Sunday, June 17, 2007
Poo
My work schedule will not allow me to do anything with this blog. Either I have to get a new job or...well, the blog dies. So currently, this blog is on haitus.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Luck...and a little of bad luck
Somewhere, Billy Beane cringes a little each time "luck" is mentioned.
Sabermetrics has attempted for some time to quantify luck. Instead of simply saying Player A is hitting the ball well or just not seeing the ball, the numbers may show that one player is simply lucky or unlucky. It allows us a chance to prepare for a possible and pending evening out of a lucky player while staying upbeat about a struggling player.
A little sidenote, Hardball Times hasn't updated their numbers for yesterday's games so these numbers may be slightly off.
Two stats, one for pitchers and one for hitters, do that best I feel. First, we start on the mound. Fielding Independent Pitching, or FIP, tries to give an ERAish stat to a pitcher based on what he has the most control over - strikeouts, walks, homers, etc. - over hurting him because of his defense or whatever. FIP is exactly like ERA so a 3.00 FIP or lower is good and a 4.50 or higher FIP is not so good. For instance, Jorge Sosa's FIP in 2005 was 4.13, a good run and a half higher than his ERA, while his FIP last year with the Braves was around 5.83, pretty near his actual ERA of 5.46. Sosa was pitching lucky in 2005 but his numbers more accurately described his suckiness that year. For those scoring at home (congrats!), Sosa's ERA right now is 3.64. His FIP is 4.45. Will he put up lucky numbers again? Doubtful.
FIP can be used in direction relation with ERA, showing its best value. A negative number leads to one calling that pitcher "unlucky" while a positive number leads you to call that pitcher "lucky." Using a half-run either way as random ups and downs in the data, here are the lucky pitchers and unlucky pitchers.
Yeah, that's about it. Two unlucky pitchers. Mark Redman's also on this list, but being how he's not a Brave anymore, I just don't care to mention the Indian more than I have to. He did just sign with the Texas Rangers proving that in the 21st century, cowboys and indians do get along.
On one side, Tyler Yates unluckiness is a bit overstated. His expected FIP is 3.49 so he's probably not mentioning up to that 2.59 FIP, but his ERA is more telling of how useless it is to look much at a reliever's ERA and draw anything from it. On the other hand, Paronto has been "unlucky" but still pretty bad.
How scary is this? Well, if those are your only two unlucky pitchers, how many lucky pitchers are we throwing out there? Well, a great bulk of players fall in the half-run higher or lower catagory, including: Kyle Davies, Oscar Villarreal, Rafael Soriano, Chuck James, Tim Hudson, and Bob Wickman. So really, what you get from those guys is pretty clear. That leaves three more players to mention. I am leaving out McBride (a fourth lucky pitcher) because of his lack of innings.
Smoltzie is still pretty hot so that's not much of a worry. Gonzo's ERA just needed to even out from its way too low number. On the other hand, Moylan's number is pretty telling. His number basically finds its origins in his LOB%, the same number that helped Sosa put up a sub 3.00 ERA. 85.6% of baserunners to reach against Moylan were left on base. He may be able to continue that, but it's doubtful. Eventually, runs start to score.
On the flipside and the focus of a future column...PrOPS or predicted OPS. Look for it during the week.
Sabermetrics has attempted for some time to quantify luck. Instead of simply saying Player A is hitting the ball well or just not seeing the ball, the numbers may show that one player is simply lucky or unlucky. It allows us a chance to prepare for a possible and pending evening out of a lucky player while staying upbeat about a struggling player.
A little sidenote, Hardball Times hasn't updated their numbers for yesterday's games so these numbers may be slightly off.
Two stats, one for pitchers and one for hitters, do that best I feel. First, we start on the mound. Fielding Independent Pitching, or FIP, tries to give an ERAish stat to a pitcher based on what he has the most control over - strikeouts, walks, homers, etc. - over hurting him because of his defense or whatever. FIP is exactly like ERA so a 3.00 FIP or lower is good and a 4.50 or higher FIP is not so good. For instance, Jorge Sosa's FIP in 2005 was 4.13, a good run and a half higher than his ERA, while his FIP last year with the Braves was around 5.83, pretty near his actual ERA of 5.46. Sosa was pitching lucky in 2005 but his numbers more accurately described his suckiness that year. For those scoring at home (congrats!), Sosa's ERA right now is 3.64. His FIP is 4.45. Will he put up lucky numbers again? Doubtful.
