because he’s so fat…)

Yall notice that there was a whole lotta hittin goin on. There was also a whole lotta leavin RISP goin on, too (Towles, I’m lookin at YEW): tonight, it was 1/12; Sat it was 4/11;  Fri, it was 2 fer 9.

Brett Wallace went 4 fer 5 with 2 RBIs. And he’s getting benched all the time with lefties because – WHY?

Bogusevic went 1 fer 9 and didn’t make what turned out to be a crucial catch on Sat – not that the game wasn’t already lost, but it just might could stick in the minds of certain GMs.

And it’s the Dodgers in town – tomorrow, it’s Bud Norris vs Clayton Kershaw.

Bud has faced LA twice – 2 GS over 10 IP: 10 H, 8R/7 ER, 1 HR, 7 BB, 10 K: 6.10 ERA/1.65 WHIP. Bud has been great at home this year – 5 GS over 33 IP with a 2.18 ERA/1.05 WHIP – so be it and shall it remain.

Kershaw is a lefty, so expect poor ol Brett to be benched. Anyway, he’s thrown 3 games over 17 IP vs Houston; 16 H, 9 ER, 1 HR, 5 BB, 12 K; 4.76 ERA/ 1.24 WHIP/.258 BAA.

Matt Kemp is still killing the ball, so Bud had best not “challenge” him….

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Posted in Aneury Rodriguez, Mark Melancon, Wandy Rodriguez, Wilton Lopez | 5 Comments »

Alan Ashby Receives Props As A Blue Jays Announcer

Wednesday, May 30th, 2007

As we all know, for some reason I don’t know, and if the sportswriters know they won’t say, Alan Ashby was thrown out on his rear without warning before last season and replaced with 2 other guys who are, in my opinion, the worst baseball radio announcers besides Hawk Harrelson and the John Sterling/Susyn Waldman/Michael Kay team.

Alan did a pregame Astros show working for 790 last year, but this year he accepted a job as the Blue Jays color man, and at least one very knowledgeable Jays fan, John Brattain, thinks Ashby is VERY good. From his latest column in The Hardball Times. He says the radiocasters are

” Jerry Howarth and Alan Ashby, a veteran catcher and original Blue Jay. Although it’s not quite the same with Jerry ‘n’ Alan as it was with Tom ‘n’ Jerry, I’ve been impressed with their work thus far….

Ashby comes across as, well, a catcher. Catchers have a unique perspective on the game. In Ashby’s case, he spent 17 seasons watching the game unfold in front of him. It’s hardly a coincidence that a lot of catchers went into broadcasting: Bob Uecker, Tim McCarver, Joe Garagiola. etc. What impresses me about Ashby is that despite his experience playing in the major leagues, he respects the fact that Howarth, although not a MLBer, has learned a lot about the game from his vantage point. Also in his favor is that despite his vast experience in the game, doesn’t feel the need to expound his opinion on every little matter as if it were the word of God (or Red Barber).

A quality about both that I like is that they’re not afraid to criticize but they never come across as being critical. When they critique something, they approach the subject matter from a logical, rather than visceral, point of view. One thing that I’ve noticed of this duo (and Jays’ broadcasts in general) is that they don’t feel the need to have chatter every second of the broadcast. They are content to let the sounds of the game filter through to the audience.”

I STILL want to know why someone as good as Ash was replaced by the two guys who are simply awful. And before you ask, yes, I did try listening to them again this year – I lasted about 15 minutes before shutting them off. They still don’t know when to talk, when to shut the heck up, they still don’t give ball/strike counts properly, still forget to give the score, still talk on and on about irrelevant matters instead of the game while it is going on and still don’t understand baseball.

I’m just glad Brownie and Deshaies are so good and that I can record every game and listen to it later if I want to. Perhaps Tom Franklin, who does the post game show, could be considered to replace the 2 guys there now.

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Posted in Astros baseball | 6 Comments »

6/14/05: Pettitte vs Chen – Orioles Again

Tuesday, June 14th, 2005

OK, it’s lefty night in Camden Yards – DANG is that park SMALL – makes the Box look biggern Petco.

