The Phils series with the Rockies was cut short by some crazy weather. Roy Halladay struggled, giving up 10 hits, but it looked like we might pull it out before he gave up a 2-run single to Brad Hawpe.
Since it was only a two game series, this is going to be light on the Good News / Bad News, and heavy on the Prospect Update.
2010: 20-13
2009: 17-16
2008: 19-14
2007: 14-19
The Good News
- The best news is that Jimmy Rollins is expected to return when we return home, perhaps as early as Monday.
- 2nd up is the fact that Carlos Ruiz is not seriously hurt. Ruiz has arguably been the MVP of this team after Werth and Halladay. We saw what our full line-up can do in the first 8 games (7-1) – with everyone back, it would be nice to go on another big run.
- After some recent struggles, Utley is hitting .390 in May, and .351 for the season against lefties.
- Ridiculous paces that have no chance of playing out: Werth on pace for 88 doubles, Victorino on pace for 20 triples, 35 HR and 126 RBI, Utley on pace for 147 runs, Halladay on pace for 304 IP and 29 wins.
The Bad News
- Howard against lefties this year: .196 avg., .579 OPS.
- Ibanez against lefties this year: .179 avg., .508 OPS.
- Based on the above bullet, I would really like to see Ben Francisco getting a lot more ABs against LHP.
- Ruben Amaro still doesn’t think Scott Mathieson (16.2 IP, 1 ER, 96-98 mph fastball) is ready for the majors yet. Might have to start a Mathieson-watch or something.
Prospect Watch
There are a bunch of prospects I want to mention here starting with 2 2009 draft picks in A-ball who could get the call to Reading soon.
- RHP Austin Hyatt had the best pitching performance by a Phillies minor leaguer this season this week. He went 8 innings, allowed only 1 hit, and struck out 14 batters. On the season, he has a 1.90 ERA and a 0.91 WHIP with 53 K in 42.2 IP. He features a fastball (90-91mph as a starter, 94mph as a reliever) and a good change-up. He is working on a slider and that will likely determine what role he will play in the future. He is very old for the league (about to turn 24) and we won’t really know what we have in him until he moves up to Reading, but that could happen soon.
- Like Hyatt, LHP Nick Hernandez is a 2009 draft pick, a college pitcher, old for his league, and dominating. On the season, he has a 1.69 ERA and 0.92 WHIP with 44 K in 48 IP. He’s your typical Phillies LHP prospect (this Outman, Maloney, Happ, Flande, etc…) in that he has an average fastball and a good change-up. He’s only 21, so isn’t quite as old as Hyatt, but he still could see a move up sooner rather than later.
- 1B Jon Singleton had one of the best debuts of our draft picks last year. Prior to the season, I rated him as the Phillies 13th best prospect. The 18-year old has been in extended spring training, but made his debut in Lakewood tonight. He didn’t disappoint, cracking a HR in his 2nd AB of the season.
- Domonic Brown keeps rolling. He leads the Eastern League in OPS (1.088) by a pretty large margin (2nd place is .983). The main reason being his ridiculous .681 SLG%. I really do think this kid is going to be an all-star.
- I know I’ve talked about all good stuff in this area, but there are some bad starts to note. RHP Phillipe Aumont, OF Jiwan James, SS Freddy Galvis, RHP Mike Stutes and C Sebastian Valle are all off to pretty bad starts. I will have a full prospect run-down in a couple weeks once the season is 1/4 done.
Series Preview: Phillies at Milwaukee Brewers
The Phillies go to Miller Park (one of my favorite stadiums) to take on another team not quite meeting pre-season expectations. The Brewers are 15-19, mostly because of 7 losses from their bullpen, which is sporting a 5.80 ERA.
Probables
Friday (8:40): Moyer vs. LHP Randy Wolf
Saturday (4:10): Blanton vs. LHP Chris Narveson
Sunday (8:05): Hamels vs. LHP Doug Davis
3 Questions for the Series
- Can we chase the starters early and get to their bullpen?
- Can we hit the 2 crappy lefties?
- Can Jamie Moyer keep some of the magic?
Series prediction
I don’t care if 2 of these lefties suck, I can’t predict a sweep on the road against 3 lefties. We should definitely take 2 of 3 though, my guess would be the last 2.
Sanchez threw a complete game with 8 k’s and 1 ER.
