I'll continue revealing my ballot for the Baseball Bloggers Alliance's postseason awards. Today I'll look at the Walter Johnson Award, given to the top pitcher in each league. Again, my votes count only for the American League, but I'll show you my thoughts on both.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
1. Justin Verlander, DET
2. Jered Weaver, LAA
3. Dan Haren, LAA
4. James Shields, TB
5. Doug Fister, SEA/DET
I think Verlander will run away with this, and rightfully so. Among AL pitchers, he ranked first in IP, ERA, and WHIP, second in xFIP, third in K/9 and K/BB, and fourth in FIP. Not to knock the other pitchers on this list, as they all had great seasons in their own right, but I can't see an argument for someone other than Verlander.
Teammates Weaver and Haren put together quite the 1-2 punch for the Angels this season. Neither struck out a ton of batters, just a respectable amount, but both threw over 235 innings and placed second and third, respectively, in the AL in WHIP. Weaver also was second by 0.01 points in ERA, and Haren led the league in K/BB ratio, thanks to the second-lowest walk rate in the bigs. Some batted ball luck certainly helped Weaver, who had the lowest GB% among qualified starters, but he was pretty good too.
Shields almost reached 250 innings and rated well across the board. Fister is surely the most surprising and controversial name on my list, as I was shocked to find him there myself. His strikeout rate was mediocre, but because of impeccable control he was fifth in the AL in strikeout-per-walk ratio. Combining that with an above-average groundball rate, he was also in the top six in ERA, WHIP, and FIP. I doubt anyone else will have him ahead of C.C. Sabathia, but I thought that statistically Fister had the better year.
Also considered: C.C. Sabathia (NYY), C.J. Wilson (TEX), Josh Beckett (BOS), David Price (TB), Felix Hernandez (SEA)
NATIONAL LEAGUE
1. Roy Halladay, PHI
2. Cliff Lee, PHI
3. Clayton Kershaw, LAD
4. Cole Hamels, PHI
5. Ian Kennedy, ARI
Halladay won this award last year, and he should again in 2011, followed closely by two teammates and Kershaw. Looking at this, it's hard to believe the Phillies aren't still playing, but that's baseball for you. The first three were all very close, but Halladay prevailed because of a league-best K:BB ratio and FIP combined with an excellent ERA and WHIP. Hamels was a pretty easy choice for fourth, and then the last spot was a toss-up between Kennedy and Cain. Kennedy grabbed it because in the end I valued his superior K:BB ratio more than Cain's continuous home run-dampening ability. I know a lot of people would have Cain's teammate Lincecum in the top five somewhere, but I just couldn't put him there because of his comparatively high walk rate and subsequently comparatively high WHIP.
Also considered: Matt Cain (SF)
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Monday, October 17, 2011
BBA Announces Goose Gossage Award Winner
The following is a press release from the Baseball Bloggers Alliance, of which Twins on Twins is a voting member, announcing the winners of the Goose Gossage Award for the top reliever in each league. Clearly most of the voters valued saves far more highly than I did, although I did agree with the NL choice of Craig Kimbrel.
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BBA SELECTS KIMBREL, VALVERDE FOR GOOSE GOSSAGE AWARD
In earlier voting this postseason by the Baseball Bloggers Alliance, Atlanta Braves closer Craig Kimbrel won the Willie Mays Award for top rookie handily while the American League race for that award was much tighter. With the Goose Gossage Award, handed out to the best reliever, Kimbrel got to see how the other half lives, at least somewhat.
Kimbrel beat Milwaukee’s John Axford by 13 points in the votes submitted by the National League voters of the Alliance, accumulating 78 points and garnering 12 first place votes. Axford, on the other hand, received 65 points on the strength of seven first place selections. Kimbrel’s bullpen teammate Johnny Venters was a very distant third with nine total points.
The race in the American League was a little more anti-climatic as Detroit closer Jose Valverde gained 13 first place votes on his way to a league-leading 74 point total. Two New York Yankees followed him in the voting, with Mariano Rivera receiving four first place votes and 56 total points while David Robertson gained 39 points for third.
The complete voting results are as follows (first place votes in parenthesis):
American League
Jose Valverde, Detroit (13) 74
Mariano Rivera, New York (4) 56
David Robertson, New York (3) 39
Jonathan Papelbon, Boston (1) 21
Koji Uehara, Texas (1) 6
Alfredo Acevas, Boston (1) 5
Neftali Feliz, Texas 2
Greg Holland, Kansas City 2
Chris Perez, Cleveland 2
Brandon League, Seattle 1
Vinnie Pestano, Cleveland 1
National League
Craig Kimbrel, Atlanta (12) 78
John Axford, Milwaukee (7) 65
Johnny Venters, Atlanta (1) 9
Joel Hanrahan, Pittsburgh 8
JJ Putz, Arizona 7
Sean Marshall, Chicago 6
Heath Bell, San Diego 3
Tyler Clippard, Washington 3
Sergio Romo, San Francisco 1
The Baseball Bloggers Alliance was formed in the fall of 2009 to encourage cooperation and collaboration between baseball bloggers of all major league teams as well as those that follow baseball more generally. As of this writing, the organization consists of 316 blogs spanning all 30 major league squads as well as general baseball writing.
