Thursday, October 28, 2010 |
Beltre Selling His Former Digs
Labels: ex-dodgers
This Blog's Official Position On The Winner Of The 2010 World Series
Labels: giants, postseason, rangers
Wednesday, October 27, 2010 |
World Series Game 1: Giants 11, Rangers 7
Marijuana kills brain cells, kids. Science.—Sam Miller
Bottom 1st: Freddie Sanchez gets a one-out single that makes Vlad Guerrero run, but then he erases himself by drifting too far off the bag. That let Ian Kinsler double him up on Buster Posey's popup, ending the inning. Did someone put stupid pills in the San Francisco dugout water cooler?
Top 2nd: Benjie Molina singles, and then Cliff Lee doubled, with one out. Really?. This game looks like it's getting out of hand in a hurry, and Lincecum had 31 pitches already.
Andrus sac flies Molina home as the ball came in quite wide. 2-0 Rangers.
Bottom 3rd: After Lincecum got the game to the bottom half 1-2-3 for the first time all game, Edgar Rentaria reached on a David Young error. Lincecum failed to bunt him over, but then Cliff Lee plunked Andres Torres. Freddie Sanchez then doubled to put the Giants on the board 2-1, and with one out, the Giants could get a sac fly to tie it up.
Buster Posey whacked one into the outfield that tied the game 2-2, and would have given the team the lead but for Torres having to hold at second.
Bottom 3rd: Lee wobbled through Lincecum's at-bat, but got him out. But then Torres doubled, and Sanchez doubled him in to give the Giants their first lead of this World Series, 3-2. Jayson Stark claims this is the first time Lee has surrendered five doubles in a single game in a Texas uniform.
Darren O'Day warms up while Lee continued to struggle; eventually, he gave up an RBI single to NLCS MVP Cody Ross, cashing in Freddy Sanchez from second. Lee is perilously close to getting pulled before five. Pat Burrell knocked another one in with a second consecutive two-out single, and that's all for Lee. 5-2 Giants, and the game isn't even through five. Strange: on two consecutive plays, Josh Hamilton did not attempt a play at the plate.
Juan Uribe took the first two pitches from Darren O'Day, crushing one into the seats to make it 8-2 Giants. The game is really getting out of hand, but the Rangers can really score in a hurry and there's a lot of game left. Not that it mattered — Edgar Rentaria got plunked, and then Andrus kicked a ball that let Lincecum reach on a dribbler up the middle. The wheels are falling off for the Rangers.
Top 6th: After striking out the first two batters, Lincecum walked Ian Kinsler and gave up an RBI double to Bengie Molina for an 8-3 advantage. Of course it's Bengie.
And done ... The Giants tacked on three more, and the Rangers went after a few themselves, but not so many as los Gigantes...
Labels: giants, live blogging, postseason, rangers, recaps
Monday, October 25, 2010 |
More Nice Words On Mike Trout
[...] Trout is a lot better than almost anyone realized. He floated a $2.5 million price tag the night before the 2009 draft, but that didn't really scare teams away. The Angels, who didn't believe his asking price, were on him more than anyone and took him with their second of two first-round choices. He signed for a slot bonus of $1.215 million.I think Callis is wrong about McPherson — it was his inability to stay healthy, and an inability to take walks, that destroyed his career. The strikeouts didn't help, but 27 walks in 505 plate appearances is horrible.Viewed as a raw athlete at the time of the draft, Trout has proved to be anything but raw. He didn't face elite competition as a New Jersey high schooler and had some length and loopiness in his swing, so he wasn't expect to hit pro pitching right away. Yet he has batted .344 in two years of pro ball. He was graded as having 70 speed on the 20-80 scouting scale, and it turns out that was selling him short, because he's an 80 runner.
I'd feel better about Trout delivering on his promise compared to Kotchman, McPherson and Wood. I liked all of those players, but they all had flaws they couldn't overcome. Kotchman never hit more than 10 homers in a minor league season and his power never developed like the Angels hoped. Even during their breakout seasons, McPherson and Wood struck out in bunches, which proved to be their undoing in the majors.
Even if Trout doesn't get any better than he is right now—which would be silly, seeing as how he's just 19—he'd hit for average, get on base and run wild once he did, and play a quality center field. His power is still developing, and he should hit at least 20 homers per season once he gets more aggressive about driving pitches. He's a more well-rounded player than Kotchman, McPherson or Wood ever were.