I hope our pitchers show up cause the Brewers can hang some crooked numbers on a team real fast.
So the Phillies couldn’t afford old school batting helmets?
Loved the old school uniforms. I thought it was weird about the helmets too though.
How about we just wait for Mathieson to be ready?
AB-
What makes you think he’s not ready? The numbers certainly imply that he is.
good to see both Ibanez and Howard hit the lefty tonight
Pete-
“Ruben Amaro recently said that Scott Mathieson still isn’t ready despite an 0.71 ERA and four saves with AAA.”
AB,
Opening that link, thee are no quote marks around the words, or a source. So the statement doesn’t have as much credibility to me as it might you.
I’m hardly privvy to all the quotes and interviews Amaro does, but the last thing I was aware he referenced on Mathieson was at the end of spring training, in explaining the demotion saying he wanted Mathieson to get innings. I don’t recall the source, probably the Inky/DN, but I have to question the accuracy of that comment without source, and with Mathieson pitching very well.
You have to be nuts to be thinking about baseball tonight. Goes without saying that that assessment is Flyer related. And if you are thinking about baseball, its totally out of line to think of anything other than the Phils. Leastwise around here. That said, I just looked at the AL East standings for the first time in I guess 2-3 days, and maybe had a habit of not looking below the top 2. Due respect to the Padres and Nats, how about the Jays competing as they have so far, about 5 over .500 in that tough division. Those stories, early though they may be, are always interesting to keep an eye on.
AB-
Yeah, I saw that quote – I would like Amaro to explain WHY he’s not ready though.
KB-
That Flyers game was amazing. Very poetic to come back from 3-0 in the game as well as the series.
Toronto has a pretty good offense. Vernon Wells seems to be back and Aaron Hill, Adam Lind and Travis Snider are all solid.
Nice win all around. I can’t stop praising Contreras and that pickup by management. 4 games up now on the serious contenders without rollins. Really hope Shane can keep it up from the 7 spot. I am hoping he is put in the 6th spot and Ibanez/Fransisco move to 7th but may have to wait until July until Charlie makes that move. He tends to be overly patient with vets.
Anybody else recognize the trend for teams after they play the Phils? Braves playing well, punked by Phils, lose 7 more in row. Cards best in NL coming in, get punked by Phils – stink ever since. Mets come in on roll, get punked by Phils, stink again. That is not happenstance. Other teams know they are to be measured against the Phils and when they don’t measure up it has lasting effects.
I am in DC so follow the Nats rather closely. While I don’t see them yet as a serious contender, I am getting excited about them. Zimerman looks poised for a monster year. Their achilles heel over the long run shold be their starting pitching (they won’t keep up their recent pace) but they will soon get a Strasburg injection. The buzz for Strasburg is building and his projected start date is June 4 (reds) or June 8 (pirates). The ticket scramble is underway. I really hope he is all he has been so far. Can’t wait until he faces the Phils, hopefully in DC so I can see it. They way I think it plays out would have him pitching in DC against the Phils for the first time on July 31 (saturday night). I am assuming he slips into the number 2 slot behind Hernandez after the all-star break.
Starting to get a bit concerned about Utley’s defense. 6 errors, on pace for 25 or so. We saw some deterioration in his D late last year and seems to be some carryover. He still overall is very good and tends to make the great play but something to keep and eye on.
Still can’t believe what the Flyers did. Hopefully no huge hangover against Habs. Very happy for Gagne. Sunday night Flyers, and Phils on ESPN – nice.
I’m pretty sure I remember reading somewhere that Utley recognized the problems he’s had throwing, specifically when trying to turn a double-play, and that he worked harder to improve in that area during spring training. Obviously he needs to keep working at it.
Difficult to tell because I can’t see it all of the time but, from what I do see, I don’t like his footwork around the bag a lot of the time. Some, possibly a lot, of it can be attributed to runners bearing down on him and not allowing him to get in a good throwing position. Then again, Rollins doesn’t have that problem.
I know it’s not the same in that Rollins is heading towards first base when he receives the throw, whereas Utley is heading away from first which requires him to stop, make the turn, and get set to make the throw. Then again, Utley usually does make the throws on those very difficult plays where he fields a ball up the middle, then jumps, turns, and throws all in one motion (like he did last night against Fielder—even though the throw was a bit late, it was there).
