Some more of B.A.’s thoughts
1. Mike Lowell probably hits the cheapest home runs of anybody that hits them with some regularity. His average home run travels a whopping distance of 364 feet. And of his 11 HR, only 4 of them would have been home runs in every/almost every MLB park. He also has no opposite field pop, as he has hit just 2 HR to right field in his entire career. Fuck him.
2. Robinson Cano at the plate has been bad, but his luck’s been worse. Going on batted ball data, he should be hitting .283/.322/.393. Certainly not good by Cano’s track record, but it’s certainly an easier line to salvage than .227/.270/.325! Overall he’s looking better at the plate, as he’s trying to cut down on his swing. Seeing him drive the ball a little bit more this week is a promising sign. He’s going to get hot, soon. And who knows, with his bad luck so far, maybe he’s due for a stretch in which every clunker and weak grounder avoids leather.
3. Interesting article on Phil Hughes, which is exactly what I’d said about him last month. Throwing his changeup and slider more often will make him a more effective pitcher, especially the slider since that’s more likely to be a plus-pitch for him as of now. Also, his change in mechanics is another issue. In 2006, he threw harder than he has the past 2 years. In the minors he was said to be a 91-95 mph guy who can touch 96, with late life on it. Now, he’s 88-92 occasionally touching 93.
And oh yeah, one more thing:
38 year old, Mr. "he's really washed up this time, you heard it here (Bill Simmons after every blown save of his the last 5 years"
35.1 IP, 17 H, 3 BB, 40 K, 0 blown saves, 0.76 ERA, 0.566 WHIP
27 year old, The McCarvian God among Men with Jesus powers
33.1 IP, 25 H, 5 BB, 43 K, 4 blown saves, 2.16 ERA, 0.900 WHIP
Pappy's awesome!!!
Monday, June 23, 2008
B.A. thinking away
No Chien-Ming Wang until September. This sucks.
Oh well, even if the Yankees don’t make the playoffs, this isn’t the end of the world. In a way, it could be good. The Yankees of course wanted to go somewhere this year, and they still very well can, but more importantly the Yankees want to get the young rotation’s feet wet.
Unfortunately, Horne is not MLB-ready yet, as Cashman would like them to spend a little bit more time down in AAA. Dan Giese will be the temporary fill-in for Wang. He's not bad. Throws 3 pitches, 87 mph fastballs and 76 mph curveballs and sliders. Also, he doesn’t walk people. If the Yankees can get 6 IP, 3-4 ER starts out of him for each start he fills in, that’s perfectly acceptable. His first outing was awesome, but we can’t expect that kind of command to last. Hopefully they’ll just use him to fill in for a few starts, as Kennedy makes his way back soon. If Kennedy continues to be ineffective (which I can’t believe he will, he’s better than he’s pitched), then I’d love to see Horne come up and make a few starts.
Alan Horne (minor leagues, currently 24)
2006 (A+)
123 IP
122 K
61 BB
4.83 ERA (but 3.91 FIP, so it looks as though he caught a few rough breaks)
2007 (AA)
153.1 IP
165 K
57 BB
3.11 ERA (3.23 FIP, more indicative of how he pitched)
2008 (AAA)
24.1 IP
22 K
10 BB
3.70 ERA
If Kennedy is ineffective filling in for Wang, then send Kennedy back down and try Horne. In that time, Horne can probably get 3 more starts, which would be great because Cashman wants Horne to get more work in before being brought up.
