Sunday, October 16, 2011

Dan Wheldon Expressed Concern About His Race Car Just 24 Hours Before Fatal Crash In Las Vegas

Just 24 hours before his fatal crash at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Dan Wheldon noted that things hadn't been going very well as he and his team started their pursuit of the $5 million GoDaddy IndyCar Challenge. During Thursday's practice session and Friday's practice and qualifying sessions, they were quite a bit off the pace in the No. 77 Bowers & Wilkins Magnolia/William Rast Dallara/Honda. Off the pace in auto racing can mean as little as three mph off the pace, because the deficit can add up quickly.

Little did he know that it was about to get worse -- a whole lot worse -- on Sunday October 16th. The video below shows what happened. The problem begins with a puff of smoke at the 0.11 second point, and ends up with 15 cars involved:



Dan Wheldon was in the car that went airborne on lap 13, flew for about 200 yards, and smashed into the wall just outside turn 2. Three other drivers, including championship contender Will Power, were hurt in the pileup. The wreck left Townsend Bell upside down and smoldering cars and debris littered the track nearly halfway up the straightaway of the 1.5-mile oval. Wheldon was airlifted to a nearby hosptial, but his injuries proved to be unsurvivable. Bleacher Report has a list of all drivers affected by the crash.

Wheldon was well behind the first wave of cars that got into trouble on the fateful lap, but still had no way to avoid the wrecks in front of him. There was no time to brake or steer out of trouble. "I saw two cars touch each other up in front of me and then I tried to slow down, couldn't slow down," driver Paul Tracy said. "Then Dan's car, from what I saw in the videos, came over my back wheel and over top of me. Just a horrendous accident."

Getting the remaining drivers off the track long enough to clear the track was also a daunting task. Ryan Briscoe explained "The debris we all had to drive through the lap later, it looked like a war scene from Terminator or something. I mean, there were just pieces of metal and car on fire in the middle of the track with no car attached to it and just debris everywhere. So it was scary, and your first thoughts are hoping that no one is hurt because there's just stuff everywhere. Crazy."

By the way, the remainder of the race was cancelled, and drivers did a five-lap tribute to Wheldon after the track was cleared. Points-leader Dario Franchitti, who avoided the crash, ended up clinching his third straight title and fourth overall. Wheldon, a two time Indianapolis 500 winner and former rookie of the year, leaves behind his wife, Susan, and his two kids, Sebastian and Oliver. When someone makes a mistake at 225 miles per hour, there simply is no time to react if one is too close; this is a risk all drivers accept.

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Baseball Prospectus Provides Continuous Updated 2011 Major League Baseball Playoff Projections

Wondering how the pennant races might play out at the end of the 2011 major league baseball season? A website called Baseball Prospectus provides an informed and objective snapshot of the possible outcome.

Baseball Prospectus provides playoff odds for each team, updated daily. Their output is based upon numerous replays using a Monte Carlo simulation model. Screenshots of the latest output, as of 8:51 A.M. PDT on July 20th, 2011, are provided below, along with my own commentary (I omitted the 1-day and 7-day delta columns because of limited pertinence):


A.L. East: Boston and New York are unquestionably the big guns; both have run differentials of greater than +100. Tampa Bay is overmatched. The wild card team is likely to come from this division.

A.L. Central: It is believed Detroit will assert itself and prevail over Cleveland. Apparently, the model expects that Detroit will resolve its inconsistent pitching, and that Cleveland has actually been playing over its head and will revert to a .500 level, barely holding off the Chicago White Sox. The wild card team is unlikely to come from this division.

A.L West: The Texas Rangers are expected to continue winning and pull away from the Los Angeles Angels; the Rangers have had the bats, and now the pitching is rounding into form. The Angels still have the best pitching in the division, but lack the offense needed to dominate. They have to scratch for too many victories, which narrows their margin of error too much. The Mariners are expected to continue sliding downward to the basement. This division is unlikely to produce the wild card.


N.L. East: The Philadelphia Phillies are clearly the class of the league, but the Atlanta Braves are expected to continue in contention. This division is most likely to produce the wild card.

N.L. Central: Clearly up for grabs, with Milwaukee and St. Louis considered the most likely to win the division. Pittsburgh has the same problem as the Angels; good pitching but an inconsistent offense leading to an insufficient margin of error. They're expected to fall back to .500. Cincinnati is considered too inconsistent to compete; they're not expected to launch a second half surge. Houston is headed for their worst won-lost percentage in history. The wild card is unlikely to come from this division.