FIP can be used in direction relation with ERA, showing its best value. A negative number leads to one calling that pitcher "unlucky" while a positive number leads you to call that pitcher "lucky." Using a half-run either way as random ups and downs in the data, here are the lucky pitchers and unlucky pitchers.
| Name | FIP | ERA | FIP-ERA |
| Chad Paronto | 4.74 | 8.16 | -3.42 |
| Tyler Yates | 2.59 | 4.13 | -1.53 |
Yeah, that's about it. Two unlucky pitchers. Mark Redman's also on this list, but being how he's not a Brave anymore, I just don't care to mention the Indian more than I have to. He did just sign with the Texas Rangers proving that in the 21st century, cowboys and indians do get along.
On one side, Tyler Yates unluckiness is a bit overstated. His expected FIP is 3.49 so he's probably not mentioning up to that 2.59 FIP, but his ERA is more telling of how useless it is to look much at a reliever's ERA and draw anything from it. On the other hand, Paronto has been "unlucky" but still pretty bad.
How scary is this? Well, if those are your only two unlucky pitchers, how many lucky pitchers are we throwing out there? Well, a great bulk of players fall in the half-run higher or lower catagory, including: Kyle Davies, Oscar Villarreal, Rafael Soriano, Chuck James, Tim Hudson, and Bob Wickman. So really, what you get from those guys is pretty clear. That leaves three more players to mention. I am leaving out McBride (a fourth lucky pitcher) because of his lack of innings.
| Name | FIP | ERA | FIP-ERA |
| John Smoltz | 3.22 | 2.82 | 0.64 |
| Mike Gonzalez | 3.02 | 1.59 | 1.43 |
| Peter Moylan | 4.47 | 2.25 | 2.22 |
Smoltzie is still pretty hot so that's not much of a worry. Gonzo's ERA just needed to even out from its way too low number. On the other hand, Moylan's number is pretty telling. His number basically finds its origins in his LOB%, the same number that helped Sosa put up a sub 3.00 ERA. 85.6% of baserunners to reach against Moylan were left on base. He may be able to continue that, but it's doubtful. Eventually, runs start to score.
On the flipside and the focus of a future column...PrOPS or predicted OPS. Look for it during the week.
Bowman Saddens Me
Mailbag: Will the Braves add a starter?
The loss of Mike Hampton to another season-ending elbow surgery has already proven tragic. Had Mark Redman at least provided some indication that he wanted to continue pitching like a big-league hurler, the Braves might have been able to get by without Hampton.
"Tragic?" Tragic, he says.
Yes, it is absolutely tragic to lose a great arm like Mike Hampton and is slightly better-than-average numbers, pisspoor WHIP, and oh, bulldog mentality. Yes, tragic that instead of just three fifth starters, we don't have a fourth.
I know I cry myself to sleep.
Now with Redman looking to join find yet another employer, the Braves are searching for ways to fix their rotation. If Lance Cormier comes back healthy next week, he'll certainly add some much-needed stability. But if this club has a definite desire to get to the World Series, they have to understand that they currently don't have anybody that they could confidently take into the postseason as a legitimate third starter.
How do we have even the slightest idea that Lance Cormier will provide stability? Was it his 5.72 ERA and 1.74 WHIP that sold you? I wanted Buddy Carlyle to get a chance, but even I wouldn't have said he was a definite to provide stability. Cormier isn't either. And Mark, since you work for the Braves, why don't you tell them that they need a legitimate third starter because they don't get that yet. Sit John Schuerholz down and tell him a story about it. Fill it with images and vivid color. Yeah, that's it. That will help him understand.