One thing that would be interesting to see is what the Yankees rotation will look like next year and in 2010. There are numerous combinations. The fates of Mike Mussina and Andy Pettitte are unknown for next year. Do the Yankees resign one or both? Does Pettitte retire? These are important questions because Horne and McCutchen are both almost ready. Kennedy and Hughes will be healthy again, and likely better. Joba will be a full-fledged starter. Chien-Ming Wang’s still in the front of the rotation. And if Rasner continues his recent ways he makes a strong case for himself. That’s 7 starters without counting Pettitte and Mussina. It’s too early right now to speculate, but the decisions regarding Pettitte and Mussina are going to be key decisions in terms of the direction in which the franchise will go. I bet one of them comes back, and then you might be able to use Horne/Kennedy and/or McCutchen in a trade for possibly Bedard. Seattle’s awful, and they might want to get rid of his contract. I bet a trade of Kennedy/Horne, McCutchen, and Tabata could be enough for Seattle to send Bedard to the Bronx. If things play out with Wang, Pettitte/Mussina, Hughes, and Chamberlain, with Rasner as a backup/longman, the Yankees won’t need another 2 young starters with potential, whereas they could use a proven lefty like Bedard. They also don’t need the talented but moody, to say the least, Tabata. Besides, the Yankees have Austin Jackson and Brett Gardner coming up soon, so Tabata’s expendable. Imagine a rotation like this: Wang, Bedard, Pettitte/Mussina, Hughes, Chamberlain with Kennedy/Horne and Rasner as possible fill-ins should anything go wrong.
Bullpen-wise, I can’t wait to see David Robertson come up. He’s NASTY.
David Robertson (minor leagues, currently 23)
2007 (A)
47 IP
67 K
15 BB
0.77 ERA
(A+)
33.1 IP
37 K
15 BB
1.08 ERA
(AA)
4 IP
9 K
2 BB
2.25 ERA
2008 (AA)
18.2 IP
26 K
6 BB
0.96 ERA
(AAA)
29.2 IP
43 K
16 BB
1.82 ERA
He has a little bit of a control problem. But between AA last year and then AA this year, he brought his walks down. With a little more time in AAA he’ll bring his walks down again. But damn, 132.2 IP in the minors and 182 K. And 0 HR allowed. That’s domination. I want to see this guy up, soon. He can improve the bullpen and give them a rest later on in the year. Next year, he can fill the paramount role of “8th inning guy” that Joba gave up to fill a much less important starting rotation slot. Of course, unlike Joba, you get the most out of Robertson providing 3-6 outs late in the game than you would having him try to get through the first 21 outs.
And oh yeah, Girardi, can you maybe, once, just once, use Chris Britton? He’s not bad…
JB Cox unfortunately has been shut down for a little while due to his elbow, but he’ll be a good bullpen arm. It really is great to see that the Yankees have some talent in the minors to play with, either to fill roles on the team or to use in trades.
Wang’s injury sucks, but honestly, I’m not that upset about it. I want to see what else the Yankees have to offer.
Oh well, even if the Yankees don’t make the playoffs, this isn’t the end of the world. In a way, it could be good. The Yankees of course wanted to go somewhere this year, and they still very well can, but more importantly the Yankees want to get the young rotation’s feet wet.
Unfortunately, Horne is not MLB-ready yet, as Cashman would like them to spend a little bit more time down in AAA. Dan Giese will be the temporary fill-in for Wang. He's not bad. Throws 3 pitches, 87 mph fastballs and 76 mph curveballs and sliders. Also, he doesn’t walk people. If the Yankees can get 6 IP, 3-4 ER starts out of him for each start he fills in, that’s perfectly acceptable. His first outing was awesome, but we can’t expect that kind of command to last. Hopefully they’ll just use him to fill in for a few starts, as Kennedy makes his way back soon. If Kennedy continues to be ineffective (which I can’t believe he will, he’s better than he’s pitched), then I’d love to see Horne come up and make a few starts.
Alan Horne (minor leagues, currently 24)
2006 (A+)
123 IP
122 K
61 BB
4.83 ERA (but 3.91 FIP, so it looks as though he caught a few rough breaks)
2007 (AA)
153.1 IP
165 K
57 BB
3.11 ERA (3.23 FIP, more indicative of how he pitched)
2008 (AAA)
24.1 IP
22 K
10 BB
3.70 ERA
If Kennedy is ineffective filling in for Wang, then send Kennedy back down and try Horne. In that time, Horne can probably get 3 more starts, which would be great because Cashman wants Horne to get more work in before being brought up.