In addition to, or maybe as a result of, his poor footwork, Utley, as he did last night, almost always slings the ball and throws across his body, which drives me crazy. Maybe he’s just trying to send Ryan Howard a message, his errant throws asking “How do you like it?”. Just kidding, of course.
Whatever the problem, Utley has got to fix it because we can’t have the entire right side of our infield throwing the ball all over the yard.
phillyfan,
I’ve also taken it as a good sign that we’ve been able to quickly cool off some hot teams, and leaving them with a hangover is an added bonus. It has allowed us to stop wondering how we will fare against the “better” teams while at the same time I hope it has forced everyone else to get past the idea that we were winning early on because we were playing “weaker” teams. I’ll give you the Astros, but the Nats, by virtue of their 18-11 record against everyone else, don’t fall into the latter category (at least not so far this season).
Burrell got sent to the minors by the Rays
Where’s Jason Michaels when you need him!? At least Pat’s got his bulldog for consolation. I hadn’t been paying attention. He must’ve really stunk it up this season. S L O W. Could rake on occasion, the occasion of inferior pitching. Accurately threw down martinis at 2nd & Market.
Can’t even get away from McCarthy when the game is on FOX. What’s more, for color we have Mark Grace, who seems like a nice enough guy, reading from the Big Book of Baseball Cliches. Not the best broadcast tandem, IMO.
This new no-follow-through-half-swing sure looks funky but it’s working for Utley, who hit a HR last night and an RBI ground-rule double today with it.
McCarthy, blubbering near-idiot, lucky stiff. Where’s Andy Musser when you need him!?
I was hoping he’d do better the second time around. Not be be though as Howard just had another bad AB. We’d have a nice early lead if he did something. A lefty who he’s never seen before is a bad combo.
Half-swing bombs tell you more about ball & bat composition than they do about Utley. Or at least as much.
Not buying the quick hands and strong wrists explanation, jjg?
Frustrating. We’re running deep counts and forcing Narveson to throw a lot of pitches but we aren’t getting to him. Even if we don’t knock him out his pitch count will (in one more inning, max).
On the flip side, I was just going to say how good Blanton has looked today. Next thing I know, Fielder hits a HR and McGehee follows with a single (and Gerut almost had a double down the left field line). Keep it together, Joe. The offense needs you to hold them down today (at least until we get into their bullpen).
Need that! Made them pay for leaving Narveson in.
Correction: Needed that!
BTW, I miss Andy Musser, too.
I’ll be curious to see what effect being allowed to throw 130 pitches (most in the majors this year according to McCarthy) in 5+ innings will have on Narveson in his next start (possibly his next few starts). I’ll have to remember to check up on him at the end of next week.
Ah, the bullpen. The sweet Brewers bullpen that allows us to get to hacking and put the game out of reach.
The buzz for Strasburg is building and his projected start date is June 4 (reds) or June 8 (pirates). I am assuming he slips into the number 2 slot behind Hernandez after the all-star break.>>
I spoke to someone this week who managed to tone my enthusiasm for Strassburg down a little bit. First of all, for whatever it’s worth, and it may or may no be much, Mark Prior was so hyped when he came up and while he did have some really good stretches before succumbing to injury, he told me Prior was 7-7 his rookie year. More importantly, the Nats walk a fine line with this kid. They have illusions of contending, if not winning, but are monitoring his innings. let’s not forget, he’s a year removed from a college schedule. And I would think they place that above all else no matter what.
If their success continues, it’d seem like a very good strategy to get as good as starter as they can by the trade deadline.
<<I hope it has forced everyone else to get past the idea that we were winning early on because we were playing “weaker” teams.>>
I’m on board with that. I thought that way back then also, Staunchly, I might add.
<<That Flyers game was amazing. Very poetic to come back from 3-0 in the game as well as the series.>>
Different time frames and different factors on a number of fronts, but I would have tio say that of a list of things like Freddie Mitchell’s 4th and 26 catch, the Joe Pitchairsick Miracle of the Meadowlands, Phils comeback in 1980 NLCS Game 5 down 5-2 in the 8th to Nolan (113-2 or something when leading through 7), Phils beating Mets and winning it all in 08, Villanova Georgetown 1985, this Flyers win is thee one for the archives. I mean 3-zip squared?
By the way, in looking at the Nats, don’t forget they get Chien-Ming Wang back around July 1.
I copied and pasted his name before anyone gets excited about me spelling it correctly.
