Flotsam and Jetsam
Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.
Supposedly CNN's Anderson Cooper was punched 10 times in head by a mob in Egypt. This could have nothing to do with the protests in Egypt it could be an issue of Cooper being an openly gay man in a Muslim country. Cooper is in much more danger going to a Middle Eastern Muslim country than he ever was braving a hurricane. Wouldn't be surprised if CNN had Cooper do a tour of those countries hoping something happened just so that they could get some good ratings... Very interesting story. Sort of the anti-Ari Gold (or I guess Ari Emanuel)... February is Black History Month and Dunkin Donuts makes it Chocolate Lovers Month? Is that some sort of code?... With the Yankees signing all these has-been starters to minor league deals - you know they have placed several calls to Mike Mussina just to see if he's been working out... The things you learn via the Internet (via Mental Floss): "Although it's featured on California's state flag, the grizzly bear has been extinct in the state since the 1920s"... Holy crap - this guy is badass. Good for him. Is it bad that now I'll think of him each time I fire up a Gurkha cigar?... Julio Lugo was the Meister Brau of Red Sox shortstops. Just thinking of him leaves a bad taste in my mouth and gives me a headache... The new NFL overtime rules could play havoc with Super Bowl pools. The final score payouts and score change payouts could be chaos... I was praying that Ben Roethlisberger would be quoted saying "Giggity giggity" during yesterday's Super Bowl media day. No such luck...
Showing posts with label Julio Lugo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Julio Lugo. Show all posts
Thursday, August 06, 2009
Flotsam and Jetsam
Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.
Small sample size alert- Julio Lugo has a higher OPS (1.027) for St. Louis than any of the players on the Red Sox who were with the team when he was traded. Newcomers Josh Reddick and Victor Martinez however have better OPS than Lugo... I understand why an unsigned NFL draft pick can't practice with the team but why can't they attend team meetings?... Heh heh... Buyers regret - I so wish the Red Sox spent that $5 million signing Brad Penny on Pedro Martinez instead. Hindsight is 20/20. Speaking of Pedro - where does he fit in that Phillies rotation? Cliff Lee, Cole Hammels and Joe Blanton are all #1 starters. 8-2 JA Happ is the rookie of the Year and Jamie Moyer leads the team in wins with 10. Where does Pedro fit? Does he take Moyers spot? Do the Phillies go with a 6-man rotation for a while? It will be interesting to watch... Worse trade - Derek Lowe and Jason Varitek for Heathcliff Slocumb or Matt Garza and Jason Bartlett for Delmon Young? Too close to call? Right now the Slocumb trade was the more one-sided but a year or two more and it could be even... Is it bad that I forgot that former BC QB Brian St. Pierre is still in the NFL?... FYI - Last Triple Crown winner in horse racing was Affirmed in 1978. Last Triple Crown winner in baseball was Carl Yastrzemski in 1967...
Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.
Small sample size alert- Julio Lugo has a higher OPS (1.027) for St. Louis than any of the players on the Red Sox who were with the team when he was traded. Newcomers Josh Reddick and Victor Martinez however have better OPS than Lugo... I understand why an unsigned NFL draft pick can't practice with the team but why can't they attend team meetings?... Heh heh... Buyers regret - I so wish the Red Sox spent that $5 million signing Brad Penny on Pedro Martinez instead. Hindsight is 20/20. Speaking of Pedro - where does he fit in that Phillies rotation? Cliff Lee, Cole Hammels and Joe Blanton are all #1 starters. 8-2 JA Happ is the rookie of the Year and Jamie Moyer leads the team in wins with 10. Where does Pedro fit? Does he take Moyers spot? Do the Phillies go with a 6-man rotation for a while? It will be interesting to watch... Worse trade - Derek Lowe and Jason Varitek for Heathcliff Slocumb or Matt Garza and Jason Bartlett for Delmon Young? Too close to call? Right now the Slocumb trade was the more one-sided but a year or two more and it could be even... Is it bad that I forgot that former BC QB Brian St. Pierre is still in the NFL?... FYI - Last Triple Crown winner in horse racing was Affirmed in 1978. Last Triple Crown winner in baseball was Carl Yastrzemski in 1967...
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Julio Lugo Released
Let me just add my $.02 to Julio Lugo being DFA'd by the Red Sox.