Obviously Jayson Stark's recent revelation that he determined (Andruw) Jones to be the most overrated center fielder in the game may change some perceptions. But when you see the guy make an amazing catch like he did to rob Greg Dobbs of a homer in Sunday's third inning, you once again begin to think statistics like zone rating and range factor are pretty much useless.
Okay, if something is obvious, how come it "may change some perceptions?"
I once again didn't think those stats were useless. I thought Jayson Stark had no idea what those stats meant. See, Bowman, numbers are good when you know what they mean. They help you *get* it. You obviously don't, but that may change. See, that's how you use those two together.
Putz.
I'd say it's primarily because we live in a "What-have-you-done-for-me-lately" society. Unfortunately for (Chipper) Jones, just when it came time to begin debating his Hall of Fame future, he was hit with an injury bug that just simply won't go away.
Rather than address the question, "Why are there so many people out there who doubt Chipper Jones will one day be enshrined in the Hall of Fame?" Bowman moves on to theories.
I doubt Mike B. from Grandview, IN reads this, but here is the answer Bowman couldn't be bothered to provide or couldn't think up.
Chipper Jones's career marks aren't that great - at least not in the terms of where he stands against his peers. Because Chipper Jones played third, he gets a little more love than, say, Gary Sheffield despite having pretty similar numbers. Their 162 game averages are very close. Sheff is not considered by many a HOF player without 500 homeruns, which is based more on his personality.
Chipper, meanwhile, is nowhere close to Sheff on the cumulative numbers (HR, R, RBI especially). It does, as Bowman does ellude to, health, but not because people ignore what Chipper once did, but because your career is up for discussion, not the first eight or so years of it. Taking entire careers into context, Chipper is the 15th or so best active hitter. Not elite numbers.
Nonetheless, he's pretty close. Baseball-reference's HOF monitor has him near the average HOFer so he's almost there.
Why Bowman couldn't think of that is beyond me. Maybe he can't actually use the internets, only write on it.
There's seemingly a need for them to stock the organization with more outfield depth.
Oh, really?
Brandon Jones? Gregor Blanco? Jordan Schafer? Matt Young? Carl Loadenthal?
Hell, last year's first pick was an outfielder.
Seriously, why must the Braves employ someone who knows so little?
The loss of Mike Hampton to another season-ending elbow surgery has already proven tragic. Had Mark Redman at least provided some indication that he wanted to continue pitching like a big-league hurler, the Braves might have been able to get by without Hampton.
"Tragic?" Tragic, he says.
Yes, it is absolutely tragic to lose a great arm like Mike Hampton and is slightly better-than-average numbers, pisspoor WHIP, and oh, bulldog mentality. Yes, tragic that instead of just three fifth starters, we don't have a fourth.
I know I cry myself to sleep.
Now with Redman looking to join find yet another employer, the Braves are searching for ways to fix their rotation. If Lance Cormier comes back healthy next week, he'll certainly add some much-needed stability. But if this club has a definite desire to get to the World Series, they have to understand that they currently don't have anybody that they could confidently take into the postseason as a legitimate third starter.
How do we have even the slightest idea that Lance Cormier will provide stability? Was it his 5.72 ERA and 1.74 WHIP that sold you? I wanted Buddy Carlyle to get a chance, but even I wouldn't have said he was a definite to provide stability. Cormier isn't either. And Mark, since you work for the Braves, why don't you tell them that they need a legitimate third starter because they don't get that yet. Sit John Schuerholz down and tell him a story about it. Fill it with images and vivid color. Yeah, that's it. That will help him understand.
Obviously Jayson Stark's recent revelation that he determined (Andruw) Jones to be the most overrated center fielder in the game may change some perceptions. But when you see the guy make an amazing catch like he did to rob Greg Dobbs of a homer in Sunday's third inning, you once again begin to think statistics like zone rating and range factor are pretty much useless.
Okay, if something is obvious, how come it "may change some perceptions?"
I once again didn't think those stats were useless. I thought Jayson Stark had no idea what those stats meant. See, Bowman, numbers are good when you know what they mean. They help you *get* it. You obviously don't, but that may change. See, that's how you use those two together.
Putz.
