The Baseball Addict

The Hunt for October

2005-09-08T11:33:00.000-05:00

It is quite conceivable that this year could be down to the last game to determine the post-season participants. Actually I take that back, it seems that it WILL go to down to the very last game. The NL Wild Card is currently between the Houston Astros and the NL East. It may be late enough to bury the Mets (who are about to start a 4 game series against St. Louis) but they're really still within striking distance. The Astros have two series against the Brewers, which could potentially be a post-season spoiling team. The NL East has been beating itself up, well except for the Braves. The Braves swept the Mets in a 3 game series while the Marlins and Nationals traded blows, and the Phillies were swept following two Billy Wagner blow saves. The Braves seemed poised to take the Division Pennant again but the rest is still up in the air. It is possible that the Braves could be the worst team in baseball down the home stretch and not make it, but I don't think anyone, with the MVP year Andruw Jones is having, will even give it a second thought. The best scenario for the Braves would be for the Marlins to take the Wild Card. Their pitching is perhaps the best chance to beat the Cardinals because its only a 5 game series. However the Astros seem to be on a roll, with Pettite, Clemens, and Oswalt on such a tear lately. However...Clemens' back is bothering him worse than before, Pettite's health is in question as well. The Astros need these two pitchers to make quality starts all the way down the home stretch or else they will fade like so many teams (METS) have. It very well may be the most exciting finish that most have seen since the wild card was introduced.

High Expectations?

2005-08-26T10:31:00.000-05:00

Just a little while ago I did a write-up on the Braves Rookies, which you can find here, and I mentioned a 21-year-old kid named Jeff Francoeur. Now many of you may have seen, as I did when I went to a news stand, that this week's issue of Sports Illustrated has that very same kid on it. He's the first Brave to appear on a cover since they won the World Series in 1995. That means Furcal's Rookie of the Year award (2000), Chipper Jones' MVP award (1999), or even Smoltz's 55 save season couldn't get the most prominent Braves their cover....no, not even the 13 consecutive division titles earned the team a cover issue.

So why this kid? Well his start is unprecedented. Only one player has ever come in this late and played this well, this long. Willie "Stretch" McCovey only, marginally, maybe even came close in 1959. McCovey hit .354, 13 HRs, 38 RBIs, and had an OPS of 1.085. Now Francouer, projected through the day SI went to press, will hit .370, 21 HRs, 64 RBIs, and have an OPS of 1.105. Also add 9 outfield assists in his first 31 games, that's just crazy. So by these standards that is Rookie of the Year for sure. Crosby barely had these numbers last year, and he played more than twice as many games as Frenchie will in his rookie season. That's why there is hype around this kid, and is it well earned? Well yes and no. Yes because he's playing at a level many big leaguers aren't at the moment. No, because there is a list of players that includes the likes of Mark Fydrich, a Detroit Tigers phenom, that burned out and never played the same as they did their rookie year. Now I would assume that this won't happen to Francoeur, unless he gets hurt, because his skill set is so tremendous. Heck, give the kid the attention he deserves, as he is getting it now, and we'll see him play for many more years, perhaps Cooperstown in 25 years or so. I think this kid is special, just watch him play for a couple of games and I think you'll raise the same opinion.

Pirates-Cardinals

2005-08-26T10:25:00.000-05:00

Or rather Lloyd McClendon and Dave Duncan (the instigator). This fight was really over something stupid and its just another issue that will give baseball a bad wrap.

The Post-Gazette reported that Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan asked Pirates reliever if he had purposely thrown high and tight to the Cardinals' Hector Luna the night before; Pirates manager Lloyd McClendon then yelled at Duncan to stop talking to his players, and things escalated. Duncan and Pirates hitting coach Gerald Perry appeared to be restrained by teammates.

Now why does Dave Duncan feel the need to ask? And why does it even matter? I didn't see the previous game in which this pitch was throw but why in the world must he ask? Most pitches are thrown for a purpose. Look at Roger Clemens...he doesn't get his sparkling ERA from pitching nicely. He's notorious for coming in on players (which some people think is wrong) but that is how you pitch, you move people off the plate or you send them a message, so that your next pitch will have a greater effect. This is plain stupid. Duncan should be suspended and fined for his sheer stupidity.