I'm glad he's gone and I'm also glad that Lugo took the high road. It may have been Lugo's fault that he was so bad in the field but it wasn't his fault that the Red Sox overpaid him by so much. A friend of mine went to a Red Sox game last year with his daughter and he said Lugo couldn't have been nicer to the young girl. Maybe it's just me but I think on a very real level Lugo realizes that he hit the lottery with this contract with the Red Sox. Now he gets his money and he doesn't have to put up with "Red Sox Nation" constantly complaining about his contract and his contributions on the field. I'm as guilty as anyone and I'm glad not to have Julio Lugo to kick around anymore.
I bet Julio Lugo is just as glad - but much richer.
Let me just add my $.02 to Julio Lugo being DFA'd by the Red Sox.
I'm glad he's gone and I'm also glad that Lugo took the high road. It may have been Lugo's fault that he was so bad in the field but it wasn't his fault that the Red Sox overpaid him by so much. A friend of mine went to a Red Sox game last year with his daughter and he said Lugo couldn't have been nicer to the young girl. Maybe it's just me but I think on a very real level Lugo realizes that he hit the lottery with this contract with the Red Sox. Now he gets his money and he doesn't have to put up with "Red Sox Nation" constantly complaining about his contract and his contributions on the field. I'm as guilty as anyone and I'm glad not to have Julio Lugo to kick around anymore.
I bet Julio Lugo is just as glad - but much richer.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Lugo vs Betancourt
The Mariners wanted to dump Yuniesky Betancourt and - voila! - the Royals obliged by taking his contract off their hands. The Royals gave up a couple of flotsam and jetsam prospects and will have to pay just $7 million of Betancourt's remaining contract ($2 mil in 2010, $3 million in 2011 and a $2 mil buyout in 2012). Joe Posnanski explains just how horrible Betancourt really is.
Reviewing the facts - I have to wonder where the Red Sox were on this deal? They are just as anxious to dump Julio Lugo and despite Lugo's current reputation - he's a much better player than Betancourt.
Fielding - Lugo has a -6.8 URZ this year and a -1.2 in 2008 but he's also been injured. What excuse does Betancourt have for his -8.3 2009 and -12.6 2008 numbers?
Base Running - Lugo is 15 for 19 in stolen base attempts the past two years. Betancourt is 7 for 12 in the same time period.
Hitting - Lugo may not be a great hitter but he's still better than Betancourt.
Sure Lugo is much older but honestly either player is just a rental for the Royals and the Red Sox could have made the finances work so that the Royals would be stuck for just $7 million overall for Lugo (same as Betancourt). Lugo's the better player for the Royals. I think this was a missed opportunity for the Red Sox to shed Lugo's contract.
The Mariners wanted to dump Yuniesky Betancourt and - voila! - the Royals obliged by taking his contract off their hands. The Royals gave up a couple of flotsam and jetsam prospects and will have to pay just $7 million of Betancourt's remaining contract ($2 mil in 2010, $3 million in 2011 and a $2 mil buyout in 2012). Joe Posnanski explains just how horrible Betancourt really is.
Reviewing the facts - I have to wonder where the Red Sox were on this deal? They are just as anxious to dump Julio Lugo and despite Lugo's current reputation - he's a much better player than Betancourt.
Fielding - Lugo has a -6.8 URZ this year and a -1.2 in 2008 but he's also been injured. What excuse does Betancourt have for his -8.3 2009 and -12.6 2008 numbers?
Base Running - Lugo is 15 for 19 in stolen base attempts the past two years. Betancourt is 7 for 12 in the same time period.
Hitting - Lugo may not be a great hitter but he's still better than Betancourt.
Sure Lugo is much older but honestly either player is just a rental for the Royals and the Red Sox could have made the finances work so that the Royals would be stuck for just $7 million overall for Lugo (same as Betancourt). Lugo's the better player for the Royals. I think this was a missed opportunity for the Red Sox to shed Lugo's contract.
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
Julio Lugo - Shart Stop
Sorry for the juvenile humor but I have to say this. A shart is a fart that draws mud. You go to fart and you get a little something extra. You gamble and lose. Which brings me to Red Sox shortstop Julio Lugo.
Julio Lugo has been an awful signing for the Red Sox. He was signed to a 4-year $36 million contract back in 2007 and Red Sox fans have never been happy about it. Many will go so far as to argue that the Lugo contract was the worst signing in Red Sox history.
Last season Lugo had 16 errors in just 82 games which when combined with his .685 OPS made the argument about him being the worst Red Sox mistake hard to argue against. Rookie Jed Lowrie had ZERO errors in 49 games filling for Lugo last season. Lowrie even hit better than Lugo despite having a fractured left wrist. It was assumed that Lowrie would be the starting shortstop for the Red Sox in 2009 - basically making Lugo a $9 million back-up.