I can’t recall the subject matter it was in response to, but SNY’s Keith Hernandez, one of the better students of the game, replied with a terse “The pitching is terrible”. This was a couple months back, and a comment on the sport as a whole, not just the Mets.
Yesterday, Dontrelle Willis, in 3 1/3 innings, walked 7 batters, part of a collective 20 walks (maybe 19) by the Tigers and Red Sox. Jonathan Lester, considered one of the best pitchers in the game, or certainly one of the better ones did strike out 10, but walked 4 in 7 innings which isn’t real great either. I’m sure a trip through the boxscores would result in numerous tales of patheticness.
It’s so easy to rip pitchers in the game today. But you have to wonder.
With improved physical attributes and training programs compared to yesteryear, from a physical standpoint, more than half these kids should technically be better than Bob Gibson types of 40 years ago.
Are they really that bad?
Somewhere in the jumbled maze that baseball presents in attempt to market itself are the well documented factors of tighter strike zones, smaller parks, bigger and better prepared hitters. Not to mention more patient. Yet, pitchers keep taking the rap. Is it really bad pitching that walks the leadoff man, or the factors above that are not an excuse, but a legitiate factor?
I can’t tell anymore. Some 14 NL pitchers, most if not all starters have ERAs under 3 at this point, and Chris Carpenter, at 15 is a Cy Young level pitcher by career achievement. Charlie Manuel is gonna disappoint some people come all star selection time. A handful are downright dominant. To date, the years that the likes of Halladay, Lincecum and Jienez are having are years that Walter Johnsom would have taken in a heartbeat. And yet, the masses walk leadoff hitters and give up untimely hits.
The general population seems slanted to offense. I seem to be a minority as a fan of the 2-1 5 hitter. So baseball, ever since reacting to Bob Gibson’s 1.12/Denny McLain’s 31 game season (circa 1968) by altering the mound to favor it’s offensive show keeps doing what it can to have fireworks during the game, let alone after.
If there’s a moral to the story, its that there is just no way that the Red Sox and Tigers could be bad enough to walk 20, that’s twenty, mind you, hitters in a game. No way the Brewers bullpen could be bad enough to total out with a team 4-13 record at home so far this year.
Yet, these are the realities that have availed themselves.
Somehow, the great ones keep rolling along, but on the whole, these pitchers are getting an awful lot of help to have their stats look as bad as they do sometimes. Pitching is no longer 90% of the game. It’s the factors around the pitchers that are the 90 per cent.
Almost jinxed us yesterday but it turned out that the offense did put the game out of reach. How about Valdez and Hoover? Nice unexpected offense we’re getting from them in this series.
After an early season glimmer of hope that things would be different this year, Ryan Howard is back to looking awful against lefties and breaking balls (and of course lefties that throw him breaking balls). He went 0-3 with 3 Ks against the lefties——his first 2 ABs against Narveson (the walk in his 3rd AB against him was but a small consolation) and also against Stetter——and 1-2 against the righties, Suppan and Villanueva.
I think Jose Contreras’ mother should be at every game for the rest of the season. Not that we have won them all up to this point but we have been winning at a good clip since she’s been in attendance. At a minimum, it wouldn’t hurt to keep Jose happy since he is now our closer
Ken,
Reading your last post started a lot of things running through my mind. Buckle up because this could be a long one. (I apologize in advance.)
First of all, you are not alone in liking a 2-1 5-hitter, as I too prefer those types of games over ones like yesterday’s 10-6 win over the Brewers.
To say that the former is boring or that not much happened misses a lot, IMO. In a tight game like that every pitch, every AB, every base runner, every call by an umpire, etc… becomes a big deal and requires everyone involved to focus at all times because one pitch, one swing of the bat, or one call (or non-call) could determine the game, especially considering the fact that offense is the name of the game, as you described. The beauty is that this also holds true for the fan, who must also pay attention to everything throughout the game. I know that when I am watching a game like this I get nervous when a certain hitter comes to the plate, when a walk is issued, when a certain reliever is brought into the game, when there is a runner in scoring position, and so on. I am locked in to every pitch.
On the other hand, watching a slugfest does not hold my attention or generate a level of anxiety anywhere near to the same degree. There is no way that I can remain focused throughout when there is one walk after another, lots of pitching changes, and we end up with a 4 hour game.
