Yesterday's Most Interesting
So, the Yankees opened up their new ballpark yesterday against the (seemingly) lowly Indians. There was about as much fanfare as you could imagine and, by pretty much all accounts, it went plenty well. Except for the, you know, baseball part. CC pitched fair in his New York City debut, but it wasn't the dominant performance the Yankees shelled out $161 million for. The game was tied in the sixth inning when he was replaced by Edwar Ramirez and Phil Coke. The bullpen fell apart the next inning, though, giving up nine runs to the Indians in the seventh, including a bases loaded walk and a grand slam. The Indians won their third game of the season with a 10-2 rout of the Yankees. At least "old school Yankee" Jorge Posada got the stadium's first home run.
More From Yesterday
The Marlins completed their sweep of the Braves yesterday, with Sanchez beating Kawakami 6-2. When the series began, it was a battle between the two best records in baseball. Today, the Marlins stand alone as the team with the best record in baseball at 8-1, while the Braves are back to 5-4. In Tampa, the Rays lost their first game against the White Sox by a score of 3-2, dropping Tampa to 4-6 and 4th place in the East. Meanwhile, the Blue Jays continued their hot start by thrashing the Twins behind a 7-run seventh. They hold on to first place in their division with a 7-3 record, one of the best in the AL.
The Padres took the rubber match in Citi Field, handing the Mets their first series-loss in the new ballpark. Behind a fair outing by Jake Peavy and a 5-run third inning (powered mostly by basehits), the Pads were able to beat the Mets 6-5. The biggest news in the NL, though, was from Washington, where the Nationals beat Joe Blanton and the rest of the World Champs for their first win of the season. At 1-7, there are no longer any winless teams in baseball. Adam Dunn hit a three-run home run in the first inning to get the Nats started, and they never looked back. Washington fans have to hope that they'll be hearing similar game stories many more times throughout this long season.
Today's Games
The Yankees hope to play a little more respectably in Game 2 of the the new Yankee Stadium era. Joba Chamberlain will take the hill against Cleveland's Anthony Reyes in an attempt to do just that. In other New York news, the Brewers come into town to play the Mets in Citi Field. Ever-consistent Dave Bush will take on the ageless Livan Hernandez in the first game of that series. The Phillies and Padres will feature the best pitching matchup of the night, as Chris Young takes on Cole Hamels. In two starts this season, Young is 2-0 with a sparkling 1.38 ERA. Hamels, on the other hand, is 0-1 with a 17.18 ERA. The Giants will also host a great pitching matchup, as Dan Haren (0-2, but with a 2.08 ERA) takes on the Giants' young Jonathan Sanchez. Playing in AT&T Park, that should be a good game to watch.
In the AL, the Mariners hope to continue their hot start, when they throw Felix Hernandez against the Tigers' Justing Verlander. In Texas, the Rangers will once again try to outslug their opponent. Gil Meche and the Royals will do their best to slow that offense down - if it's even possible.
Today's Most Interesting
The matchup in Washington, between the 8-1 Florida Marlins and the 1-7 Washington Nationals, has to be the most interesting game of the day. It may not be a classic pitcher's duel or anything, but it's always interesting to see two teams in such drastically different positions face off against each other. It's always hard to judge a team's true talent, especially this early in the season. I don't think there are many people who believe the Marlins are as good as their record or that the Nats are as bad as theirs. This weekend's series, then, can go a long way towards either tempering everyone's excitement about the Marlins or enciting everyone's worries about the Nats. It should be fun. That's why tonight's matchup is the most interesting of the day.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Keeping Things Interesting: April 16, 2009
The Orioles and Rangers put on a big show last night, much bigger than I could even have predicted. I pointed out in this post yesterday that, in the five games at The Ballpark, seventy-four runs had been scored. Well, you can add another 25(!) to that, as the Rangers crushed the O's 19-6. Ian Kinsler became the second player to hit for the cycle this week, doing it with 2 doubles and 6 hits. He also drove in four runs and scored five times. Needless to say, the O's pitching staff did not have a good game. The big question, though, how long will this offense keep up in Texas? Ninety-nine runs in 6 games is just insane. That'll have to come back down to earth at some point - right?
In other games, the Tigers put up another solid offensive performance, this time against the White Sox. With the 9-0 victory, Detroit is now 4-1 in Comerica. In Arizona, the Cards also showed a strong offensive game, beating the D-Backs 12-7. The Indians won their second game of the year, beating the Sidney Ponson-Kyle Farnsworth combo the Royals threw at them. Even with the loss, the Royals still find themselves at 5-4.
In New York, Oliver Perez may not have pitched like Sandy Koufax, but he did perform well enough to give the Mets their first win in Citi Field. In six innings, Perez struck out four while only giving up one run and three hits. The Brewers were also able to pull out a win tonight, beating the Reds 9-3, behind a pair of home runs by Mike Cameron. Braden Looper earned his first win as a Brewer. Rich Harden did not fare so well, though. In only three innings of work, Harden walked four and gave up five hits and four runs. He did also manage to strike out 8 Rockies (of his nine outs recorded). That probably explains how he went through 92 pitches in only 3 innings. The Giants scored three runs in the 8th inning last night in Los Angeles to take a 4-2 lead. It wouldn't hold, though, and the Dodgers would win 5-4 on a bases loaded walk in the bottom of the ninth. The Giants are now 0-5 on the road.
Today's schedule begins in Atlanta, as the Braves finish off their series with the Marlins. Florida has taken the first two games, and hope to finish off the sweep behind the arm of Anibal Sanchez. The Braves Kenshin Kawakami will try to put a stop to that. In other games, the Pirates hope to finish off their first home series of the year with a win against the less-than-impressive Astros while the Phillies look to get back on track against the Nationals, behind the young arm of Cole Hamels. The Mariners hope to continue their hot start to the season against the Angels.
In the newly christened Citi Field, the Mets will play the rubber match against the Padres. John Maine takes on Jake Peavy in what should be a pretty good game. In Los Angeles, the Giants will trot out their $126 million man for his second start of the year. He will face the Dodgers' Eric Stults who, contrary to popular opinion, did not star in a popular Quentin Tarantino movie. Meanwhile, the Cubs will host the first game of their heated rivalry with the St Louis Cardinals at Wrigley. Adam Wainwright will take on Sean Marshall to start that series off.
