A New Motto for the Mets

Excitement update time!!!! WEEEE!!!!

Jose Reyes (2007)
.284/.358/.426
107 OPS+
.288 eqA

Jimmy Rollins (2007)
.295/.344/.531
119 OPS+
.296 eqA

Hanley Ramirez (2007)
.333/.387/.564
148 OPS+
.321 eqA

Still exciting.

Speaking of exciting, you know what Joba Chamberlain's ERA+ is right now?

1141


He is 1,041% better than league average. Only 23 2/3 innings, but still. A 0.750 WHIP. 34 K.

B.A.'s MVP and Cy Young picks

B.A. figured with the season at 150 games, it's a good time to make some picks.

AL MVP
It's ARod, people. It's not even close.

Alex Rodriguez (2007)
.308/.414/.641 (4th in OBA, 1st in SLG, 1st in OPS)
52 HR (1st)
149 runs created (1st)
180 OPS+ (1st)
24/3 SB/CS
.361 eqA (1st)
13.7 WARP3
35 win shares (1st)

As far as the ARod/Yankee haters, don't even try to say Magglio or Vlad. ARod's beating them in all of the major categories. ARod should be bringing home his 4th MVP trophy at the end of this season.

AL Cy Young
Bunch of worthy candidates. Carmona, Sabathia, Lackey, Bedard, Santana, unfortunately Beckett, too. And I think that ugly, alien-faced douchebag will win it, and while it kills me to say that he is a worthy candidate, I don't think he's the most deserving. I really think that Santana and Sabathia deserve it more. Sabathia's got virtually the same ERA+ as Beckett (138 vs. 142). He's got the same WHIP (1.137 vs. 1.129). The only thing Beckett's got on Sabathia is strikeouts. And not even by that much. 8.59 K/9 IP for Beckett and 7.88 K/9 IP for Sabathia. And more importantly, Sabathia's pitched a lot more innings. He's been just as good as Beckett for 45 more innings = more valuable. And Santana, same ERA+ (141), better WHIP (1.057), more K/9 IP (9.47), and 21 more innings pitched. Don't give me "Beckett's leading the league in wins! Santana's 4 wins behind!" The fact that people still think wins tell you who's the best pitcher means that some people need to click mute on the YES Network when Michael Kay starts talking about the paramount importance of the good old "W". Santana can't control how many wins he gets anymore than Beckett can. Santana's more deserving. So if it were up to me, it goes to Johan.

NL MVP
A lot of people say Matt Holliday. He's a great player, and is a worthy candidate, but I really think it's David Wright.

David Wright (2007)
.315/.409/.549
30 HR
126 runs created (1st)
151 OPS+
31/5 SB/CS
.334 eqA
12.2 WARP3
32 win shares (1st)

I find it very hard to not give it to David Wright this year. As far as Holliday goes:

Matt Holliday (2007)
.339/.402/.614
36 HR
116 runs created
151 OPS+
11/4 SB/CS
.318 eqA
11.0 WARP3
26 win shares

And plus, just look at the insane splits he has home/away:

.376/.434/.722 (home)
.303/.370/.497 (away)

He's obviously still a very good hitter even if you take him out of Coors Field, but still, when he's away from Coors Field, he's Jose Guillen (.303/.376/.476 on the road). So yeah, I hope to see David Wright go home with the MVP trophy...just not a World Series ring.

I know people like to look at RBIs as a determining factor, but RBIs are a function of the team more than they are of the hitter. Mike Lowell has more RBIs than Adam Dunn. Julio Lugo has more RBIs than Derek Jeter. RBIs do not reflect how valuable a hitter is. That's why the argument that Morneau driving in 130 runs last year makes him the MVP is so stupid. Jeter created many more runs and played a more difficult defensive position on the field than Morneau. Ugh, still pisses me off that Jeter didn't get it. Such bullshit. Anyway...

NL Cy Young
Jake Peavy everybody. No debate.

Jake Peavy (2007)
174 ERA+ (1st)
1.044 WHIP (1st)
9.98 K/9 IP (1st)
203.0 IP (6th)

He is head and shoulders above anyone else in the NL. Even with that absurd scoreless innings streak, Webb's ERA+ is 155 with a higher WHIP, fewer K/9 IP, etc. Jake Peavy is the 2007 NL Cy Young. It'd be a crime if it goes to anyone else.

