When this year's playoffs got past the one game playoff "series", there were five teams left for whom I could cheer. Yes, I know, I'm an Indians fan. Well, when one is an Indians fan, but also a big baseball fan, it is nice to have someone to cheer for when the annual Indians Out Of The Playoffs Magic Number comes around in mid-August (or something).
So, I would have been happy to see the Reds in it until the end. The Big Red Machine (about whom I read recently in a fun-read, "The Machine", by Joe Posnanski) was there when I was getting originally immersed in the world of baseball. I was living on the outskirts of Cleveland (Bedford, Ohio, to be exact), but my grandparents in Columbus were big Reds fans. So, when we visit them during the World Series of 1975, my fandom got a tremendous start by watching the Reds win the big one against the Red Sox. What an awesome year.
Anyway, I would have loved to see the Reds make it all the way. [Sigh]
Here were my five-out-of-eight:
Reds
Rangers (I'm a big Nolan Ryan fan, as well as a Josh Hamilton fan... little did I know NR would say some hard things about JH at the end, but I don't blame him)
Cardinals
A's
Nationals
Ideally, the World Series would have been the Reds against the A's--and the Reds would have won vengeance for the 1972 World Series. Yes! If anyone out there knows of a good video story of that World Series, I'd love to hear about it. Having 7 games in a World Series is ideal, but having 6 of them decided by one run? Holy cow. That's awesome.
A little factoid here--the Reds outscored the A's in that World Series, 22 to 15. Too bad that doesn't offer any real salve to the overall loss.
I would have been cheering for the Rangers, for sure. Watching their
sudden and unbelievable demise was painful. Lose the division on the
last day? Wow. Nolan, I sure hope you and yours come back to the Big
Dance next year (unless the Indians do the never-expected).
I would have cheered for the Cardinals, even though they just won it last year. I love the fact that they made it as far as they did even though they lost a formerly top-notch player to bigger money, lost a HOF manager, and worked with a rookie big league manager. They had a great year, and, in my opinion, were by far the better team than the team that removed them from the World Series. Definitely had a better line-up.
Ah, well.
The A's? Well, though I've never been a fan, Billy Beane has me intrigued. I'd love to see him working his magic for the Indians, but... still, his incredible GMing with the A's brings hope to this small market fan. Keep at it!
Then there's the Nat's. What a story. They stunk so bad that they got the top pick two years in a row--and both have come around to play in the bigs in a good way. I'm looking forward to many years of Strasburg and Bryce. Rise to stardom, guys!
So, clearly, four of my five hopefuls were eliminated in that round. That sucked.
Here we are--a World Series with the Central Division foe Tigers and the Left Coast Giants. Gah. I'll watch, but only because I love baseball. Not even sure who I will cheer for yet. I really didn't want Cabrera to be the first Triple Crown winner in 45 years--I'd far rather that had gone to Josh Hamilton, Albert Pujols, or our guy Votto. Alas, it was not to be.
Now to get some snacks for the boys tonight.
Showing posts with label Josh Hamilton. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Josh Hamilton. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Friday, October 5, 2012
MVP
Alright, I'll just come out and say that I think Mike Trout is the MVP of the AL this year.
No, I'm not that big on all the latest metrics. WAR is a nice number, but there are two different versions. There is only one RBI number--and everybody knows how it works. There is a "historic" WAR number in the possession of Mike Trout--which is pretty cool, considering the fact that he wasn't an Angel until a month into the season. But that can also be said of all his other numbers. For example, he is the only player to ever have 30 HRs, 40+ SBs, and 125+ runs. He came very close to getting into an exclusive 30 HR / 50 SB club, but everybody in the stadium on the last night knew he was going for it, so an average catcher caught him doing so. Which, by the way, was only the fifth time this year that he was caught stealing.
Who would have thought that Mike Trout would tie Albert Pujols in HRs for the year?
Nobody. Not even I, who believed Pujols was already on the decline.
But Mike Trout hit a HR in the major leagues before Pujols did this year. Yup, beat him by one day, though Pujols had played 27 games by the time he hit his first, while Trout had played in six. In the end, they tied at 30.
Thirty?! Ten years and 240 million dollars for a man who hasn't hit .300 in two years, hit only 30 HRs, had 105 RBIs, OBP of only .343, and a WAR of merely 4.6. He was in 8th for RBI's (a stat that many of the new folks think is meaningless... which I still don't get, because runs are kind of important), 10th in HRs (tied with his rookie teammate who didn't play a whole season), and nowhere near the top ten in WAR.