N.L. West: The San Francisco Giants continue to win despite a low positive run differential; their pitching carries them. Arizona is expected to fall back to a more distant second, but if the Giants don't start hitting more authoritatively, the D-Backs will hang in there until the last week. Then again, Colorado could get hot and overhaul the D-Backs, although the model thinks differently. The wild card is unlikely to come from this division.

A repeat of last year's Texas-San Francisco World Series is possible; both look like they'll make the playoffs. But based upon this year's output, a World Series between Boston and Philadelphia is more likely.

Friday, July 8, 2011

Los Angeles Angels To Call Up Top 50 Prospect Mike Trout To Majors After Injury To Peter Bourjos

The Los Angeles Angels were holding off as long as possible; they wanted 19-year-old Mike Trout to receive full seasoning at the minor league level before giving him a full-blown major league shot next year. But then in the July 7th game against the Seattle Mariners, center fielder Peter Bourjos suffered a strained right hamstring while rounding second on an eighth-inning double, and exited immediately afterward, so the Angels' hand has been forced. And so they've decided to find out what their blue-chip prospect can do at the major league level, since Angels owner Arte Moreno has told General Manager Tony Reagins not to spend any more of his money this year.

Trout broke in at the age of 17, and has hit at every minor league level; his career minor league batting average is .340. In 2010, he was named Minor League Player of the Year by Topps and was honored as the Midwest League MVP for his efforts with Class A Cedar Rapids. This season, he's hitting .330 with 9 home runs and 27 RBIs at their Class AA farm club in Arkansas. He entered the season ranked as the top prospect in all of baseball by ESPN.com, MLB.com and MLB Network, and was also ranked the No. 2 prospect by Baseball America behind Washington prospect Bryce Harper. He is considered to have the five potential tools necessary for stardom; run, throw, field, hit, and hit with power; the ESPN blog "The GM's Office" contains a mid-season scouting report .

"Mike Trout has a chance to be a special player," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said earlier this season. "He can really run, and he loves to compete. He has all the tools and the desire to make things happen." But Trout's visit could be short term, since Bourjos is expected to be back by July 15th. So Trout could be shipped back out at that point, most likely to the Angels' struggling Class AAA farm club in Salt Lake City.

The Angels have already received key contributions from three rookies this year; Mark Trumbo at first base, Jordan Walden as the closer, and Tyler Chatwood in the starting rotation. Walden has just been selected to the A.L. All-Star team to replace Mariano Rivera. Another rookie, Hank Conger, has also contributed in a platoon role behind the plate.

YouTube Video: Texas Rangers Fan Shannon Stone Dies After Falling From Stands At Rangers Ballpark In Arlington

A member of the Brownwood, Texas Fire Department fell over a railing at Arlington Stadium during a game between the Oakland A's and the Texas Rangers on July 7th, 2011 and eventually died of his injuries.

Shannon Stone, an 18-year veteran of the Brownwood Fire Department, was attending the game with his young son. During the second inning, after Oakland's Conor Jackson hit a foul ball that ricocheted into left field, Josh Hamilton retrieved the ball and tossed it into the stands. Stone reached for the ball, caught it, and then tumbled 20 feet down around 7:33 P.M. The video embedded below shows it at the 0:58 point:



The play-by-play announcers knew the man had fallen, but were unaware of the severity; they assumed there was protection in the area. You can even hear one of the announcers chuckling to himself during the subsequent commentary. But Stone didn't die right away; Oakland reliever Brad Ziegler said "They had him on a stretcher. He said, 'Please check on my son. My son was up there by himself.' The people who carried him out reassured him. 'Sir, we'll get your son, we'll make sure he's OK,'. "He had his arms swinging. He talked and was conscious. We assumed he was okay. But when you find out he's not, it's just tough." Safawna Dunn, who was sitting behind the victim, said Stone appeared to have injuries to both arms and was conscious when taken away on a stretcher. Another person said Stone's head was bleeding badly. Stone went into full cardiac arrest en route to John Peter Smith Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 8:26 P.M.

Former president George W. Bush was sitting in the front row with Rangers' team president Nolan Ryan when the accident happened. Ryan left moments later while Bush remained in the seats. Ryan said the former president, who used to be the team's managing general partner and is a frequent visitor to Rangers games, was aware of what was happening.