Leave Your "Marc" on Baseball History

Vote to BRAND Barry Bonds' 756th home run ball (Option 2) to have Bonds stand forever apart, but to recognize the significance of this era and its place in baseball history to serve as a warning and reminder for future generations. History will be the ultimate judge. While Bonds's home run numbers are certainly not legit, his story will serve as a reminder to those in the future of an era filled with corruption, a warning to avoid the pitfalls he fell into. A branded ball is certainly a great way to say more than all the words here, or anywhere else, could ever say about where the game has been, and where it should be going. History will not be kind to Mr. Bonds, but that doesn't mean that history, good or bad, should be buried. In time, what's in the record book won't even matter. It's all about perception. Babe Ruth's legacy will be hot dogs, the called shot, and home runs. Lou Gehrig's will be run production, the speech, and unfortunately ALS. Jackie Robinson's will be breaking the color barrier and that steal of home. Bob Gibson's will be the brushback / bean ball. Hank Aaron will have those wrists, and his class. Sandy Koufax will always have his curve, and Cal Ripken Jr. will always have the streak. But Barry Bonds will be remembered for steroids and controversy. And that's a mark far more painful and permanent than any asterisk could ever be. And by voting to brand the ball, you ensure that for generations of baseball fans yet to come. Don't let the significance of this moment pass you by. Vote often. -BOMBS

ESPN Sunday Night Baseball! Yankees-Red Sox! WEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!! (Part Deux, Episode 6 overall)

Tonight it's going to be slightly different. I'm going to write the commentary by Jon Miller and Joe Morgan, while I add the commentary (edited for content since this is assuming it would go on TV) of Douggy Bombs (he was talking to me in between fielding grounders, liners, concrete blocks, and tactical nuclear weapons), Jack Bauer, and myself, B.A. Baracus, right below. So enjoy.

In the first inning
Jon Miller: And there's a base hit into left field by Mike Lowell! Here comes Ellsbury! He scores! 1-0 Boston!
Joe Morgan: That's just great hitting right there, Jon. Mike Lowell is such an amazing hitter. The Red Sox should totally re-sign him for a 4 year deal worth $60 million.
Smart Stat Guy in the Back: I can't believe I am saying this, but...please listen to Joe, Epstein, you fucking pretty boy weenie. PLEASE...
Jon Miller: Totally agree, Joe. You'd know better than anyone else considering how deep your relationship with Mike Lowell is.
Smart Stat Guy in the Back: (runs and steals mike) That's what SHE said!
Jon Miller: Get outta here, you!
Smart Stat Guy in the Back: Sorry, it was totally worth it and I couldn't pass it up.
Jon Miller: I'll give you that. Anyway...oh hold on a second...(turns Mike off as he picks up his phone) Hello? Oh great! I'll send someone down for it now. (hangs up) My philly-cheesesteak-bratwurst-oreo-banana split pizza's here! WEEEEE!!!

Douggy Bombs: Mike Lowell can go [bad word] himself, that [bad word]ing piece of overachieving [poop].
B.A. Baracus: Yeah, good play to minimize the damage though.
Douggy Bombs: Thanks, that's not as good as the show I put on in BP. I was launching balls out of Fenway with a telephone pole.
Jack Bauer: Dammit!!! I KNEW someone took one of my condoms!!!
Douggy Bombs: Oh, damn. Sorry dude, I thought it was mine. If you want to use my live rattle snake, go ahead. Just make sure you give that mother[love maker] a good cleaning before you give it back.
Jack Bauer: Thanks, man. Anyway, don't let me hold you up. Get up to bat and kick some ass.
Douggy Bombs: Will do.

In the 5th inning
Jon Miller: And there's a drive to deep left! And......it's tied! Robinson Cano with a drive...over the wall in left. His 18th of the year. And this ballgame is tied.
Joe Morgan: The ball just jumps off his bat, Jon. Cano swings an explosive stick.
Jon Miller: Pfffffff fff fff fff fff!!!!!!
Joe Morgan: What's so funny?
Jon Miller: Well, you know..."explosive stick"?
Joe Morgan: I don't get it.
Smart Stat Guy in the Back: Your broadcasting career in one sentence.