I'd say it's primarily because we live in a "What-have-you-done-for-me-lately" society. Unfortunately for (Chipper) Jones, just when it came time to begin debating his Hall of Fame future, he was hit with an injury bug that just simply won't go away.
Rather than address the question, "Why are there so many people out there who doubt Chipper Jones will one day be enshrined in the Hall of Fame?" Bowman moves on to theories.
I doubt Mike B. from Grandview, IN reads this, but here is the answer Bowman couldn't be bothered to provide or couldn't think up.
Chipper Jones's career marks aren't that great - at least not in the terms of where he stands against his peers. Because Chipper Jones played third, he gets a little more love than, say, Gary Sheffield despite having pretty similar numbers. Their 162 game averages are very close. Sheff is not considered by many a HOF player without 500 homeruns, which is based more on his personality.
Chipper, meanwhile, is nowhere close to Sheff on the cumulative numbers (HR, R, RBI especially). It does, as Bowman does ellude to, health, but not because people ignore what Chipper once did, but because your career is up for discussion, not the first eight or so years of it. Taking entire careers into context, Chipper is the 15th or so best active hitter. Not elite numbers.
Nonetheless, he's pretty close. Baseball-reference's HOF monitor has him near the average HOFer so he's almost there.
Why Bowman couldn't think of that is beyond me. Maybe he can't actually use the internets, only write on it.
There's seemingly a need for them to stock the organization with more outfield depth.
Oh, really?
Brandon Jones? Gregor Blanco? Jordan Schafer? Matt Young? Carl Loadenthal?
Hell, last year's first pick was an outfielder.
Seriously, why must the Braves employ someone who knows so little?
Atlanta 2, The Good Land 1
Game Notes...
- Strange game. One, the Braves won, which is pretty strange of late. Two, the Braves got pitching - also a bit odd. Three, Andruw Jones hit an opposite field homerun - very queer (context circa 1950's). Oh, and four, Chris Woodward had a hit and Edgar Renteria did not.
- The good pitching came from Chuck James...sorta. He looked a lot like last year's version of working into a big problem inning or two and then getting out of it, something he has lacked this year. He struck out eight and went six innings, easily major accomplishments for a pitcher on this staff not named Tim Hudson or John Smoltz.
- Yatesy...sucked again. But Rafael Soriano is a beast and even Blob Thickman had a good inning.
- Andruw's homer was very strange. He took a swing at a high fastball away and the thing just flew out. Somewhere, Joe Simpson had to change his shorts.
- Chipper missed yet another game. I have never heard of one other player missing games because his thumbs hurt, but that's Chipper for ya.
- Huge, big, monstrous win. With Smoltz and Huddy going in the other two games, Braves have a real shot of taking this road series. They need it. By the way, if my Milwaukee name is too vague of a reference, watch "Wayne's World." If it's not, watch "Wayne's World." In short, watch "Wayne's World."
- Strange game. One, the Braves won, which is pretty strange of late. Two, the Braves got pitching - also a bit odd. Three, Andruw Jones hit an opposite field homerun - very queer (context circa 1950's). Oh, and four, Chris Woodward had a hit and Edgar Renteria did not.
- The good pitching came from Chuck James...sorta. He looked a lot like last year's version of working into a big problem inning or two and then getting out of it, something he has lacked this year. He struck out eight and went six innings, easily major accomplishments for a pitcher on this staff not named Tim Hudson or John Smoltz.
- Yatesy...sucked again. But Rafael Soriano is a beast and even Blob Thickman had a good inning.
- Andruw's homer was very strange. He took a swing at a high fastball away and the thing just flew out. Somewhere, Joe Simpson had to change his shorts.
- Chipper missed yet another game. I have never heard of one other player missing games because his thumbs hurt, but that's Chipper for ya.
- Huge, big, monstrous win. With Smoltz and Huddy going in the other two games, Braves have a real shot of taking this road series. They need it. By the way, if my Milwaukee name is too vague of a reference, watch "Wayne's World." If it's not, watch "Wayne's World." In short, watch "Wayne's World."
Monday, May 28, 2007
Two Game Recap
Game Notes...