The BBA is organized under a similar structure as the Baseball Writers of America, where blogs that follow the same team are combined into “chapters” and only two votes from the chapter on an award are counted. The blog chapters that are focused on general baseball were allowed two votes as well, which they could use both on the same league or split between the two leagues.
Chapters generally followed one of two methods when casting their ballot. Either representatives of the chapter were given the ballots for voting or a “group ballot” was posted, accounting for both of their votes.
Notably, though the Alliance’s awards come out well before their official counterparts, the BBA selections have matched those of the Baseball Writers of America in all but two instances in the past two years. This, of course, does not include the Goose Gossage Award that is exclusive to the BBA.
Ballots are posted on the respective blogs and for this award, were tabulated on a 5-3-1 point scale for first through third place. In the interest of transparency, links are given below for the ballots. Chapter affiliation is in parenthesis. Those chapters that decided on the group method are noted with an asterisk.
American League
Baltimore Sports and Life (Baltimore)
Baseball Is My Boyfriend (Texas)*
Baseball North (Toronto)
Boston Red Thoughts (Boston)*
Contract Year (Oakland)*
The Flagrant Fan (General)
Kings of Kauffman (Kansas City)*
Lady At The Bat (New York)
Misc. Baseball (History)
Motor City Bengals (Detroit)
North Dakota Twins Fan (Minnesota)
The Rays Rant (Tampa Bay)
Seattle Mariners Musings (Seattle)
Seedlings To Stars (Other)
Some Thoughts On Baseball (Toronto)
Tigers Amateur Analysis (Detroit)
The Tribe Daily (Cleveland)*
Twins On Twins (Minnesota)
National League
Appy Astros (Houston)
Blog Red Machine (Cincinnati)
Cincinnati Reds Blog (Cincinnati)
Dugger Sports (Philadelphia)
The Eddie Kranepool Society (New York)*
The Flagrant Fan (General)
Misc. Baseball (History)
On The Outside Corner (St. Louis)
Phils Baseball (Philadelphia)
Prose and Ivy (Chicago)*
Raise The Jolly Roger (Pittsburgh)
RJ’s Fro (San Diego)
Rockies Woman (Colorado)
22 Gigantes (San Francisco)
Victoria Seals Baseball Blog (Other)
Websoulsurfer (San Diego)
Where Have You Gone, Andy Van Slyke? (Pittsburgh)
Prior Winners: 2010: Rafael Soriano, Tampa Bay; Brian Wilson, San Francisco
The official website of the BBA is located at baseballbloggersalliance.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Willie Mays Award for Best Rookie
So the Baseball Bloggers Alliance has actually already handed out this award, so I'm a little late to the party. Still, I wanted to share my would-have-been ballot for who deserved each award.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
1. Eric Hosmer, KC
2. Michael Pineda, SEA
3. Jeremy Hellickson, TB
Hosmer and Trumbo were clearly the best of the position players, at least in my opinion. Hosmer's superior batting average and plate discipline numbers gave him the edge, in addition to Trumbo's huge advantage on defense likely not being an accurate measure of each player's performance in the field. The three pitches--Pineda, Hellickson, and Ogando--are very closely grouped. Pineda and Ogando have better peripherals, while Hellickson had better results (i.e. ERA and WHIP). Pineda's strikeout rate was enough to overcome that, while Ogando's was not.
Also considered:Alexi Ogando (TEX)*, Mark Trumbo (LAA), Ivan Nova (NYY)
NATIONAL LEAGUE
1. Craig Kimbrel, ATL
2. Danny Espinosa, WAS
3. Freddie Freeman, ATL
I have a hard time voting for a reliever over an everyday player, but Kimbrel's dominance was unmatched, as noted by his appearance at the top of my ballot for the best NL reliever. When you're the top player at your position, that's grounds for the rookie of the year award. Most people have Freeman over Espinosa for the second position, but I don't agree. They have similar counting numbers, but Freeman has the better triple-slash while Espinosa played much better defense at a more difficult position. I gave Espinosa the edge.
Also considered: Brandon Beachy (ATL), Wilson Ramos (WAS), Cory Luebke (SD), Vance Worley (PHI)
*Ogando is not eligible for the Rookie of the Year award. I mistakenly included him as a consideration.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
1. Eric Hosmer, KC
2. Michael Pineda, SEA
3. Jeremy Hellickson, TB
Hosmer and Trumbo were clearly the best of the position players, at least in my opinion. Hosmer's superior batting average and plate discipline numbers gave him the edge, in addition to Trumbo's huge advantage on defense likely not being an accurate measure of each player's performance in the field. The three pitches--Pineda, Hellickson, and Ogando--are very closely grouped. Pineda and Ogando have better peripherals, while Hellickson had better results (i.e. ERA and WHIP). Pineda's strikeout rate was enough to overcome that, while Ogando's was not.
Also considered:
NATIONAL LEAGUE
1. Craig Kimbrel, ATL
2. Danny Espinosa, WAS
3. Freddie Freeman, ATL
I have a hard time voting for a reliever over an everyday player, but Kimbrel's dominance was unmatched, as noted by his appearance at the top of my ballot for the best NL reliever. When you're the top player at your position, that's grounds for the rookie of the year award. Most people have Freeman over Espinosa for the second position, but I don't agree. They have similar counting numbers, but Freeman has the better triple-slash while Espinosa played much better defense at a more difficult position. I gave Espinosa the edge.