One thing that would be interesting to see is what the Yankees rotation will look like next year and in 2010. There are numerous combinations. The fates of Mike Mussina and Andy Pettitte are unknown for next year. Do the Yankees resign one or both? Does Pettitte retire? These are important questions because Horne and McCutchen are both almost ready. Kennedy and Hughes will be healthy again, and likely better. Joba will be a full-fledged starter. Chien-Ming Wang’s still in the front of the rotation. And if Rasner continues his recent ways he makes a strong case for himself. That’s 7 starters without counting Pettitte and Mussina. It’s too early right now to speculate, but the decisions regarding Pettitte and Mussina are going to be key decisions in terms of the direction in which the franchise will go. I bet one of them comes back, and then you might be able to use Horne/Kennedy and/or McCutchen in a trade for possibly Bedard. Seattle’s awful, and they might want to get rid of his contract. I bet a trade of Kennedy/Horne, McCutchen, and Tabata could be enough for Seattle to send Bedard to the Bronx. If things play out with Wang, Pettitte/Mussina, Hughes, and Chamberlain, with Rasner as a backup/longman, the Yankees won’t need another 2 young starters with potential, whereas they could use a proven lefty like Bedard. They also don’t need the talented but moody, to say the least, Tabata. Besides, the Yankees have Austin Jackson and Brett Gardner coming up soon, so Tabata’s expendable. Imagine a rotation like this: Wang, Bedard, Pettitte/Mussina, Hughes, Chamberlain with Kennedy/Horne and Rasner as possible fill-ins should anything go wrong.
Bullpen-wise, I can’t wait to see David Robertson come up. He’s NASTY.
David Robertson (minor leagues, currently 23)
2007 (A)
47 IP
67 K
15 BB
0.77 ERA
(A+)
33.1 IP
37 K
15 BB
1.08 ERA
(AA)
4 IP
9 K
2 BB
2.25 ERA
2008 (AA)
18.2 IP
26 K
6 BB
0.96 ERA
(AAA)
29.2 IP
43 K
16 BB
1.82 ERA
He has a little bit of a control problem. But between AA last year and then AA this year, he brought his walks down. With a little more time in AAA he’ll bring his walks down again. But damn, 132.2 IP in the minors and 182 K. And 0 HR allowed. That’s domination. I want to see this guy up, soon. He can improve the bullpen and give them a rest later on in the year. Next year, he can fill the paramount role of “8th inning guy” that Joba gave up to fill a much less important starting rotation slot. Of course, unlike Joba, you get the most out of Robertson providing 3-6 outs late in the game than you would having him try to get through the first 21 outs.
And oh yeah, Girardi, can you maybe, once, just once, use Chris Britton? He’s not bad…
JB Cox unfortunately has been shut down for a little while due to his elbow, but he’ll be a good bullpen arm. It really is great to see that the Yankees have some talent in the minors to play with, either to fill roles on the team or to use in trades.
Wang’s injury sucks, but honestly, I’m not that upset about it. I want to see what else the Yankees have to offer.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
I want this baseball season to fucking die, and while we're at it, throw Joel Sherman in there
This season better turn around soon. I am so fucking sick of everything that just continues to go wrong. And it gets worse when I see pointless, moronic drivel like this.
But you want to attack him for yesterday's game?
Pettitte has been betrayed by the same difficulty each time: He opens well (five strikeouts of the first seven batters yesterday) and then blows up for an inning in mid-game.
"In most cases, the object of a pitch is to deliver the ball to the catcher without allowing the batter to hit the ball. The ball is delivered in such a way that the batter either can't hit a pitch through the strike zone, hits the ball poorly (resulting in a pop fly or ground out), or is fooled into swinging at a pitch outside of the strike zone."