- Due to responsibilities and whatnot, I wasn't able to do a recap for each of the last two games. Here they are...in all their...shitiness.
Filthydelphia 6, ATLANTA 4
- It wasn't that Buddy Carlyle was bad in his first game with the Braves. He just wasn't that good and didn't get a lot of defensive help outside a nice Andruw Jones catch. A few breaks and he's looking at a possible victory. But...they didn't come.
- Not that it mattered much because the Braves offense has Derek Bell disease. You know you have a longshot at best on the mound and the bottom six spots in the order managed 3 hits, all singles, to help the top three hits, who had five hits and four extra base hits. Giant surprise you lose that game. With Adam Eaton on the mound for the visiting team no less.
- Renty had the only big day; raising his OPS over .900 with a double and a homer and picking up all four Braves RBIs.
- McCay McBride and Oscar Villarreal kept the team in the game, though McBride let Carlyle's fifth run score after replacing Carlyle in the fifth. Yatesy got touched up for a Shane Victorino homerun in the all-Hawaiian matchup.
- Bobby Cox got ejected from his second straight game. I think of it less of a "ejection" as much as it was an "escape." He's now one ejection away from the record. The ejection came on a chopper that crossed the first base bag, but landed *just* foul. Ron Kulpa immediately ejected Cox without letting him have a word. John Smoltz followed after bitching at Kulpa from the dugout.
- Of all the people in the world, Antonio Alfonsixfingers got the save. God, that's embarrassing.
Filthydelphia 13, ATLANTA 6
- Ugh, it was 4-0 in the first and 11-1 after the top of the fifth came to a close. I didn't even bother to watch this game because I didn't have the power to not poke my eyes out and cut my testicles off. The Braves, still without Chipper Jones and still without the foggiest clue how to win games of late, saw Hiram fail, as Carlyle did the previous day, to get the Braves out of the fifth. He left the game with the bases loaded and just kinda sucked and the overworked pen soon followed in equally sucking fashion.
- Big number for Hiram? 4 grounders to 7 flyballs.
- McBride, Moylan, and Paronto were charged with five runs in 2.2 ING to complete the shitfest.
- Start Villy. Can't hurt.
- The game wasn't even half as close as the final score was. Atlanta scored three runs in the ninth before finally dying their slow and painful death. The only bright spot was Salty and Andruw's homers. It was Salty's first and Andruw's first in about three weeks so maybe they can take that with them up to Milwaukee. Diaz, Willie Harris, Salty, and Thor each had a pair of hits.
Here are the pitching matchups for the series in Miller Park.
Chuck James vs. Chris Capuano
John Smoltz vs. Ben Sheets
Tim Hudson vs. Dave Bush
I like the finale and Capuano hasn't been *that* good. Tuesday's game is obviously the best one of the series.
- Due to responsibilities and whatnot, I wasn't able to do a recap for each of the last two games. Here they are...in all their...shitiness.
Filthydelphia 6, ATLANTA 4
- It wasn't that Buddy Carlyle was bad in his first game with the Braves. He just wasn't that good and didn't get a lot of defensive help outside a nice Andruw Jones catch. A few breaks and he's looking at a possible victory. But...they didn't come.
- Not that it mattered much because the Braves offense has Derek Bell disease. You know you have a longshot at best on the mound and the bottom six spots in the order managed 3 hits, all singles, to help the top three hits, who had five hits and four extra base hits. Giant surprise you lose that game. With Adam Eaton on the mound for the visiting team no less.
- Renty had the only big day; raising his OPS over .900 with a double and a homer and picking up all four Braves RBIs.
- McCay McBride and Oscar Villarreal kept the team in the game, though McBride let Carlyle's fifth run score after replacing Carlyle in the fifth. Yatesy got touched up for a Shane Victorino homerun in the all-Hawaiian matchup.
- Bobby Cox got ejected from his second straight game. I think of it less of a "ejection" as much as it was an "escape." He's now one ejection away from the record. The ejection came on a chopper that crossed the first base bag, but landed *just* foul. Ron Kulpa immediately ejected Cox without letting him have a word. John Smoltz followed after bitching at Kulpa from the dugout.