Now Andy Pettitte has a 12 – 2 record at Camden Yards from his years with the Yankees – facing Oriole teams good and lousy, but ERA is 4.28 and BAA is .300 so the Stros better hit. And Andy is a ground ball pitcher, so I hope hope hope Phil isn’t playing musical lineups again with the fielders in different positions…
6/14 – Andy Pettitte, LHP vs : Bruce Chen, LHP
this year: 3 – 6 in 12 GS with 10 QS – 6 HR, 15 BB, 52 K over 76 IP with a 3.43 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and a .255 BAA.
vs.BAL: 20 – 4 in 27 GS and 1 in relief with 1 CG – 13 HR, 64 BB, 94 K over 168 IP with a 3.64 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and a .273 BAA
@ Camden Yards: 12 – 2 in 15 GS and 1 in relief – 9 HR, 35 BB, 44 K over 90.1 with a 4.28 ERA, 1.58 WHIP and a .300 BAA

——
Bruce Chen, LHP – his song should be “Traveling Man”
one of those guys who was always billed as “never living up to his potential”

Came up with Altanta in ’98 – started, relieved and disappointed – averaged a 4.13 ERA over 111 IP with an 8-2 record, got hisself traded to Philly in 2000 where he went 3-4 in 15 GS with a 3.63 ERA amd a 1.14 WHIP and a 3:1 K:BB in 94.1 IP – wasn’t as good in 01 – 4-5 in 16 GS with a 5.00 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP – still about a 3:1 BB:K, but got hisself shipped to the Mets at the deadline, where he went 3-2 in 11 GS with a 4.68 ERA in 59.2 IP – pitched in 1 game for them in 02, then was released.

Was picked up by Montreal, started in 5 games, relieved in 10 more, had a 6.99 ERA, released, went to Cincy, relieved in 39 games with a 4.37 ERA, 1.44 WHIP and a 3:1` BB:K ratio, but he wasn’t resigned, so in 03 he went to Boston, started in 2 games, lost 1, had a 5.11 ERA over 12.1 IP, was released, was picked up by the Astros, relieved in another 11 games, had a 6.0 ERA, was released. Signed with Baltimore in 04, went 2-1 in 7 GS with 1 CG over 47.2 IP with a 3.02 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP.

this year, he’s 5 – 4 in 12 GS with 9 QS and 1 CG- 9 HR, 19 BB, 52 K over 77.1 IP with a 3.61 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and a .249 BAA.
Career: 27 – 24 in 80 GS with 95 in relief with 2 CG – 99 HR, 229 BB, 484 K over 578.1 IP with a 4.33 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and a .248 BAA
vs. Left: – 1.51 WHIP .266 BAA (how WEIRD that lefties hit him better)
vs. Right: 1.29 WHIP .243 BAA
vs.HOU: 0 – 0 in 3 GS and 5 in relief – 4 HR, 12 BB, 14 K over 27 IP,3.33 ERA, 1.19
WHIP .208 BAA
@ Camden: 4 – 1 in 8 GS with 1 CG – 7 HR, 15 BB, 37 K over 56 IP, 3.21 ERA,1.11 WHIP,.224 BAA.

-
Well, this IS a hitter’s park, so our hitters better HIT…

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Posted in Astros baseball, Pettitte | 4 Comments »

Roy Oswalt Pitches Complete Game 2 Hit Shut Out

Sunday, June 12th, 2005

They say the first step of understanding addiction is to admit it.
OK. Here goes.
My name is Lisa G.
I am a baseballholic.

I fully admit that I said I wasn’t gonna pay any attention to the interleague games because I am 100% opposed to interleague play.

But yesterday, it was Roger and I had the radio on.
And in the 9th when it was Roger 3 Them 1 and Brad came in, after his third pitch gave up the second hit/first run, Milo Hamilton said that when he was coming into the clubhouse, so was Lidge and that Lidge told him he wasn’t gonna be able to pitch today. Now, either he told that to Phil and Phil sent him out anyway (and you SAW him turn into drab) and you KNOW he can’t tell the media – I TOLD that moron Phil that I hadn’t recovered and couldn’t pitch and LOOK what happened so he sez, oh, I felt fine, I just didn’t locate… OR Brad didn’t tell Phil that he couldn’t go out there and look what happened…

So today, after church, number 2 son has this innocent – type look on his sweet little mug and he sez – Mami, is Roy pitching today (kid KNOWS Roy is pitching today) and number 1 son, without waiting for the answer, sez, I LIKE Roy, too Mami and husband is trying not to grin and poor Mami doesn’t know how to explain WHY interleague is the work of the Seligula and should be boycotted on principle in which I firmly believe and number 2 son sez – Roy ROOOLZ and number 1 son sez – yeah, Roy ROOLZ and they look hopefully at me and husband finally grins and says, cmon, we’ll change clothes and go to the ballpark.