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Los Angeles Angels Charter Plane Makes Emergency Landing At LAX; Rule 29 Specifies Team Restocking Procedure In Case Of Catastrophe

ESPN reports that on June 1st, 2011, the Los Angeles Angels charter plane flown by Delta Airlines diverted from its intended destination at Orange County's John Wayne Airport and made an emergency landing at Los Angeles International Airport instead because of a mechanical problem. The landing proved to be uneventful and there were no injuries; the 61 people aboard were bussed to Orange County. The situation was a possible hydraulics problem impairing the landing gear. The landing gear apparently had to be lowered mechanically.

Angels first baseman Russell Branyan said that the pilot did an outstanding job. "These guys, they fly us all over the country, not enough can be said for them", Branyan said. Pitcher Rick Thompson tweeted "Glad to be on the ground save, pilot did a he'll of a job bringing the bird down!" KNBC Channel 4 news video embedded below:


View more videos at: http://www.nbclosangeles.com.

Naturally, this story generated questions about what would happen if a major league team was to be decimated by an aircraft mishap or other mass disaster. Major League Baseball has a contingency covering just such a tragedy; it's called Rule 29, the Major League Disaster Plan:

-- Disaster: If a common accident, illness, or event causes the death, dismemberment, or permanent disability from playing professional baseball of (1) at least five players on one team’s active, disables, or suspended list; or (2) at least six players whatsoever on any team, the team shall be a “disabled club”
-- Procedures: In such an event, the following procedures shall take place:
----- Mourning Period: Commissioner has discretion to postpone or cancel games for a period of mourning.
----- Continuation of season: In conjunction with the Players’ Association, the Commissioner may cancel the teams’ season, or may set a date to resume the season.
----- Restocking Draft: The Commissioner has the discretion to hold a Restocking Draft to restock the disabled team with players. Each club shall make five players from its active roster available for the draft. Each team’s list shall include at least one pitcher, one catcher, one infielder, one infielder (at the discretion of the Commissioner). If the club has less than three eligible catchers on its roster, that team need not make a catcher available. Subject to these rules, each team shall include in its list at least as many players with 60+ days of service time as the disabled club lost (up to five). Any player with no-trade rights may not be made available for a restocking draft. Unless those rights are waived. Each team shall warrant that each player it makes available is capable of playing immediately. The names of players on the restocking list shall be confidential. The disabled club may select as many players as it lost, but no more than one from each other team. In its discretion, the Commissioner may also award the disabled club additional selections in the Rule 4 or Rule 5 drafts.
-- Insurance: The Commissioner shall exercise best efforts to maintain appropriate insurance to ensure the financial rehabilitation of the disabled club.

An index to all the rules of MLB is accessible HERE.

The timing of the restocking draft would depend upon when the catastrophe occurred and the team's position in the standings. If the catastrophe occurred early in the season, the restocking draft would likely occur before play was resumed. But if the catastrophe occurred late in the season and the team was already out of contention, the commissioner would likely cancel the remainder of the team's season and delay the restocking draft until the off-season.

The question is what might happen if the catastrophe occurred late in the season and the team was still in contention or had already clinched a postseason berth.

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Hall Of Fame Catcher Gary Carter Diagnosed With Inoperable Glioblastoma, Will Begin Radiation And Chemotherapy Treatment

Doctors treating Hall of Fame major league baseball player Gary Carter have confirmed that he has glioblastoma, a form of cancer which affects the brain and central nervous system. They say surgery is not a good option given the location of the tumor. Instead of surgery, doctors have discussed an aggressive treatment plan entered around chemotherapy and radiation. Carter will return home to Florida to begin the next phase of treatment. According to Carter's daughter, Kimmy Bloemers, doctors further described Carter's four tumors as "a snake of tumors that are connected across the back of the brain." Performing surgery on something like this would be like trying to unravel cooked spaghetti one strand at a time.

Allan H. Friedman and Henry S. Friedman, co-deputy directors of Duke's Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center, issued the following statement:

"The results of biopsies performed on the tumor in Gary Carter's brain have conclusively shown that Mr. Carter has a glioblastoma. While surgery is not a good option given the location of the tumor, we discussed an aggressive treatment plan with Mr. Carter and his family, which will include chemotherapy and radiation. ... Mr. Carter's youth, strong physical condition and fighting spirit will be to his advantage as his treatment commences."

The family of Gary Carter issued a statement of their own:

"While we are saddened by the news we received today, we take comfort in the overwhelming support and prayers that have been extended to our family during this difficult time. ... Gary was always a fierce competitor on the baseball field and that same tenacity will help him not only fight but win this battle. So please join Team Carter and continue to pray with our family."