The pitcher's job is to either make the batter swing and miss, or "hit the ball poorly". So, understanding the objective of each pitch, let me paraphrase that last paragraph:
Andy Pettitte did his job during the Mets' three-run, bat-around fourth - in fact, Santana did not do his job as well as Pettitte. But a lot of the weakly hit balls Pettitte induced that inning dropped in front of outfielders or snuck through holes in the infield. That's his fault. Since Pettitte, essentially, had no luck, he was forced to throw a lot more pitches than he should have. And that is also his fault. Because of course, Andy Nostradamus Pettitte knew Kyle Farnsworth would come in and give up a solo and a 2-run home run. He also knew the Yankees hitters would not do their jobs, which is also his fault. Damn you, Andy. How dare you be toast after 6 innings because you did your job well with no luck?
Now, don't you feel like an idiot? Probably not, because you're a moron. Otherwise there wouldn't be a post about you on PWNAGE of Morons.
Santana has not pitched very well, yet is 5-2 and his history - like that of Pettitte - is to excel in the second half. His presence in Yankee Stadium as a winning pitcher, for the Mets
, certainly provides Hank Steinbrenner more "told-you-so" ammunition.
Fuck the "told-you-so" crap. It's way too early for that. I don't care how Kennedy and Hughes have been pitching so far. It was still the right call not to trade away the package the Twins were demanding. Ian Kennedy and Phil Hughes both ripped through the minors and showed capability of success at the major league level. Remember Phil Hughes' September and postseason last year at age 21?
35.1 IP
24/10 K/BB
2.55 ERA
1.075 WHIP
Anyone remember Ian Kennedy's September last year?
19 IP
15 K/9 BB
1.89 ERA
1.158 WHIP
They are better pitchers than what they've shown so far this year. Part of Kennedy's problem (aside from nibbling too much and not throwing enough strikes) is probably the fact he's not throwing enough sliders. His average fastball's around 89 MPH and his changeup's about 80 MPH. That's not a huge difference. And those two pitches make up about 84% of his pitches. Last year he threw a lot more sliders and he was much more effective that way. Hughes's problem is similar. He's not throwing enough sliders and changeups. A 91 MPH fastball and a 72 MPH 12-to-6 curveball is a nice combo, but not when you do not supplement that duo with your slider and your changeup because it's easy to distinguish those two pitches.
I hate morons.
The Yanks felt confident in those choices (not trading for Santana), believing Pettitte was as close to a 15-win safety net as existed. He was the steady, high-end innings eater who was going to make it possible for Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy to apprentice within a rotation.
Except here we are in May and Hughes is hurt, Kennedy is winless and Pettitte is at five weeks without a victory. Here is Pettitte less reliable than Darrell Rasner. Here is Pettitte losing a Subway Series showdown to a homer-prone Santana. Pettitte traditionally has improved as the season has gone along and that must be true this season. Or else how do the Yanks revive?
Yes, it's all Andy Pettitte's fault that he hasn't won a game since April 20th. He didn't pitch into the seventh inning on May 6th having allowed just 2 runs with a lead. David Delucci didn't cheat on a Joba fastball and hit a 336 foot 3 run pop up in the 8th inning. As far as those other starts go, fair enough. He didn't pitch well against Tampa Bay, Detroit, or Cleveland the other time he faced them.But you want to attack him for yesterday's game?
Pettitte has been betrayed by the same difficulty each time: He opens well (five strikeouts of the first seven batters yesterday) and then blows up for an inning in mid-game.
He was not hit hard during the Mets' three-run, bat-around fourth - in fact, Santana was hit harder overall than Pettitte. But Pettitte couldn't find the big out, limit his pitch count (he threw 41 in that inning) or go deep enough to keep Kyle Farnsworth from all but assuring defeat by yielding two homers in the seventh.
He couldn't get the big out. I'm not sure that falls under the job description for pitchers. Let's look at what Wikipedia says about the object of pitching:"In most cases, the object of a pitch is to deliver the ball to the catcher without allowing the batter to hit the ball. The ball is delivered in such a way that the batter either can't hit a pitch through the strike zone, hits the ball poorly (resulting in a pop fly or ground out), or is fooled into swinging at a pitch outside of the strike zone."