Douggy Bombs: Wow, Robby likes to go oppo on Schilling.
B.A. Baracus: I know, that's the third time he's done that off him this year.
Jack Bauer: I just hope next time Cano lines one off Schilling's fat face next time.
Douggy Bombs: I'm on deck, dude. I'll take care of it.
Jack Bauer: True dat.
B.A. Baracus: Look at these fans. They're [adjective] retards. If you were to put the guys in Red Sox uniforms, I wouldn't be able to distinguish between those stupid [nouns] and like, Eric Hinske. And listen to them. They're chanting "Yankees suck" after Cano [adverb] ties the game with a home run.
Douggy Bombs: I'll take care of this. (to crowd) Hey, douchebags. I stole back the ball from the last out of the '04 World Series, had Shelley Duncan write "Red Sox suck" on it, wiped my ass with it, let my pet rhino drop a [numero dos] on it, then self-hit it into the Atlantic Ocean.
(crowd exits ballpark in a frenzy, storms into Atlantic Ocean, and they all drown)
Douggy Bombs: That good enough for ya, guys?
B.A. Baracus and Jack Bauer: That was awesome.

What happened last night?

I'm not sure, can somebody (namely Red Sox bandwagon dipshits) tell me what happened in the 8th inning last night? I mean, Hiroshima, I mean, Blowkajima, I mean Okajima usually shuts it down as the setup man and Papelbum, I mean Papelboner, I mean Crapelboner, I mean Papsmear, I mean Papelbon usually notches the save. Oh yeah, has Cano's HR landed yet? Last time I checked it was approaching Europe. Somebody please inform me ASAP.

More crap B.A.'d like to comment on

Clutch hitting

Awesome article proving that the idea of clutch hitting is stupid. If there are a few things I hate about old school baseball fans, it's their insistence that the best team is the World Series winner, that a pitcher's record is a good way to evaluate how good he is, that guys like Torii Hunter are amazing outfielders simply because they've made some flashy catches, and that clutch hitting is some sort of ability. No, HITTING is an ability. Clutch hitting is no fucking different than just plain hitting. Here are some guys who were considered to be guys who seemed to have a reputation to "rise to the moment" or a "flair for the dramatic".

Paul O'Neill
.288/.363/.470 career regular season
.284/.363/.465 career postseason (299 AB)

Derek Jeter
.318/.389/.461 career regular season
.314/.384/.479 career postseason (478 AB)

Bernie Williams
.297/.381/.477 career regular season
.275/.371/.480 career postseason (465 AB)

David Ortiz
.287/.381/.556 career regular season
.301/.383/.552 career postseason (143 AB)

And this is just looking at postseason numbers, and "clutch" doesn't appear to limit itself to just the postseason. Runners on, 2 outs and RISP, close and late, etc. But does there appear to be a huge difference between regular season splits and postseason splits over a significant sample size? No, motherfuckers. Now, of course some guys' career postseason numbers are lower or higher than their regular season norms over the course of 350 some at bats (see Tino Martinez), but some of that can be attributed to bad luck, and you can also look at the fact that he had several series in which nobody could get him out (see 1995 ALDS, 1998 WS, entire 2000 postseason). If he had even 100 more AB, the chances are pretty good that he would have reverted to the mean and wound up with splits very similar to his regular season career.

And of course, every player has hits that you remember. Jeter's HR off BK Kim, Bernie's HR off Randy Myers, O'Neill's big hit off Rocker in 1999, etc. They "came through in the clutch" as they say because they're excellent hitters and are going to get big hits in key situations at just about the same rate as they do all the time.

Sorry there's been a lack of humor, but I was up at a quarter of 6 this morning and I'm wiped and humorless. You got a problem with that, 'foo?!

Narrow-mindedness gets annoying

The best team is the team that wins the World Series

I don't know if I can convey the wrongness of this statement, but I will try:

WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG

and

WRONG

2006 St. Louis Cardinals
83-79 (outscored opponents by 19 runs)
Team OPS+: 102 (barely above average)
Team ERA+: 97 (slightly below average)

Essentially an average team.