This spring Lugo had an operation on his knee on Saint Patrick's Day almost as if to acknowledge that he lost his job and should get healthy for whatever team the Red Sox would be able to dump him to. Then it was announced that just time alone had not allowed Jed Lowrie's wrist to properly heal and he too would need surgery.
My theory is that Lugo rushed back from his knee injury before he was 100% because he saw an opportunity to win his job back and regain his mojo (if he ever had any). He gambled that he would play well enough in the field and at the plate that Jed Lowrie would be the back-up when Lowrie came off the DL. Lugo gambled and lost.
Sure Lugo may still be nursing an injured knee but this whole season Lugo has played the field like a guy who is afraid to move his legs out of fear that crap would literally seep out of his ass. No range whatsoever. And any Red Sox fan who remembers Lugo failing to turn a key double play recently because his throw to first was made flatfooted as if he was afraid to lift one leg in the air to get some mustard on the throw knows exactly what I'm talking about. That throw was made as if Lugo was afraid mustard would leak down his leg if he made a normal throw. He's been playing like a guy who just sharted.
Julio Lugo - shart stop.
That's how I see the guy now.
Sorry for the juvenile humor but I have to say this. A shart is a fart that draws mud. You go to fart and you get a little something extra. You gamble and lose. Which brings me to Red Sox shortstop Julio Lugo.
Julio Lugo has been an awful signing for the Red Sox. He was signed to a 4-year $36 million contract back in 2007 and Red Sox fans have never been happy about it. Many will go so far as to argue that the Lugo contract was the worst signing in Red Sox history.
Last season Lugo had 16 errors in just 82 games which when combined with his .685 OPS made the argument about him being the worst Red Sox mistake hard to argue against. Rookie Jed Lowrie had ZERO errors in 49 games filling for Lugo last season. Lowrie even hit better than Lugo despite having a fractured left wrist. It was assumed that Lowrie would be the starting shortstop for the Red Sox in 2009 - basically making Lugo a $9 million back-up.
This spring Lugo had an operation on his knee on Saint Patrick's Day almost as if to acknowledge that he lost his job and should get healthy for whatever team the Red Sox would be able to dump him to. Then it was announced that just time alone had not allowed Jed Lowrie's wrist to properly heal and he too would need surgery.
My theory is that Lugo rushed back from his knee injury before he was 100% because he saw an opportunity to win his job back and regain his mojo (if he ever had any). He gambled that he would play well enough in the field and at the plate that Jed Lowrie would be the back-up when Lowrie came off the DL. Lugo gambled and lost.
Sure Lugo may still be nursing an injured knee but this whole season Lugo has played the field like a guy who is afraid to move his legs out of fear that crap would literally seep out of his ass. No range whatsoever. And any Red Sox fan who remembers Lugo failing to turn a key double play recently because his throw to first was made flatfooted as if he was afraid to lift one leg in the air to get some mustard on the throw knows exactly what I'm talking about. That throw was made as if Lugo was afraid mustard would leak down his leg if he made a normal throw. He's been playing like a guy who just sharted.
Julio Lugo - shart stop.
That's how I see the guy now.
Sunday, June 07, 2009
Red Sox Magic Number - 107
The Red Sox are in first place by half a game and their magic number to clinch the AL East stands at 107.
In 107 AD, Ignatius of Antioch, one of the "Church Fathers" is martyred in Rome by being fed to the lions in the Colosseum. These days it is Julio Lugo who the Red Sox faithful want fed to the lions (metaphorically). There is another who many would also like to see cast into a (metaphorical) pit. Another way of saying "Church Father" would be to say "Church Papi". David Ortiz is a "Father" of the 2004 and 2007 World Series champions. Let's just hope that Ortiz and Lugo aren't martyring the 2009 Red Sox season.
The Red Sox are in first place by half a game and their magic number to clinch the AL East stands at 107.
In 107 AD, Ignatius of Antioch, one of the "Church Fathers" is martyred in Rome by being fed to the lions in the Colosseum. These days it is Julio Lugo who the Red Sox faithful want fed to the lions (metaphorically). There is another who many would also like to see cast into a (metaphorical) pit. Another way of saying "Church Father" would be to say "Church Papi". David Ortiz is a "Father" of the 2004 and 2007 World Series champions. Let's just hope that Ortiz and Lugo aren't martyring the 2009 Red Sox season.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Baseball Flotsam and Jetsam
Miscellaneous baseball thoughts and observations.