The drama began when Gary Carter reportedly started forgetting things, repeating questions and feeling tired all the time. He sought medical treatment, and it was first reported on March 21st, 2011 that four small tumors were found. Now they've been confirmed to be malignant. Glioblastoma is considered a particularly aggressive and fast-moving cancer; the average survival rate for patients after surgery, radiation and chemotherapy is 14 ½ months although a few patients have survived as long as 15 years. Carter is 57 years old.

Other major league figures affected by this type of cancer include Bobby Murcer, Tug McGraw, Dick Howser, Dan Quisenberry and Johnny Oates. All are now deceased. Meanwhile, another former major leaguer battling cancer, Tony Gwynn, has a much better prognosis. Gwynn, who is battling parotid cancer, reports that five months after treatment began, all his tests have come back good.

Gary Carter's career record can be viewed on Baseball Reference. He played in the majors from 1974-1992, beginning with the Montreal Expos. In 1975, he was runner-up for National League Rookie of the Year, but his first breakout season was 1977, when he slugged 31 homers with 84 RBIs, and hit .284. Carter was then traded to the New York Mets in 1985; he was instrumental in their world championship run in 1986. Towards the end of his career, he made one-year stops in San Francisco, Los Angeles (NL), and then a final curtain call in Montreal. In 2001, Carter was inducted into the New York Mets Hall of Fame, and in 2003, he was elected to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame; during the same year, he was also elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Carter has been married to his wife, Sandy, since 1975. They have three children - Christy, Kimmy and D.J., and three grandchildren. They reside in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Carter also runs the Gary Carter Foundation, which supports eight Title I schools in Palm Beach County.

It's Official: Winnipeg Back In The NHL, Atlanta Thrashers To Relocate; Winnipeg Hockey Fans Overjoyed

The unfortunate 11-season saga of the Atlanta Thrashers has come to an end. The NHL announced in a news conference on Tuesday May 31st, 2011 that a Canadian group, True North Sports and Entertainment, has reached an agreement to purchase the Thrashers and move them to Winnipeg, Manitoba, effective the 2011-12 season. The sale is still subject to the approval of the NHL’s board of governors, who will meet on June 21 in New York; it is believed the Winnipeg team must sell at least 13,000 season tickets before then to guarantee approval.

By virtue of the reaction in Winnipeg, that should be the least of the team's problems. Video embedded below:



The Winnipeg franchise, yet to be nicknamed, will compete in the Southeast Division and Eastern Conference for at least a year as the league looks at possible realignment for the 2012-13 season. Many Winnipeg fans want the team to be nicknamed the Jets, after their previous franchise, and the NHL has released the name for use if the new ownership wants it.

True North Sports also retains ownership of the existing Winnipeg AHL franchise, the Manitoba Moose, and say they will be a farm club for the new Winnipeg NHL franchise next season. Relocation of the Moose is in the offing; True North Sports has yet to decide where, but are strongly considering St. John's in Newfoundland.

Team President Don Waddell spoke out for the Thrashers, and said they had held out for replacement local ownership in Atlanta for as long as possible. He explained that since a potential buyer in 2009 backed off due in large part to the internecine lawsuits that the Atlanta Spirit ownership group were involved with, there hadn't been a lot of heat for the struggling NHL club. He also said that while there were a number of inquiries since that date, only a handful came from persons or groups with the resources to buy a franchise, and that ultimately no sufficient local offers came forth. Waddell himself does not plan to move to Winnipeg with the team, so he'll be out of a job.

Atlanta Thrashers owner Rutherford Seydel insists the Thrashers "tried their hardest" to keep the team in Atlanta, but SB Nation accuses them of having never entered into actual good faith negotiations with any group interested in keeping the team in place.

The Thrashers didn't help matters on the ice by making the playoffs only one time in their 11-season history. In 2006-7, they were ousted by the New York Rangers 4 games to none in the conference quarterfinals. They promptly regressed thereafter. It is the second time Atlanta has coughed up their NHL franchise, having lost the Flames to Calgary after the 1979-80 season. Fan support was there, but there was piss-poor ownership. Since Atlanta has now lost two NHL franchises, questions are beginning to surface as to whether the Sun Belt can effectively support hockey, and whether other Sun Belt franchises may also try to retrench northward.

Certainly, it is fair to say that Atlanta is unlikely to ever receive another NHL franchise.

Had justice been effectively served, the Phoenix Coyotes would have been the team allowed to move back to Winnipeg. The original Winnipeg Jets moved to Phoenix after the 1995-6 season, not because of lack of fan support, but because of arena issues which have since been resolved. The city of Glendale, Arizona stepped forth at the last moment and rescued the Coyotes with a $25 million bailout -- but that's only good for one year. The Coyotes are still trying to find a buyer; there's a serious rumor afloat that the Coyotes may be Seattle-bound if they can't find a local buyer.