Now as far as the pitching————
It’s so easy to rip pitchers in the game today. But you have to wonder.
With improved physical attributes and training programs compared to yesteryear, from a physical standpoint, more than half these kids should technically be better than Bob Gibson types of 40 years ago.
Are they really that bad?
————I think a lot of it also has to do with the way pitchers are (or are not, depending on your point of view) developed. In other words you reap what you sow and the game is getting what it deserves out of it’s pitchers as a result.
Last week (May 12th) I read an article by Les Carpenter from Yahoo sports about Jamie Moyer that contained some interesting bits relating to just that.
He comes from a time that is lost now in baseball, an era when nobody fretted about pitch limits and radar-gun readings. Of all the poisonous trends to seep into the game over the past three decades few have done more damage to pitchers than the obsession over pitch counts. No minor league manager early in Moyer’s career ever raced out of the dugout to yank him in the middle of the fifth inning because he had reached the magic number of 75 pitches. No jittery big league general manager fretted that his tender rotator cuff would explode in a tangle of frayed ends. He pitched until he could no longer get anyone out or the game was over.
Which, in many ways, is the physical reason he is still pitching now.
”The kids today don’t get a chance to pitch out of jams in the minor leagues now,” says Billy Blitzer, the scout who signed Moyer in 1984.
Last year, Phillies pitcher J.A. Happ shut out the Toronto Blue Jays. Later, he revealed to pitching coach Rich Dubee that it was the first complete game he had ever thrown, at any professional level. Dubee was stunned. Even as a mediocre minor league pitcher in the 1970s, Dubee completed 13 percent of his starts. Everybody finished the games they won.
”That’s the way you were brought up in this game,” he says. ”You pitched.”
So as Moyer’s younger, stronger teammates with their blistering fastballs throw 60 pitches in an off-day bullpen session, careful not to surpass their prescribed pitch counts, Moyer throws at least 100, or until he gets the feel for those pitches that have been troubling him. If, for instance, he has been struggling with his fastball up and in to right-handed hitters, he will throw dozens of those fastballs until he finds the touch. Sometimes he might have three or four pitches he thinks he needs to work on. The bullpens can stretch for half an hour.
Bottom line, pitchers were able to throw more because they were allowed to throw more and they developed and maintained the strength and endurance to do so, and they were able to pitch out of jams because they were allowed to learn how (by being allowed to fail of course) and develop the necessary confidence and ability.
I also read an article by Tom Verducci that speaks to much of what you said.
We are missing an essential part of the game’s allure and romance: the crack of the bat. You hear it less and less in today’s game. Hitting and pitching have evolved in ways that mean the baseball is put into play less frequently than ever before.
In April, 28 percent of all major league plate appearances ended in a walk or a strikeout, continuing what has been virtually an unchecked increase in such non-contact plate appearances since the game was invented. Ten years ago, for instance, the rate of plate appearances without the ball being put into play was 26 percent; 20 years ago it was 24 percent; 30 years ago it was 21 percent . . . all the way back to 15 percent in 1920.
Baseball has become a game of catch between the pitcher and catcher more than ever before. That game between Oakland and New York, played April 20, was an extreme example of what is going on. Only 43 of the 79 hitters put the ball in play. There were 36 walks and strikeouts and only 13 hits.
Why is this happening? It’s not because the “quality of play” has diminished or the “fundamentals” have gotten worse. It’s actually the exact opposite. It’s because players are better than ever, part of the natural evolution of teaching and training. Hitters are so good they can be more selective (and don’t mind taking a full cut with two strikes), while pitchers must keep the ball out of the middle of the plate. The game is played on the margins of the strike zone, and not fully inside it, more than ever.
I think taking all of these things together explains a lot………
Hitters are more patient because they are well aware that, due to tighter strike zones and smaller ballparks, pitchers need to be very careful to stay out of the middle of the plate. They wait for mistakes, driving up the starter’s pitch count in the process, also very well aware that it will get him out of the game earlier and force the other team to get into the bullpen sooner.
Managers, for their part, have no choice but to remove their starters because either they don’t trust them to get out of a jam or they are hamstrung because their starters have not been developed to go much beyond 100 pitches on a regular basis.