The pitcher's job is to either make the batter swing and miss, or "hit the ball poorly". So, understanding the objective of each pitch, let me paraphrase that last paragraph:
Andy Pettitte did his job during the Mets' three-run, bat-around fourth - in fact, Santana did not do his job as well as Pettitte. But a lot of the weakly hit balls Pettitte induced that inning dropped in front of outfielders or snuck through holes in the infield. That's his fault. Since Pettitte, essentially, had no luck, he was forced to throw a lot more pitches than he should have. And that is also his fault. Because of course, Andy Nostradamus Pettitte knew Kyle Farnsworth would come in and give up a solo and a 2-run home run. He also knew the Yankees hitters would not do their jobs, which is also his fault. Damn you, Andy. How dare you be toast after 6 innings because you did your job well with no luck?
Now, don't you feel like an idiot? Probably not, because you're a moron. Otherwise there wouldn't be a post about you on PWNAGE of Morons.
Santana has not pitched very well, yet is 5-2 and his history - like that of Pettitte - is to excel in the second half. His presence in Yankee Stadium as a winning pitcher, for the Mets
, certainly provides Hank Steinbrenner more "told-you-so" ammunition.Fuck the "told-you-so" crap. It's way too early for that. I don't care how Kennedy and Hughes have been pitching so far. It was still the right call not to trade away the package the Twins were demanding. Ian Kennedy and Phil Hughes both ripped through the minors and showed capability of success at the major league level. Remember Phil Hughes' September and postseason last year at age 21?
35.1 IP
24/10 K/BB
2.55 ERA
1.075 WHIP
Anyone remember Ian Kennedy's September last year?
19 IP
15 K/9 BB
1.89 ERA
1.158 WHIP
They are better pitchers than what they've shown so far this year. Part of Kennedy's problem (aside from nibbling too much and not throwing enough strikes) is probably the fact he's not throwing enough sliders. His average fastball's around 89 MPH and his changeup's about 80 MPH. That's not a huge difference. And those two pitches make up about 84% of his pitches. Last year he threw a lot more sliders and he was much more effective that way. Hughes's problem is similar. He's not throwing enough sliders and changeups. A 91 MPH fastball and a 72 MPH 12-to-6 curveball is a nice combo, but not when you do not supplement that duo with your slider and your changeup because it's easy to distinguish those two pitches.
"The decision (not to obtain Santana) for me is not short-term and it is not one vs. the other and it is not to be determined on May 17 or what the kids do vs. Santana by May 17," Cashman said.
But even in the long-term, the decision only will look worse if Pettitte doesn't get a whole lot better.
I hate morons.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Melky!!!!!
I have said that I always thought he was capable of hitting around .300 with 20 homers and a decent eye, but I didn't think it'd be this soon! I know it's early, but this could very well continue. He's not showing signs of this being a fluke.
Melky Cabrera (2007)
.291/.359/.505
6 HR
19.5% LD (same as usual)
44.8% GB (about 5-7% lower than usual)
35.6% FB (5% up from last year)
4.0 P/PA (0.3 higher than the last two seasons)
14/12 K/BB
It makes sense. He's seeing more pitches per plate appearance than usual, so he's reacquired and improved upon the patience he showed in 2006. He got to 3 ball counts in 17% of his plate appearances last year and so far this year, he's done it in 22% of his plate appearances. The more patient a hitter you are, the more you'll be swinging at good pitches.
Cano really needs to pick up the pace here. With no A-Rod or Posada in the lineup for a couple weeks, Cano's bat becomes all the more important. He's actually been taking some better swings of late, but he still needs to get comfortable going to left field again. A lot of bad luck and his inability to hit the ball to left with authority helps explain the 200+ actual OPS drop from his PrOPS. I hope he starts heating up soon.
Melky Cabrera (2007)
.291/.359/.505
6 HR
19.5% LD (same as usual)
44.8% GB (about 5-7% lower than usual)
35.6% FB (5% up from last year)
4.0 P/PA (0.3 higher than the last two seasons)
14/12 K/BB
It makes sense. He's seeing more pitches per plate appearance than usual, so he's reacquired and improved upon the patience he showed in 2006. He got to 3 ball counts in 17% of his plate appearances last year and so far this year, he's done it in 22% of his plate appearances. The more patient a hitter you are, the more you'll be swinging at good pitches.