Tim Wallach Out As Milwaukee's New Manager, Likely Dodgers' Third Base Coach
Labels: brewers, coaches, dodgers, managers
Please, Let's Keep The Angels' 50th Anniversary Celebrations To A Minimum
The Myth Of The Myth Of The Small-Market Series
Also: converted to actual market size numbers, the gap from a Phillies (3M)/Yankees (7.5M, total 10.5M households) World Series to a Giants (2.5M)/Rangers (2.6M) World Series amounts to a difference of nearly half.
(Nate Barlow at Deep Into Sports last year did a calculation on a related issue, payroll dollars spent per audience household.)
Labels: giants, postseason, rangers, red sox, tv, yankees
Saturday, October 23, 2010 |
ALCS Game 6: Rangers Advance To The World Series: Rangers 6, Yankees 1
I will enjoy watching the Yankees pick up the pieces this offseason, and in particular, what they decide to do with Derek Jeter, he of the endless hero worship.
I really, sincerely wish to congratulate the Rangers, who stand a good chance of being the first major league team in Texas to actually bring home a trophy. I still imagine we're going to see a Rangers/Giants series, which would probably annoy Fox no end.
Labels: postseason, rangers, recaps, yankees
Friday, October 22, 2010 |
If You're A Member Of Rob Neyer's Club, You're In For Life
I happen to think either [Josh] Byrnes or [Sandy] Alderson would do a fine job, though of course Alderson's got the more impressive track record.This is something akin to saying that the RMS Olympic did a better job of staying afloat than the Titanic. Presiding over five seasons of the Snakes' roster, they went 383-427 with one postseason appearance that resulted in a NLCS loss (the 2007 team). Alderson's A's teams went 1,274-1,252 on his watch (1983-1998) with four postseason appearances, including three consecutive World Series appearances with one win among them.
Now, I'm generally in favor of sabermetrics — the provable is better than the opposite — but this seems to me to be a sort of reflexive nod to the Red Sox. Byrnes, who was formerly the Red Sox' AGM, was also associated with Bill James' tenure there, making him part of the club ... looking at the last four years of Alderson's tenure in Oakland, you can see why he ended up leaving: three last-place finishes, and one third place. But ... rilly? Hiring the no-managerial-experience-whatsoever A.J. Hinch as the team's manager? Did Alderson ever do anything that boneheaded?
Labels: athletics, diamondbacks, front office, mets
Report: Sandy Alderson Named Next Mets GM
Labels: dodgers, front office, mets
Thursday, October 21, 2010 |
Angels Promote National Cross-Checker Ric Wilson To Scouting Director
“I want to thank the Angels’ organization for the opportunity they have given me,” Wilson said in the team's release. “We will continue to bring impact-type players from all means available as per the draft, international market, free agents and trades. We will concentrate on power bats, power arms, speed and defense in order to create a balance of high-end players, as well as solid overall baseball players.”
Labels: angels, front office
Wednesday, October 20, 2010 |
Trey Hillman Likely To Be The Next Dodgers' Bench Coach
Pickoff Moves
NLCS Game 3: Yes We Cain, And Other Stupid Puns Involving The Giants' Starter: Giants 3, Phillies 0
Well, really, not so much, because I'm not going to go there. The biggest moment of drama in this game was in the seventh, when Matt Cain plunked Carlos Ruiz and let pinch-hitter Ross Gload reach on a walk, launching a two-out rally. Bruce Bochy, not known as a particularly shrewd manager (but smarter than Donnie Baseball!), walked to the mound, chatted with Cain, and let him ride it out. The move worked, as Shane Victorino tapped meekly to second to end the threat.Cody Ross once again burnished his postseason resume, driving in the first of the Giants' three runs, and as it proved, the only one they would need. Amazing fact: Ross has driven in seven of the team's 18 postseason runs this year. Better to be lucky than good, I suppose.