I'm sorry, I really like Pujols, but his year totally indicates the Angels made a huge mistake. I can (and do) hope that he comes back and wins the Triple Crown next year.
And, speaking of the Triple Crown, ... really? How did Cabrera end up being the one to get this unusual award? Well, for one, by the sad demise of Pujols, who should have earned at least one of those leading categories. Also, by the Yankee skipper removing Granderson from the last game when he was hot on the trail of the HR lead. Also, by the caffeine-free Hamilton bailing out during the last two weeks of the season.
Cabrera had a tremendous year, yes. It is arguable that this isn't his "career year". I congratulate him on winning the Triple Crown, but I wish he hadn't. First, because he plays for Detroit (remember--I'm an Indians fan). Second, because I would prefer having Hamilton or Pujols or Votto pull it off (there are no Indians who would be even remote possibilities--at least not since Manny). Third, because it will probably mean all the stodgy old reporters will vote for him rather than Trout, who clearly deserves the award.
[Sigh]. Whatever.
No, I'm not that big on all the latest metrics. WAR is a nice number, but there are two different versions. There is only one RBI number--and everybody knows how it works. There is a "historic" WAR number in the possession of Mike Trout--which is pretty cool, considering the fact that he wasn't an Angel until a month into the season. But that can also be said of all his other numbers. For example, he is the only player to ever have 30 HRs, 40+ SBs, and 125+ runs. He came very close to getting into an exclusive 30 HR / 50 SB club, but everybody in the stadium on the last night knew he was going for it, so an average catcher caught him doing so. Which, by the way, was only the fifth time this year that he was caught stealing.
Who would have thought that Mike Trout would tie Albert Pujols in HRs for the year?
Nobody. Not even I, who believed Pujols was already on the decline.
But Mike Trout hit a HR in the major leagues before Pujols did this year. Yup, beat him by one day, though Pujols had played 27 games by the time he hit his first, while Trout had played in six. In the end, they tied at 30.
Thirty?! Ten years and 240 million dollars for a man who hasn't hit .300 in two years, hit only 30 HRs, had 105 RBIs, OBP of only .343, and a WAR of merely 4.6. He was in 8th for RBI's (a stat that many of the new folks think is meaningless... which I still don't get, because runs are kind of important), 10th in HRs (tied with his rookie teammate who didn't play a whole season), and nowhere near the top ten in WAR.
I'm sorry, I really like Pujols, but his year totally indicates the Angels made a huge mistake. I can (and do) hope that he comes back and wins the Triple Crown next year.
And, speaking of the Triple Crown, ... really? How did Cabrera end up being the one to get this unusual award? Well, for one, by the sad demise of Pujols, who should have earned at least one of those leading categories. Also, by the Yankee skipper removing Granderson from the last game when he was hot on the trail of the HR lead. Also, by the caffeine-free Hamilton bailing out during the last two weeks of the season.
Cabrera had a tremendous year, yes. It is arguable that this isn't his "career year". I congratulate him on winning the Triple Crown, but I wish he hadn't. First, because he plays for Detroit (remember--I'm an Indians fan). Second, because I would prefer having Hamilton or Pujols or Votto pull it off (there are no Indians who would be even remote possibilities--at least not since Manny). Third, because it will probably mean all the stodgy old reporters will vote for him rather than Trout, who clearly deserves the award.
[Sigh]. Whatever.
Monday, July 2, 2012
Mid-Season Hopeful Projections
It is almost time for the All-Star break, so this morning I was looking around at a few players to see what their current "projections" are for the year. One thing I love about baseball is--the numbers. They intrigue me, fascinate me, get my attention, make me feel giddy and free.
Or something.
So, I'm going to provide somewhat of a "wish list" here, with some of those projections in mind.
World Series
The World Series that I hope for every single year is simply this--Cleveland Indians vs Cincinnati Reds, Indians win in seven.
Yes, I totally realize that this is fantasy. But, heck, this is my baseball blog, right?
I'd even be good with the Indians being down 3-0 after three games--as long as they don't break my heart again like they did in 1997! (Jose Mesa is NOT available now, right?)
World Series II
Okay, since my fantasy World Series is less than likely (Tiger Woods has a better chance of winning another dozen tournaments, in fact), here's what I will hope for this year's World Series:
Texas Rangers vs Whoever, Rangers win it in 5. Or 4. Maybe 6. Just not 7, I don't think those fans deserve that kind of torture again.
And, with the Rangers in mind, let's get on with the projections!