The Ageless Wonder

2005-08-23T16:10:00.000-05:00

Julio Franco, Braves' first baseman and pinch-hitter extraordinaire, turned 47 years old today. This makes him the oldest, non-pitcher, to ever play the game every day. Here is what Tim Kurkjian discovered and the records that the ageless one holds and may break many more times.

"Franco is the oldest non-pitcher in major league history (not including stunt appearances such as those by Minnie Minoso). Last season, Franco became the oldest player to get 50 hits in a season, and had more than twice as many RBI (54) as any 45-year-old in history (Pete Rose had 25 in 1986). This season, Franco became the oldest player (by more than four years) to hit a grand slam, the oldest to hit a pinch-hit home run, the oldest to have a multi-home run game and the oldest to steal two bases in one game. If he hits another homer, he will replace pitcher Jack Quinn (1930) as the oldest player ever to do so. And he'll become the oldest to hit 10 homers in a season (Carl Yastrzemski hit 10 in 1983 at 44)."

Really, do take the time to read the full article. It really is impressive what Julio Franco has been able to do without the help of steroids. He is the product of 26 years in the weight room, careful eating habits, and pure natural ability/build.

2005 NL World Series Representatives

2005-08-22T09:59:00.000-05:00

The St. Louis Cardinals might be in a tough spot without Scott Rolen in their line-up for the rest of the year. I know the Cardinals have been playing well, seemingly always getting bailed out by Jim Edmonds and Albert Pujols. Rolen was the 3rd #4 hitter in that line-up hitting behind Edmonds. The Cards are playing well right now but come post-season contests and the better teams and pitching could spell disaster for the Cards, considering that Sanders has been out, Walker just came back and might not reach top form again. I still pick them as the favorite in the NL, because the pitching has been suprisingly stellar from Carpenter and Morris. Neither of them gave us any reason to believe they would pitch this way this year. As of late neither one has had thair A-Game against the better teams they've faced. Jason Marquis is not the pitcher his record reflects, he's not as good as his, where Mulder is better than his record reflects. Mulder could possibly be the post-season hero for the Cards in 2005.

It just makes me happy

2005-08-22T09:55:00.000-05:00

It is always pleasing to see the Yankees lose, especially when they lose big or because of a monumental incident such as yesterday.

"A dazed and frustrated Johnson allowed home runs to three consecutive batters for the first time in his major league career and four in all during the fourth inning, and the Chicago White Sox beat the New York Yankees 6-2 Sunday to stop a seven-game losing streak." - The rest of the article can be found here.

It makes it even sweeter when it is one of the biggest names that Steinbrenner brings in to be the victim of the loss.

The Home Town Kids

2005-08-20T07:52:00.000-05:00

So the Atlanta Braves, counted out by so many people because of big holes are doing it again (knock on wood). It seems to be almost entirely due to John Smoltz, Andruw Jones, and everybody's favorite, the baby braves. The Braves have been carried this past month by a rookie, Jeff Francoeur, or "Frenchie". Francoeur has been unbelievable hitting .360, 10 HRs, 28 RBIs through his first 31 games, an almost unprecedented start. The biggest knock against Frenchie is that he hasn't walked in almost 120 ABs. Yes, that's usually a bad sign of things to come, but this kid is different. He was in the minors for 2.5 years and there is no existing scouting report on him that is accurate. This leaves a lot of clubs guessing how to pitch to him and this late in the season most won't see him but for a series. I'm not saying that the kid will hit like this the rest of his career (otherwise he'd end up with 1200 HRs after 20 seasons) but I am saying that the kid can and will adjust. His entire plate philosophy is "see the ball, attack the ball, and put it in play." Its working, and until pitchers find a whole I would encourage the guy to keep freeswinging, as he is, and enjoy his sucess. To top off this dream start Francouer has 9 outfield assists in ONLY 31 games. Its amazing that teams still try to run on him. I guess the remember the replay of him launching it to the backstop over McCann's head. Of course Jeff Francoeur is not the only rookie, in fact he's one of 9 or 10 I have seen play this year. Brian McCann has been solid behind the plate and is hitting about .280. Ryan Langerhans (OF) and Kelly Johnson (OF) have been up for most of the season and have taken turns contributing. Another suprise is Jorge Sosa, who never amounted to much until he met Leo Mazzone. Sosa had a career losing record and a career ERA over 5.0. This season he has been a magician working out of nail-biting jams every time he goes out, however he is 6-2 as a starter with a pretty decent ERA. Don't count the rest of the NL East out yet, the Marlins have thrown 3 consecutive shut-outs, and all the other teams are still in the Wild-Card race. The Braves need to get Hampton straightened out, Thompson out of the rotation, and Sosa back into it. This will be down to the wire for the NL East champs.

