I Love the Cubs, but, Man, They Do Some Dumb Things
Like sign Jim Edmonds. San Diego's desperate for hitting; if they thought he could provide it, they would have kept him. Plus, his play in the outfield has been ... not good. Among those doing a better job in the field is ... Felix Pie, whaddya know! I fear that the Cubs are on their way to screwing up Pie's development as much as they have Matt Murton's (well, not so much development as screwing around with his playing time -- after posting an OPS+ of 104 in 144 games as a 24-year-old, with average fielding, he only received 235 at-bats last year, and just 14 so far this year). Pie currently leads Edmonds in AVG/OBP/SLG, and, lest you think Edmonds playing in Petco had anything to do with it, Pie also leads him in OPS+. Admittedly, Pie's OPS+ stinks, but if you're willing to dismiss Edmond's due to small sample size (and the possibility that an injury was hampering him), shouldn't you be willing to give Pie more of a chance? In his time in the minors last year, he hit .362/.410/.563, so it doesn't seem like he has a lot to work on down there, he just needs to get used to major league pitching. Plus, the Cubs are 25-16, which is the second-best record in the majors behind the Diamondbacks (who are 25-15 heading into their game tonight). It's not like Pie is holding them back. Now, I agree that teams should always be looking for ways to improve, but it's unclear to me that dropping a developing 23-year-old from the roster in favor of a guy who turns 38 next month, whose career is in a downward spiral, and who was already a below-average player last season, is any improvement.
On to other baseball stuff ...
Random fact: in the Cubs' first twelve games, they had four different pitchers record at least one save.
Carlos Delgado's agent is insane. Or possibly in elementary school. And certainly illiterate.
The Reds batted out of order the other day -- and this isn't the first time this has happened to a Dusty Baker team. I'm really amazed that it happens at all in the majors. I mean, Little League, yeah, you expect an occasional screw-up, but the majors? C'mon.
I was surprised to see that Gagne and Isringhausen both pretty much asked to be removed from the closer role. They've both been bad, but when do you see anyone do that? After pitching a poor eighth inning today, Isringhausen's ERA is an even 8. He also has five losses, which leads the majors among relievers (Chad Qualls of the Diamondbacks has four, along with Joe Thatcher of the Padres), and is tied for second overall in the National League (there's one guy who likes Zito's performance). Gagne, on the other hand, turned around a couple days later and asked for the position back. He got it, and it worked out fine for the first game, but I don't see that lasting. I would've loved seeing Riske (pronounced like risky) as the closer, as it strikes me as a great closer name, right up there with Putz. Gagne and Isringhausen are tied for the major-league lead with five blown saves apiece (technically, Isringhausen was credited with a sixth today, but if there's no intent to let you stick around to get credit for a save, you shouldn't get credit for a blown save, either).
I picked up Brian Wilson in most of my fantasy leagues, not because he's the best closer (by any means), but because, given his team's offense, he should get plenty of save opportunities. I've been exaggerating a bit and saying that he'll get fifty saves, but, at the quarter-season mark, he's on pace for 48, so 50 is certainly possible. I have thought, in non-exaggerating terms, that as long as he stays healthy and keeps his position, he'll get 40 saves with a good shot at 45.
Joe Sheehan shares my thoughts on Bonds. Not just that some team should, from a baseball standpoint, sign him, but that he's not the defensive liability he's made out to be, nor the pr problem, nor clubhouse problem, nor whatever. Don't get me wrong, he is a defensive liability, but he wouldn't be the worst left fielder in either league. As for the clubhouse presence, most of the Bonds naysayers just assume that his entourage will come into the clubhouse with him, without noting that the Giants kept out the entourage last season, and any signing team can do the same. All the Bonds coverage irritates me for two reasons: I hate bad analysis with a burning passion; and, Bonds is being made out as the steroids scapegoat -- or if not the, then at least the primary one. Scapegoating is bad.
Jose Lopez has a higher batting average than on-base percentage (.315/.313). Hard to do. Mariano Duncan was able to do it over the Phillies portion of his 1995 season (.286/.285 in 201 PA (no walks, one HBP, one SH, three SF)) before walking five times in just 29 games with the Reds. Still, that's the only entry of 200 or more plate appearances that I know of where the batting average exceeds the on-base percentage. Lopez currently has 180 PA, and I'll be sure to (at least somewhat) keep an eye on this.
My prediction that Ryan Howard would fall short of 200 strikeouts is in desperate need of some DL time for him. Jack Cust doesn't look like he'll play enough to reach 200. Adam Dunn, while struggling at the plate, is striking out surprisingly little (for him), and is on pace for a career low for a full season. Diamondback players are striking out a lot, with Mark Reynolds second in the majors with 55 (striking out at a higher rate (albeit slightly) than Ryan Howard), Chris Young is fourth with 47, and Justin Upton is tied for tenth with 40 (all totals prior to Thursday night's game).