Josh Hamilton
Current Projections: 103 Rs, 178 hits, 30 2B, 2 3B, 51 HR, 148 RBI, 63 BB, 150 SO, .314 Avg, .381 OBP.
I like Josh Hamilton. A lot. I hope that he wins another MVP award this year. In fact, I seriously hope that he out does all of these projections. Let him get 200 hits, bat at least .330, hit at least 50 HRs, maybe top 148 RBIs, walk more, strikeout less. But, the projections are the projections. If he has a couple hot streaks like he had earlier this year, it'd be good. Chances are he'll get out of this slow period for another time or two.
Joey Votto
After my Indians fandom, I am a fan of the Cincinnati Reds. I love how strong Votto has come out of the gate. His current projections are:
104 Rs, 193 Hits, 69 2Bs, 29 HRs, 98 RBIs, 125 BBs, 127 SOs, Avg .350(!!), OBP .471 (Also !!!).
If it weren't for the ridiculous incompetence of Dusty Baker, Votto would have a projection of 150 RBIs by this time. But, no, Baker puts two pathetic OBP folks in front of Votto more often than not. You'd think he was the manager of Ichiro at some point, and believed that hitting 200 singles in a season was as good as having an OBP above .350.
Anyway, Votto needs to pick up the pace just enough to get 200 hits. I read somewhere that there were only two players in history who had 200+ hits and 120+ BBs--Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. Now that is some fascinating company.
Adam Dunn
It was painful to watch his numbers last season, but very few people actually seemed to think he was Dunn (see what I did there?). Thus far, he has proven his fans to be correct. He's batting a pathetic .210, but his OBP of .359 is good enough for 43rd place as of today (and far superior to the "HOF" Ichiro's .297, but not quite as strong as Ichiro's lifetime .367 (which, by the way, is better than the folks Dusty has playing in front of Votto)).
Current projections: 90 Rs, 119 Hits (what?), 21 2Bs, 49 HRs (which would be a career high), 119 RBIs (obviously in a better managed lineup than Votto), 131 BBs (crazy), 258 SOs (probably a record), and then the numbers presented earlier.
Some pretty ugly stuff, but some nice stuff, too. I hope he pulls the average up, the OBP, and keeps on pace with the HRs. That'd be great.
Cliff Lee
Um... projected to win Zero games. Never mind.
Albert
Most folks I hear anticipate that he will beat out the current projections. Most believe he will bat .300+, hit 30+ HRs, and have 100+ RBIs. He's a bit on the hot side right now, but we shall see.
Current projections: 627 ABs, 84 Rs, 170 Hits, 43 2Bs, 25 HRs, 98 RBIs, 57 BBs (if he stays hot, that will change rather dramatically), 78 SOs, currently a .271 avg and 331 obp. Those numbers will change.
Or... maybe they won't. I think he's showing wear. Last year didn't look like Albert, and I didn't think he deserved the #1 pre-season ranking that ESPN analysts gave him. I have no idea how they thought that.
CC Sabathia
Unfortunately, as a former Indians fan who follows this heavyweight, CC is currently on the DL. That'll slow his pace towards another 20 W season. Yes, I know the Keith Laws and such of the universe think that W's are meaningless. I don't. There's more to this game than the numbers--there is the human factor that contributes to such things. I would never have voted for a Cy Young for a 12 game winner (or was it 13?). I don't care how fancy your numbers are--you didn't pull a Steve Carlton and win half your team's games. Lame.
Anyway, CC's current projections are: 222 IP, 60 BBs, 218 K's, 19 W's, 6 L's.
Works for me. Go CC. And, fail Yankees.
Matt Kemp
How do you do projections on a guy when the projections currently suggest he will play only 73 games? Never mind.
Yu Darvish
Certainly an interesting figure. I was hearing folks projecting him as the Cy Young before he threw his first major league pitch. Thus far, he hasn't totally damaged their reputations.
Current projections: 207.2 IP, 18 HRs, 107 BB's, 237 K's, 20 W's, 10 L's.
I'd like to see more consistent dominance, because he's pitching for my hopeful World Series winner.
A few others
There are a few other players who intrigue me--some because of the teams they play for, others because they are novelties, or they are having rather significant years. A few other projections:
Adrian Beltre is having a good year--which he needs to do in order to rightly support my Nolan Ryan team. Projected to hit 36 2Bs, 28 HRs, get 105 RBIs, and is batting .323.
Stephen Strasburg, whose innings limits are talked about constantly, particularly because the Nats are actual contenders this year, is on pace for 19 W's, 6 L's, 196 IP's (which, apparently, he will not reach), 257 K's, 57 BB's, and WHIP of 1.08.