The most interesting game of the day, though, has to be the Cleveland Indians vs. the New York Yankees. I don't know, but you may have read that the Yankees will be opening the new Yankee Stadium today. I guess it's a big deal. CC Sabathia will make his New York City debut in the House that NYC Built, taking on reigning Cy Young Cliff Lee. Hopefully CC will be able to get past the intense emotions and jitters of such a big debut to put on a show for the New York crowd. I'm not sure if the man can, considering his past performance in high-intensity situations, but, if he does, it should be quite the show. As much as I may not want to admit it, this matchup is the most interesting of the day.
In other games, the Tigers put up another solid offensive performance, this time against the White Sox. With the 9-0 victory, Detroit is now 4-1 in Comerica. In Arizona, the Cards also showed a strong offensive game, beating the D-Backs 12-7. The Indians won their second game of the year, beating the Sidney Ponson-Kyle Farnsworth combo the Royals threw at them. Even with the loss, the Royals still find themselves at 5-4.
In New York, Oliver Perez may not have pitched like Sandy Koufax, but he did perform well enough to give the Mets their first win in Citi Field. In six innings, Perez struck out four while only giving up one run and three hits. The Brewers were also able to pull out a win tonight, beating the Reds 9-3, behind a pair of home runs by Mike Cameron. Braden Looper earned his first win as a Brewer. Rich Harden did not fare so well, though. In only three innings of work, Harden walked four and gave up five hits and four runs. He did also manage to strike out 8 Rockies (of his nine outs recorded). That probably explains how he went through 92 pitches in only 3 innings. The Giants scored three runs in the 8th inning last night in Los Angeles to take a 4-2 lead. It wouldn't hold, though, and the Dodgers would win 5-4 on a bases loaded walk in the bottom of the ninth. The Giants are now 0-5 on the road.
Today's schedule begins in Atlanta, as the Braves finish off their series with the Marlins. Florida has taken the first two games, and hope to finish off the sweep behind the arm of Anibal Sanchez. The Braves Kenshin Kawakami will try to put a stop to that. In other games, the Pirates hope to finish off their first home series of the year with a win against the less-than-impressive Astros while the Phillies look to get back on track against the Nationals, behind the young arm of Cole Hamels. The Mariners hope to continue their hot start to the season against the Angels.
In the newly christened Citi Field, the Mets will play the rubber match against the Padres. John Maine takes on Jake Peavy in what should be a pretty good game. In Los Angeles, the Giants will trot out their $126 million man for his second start of the year. He will face the Dodgers' Eric Stults who, contrary to popular opinion, did not star in a popular Quentin Tarantino movie. Meanwhile, the Cubs will host the first game of their heated rivalry with the St Louis Cardinals at Wrigley. Adam Wainwright will take on Sean Marshall to start that series off.
The most interesting game of the day, though, has to be the Cleveland Indians vs. the New York Yankees. I don't know, but you may have read that the Yankees will be opening the new Yankee Stadium today. I guess it's a big deal. CC Sabathia will make his New York City debut in the House that NYC Built, taking on reigning Cy Young Cliff Lee. Hopefully CC will be able to get past the intense emotions and jitters of such a big debut to put on a show for the New York crowd. I'm not sure if the man can, considering his past performance in high-intensity situations, but, if he does, it should be quite the show. As much as I may not want to admit it, this matchup is the most interesting of the day.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Stranding the Bases Loaded
I was watching the Brewers do their best to lose to the Reds last night. In the third inning, Prince Fielder came up to bat with two outs and the bases loaded and promptly flew out to shallow left to end the inning. As it happened, I thought to myself "Oh man! Not again!" I didn't know the numbers at the time, but it certainly *seemed* like the Brewers had ended way too many innings in this short season with the bases loaded (it didn't help that I was under the impression that that was the second inning of the day that it had happened - I was wrong, but still). I decided to look into it and see just how many times a year a team lets this happen.
I played around with the data in the Retrosheet database for a little bit and found a few interesting things. First things first, the teams that stranded the bases loaded the most (and least) number of times last year.
2008 Teams that Stranded the Bases Loaded the Most
New York Mets...........72 innings
Philadelphia Phillies...69
Florida Marlins.........69
Atlanta Braves..........67
Boston Red Sox..........64
2008 Teams that Stranded the Bases Loaded the Least
Kansas City Royals......33 innings
Minnesota Twins.........36
Seattle Mariners........38
Houston Astros..........42
San Francisco Giants....45
It's nice to see teams like the Royals and Giants at the bottom of the list - though I'm afraid that they're probably on the bottom of the list only because they just don't load the bases that often. I might have to check on that.
As deflating as leaving the bases loaded can be, it can get worse: when you leave the bases loaded more than once in a game. It turns out, though, that it isn't all that uncommon of an occurrence. In the 2008 season alone, there were 230 games where one team stranded the bases loaded more than once. The leaders in that regard are:
2008 Teams that Stranded the Bases Loaded More Than Once in a Single Game
Philadelphia Phillies...13 games
Atlanta Braves..........12
Oakland A's.............11
New York Mets...........11
Cincinnati Reds.........11
Which, of course, led me to wonder what team stranded the bases loaded the most in a single game. In the 2008 season, it was the Phillies on June 15, 2008, at Busch Stadium. In a ten inning game, the Phillies left the bases loaded in four different innings: the 2nd, 5th, 8th, and 9th. At least they were able to score 5 runs in those innings.
It turns out that what the Phillies did that June 15 is actually pretty rare. In the entire Retrosheet era, there have been only 42 games total where a single team stranded the bases loaded 4 different times. That's less than once a year. In fact, the 5 runs scored by the Phils in those innings makes them one of the more successful of these teams. Some teams actually were unable to score any runs in their 4 bases-loaded innings.
As rare as this is, though, there have actually been two games in which runners were stranded with the bases loaded in more than four innings.
