With a .730 OPS, Rangers’ rookie second baseman Rougned
Odor (pronounced: Roog-ned. No kidding.) is the greatest “Rougned” in baseball history. He’s also the greatest
“odor” since Willie Stargell brought air fresheners into the Pirates clubhouse
in 1979.
Blue Jays slugger Edwin Encarnacion not only tied the record for homers in May with 16, he also did a little Joe DiMaggio imitation, fanning just 14 times. David Lough
laid down a similar stat line, except the first number represents hits. (Kidding: Lough doesn’t hit that well.)
Twins’ Phil Hughes has blossomed since leaving the
Bronx. He pitched six starts without a walk before offering a pair against the
Yankees in a June 1 win. That pumped his record to 6-1, 3.12 with 56 K/8 BB.
And now he’s even got a win in the Bronx under his belt.
“Unwritten rules apply to the other team.” –Eric
Karros, in an exalted Zen state.
For the third time in his career, Adam Wainwright leads the league in wins, and that doesn’t even include his 20-win season. Pitcher wins don’t mean much, but they don’t mean nothing. In his case, a lifetime 107-60 record reflects the fact that he’s an effective workhorse, with a lifetime 3.07 ERA. The only thing keeping him from a Hall path is a late start to his career and TJ surgery that robbed him of 2011 and limited his effectiveness in 2012.
Still in the “pitcher wins don’t mean nothing” meme, Toronto’s Mark Buerhle
leads the AL with a 10-1 record, notching his 14th straight 10+ win
season. All but once he won at least 12. Soft-tossing Buerhle is also vying for
his 14th straight 200+ inning season. At his current rate – which is
unsustainable, particularly because he’s allowed just two home runs despite
just five whiffs per game – he’ll finish 27-3, 2.33 in 220 innings and all of
129 strikeouts. I’d like to see it.
On the other hand, Jeff Samardzija leads the Majors with a 1.68 ERA for the Cubs, but it took him 11 starts to get his first win. Just putting pitcher wins in perspective.
Charlie Blackmon update: Still hitting .313 with some power, but it’s a mirage at this point. It’s Colorado-fueled (OPS 500 points lower on the road) and mostly the legacy of a .374/.418/.616 April. Blackmon looks like a big lefty who can hit for decent average and occasional pop, and play anywhere in the outfield. And he rocks a sharp beard.
June 22 is Coco Crisp Garden Gnome day at the O.Co Coliseum. Tickets are plentiful. (C'mon, have you seen that sewer of a stadium?)
Showing posts with label Charlie Blackmon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Charlie Blackmon. Show all posts
03 June 2014
14 April 2014
A Quick Scamper Around the Basepaths
Here is a one-question IQ test.
Which is better:
1. Running out a ground ball and getting thrown out at first.
2. Getting thrown out at first while diving into the bag thereby tearing a ligament in your thumb and missing six-to-eight weeks.
Sorry Mr. Hamilton: you failed the test. You'll have to return to the disabled list.
------------------------------------------------------
When Paul Goldschmidt took Tim Lincecum yard in a weekend affair, it shocked absolutely no one. The Diamondback slugger has stepped to the plate 24 times against The Freak. He has 13 hits. Seven of them have left the ballpark.
Tim? Does the term "intentional walk" mean anything to you?
------------------------------------------------------
Charlie Blackmon update: When last we visited with the Rockies' lefty-hitting centerfielder, he was crushing the ball. He's cooled way off -- to .488/.500/.707, with just two whiffs in 44 visits to the plate.
He does lead the majors in triples. With one.
------------------------------------------------------
For last Monday's home tilt against the Angels, the then 3-3 Astros, coming off a spanking of the same Anaheim squad the previous day, drew a zero rating on television. According to Neilson, not a soul in the Houston metro area watched a Monday afternoon game featuring, if not anyone of interest on the home side, Mike Trout, Albert Pujols, Josh Hamilton and CJ Wilson.