Worst-Case Scenarios: Rangers 10, Yankees 3
Clearly, Ron Washington put his faith in the wrong man for the rotation; Tommy Hunter had little to offer, giving up all three of the Yankees' runs, including one that should have been ruled fan interference upon video replay; but the next one, a long loud Lance Berkman foul, caused a huddle and a replay, and on review was adjudged a foul, correctly. It's my opinion that Jeffery Maier and Steve Bartman incidents will only be prevented if people recognize, that as with any sort of ball in play, there are negative and direct consequences for interfering with a game ball.Regardless, it didn't much matter for the Yanks, as Joe Girardi trusted A.J. Burnett past his expiration date, intentionally walking David Murphy to face Benjie Molina. Now, Molina's history with the Yanks was rather infamous, in particular wrecking Yankees pitching in the 2005 ALDS with three home runs. The first pitch from Burnett ended up in the seats, the Rangers took a lead they would not relinquish, and that was the game, mainly, though the Yankees bullpen really cemented things by handing over an insurmountable 10-3 lead.
Mat Gleason elsewhere — and I am too lazy to look up which of his guises on Facebook posted this — was happy to advance a Yankees/Giants World Series because it would do maximum damage to the Dodgers. I really don't much care who wins the National League pennant, but I would like to see a Rangers/Giants series for several reasons. First, the Rangers have never been anywhere in the postseason before, so there's a certain amount of first-timer's luck that you don't mind advancing them. Second, the Giants could use a World Series title to keep some of the louder-mouthed Dodger fans from being quite so obnoxious. Third, the notion of two relatively small-market teams being in the Series will limit ratings, so this will hurt Fox — an entity I despise, not least because of their stupid mishandling of Saturday baseball blackouts. Even if it doesn't work out that way, I can live with any eventuality, even a Phillies/Yankees series (which would be Fox's preferred outcome, I'm sure). But I have my druthers.
That's Why It's So Dark At Safeco: Eric Wedge Is Makin' Stuff Up
There's no "electricity" at Safeco. Really.A Stupid Irritation: Video Mashups Are Only For Corporate Sponsors
Doesn't this Sprint-sponsored MLB video mashup irritate the heck out of you, especially when MLB consistently goes after anyone who uses even the tiniest clip from a ballgame on YouTube? Fair Use is utterly unknown to them ... unless somebody's paying for it.Labels: giants, phillies, postseason, rangers, recaps, yankees
Tuesday, October 19, 2010 |
Jon Heyman: Lilly Gets 3 Years/$33M
Update: Ken Gurnick confirms the 3 year/$33M figure.
Update 2: Dylan Hernandez of the Times says that there will be no deferred money on Lilly's deal. He also has a no-trade clause during the first two years of his deal.
Labels: dodgers, transactions
McCourts Enter Their Statements
In Monday's filing her attorneys wrote: "The parties have identified only three reported cases from any jurisdiction in the United States where parties executed two different and inconsistent versions of what purported to be the same instrument. In each of those cases, the courts concluded that no contract had been created because of lack of mutual assent."I'm thinking Jamie wins this round. The case will kick around in appeals courts for two or three years, though, with the fans as captives. Sucks to be us!Attorneys for Frank McCourt are seeking to have the version of the marital property agreement that gives their client sole possession of the Dodgers upheld because they say it was what the couple always intended.
Labels: dodgers, mccourts, stupid ideas
Monday, October 18, 2010 |
Tony LaRussa Will Return To The Cards In 2011
Pickoff Moves
Philly Gets The Split On Strong Nights From Oswalt, Werth: Phillies 6, Giants 1
A pretty close game through six and a half frames, until starter Jonathan Sanchez imploded in the bottom of the seventh. Sanchez gave up a two-out, bases-loaded walk in the first that proved an omen for San Francisco's chances. Bruce Bochy finally pulled his starter in the bottom of the seventh after giving up a leadoff single to Roy Oswalt, who was very much on his game; the Phillies' star surrendered only a single run while striking out nine, and even scoring a run. Sanchez had previously only logged a single loss in his career to Philadelphia, but funny things happen in the postseason.The First Casualty Of Eric Wedge In Seattle: Milton Bradley
Aaron Gleeman raises a fantastic point: Milton Bradley's bad attitude toward Eric Wedge (really? A "F*ck Eric Wedge" t-shirt in the locker room?) got him shipped to the Dodgers. He was a much better player then, and I can only imagine what happens now. Do the M's eat the remaining $12M on his current deal? I would bet they do, and so does U.S.S. Mariner.Angels Honors
Two, so far:- Organizational Players of the Year: Player of the Year, Mark Trumbo; Pitcher of the Year, Tyler Chatwood; and Defensive Player of the Year, Gabriel Jacobo.