In their defense, the manager’s first priority is to win today’s game and in order to do that he must work with what he’s got. He can’t worry about tomorrow until tomorrow, and concern over the long-term development of his starter, or reliever for that matter, is not an option at that point. (Although it is now common for a manager to remove his starter early as a way to try and build his confidence, trying to take him out of the game on a positive note when he’s feeling good about himself and getting him the win, or by not allowing him to take the loss——which is that protection mechanism in action again. By not wanting a pitcher to fail and using that as a way to build confidence, the manager is also not allowing the the pitcher to develop the ability to handle tough situations and to learn through failure.)
Then we’re into the bullpen where it all continues with specialized situational relievers who are only conditioned (physically and mentally) to throw one specified inning (or to one hitter), who usually start their inning clean (not brought in with runners on base), and who many times are equally untrusted to get out of a jam.
…………It all goes around in one big circle. (And we have seen this dynamic in action over the last two games against the Brewers. Be patient, make the starter throw a lot of pitches, get him out of the game early, then hammer the bullpen and score a bunch of runs.)
bski, Quick hands and strong wrists made quicker and stronger by lighter maple wood that began distribution in 1990s and was popularized by Bonds’ HR totals, as opposed to heavier northern white ash (50 years the standard) or the heaviest, hickory (Babe Ruth’s).
Victorino hacks at a thrown baseball like he’s chopping a pineapple with a machete - and out they go. Vintage Richie Allen swinging a maple bat in Citizens Bank Park and other bandboxes … Ryan who?
Also, the shrunken modern strike zone along with contemporory pitchers’ aversion to using the knockdown pitch (and Commissioner’s and umpires’ tight intolerance of resemblances) has increased batters’ boldness and, ultimately, has increased the frequency of “crooked numbers” – probably a MLB objective.
old-fashioned sp correction – contemporary
jjg,
#33—True.
#34—Also true. Since things are the way they are (in favor of offense), I take it to mean that, while it may not be it’s objective, MLB is fine with it. Otherwise changes would be made, right? This got me to thinking about my previous post.
I am of the mind that the situation I discussed earlier, with pitchers not being developed properly, can be likened to the over all economy.
(Presupposing that long-term health and stability of the economy/the good of the game for MLB is the goal) The two-part question is: Is the quarter-by-quarter approach under which many, if not most, corporations operate (the game-to-game approach under which MLB teams operate) the best way to serve the long-term interests of the over all economy (good of the game of baseball)? Would not some short-term pain (not paying a dividend for a quarter or two/allowing a pitcher to learn through failure and losing a game here and there) better meet that end?
Two things about the issue though.
1) MLB has something going for it that would allow it to have it both ways, namely the minor leagues.
By making some meaningful changes in the minor leagues, they can be 100% focused on the long-term development of their pitchers. They can be allowed to build up arm strength gradually in order to throw more pitches more often, be allowed to work through struggles, and to learn through failure, etc…all with the goal of having them develop into better pitchers that will be better able to provide success for the parent club (which after all is what it’s supposed to be about, right?).
The MLB club could still operate on a game-to-game basis and keep it’s short-term focus on winning each day’s game while at the same time allowing more pitchers to work out of jams/go deeper in games because they are working with better developed/more capable pitchers. I know it wouldn’t be quite that linear but I have to think that the greater the number of better developed pitchers making their way to the majors, the greater the likelihood that they would positively impact the long-term success of the parent club. (Pie in the sky, I know)
2) #34 also got me thinking that maybe because of all the indicators——increasing ticket prices, attendance, TV contracts, merchandise sales, etc…——that MLB either doesn’t see the game as suffering in any meaningful way or doesn’t need to care, thus things or ok the way they are.
I
Last sentence: thus things are ok the way they are.
disregard the I at the end (incomplete deletion)
112 of 275 hits by Phils’ 2010 opening day 1-8 lineup have been for extra bases (62 doubles, 9 triples, 41 HRs). That’s .407 or 40.7%. Unusually potent numbers. And unusual in that Phils are on identical pace of last season in this regard. Might the power numbers have anything to do with home stadium design? Bat and/or ball product composition. Rag arm opposing pitching staffs? Or is it simply a line-up of future HOF-ers?
extra bases to total hits of 1-8 lineup of ’27 Yankees – .355
’61 Yankees – .336
’75 Reds - .305
’07 Red Sox – .349
’09 Phillies – .407
most hits: ’07 Red Sox, 1346
most doubles: ’07 Red Sox, 305
most triples: ’27 Yankees, 70
most HRs: ’61 Yankees, 208
most runs: ’27 Yankees, 792
bski, I think you’re right. MLB is probably exceedingly content enjoying fruits of present arrangement, which includes strong attendance, thin or frequently disabled pitching staffs, along with pinball machine offenses. Seems that only current concern is the interminable length of some games.