That zero is 17,936 less than the number of people who witnessed it live.
It's actually the second zero rating for the American League's worst team. They pulled a zilch in a late September contest against Cleveland last season. But at least that one followed 14 straight losses and had to compete head-on with a Texans game.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Here's some good Astro news: Hurler Scott Feldman has allowed a run on seven hits -- in three starts. That 0.44 ERA looks really shiny . . . until you discover that he's walked eight fanned seven and hit five batters in 21 innings.
Feldman's ERA (0.44) is among the league's best. His strikeout rate (3.0/game) close to the worst. If one of them doesn't change soon, the other will.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
In 46 plate appearances so far, Phillies second-sacker Chase Utley has gotten aboard safely 26 times and pounded nine extra base hits. That's positively Bondsian . . . except Barry was seven years older and did it over a whole season.
Which is better:
1. Running out a ground ball and getting thrown out at first.
2. Getting thrown out at first while diving into the bag thereby tearing a ligament in your thumb and missing six-to-eight weeks.
Sorry Mr. Hamilton: you failed the test. You'll have to return to the disabled list.
------------------------------------------------------
When Paul Goldschmidt took Tim Lincecum yard in a weekend affair, it shocked absolutely no one. The Diamondback slugger has stepped to the plate 24 times against The Freak. He has 13 hits. Seven of them have left the ballpark.
Tim? Does the term "intentional walk" mean anything to you?
------------------------------------------------------
Charlie Blackmon update: When last we visited with the Rockies' lefty-hitting centerfielder, he was crushing the ball. He's cooled way off -- to .488/.500/.707, with just two whiffs in 44 visits to the plate.
He does lead the majors in triples. With one.
------------------------------------------------------
For last Monday's home tilt against the Angels, the then 3-3 Astros, coming off a spanking of the same Anaheim squad the previous day, drew a zero rating on television. According to Neilson, not a soul in the Houston metro area watched a Monday afternoon game featuring, if not anyone of interest on the home side, Mike Trout, Albert Pujols, Josh Hamilton and CJ Wilson.
That zero is 17,936 less than the number of people who witnessed it live.
It's actually the second zero rating for the American League's worst team. They pulled a zilch in a late September contest against Cleveland last season. But at least that one followed 14 straight losses and had to compete head-on with a Texans game.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Here's some good Astro news: Hurler Scott Feldman has allowed a run on seven hits -- in three starts. That 0.44 ERA looks really shiny . . . until you discover that he's walked eight fanned seven and hit five batters in 21 innings.
Feldman's ERA (0.44) is among the league's best. His strikeout rate (3.0/game) close to the worst. If one of them doesn't change soon, the other will.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
In 46 plate appearances so far, Phillies second-sacker Chase Utley has gotten aboard safely 26 times and pounded nine extra base hits. That's positively Bondsian . . . except Barry was seven years older and did it over a whole season.
06 April 2014
Stuff You Notice When Baseball's Back
For Pete's Sake
In 448 plate appearances for St. Louis last season, Pete Kozma slammed a solitary home run.
During the off-season, the Cardinals signed Jhonny Peralta to replace Kozma at short with a four-year, $55.5 million contract.
It took Peralta eight plate appearances to match Kozma's home run total. Eight plate appearances later, he'd doubled that total.
Do the Cardinals even know how to do anything wrong?
You're On the Mark, Teixeira
Mark Teixeira is off to a fast start this year. The Yankee first baseman reached the disabled list in just four games with a strained hamstring. Last year he needed 15 games for the hamstring to keep him off the field. That's $45 million right there, Brian Cashman.
Charlie Blackmon Update
The baseball world breathlessly awaits updates on slugging sensation Charlie Blackmon. The Rockies outfielder followed his six-for-six game with a three-for-four performance. Slacker! They were all singles, dropping his slugging percentage 23 points.
Blackmon now paces the NL with a .600 batting average and a .619 OBP. That's half a million dollars right there, Brian Cashman.