Dirty-Cheating Yankee Scum

2004-10-21T16:49:00.000-05:00

If you have watched any sports television show or picked up any sports-section in any newspaper (except for maybe the NY Times) then you probably know about the Bush-League play by Alex Rodriguez. Yes, it was A-Rod, the man who only wanted to win, but still the owner of the largest contract in Baseball. He is a cheater and dishonest individual exposed in the most humiliating of ways, losing to the Red Sox on national TV. A-Rod broke one of the most important rules in the MLB rule-book that is essential because it insures safety for the players on the field. He sissy-slapped, interfered, grabbed or anything else you would like to call it, Arroyo’s glove because he was a dead duck at first and he was losing. He was “surprised” that the umpires came together and called him out for interference which effectively killed a Yankee rally. Alex was never remorsful, apologetic and all he did say was "I guess I should have just run [Arroyo] over." And I thought he was decent person.

Oh, and A-Rod really needs to stop wearing white-batting gloves.

Its About Time..The Red Sox Return to the WS after 17 Years

2004-10-21T16:42:00.000-05:00

Wow…I don’t even know where to begin. The playoffs have been sensational. Unfortunately my hometown team lost in 5 to the Astros, but the Red Sox, as all of you know, stunned 56,000 Yankee fans last night. The ALCS and NLCS have been the best championship series that I have ever witnessed.

The Boston (never fail to disappoint in the postseason) Red Sox made the most remarkable recovery in the history of this wonderful game. After getting their buts kicked in three straight they turned the tables after 1:00 AM Monday morning for good. The first three games showcased nine ice-cold Red Sox hitters who finally kicked into high gear with a 3-0 deficit. The Red Sox won because the team gels well (unlike the Yankees), the team has fun playing baseball, and the team has heart. The Yankees are an assortment of stars who put an “I” into team and approach every game with the expectation to win (due only to $191,000,000). The Red Sox approach a baseball game with fun and energy that is absent from the New York line-up.
It is inevitable that the New York Yankee’s payroll will exceed the $200,000,000 barrier as a direct fall-out of this series.

I cannot imagine how humiliating it was for Joe Torre and the Yankee’s front office to see such a colossal amount of money play so poorly. $25,000,000, in the form of Kevin Brown and Javier Vazquez, gave up 8 runs to the Red Sox before that game was to the 5th inning. $54,000,000 in the top 3 spots of the batting order failed to collect more than 1 hit in 9 innings last night. But man was it sweet. The Yankees are owner to now a second horrific record (in the same year, the first being 22-0 loss to the Indians) that they wish would never see the light of day. The own the biggest choke in Baseball History. So much for many of the Red Sox’s failures in the past, and so much for the 1969 and 1971 orioles getting stunned in the World Series. The Yankees can now claim the worst loss in Baseball.

I will write again after the conclusion of the “forgotten” NLCS.

Home Sweet Home: The Expos have landed

2004-09-29T14:51:00.000-05:00

According to a Washington city official, the Montreal Expos will relocate the the nation's capital. It has been 33 years since D.C. has had a MLB team, the Senators, who became the Texas Rangers 33 years ago. This should add some stability to the ballclub and hopefully be a boost of morale for the team. The move won't be official unless Baltimre Orioles owner, Peter Angelos, is fully compensated for any lost business and fanbase. A sports network will be established to air the Orioles and the new D.C team.

J.D. Drew - The Five Tool Outfielder

2004-09-23T16:57:00.000-05:00

The Atlanta Braves lost a tremendous part of their team last year. The saw Greg Maddux sign with the Cubs, Gary Sheffield sign the stinkin' Yankees, Javy Lopez sign the Baltimore Orioles, and Robert Fick be discarded to the Devil Rays. Everyone, with few exceptions, had them slated to be a non-contender this year, well they were all wrong. Part of the Atlanta Braves' success this year is due in large part to J.D. Drew. He has made a remarkable turn around from the past years. As of today, he has played in 138 of 152 games this season.