Team Stranding the Bases Loaded in the Most Innings In a Single Game
Los Angeles Dodgers on July 27, 1990..........6 innings*
Boston Red Sox on May 2, 1971 (Game 2)........5 innings
(42 separate games)...........................4 innings
* game went into extra innings
It's hard to claim these two games as the outright record-holders, though. The Dodgers game took 12 innings to play and they stranded the bases loaded in the 10th and 11th. They were able to win the game in the 12th with a bases loaded single. Technically, they "stranded" the bases loaded in that 12th inning, but it's hard to lump that together with the other innings. The Red Sox game was a standard 9-inning game but, again, the Sox won it in the 9th with a walk-off single, technically stranding the bases loaded. Still, can you imagine going to a game and watching your favorite team leave the bases loaded inning-after-inning. In that Red Sox game, for example, they left the bases loaded every other inning. As a fan, that would be incredibly frustrating. At least in that example they were able to pull it out at the end of the game.
I understand that this may not be the most exciting piece of information, but I do think it is something worth knowing. Stranding the bases loaded is obviously something that every team does, but I think it's pretty clear that some teams tend to do it more often. All you can hope for is that your team makes the most of the situations it has and scores some runs before the innings end.
I played around with the data in the Retrosheet database for a little bit and found a few interesting things. First things first, the teams that stranded the bases loaded the most (and least) number of times last year.
2008 Teams that Stranded the Bases Loaded the Most
New York Mets...........72 innings
Philadelphia Phillies...69
Florida Marlins.........69
Atlanta Braves..........67
Boston Red Sox..........64
2008 Teams that Stranded the Bases Loaded the Least
Kansas City Royals......33 innings
Minnesota Twins.........36
Seattle Mariners........38
Houston Astros..........42
San Francisco Giants....45
It's nice to see teams like the Royals and Giants at the bottom of the list - though I'm afraid that they're probably on the bottom of the list only because they just don't load the bases that often. I might have to check on that.
As deflating as leaving the bases loaded can be, it can get worse: when you leave the bases loaded more than once in a game. It turns out, though, that it isn't all that uncommon of an occurrence. In the 2008 season alone, there were 230 games where one team stranded the bases loaded more than once. The leaders in that regard are:
2008 Teams that Stranded the Bases Loaded More Than Once in a Single Game
Philadelphia Phillies...13 games
Atlanta Braves..........12
Oakland A's.............11
New York Mets...........11
Cincinnati Reds.........11
Which, of course, led me to wonder what team stranded the bases loaded the most in a single game. In the 2008 season, it was the Phillies on June 15, 2008, at Busch Stadium. In a ten inning game, the Phillies left the bases loaded in four different innings: the 2nd, 5th, 8th, and 9th. At least they were able to score 5 runs in those innings.
It turns out that what the Phillies did that June 15 is actually pretty rare. In the entire Retrosheet era, there have been only 42 games total where a single team stranded the bases loaded 4 different times. That's less than once a year. In fact, the 5 runs scored by the Phils in those innings makes them one of the more successful of these teams. Some teams actually were unable to score any runs in their 4 bases-loaded innings.
As rare as this is, though, there have actually been two games in which runners were stranded with the bases loaded in more than four innings.
Team Stranding the Bases Loaded in the Most Innings In a Single Game
Los Angeles Dodgers on July 27, 1990..........6 innings*
Boston Red Sox on May 2, 1971 (Game 2)........5 innings
(42 separate games)...........................4 innings
* game went into extra innings
It's hard to claim these two games as the outright record-holders, though. The Dodgers game took 12 innings to play and they stranded the bases loaded in the 10th and 11th. They were able to win the game in the 12th with a bases loaded single. Technically, they "stranded" the bases loaded in that 12th inning, but it's hard to lump that together with the other innings. The Red Sox game was a standard 9-inning game but, again, the Sox won it in the 9th with a walk-off single, technically stranding the bases loaded. Still, can you imagine going to a game and watching your favorite team leave the bases loaded inning-after-inning. In that Red Sox game, for example, they left the bases loaded every other inning. As a fan, that would be incredibly frustrating. At least in that example they were able to pull it out at the end of the game.
I understand that this may not be the most exciting piece of information, but I do think it is something worth knowing. Stranding the bases loaded is obviously something that every team does, but I think it's pretty clear that some teams tend to do it more often. All you can hope for is that your team makes the most of the situations it has and scores some runs before the innings end.
Keeping Things Interesting: April 15, 2009
Yesterday I said that the most interesting game of the day was the NL East battle in Atlanta between the Braves and Marlins. The two teams were tied atop the division with the best record in baseball at the beginning of the day. Something would have to give, and it did. The Marlins, behind Chris Volstad, held the Braves to four hits and one run as the Marlins went on take the 5-1 victory. They now own the best record in the majors all by themselves.
Plenty of other games proved to be quite interesting, though. The Mariners won their home opener in extra innings, as the returning Ken Griffey Jr. went 1-for-3 with a walk. The Ballpark in Arlington was host to yet another crazy game (YACG?). The O's and Rangers went into the 10th inning tied at 3, but the Orioles came through with 4 runs in the top half. The Rangers did their best to beat that in the bottom of the 10th, but were only able to get across two runs. The O's win the game, 7-5. In Tampa, AJ Burnett made his second impressive start for the Yankees, carrying a no-hitter into the seventh inning. The Rays managed to get to him before the game ended, but the bullpen tandem of JP Howell and Dan Wheeler were not able to hold things down. The Yankees won, 7-2. The Indians managed to lose another game, as the Royals beat them 9-3 after scoring 5 in the 8th. Cleveland has now started the season 1-7 while the Royals are 5-3. The Red Sox's Dice-K and the Cards' Chris Carpenter both left their games early amid some injury concern. Hopefully, for them and their fans, the concerns will prove to be unfounded.
In today's action, the Cubs face the Rockies for the second game of their series. Rich Harden, quite possibly the best pitcher in the majors who can't prove it because he's always too injured, will take on the Rockies' Jason Marquis. The Braves and Marlins continue their battle for the NL East crown today. Derek Lowe will be pitching in his third game of the year and will try to show the same magic he showed in Philly on Opening Night. The Marlins will throw Andrew Miller in return.
In New York, the Mets look for their first win at Citi Field as Oliver Perez faces Kevin Correia. The Mets are certainly hoping that Perez will show something better than what was on display last week. The Rays and Yanks will play the rubber match of their series, as the Rays try to get an early season lead in the AL East intra-division schedule before the Yanks head back to New York to open the new Yankee Stadium. In Washington, the Nationals are still looking for the first win. They hope Shairon Martis will be able to beat Joe Blanton to get it.