Also considered: Brandon Beachy (ATL), Wilson Ramos (WAS), Cory Luebke (SD), Vance Worley (PHI)
*Ogando is not eligible for the Rookie of the Year award. I mistakenly included him as a consideration.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Goose Gossage Award for Best Reliever
The Baseball Bloggers Alliance has started handing out their awards for the 2011 season. Up next is the Goose Gossage Award for the top reliever in each league. As a member of the BBA, I thought I'd share my ballot for the award. My vote will only count for the American League, as I'm a member of the Minnesota Twins chapter, but I've outlined my thoughts on both.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
1. Mariano Rivera, NYY
2. Jonathan Papelbon, BOS
3. Koji Uehara, BAL/TEX
Believe me, I did not give this to Rivera on reputation. He earned it once again (I realize he actually did not win it last year, he finished third) with a sparkling season. With nearly one strikeout per inning and impeccable control, Rivera totaled 7.5 strikeouts for every walk. He recorded a a 1.91 ERA (4th), a 0.90 WHIP (2nd), and a 2.19 FIP (3rd) to round out another phenomenal campaign at age 41.
Papelbon was a close 2nd, as he exhibited similar control but showed a much greater ability to miss bats, striking out 12.17 batter per nine innings. His WHIP was also quite comparable, coming in at 0.93, but due to some worse luck he had an ERA of 2.94. Unfortunately for him, luck is part of the equation, so he gets the runner-up position.
I don't think anyone will quibble with Rivera and Papelbon being on the ballot, but I'm a little worried people won't be as accepting of Uehara. He doesn't have the saves that Rivera and Papelbon do, but otherwise he's not far behind. Another guy who showed pinpoint control and still missed a bunch of bats, Uehara actually had the highest K/BB rate in the league (a ridiculous 9.44). He gave up a ton of homers, even more than you'd expect from a fly-ball pitcher such as himself, but he balanced that out with good luck in the BABIP department (.196). All in all, his zesty K/BB rate and league-best WHIP of 0.72 were too much to overlook.
Also considered: David Robertson (NYY), Daniel Bard (BOS)
NATIONAL LEAGUE
1. Craig Kimbrel, ATL
2. Tyler Clippard, WAS
3. Sean Marshall, CHC
Kimbrel has already claimed the BBA's Willie Mays Award for the league's top rookie, and now he should add the Goose Gossage Award to his mantle. His sky-high strikeout rate (14.84/9) was second to Kenley Jansen, and, while his control was never his strong suit, he averaged almost 4 strikeouts for every walk. Combining that with a solid ground ball rate (44.8 %) allowed Kimbrel to lead the NL in both FIP and xFIP. As long as his ERA (2.10) and WHIP (1.04) were reasonable--and they were better than reasonable--that was a recipe for winning this award.
Clippard may not find his way on to many ballots because he isn't as big a name as closers such as John Axford and Joel Hanrahan (who had very good years in their own rights), but if you don't overvalue saves, he's right there with the best relievers. He led the league in WPA despite not recording a single save, posted 4 strikeouts for every walk. In addition his WHIP topped all other NL relievers and his ERA was third among that group. Critics will point to his infinitesimal ground ball rate (20.2 %) and his unsustainable BABIP (.197), but I think the facts I already offered outweigh those two factors.
Marshall is another non-closer who pitched very well for a bad team, meaning he may not get much recognition here, even though he should. While he doesn't top any single category, he rates very highly across the board. He topped one strikeout per inning, kept his walk rate very low, induced a high number of ground balls, and kept runners off the bases and prevented runs from scoring.
Also considered: Rafael Betancourt (COL), Jonny Venters (ATL), Joel Hanrahan (PIT), John Axford (MIL), Eric O'Flaherty (ATL), J.J. Putz (ARI)
AMERICAN LEAGUE
1. Mariano Rivera, NYY
2. Jonathan Papelbon, BOS
3. Koji Uehara, BAL/TEX
Believe me, I did not give this to Rivera on reputation. He earned it once again (I realize he actually did not win it last year, he finished third) with a sparkling season. With nearly one strikeout per inning and impeccable control, Rivera totaled 7.5 strikeouts for every walk. He recorded a a 1.91 ERA (4th), a 0.90 WHIP (2nd), and a 2.19 FIP (3rd) to round out another phenomenal campaign at age 41.
Papelbon was a close 2nd, as he exhibited similar control but showed a much greater ability to miss bats, striking out 12.17 batter per nine innings. His WHIP was also quite comparable, coming in at 0.93, but due to some worse luck he had an ERA of 2.94. Unfortunately for him, luck is part of the equation, so he gets the runner-up position.
I don't think anyone will quibble with Rivera and Papelbon being on the ballot, but I'm a little worried people won't be as accepting of Uehara. He doesn't have the saves that Rivera and Papelbon do, but otherwise he's not far behind. Another guy who showed pinpoint control and still missed a bunch of bats, Uehara actually had the highest K/BB rate in the league (a ridiculous 9.44). He gave up a ton of homers, even more than you'd expect from a fly-ball pitcher such as himself, but he balanced that out with good luck in the BABIP department (.196). All in all, his zesty K/BB rate and league-best WHIP of 0.72 were too much to overlook.