So I don’t put up a fight – husband is SO persuasive, you see, and off we go. I wasn’t worried about getting tickets – there wasn’t even a full crowd for Roger with a Nolan Ryan doll giveaway, so I KNOW there be plenty of seats, so Husband gets 4 elcheapos off a scalper (he was desperate and sold cheap) and we go in just as the first inning ends.

Plenty of seats – the place wasn’t even half full, as we had guessed, so we went to our usual seats in time to see Hillenbrand single off Roy.

Roy had it goin ON. He had incredible command of the FB, the occasional slider/change and the curve. The Jays swung because just about every pitch was a strike and they MOVED. And when the hitters swung, they hit mostly grounders – one INCREDIBLE stop and throw by Adam Everett, one GREAT stop and throw by Biggio (I swear his arm is getting almost as weak as Baggy) and Berkman spent a LOT of time picking throws out of the dirt – he’s not Baggy, who by the way, was in uniform in the dugout, but he’s getting better every day.

For 4 innings Josh Towers matched Roy and it looked like we were gonna go 9 innings without scoring. At the end of the 4th, Roy had thrown 27 pitches/23 strikes and Towers 31 pitches /27 strikes.

In the fifth, Hill hit a towering pop-up to shallow center that Biggio went back and made an EXCELLENT catch on – good thing, because even after all these games, Willy still is TERRIBLE at coming forward to get balls. In the bottom of the inning, Jason Lane led off with a 385′ HR to the Crawford Boxes – yes, Jason Lane is suddenly looking like the April Jason Lane again – don’t know where he disappeared to for those 5 weeks, but I’m sure nuff glad to see him back. Brad Ausmus hit what looked like a sure single to left, but Frankie Cat made an AWESOME sliding catch to rob him and the crowd gave him a hand. Like Barry Bonds said, sometimes you just gotta tip your cap to the other guy. Then Roy got hisself an infield single, Taveras hit a bunt single – they not used to guys that fast in the AL I guess but Burke FO to deep center.

Husband don’t even hand me the usual – well, at least we won’t get no-hit/shut out. He looks at me and says – if he hadn’t given up that hit in the second, I think we’d be looking at a nono the way he’s pitching. Ain’t NOBODY gonna be hitting that, NO. He hasn’t gone to a 3-2 even once. Me, I’m writing in my scorebook and Husband is explaining what’s happening to the kids and Roy keeps mowin em down 1,2,3 and suddenly it’s the 7th inning stretch and only 1 hr and 15 minutes have passed and Roy has thrown only 62 pitches.

So in the bottom of the 7th, it’s Jason Lane again and he doubles into the left center gap, Everett GO and he’s at third, Ausmus is IBB (they don’t know he can’t hit?), Roy bunts him to second (was the squeeze on and he just didn’t get the ball far enough down the 3rd base line), then Taveras, like 1 fer 60 with MOB (or something like that) beats out an infield hit, which the second baseman runs forward to get, overthrows first, Taveras goes to second and Lane and Ausmus score. We’re up 3 zip. Husband sez don’t worry, ain’t NOBODY hitting Roy tonight, no MAAM.

And in the 8th, it’s 3 up 3 down for Roy and he’s at 74 pitches. Towers gets sent back out to start the 8th – don’t know why – I know he’d only thrown 90 pitches, but he looked tired and there was NO comparison to the Towers of the first 4 innings. So he gives up a double to Biggio (nice baserunning and slides in under the tag) then walks Berkman. So he’s out, Justin Speiers in and gets a FO to right (nice catch, too) and a GIDP.