The most interesting game of the day, though, is the game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Texas Rangers. In the five games played in Arlington so far this year, the final scores have been: 9-1, 8-5, 12-8, 10-9, and 7-5. Seventy-four runs in five games - that's some serious offense. Today's matchup will be between Mark Hendrickson, the 34-year-old who gave up only 1 run to the Rays in his last start, and Kris Benson, who gave up a couple of home runs (including a grand slam) and 7 earned runs to the Tigers in his only start so far this year. With the way the O's have been hitting the ball, this game could get out of hand pretty quickly. But, as we've seen already, the Rangers have no problem scoring runs themselves. Pitching duels are always exciting, but sometimes you just need some good old fashioned offense. And that's why this is the most interesting game of the day.
Plenty of other games proved to be quite interesting, though. The Mariners won their home opener in extra innings, as the returning Ken Griffey Jr. went 1-for-3 with a walk. The Ballpark in Arlington was host to yet another crazy game (YACG?). The O's and Rangers went into the 10th inning tied at 3, but the Orioles came through with 4 runs in the top half. The Rangers did their best to beat that in the bottom of the 10th, but were only able to get across two runs. The O's win the game, 7-5. In Tampa, AJ Burnett made his second impressive start for the Yankees, carrying a no-hitter into the seventh inning. The Rays managed to get to him before the game ended, but the bullpen tandem of JP Howell and Dan Wheeler were not able to hold things down. The Yankees won, 7-2. The Indians managed to lose another game, as the Royals beat them 9-3 after scoring 5 in the 8th. Cleveland has now started the season 1-7 while the Royals are 5-3. The Red Sox's Dice-K and the Cards' Chris Carpenter both left their games early amid some injury concern. Hopefully, for them and their fans, the concerns will prove to be unfounded.
In today's action, the Cubs face the Rockies for the second game of their series. Rich Harden, quite possibly the best pitcher in the majors who can't prove it because he's always too injured, will take on the Rockies' Jason Marquis. The Braves and Marlins continue their battle for the NL East crown today. Derek Lowe will be pitching in his third game of the year and will try to show the same magic he showed in Philly on Opening Night. The Marlins will throw Andrew Miller in return.
In New York, the Mets look for their first win at Citi Field as Oliver Perez faces Kevin Correia. The Mets are certainly hoping that Perez will show something better than what was on display last week. The Rays and Yanks will play the rubber match of their series, as the Rays try to get an early season lead in the AL East intra-division schedule before the Yanks head back to New York to open the new Yankee Stadium. In Washington, the Nationals are still looking for the first win. They hope Shairon Martis will be able to beat Joe Blanton to get it.
The most interesting game of the day, though, is the game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Texas Rangers. In the five games played in Arlington so far this year, the final scores have been: 9-1, 8-5, 12-8, 10-9, and 7-5. Seventy-four runs in five games - that's some serious offense. Today's matchup will be between Mark Hendrickson, the 34-year-old who gave up only 1 run to the Rays in his last start, and Kris Benson, who gave up a couple of home runs (including a grand slam) and 7 earned runs to the Tigers in his only start so far this year. With the way the O's have been hitting the ball, this game could get out of hand pretty quickly. But, as we've seen already, the Rangers have no problem scoring runs themselves. Pitching duels are always exciting, but sometimes you just need some good old fashioned offense. And that's why this is the most interesting game of the day.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Keeping Things Interesting: April 14, 2009
Yesterday was another sad day for Major League Baseball, as two well-loved characters passed on. In Massachusetts, the AL Rookie of the Year from 1976, Mark Fidrych, was killed in an accident at home. By the time I was born in 1980, the Bird's career was pretty much over. But I have long read the stories of the Bird and his fantastic rookie season. It was one for the ages. He'll be missed.
In Washington, Philadelphia's long-time play-by-play announcer Harry Kalas passed away while preparing for the game. He had been the voice of the Phillies since 1971, and was well known to many outside Philadelphia with his work for NFL Films. As plenty others have said, at least he passed doing the thing that he loved. I never had much to connect me to the Philly sports scene, so I don't know much about Harry. But I do know that if I heard that Vin Scully had passed away in the Dodger Stadium booth or if longtime Lakers' broadcaster Chick Hearn had died only hours before a game or if something happened to Bob Uecker while preparing for a Brewers game, I'd at least feel happy that it was in a place that he loved. I imagine many in Philadelphia are feeling the same.
As for the action on the field, it was another big day in baseball. Of the six teams hosting their home openers today, four were able to secure the victory. The Pirates and Cubs both shut out their home opener opponents while the Dodgers and Rays both put down a thumping. The Nats, on the other hand, opened the home part of their schedule with their 7th straight loss to start the season while the Mets opened up the Citi Field era with a loss to the Padres.
In other games, the Rangers were able to find their offense again back at home, but it wasn't enough, as they lost to the O's 10-9. In Kansas City, the Royals were able to ride their young stars - Grienke and Soria - to another win, this time over the Indians. The Brewers and Reds, however, were unable to do the same. Cincinnati's Edinson Volquez gave up 6 runs in 5 innings while Milwaukee's Yovani Gallardo gave up 7 in 5. Hitting batters with the bases loaded and serving up grand slams will do that to you. The Reds were able to keep the lead, and ended up beating the Brewers 7-6. The most interesting feat of the day, though, happened in Detroit. Facing the White Sox in the second inning, the Tigers' Zach Miner served up back-to-back home runs to Jermaine Dye and Paul Konerko. What made these two home runs so special, though, is that they were both the 300th home run of the player's career. Needless to say, this was the first time that two players reached a home run milestone in consecutive at-bats. The White Sox ended up winning the game, 10-6.
The schedule today is a little lighter than normal, as only 10 games are scheduled. The Mariners will host their home opener at Safeco Field this afternoon, as they take on the Anaheim Angels. It'll be the first time Ken Griffey Jr. has played in front of the Seattle fans in a Mariners uniform since 1999. I'm sure everyone up there is plenty excited. Carlos Silva will take on Shane Loux in the game. The Indians will try to win only their second game of the year in Kansas City, but they'll need a good performance from Carl Pavano to make that happen. The game in Arlington, between the Rangers and Orioles, promises to be another slugfest while the A's and Red Sox each hope to move a little closer to .500 when they face each other in Oakland.