- In the Arizona Fall League, Brandon Wood took Player of the Week. Well, no surprise, he's not facing major league pitching. I don't think this changes anyone's opinion of him.
Labels: angels, giants, mariners, phillies, postseason, recaps
Sunday, October 17, 2010 |
Pickoff Moves
The Rangers Get One Right: Rangers 7, Yankees 2
After Friday's eighth-inning reversal of fortunes, it seemed like Ron Washington had some making up to do. Whether he would get that chance depended directly on getting to Phil Hughes, which they did presently; a delayed double-steal of a run in the first, a David Murphy home run (! he had twelve in the regular season, and now he turns into Babe Ruth?), and a Michael Young RBI "double" down the right field line that was more like a dribbler that just scooted past ex-Ranger Mark Teixeira with barely a flinch — and the Rangers were up 3-0. An inning later and it was 5-0, and of a sudden Huntington Beach native Colby Lewis was in line for a win that this time Washington's bullpen wouldn't breach.They've gotta win one in the Bronx now, though. It would take a lot for this blog's hidden mantra of Anybody But The Yankees to change, and so I'm still down with the Rangers. AL West pride, or something like that.
NLCS Game 1: Unexpected Postseason Heroics, Part 2: Giants 4, Phillies 3
Both championship series are interesting to me, but I find the NL series particularly compelling because the opponents are well-matched; the Phillies are the better offensive team, but the Giants have better pitching. Series like this end up being decided on random events, and that was ex-Dodger Cody Ross having a two-homer night. Neither starter was dominant after coming off historic postseason games, but Lincecum's offense pushed him into the win column, just barely, and that despite a typical Brian Wilson (i.e. shaky and baserunner-laden) save. If nothing else, it provided a pleasant diversion from thinking about the Yankees accumulating their next MLB-mandated set of rings, scheduled for later in the month.http://scores.espn.go.com/mlb/boxscore?gameId=301016122">ESPN Box
Other Stuff
- The Dodgers agreed to a three-year deal with Ted Lilly, dollars unknown.
- The NLCS is dark for New York Cablevision customers, thanks to a dispute between Fox and Cablevision. Stupid.
Labels: dodgers, giants, phillies, postseason, rangers, recaps, transactions, yankees
Friday, October 15, 2010 |
Seattle Chooses Eric Wedge For New Manager
The Gift Of Failure: Musings On Texas' Division Win
But unexplored in Jay's piece is the role the Angels had in gifting the Rangers with uninspired competition for the division. It's worth mentioning that the Angels posted only their third season of less than 90 wins since 2002, and only their second losing season in that span. The second-place, 81-81 A's were scarcely better. In fact, in only one year since 2002 has the AL West been so weak that no other teams had a winning record besides the division champion — 2008. The Angels may not have given away the division — full credit to Texas for winning — but they certainly didn't make it interesting, either, especially in the second half.
On The Occasion Of Kirk Gibson's Pinch-Hit Home Run In 1988
And Frank is not the man to take the team there.
More on the celebrations: Vin Scully, MLB.com via the Dodgers' official Twitter feed.
On Shareholder Ownership Of The Dodgers
Jon hated it, too. I'm largely with Jon there; the itch to pander, which is always a bad idea, is doubly bad in baseball because unlike football, the draft is important but not for picking out college or high school stars (who may or may not turn into pro stars), but for eventually recognizing, through attrition, those who may become stars.
Labels: dodgers
Wednesday, October 13, 2010 |
Rangers Advance: Rangers 5, Rays 1
Tuesday, October 12, 2010 |
Giants Advance As Bobby Cox Runs Out Of Outs: Giants 3, Braves 2
Labels: braves, giants, postseason, recaps
Monday, October 11, 2010 |
Two Exits
Twins
I am inclined to agree with David Pinto: Fire Ron Gardenhire. At some point, there must be accountability, and the Twins have lost all but one postseason series of the last decade, and the first of the new one, for the third straight time by a sweep, and the 12th straight postseason loss. Gardy's contract is up for negotiation this offseason, and I can only assume he's going to be renewed. But I could be wrong.My main point for his firing: a 3-0 lead going into the 6th on Wednesday, and he can't find it in his heart to pull his starter, Francisco Liriano? Not even after Liriano had a genuinely unimpressive 4.29 September ERA?