Also considered: David Robertson (NYY), Daniel Bard (BOS)
NATIONAL LEAGUE
1. Craig Kimbrel, ATL
2. Tyler Clippard, WAS
3. Sean Marshall, CHC
Kimbrel has already claimed the BBA's Willie Mays Award for the league's top rookie, and now he should add the Goose Gossage Award to his mantle. His sky-high strikeout rate (14.84/9) was second to Kenley Jansen, and, while his control was never his strong suit, he averaged almost 4 strikeouts for every walk. Combining that with a solid ground ball rate (44.8 %) allowed Kimbrel to lead the NL in both FIP and xFIP. As long as his ERA (2.10) and WHIP (1.04) were reasonable--and they were better than reasonable--that was a recipe for winning this award.
Clippard may not find his way on to many ballots because he isn't as big a name as closers such as John Axford and Joel Hanrahan (who had very good years in their own rights), but if you don't overvalue saves, he's right there with the best relievers. He led the league in WPA despite not recording a single save, posted 4 strikeouts for every walk. In addition his WHIP topped all other NL relievers and his ERA was third among that group. Critics will point to his infinitesimal ground ball rate (20.2 %) and his unsustainable BABIP (.197), but I think the facts I already offered outweigh those two factors.
Marshall is another non-closer who pitched very well for a bad team, meaning he may not get much recognition here, even though he should. While he doesn't top any single category, he rates very highly across the board. He topped one strikeout per inning, kept his walk rate very low, induced a high number of ground balls, and kept runners off the bases and prevented runs from scoring.
Also considered: Rafael Betancourt (COL), Jonny Venters (ATL), Joel Hanrahan (PIT), John Axford (MIL), Eric O'Flaherty (ATL), J.J. Putz (ARI)
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
2011 Game Balls
How incredibly timely. Within a week after the season ended, I've already totaled up the game balls from 2011. Consider that I posted 2010's game ball tally in mid-July and it seems incomprehensible that I've already done it.
Michael Cuddyer - 18
Scott Baker, Jason Kubel, Trevor Plouffe - 9
Carl Pavano, Jim Thome, Danny Valencia - 8
Brian Duensing, Francisco Liriano, Joe Mauer - 7
Nick Blackburn - 6
Alexi Casilla, Luke Hughes, Justin Morneau, Denard Span, Anthony Swarzak - 5
Drew Butera, Tsuyoshi Nishioka, Ben Revere, Rene Tosoni, Delmon Young - 4
Chris Parmelee, Matt Tolbert - 3
Scott Diamond, Jose Mijares, Joe Nathan, Glen Perkins, Kevin Slowey - 2
Joe Benson, Alex Burnett, Brian Dinkelman, Liam Hendriks, Jim Hoey - 1
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CAREER LEADERBOARD
1. Mauer - 60
2. Cuddyer, Kubel - 47
4. Morneau - 39
5. Blackburn, Young - 38
7. Baker - 34
8. Liriano - 33
9. Span - 29
10. Pavano - 26
11. Slowey - 25
12. Thome - 21
13. Casilla - 18
14. Duensing, Valencia - 15
16. Carlos Gomez - 14
17. Perkins - 12
18. Nick Punto - 11
19. Orlando Hudson, Plouffe - 9
21. Swarzak - 7
22. Brendan Harris, L Hughes, Craig Monroe, Tolbert - 6
26. Orlando Cabrera, Mike Lamb, Mijares - 5
29. Boof Bonser, Burnett, Brian Buscher, Butera, Joe Crede, Livan Hernandez, Nathan, Nishioka, Revere - 4
38. R.A. Dickey, Matt Guerrier, Parmelee, Mike Redmond - 3
42. Craig Breslow, Jesse Crain, Diamond, Matt Macri, Jose Morales - 2
47. Luis Ayala, Brian Bass, Benson, Matt Capps, Dinkelman, Matt Fox, Matt Garza, Hendriks, Hoey, Torii Hunter, Bobby Keppel, Bobby Korecky, Jeff Manship, Wilson Ramos, Randy Ruiz, Johan Santana, Carlos Silva, Rondell White - 1
Michael Cuddyer - 18
Scott Baker, Jason Kubel, Trevor Plouffe - 9
Carl Pavano, Jim Thome, Danny Valencia - 8
Brian Duensing, Francisco Liriano, Joe Mauer - 7
Nick Blackburn - 6
Alexi Casilla, Luke Hughes, Justin Morneau, Denard Span, Anthony Swarzak - 5
Drew Butera, Tsuyoshi Nishioka, Ben Revere, Rene Tosoni, Delmon Young - 4
Chris Parmelee, Matt Tolbert - 3
Scott Diamond, Jose Mijares, Joe Nathan, Glen Perkins, Kevin Slowey - 2
Joe Benson, Alex Burnett, Brian Dinkelman, Liam Hendriks, Jim Hoey - 1
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CAREER LEADERBOARD
1. Mauer - 60
2. Cuddyer, Kubel - 47
4. Morneau - 39
5. Blackburn, Young - 38
7. Baker - 34
8. Liriano - 33
9. Span - 29
10. Pavano - 26
11. Slowey - 25
12. Thome - 21
13. Casilla - 18
14. Duensing, Valencia - 15
16. Carlos Gomez - 14
17. Perkins - 12
18. Nick Punto - 11
19. Orlando Hudson, Plouffe - 9
21. Swarzak - 7
22. Brendan Harris, L Hughes, Craig Monroe, Tolbert - 6
26. Orlando Cabrera, Mike Lamb, Mijares - 5
29. Boof Bonser, Burnett, Brian Buscher, Butera, Joe Crede, Livan Hernandez, Nathan, Nishioka, Revere - 4
38. R.A. Dickey, Matt Guerrier, Parmelee, Mike Redmond - 3
42. Craig Breslow, Jesse Crain, Diamond, Matt Macri, Jose Morales - 2
47. Luis Ayala, Brian Bass, Benson, Matt Capps, Dinkelman, Matt Fox, Matt Garza, Hendriks, Hoey, Torii Hunter, Bobby Keppel, Bobby Korecky, Jeff Manship, Wilson Ramos, Randy Ruiz, Johan Santana, Carlos Silva, Rondell White - 1
Thursday, September 29, 2011
The Greatest Day of Baseball... Ever?