The most interesting game of the day, though, has to be the matchup between the Florida Marlins andAtlanta Braves. The teams sit (surprisingly) tied atop the NL East (and Major League) standings with matching 5-1 records. It's also the only game of the day between two above-.500 teams. The Marlins will put youngster Chris Volstad on the mound against Atlanta's Javier Vazquez. Volstad is 1-0 after his 5 inning, 1-run performance last week, while Vazquez is 0-0 after a 3-run, 6 inning performance. The crowd at Turner Field should be in for a good game.
In Washington, Philadelphia's long-time play-by-play announcer Harry Kalas passed away while preparing for the game. He had been the voice of the Phillies since 1971, and was well known to many outside Philadelphia with his work for NFL Films. As plenty others have said, at least he passed doing the thing that he loved. I never had much to connect me to the Philly sports scene, so I don't know much about Harry. But I do know that if I heard that Vin Scully had passed away in the Dodger Stadium booth or if longtime Lakers' broadcaster Chick Hearn had died only hours before a game or if something happened to Bob Uecker while preparing for a Brewers game, I'd at least feel happy that it was in a place that he loved. I imagine many in Philadelphia are feeling the same.
As for the action on the field, it was another big day in baseball. Of the six teams hosting their home openers today, four were able to secure the victory. The Pirates and Cubs both shut out their home opener opponents while the Dodgers and Rays both put down a thumping. The Nats, on the other hand, opened the home part of their schedule with their 7th straight loss to start the season while the Mets opened up the Citi Field era with a loss to the Padres.
In other games, the Rangers were able to find their offense again back at home, but it wasn't enough, as they lost to the O's 10-9. In Kansas City, the Royals were able to ride their young stars - Grienke and Soria - to another win, this time over the Indians. The Brewers and Reds, however, were unable to do the same. Cincinnati's Edinson Volquez gave up 6 runs in 5 innings while Milwaukee's Yovani Gallardo gave up 7 in 5. Hitting batters with the bases loaded and serving up grand slams will do that to you. The Reds were able to keep the lead, and ended up beating the Brewers 7-6. The most interesting feat of the day, though, happened in Detroit. Facing the White Sox in the second inning, the Tigers' Zach Miner served up back-to-back home runs to Jermaine Dye and Paul Konerko. What made these two home runs so special, though, is that they were both the 300th home run of the player's career. Needless to say, this was the first time that two players reached a home run milestone in consecutive at-bats. The White Sox ended up winning the game, 10-6.
The schedule today is a little lighter than normal, as only 10 games are scheduled. The Mariners will host their home opener at Safeco Field this afternoon, as they take on the Anaheim Angels. It'll be the first time Ken Griffey Jr. has played in front of the Seattle fans in a Mariners uniform since 1999. I'm sure everyone up there is plenty excited. Carlos Silva will take on Shane Loux in the game. The Indians will try to win only their second game of the year in Kansas City, but they'll need a good performance from Carl Pavano to make that happen. The game in Arlington, between the Rangers and Orioles, promises to be another slugfest while the A's and Red Sox each hope to move a little closer to .500 when they face each other in Oakland.
The most interesting game of the day, though, has to be the matchup between the Florida Marlins andAtlanta Braves. The teams sit (surprisingly) tied atop the NL East (and Major League) standings with matching 5-1 records. It's also the only game of the day between two above-.500 teams. The Marlins will put youngster Chris Volstad on the mound against Atlanta's Javier Vazquez. Volstad is 1-0 after his 5 inning, 1-run performance last week, while Vazquez is 0-0 after a 3-run, 6 inning performance. The crowd at Turner Field should be in for a good game.
Monday, April 13, 2009
The Best "One Time Only" Performances
Playing around on (the newly - and wonderfully - re-designed) Baseball-Reference yesterday, I stumbled into their "Frivolities" section. It's the section that they market as the "fun stuff" part of the site, and which contains such interesting tools as the Oracle of Baseball ("find a chain of teammates between any two players in MLB history"), the English-Spanish/Spanish-English baseball dictionary, the list of non-pitchers who have pitched, or the list of players listed in the Mitchell Report, to name a few. The tool that I found myself playing with yesterday, though, was the "Cups of Coffee" list - the players who played in only one major league game.
It's an interesting list and one that makes you think. When you look through the 976 batters and 517 pitchers named on the list (with some obvious overlap), it's hard not to see a Moonlight Graham in each of them. For those on the list who are now out of baseball completely, what have they been up to? Were they satisfied with the little taste that they got, or was it a disappointment that they didn't get more? And the ones who are still playing, what drives them? How often do they think of that brief moment they had in the sun? There's a story behind each name, and you can't help but wonder about the details.
But I'm not here to give mini-biographies on 1,000+ players. That's a job for some hard-working, dedicated SABR group. Instead, I thought I'd highlight a few of the more impressive single-game players. After all, there have to be one or two players who performed head and shoulders above the rest in their only shot at glory.
Currently, the best performance of a recent player with only one major league game to their credit belongs to Lou Marson, a catcher for the Phillies and 4th round draft pick from 2004. He made his major league debut last September 28 against the Nationals and batted 2 for 4 with a home run and 2 runs and 2 RBIs. But, at 22 years old, there's still a lot of time for the promising catching prospect to get many more at-bats in his career.
After Marson, the best performance of those players with only one major league game to their credit was by John Paciorek on September 29, 1963. It was the final game of the season, and Paciorek finally got into the Houston Colt .45s lineup. He proceeded to go 3-for-3 with 2 walks, 4 runs, and 3 RBIs. That's an OBP and AVG of 1.000 in 5 plate appearances. It's a fantastic performance, and one that just begs for more to come. I won't go into more details about the game, though, since the folks at Dugout Central did a fine job of detailing his career just last summer. It seems that he was derailed by a back injury in the offseason, though, and he was never able to get it all back together.
Behind Paciorek, you have to go back to 1935 to find the next best performance. On September 29, 1935, Pittsburgh's Aubrey Epps started at catcher. In his four at-bat, he got three hits, including a triple, while scoring one run and driving in three. There seem to be fewer details (in my admittedly cursorary searching, at least) available about Epps' career than the other guys at the top of the list, so I can't say what happened next. But a single-game career with a triple and a slugging percentage of 1.250 is certainly one to be proud of.