Braves
I have been exchanging talk with the Baseball Crank on Twitter, and it seems to me that the list of Hall of Famers Bobby Cox has managed might, by itself, make an interesting post (even including presumptive Cooperstown denizen Greg Maddux). But I say now, the whole series really fell on the poor sap Brooks Conrad, whose three errors made it possible for the Giants to slip past the hometown nine to ultimately advance to the NLCS. Brooks Conrad will never be confused with Brooks Robinson, but Bobby Cox will almost certainly make it to the tablet of Fame in New York.Labels: braves, giants, postseason, twins, yankees
Dodgers Announce Season Ticket Prices
The primary areas that will see an increase in season-ticket prices are the front row of each deck and the first four rows of the Left Field Pavilion, which have become the most coveted seating areas in their respective sections. In all instances where prices increase, season-ticket holders will be offered additional benefits, including free tickets to games on lower levels, Stadium Club passes and complimentary Spring Training tickets.The difference between the $6 and $4 price I don't see as a huge deal. I expect the comments from the press release about the "no-show rate" is code for "scalper", which is always a problem for any team, because butts in the seats buy food, but empty seats don't.In the top deck, season tickets will return to 1992 pricing of $6, rather than the $4 per seat at which they have been offered recently. Officials said the approach to Top Deck pricing was driven by a no-show rate of more than twice the other areas in the ballpark.
Labels: dodgers
Friday, October 08, 2010 |
Random Thoughts On The Postseason, And Another Dodger Firing
- Let's get the bad news out of the way, if indeed it is: Frank McCourt pulled the plug on president Dennis Mannion. Mannion was responsible for the Mannywood section (pulled down in early August). The Times article mentions a press release, but none appears on the team press release page. Typical Frank.
Update: Steve Dilbeck:
It was Mannion, of course, who absolutely trashed Jamie in a deposition in the McCourts' divorce proceedings, claiming she was frequently absent from executive meetings and not capable or interested in focusing on the team.
Frank thanked Mannion profusely for his support, and then showed him the door. What a workplace.
- Fun stuff: Mike Scioscia will return to "The Simpsons", guest-voicing himself on an upcoming episode.
- If it weren't for the Giants' 1-0 victory last night over Atlanta, no home team would have won a postseason game. Roy Halladay pitched only the second no-hitter in postseason history with a 4-0 complete game over the Reds on Wednesday. Tim Lincecum was nearly as good, getting a two-hit shutout yesterday while fanning 14 Braves. Year of the Pitcher, indeed — helped out with some bad umpiring (again), which is why there are calls for greater disciplinary transparency. The Twins had similar problems with their Game 2 at home (resulting in a 5-2 loss to the Yanks) on a blown strike three call to Lance Berkman; the next pitch ended up bouncing off the wall for an RBI double.
The Rangers return to Arlington Saturday after making the Rays look like Little Leaguers two games in a row, the second against a shockingly feeble Tampa Bay offense that failed to score in a 6-0 loss Thursday.
Labels: braves, dodgers, firings, front office, giants, postseason, rangers, rays, twins, yankees
Tuesday, October 05, 2010 |
Look Out, "Ninja", You're Next: Arte Takes Aim
"We're trying to improve how we operate, from the baseball side," he said. "We were thin this year. We didn't have the depth we needed. Everything starts with how we draft and how we develop, and we will do a better job of that."And who would have been director of player development prior to becoming GM?
Labels: angels, front office
Angels Release Head Trainer Ned Bergert, Scout Dale Sutherland
Labels: angels, firings, front office
Monday, October 04, 2010 |
Logan White STILL Sans Contract, Other Dodgers Coaching Changes
I can't say whether there's a new contract or not. At this moment I'm still a Dodger. I wish I could say more, but I can't.Ken Rosenthal tweets that Larry Bowa and Mariano Duncan will leave the organization. It's unclear what will happen to pitching coach Rick Honeycutt. Earlier, bench coach Bob Schaefer announced his exit from the team.