R. A. Dickey, the now famed knuckleballer, is on pace to win 24 (!!), only lose 2 (!!!), 229 IP's, 235 K's, a stifling 0.88 WHIP and .190 opponents batting average.
GO R. A. I am totally not a Mets fan, but this story is too good not to cheer for.
So...
I guess time will tell whose excellence continues, who floats to the top, and whether or not my Cleveland Indians become a dominant force in baseball.
[Sigh]... never mind.
Or something.
So, I'm going to provide somewhat of a "wish list" here, with some of those projections in mind.
World Series
The World Series that I hope for every single year is simply this--Cleveland Indians vs Cincinnati Reds, Indians win in seven.
Yes, I totally realize that this is fantasy. But, heck, this is my baseball blog, right?
I'd even be good with the Indians being down 3-0 after three games--as long as they don't break my heart again like they did in 1997! (Jose Mesa is NOT available now, right?)
World Series II
Okay, since my fantasy World Series is less than likely (Tiger Woods has a better chance of winning another dozen tournaments, in fact), here's what I will hope for this year's World Series:
Texas Rangers vs Whoever, Rangers win it in 5. Or 4. Maybe 6. Just not 7, I don't think those fans deserve that kind of torture again.
And, with the Rangers in mind, let's get on with the projections!
Josh Hamilton
Current Projections: 103 Rs, 178 hits, 30 2B, 2 3B, 51 HR, 148 RBI, 63 BB, 150 SO, .314 Avg, .381 OBP.
I like Josh Hamilton. A lot. I hope that he wins another MVP award this year. In fact, I seriously hope that he out does all of these projections. Let him get 200 hits, bat at least .330, hit at least 50 HRs, maybe top 148 RBIs, walk more, strikeout less. But, the projections are the projections. If he has a couple hot streaks like he had earlier this year, it'd be good. Chances are he'll get out of this slow period for another time or two.
Joey Votto
After my Indians fandom, I am a fan of the Cincinnati Reds. I love how strong Votto has come out of the gate. His current projections are:
104 Rs, 193 Hits, 69 2Bs, 29 HRs, 98 RBIs, 125 BBs, 127 SOs, Avg .350(!!), OBP .471 (Also !!!).
If it weren't for the ridiculous incompetence of Dusty Baker, Votto would have a projection of 150 RBIs by this time. But, no, Baker puts two pathetic OBP folks in front of Votto more often than not. You'd think he was the manager of Ichiro at some point, and believed that hitting 200 singles in a season was as good as having an OBP above .350.
Anyway, Votto needs to pick up the pace just enough to get 200 hits. I read somewhere that there were only two players in history who had 200+ hits and 120+ BBs--Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. Now that is some fascinating company.
Adam Dunn
It was painful to watch his numbers last season, but very few people actually seemed to think he was Dunn (see what I did there?). Thus far, he has proven his fans to be correct. He's batting a pathetic .210, but his OBP of .359 is good enough for 43rd place as of today (and far superior to the "HOF" Ichiro's .297, but not quite as strong as Ichiro's lifetime .367 (which, by the way, is better than the folks Dusty has playing in front of Votto)).
Current projections: 90 Rs, 119 Hits (what?), 21 2Bs, 49 HRs (which would be a career high), 119 RBIs (obviously in a better managed lineup than Votto), 131 BBs (crazy), 258 SOs (probably a record), and then the numbers presented earlier.
Some pretty ugly stuff, but some nice stuff, too. I hope he pulls the average up, the OBP, and keeps on pace with the HRs. That'd be great.
Cliff Lee
Um... projected to win Zero games. Never mind.
Albert
Most folks I hear anticipate that he will beat out the current projections. Most believe he will bat .300+, hit 30+ HRs, and have 100+ RBIs. He's a bit on the hot side right now, but we shall see.
Current projections: 627 ABs, 84 Rs, 170 Hits, 43 2Bs, 25 HRs, 98 RBIs, 57 BBs (if he stays hot, that will change rather dramatically), 78 SOs, currently a .271 avg and 331 obp. Those numbers will change.
Or... maybe they won't. I think he's showing wear. Last year didn't look like Albert, and I didn't think he deserved the #1 pre-season ranking that ESPN analysts gave him. I have no idea how they thought that.