I wouldn't be surprised to see the Red Sox make a run at Brad Penny. The Sox (like every other team in both leagues) could use another starter and it is said that owner John Henry really likes Penny. The skinny on Penny seems to be that he was "distracted" in LA. It's tough to be distracted away from baseball when playing in Boston... I hope Orlando Hudson stays in the National League because he could be the only thing standing between Dustin Pedroia and a series of Gold Gloves. That's not to discount Mark Ellis but Ellis doesn't seem to be able to stay healthy enough to be a factor... I'm conflicted at the thought of Randy Johnson and Ken Griffey Jr. potentially winding back in Seattle as free agents. On the one hand - there certainly is something to be said for both players coming full circle and ending up their careers where they started. On the other hand - does either player make Seattle a better team? If it were to happen it would have the whiff of a carnival freak show to it where fans were expected to come out to see two future hall of famers and not the game itself... The top 3 things on the Red Sox wish list seem to be - 1. resolve the issues at catcher 2. figure out what to do about Julio Lugo and 3. add another starter. My guesses on these three situations? I think the Red Sox sign Jason Varitek to a one year deal but also shop around for a young stud catcher (like Jarrod Saltalamacchia) to be his eventual replacement. As far as the other two issues - if the Red Sox do trade Lugo it will be for someone else's problem contract ala Nate Robinson or Dontrelle Willis in Detroit. Lugo has shown willingness to be a back-up and maybe that's the answer. But then again - what does it say about the fire in a player that he almost seems resigned to being a backup?...
Miscellaneous baseball thoughts and observations.
I wouldn't be surprised to see the Red Sox make a run at Brad Penny. The Sox (like every other team in both leagues) could use another starter and it is said that owner John Henry really likes Penny. The skinny on Penny seems to be that he was "distracted" in LA. It's tough to be distracted away from baseball when playing in Boston... I hope Orlando Hudson stays in the National League because he could be the only thing standing between Dustin Pedroia and a series of Gold Gloves. That's not to discount Mark Ellis but Ellis doesn't seem to be able to stay healthy enough to be a factor... I'm conflicted at the thought of Randy Johnson and Ken Griffey Jr. potentially winding back in Seattle as free agents. On the one hand - there certainly is something to be said for both players coming full circle and ending up their careers where they started. On the other hand - does either player make Seattle a better team? If it were to happen it would have the whiff of a carnival freak show to it where fans were expected to come out to see two future hall of famers and not the game itself... The top 3 things on the Red Sox wish list seem to be - 1. resolve the issues at catcher 2. figure out what to do about Julio Lugo and 3. add another starter. My guesses on these three situations? I think the Red Sox sign Jason Varitek to a one year deal but also shop around for a young stud catcher (like Jarrod Saltalamacchia) to be his eventual replacement. As far as the other two issues - if the Red Sox do trade Lugo it will be for someone else's problem contract ala Nate Robinson or Dontrelle Willis in Detroit. Lugo has shown willingness to be a back-up and maybe that's the answer. But then again - what does it say about the fire in a player that he almost seems resigned to being a backup?...
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Baseball Flotsam and Jetsam
Miscellaneous baseball thoughts and observations.
Tim Wakefield continues to be the best bargain in baseball. With his win last night he's now 6-6 on the season - which is the least impressive thing about his statistics. Consider that he's started 19 games and averaged better than 6 innings pitched per game all the while posting a 3.60 ERA at the age of 41. You don't think of Wakefield as a strikeout pitcher but with his 6 strikeouts last night he broke his tie with Hall of Famer Kid Nichols to take 78th place on the all-time strikeout list all by himself... Only two teams in the AL have a winning record on the road. The Angels have been great on the road this year with a 30-18 record and the Yankees just qualify by going 23-22 so far this season... Bobby Kielty has been granted his release from the Red Sox. With Coco Crisp and Brandon Moss standing in his way - there was no way he was going to see any action on the big league level... If Jed Lowrie proves to be an everyday shortstop - can the Red Sox afford to eat the $18 million left on Julio Lugo's contract? There are many, many Red Sox fans who hope they can... Speaking of contracts fans would love to drop - how many Phillies fans would love to see Philadelphia's front office shed themselves of Adam Eaton's $9.5 million 2009 contract? Eaton's ERA is 5.71 and it's still more than half a run BETTER than it was last year... It doesn't make me happy that players like Eaton get all the chances in the world but yet a player like Charlie Zink can go 10-2 with a 2.28 ERA in AAA and not get a sniff of the big leagues. Just because Zink is a knuckleball pitcher and he's stuck in a farm system that is pitching rich. Don't try to tell me that a team like the Phillies wouldn't be 100% better with Zink taking the ball every 5th day than it would be with Adam Eaton. Hasn't anyone learned anything from the lesson of Tim Wakefield?