- Of all the people in the world, Antonio Alfonsixfingers got the save. God, that's embarrassing.
Filthydelphia 13, ATLANTA 6
- Ugh, it was 4-0 in the first and 11-1 after the top of the fifth came to a close. I didn't even bother to watch this game because I didn't have the power to not poke my eyes out and cut my testicles off. The Braves, still without Chipper Jones and still without the foggiest clue how to win games of late, saw Hiram fail, as Carlyle did the previous day, to get the Braves out of the fifth. He left the game with the bases loaded and just kinda sucked and the overworked pen soon followed in equally sucking fashion.
- Big number for Hiram? 4 grounders to 7 flyballs.
- McBride, Moylan, and Paronto were charged with five runs in 2.2 ING to complete the shitfest.
- Start Villy. Can't hurt.
- The game wasn't even half as close as the final score was. Atlanta scored three runs in the ninth before finally dying their slow and painful death. The only bright spot was Salty and Andruw's homers. It was Salty's first and Andruw's first in about three weeks so maybe they can take that with them up to Milwaukee. Diaz, Willie Harris, Salty, and Thor each had a pair of hits.
Here are the pitching matchups for the series in Miller Park.
Chuck James vs. Chris Capuano
John Smoltz vs. Ben Sheets
Tim Hudson vs. Dave Bush
I like the finale and Capuano hasn't been *that* good. Tuesday's game is obviously the best one of the series.
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Filthydelphia 8, ATLANTA 3
Game Notes...
- No Series Preview this week. Just don't have time for that.
- Today's lesson, kiddies, is when to pull the trigger. No, no, not on the gun in your mouth that seemed to be there the entire time you watched this game, but on when to take a pitcher out. Here's a SAT-worthy question.
Leaving your high-priced starter in the game, despite him not pitching well, laboring, and already up to 98 pitches coming out of the sixth, is to Losing as _____ is to ____
A - Masturbation is to blindness
B - Masturbation is to winning the lottery
C - Shooting Off Your Foot and then Being Surprised It Hurt
D - Masturbation is to finding the fountain of youth
- Not only was that retarded, but in the seventh, after Hudson loaded the bases with two outs on a HBP, an intentional pass, and an unintentional pass (he worked a wild pitch in there as well) and he stood at 119 pitches, the Braves LEFT him in there. Huge surprise when Greg Dobbs drives in two on Hudson's 122nd pitch.
- I am almost convinced Bobby Cox was making these decisions, too, despite the fact that he was sitting in his office. In the fourth, Paul Emmel rang up Edgar Renteria on a ball that Tom Glavine would have creamed his pants for. Renty, who never argues, was irate and with good reason. Emmel immediately ejected him, which makes me thing back to Bull Durham and this piece of dialogue
Teddy Cullinane: [broadcasting on the radio] I've never seen Crash so angry. And frankly, sports fans, he used a word that's a no-no with umpires.
Millie: [Annie snaps off the radio] Crash must've called the guy a cocksucker.
- Of course, Renty getting ejected caused Bobby to blow a head gasket, which incidentally, my mom did last week. He got his say in before and after the ejection from Emmel was directed at Cox. He's now two away from the record, but despite him being ejected, I am pretty positive the word to keep Huddy in the game came from him and it's just sad that the Braves did that.
- Not that the Braves offense came to play. They managed five hits and only Andruw Jones's double in the second went for extra bases. Weak, weak effort. Chipper Jones, at one point, was on the on-deck circle, but did not bat. In fact, had the Braves gotten to the pitcher's spot in the sixth, he would have hit and Hudson would have been out of the game. Sad.
- Of course, the Mets won. Surprised? Didn't think so. Now, we have to try to win a series with Buddy Carlyle and Kyle Davies pitching. Not good.
- No Series Preview this week. Just don't have time for that.
- Today's lesson, kiddies, is when to pull the trigger. No, no, not on the gun in your mouth that seemed to be there the entire time you watched this game, but on when to take a pitcher out. Here's a SAT-worthy question.