CC Sabathia
Unfortunately, as a former Indians fan who follows this heavyweight, CC is currently on the DL. That'll slow his pace towards another 20 W season. Yes, I know the Keith Laws and such of the universe think that W's are meaningless. I don't. There's more to this game than the numbers--there is the human factor that contributes to such things. I would never have voted for a Cy Young for a 12 game winner (or was it 13?). I don't care how fancy your numbers are--you didn't pull a Steve Carlton and win half your team's games. Lame.
Anyway, CC's current projections are: 222 IP, 60 BBs, 218 K's, 19 W's, 6 L's.
Works for me. Go CC. And, fail Yankees.
Matt Kemp
How do you do projections on a guy when the projections currently suggest he will play only 73 games? Never mind.
Yu Darvish
Certainly an interesting figure. I was hearing folks projecting him as the Cy Young before he threw his first major league pitch. Thus far, he hasn't totally damaged their reputations.
Current projections: 207.2 IP, 18 HRs, 107 BB's, 237 K's, 20 W's, 10 L's.
I'd like to see more consistent dominance, because he's pitching for my hopeful World Series winner.
A few others
There are a few other players who intrigue me--some because of the teams they play for, others because they are novelties, or they are having rather significant years. A few other projections:
Adrian Beltre is having a good year--which he needs to do in order to rightly support my Nolan Ryan team. Projected to hit 36 2Bs, 28 HRs, get 105 RBIs, and is batting .323.
Stephen Strasburg, whose innings limits are talked about constantly, particularly because the Nats are actual contenders this year, is on pace for 19 W's, 6 L's, 196 IP's (which, apparently, he will not reach), 257 K's, 57 BB's, and WHIP of 1.08.
R. A. Dickey, the now famed knuckleballer, is on pace to win 24 (!!), only lose 2 (!!!), 229 IP's, 235 K's, a stifling 0.88 WHIP and .190 opponents batting average.
GO R. A. I am totally not a Mets fan, but this story is too good not to cheer for.
So...
I guess time will tell whose excellence continues, who floats to the top, and whether or not my Cleveland Indians become a dominant force in baseball.
[Sigh]... never mind.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Rangers vs Cardinals, Please!
I have been a Nolan Ryan fan for as long as I can remember baseball. My first set of baseball cards were the Topps cards that showed stats from 1974. I read about this strike out phenomenon and was an immediate fan. Baseball drew me by its numbers, and Ryan had ridiculous numbers. In 1974 he started 41 games, completed 26 of them, pitched 332 innings, struck out 367 (less than he had the previous year), but walked over 200 batters. I suppose that may have been why he only placed third in the Cy Young award. Still, he was ripped off. Catfish Hunter? Whatever. I remember living in Little Rock, Arkansas when he was coming to the end of his incredible and long career. One of my life regrets is NOT heading down the highway to see him pitch in Arlington. Ah, well.
Oh, and I loved it when he did commercials a few years later--about aspirin, if I remember right. He was still blurring the ball past batters. A workhorse unlike anything that is on a mound these days.
In recent years, I've been captivated by the numbers and character of Albert Pujols. Though I'm not a Cardinals fan, I've cheered for them because of him. You may already know that I'm first an Indians fan, then a Reds fan (being an Ohio boy). Well, I spread out to the general Midwest after that (and cheer against the Left and East coast teams..... although I do still cheer for former Indians like Cliff Lee, CC Sabathia, and Victor Martinez).
So... pulling together these two fan-ness's (totally botched that made up word, eh?), I'm hoping to see the Cardinals and the Rangers in the World Series. If they both make it, I don't think I'll care which one wins. If one of them doesn't, but the other does, I'll have a team to cheer for. If neither does... Brewers versus Detroit? Hmm... nah.
Go Nolan, go Josh Hamilton, and go Pujols.
Oh, and I loved it when he did commercials a few years later--about aspirin, if I remember right. He was still blurring the ball past batters. A workhorse unlike anything that is on a mound these days.
In recent years, I've been captivated by the numbers and character of Albert Pujols. Though I'm not a Cardinals fan, I've cheered for them because of him. You may already know that I'm first an Indians fan, then a Reds fan (being an Ohio boy). Well, I spread out to the general Midwest after that (and cheer against the Left and East coast teams..... although I do still cheer for former Indians like Cliff Lee, CC Sabathia, and Victor Martinez).
So... pulling together these two fan-ness's (totally botched that made up word, eh?), I'm hoping to see the Cardinals and the Rangers in the World Series. If they both make it, I don't think I'll care which one wins. If one of them doesn't, but the other does, I'll have a team to cheer for. If neither does... Brewers versus Detroit? Hmm... nah.
Go Nolan, go Josh Hamilton, and go Pujols.
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