Miscellaneous baseball thoughts and observations.
Tim Wakefield continues to be the best bargain in baseball. With his win last night he's now 6-6 on the season - which is the least impressive thing about his statistics. Consider that he's started 19 games and averaged better than 6 innings pitched per game all the while posting a 3.60 ERA at the age of 41. You don't think of Wakefield as a strikeout pitcher but with his 6 strikeouts last night he broke his tie with Hall of Famer Kid Nichols to take 78th place on the all-time strikeout list all by himself... Only two teams in the AL have a winning record on the road. The Angels have been great on the road this year with a 30-18 record and the Yankees just qualify by going 23-22 so far this season... Bobby Kielty has been granted his release from the Red Sox. With Coco Crisp and Brandon Moss standing in his way - there was no way he was going to see any action on the big league level... If Jed Lowrie proves to be an everyday shortstop - can the Red Sox afford to eat the $18 million left on Julio Lugo's contract? There are many, many Red Sox fans who hope they can... Speaking of contracts fans would love to drop - how many Phillies fans would love to see Philadelphia's front office shed themselves of Adam Eaton's $9.5 million 2009 contract? Eaton's ERA is 5.71 and it's still more than half a run BETTER than it was last year... It doesn't make me happy that players like Eaton get all the chances in the world but yet a player like Charlie Zink can go 10-2 with a 2.28 ERA in AAA and not get a sniff of the big leagues. Just because Zink is a knuckleball pitcher and he's stuck in a farm system that is pitching rich. Don't try to tell me that a team like the Phillies wouldn't be 100% better with Zink taking the ball every 5th day than it would be with Adam Eaton. Hasn't anyone learned anything from the lesson of Tim Wakefield?
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Baseball Flotsam and Jetsam
Miscellaneous baseball thoughts and observations.
If Cubs right fielder Cliff Floyd is out for any period of time - you have to think the Cubs will be shopping for an outfielder. Jacque Jones has been awful this year. I wonder if Kenny Williams would be willing to deal with the crosstown Cubs and make a deal for Jermaine Dye? I doubt it. Brad Wilkerson may be available from the Rangers for the right price. I don't think the Rangers really want to pay Wilkerson next year's arbitration figure... Julio Lugo has taken some heat for his poor start but it should be noted that going into tonight's game Lugo has been hitting .321 in July with an .889 OPS (and as I type this Lugo is 3-4 on the night)... I think Billy Beane is going to have to pull off a major trade to kick start the A's if they are to have any chance at making the playoffs this year. They just can't keep losing games 4-3... Sergio Mitre is 4-4 with a 2.81 ERA this year in 15 starts for the Marlins. Do you think the Cubs still wish they had Mitre? Can you imagine the Cubs with Mitre and Dontrelle Willis in the rotation?... Many people are talking about CC Sabathia as a Cy Young contender but it should be noted that Gil Meche (who beat the Indians tonight) actually has a better ERA at 3.69 than Sabathia's 3.78...
Miscellaneous baseball thoughts and observations.
If Cubs right fielder Cliff Floyd is out for any period of time - you have to think the Cubs will be shopping for an outfielder. Jacque Jones has been awful this year. I wonder if Kenny Williams would be willing to deal with the crosstown Cubs and make a deal for Jermaine Dye? I doubt it. Brad Wilkerson may be available from the Rangers for the right price. I don't think the Rangers really want to pay Wilkerson next year's arbitration figure... Julio Lugo has taken some heat for his poor start but it should be noted that going into tonight's game Lugo has been hitting .321 in July with an .889 OPS (and as I type this Lugo is 3-4 on the night)... I think Billy Beane is going to have to pull off a major trade to kick start the A's if they are to have any chance at making the playoffs this year. They just can't keep losing games 4-3... Sergio Mitre is 4-4 with a 2.81 ERA this year in 15 starts for the Marlins. Do you think the Cubs still wish they had Mitre? Can you imagine the Cubs with Mitre and Dontrelle Willis in the rotation?... Many people are talking about CC Sabathia as a Cy Young contender but it should be noted that Gil Meche (who beat the Indians tonight) actually has a better ERA at 3.69 than Sabathia's 3.78...