J.D. Drew is everything Gary Sheffield was to the 2003 Atlanta Braves and more. He has two of the "tools" Gary Sheffield lacks these days, an Arm and Speed. J.D. Drew has played Gold Glove Caliber defense in right field. His arm, a resurgence of Andruw Jones' defense and arm, and the rookie Charles Thomas have put a halt to runners rounding third. I have seen the Atlanta Braves outfield throw out more runners this year than any other number of years that I can remember. In terms of offense, let’s look at his statistics and compare them with Gary Sheffield's statistics for 2004 as well.

J.D. Drew (2004):
138 G, 496 AB, 114 R, 155 H, 28 2B, 6 3B, 31 HR, 90 RBI, 112 BB, 108 SO, 12 SB, 2 CS, .313 BA, .441 OBP, .581 SLG, 1.021 OPS

Gary Sheffield (2004):
146 G, 551 AB, 114 R, 162 H, 30 2B, 1 3B, 36 HR, 118 RBI, 87 BB, 79 SO, 5 SB, 6 CS, .294 BA, .396 OBP, .548 SLG, .944 OPS

Sheffield is a true power hitter, and JD Drew is an exceptional hitter that hits for power. Sheffield is leading Drew in HR and RBI, but is behind in everything else except SO and 2B. Drew's OPS is 87 points higher than Sheffield's and he has been "pitched" to less. Sheffield is surrounded by great players all year. Drew has been surrounded by many slumping and hurt players who have finally just begun to swing the bat effectively. Unfortunately, because of Bonds, Beltre, Rolen and Edmonds, Drew is not getting too much attention in the NL MVP race. He has been the most essential part to the Braves organization this year. He is not the best MVP candidate out there but I plan to personally kill John Shuerholz if he does not sign J.D. Drew to a long term contract with the Atlanta Braves.

Mr. Consistent - 15th Win

2004-09-23T16:52:00.000-05:00

His ERA has been up dramatically the past three years, yes. He has been losing his touch the last few years, yes. But he has won 15 games for the last 17 years running, quite remarkable. Greg Maddux has been the most consistent pitcher of the modern era for the last 17 years. He switched from the power-hitting Atlanta Braves last year to a less powerful Cubs line-up, and he has made up the difference. Remember when he was going for his 3ooth win? He had a string of very well pitched games lasting 8 or 9 innings? Remember the string of complete games he put together? He didn't do that last year. He was able to pitch 6-8 innings and get away with a win due to the success of Marcus Giles, Chipper Jones, and Gary Sheffield. This year he still pitches for a good-hitting team but he has been a much better pitcher.

Rocket Roger - Continues to Dazzle

2004-09-20T07:03:00.000-05:00

Roger Clemens won his 6th straight game against the Brewers Wednesday night. He pitched 8 innings allowing two hits, walking two and striking out 10. Rocket Roger moves into 10th all-time on the career wins chart (listed below). By winning this game he also is now tied for the lead in the NL for wins (18) with teammate Roy Oswalt. Clemens even had the only RBI of the game when he grounded into a double play, he also hit a long double.

1. Cy Young 511
2. Walter Johnson 417
3. Grover C. Alexander 373
3. Christy Mathewson 373
5. Warren Spahn 363
6. Pud Galvin 361
7. Kid Nichols 360
8. Tim Keefe 341
9. Steve Carlton 329
10. Roger Clemens 328

The Texas Incident

2004-09-19T22:56:00.000-05:00

MLB issued this press release:

Four members of the Texas Rangers have each been disciplined for their actions during the ninth inning of the Rangers-Oakland Athletics game in Oakland, California on Monday, September 13, 2004. Bob Watson, Vice President of On-Field Operations for Major League Baseball, made the announcement. Pitcher Frank Francisco has been suspended for the remainder of the 2004 championship season, but no less than 16 regular season games in the event of an appeal, and fined an undisclosed amount for his highly inappropriate actions and reckless disregard for the safety and well-being of the fans. Unless appealed, Francisco's suspension is scheduled to begin tonight. Doug Brocail has been suspended for seven games and fined an undisclosed amount for his inappropriate actions and inciting a bench-clearing incident, while pitcher Carlos Almanzar has been suspended for five games and fined an undisclosed amount for his inappropriate actions during the incident. Unless appealed, Brocail's suspension is scheduled to begin tonight and Almanzar's is scheduled to begin on Saturday, September 25. Additionally, hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo has been suspended for five games and fined an undisclosed amount for his inappropriate actions during the incident. Jaramillo's suspension will begin tonight. If appealed, the players' suspensions will be held in abeyance until the process is complete.