On the pitching side, the list is a little shallower. Currently, the best performance of a pitcher with only one major league game to their credit belongs to Chris Saenz. In 2004, he was called up in April to make an emergency start in place of Chris Capuano. He faced the Cardinals on April 24, and pitched very well. In six innings, he struck out seven batters while walking three and giving up only 2 hits (singles to Ray Lankford and Albert Pujols) to earn the win. He gave up no runs, and even got out of a bases loaded jam in the first by getting Edgar Renteria to fly out. Saenz is the only pitcher since 1899 to pitch more than 5 innings and give up zero runs in his only major league appearance. According to his BR Bullpen page, Saenz suffered a major arm injury later that year and had to undergo Tommy John surgery that September. He has since been bouncing around the minors and independent leagues, and hasn't had too much success.
To find the next best performance, you have to go back to 1945 and Bert Shepard. Shepard pitched in relief for the Washington Senators against the Boston Red Sox on August 4. For 5 1/3 innings, he held the Sox to three hits, one walk, and one run in a game the Sens lost 15-4. Shepard is much more interesting than this cup of coffee, though. As a fighter pilot in World War II, he was shot down and captured by the Germans. As a result of the crash, he had to have his right leg amputated. He learned to pitch with a prosthetic leg, and did so on that August day versus the Red Sox. The rest of his career was as a player/coach in the minor leagues. He also spent some time on the National Amps baseball team of former servicemen with amputations secondary to war injuries, and he won the National Amputee golf championship in 1968 and 1971. Shepard died last summer at the age of 87.
In 1909, Ray Brown pitched a complete game for the Chicago Cubs over the Philadelphia Phillies. In the game, he struck out two while giving up two earned runs on five hits and four walks. He even drove in a run himself in the 6-3 Cubs victory. As with Aubrey Epps above, there doesn't seem to be a lot of information available about Ray Brown. But that one complete game victory is one that I'm sure he held onto. Brown died in 1955.
There are a lot more people on that list of Cup of Coffees and, like I said, I have no doubt that there are many, many more stories to be told. In fact, if someone hasn't already made it their mission to study this group of people, I certainly think they should. As far as baseball players go, this group has to have some of the most interesting stories around. I can't claim to know those stories myself, but that's the beauty of statistics: we can still find many stories to tell just from the numbers. These few just happen to be some of the more interesting stories the numbers could tell me. There are plenty more out there, I'm sure.
It's an interesting list and one that makes you think. When you look through the 976 batters and 517 pitchers named on the list (with some obvious overlap), it's hard not to see a Moonlight Graham in each of them. For those on the list who are now out of baseball completely, what have they been up to? Were they satisfied with the little taste that they got, or was it a disappointment that they didn't get more? And the ones who are still playing, what drives them? How often do they think of that brief moment they had in the sun? There's a story behind each name, and you can't help but wonder about the details.
But I'm not here to give mini-biographies on 1,000+ players. That's a job for some hard-working, dedicated SABR group. Instead, I thought I'd highlight a few of the more impressive single-game players. After all, there have to be one or two players who performed head and shoulders above the rest in their only shot at glory.
Currently, the best performance of a recent player with only one major league game to their credit belongs to Lou Marson, a catcher for the Phillies and 4th round draft pick from 2004. He made his major league debut last September 28 against the Nationals and batted 2 for 4 with a home run and 2 runs and 2 RBIs. But, at 22 years old, there's still a lot of time for the promising catching prospect to get many more at-bats in his career.
After Marson, the best performance of those players with only one major league game to their credit was by John Paciorek on September 29, 1963. It was the final game of the season, and Paciorek finally got into the Houston Colt .45s lineup. He proceeded to go 3-for-3 with 2 walks, 4 runs, and 3 RBIs. That's an OBP and AVG of 1.000 in 5 plate appearances. It's a fantastic performance, and one that just begs for more to come. I won't go into more details about the game, though, since the folks at Dugout Central did a fine job of detailing his career just last summer. It seems that he was derailed by a back injury in the offseason, though, and he was never able to get it all back together.
Behind Paciorek, you have to go back to 1935 to find the next best performance. On September 29, 1935, Pittsburgh's Aubrey Epps started at catcher. In his four at-bat, he got three hits, including a triple, while scoring one run and driving in three. There seem to be fewer details (in my admittedly cursorary searching, at least) available about Epps' career than the other guys at the top of the list, so I can't say what happened next. But a single-game career with a triple and a slugging percentage of 1.250 is certainly one to be proud of.
On the pitching side, the list is a little shallower. Currently, the best performance of a pitcher with only one major league game to their credit belongs to Chris Saenz. In 2004, he was called up in April to make an emergency start in place of Chris Capuano. He faced the Cardinals on April 24, and pitched very well. In six innings, he struck out seven batters while walking three and giving up only 2 hits (singles to Ray Lankford and Albert Pujols) to earn the win. He gave up no runs, and even got out of a bases loaded jam in the first by getting Edgar Renteria to fly out. Saenz is the only pitcher since 1899 to pitch more than 5 innings and give up zero runs in his only major league appearance. According to his BR Bullpen page, Saenz suffered a major arm injury later that year and had to undergo Tommy John surgery that September. He has since been bouncing around the minors and independent leagues, and hasn't had too much success.
To find the next best performance, you have to go back to 1945 and Bert Shepard. Shepard pitched in relief for the Washington Senators against the Boston Red Sox on August 4. For 5 1/3 innings, he held the Sox to three hits, one walk, and one run in a game the Sens lost 15-4. Shepard is much more interesting than this cup of coffee, though. As a fighter pilot in World War II, he was shot down and captured by the Germans. As a result of the crash, he had to have his right leg amputated. He learned to pitch with a prosthetic leg, and did so on that August day versus the Red Sox. The rest of his career was as a player/coach in the minor leagues. He also spent some time on the National Amps baseball team of former servicemen with amputations secondary to war injuries, and he won the National Amputee golf championship in 1968 and 1971. Shepard died last summer at the age of 87.