Yesterday was one of the most exciting days in baseball history. As far as the regular season goes, I can't think of a better set of games, but I'm young and that may be why. On the other hand, Tim Kurkjian is much older and a much more respected baseball analyst, and he echoed my sentiments, saying: "This was the greatest day of regular season baseball in the game's glorious history." Regardless of where exactly it ranks on your list, it was without a doubt an amazing day. Here's what happened, in timeline form.
12:00 PM: I am informed by Twin #2 that Adam Dunn is not in the lineup for the White Sox. Alas, that means that his quest for infamy has ceased. More on that in another post, as there were exciting moments galore to come.
9:56 PM: Skipping way ahead. In Atlanta, Craig Kimbrel is on the mound against Chase Utley in the top of the ninth inning. With one out and the bases loaded, the Braves led by the score of 3-2. At the same time, the Cardinals were up 7-0 on the Astros, meaning a loss would likely send Atlanta home for the season. Utley came through with a deep sacrifice fly to left field that brought in the tying run from third.
10:02 PM: Kimbrel walked the next batter, his third free pass of the inning, to load the bases, forcing Fredi Gonzalez to go to his bullpen. Out trots Kris Medlen, a pitcher who had thrown exactly one inning in the Major Leagues in 2011. He does his job, though, getting Michael Martinez to pop out, keeping the game knotted at three.
10:23 PM: While Boston, up 3-2 on Baltimore in the seventh inning, continues to sit through a lengthy rain delay, the Rays start to rally against the Yankees. Down 7-0 in the eighth, Tampa Bay has just scored 3 runs to trim the lead to 4. But, though they have runners on first and second, they potentially have only four outs left in their season. Evan Longoria rises to the occasion with a 3-run homer that brings the Rays within one run.
10:26 PM: As the Braves-Phillies matchup pushes into extra innings, the Cardinals seal up their victory, an 8-0 win over Houston. Chris Carpenter dominated from starting to finish, pitching a complete game shutout in which he allowed just two hits and one walk, and struck out 11 batters. It's official now: Atlanta has to keep their postseason hopes alive.
10:31 PM: Although it has no bearing on the postseason matchups, Trevor Plouffe hits a single to drive in Denard Span to break a scoreless tie, giving Minnesota a walk-off win to end its season and avoid 100 losses. Carl Pavano was the true hero, however, as he went toe-to-toe with Bruce Chen (seriously?), putting up a complete game shutout with only 95 pitches.
10:47 PM: With two outs and nobody on in the ninth, and the Rays still down by a run, Joe Maddon sends Dan Johnson to the plate to pinch hit for Sam Fuld. It's a strange decision, if only because Johnson has not had a Major League hit since April 27. Sure, he was in Triple-A for a while, but he was also hitless in his last 20 at bats and had a .108 average on the season. Of course, down to his last strike, Johnson ropes a line drive just inside the right field foul pole for a game-tying home run.
10:58 PM: Play finally resumes in Baltimore, with the Red Sox emerging from their clubhouse having just watched the epic comeback the Rays had completed.
11:40 PM: In the 14th inning, it all finally comes to a close for Atlanta. Following a broken bat, blooping infield single by Hunter Pence that put Philadelphia in front by a run, the Braves' Freddie Freeman grounds into a double play to end the game and complete a collapse that saw an 8 1/2 game lead in early September go by the wayside. St. Louis is officially headed to the playoffs.
11:51 PM: An hour after the Red Sox learned they might not have the luxury of a play-in game even if they lose, Ryan Lavarnway grounds into a double play with the bases loaded and one out in the top of the ninth inning. Boston enters the bottom half of the frame still clinging to a 3-2 lead.
11:54 PM: Brandon Gomes and Jake McGee have combined to put Yankee runners on the corners with nobody out in the top of the twelfth inning. McGee then induces a grounder from Jorge Posada. After Evan Longoria scoops up the ball, he catches Greg Golson straying too far from third base and tags him out.
11:59 PM: Jonathan Papelbon gets the first two outs of the ninth inning before Chris Davis strokes a ball into right field for a double. Immediately afterward, McGee gets the final out of twelfth inning to squelch the Yankees' scoring opportunity.
12:00 AM: Only 30 seconds later, Papelbon gives up a game-tying ground-rule double to Nolan Reimold. Baltimore now has the winning run at second base.