Then it’s the 9th and Roy gets 1,2 outs – screaming crowd of like maybe 22 thousand (they said 30K, but they LIE) watches him give up a double to Rios (that guy is GOOD, by the way) and then finally get Frankie Cat after 7 pitches.
Complete game, 2 hits no walks 3 Ks. 88 pitches (15 of them to Frankie cat for 2 AB) 65 strikes – WOW.
One hour and 50 minutes.

I’ve seen a LOT of pitchers duels this year and a LOT of low scoring games. But this is THE best pitching performance I’ve seen ALL year, both our pitchers and the opponents, with the Pedro Martinez game in NYC a REAL close second.

We’re walking back to the car. I am delighted (yes, my kidzz KNOW I’m a Roy fangrrrrrl) and saying couldn’t NOBODY hit Roy tonight. Number 1 son wants to know if Barry Bonds Himself could have hit Roy tonight and I didn’t have to think – No WAY, I say, not Pujols, not Derrek Lee, not Himself, neither.

Because tonight, Roy ROOLED!!!!!!!!!!!

Now I know yall thinkin, aintchu ashamed of yourself, goin back on what you said about not interested, not caring???

Sigh.

I HATE the idea of interleague play and I wish they’d stop it. But I’m glad I didn’t miss this performance. Even if it was against out hated enemies, the whosis…

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Posted in Roy Oswalt | 2 Comments »

Morgan Ensberg Hits Astros FIRST Walk-off HR Of 2005

Sunday, June 12th, 2005

Yes, you read that right.

60th game of the year, and Morgan Ensberg hits the very first walk-off HR of the year – off Miguel Batista, the Jay’s closer who had 11 saves and a 1.78 ERA with NO HR given up this year. Morgan drove a 3-0 FB into the Crawford Boxes in left – looked a LOT like the HR Jeff Kent got off Izzy in the playoffs last year.

Our second come from behind victory.

drab blew the save for Roger by giving up 2 runs with 9 pitches, but the Jays bullpen gave it up in the 9th – Schoenweis gave up a hit and a walk, then Batista gave up the game.

I have NO idea why this team plays for &*$%#@! when Roger pitches – in the 7 innings that Roger was up there, our hitters had 11 hits and 2 walks and left 8 MOB – well actually, Roger FO to center with bases loaded in the 4th – it’s kinda funny, the Jays IBB a .220 hitter to pitch to a .292 hitter because the .292 hitter is a pitcher – good thing there were 2 outs or that would have been a run-scoring sac-fly.

Anyway, back on Morgan – time to start talking him up for the All-Star team. Rolen, of course, is the best 3rd baseman in the NL, much as I hate to admit it, but he’s out and Morgan is right there. Has a good glove – makes some great plays (of course, they never on Web Gems – gotta save space for Derek Jeter symbolically jumping over Robinson Cano to cement His place as The Face Of Baseball)

For the year, Morgan has a .283 BA, .374 OBP (the best on the team by FAR – remember that Phil and Gaetti HATE walks), .551 SLG and .924 OPS.
Has 56 hits and 29 BB with 31 RS, 11 2B and 14 HR. He has 4 SB and 6 CS – I know that’s 6 extra outs, but yall need to blame Phil’s love affair with the hit and run for 5 of those.

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Posted in Morgan Ensberg, Roger Clemens | No Comments »

I Guess Clemens “Just Doesn’t Know How To Win”

Sunday, June 12th, 2005

I’m not the stattest of geeks, but one of the sayings I hate most (when people talk about a pitcher) is “he just Knows How To Win” and because Brad Lidge got the W last night and Roger didn’t, then Brad is the Winner?

Roger faced 27 batters, gave up 3 hits and 4 walks and only ONE of those batters scored – a 340′ el-cheapo HR by Alex Rios in the 5th.

Brad Lidge – today, he’s just drab instead of BRAAAAADDDDDD faced 7 batters and 2 scored – his first pitch went for a double, the second for a run scoring single, the 4th for a sac bunt to move the runner, the 9th for another run scoring single. 2 runs on 9 pitches.

But Brad is the winner and Roger the also ran.

Roger has exactly 4 wins in 13 starts. We almost freaking NEVER score any runs for the poor guy. In 5 starts, he gave up ZERO runs and has ONE win to show for it. In 3 starts, he gave up 1 run and has 2 wins. IN 3 starts, 2 runs, no wins and 2 losses.