In 1909, Ray Brown pitched a complete game for the Chicago Cubs over the Philadelphia Phillies. In the game, he struck out two while giving up two earned runs on five hits and four walks. He even drove in a run himself in the 6-3 Cubs victory. As with Aubrey Epps above, there doesn't seem to be a lot of information available about Ray Brown. But that one complete game victory is one that I'm sure he held onto. Brown died in 1955.
There are a lot more people on that list of Cup of Coffees and, like I said, I have no doubt that there are many, many more stories to be told. In fact, if someone hasn't already made it their mission to study this group of people, I certainly think they should. As far as baseball players go, this group has to have some of the most interesting stories around. I can't claim to know those stories myself, but that's the beauty of statistics: we can still find many stories to tell just from the numbers. These few just happen to be some of the more interesting stories the numbers could tell me. There are plenty more out there, I'm sure.
Keeping Things Interesting: April 13, 2009
The first full week of the season is in the books, with every team now having played either six or seven games. There are no undefeated teams left in the league, but there is still one winless team: the Washington Nationals, who have now been swept by the Marlins and the Braves, making each of them look good in the standings. The leaderboard looks rather interesting, with Adam Lind leading the majors with 12 RBIs and Evan Longoria tied with Alfonso Soriano for the ML lead with 4 home runs (the series in Milwaukee was very good to Soriano). On the pitching side of the leaderboard, Jake Peavy sits atop the majors with 18 strikeouts in his two starts, while Felix Hernandez leads the AL with 14. At least that side of the board seems to make sense.
The story of yesterday's games seems to be about weird things happening to ace pitchers. In San Diego, the Giants' Tim Lincecum had his second rough outing of the year, giving up 4 runs and 10 hits in 5 1/3 innings. In Florida, Johan Santana pitched a gem, striking out 13 in 7 innings, and giving up no earned runs. However, he did give up two unearned runs and his teammates only managed one run in the ninth, saddling Santana with the loss. Last year, Santana was frustrated by a sorry bullpen blowing his great starts. Today, at least, he didn't even get that option. In Arizona, Dan Haren faced down the Dodgers' Randy Wolf. Haren pitched well, giving up two runs in 6 innings, but it wasn't enough, as the D-backs only managed three hits and one run in the 3-1 loss. Finally, Josh Beckett took the hill in Anaheim for the Red Sox, but could not earn the win, giving up 4 runs in 6 innings pitched. The Angels' Dustin Moseley didn't pitch too fantastic for them, giving up two home runs, but it was enough to get the win for the Angels.
Looking ahead to the games today, there seems to be a few intriguing matchups and even a few home openers still to play. The Mets officially open Citi Field against the Padres tonight. It's exciting, I suppose, but no more so than when the Nats opened up Nationals Park last year or when the Cards opened up Busch Stadium a few years back. I don't know if it deserves the type of press it'll be getting this week (two games on ESPN this week?!). Other home openers today include the Phillies at Nationals, Rockies at Cubs, Astros at Pirates, and Yankees at Rays.
In Milwaukee, the battle of young and future aces should be a sight to see, as Edinson Volquez takes on Yovani Gallardo. Volquez had a rough first start against the Mets, while Gallardo shined against the Giants, including hitting a three-run home run that proved to be the winning runs. Kansas City will also host a good battle between a couple of young guns, as Zach Grienke of the Royals faces Fausto Carmona of the Indians. Grienke's first game was a gem, striking out seven batters in six innings with only three hits and no runs. He'll try to do the same for his hometown crowd as he hopes to give the Royals' fans something to root for all season.
However, the most interesting game of the day today has to be San Francisco Giants at the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers will not only be hosting their home opener, but they'll be doing it against their biggest rival. It may be hard for some non-West Coasters to believe, but the Dodgers-Giants rivalry is just as big and intense as the Red Sox-Yankees or Cubs-Cardinals, with a history going all the way back to the New York Giants-Brooklyn Dodgers days. In a world these days where "rivalries" (like Red Sox-Rays) are hyped up at the drop of a dime and where true rivalries (like the Cubs-Cardinals) are way too overhyped, the Giants-Dodgers rivalry stands out as underrated and maybe even forgotten. This is the third time in five years, and second consecutive year, that the Dodgers have opened up Dodger Stadium against the Giants, with the Dodgers winning both Openers.
Randy Johnson will take the hill for the visiting Giants, looking for career win number 296, while the Dodgers will throw their young ace, Chad Billingsley, who pitched only "well enough" in his first start of the year. It should be a loud and exciting game this afternoon in Los Angeles and is, by far, the most interesting game of the day.
The story of yesterday's games seems to be about weird things happening to ace pitchers. In San Diego, the Giants' Tim Lincecum had his second rough outing of the year, giving up 4 runs and 10 hits in 5 1/3 innings. In Florida, Johan Santana pitched a gem, striking out 13 in 7 innings, and giving up no earned runs. However, he did give up two unearned runs and his teammates only managed one run in the ninth, saddling Santana with the loss. Last year, Santana was frustrated by a sorry bullpen blowing his great starts. Today, at least, he didn't even get that option. In Arizona, Dan Haren faced down the Dodgers' Randy Wolf. Haren pitched well, giving up two runs in 6 innings, but it wasn't enough, as the D-backs only managed three hits and one run in the 3-1 loss. Finally, Josh Beckett took the hill in Anaheim for the Red Sox, but could not earn the win, giving up 4 runs in 6 innings pitched. The Angels' Dustin Moseley didn't pitch too fantastic for them, giving up two home runs, but it was enough to get the win for the Angels.
Looking ahead to the games today, there seems to be a few intriguing matchups and even a few home openers still to play. The Mets officially open Citi Field against the Padres tonight. It's exciting, I suppose, but no more so than when the Nats opened up Nationals Park last year or when the Cards opened up Busch Stadium a few years back. I don't know if it deserves the type of press it'll be getting this week (two games on ESPN this week?!). Other home openers today include the Phillies at Nationals, Rockies at Cubs, Astros at Pirates, and Yankees at Rays.
In Milwaukee, the battle of young and future aces should be a sight to see, as Edinson Volquez takes on Yovani Gallardo. Volquez had a rough first start against the Mets, while Gallardo shined against the Giants, including hitting a three-run home run that proved to be the winning runs. Kansas City will also host a good battle between a couple of young guns, as Zach Grienke of the Royals faces Fausto Carmona of the Indians. Grienke's first game was a gem, striking out seven batters in six innings with only three hits and no runs. He'll try to do the same for his hometown crowd as he hopes to give the Royals' fans something to root for all season.