Cano really needs to pick up the pace here. With no A-Rod or Posada in the lineup for a couple weeks, Cano's bat becomes all the more important. He's actually been taking some better swings of late, but he still needs to get comfortable going to left field again. A lot of bad luck and his inability to hit the ball to left with authority helps explain the 200+ actual OPS drop from his PrOPS. I hope he starts heating up soon.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Well I've been sort of right so far
I never wound up finishing my projections for the whole team, being a fugitive's a bitch when it comes to finding leisure time. Anyway, let's take a look and see who I've been right or wrong on.
First Base: Jason Giambi
Projection:
130 G 550 PA 440 AB 120 H 25 2B 0 3B 33 HR 101 BB 12 HBP 105 K .273/.424/.555
So far:
21 G 83 PA 66 AB 11 H 3 2B 0 3B 5 HR 14 BB 2 HBP 11 K .167/.325/.439
I'm way off on batting average, but his BA/BIP is only .118, and even with the infield shift it will go up. I wish he'd just fucking lay down some bunts so they'll stop doing it. But otherwise, he's doing just about what I expected him to do. His OBA is .151 higher than his BA and I projected .158. His IsoP is .272 and I projected .282. So, with a little luck (and a little less stubbornness about laying down bunts) he'll close the absurd 254 pt gap between his OPS and PrOPS (1.019/.765).
Second Base: Robinson Cano
Projection:
155 G 670 PA 613 AB 199 H 40 2B 4 3B 23 HR 50 BB 7 HBP 73 K .325/.382/.515
So far:
27 G 106 PA 98 AB 15 H 3 2B 0 3B 1 HR 7 BB 1 HBP 12 K .153/.217/.214
Obviously, I'm way off so far except for his walk rate. I projected 7.5% and he's at 6.6% so far. His problem right now is a slow bat. In terms of batted balls, he's hitting line drives and groundballs at the rate you'd expect, but an overly high percentage of his flyballs have been infield flies (20.0%), which only back up the point that his bat's too slow. I'm not worried, though. This guy is simply a slow starter, literally and figuratively. Let's just hope the slow start is shorter than last year's.
Shortstop: Derek Jeter
Projected:
147 G 705 PA 626 AB 209 H 36 2B 2 3B 16 HR 64 BB 13 HBP 103 K .334/.407/.474
So far:
21 G 91 PA 86 AB 24 H 3 2B 2 3B 0 HR 2 BB 1 HBP 6 K .279/.300/.360
Hey, he's met his triples quota for the year! Jeter's also off to a slow start and isn't hitting any of my offensive projections so far, but it ain't time to press the panic button yet. However, he is putting up a very good ZR at short like I predicted he would (.846 with 9 plays OOZ). So let's hope his bat starts catching up with his glove.
Third Base: Alex Rodriguez
Projected:
158 G 700 PA 592 AB 180 H 27 2B 0 3B 45 HR 91 BB 17 HBP 124 K .304/.411/.578
So far:
24 G 99 PA 91 AB 26 H 7 2B 0 3B 4 HR 6 BB 2 HBP 19 K .286/.343/.495
He's off to sort of a slow start, but overall not bad. He's not walking as much as I predicted yet but his strikeout rate's the same, and he's only slightly down on power from what I projected (.274 IsoP projected versus .209 actual). He'll climb back up.
Left Field: Johnny Damon
Projected:
145 G 620 PA 555 AB 158 H 31 2B 1 3B 14 HR 62 BB 3 HBP 78 K .285/.360/.420
So far:
26 G 110 PA 91 AB 25 H 9 2B 1 3B 3 HR 16 BB 0 HBP 16 K .275/.380/.495
Very solid so far. He's been hitting a lot more balls in the air than usual, so obviously don't expect that .220 IsoP to last. Generally, 45% of his batted balls are grounders and he's only been hitting 36.8% on the ground. I also don't expect him to keep walking as much as he is. Last year he walked a lot for the first couple months, then he started hitting his way on base a lot more in the second half. But I like what I've seen so far and I expect him to put up a fine offensive season.