Leaving your high-priced starter in the game, despite him not pitching well, laboring, and already up to 98 pitches coming out of the sixth, is to Losing as _____ is to ____
A - Masturbation is to blindness
B - Masturbation is to winning the lottery
C - Shooting Off Your Foot and then Being Surprised It Hurt
D - Masturbation is to finding the fountain of youth
- Not only was that retarded, but in the seventh, after Hudson loaded the bases with two outs on a HBP, an intentional pass, and an unintentional pass (he worked a wild pitch in there as well) and he stood at 119 pitches, the Braves LEFT him in there. Huge surprise when Greg Dobbs drives in two on Hudson's 122nd pitch.
- I am almost convinced Bobby Cox was making these decisions, too, despite the fact that he was sitting in his office. In the fourth, Paul Emmel rang up Edgar Renteria on a ball that Tom Glavine would have creamed his pants for. Renty, who never argues, was irate and with good reason. Emmel immediately ejected him, which makes me thing back to Bull Durham and this piece of dialogue
Teddy Cullinane: [broadcasting on the radio] I've never seen Crash so angry. And frankly, sports fans, he used a word that's a no-no with umpires.
Millie: [Annie snaps off the radio] Crash must've called the guy a cocksucker.
- Of course, Renty getting ejected caused Bobby to blow a head gasket, which incidentally, my mom did last week. He got his say in before and after the ejection from Emmel was directed at Cox. He's now two away from the record, but despite him being ejected, I am pretty positive the word to keep Huddy in the game came from him and it's just sad that the Braves did that.
- Not that the Braves offense came to play. They managed five hits and only Andruw Jones's double in the second went for extra bases. Weak, weak effort. Chipper Jones, at one point, was on the on-deck circle, but did not bat. In fact, had the Braves gotten to the pitcher's spot in the sixth, he would have hit and Hudson would have been out of the game. Sad.
- Of course, the Mets won. Surprised? Didn't think so. Now, we have to try to win a series with Buddy Carlyle and Kyle Davies pitching. Not good.
Friday, May 25, 2007
Gonzo Sneering His Way to DL
Mike Gonzalez, acquired in the offseason from the Pittsburgh Pirates, will be out for the next 12-14 months after being forced to have Tommy John surgery. A third MRI finally showed an incomplete tear of the ulnar collateral ligament. Gonzo looked inconsistent during the year, but once he started to let go, he was dominating. However, he was forced to leave his most recent game and was immediately DL'd.
This injury may cause the Braves to make a move...but do they really need to? The previous numbers I posted show that Tyler Yates has been a star so far. Peter Moylan is not liked by the stats, but I think the Aussie has some real talent.
We can't discount what Joey Devine can do, though I probably would not concentrate too much on him. Another name thrown around is Will Startup, who is a lefty, but Startup just does not impress me much. He's never really looked that good at Richmond, where there are many veteran hitters who force you to throw strikes. Rheal Cormier is probably in the mix as well. In three games with Richmond, he has been stretched out to 5.1 ING and hasn't looked too bad. Manny Acosta has been the closer with Richmond and has a 1.38 ERA, but the number of walks (14 in 26 innings) is pretty high.
All in all...not the best news. I'll probably look back at the deal in my next Raw Numbers or a later post here.
This injury may cause the Braves to make a move...but do they really need to? The previous numbers I posted show that Tyler Yates has been a star so far. Peter Moylan is not liked by the stats, but I think the Aussie has some real talent.
We can't discount what Joey Devine can do, though I probably would not concentrate too much on him. Another name thrown around is Will Startup, who is a lefty, but Startup just does not impress me much. He's never really looked that good at Richmond, where there are many veteran hitters who force you to throw strikes. Rheal Cormier is probably in the mix as well. In three games with Richmond, he has been stretched out to 5.1 ING and hasn't looked too bad. Manny Acosta has been the closer with Richmond and has a 1.38 ERA, but the number of walks (14 in 26 innings) is pretty high.
All in all...not the best news. I'll probably look back at the deal in my next Raw Numbers or a later post here.
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