Unlike Ryan Howard, Alex Rodriguez has gone on the DL, which makes my prediction of him missing the ESPN fantasy predicted stats all the more likely. However, he was on pace to miss even before then, and I say that his 162-game pace will still fall short at season's end.
Zambrano and Owings each have one homer so far, on pace for the minimum of four I predicted for each. Both are behind Matt Cain, however, who has two (which is now half his career total). Perhaps Cain is coming into his own as a major league batter (in terms of being a pitcher, at least). He always struck me as a pitcher likely to put up a few homers.
I'm disappointed to see that there's no longer local broadcast coverage of Diamondbacks games. The only broadcast games are the FOX game of the week. Looks like another reason I should get satellite.
On to other baseball stuff ...
Random fact: in the Cubs' first twelve games, they had four different pitchers record at least one save.
Carlos Delgado's agent is insane. Or possibly in elementary school. And certainly illiterate.
The Reds batted out of order the other day -- and this isn't the first time this has happened to a Dusty Baker team. I'm really amazed that it happens at all in the majors. I mean, Little League, yeah, you expect an occasional screw-up, but the majors? C'mon.
I was surprised to see that Gagne and Isringhausen both pretty much asked to be removed from the closer role. They've both been bad, but when do you see anyone do that? After pitching a poor eighth inning today, Isringhausen's ERA is an even 8. He also has five losses, which leads the majors among relievers (Chad Qualls of the Diamondbacks has four, along with Joe Thatcher of the Padres), and is tied for second overall in the National League (there's one guy who likes Zito's performance). Gagne, on the other hand, turned around a couple days later and asked for the position back. He got it, and it worked out fine for the first game, but I don't see that lasting. I would've loved seeing Riske (pronounced like risky) as the closer, as it strikes me as a great closer name, right up there with Putz. Gagne and Isringhausen are tied for the major-league lead with five blown saves apiece (technically, Isringhausen was credited with a sixth today, but if there's no intent to let you stick around to get credit for a save, you shouldn't get credit for a blown save, either).
I picked up Brian Wilson in most of my fantasy leagues, not because he's the best closer (by any means), but because, given his team's offense, he should get plenty of save opportunities. I've been exaggerating a bit and saying that he'll get fifty saves, but, at the quarter-season mark, he's on pace for 48, so 50 is certainly possible. I have thought, in non-exaggerating terms, that as long as he stays healthy and keeps his position, he'll get 40 saves with a good shot at 45.
Joe Sheehan shares my thoughts on Bonds. Not just that some team should, from a baseball standpoint, sign him, but that he's not the defensive liability he's made out to be, nor the pr problem, nor clubhouse problem, nor whatever. Don't get me wrong, he is a defensive liability, but he wouldn't be the worst left fielder in either league. As for the clubhouse presence, most of the Bonds naysayers just assume that his entourage will come into the clubhouse with him, without noting that the Giants kept out the entourage last season, and any signing team can do the same. All the Bonds coverage irritates me for two reasons: I hate bad analysis with a burning passion; and, Bonds is being made out as the steroids scapegoat -- or if not the, then at least the primary one. Scapegoating is bad.
Jose Lopez has a higher batting average than on-base percentage (.315/.313). Hard to do. Mariano Duncan was able to do it over the Phillies portion of his 1995 season (.286/.285 in 201 PA (no walks, one HBP, one SH, three SF)) before walking five times in just 29 games with the Reds. Still, that's the only entry of 200 or more plate appearances that I know of where the batting average exceeds the on-base percentage. Lopez currently has 180 PA, and I'll be sure to (at least somewhat) keep an eye on this.
My prediction that Ryan Howard would fall short of 200 strikeouts is in desperate need of some DL time for him. Jack Cust doesn't look like he'll play enough to reach 200. Adam Dunn, while struggling at the plate, is striking out surprisingly little (for him), and is on pace for a career low for a full season. Diamondback players are striking out a lot, with Mark Reynolds second in the majors with 55 (striking out at a higher rate (albeit slightly) than Ryan Howard), Chris Young is fourth with 47, and Justin Upton is tied for tenth with 40 (all totals prior to Thursday night's game).
Unlike Ryan Howard, Alex Rodriguez has gone on the DL, which makes my prediction of him missing the ESPN fantasy predicted stats all the more likely. However, he was on pace to miss even before then, and I say that his 162-game pace will still fall short at season's end.
Zambrano and Owings each have one homer so far, on pace for the minimum of four I predicted for each. Both are behind Matt Cain, however, who has two (which is now half his career total). Perhaps Cain is coming into his own as a major league batter (in terms of being a pitcher, at least). He always struck me as a pitcher likely to put up a few homers.
I'm disappointed to see that there's no longer local broadcast coverage of Diamondbacks games. The only broadcast games are the FOX game of the week. Looks like another reason I should get satellite.
Labels: baseball
posted by DC | 1:54 PM
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