12:02 AM: The next batter, Robert Andino, loops a soft liner into left field. Carl Crawford attempts to make a sliding catch and gets his glove on it, but can't come up with it. He still has a chance to throw out Reimold at home, but his throw is off-line, allowing Baltimore to end their season with a walk-off victory. And, of course, to potentially end Boston's season. It's the first time all year that Boston has lost a game they led after the eighth inning. Previously they had been 77-0.
B.J. Upton takes a healthy cut and misses as the T.V. announcers for the Yankees-Rays game inform their audiences that Boston has lost.
12:04 AM: The remaining fans at Tropicana Field go crazy as the scoreboard operator puts up the result of the Red Sox game. B.J. Upton has struck out and Evan Longoria is strolling to the plate.
12:05 AM: Longoria knocks a line drive down the left field line, almost a mirror image of Dan Johnson's homer earlier in the game. Again it sneaks inside the foul pole for a home run, giving the Rays a walk-off victory and pushing them into the playoffs. They overcame a 9-game deficit in early September and a 7-run deficit with just 6 outs to go in their final game. It was the first time the Yankees had lost a game they led by 7 or more runs in the eighth inning or later since 1953.
2:08 AM: So you tell me: was this the most exciting day in baseball history?
12:00 PM: I am informed by Twin #2 that Adam Dunn is not in the lineup for the White Sox. Alas, that means that his quest for infamy has ceased. More on that in another post, as there were exciting moments galore to come.
9:56 PM: Skipping way ahead. In Atlanta, Craig Kimbrel is on the mound against Chase Utley in the top of the ninth inning. With one out and the bases loaded, the Braves led by the score of 3-2. At the same time, the Cardinals were up 7-0 on the Astros, meaning a loss would likely send Atlanta home for the season. Utley came through with a deep sacrifice fly to left field that brought in the tying run from third.
10:02 PM: Kimbrel walked the next batter, his third free pass of the inning, to load the bases, forcing Fredi Gonzalez to go to his bullpen. Out trots Kris Medlen, a pitcher who had thrown exactly one inning in the Major Leagues in 2011. He does his job, though, getting Michael Martinez to pop out, keeping the game knotted at three.
10:23 PM: While Boston, up 3-2 on Baltimore in the seventh inning, continues to sit through a lengthy rain delay, the Rays start to rally against the Yankees. Down 7-0 in the eighth, Tampa Bay has just scored 3 runs to trim the lead to 4. But, though they have runners on first and second, they potentially have only four outs left in their season. Evan Longoria rises to the occasion with a 3-run homer that brings the Rays within one run.
10:26 PM: As the Braves-Phillies matchup pushes into extra innings, the Cardinals seal up their victory, an 8-0 win over Houston. Chris Carpenter dominated from starting to finish, pitching a complete game shutout in which he allowed just two hits and one walk, and struck out 11 batters. It's official now: Atlanta has to keep their postseason hopes alive.
10:31 PM: Although it has no bearing on the postseason matchups, Trevor Plouffe hits a single to drive in Denard Span to break a scoreless tie, giving Minnesota a walk-off win to end its season and avoid 100 losses. Carl Pavano was the true hero, however, as he went toe-to-toe with Bruce Chen (seriously?), putting up a complete game shutout with only 95 pitches.
10:47 PM: With two outs and nobody on in the ninth, and the Rays still down by a run, Joe Maddon sends Dan Johnson to the plate to pinch hit for Sam Fuld. It's a strange decision, if only because Johnson has not had a Major League hit since April 27. Sure, he was in Triple-A for a while, but he was also hitless in his last 20 at bats and had a .108 average on the season. Of course, down to his last strike, Johnson ropes a line drive just inside the right field foul pole for a game-tying home run.
10:58 PM: Play finally resumes in Baltimore, with the Red Sox emerging from their clubhouse having just watched the epic comeback the Rays had completed.
11:40 PM: In the 14th inning, it all finally comes to a close for Atlanta. Following a broken bat, blooping infield single by Hunter Pence that put Philadelphia in front by a run, the Braves' Freddie Freeman grounds into a double play to end the game and complete a collapse that saw an 8 1/2 game lead in early September go by the wayside. St. Louis is officially headed to the playoffs.
11:51 PM: An hour after the Red Sox learned they might not have the luxury of a play-in game even if they lose, Ryan Lavarnway grounds into a double play with the bases loaded and one out in the top of the ninth inning. Boston enters the bottom half of the frame still clinging to a 3-2 lead.
11:54 PM: Brandon Gomes and Jake McGee have combined to put Yankee runners on the corners with nobody out in the top of the twelfth inning. McGee then induces a grounder from Jorge Posada. After Evan Longoria scoops up the ball, he catches Greg Golson straying too far from third base and tags him out.
11:59 PM: Jonathan Papelbon gets the first two outs of the ninth inning before Chris Davis strokes a ball into right field for a double. Immediately afterward, McGee gets the final out of twelfth inning to squelch the Yankees' scoring opportunity.
12:00 AM: Only 30 seconds later, Papelbon gives up a game-tying ground-rule double to Nolan Reimold. Baltimore now has the winning run at second base.
12:02 AM: The next batter, Robert Andino, loops a soft liner into left field. Carl Crawford attempts to make a sliding catch and gets his glove on it, but can't come up with it. He still has a chance to throw out Reimold at home, but his throw is off-line, allowing Baltimore to end their season with a walk-off victory. And, of course, to potentially end Boston's season. It's the first time all year that Boston has lost a game they led after the eighth inning. Previously they had been 77-0.