Labels: dodgers, front office
The End Of The Season, The Start Of The Postseason: Thoughts After 162 Games
- I was disappointed but not entirely surprised by the sort of year the Angels posted. The problems with the bullpen showed up early, from players who were expected to be and in fact were regulars. The real sad surprises of 2010 were Kendry Morales' broken leg that sidelined him for the balance of the season, ineffective offense from Bobby Abreu, the collapses of Erick Aybar and Jeff Mathis, the failure to transition effectively to the majors by Brandon Wood (who is on his way to being one of the worst offensive position players in history), the long-predicted decline by Joe Saunders, and a dreadful year by Scott Kazmir. That the Angels did not elect to return Eddie Bane to his head of scouting role is not too surprising, since some of these failings can be laid squarely at the feet of the man now occupying the GM's chair, the former head of player development, Tony Reagins. The team's 80-82 finish means they get a protected draft pick in 2011, which they will need.
- The Dodgers' 2010 was in many ways more baffling to me. If there is a reason to think that Matt Kemp should have so thoroughly regressed, I would like to know what it was. He ended the season with more strikeouts than hits, posted the lowest OBP of his career, and posted the worst full-season UZR/150 of his career. Of course, he wasn't the Dodgers' only problem; the rotation was a patchwork quilt outside of Chad Billingsley and Clayton Kershaw, whose improvements (though somewhat uneven in Bills' case — he had a poor April and June) amounted to its only bright spots. Hiroki Kuroda — whom I falsely remembered as being injured much of the year — managed to pitch nearly 200 innings while keeping his ERA to an entirely respectable 3.39. The rest of the rotation was a mess, with Vicente Padilla actually spending scads of time on the DL, the Dodgers picking up Ted Lilly for no discernible reason, and John Ely up and down to prove why he doesn't belong in the majors (just yet?) after a very promising start. With the McCourt divorce case 90 days (at least) from its first resolution, the team's ability to manage its payroll is seriously in question for the first time since McCourt ownership started.
- The NL West and Wild Card races went down to the final day, and were both exciting. The Braves beat the Phillies 8-7 in a game that at first looked like a blowout after Atlanta's offense made it an 8-2 lead after six. The Phils treated it as a spring training game, trotting out a sequence of relievers in unaccustomed order, but it became a nail-biter late as Tim Hudson faded in the seventh, and the bullpen leaked runs, though not so many that the team lost.
That set up the prospect of David Pinto's massive tie scenario, wherein Atlanta, San Francisco, and the Padres all end the season with 91-71 records. This would have meant a game 163 between the Giants and Padres in San Diego to determine the NL West winner, and the winner from that would have to fly to Atlanta to determine the Wild Card. But as the Giants blanked San Diego 3-0 behind Jonathan Sanchez and four innings' worth of relievers, the Giants took the NL West flag, and the next games start on Wednesday with the Braves as the NL Wild card.
Similarly, even though the Yankees made it to the postseason, their 8-4 loss to Boston combined with a 3-2 Rays victory over the Royals (in 12 innings) means the Bronx Bombers won't take home a division flag this year. Small victories, right?
- Firings: It's that time of year, of course; the biggest news is that Omar Minaya and Jerry Manuel are out in Flushing, with the team announcing a search for GM and manager, respectively.
- Pirates manager John Russell is out after three seasons; I had to scratch my head for a bit, because I didn't remember who got the job after Jim Tracy left.
- Ken Macha will not return to Milwaukee after two losing seasons. Word has it that he did not have a good relationship with Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun, but as always, those sorts of things can be overlooked if the team is winning. I wouldn't be surprised to see him land in Pittsburgh.
- Contrariwise, Kirk Gibson will retain the helm in Arizona for at least another year.
- Postseason predictions: My picks for the ALDS series are the Yankees and Rays, though I am rooting for Minnesota; however, the Twins will be without the services of first baseman Justin Morneau, recovering from the effects of a concussion incurred during a June game.
In the NLDS, I like the Reds and Phillies to advance; despite the problems Ryan Howard has shown against lefties, Philadelphia is still the class of the NL, though the distinction isn't as great as it once was. The Giants should be grateful they made the postseason, and the same is true of the Braves. I wager both series should be over in four games.
Labels: angels, braves, dodgers, giants, pirates, postseason, rays, reds, yankees
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