Center Field: Melky Cabrera
Projected:
150 G 620 PA 561 AB 162 H 30 2B 6 3B 9 HR 55 BB 4 HBP 66 K .289/.356/.412
So far:
25 G 96 PA 83 AB 24 H 2 2B 0 3B 5 HR 10 BB 0 HBP 13 K .289/.358/.494
Pretty much right on except I did not see him having this kind of home run output. But then again, it's April. Home runs and their bunches.
Right Field: Bobby Abreu
Projected:
158 G 700 PA 609 AB 178 H 43 2B 2 3B 19 HR 91 BB 3 HBP 121 K .292/.387/.463
So far:
26 G 107 PA 100 AB 28 H 4 2B 1 3B 3 HR 7 BB 0 HBP 23 K .280/.327/.430
He's also right around what I'd expect. The walks are down so far, but he's still seeing 4.2 pitches/plate appearance, so the walks will start coming and his OBA will go up. The average and power are slightly down, but pretty much right around where I expect them to be.
Hopefully the guys who I'm off on revert to my predictions and those who are to continue on their present paths.
First Base: Jason Giambi
Projection:
130 G 550 PA 440 AB 120 H 25 2B 0 3B 33 HR 101 BB 12 HBP 105 K .273/.424/.555
So far:
21 G 83 PA 66 AB 11 H 3 2B 0 3B 5 HR 14 BB 2 HBP 11 K .167/.325/.439
I'm way off on batting average, but his BA/BIP is only .118, and even with the infield shift it will go up. I wish he'd just fucking lay down some bunts so they'll stop doing it. But otherwise, he's doing just about what I expected him to do. His OBA is .151 higher than his BA and I projected .158. His IsoP is .272 and I projected .282. So, with a little luck (and a little less stubbornness about laying down bunts) he'll close the absurd 254 pt gap between his OPS and PrOPS (1.019/.765).
Second Base: Robinson Cano
Projection:
155 G 670 PA 613 AB 199 H 40 2B 4 3B 23 HR 50 BB 7 HBP 73 K .325/.382/.515
So far:
27 G 106 PA 98 AB 15 H 3 2B 0 3B 1 HR 7 BB 1 HBP 12 K .153/.217/.214
Obviously, I'm way off so far except for his walk rate. I projected 7.5% and he's at 6.6% so far. His problem right now is a slow bat. In terms of batted balls, he's hitting line drives and groundballs at the rate you'd expect, but an overly high percentage of his flyballs have been infield flies (20.0%), which only back up the point that his bat's too slow. I'm not worried, though. This guy is simply a slow starter, literally and figuratively. Let's just hope the slow start is shorter than last year's.
Shortstop: Derek Jeter
Projected:
147 G 705 PA 626 AB 209 H 36 2B 2 3B 16 HR 64 BB 13 HBP 103 K .334/.407/.474
So far:
21 G 91 PA 86 AB 24 H 3 2B 2 3B 0 HR 2 BB 1 HBP 6 K .279/.300/.360
Hey, he's met his triples quota for the year! Jeter's also off to a slow start and isn't hitting any of my offensive projections so far, but it ain't time to press the panic button yet. However, he is putting up a very good ZR at short like I predicted he would (.846 with 9 plays OOZ). So let's hope his bat starts catching up with his glove.
Third Base: Alex Rodriguez
Projected:
158 G 700 PA 592 AB 180 H 27 2B 0 3B 45 HR 91 BB 17 HBP 124 K .304/.411/.578
So far:
24 G 99 PA 91 AB 26 H 7 2B 0 3B 4 HR 6 BB 2 HBP 19 K .286/.343/.495
He's off to sort of a slow start, but overall not bad. He's not walking as much as I predicted yet but his strikeout rate's the same, and he's only slightly down on power from what I projected (.274 IsoP projected versus .209 actual). He'll climb back up.