#Karma
Ryan Braun has one hit and one walk in 17 plate appearances. According to this report by Richard Justice, a lingering thumb injury is holding him back. Or is that just his conscience?
In 448 plate appearances for St. Louis last season, Pete Kozma slammed a solitary home run.
During the off-season, the Cardinals signed Jhonny Peralta to replace Kozma at short with a four-year, $55.5 million contract.
It took Peralta eight plate appearances to match Kozma's home run total. Eight plate appearances later, he'd doubled that total.
Do the Cardinals even know how to do anything wrong?
You're On the Mark, Teixeira
Mark Teixeira is off to a fast start this year. The Yankee first baseman reached the disabled list in just four games with a strained hamstring. Last year he needed 15 games for the hamstring to keep him off the field. That's $45 million right there, Brian Cashman.
Charlie Blackmon Update
The baseball world breathlessly awaits updates on slugging sensation Charlie Blackmon. The Rockies outfielder followed his six-for-six game with a three-for-four performance. Slacker! They were all singles, dropping his slugging percentage 23 points.
Blackmon now paces the NL with a .600 batting average and a .619 OBP. That's half a million dollars right there, Brian Cashman.
#Karma
Ryan Braun has one hit and one walk in 17 plate appearances. According to this report by Richard Justice, a lingering thumb injury is holding him back. Or is that just his conscience?
05 April 2014
Opening Week Nibblings
It's been a Lake Wobegon kind of first week of the season: everything's been above-average.
Take Cliff Lee's opening day start for the Phillies. He faced the minimum 27 batters. That got him through just five innings, during which he got shelled for 11 hits, a walk, and eight runs, while recording just one strikeout. And "earned" the win in a 14-10 scrum.
Two days later, Matt Garza, now representing the good people of Milwaukee, who gave admitted cheater, self-righteous liar and cynical media-manipulator Ryan Braun an ovation, also faced the minimum 27 batters. It got him through eight solid frames against the Braves, during which he limited them to a run on two hits, a walk and seven strikeouts. He took the loss in a 1-0 game.
Hyun-jin Ryu got the loss that he earned in the Dodger home opener when the Giants lit him up for three walks, eight hits and eight runs in two frames. The four relievers who followed -- Jose Dominguez, Brandon League, Chris Withrow and Jamey Wright -- shut out and no-hit the Giants, surrendering just one walk and fanning 10.
And then there was Mark Buehrle, late of the Toronto Blue Jays. His masterful first start against Tampa Bay came within an out of a complete game four-hit shutout. What was remarkable was the Buehrle struck out 11 Rays -- only the second time he's reached double-digits in his outstanding 15-year career. Even more amazing in a game where three-quarters of all strikeouts require a swing and a miss, Buehrle earned eight of his "K"s looking.
----------------------------------------------------
A gentleman named Charlie Blackmon has apparently accumulated nearly 500 plate appearances with Colorado over the past three years. Who knew? He even hit .309 in spot duty last season. In the Rockies' fourth game this spring, Blackmon torched Diamondback pitchers for three doubles, a home run and two singles in six trips, a 1.000/1.000/2.000 slash line.
Suppose that was the lefty centerfielder's first game (it wasn't). How many games could he go with a mediocre performance, like a single in four plate appearances, before his batting average dropped below .300? The answer is, it would take 21 more games to fall to .300. He would drop below that mark in his 23rd game. Until then, Blackmon leads the NL in slugging percentage at .963 -- after five tilts.
------------------------------------------------------
You may have noticed that the Houston Triple-As claimed victory in the first two games of the season against the New York Hall of Famers. You might have wondered: what are the odds of that?
Let's do a little supposing and then a little (but not too much) math. Suppose the Astros are a 100-loss team and the Yankees are a 90-win team. Reasonable assumptions, right? And let's suppose that playing in Minute Maid* confers upon the home team a five percent advantage and upon the visitors an equal penalty. What's the likelihood that a .383 squad whips up on a .556 opponent twice in a row?