B.J. Upton takes a healthy cut and misses as the T.V. announcers for the Yankees-Rays game inform their audiences that Boston has lost.
12:04 AM: The remaining fans at Tropicana Field go crazy as the scoreboard operator puts up the result of the Red Sox game. B.J. Upton has struck out and Evan Longoria is strolling to the plate.
12:05 AM: Longoria knocks a line drive down the left field line, almost a mirror image of Dan Johnson's homer earlier in the game. Again it sneaks inside the foul pole for a home run, giving the Rays a walk-off victory and pushing them into the playoffs. They overcame a 9-game deficit in early September and a 7-run deficit with just 6 outs to go in their final game. It was the first time the Yankees had lost a game they led by 7 or more runs in the eighth inning or later since 1953.
2:08 AM: So you tell me: was this the most exciting day in baseball history?
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Twins try to avoid 100 losses
The good news: if the Twins could have chosen anybody in the entire league to pitch against them tonight, they would have picked Sean O'Sullivan.
The bad news: the Twins are a terrible team.
O'Sullivan has thrown 53.1 innings this season, and has a WHIP of 1.78 and an ERA of 6.92. That ERA is the worst in the Majors among anyone who's pitched more than 50 innings, as are his xFIP and FIP. He's also collected just 18 strikeouts in his time on the mound, a rate of 3.04 K/9. Not surprisingly, that ranks last among the same group, as does his K% and his utterly embarrassing 0.69 K:BB ratio. And his career numbers don't paint a much better picture: 6.01 ERA, 1.55 WHIP, and 1.23 K/BB.
Of course, if the Royals could pick any team to play against, it would probably be the Twins. While the Astros have a worse record on the season, Minnesota has won 3 of their last 23 games, 5 of their last 34, and 20 of their 71 games since the All-Star break. Anyone who thinks the Red Sox have been playing badly of late should take a look at the Twins' performance. Sure, Boston has won just fewer than a quarter of their games in September, but Minnesota has won only one-sixth of their games.
On an unrelated note, the Adam Dunn watch has taken a turn for the better. Since my original post, Dunn has played in all 3 games and is in the lineup again tonight. He's gotten 12 more plate appearances, including 8 hitless at bats, which puts him at 493, nine away from history. I'll be intently keeping an eye on the White Sox's matchups with Toronto these next two days.
The bad news: the Twins are a terrible team.
O'Sullivan has thrown 53.1 innings this season, and has a WHIP of 1.78 and an ERA of 6.92. That ERA is the worst in the Majors among anyone who's pitched more than 50 innings, as are his xFIP and FIP. He's also collected just 18 strikeouts in his time on the mound, a rate of 3.04 K/9. Not surprisingly, that ranks last among the same group, as does his K% and his utterly embarrassing 0.69 K:BB ratio. And his career numbers don't paint a much better picture: 6.01 ERA, 1.55 WHIP, and 1.23 K/BB.
Of course, if the Royals could pick any team to play against, it would probably be the Twins. While the Astros have a worse record on the season, Minnesota has won 3 of their last 23 games, 5 of their last 34, and 20 of their 71 games since the All-Star break. Anyone who thinks the Red Sox have been playing badly of late should take a look at the Twins' performance. Sure, Boston has won just fewer than a quarter of their games in September, but Minnesota has won only one-sixth of their games.
On an unrelated note, the Adam Dunn watch has taken a turn for the better. Since my original post, Dunn has played in all 3 games and is in the lineup again tonight. He's gotten 12 more plate appearances, including 8 hitless at bats, which puts him at 493, nine away from history. I'll be intently keeping an eye on the White Sox's matchups with Toronto these next two days.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Adam Dunn Chases History
You've been reading all year about how terrible Adam Dunn has been. What's the root of the problem? Will he re-discover his stroke next year? Will he retire? Is this the worst season of all-time given that he plays designated hitter? Is it the most inexplicable drop-off in performance ever? Was he the worst free agent signing ever?
Those questions may be answered in the future, and some may never be answered. But there is one we will have a definite answer to in less than a week: will Adam Dunn break the record for lowest batting average for a player who qualified for the batting title in the modern era (since 1900)?
Here, I am using the modern definition of qualifying for the batting title, which is a minimum of 3.1 PA per team game. In the past, other standards have been used, including playing in 60% of team games prior to 1920. Bill Bergen qualified at the time with a .139 average in 1909, and again in 1906 at .159, for the lowest batting averages of the modern era. However, in both of those years he wouldn't have been particularly close to being eligible for the batting title according to the modern standard, as he only averaged around 2.4 PA per team game in both seasons.
Here's a full list of the worst qualified batting averages of the modern era:
Even if you don't care for that bit of posturing, Dunn at the very least is looking to claim the lowest qualified batting average--period--since 1910.
After yet another hitless game yesterday, Dunn's average currently rests at .163 through 481 plate appearances. The White Sox have five games remaining, and Dunn needs to hit the 502 mark to qualify for the batting title. That's a tall task, as he needs to come to the plate 21 times in that span. Considering that he's only averaging 3.06 plate appearances per team game thus far, and has only appeared in 75 percent of Chicago's games on the year, it wouldn't appear likely.