More extended minor league development is advisable, especially regarding pitching, but present lean is impatient tracking a la NBA, though baseball is not nearly as lamebrained as that sinking league.
I don’t so much have a problem with the pitch counts and roles. I do when a guy has a shutout and gets pulled for the closer to start the 9th, but I am cognizant of the money and protection required of the pitchers as a result.
I guess I’m past being impressed with 1996 Yankees who started this patience at the plate deal, or perhaps more accurately were the first team given great credit for it. Its an admirable strategy, but I’m just is tired the right word of it?
You have to be a real afficianado of the game to appreciate a game of catch between the pitcher and catcher. I wish the marketing department a lotta luck with that tool.
I mean I follow the game quite a bit. And I know the changes over the years just as the next guy. But it just clicked when I saw that boxscore about the sum of the parts, and that I can’t yell and scream at pitchers for walking hitters like I have in the past. Pitchers don’t suck so much as the changes do. But it’s still green grass (sometimes, anyway), the crack of the bat (sometimes) and all that good stuff that make for a nice addiction.
And it is a joke that the brushback pitch has all but disappeared from the game. I guess that’s sort of the pitchers choice.
The Cincinatti Reds have moved into first place in the NL Central.
They say the NBA is a better place when the Knicks are competitive.
The National league is a better place when the Cincinatti Reds are competitive.
I’m in agreement about the brushback pitch, too.
A pitch over the inside edge of the plate is a strike, regardless of where the hitter positions himself in the batter’s box. If a hitter crowds the plate in order to take that away, the pitcher has every right to reclaim it, and he should for his own benefit. Just because that pitch happens to pass under the hitter’s elbow/upper arm does not mean it’s off the plate inside.
Also, if a hitter decides to stand on top of the plate he should not be allowed to wear a suit of body armor for protection. It can’t be all gain and no pain for the hitter. It also can’t be that he is awarded first base when he is hit by a strike over the inside part of the plate, or that he charges the pitcher when it happens, or that the other team’s pitcher plunks someone in retaliation. If you’re hanging out over the plate you are going to get hit and you need to accept it as an occupational risk due to your hitting approach.
Maybe if he gets hit enough by strikes or by balls just off the inside edge, the cumulative pain and, possibly, the decreased production and/or games missed as a result will serve as motivation for him to change his approach.
KB-
Re: the Reds
Great to see Scotty Rolen contributing (7 HR, 18 RBI) at a decent level again. I was always a fan – never understood the hate.
Was looking over Rolen’s numbers. He is 11 HR away from 300 and 46 2B away from 500. The only other 3B with 300 HR and 500 2B in their career is George Brett.
Brushback. Knockdown. Call it what you want. Any baseball person knows a pitcher can’t let a batter get too comfortable, or that pitcher’s itchin’ for trouble. Between worrying about the tight and varying strike zone of backstop umps and the feelings/tempers of hitters, a lot of pitchers on display don’t display enough gumption. I think MLB pitching often does suck, particulary the bottom half of staff talent. One recent example: Brewers’ mound “artists,” Saturday, May 15, vs. Phillies.
I’ve always been in Rolen’s camp of fans too, Pete. (The number has dwindled here in Philly through time.) Tough, solid all-around player throughout his career. Injuries have hindered him some. And he hasn’t been warm and fuzzy with teammates or the press. A midwestern stoic with a dry wit who goes all out.
are there always this many ground rule doubles in milwaukee?
Looks to me like it’s time to pay tribute to a part of the Phils that was greatly criticized last year. And pretty rightfully so.
Jimmy is playing tomorrow night. Versus Pittsburgh. I think it’s a 5 game stretch before interlague play starts with Boston. How do you spell at least 4 out of the next 5 in the W column? With Rollins returning, Juan Castro and Wislon Valdez will have done really good work filling in. And when post season shares are voted on, I hope Paul Hoover’s work of late is remembered fondly.
I’m sure Scott Rolen felt some pleasure in beating TLR this weekend to elevate the Reds into first place. This is all with Aroldis Chapman getting experience in the minors while they run a nice streak of complete games together.