* Could you find a more pansy name for a ballpark than that? They should have stuck with Enron.
In that scenario, assuming they are what the projections say they are, Houston has a 43% of winning each game. But the odds that they take both is just 18.6%, or less than one-in-five. The Yanks had only a 32% chance -- about one in three -- of sweeping the first two contests. Game three went to New York, so Houston won the series two games to one. The chances of that were roughly one in three. Which is why it wasn't front-page news.
------------------------------------------------------
You want shocking? How about this: Craig Kimbrel is toying with batters again. He's faced nine of them and whiffed six. The league is batting zero against him, with a zero OBP and a zero slugging average. There was that sharply hit infield grounder though.
Take Cliff Lee's opening day start for the Phillies. He faced the minimum 27 batters. That got him through just five innings, during which he got shelled for 11 hits, a walk, and eight runs, while recording just one strikeout. And "earned" the win in a 14-10 scrum.
Two days later, Matt Garza, now representing the good people of Milwaukee, who gave admitted cheater, self-righteous liar and cynical media-manipulator Ryan Braun an ovation, also faced the minimum 27 batters. It got him through eight solid frames against the Braves, during which he limited them to a run on two hits, a walk and seven strikeouts. He took the loss in a 1-0 game.
Hyun-jin Ryu got the loss that he earned in the Dodger home opener when the Giants lit him up for three walks, eight hits and eight runs in two frames. The four relievers who followed -- Jose Dominguez, Brandon League, Chris Withrow and Jamey Wright -- shut out and no-hit the Giants, surrendering just one walk and fanning 10.
And then there was Mark Buehrle, late of the Toronto Blue Jays. His masterful first start against Tampa Bay came within an out of a complete game four-hit shutout. What was remarkable was the Buehrle struck out 11 Rays -- only the second time he's reached double-digits in his outstanding 15-year career. Even more amazing in a game where three-quarters of all strikeouts require a swing and a miss, Buehrle earned eight of his "K"s looking.
----------------------------------------------------
A gentleman named Charlie Blackmon has apparently accumulated nearly 500 plate appearances with Colorado over the past three years. Who knew? He even hit .309 in spot duty last season. In the Rockies' fourth game this spring, Blackmon torched Diamondback pitchers for three doubles, a home run and two singles in six trips, a 1.000/1.000/2.000 slash line.
Suppose that was the lefty centerfielder's first game (it wasn't). How many games could he go with a mediocre performance, like a single in four plate appearances, before his batting average dropped below .300? The answer is, it would take 21 more games to fall to .300. He would drop below that mark in his 23rd game. Until then, Blackmon leads the NL in slugging percentage at .963 -- after five tilts.
------------------------------------------------------
You may have noticed that the Houston Triple-As claimed victory in the first two games of the season against the New York Hall of Famers. You might have wondered: what are the odds of that?
Let's do a little supposing and then a little (but not too much) math. Suppose the Astros are a 100-loss team and the Yankees are a 90-win team. Reasonable assumptions, right? And let's suppose that playing in Minute Maid* confers upon the home team a five percent advantage and upon the visitors an equal penalty. What's the likelihood that a .383 squad whips up on a .556 opponent twice in a row?
* Could you find a more pansy name for a ballpark than that? They should have stuck with Enron.
In that scenario, assuming they are what the projections say they are, Houston has a 43% of winning each game. But the odds that they take both is just 18.6%, or less than one-in-five. The Yanks had only a 32% chance -- about one in three -- of sweeping the first two contests. Game three went to New York, so Houston won the series two games to one. The chances of that were roughly one in three. Which is why it wasn't front-page news.
------------------------------------------------------
You want shocking? How about this: Craig Kimbrel is toying with batters again. He's faced nine of them and whiffed six. The league is batting zero against him, with a zero OBP and a zero slugging average. There was that sharply hit infield grounder though.
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