The Big Unit - 4,139 Career Strike Outs

2004-09-16T07:09:00.000-05:00

Last night Randy Johnson broke two records. He passed Steve Carlton for 3rd on the All-Time Strike Outs and coincidentally, 1st for lefties in that category as well. This is the second time this season that Carlton has been passed on the All-Time Strike Out list, the first time was by Roger Clemens a couple of months ago.

The Ageless Wonder

2004-09-15T07:28:00.000-05:00

Roger Clemens has a better record and a better ERA than last year. Last year he retired. This year he came out of retirement for one last hurrah for the home team. Clemens has pitched brilliantly this year and did so again tonight. The Astros, who fell back out of the lead for Wild Card, beat their division leader/rival, the St. Louis Cardinals. Rocket Roger now holds sole possession of 11th all-time in the wins column and continues to climb that ladder. He has brought a second ace to the Astros rotation and has helped to pick up the slack from the Pettitte injury. Hopefully the momentum from this evening's win will carry the Astros on another winning streak and they can make a last surge for the wild card spot.

Vintage Moose

2004-09-15T07:21:00.000-05:00

As much as I hate the stinking Yankees there are a couple of players that I am a fan of. Mike Mussina is one of them. He was an Oriole, but Peter Angelos treated him wrong and he took the job that he didn't prefer, he wanted to stay in Baltimore. Mussina has had troubles left and right this season, whether it was delivery or health, there has almost always been a problem. Tonight Mussina returned to form and unfortunately gave the Yankees another win when the Red Sox lost. He pitched 8 innings, yielding no runs on three hits. This is the Mike Mussina who led the 1996 Baltimore Orioles wire-to-wire. This is the Mike Mussina who made us groan in the post season year after year. He really is an outstanding pitcher but has had more than his share of problems as of late. This is a badly needed shot in the arm for the beleaguered Yankees' staff.
Hopefully Moose will return to form and sign with a better team when his next contract comes up...doubtful.

Francisco Arrested

2004-09-14T19:34:00.000-05:00

As a result of last night's incident in Oakland, Frank Francisco was arrest for aggravated assault, a felony. He is currently out on $15,000 bail. This could play out to be much more than ever expected. I wonder what happened to the fan who instigated all of this? Perhaps he should have charges pressed against him as well.

The Fighting Showalters...Literally.

2004-09-14T12:41:00.000-05:00

The Rangers finally lived up to ESPN Baseball Tonight's nickname last night. Apparently Texas Rangers Reliever Frank Francisco and Doug Brocail wound up in an altercation with a fan last night with a fan sitting very close to the Rangers dugout. Francisco threw a chair into the stands but missed the instigative fan and unfortunately hit the woman sitting behind. The game was delayed while the argument was settled and it was announced that if a fan came onto the field the game would have to be forfeited to the visiting Rangers. The fall out of this should be interesting...its been a while since a player threw a chair at fan.

Baseball and Politics

2004-09-13T20:25:00.000-05:00

I thought that it was very interesting that so many Baseball owners are in such strong support of President Bush. I guess it shouldn't really be that surprising considering he was a candidate for the commissioners' post at one point. It seems a little risky to be showing such strong support for the president, although the potential campaign boost this may bring would make things worth it. I have put an excerpt from the ESPN article:

"More than a dozen current and former owners and family members are among the
president's top re-election fund-raisers, an Associated Press review found.
Seven are Bush "Rangers," each raising at least $200,000, and six are "Pioneers"
who have brought in $100,000 or more. The Bush campaign has also received direct contributions from owners and executives of more than half of the sport's
30 teams, the AP analysis of Federal Election Commission reports found.
Those include $2,000 contributions from owners George Steinbrenner of the New York Yankees, Fred Wilpon of the Mets, Carl Pohlad of the Minnesota Twins, Peter Magowan of the San Francisco Giants and Michael Ilitch of the Detroit Tigers."