WRONG

2003 Florida Marlins
91-71 (outscored opponents by 59 runs)
Team OPS+: 107 (somewhat above average)
Team ERA+: 100 (exactly average)

A slightly above average team.

WRONG

2000 New York Yankees
87-74 (outscored opponents by 57 runs)
Team OPS+: 100 (exactly average)
Team ERA+: 107 (somewhat above average)

A slightly above average team.

WRONG

That's just the first 3 teams I thought of. Why don't people understand this? The best teams don't always fucking win. You can say that the team that plays the best in that series just about always wins, and usually that is the best team, but is it necessarily the best team? No, motherfuckers. It is not. WHAT IS SO HARD TO UNDERSTAND ABOUT THIS?! I am not saying that the team that puts up the best numbers should automatically be given the World Series trophy. If you win the games, you get the World Series trophy. But, you don't get the title of best team. If I'm a runner, and I run a 4:45 mile (and I've been running this time for a decade), and I go up against a guy who's been running 4:20 for years, and beat him 4:39 to 4:40, does that make me the best runner? No, because I overachieved and the guy who runs 4:20 could have been sick or it was just one of those days when unluckily he didn't have it. Shit like that happens. It's the same case in baseball. Now, as I've said, usually the best team or team that at least is arguably the best, wins. The 2005 White Sox were below average on offense with their 95 OPS+, but their pitching was unbelievable with a 123 ERA+ (!!!). The Angels had a slightly better run differential, but their ERA+ was 114 and OPS+ was 98. They were basically even on offense and noticeably worse with their pitching. The 2004 Red Sox, though I hate to admit it, those douchebaggian, overly facial haired child molesters were a really good team (111 OPS+ and 116 ERA+). They were better than the Yankees (114 OPS+ and 96 ERA+), and relative to their leagues, just about equal to the Cardinals, but we all know the National League sucks ass.

Now, I could go into even deeper analysis to evaluate these teams, but I lack the time. The point is, the best team or arguably best team does not always win. Anointing the World Series winner the best team is a very narrow-minded way of evaluating the teams.

Some random crap

B.A. got a numba of things on which he would like to comment, foo!

1. Just joined a good Facebook group which is called "Robinson Cano is better than Jose Reyes will ever be."

Some of the comments of the weenie Mets fans who want to defend Reyes are pretty funny. Here are a few:

Reyes has more hits, runs, triples, walks, stolen bases, and a better on base percentage. He's only one point away from tying Cano's average and Reyes is on a better team. Reyes is a better player and will last as long, if not longer, than Cano

-Matt Rudolph on August 10, 2007

Firstly, Reyes is a leadoff hitter, dumbass. Of course he's going to have more hits if their averages are the same. Secondly, I like how he puts a positive spin on how Reyes is just 1 pt from tying Cano's BA by neglecting to make mention of the fact that Reyes was hitting around .320/.400/.450 at the end of June, while Cano was about .260/.300/.390. Thirdly, what the fuck does being on a better team have to do with this discussion? Fourthly, you, presumably, engage in acts of self-gratification to Reyes's speed, something Reyes is heavily reliant on, which does not last forever. In fact, Reyes will probably lose a step within the next few years because explosiveness declines with age. As said on Clarence Bass's (fitness author) website:

Performance in events that require explosive strength seem to be less well maintained.

And explosiveness in the lower body declines much more easily than the upper body. So Reyes is eventually going to lose those explosive first couple steps (and hence, some infield hits) and will get caught stealing more if he continues to just run all the fucking time.

wtf is this bullshit group... all of you yankee fans are jealous or [sic] reyes and cano will never be better than reyes ever ever ever

-Connor Henson on August 26, 2007

This comment made me laugh. The guy sounds like an annoying 12 year old girl (sorry for the redundancy, and they come at all ages, FYI) with his "you're just jealous!" and "he'll never be as good ever ever ever!", arguments analogous to the ones girls would use when defending their fondness for the Backstreet Boys. OK Connor, I don't know why that's your name, since you're a girl, but, you think Reyes is a lot better than Cano?