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Flotsam and Jetsam
Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.
Bill Lear, founder of Lear Jet Corporation named his daughter Shanda. Yup Shanda Lear... Julio Lugo is in the midst of a mighty slump but this is a bit over the top. It also steals my thunder because I was going to do a spoof promotion by the Red Sox where official card carrying members of Red Sox Nation (yes the Red Sox actually sell membership cards) get chosen to pinch hit for Julio Lugo with proceeds going to the Jimmy Fund. It is an idea that I could actually see the Red Sox marketing people toss around. (Hat tip to Che MRhe for the link)... The silent one in Penn and Teller changed his name from Raymond Joseph Teller to just Teller... Very well done article on pro poker player Vinnie Vinh and the demons he's fighting. Makes for very interesting reading even if you are not a fan of poker... Penn Jillette from Penn and Teller named his daughter Moxie CrimeFighter Jillette. While it is an amusing name - I hope the girl sues her father for cruelty when she gets older... On this day in 1978 Willie McCovey became the 12th member of the 500 HR club. Babe Ruth was the first member back in 1929. So it took 49 years to get to 12 members but since 1978 the club has added 9 more members and within a year three more players should reach 500 HR (Alex Rodriguez, Manny Ramirez and Jim Thome). So it took about 50 years to go from to 12 members and then just another 30 to go from 12 to 24 members.... I always joked with my wife that we should name one of our kids Next. That way when they grow up and someone asks, "Who's next?" - they could answer, "I am"... Exactly 10-years ago today - the first Harry Potter book was published. It's feels like its taken 10-years just to get the seventh book published.
Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.
Bill Lear, founder of Lear Jet Corporation named his daughter Shanda. Yup Shanda Lear... Julio Lugo is in the midst of a mighty slump but this is a bit over the top. It also steals my thunder because I was going to do a spoof promotion by the Red Sox where official card carrying members of Red Sox Nation (yes the Red Sox actually sell membership cards) get chosen to pinch hit for Julio Lugo with proceeds going to the Jimmy Fund. It is an idea that I could actually see the Red Sox marketing people toss around. (Hat tip to Che MRhe for the link)... The silent one in Penn and Teller changed his name from Raymond Joseph Teller to just Teller... Very well done article on pro poker player Vinnie Vinh and the demons he's fighting. Makes for very interesting reading even if you are not a fan of poker... Penn Jillette from Penn and Teller named his daughter Moxie CrimeFighter Jillette. While it is an amusing name - I hope the girl sues her father for cruelty when she gets older... On this day in 1978 Willie McCovey became the 12th member of the 500 HR club. Babe Ruth was the first member back in 1929. So it took 49 years to get to 12 members but since 1978 the club has added 9 more members and within a year three more players should reach 500 HR (Alex Rodriguez, Manny Ramirez and Jim Thome). So it took about 50 years to go from to 12 members and then just another 30 to go from 12 to 24 members.... I always joked with my wife that we should name one of our kids Next. That way when they grow up and someone asks, "Who's next?" - they could answer, "I am"... Exactly 10-years ago today - the first Harry Potter book was published. It's feels like its taken 10-years just to get the seventh book published.
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Baseball Flotsam and Jetsam
Miscellaneous baseball thoughts and observations.
I thought today we'd start off with a little visual comparison. Yesterday I mentioned Nate Colbert who happens to be the all-time leader in HR for the Padres. Chris in the comments mentioned that according to his 1974 baseball card Colbert was not a handsome man. I was curious and did a GIS search and found this baseball card for Nate Colbert. My immediate thought was that Colbert looked just like the guy from the Red Stripe commercials. You be the judge.
Boo Chris Young pitching like Cy Young in a 6-1 victory over the Red Sox! Hooray beer! Boo Julio Lugo having the lowest batting average in all of baseball! Hooray beer! Boo 19 players having a slugging percentage higher than what Julio Lugo has for an OPS! Hooray beer!