Left Field: Johnny Damon
Projected:
145 G 620 PA 555 AB 158 H 31 2B 1 3B 14 HR 62 BB 3 HBP 78 K .285/.360/.420
So far:
26 G 110 PA 91 AB 25 H 9 2B 1 3B 3 HR 16 BB 0 HBP 16 K .275/.380/.495
Very solid so far. He's been hitting a lot more balls in the air than usual, so obviously don't expect that .220 IsoP to last. Generally, 45% of his batted balls are grounders and he's only been hitting 36.8% on the ground. I also don't expect him to keep walking as much as he is. Last year he walked a lot for the first couple months, then he started hitting his way on base a lot more in the second half. But I like what I've seen so far and I expect him to put up a fine offensive season.
Center Field: Melky Cabrera
Projected:
150 G 620 PA 561 AB 162 H 30 2B 6 3B 9 HR 55 BB 4 HBP 66 K .289/.356/.412
So far:
25 G 96 PA 83 AB 24 H 2 2B 0 3B 5 HR 10 BB 0 HBP 13 K .289/.358/.494
Pretty much right on except I did not see him having this kind of home run output. But then again, it's April. Home runs and their bunches.
Right Field: Bobby Abreu
Projected:
158 G 700 PA 609 AB 178 H 43 2B 2 3B 19 HR 91 BB 3 HBP 121 K .292/.387/.463
So far:
26 G 107 PA 100 AB 28 H 4 2B 1 3B 3 HR 7 BB 0 HBP 23 K .280/.327/.430
He's also right around what I'd expect. The walks are down so far, but he's still seeing 4.2 pitches/plate appearance, so the walks will start coming and his OBA will go up. The average and power are slightly down, but pretty much right around where I expect them to be.
Hopefully the guys who I'm off on revert to my predictions and those who are to continue on their present paths.
Hey, at least he's consistently inconsistent
Dustin Pedroia (home/away)
.365/.404/.558
.288/.338/.356
I love it.
By the way, this guy is a dead pull hitter. He opens up on everything. Throw him fastballs away and then own him Phil Hughes style with breaking balls in. Do that for a month, and even Fenway won't save this midget dipshit.
.365/.404/.558
.288/.338/.356
I love it.
By the way, this guy is a dead pull hitter. He opens up on everything. Throw him fastballs away and then own him Phil Hughes style with breaking balls in. Do that for a month, and even Fenway won't save this midget dipshit.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
A brilliant AIM conversation
B.A. Baracus: I had to put the game on mute several times.
B.A.'s friend: lol Joe Morgan get to you?
B.A. Baracus: Between Jon Miller, Joe Morgan, and Peter Gammons jerking AND sucking off the Red Sox incessantly, the Fenway morons chanting "Yankees suck!!!" after anything, and the chant of "YOUUUUUUUUK" after ANY play he's involved in...I wanted to steal an F-18 fighter jet, have the Yankees and whatever Yankees fans present evacuate Boston, distract the Red Sox and their fans by showing slow motion locker room shower scenes of Jonathan Papelbon Irish stepdancing with "Sweet Caroline" playing, and use Fenway as a testing facility for Scorpion missiles.
Just B.A. telling you how he feels.
B.A.'s friend: lol Joe Morgan get to you?
B.A. Baracus: Between Jon Miller, Joe Morgan, and Peter Gammons jerking AND sucking off the Red Sox incessantly, the Fenway morons chanting "Yankees suck!!!" after anything, and the chant of "YOUUUUUUUUK" after ANY play he's involved in...I wanted to steal an F-18 fighter jet, have the Yankees and whatever Yankees fans present evacuate Boston, distract the Red Sox and their fans by showing slow motion locker room shower scenes of Jonathan Papelbon Irish stepdancing with "Sweet Caroline" playing, and use Fenway as a testing facility for Scorpion missiles.
Just B.A. telling you how he feels.
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