Might the power numbers have anything to do with home stadium design? Bat and/or ball product composition. Rag arm opposing pitching staffs? Or is it simply a line-up of future HOF-ers? >>
That’s a good question that I think includes all of the above, but has more to do with the players than the other factors. I mean you have 4 guys who are gonna get their share of Hall of Fame votes down the road
(RyHo, Chase, Werth and JRoll). And Victorino and Polanco are not chopped liver. We can’t overlook that this isn’t Petco or Citi Field completely, but they generally mash on the road as well.
Did Orel Hershiser drive anyone else besides me nuts last night?
Had to be around 75 times throughout Hamels’ 6 2/3 innings that he said Hamels needs a 3rd pitch; backing up his belief by pointing out that a pitcher needs 1 pitch to make it to the bigs, 2 pitches to be effective, and 3 to dominate, and by documenting that 5 of the 6 hits Hamels surrendered came when he had 2 strikes on the hitter, among other things.
Joe Morgan even backed Hershiser’s assertion up by running a video breakdown clearly showing that both McGehee and Hart hit their homeruns on the same exact pitch (a changeup for McGehee, a fastball for Hart) in the same exact location that Hamels had gotten each of them out in their previous ABs against him, meaning they were looking for the pitch.
So what does Hershiser proceed to do after building a case the entire evening? After Hamels is out of the game, Hershiser goes into how effectively Hamels used his fastball and changeup in keeping the hitters off balance, complete with video clips to back it up.
Made no sense to me at all.
b.ski,
Are you saying you want to throw one high and tight at Hershiser’s cranium?
Remember a couple weeks ago when Hamels threw a good game, and Pete mentioned that McCarthy was all excited that he was pitching that well for the first time since 2008? Pete was all over him because Hamels had thrown a similarly effective performance 2 starts before or so.
If you can’t get accuracy out of the local guy, how can you expect good work out of the national guys who care about sounding smooth more than accurate.
Joe Morgan, for years, has been spewing innacuracies that have led to a fire Joe Morgan website. Phil Mushnik rips him in the NY Post more often than he does Mike Francessa. It’s perhaps amazing that his Sunday night partner, Jon Miller is so good. You wonder how he tolerates Morgan’s talk for the sake of talk.
The audio side of the ESPN Sunday night deal is ridiculous also. Dave Campbell, who I know in the past had a reputation for being lazy on preparation said something incredible 3-4 weeks ago when the Santana Moyer game was in the pregame phase. Moyer has pitched well the last 2 times out (adequately the second time is more accurate). But at that time, Moyer was being the Moyer we were all impatient with on this board (most of us, lest their be any Moyer backers that just didn’t say anything). So Campbell starts salivating about how Moyer just keeps rolling along. That was part of the actual statement, most of which I can’t remember, but it’s tone was that Moyer was having a good year.
When we were playing the Rox recently, their p-b-p guy was talking about JRoll, saying that Victorino had moved to the leadoff and had to adjust because he usually hit out of the 2 hole behind Rollins.
This is one of the ways that John Sterling keeps his job in NY. There are a lot of his contemporaries that are imperfect.
<<Remember a couple weeks ago when Hamels threw a good game, and Pete mentioned that McCarthy was all excited that he was pitching that well for the first time since 2008? Pete was all over him because Hamels had thrown a similarly effective performance 2 starts before or so.>>
I agree, but even if you disregard his earlier start this year, the one that came to mind was this:
http://www.csnbayarea.com/pages/landing_notes_notables?blockID=57399&tagID=468
His 97 pitch shutout from last year
Maybe not that harsh, Ken. Just finding it diffucult to understand how someone can feel so strongly about something that he keeps hammering away at it only to then undercut the case he has been building all night——and not realize it!
BTW, Miller wasn’t at his best either, going on at length about how the Cubs didn’t know what they had in Corey Hart (when it was really McGehee) and saying the Flyers beat the Expos, among other gaffes.
<<saying the Flyers beat the Expos, among other gaffes.>>
To add to this, Morgan said that the Flyers came back from 3 down to beat the Penguins on Friday night. Terrible.
Yeah, Stu, and how about after Miller admits that the producer in his ear corrected him on the Hart-McGehee mixup only to then have Morgan tell him that he knew what Miller meant but he let him go with it anyway. Nice. I’m sure Miller had to be thinking thanks for having my back buddy.