The Blue Jays can make it back to .500 with a win today. In a way - making it to .500 could be the worst thing that could happen to Toronto. I don't think the Blue Jays have a chance at the post-season this year because they won't catch the Red Sox (11 games back) and they won't win the Wildcard (7 back). However, having a winning record will make it tough for the Toronto front office to waive the white flag and make some deals that will make the team better in the future. Troy Glaus could bring some pretty good prospects and he'd probably would waive his no-trade clause to go to either the Angels or Dodgers but if the team still has even a glimmer of hope then he'll probably end up staying in Toronto... I know that all the "official" reports say that Troy Glaus is not on the trading block and holding on to Glaus makes excellent sense because it is very difficult to find a third baseman who can hit 35 HR and have a great glove. However, the Blue Jays are not a franchise that can afford a lot of dead money on the payroll. BJ Ryan, Frank Thomas and AJ Burnett are all just one more injury away from being potential dead money contracts and with Glaus' knees - he's a danger as well... Does Bartolo Colon really have a 6.17 ERA? Wow - that's no way to pitch in your contract year.... Alex Rodriguez is on pace for 63 HR which while not approaching Barry Bonds record of 73 HR in 2001 would still be good enough to set the all-time single season HR record in the American League... Josh Beckett is pretty good with the bat and if he gets a couple of hits today then it is possible that he could sport a better batting average, OBP and slugging percentage than Julio Lugo by the time the day is over... I'm really trying to give Julio Lugo the benefit of the doubt and I want to like him but he's making it difficult...
Miscellaneous baseball thoughts and observations.
I thought today we'd start off with a little visual comparison. Yesterday I mentioned Nate Colbert who happens to be the all-time leader in HR for the Padres. Chris in the comments mentioned that according to his 1974 baseball card Colbert was not a handsome man. I was curious and did a GIS search and found this baseball card for Nate Colbert. My immediate thought was that Colbert looked just like the guy from the Red Stripe commercials. You be the judge.
Boo Chris Young pitching like Cy Young in a 6-1 victory over the Red Sox! Hooray beer! Boo Julio Lugo having the lowest batting average in all of baseball! Hooray beer! Boo 19 players having a slugging percentage higher than what Julio Lugo has for an OPS! Hooray beer!The Blue Jays can make it back to .500 with a win today. In a way - making it to .500 could be the worst thing that could happen to Toronto. I don't think the Blue Jays have a chance at the post-season this year because they won't catch the Red Sox (11 games back) and they won't win the Wildcard (7 back). However, having a winning record will make it tough for the Toronto front office to waive the white flag and make some deals that will make the team better in the future. Troy Glaus could bring some pretty good prospects and he'd probably would waive his no-trade clause to go to either the Angels or Dodgers but if the team still has even a glimmer of hope then he'll probably end up staying in Toronto... I know that all the "official" reports say that Troy Glaus is not on the trading block and holding on to Glaus makes excellent sense because it is very difficult to find a third baseman who can hit 35 HR and have a great glove. However, the Blue Jays are not a franchise that can afford a lot of dead money on the payroll. BJ Ryan, Frank Thomas and AJ Burnett are all just one more injury away from being potential dead money contracts and with Glaus' knees - he's a danger as well... Does Bartolo Colon really have a 6.17 ERA? Wow - that's no way to pitch in your contract year.... Alex Rodriguez is on pace for 63 HR which while not approaching Barry Bonds record of 73 HR in 2001 would still be good enough to set the all-time single season HR record in the American League... Josh Beckett is pretty good with the bat and if he gets a couple of hits today then it is possible that he could sport a better batting average, OBP and slugging percentage than Julio Lugo by the time the day is over... I'm really trying to give Julio Lugo the benefit of the doubt and I want to like him but he's making it difficult...
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Baseball Flotsam and Jetsam
Miscellaneous baseball thoughts and observations.