I hear things like pitcher X outpitched pitcher Y when pitcher X gave up a LOT more hits and walks than Y, but his HITTERS managed to hit with RISP. WHA??????????? How is that out-pitching? Seems to me it’s more like outhitting.

I’ve heard modern day major league pitchers say that they think their most important stat is the number of wins. But no matter HOW well you pitch, you can’t win if your team don’t score. These days, pitchers almost never finish games (for whatever reason) . I think that the W should be a team stat, not a pitcher stat .

I would like to come up with some kind of stat that the average fan can understand and calculate him/herself – which lets out all those secret formulas that their inventors won’t tell you how they got them – WARP 3 or VORP 2 or something. I’m not sure what and I don’t know how, but what I’m sure of is that at the end of the year, if Roger starts 33 games, pitches 225 innings, has a 1.64 ERA and only 8 or 9 WINS to show for it, the Cy is gonna go to someone who “helped his team win” and has a lot more W to show for it and all I can say is that there’s something wrong here…

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Posted in Astros baseball, Brad Lidge, Roger Clemens | 3 Comments »

Todd Self And Mike Burns Are Sent Up and Sent Down

Saturday, June 11th, 2005

Left handed batter Todd Self was sent down to AAA – guess he should swing at the first pitches and “be aggressive” like Gaetti likes – he saw 4.53 pitches/PA, FAR more than any other hitter on the Astros. He was benched against lefty pitchers, even though he did just fine in AAA, but in 21 games, he was 9 for 45 with 7 runs scored, 2 doubles and a pinch hit HR, 3 walks and 9 Ks.

Sigh.

RHP Mike Burns was re-called from AAA Round Rock – don’t have any info on how he did after he was sent down May 23 after appearing in 4 games in 8 days for the Astros, but I guess he must have looked good. Here, he had pitched 5.1 innings, with 2 scoreless appearances, and 2 appearances where he gave up 3 ER in one inning – one of them the blowout against the Rangers.

BTW – I checked the game log from last nights game – Wandy Rodriguez pitched lousy – gave up 6 freaking walks, 1 HBP and 1 WP – 106 pitches, 60 strikes (and over half of those were foul balls) and 46 balls. He went to a 3-2 count on the PITCHER both times.

In the 6th, he walked 2 guys, went to 3-2 counts on 4 guys and barely managed to get out of a bases loaded jam – of the 22 pitches he threw, only 6 were strikes. And he’s up to 98 pitches by them. It’s a freaking miracle from God that only one run scored, but you see, the the Toronto Vicious Birdies aren’t zackly the Cuddly Cardinals.

So naturally, Phil sends him out to start the 7th. This yall, is Phil. The media guys aren’t blaming Phil for ANY of the incredibly stupid things he does, still harping on Mclean for not resigning Kent (which I didn’t want to do since it meant another year of Biggio in left – shudder – and another year of Burke rotting in the minors) as well as being, um, taken for a ride by Boras over the Beltran mess (agree with THAT one) so all this years losing is 100% the fault of McLean. Phil ain’t goin out the door until the media starts to look at his in game managing with what he’s got. And if Bobby Cox manages to win (as usual) with mostly a AAA team, it WILL be time for the media to look REAL hard at Phil…

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Posted in Astros baseball, Wandy Rodriguez | 3 Comments »

Blue Jays, I Mean Jays Here – Feel The Hate For Our Age Old Rivals

Friday, June 10th, 2005

More stupid interleague waste of time. Our hated enemies the Toronto whatsis (see this strip for an, um, discussion of their logo – WARNING: has the f-word in it) are gonna be here for the weekend. Who cares? Not me. The Stros having a lot of giveaways this weekend to try to keep the park as full as possible – a Nolan Ryan “figurine” this Saturday – they should have done this Friday for the Wandy Rodriguez game instead of that stickpin thingy – Roger is already gonna pull in a LOT of folks without the giveaway.