However, the most interesting game of the day today has to be San Francisco Giants at the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers will not only be hosting their home opener, but they'll be doing it against their biggest rival. It may be hard for some non-West Coasters to believe, but the Dodgers-Giants rivalry is just as big and intense as the Red Sox-Yankees or Cubs-Cardinals, with a history going all the way back to the New York Giants-Brooklyn Dodgers days. In a world these days where "rivalries" (like Red Sox-Rays) are hyped up at the drop of a dime and where true rivalries (like the Cubs-Cardinals) are way too overhyped, the Giants-Dodgers rivalry stands out as underrated and maybe even forgotten. This is the third time in five years, and second consecutive year, that the Dodgers have opened up Dodger Stadium against the Giants, with the Dodgers winning both Openers.
Randy Johnson will take the hill for the visiting Giants, looking for career win number 296, while the Dodgers will throw their young ace, Chad Billingsley, who pitched only "well enough" in his first start of the year. It should be a loud and exciting game this afternoon in Los Angeles and is, by far, the most interesting game of the day.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Keeping Things Interesting: April 10, 2009
Yesterday was a sad day for Major League Baseball. The news of Nick Adenhart's sudden death was a shock to everyone, and serves as a good reminder to recognize the important people in your own life as often as possible. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends.
The games were played, though (outside of Anaheim, of course). In Baltimore, AJ Burnett helped the Yankees right their ship somewhat, striking out Adam Jones in the second for the first strikeout of the year by a Yankee starter. Jones and Markakis, who I highlighted yesterday, were finally held powerless, as the two of them combined to go 0-for-7 with one walk. The O's are still feeling pretty good about the pair, though. In Cincinnati, the Reds woke up enough to pound the Mets for eight runs, giving them their first win of the season and avoiding the sweep. The Dodgers lost to the Padres 4-3 after giving up three runs in the 8th, splitting the four game set. In Boston, the Rays were able to get to Dice-K early and held on for the 4-3 victory, taking 2 out of 3.
Eight teams host their home opener today. The Tigers kick off the action at 1pm Eastern, hosting the undefeated Rangers in Comerica. Tigers fans hope that the move out of Arlington will cool the Rangers bats some, after they swept the Indians by the combined score of 29-14. The Indians go back to Cleveland to host the 3-1 Blue Jays and try to get their first win of the season. The Braves and Royals return to their respective homes to try to improve on what ended up being a couple of strong first serieses, despite their bullpen woes.
In Florida, the Marlins take on the Mets and try to remain unbeaten, while the Mets try to stay above .500. The Reds, meanwhile, take on the Pirates, who managed to eke out a series split in St. Louis. The defending champions Philadelphia Phillies leave home for the first time and travel to Colorado, whose bats hope to continue to stay hot after a big opening series in Arizona.
Personally, the game that I care most about tomorrow is the Brewers home opener versus the Cubs, and that's not only because I have tickets to the game. The Crew did not play well in San Francisco, surrendering 19 runs in their three games there. That kind of thing just won't do if Milwaukee expects to compete for the division crown again. Free-agent acquisition Braden Looper will face down Rich Harden in an attempt to get the Brewers on the right track. Miller Park will definitely be rocking with excitement.
The most interesting game of the day, though, has to be the matchup between the Boston Red Sox and the Los Angeles Angels. In the wake of the terrible news yesterday, the Angels-A's tilt was postponed, and rightfully so. However, the season, like life, must go on and the Angels will have to deal with the Red Sox out of the gate. Anaheim will trot out Jered Weaver to face knuckleballer Tim Wakefield. There's no doubt that this will be a subdued and solemn game, but you can bet that both teams will take it plenty seriously. The game may have taken on a different air, but it is still the most interesting game of the day.
The games were played, though (outside of Anaheim, of course). In Baltimore, AJ Burnett helped the Yankees right their ship somewhat, striking out Adam Jones in the second for the first strikeout of the year by a Yankee starter. Jones and Markakis, who I highlighted yesterday, were finally held powerless, as the two of them combined to go 0-for-7 with one walk. The O's are still feeling pretty good about the pair, though. In Cincinnati, the Reds woke up enough to pound the Mets for eight runs, giving them their first win of the season and avoiding the sweep. The Dodgers lost to the Padres 4-3 after giving up three runs in the 8th, splitting the four game set. In Boston, the Rays were able to get to Dice-K early and held on for the 4-3 victory, taking 2 out of 3.
Eight teams host their home opener today. The Tigers kick off the action at 1pm Eastern, hosting the undefeated Rangers in Comerica. Tigers fans hope that the move out of Arlington will cool the Rangers bats some, after they swept the Indians by the combined score of 29-14. The Indians go back to Cleveland to host the 3-1 Blue Jays and try to get their first win of the season. The Braves and Royals return to their respective homes to try to improve on what ended up being a couple of strong first serieses, despite their bullpen woes.
In Florida, the Marlins take on the Mets and try to remain unbeaten, while the Mets try to stay above .500. The Reds, meanwhile, take on the Pirates, who managed to eke out a series split in St. Louis. The defending champions Philadelphia Phillies leave home for the first time and travel to Colorado, whose bats hope to continue to stay hot after a big opening series in Arizona.
Personally, the game that I care most about tomorrow is the Brewers home opener versus the Cubs, and that's not only because I have tickets to the game. The Crew did not play well in San Francisco, surrendering 19 runs in their three games there. That kind of thing just won't do if Milwaukee expects to compete for the division crown again. Free-agent acquisition Braden Looper will face down Rich Harden in an attempt to get the Brewers on the right track. Miller Park will definitely be rocking with excitement.
The most interesting game of the day, though, has to be the matchup between the Boston Red Sox and the Los Angeles Angels. In the wake of the terrible news yesterday, the Angels-A's tilt was postponed, and rightfully so. However, the season, like life, must go on and the Angels will have to deal with the Red Sox out of the gate. Anaheim will trot out Jered Weaver to face knuckleballer Tim Wakefield. There's no doubt that this will be a subdued and solemn game, but you can bet that both teams will take it plenty seriously. The game may have taken on a different air, but it is still the most interesting game of the day.
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