Casey Kotchman has been hot for the Angels. In the last 10 games he has raised his batting average 42 points - from .258 to an even .300... Last off season Tom Glavine clearly wanted to return to the Braves but Atlanta thinking they were fine with a big three of Smoltz, Hudson and Mike Hampton passed on having a Hall of Famer return to win his 300th game. Now with Mike Hampton out for the season - the back end of the rotation is the big weak spot for the Braves. I bet that Atlanta wishes they had a do-over and again had the opportunity to bring Tom Glavine back into the fold... Nomar Garciaparra is having a disappointing start to the season. He has just 1 HR and his OPS (.687) is 212 points below his career average... The other day I mentioned how maybe hitters who switch from the NL to the AL show a decline because the pressures and the talent in the AL are much greater than the NL. I used JD Drew as my example but another good one would be Josh Barfield who hit .280 last season for the Padres but is hitting just .235 this year for Cleveland. Of course Barfield's struggles could also fall under the cliche of the the sophomore slump... David Ortiz and Ryan Howard are both listed at 230 pounds. There is no way on God's green earth that those two guys are only 230 pounds... Bronson Arroyo is now 2-5 with a 4.01 ERA for the Reds. This may sound crazy but I think the Red Sox are better off with Julian Tavarez (or soon Jon Lester) as their 5th starter than they would be with Arroyo... Scott Rolen and Jim Edmonds are both hitting just .231 for the Cardinals. Both "sluggers" have pretty big dollar contracts for next year and both have 10-5 rights to veto any trade attempt. These guys may prove to be albatrosses not just for this year but also next year for St. Louis... I thought for sure that Joe Kennedy would be the season's big surprise success story. However, Kennedy is just 1-4 for the A's even though he has an impressive 3.62 ERA. I'm telling you - if I were a GM for a team trying to win a playoff spot and I needed another starter - I'd make Joe Kennedy a top trade priority. When Rich Harden and Esteban Loaiza come back from the DL - then Kennedy should be expendable by the A's in exchange for a slugger. Kennedy is a free agent at the end of the season so the A's have another reason for wanting to deal him... Red Sox fans are not booing Julio Lugo even though he's hitting just .231 as the leadoff batter. The reason Sox fans have some patience with Lugo is because he always seems to come up big in the clutch. With runners in scoring position Lugo is hitting .319 and with RISP and 2 outs - Lugo is hitting a blistering .346... Mark Loretta is quietly having a nice season for the Astros. The idea going into the season was for Loretta split 2nd with Craig Biggio (especially on the road where Biggio's numbers are awful) but with Morgan Ensberg struggling - Loretta has gotten a lot of AB recently at 3rd base. Lorreta is hitting .351 for the season...
Miscellaneous baseball thoughts and observations.
Casey Kotchman has been hot for the Angels. In the last 10 games he has raised his batting average 42 points - from .258 to an even .300... Last off season Tom Glavine clearly wanted to return to the Braves but Atlanta thinking they were fine with a big three of Smoltz, Hudson and Mike Hampton passed on having a Hall of Famer return to win his 300th game. Now with Mike Hampton out for the season - the back end of the rotation is the big weak spot for the Braves. I bet that Atlanta wishes they had a do-over and again had the opportunity to bring Tom Glavine back into the fold... Nomar Garciaparra is having a disappointing start to the season. He has just 1 HR and his OPS (.687) is 212 points below his career average... The other day I mentioned how maybe hitters who switch from the NL to the AL show a decline because the pressures and the talent in the AL are much greater than the NL. I used JD Drew as my example but another good one would be Josh Barfield who hit .280 last season for the Padres but is hitting just .235 this year for Cleveland. Of course Barfield's struggles could also fall under the cliche of the the sophomore slump... David Ortiz and Ryan Howard are both listed at 230 pounds. There is no way on God's green earth that those two guys are only 230 pounds... Bronson Arroyo is now 2-5 with a 4.01 ERA for the Reds. This may sound crazy but I think the Red Sox are better off with Julian Tavarez (or soon Jon Lester) as their 5th starter than they would be with Arroyo... Scott Rolen and Jim Edmonds are both hitting just .231 for the Cardinals. Both "sluggers" have pretty big dollar contracts for next year and both have 10-5 rights to veto any trade attempt. These guys may prove to be albatrosses not just for this year but also next year for St. Louis... I thought for sure that Joe Kennedy would be the season's big surprise success story. However, Kennedy is just 1-4 for the A's even though he has an impressive 3.62 ERA. I'm telling you - if I were a GM for a team trying to win a playoff spot and I needed another starter - I'd make Joe Kennedy a top trade priority. When Rich Harden and Esteban Loaiza come back from the DL - then Kennedy should be expendable by the A's in exchange for a slugger. Kennedy is a free agent at the end of the season so the A's have another reason for wanting to deal him... Red Sox fans are not booing Julio Lugo even though he's hitting just .231 as the leadoff batter. The reason Sox fans have some patience with Lugo is because he always seems to come up big in the clutch. With runners in scoring position Lugo is hitting .319 and with RISP and 2 outs - Lugo is hitting a blistering .346... Mark Loretta is quietly having a nice season for the Astros. The idea going into the season was for Loretta split 2nd with Craig Biggio (especially on the road where Biggio's numbers are awful) but with Morgan Ensberg struggling - Loretta has gotten a lot of AB recently at 3rd base. Lorreta is hitting .351 for the season...
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