Of course, it's much more telling to look at how much he has been playing lately to determine if he will crack the barrier. After playing sporadically through the first half of September, Dunn has been in the lineup each of the last 8 games--including both games of a doubleheader on September 20--and has accumulated 33 trips to the plate in the process. That's exactly what he would need to do over the next five days to make history, so it looks like Ozzie Guillen is doing his part.
If Dunn makes it to the mark, he's already essentially clinched the worst qualified average since 1914. Rob Deer owns that honor for the time being, with a .179 average in 1991. In order to overcome that, Dunn would have to do something like get 10 hits in 20 at bats to end the year, which would bring him up to .179. Congratulations Rob, it seems as if you are out of the ignominious record book. And before Dunn, Deer had had a stranglehold on the record, as .194 was the second-worst qualified mark since 1950, and .185 was the second-worst qualified mark since 1920.
If he merely stays at .163, Dunn will have the fourth-worst qualified average since 1900, the worst since 1910, and the absolute worst using today's 3.1 PA/team game standard for qualification. He's got a very good chance to move into third-worst place since 1910 if he can merely put together a 2-for-16 stretch together to end the season, and if he can do something along the lines of 1-for-20 he can nab the second-worst average of the modern era.
Today the White Sox go against Royals lefty Everett Teaford, which may mean Dunn will be out of the lineup. That would cripple his chances of reaching the 502-plate appearance plateau. After that it's all righthanders, so let's hope Ozzie sees this opportunity for what its worth.
Only 7 players since 1950 have managed to hit under .200 while coming to the plate often enough to qualify for the batting title. Since 1920, that number is 14. Adam Dunn has a chance to blow them all away. While the Twins fight against the current sweeping them towards an embarrassing 100 losses, Adam Dunn is faced with the potential of holding a much more ignominious place in baseball history.
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| Dunn reacts after striking out... again. |
Here, I am using the modern definition of qualifying for the batting title, which is a minimum of 3.1 PA per team game. In the past, other standards have been used, including playing in 60% of team games prior to 1920. Bill Bergen qualified at the time with a .139 average in 1909, and again in 1906 at .159, for the lowest batting averages of the modern era. However, in both of those years he wouldn't have been particularly close to being eligible for the batting title according to the modern standard, as he only averaged around 2.4 PA per team game in both seasons.
Here's a full list of the worst qualified batting averages of the modern era:
 |
| Click to enlarge |
After yet another hitless game yesterday, Dunn's average currently rests at .163 through 481 plate appearances. The White Sox have five games remaining, and Dunn needs to hit the 502 mark to qualify for the batting title. That's a tall task, as he needs to come to the plate 21 times in that span. Considering that he's only averaging 3.06 plate appearances per team game thus far, and has only appeared in 75 percent of Chicago's games on the year, it wouldn't appear likely.
Of course, it's much more telling to look at how much he has been playing lately to determine if he will crack the barrier. After playing sporadically through the first half of September, Dunn has been in the lineup each of the last 8 games--including both games of a doubleheader on September 20--and has accumulated 33 trips to the plate in the process. That's exactly what he would need to do over the next five days to make history, so it looks like Ozzie Guillen is doing his part.
If Dunn makes it to the mark, he's already essentially clinched the worst qualified average since 1914. Rob Deer owns that honor for the time being, with a .179 average in 1991. In order to overcome that, Dunn would have to do something like get 10 hits in 20 at bats to end the year, which would bring him up to .179. Congratulations Rob, it seems as if you are out of the ignominious record book. And before Dunn, Deer had had a stranglehold on the record, as .194 was the second-worst qualified mark since 1950, and .185 was the second-worst qualified mark since 1920.
If he merely stays at .163, Dunn will have the fourth-worst qualified average since 1900, the worst since 1910, and the absolute worst using today's 3.1 PA/team game standard for qualification. He's got a very good chance to move into third-worst place since 1910 if he can merely put together a 2-for-16 stretch together to end the season, and if he can do something along the lines of 1-for-20 he can nab the second-worst average of the modern era.
Today the White Sox go against Royals lefty Everett Teaford, which may mean Dunn will be out of the lineup. That would cripple his chances of reaching the 502-plate appearance plateau. After that it's all righthanders, so let's hope Ozzie sees this opportunity for what its worth.
Only 7 players since 1950 have managed to hit under .200 while coming to the plate often enough to qualify for the batting title. Since 1920, that number is 14. Adam Dunn has a chance to blow them all away. While the Twins fight against the current sweeping them towards an embarrassing 100 losses, Adam Dunn is faced with the potential of holding a much more ignominious place in baseball history.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Word Search Answer Key
Pretty self-explanatory. If you've done the word search and couldn't locate a name or two, this is your ticket to completion.
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| Click to enlarge |
Friday, September 16, 2011
Twins 2011 Word Search
With the Twins 2011 season slowly lurching to a close, we need something to distract us. And then we finish it, to remind us what we were distracting ourselves from. That's why I've made this word search, which features every player to play with the Twins this season, plus their manager. Then, when you're done, write out all the letters that weren't circled for a secret message (how exciting! [it's not]).
Every player is listed by their last name only. Any two players who have the same last name have their first initial included too. Have fun!
Every player is listed by their last name only. Any two players who have the same last name have their first initial included too. Have fun!
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| Click to enlarge |
Answer key to be posted sometime in the next few days. I would have put it right below this, but it's too easy to see the circled players by accident when scrolling through.
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