Me, I HATE interleague ball – it’s done for NY, Chicago and LA. For the rest of us, it’s just a steaming load of BS. Rivalries my foot. And it is VERY unfair, given the unbalanced schedule, too. (And I’m not the only one who thinks it, neither – click here for another opinion) Oh well, as long as it’s popular in the 3 big cities, freaking Bud is gonna keep it going. I’m not going to the games and I’m not watching. But here are the matchups:

6/10 – Wandy Rodriguez, LHP vs Ted Lilly, LHP
Wandy is 1-2 in 3 GS – did OK in the first 2 – 4 ER/ 6 IP, then he ran into St. Louis (poor guy) and well, they beat the heck out of him and he now has a hideous 10.67 ERA. Of course, he’s never faced Toronto or anyone in the lineup.
Ted Lilly – drafted in the 23rd round by the Dodgers. Dude has been traded a LOT. Came up in 99 with Montreal, went to the Yankees (probably the Irabu trade) – didn’t do real too well in 2000 and 01, went 3-6 in 11 GS with a 3.47 ERA in 02 for the Yanks so naturally, George traded him to Oakland – can’t be having young players on the All-Star Yankees, now can you….

Did OK for the A’s the next year, 12- 10 in 31 GS with a 4.34 ERA – but he was due for a BIG raise in arbitration so they let him go and he signed on with Toronto for 04 and 05. Last year, did pretty well on a terrible team – 12-10 in 32 GS with a 4.06 ERA.
this year: 3 – 6 in 11 GS – 9 HR, 25 BB, 40 K over 51 IP with a 7.41 ERA, 1.75 WHIP and a .306 BAA
has never pitched at Minute Maid or faced Houston:
has only faced Mike Lamb, who is 1 fer 3 with a K.
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6/11 – Roger Clemens, RHP vs : Gustavo Chacin, LHP
this year Roger is 4-3 in 12 GS with 10/12 QS with 3 HR, 21 BB and 80 K over 81 IP with a 1.67 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and a .185 BAA.
vs.TOR: 20 – 11 in 39 GS with 4 CG and1 So – 25 HR, 83 BB, 233 K over 261.1 IP with a 3.55 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, .242 BAA.
of course, Roger hasn’t faced the Jays since 2003…
@ the Box: 15 – 6 in 28 GS – 12 HR, 51 BB, 192 K over 188 IP with a 2.63 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and a .206 BAA.

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Gustavo Chacin – a Venezuelan kid – signed as an amateur FA by the Jays in 98 – spent 3 years in AA – about middling, then last year, he did something because he lowered his ERA from 4.5 to 2.5, was promoted to AAA, did well, pitched 2 games in Sept – went 1-1 with a 2.57 ERA.
Started this year in the rotation – 6 – 4 in 12 GS 7 QS- 4 HR, 26 BB, 43 K over 74 IP and a 3.04 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and a .264 BAA.
Has never faced Houston or any Astros players.
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6/12 – Roy Oswalt, RHP vs : Josh Towers, RHP
Roy this year: 6 – 7 in 13 GS – 10/13 QS; 7 HR, 23 BB, 67 K over 89 IP with a 3.13 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and a .249 BAA.
@ the Box: 38 – 13 in 59 GS and 4 in relief with 6 CG and 3 SO – 33 HR, 87 BB, 382 K over 424.2 IP with a 2.65 ERA, 1.04 WHIp and a .225 BAA
Roy has never faced Toronto, of course.

Josh Towers: drafted in the 15th round in 1996 by Baltimore. came up in 2001 and went 8 – 10 in 20 GS with a 4.47 ERA for a TERRIBLE team. Guess he was hurt in 02 – only pitched 27 innings – went 0-3 with a 7.90 ERA. Don’t guess Baltimore wanted him back and he signed with Toronto. Picked it up in 03 – went 8-1 in 8 GS and 6 in relief with a 4.48 ERA over 64.1 IP. He looks like a 5th guy – barely league average or above average ERA averaging around 5 IP/ start.
Career: 30 – 27 in 64 GS and 12 in relief with 1 save, 2 CG and 1 SO – 73 HR, 65 BB, 206 K over 416.2 IP with a 4.90 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and a .300 BAA
- this year: 5 – 4 in 12 GS 5 QS – 10 HR, 11 BB, 42 K over 68.1 IP (5.1 IP/start average) with a 4.61 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and a .291 BAA
- of course, he’s never faced the Astros or been at the Box, but he has faced Mike Lamb who is 1/3 with a 2B…

Have fun, Astros fans – don’t forget all the booing you need to do to all those bird type players we’ve hated for so long…

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