Connor: Oh my God, Jose Reyes is like...so much better than Robinson Cano, it's like...oh my God. Alright, anyhooooooo...I have to go to the maaaaall and get this purse that I saw in the windowwww. Because, it was hot, like, woah. And, oh my Goooood! I think Todd will be there! He's like...SO CUTE...and his friend Preston. Oh my God...he's gorgeousssss...

Anyway, Connor lacking what comprises a male human being (a penis and the typical way one with a penis acts and talks) aside, Cano will never be better than Reyes? Well, um, he kind of already has been better than Reyes...

Jose Reyes (career)
.287/.332/.428
99 OPS+
.275 eqA
27.6 WARP3

Robinson Cano (career)
.313/.345/.488
119 OPS+
.291 eqA
25.5 WARP3 (and Reyes came up before Cano, he's been worth 3.4 more wins over the same time period)

And don't start screaming about stolen bases, eqA takes those into account. So Connor, as a word of advice, baseball really isn't a girl thing. Watch the View and Oprah Winfrey instead. That'll be much more satisfying for you, I'm sure.

2. Rick Ankiel named as HGH guy...incredibly depressing

So happy for the guy. He was able to overcome the disaster that happened to him back in 2000 when he couldn't keep his pitches in the same zip code and become a power hitting outfielder. Awesome story. And then we find this shit out.

3. Steroids sent to Troy Glaus

Not terribly surprising. Dumbass. If I was as big as Glaus, I would simply keep myself in good shape. Stay light, but explosive. Sledgehammers, medicine balls, etc. Of course steroids will improve performance, but in the long run it hurts because with a guy as big as Glaus, tendons and ligaments can only handle so much. And Glaus has had his fun with injuries.

Overall, just glad that MLB.tv is working on my laptop now, so I can watch Yankees games. Good to see you back at first base, Douggy. I expect you to send some shots into the fountains this weekend.

In the mind of Kenny Williams

B.A. Baracus love his mind-readin' device, foos! I recently used it on Kenny Williams, the awesome GM of the Chicago White Sox.

Man, why isn't this team doing well? I thought getting Darin Erstad would solve all the problems! Alright, it looks like we're going to have to take it up a notch. I'm going to pursue David Eckstein. He's won 2 world series. By himself. He was the best player on each of those teams. You know what? Here's my ideal lineup for next season. I'm going to load this roster with winners:

1B Darin Erstad (age 34)
2B Luis Castillo (age 32)
SS David Eckstein (age 33)
3B Joe Crede (age 30)
LF Scott Podsednik (age 32)
CF Steve Finley (age 42)
RF Jermaine Dye (age 34)
DH Jim Thome (age 38)

Talk about a roster of winners! That's a total of 9 world series rings! We'll get Castillo by trading Paul Konerko. Straight up. I don't know why you'd trade 2 rings for just one ring. For some reason the Mets would rather have 32 year old Paul Konerko than 36 year old Carlos Delgado. So I said, hell yeah! We're getting the better end of the deal! And Steve Finley, well, the Rockies gave him to us for some free Uno's Deep Dish. So, as I said about the Konerko deal, hell yeah! As far as the pitching staff is concerned, why should I do anything differently?! Garland, Buehrle, and Contreras were awesome in 2005! They'll do it again. 2008 White Sox: the 2008 World Series Champions!

The White Sox are absolutely horrible. And they're trying to get horrible-er.

As they are now, here are their team numbers:

.243/.317/.396
86 OPS+
943/453 K/BB ratio
62/33 SB/CS

And the average age on the team is 30. Adding David Eckstein's career 87 OPS+ will be an improvement...only because it's not Juan Uribe's career 78 OPS+. Kenny Williams might be the worst GM ever. The only good hitters in that lineup are Konerko and Thome, but Thome is going to be 38, and he's such an injury risk. Konerko will be 32 next year, and despite the slow start, really picked it up, and has a PrOPS of .917, which isn't too far off from where he's been in his last 3 seasons. Dye overachieved big time last year, came back to earth this year, and is going to drop even further as he turns 34. Although he has gotten a little bit unlucky this year, as he only has a .262 BA/BIP, by far the worst among AL rightfielders, I still wouldn't expect a whole lot out of him in the next few years. In fact, I expect the White Sox to be hilariously bad next year with Ozzie Guillen calling everybody a maricon and cursing 5 times a sentence in his press conferences.