The Astros Continue to Surge

2004-09-10T07:13:00.000-05:00

The Houston Astros continue to play outstanding baseball by beating the Pittsburgh Pirates by a score of 9-2 last night. That victory put the Astros in second place in the NL Central and tied with the San Francisco Giants for the Wild Card spot. The Astros were counted as down and out not but a month ago, now they are fighting for the last remaining playoff spot in the NL. Baseball is an amazingly funny game.

Another Conundrum...

2004-09-10T07:09:00.000-05:00

This story stuck me as a little strange. So the Expos are supposed to be in Miami playing the Marlins, but because of of Hurricane Charlie, they are playing each other in Chicago ?!?! Why not Montreal? Is the fan base too small? I can't imagine it will be a sell out, all of the Marlins' and Expos' fans are in their respective cities, not Chicago. Oh well...it may just be another Bud Selig screw up.

Flying High - Astros Winners of 12 Games in a Row

2004-09-08T19:53:00.000-05:00

The Houston Astros have now won their 12th straight game (which ties a team record) and Roger Clemens picked up his 16th win of the season. Roger Clemens now has 326 career victories which means he is now tied with Eddie Plank for the 11th most all time. Craig Biggio also added to his own record by hitting his NL record 39th career lead-off home run.

The Astros began the day .5 games behind the Cubs who play the Expos today. The Astros were pretty much counted as down and out not but a month ago, and now they find themselves in the hunt for the Wild Card. Roger Clemens was quoted at ESPN:

"I've been on clubs throughout my career who've won quite a few in a row, but I don't know if it's ever been like this."

The Raging Red Sox

2004-09-08T14:20:00.000-05:00

The Red Sox are on a tear and have been closing the gap in the A.L. East for sometime now. They were counted down and out of he pennant race one month ago, today, they are a mere 2.5 games back and closing fast. The Red Sox have won 12 of their last 13 and are looking to sweep the AL West leaders, the Oakland As, as they face off for the last time tonight. The run has been aided by key performances from several players. Pedro Martinez has allowed only 11 ER in his last 57 innings, Curt Schilling has won 18 games, and Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz are continuing to power a very deep, Red Sox offense.

The "Forgotten" Player

2004-09-07T09:41:00.000-05:00

Frank Robinson-#20

Look, I know that someone of his prestige is not “forgotten,” but he is not recognized to the full extent that is due. When people start to think of great players his name never, or hardly ever, comes up. He does rank 5th all-time on the HR list, and many of his offensive numbers are much higher than the ever anger-inducing Barry Bonds. When I look at his numbers I still find it amazing that he was not selected onto the All-Century team. He was replaced with Ken Griffey Jr.I understand that Frank Robinson is a name not unknown to the generations that lived during his career, but to fans these days, he is a foreign name. He was a remarkable player known for his speed and strength in the days before weightlifting began. These days he manages the poor Montreal Expos, and believe me, it’s not his fault they lose. He managed teams years ago, but none were in the shape this year’s Expos team is. Even last year he had Guerrero and Vasquez. Anyways, back to the subject, below I have pulled together all of Robinson’s numbers and awards. I just want anyone who read this article to leave knowing a little bit more about one of baseball’s greatest players who has lived in the shadow of others.

Career Numbers:
2808G; 10006AB; 1829R; 2943H; 528HR; 1812RBI; 204SB; 77CS; 1420BB; 1532SO; .294BA; .389OB%; .537SLG%; 5373TB; 17SH; 218IBB; 198HBP;

He was an All-Star in 1956, 1957, 1959, 1961, 1962, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1969, 1970, 1971, and 1974.

1956-NL Rookie of the Year
1958-NL Gold Glove – LF
1961- NL MVP
1966-AL-MVP
1966-AL-Triple Crown
1966-ML-World Series MVP
1971-ML-All-Star Game MVP
All-Time: The only player to ever win the MVP in both leagues.

Career Comparisons (place):
SLG%: .537 (37)
OBP%: 1.080 (25)
G: 2808 (18)
R: 1829 (13)
H: 2943 (28)
TB: 5373 (9)
2B: 528 (28)
HR: 586 (5)
RBI: 1812-15
BB: 1420-20