In the final analysis, the reaction of Winnipeg hockey fans makes it all worthwhile. Too bad the Atlanta hockey fans had to get screwed.

Saturday, April 30, 2011

Major League Baseball: If Blown Saves Are Overblown, Then Perhaps Saves Ought To Be Redefined

On April 30th, 2011, ESPN writer Matt Phillip takes issue with the Blown Saves statistic in major league baseball. In a post entitled "Blown saves are overblown", Phillip challenges the notion that blown saves correlate with a team's winning percentage, citing the St. Louis Cardinals as an example. Despite the highly-publicized meltdown of Cardinal's reliever Ryan Franklin, who already has four blown saves this season, the Cards are still 15-11 before action on April 30th.

Phillip cites specific deficiencies with this statistic:

Like its ugly brother, the save, the blown save is a blunt object wielded to bash relievers into easily identified goats.

Consider these weird facts:

* A pitcher who enters a tie game and gives up the lead can’t get a blown save.
* A pitcher who enters with a four-run lead and gives up the lead can’t get a blown save.
* A pitcher can get a blown save if the go-ahead run scores on fielding errors.
* A pitcher who blows a save can also get the win.
* A pitcher can be charged with a blown save even though a run may not even be charged to him.

A blown save is merely a half-inning sample of a ballgame. That means that a team has at least 17 other half-innings in which to win any particular game. What do you call it when the starting pitcher allows a run in the fourth inning with a 7-4 lead? Or a sixth-inning reliever who comes into the game down 3-2 but allows a run to increase his team’s deficit? We don’t call it anything, of course.

Further minimizing the detrimental value of the blown save is the fact that the top two career leaders in blown saves, Goose Gossage (112 blown saves) and Rollie Fingers (109), are in the Hall of Fame. So Matt Phillip notes that more variables explain a team's loss than a single pitcher’s inability to obtain three outs in a particular game.

But perhaps a look at the definition of a Save is also appropriate. Since blown saves are dependent upon saves, then we need to find out if we should re-define a save, as set forth in Rule 10.19 of the Official Rules of Major League Baseball. The current definition of a save indicates the bar may be set too low:

The official scorer shall credit a pitcher with a save when such pitcher meets all four of the following conditions:

1. He is the finishing pitcher in a game won by his team;
2. He is not the winning pitcher;
3. He is credited with at least ⅓ of an inning pitched; and
4. He satisfies one of the following conditions:
----- He enters the game with a lead of no more than three runs and pitches for at least one inning
----- He enters the game, regardless of the count, with the potential tying run either on base, at bat or on deck
----- He pitches for at least three innings

If the pitcher surrenders the lead at any point, he cannot get a save, but he may be credited as the winning pitcher if his team comes back to win. No more than one save may be credited in each game. If a relief pitcher satisfies all of the criteria for a save, except he does not finish the game, he will often be credited with a hold (which is not an officially recognized statistic by Major League Baseball).

If the ultimate objective of a successful save is to shut down the opposing team's rally and preserving your own team's lead, you can see that some changes are in order. First, the potential tying run should already be on base; the batters at the plate and on deck should be considered the reliever's responsibility. Second, the pitcher getting the save should not have to be the finishing pitcher, so long as the lead does not change hands. And finally, get rid of the three inning rule, which is strictly a longevity save. A reliever who enters the game in the seventh inning with a six-run lead and pitches three innings does not deserve a save, because the potential tying run was not on base when he came in.

Here's a typical situation to illustrate this point. Athletics playing the Angels in Anaheim. Top of the eighth, Angels lead 2-1, Ervin Santana weakens and allows two hits. Fernando Rodney comes in, retires the next three batters. Then Jordan Walden comes in at the top of the ninth and retires the side.

Under the present system, Walden would get the save, because he faced the potential tying run at the plate in the top of the ninth. Rodney would be credited with a hold. But with my recommended changes, Rodney would get the save, because he inherited the potentially tying run and shut down the Athletics without the lead changing hands. Walden would probably be credited with a hold, if we still want to use that statistic.

By raising the bar on saves, we make blown saves more meaningful as well. Of course, raising the bar on saves would mean it would be a cold day in hell before a relief pitcher would get 62 saves in a season again. Thirty saves would be the normal max. And this would make the save more directly comparable to a win for a starting pitcher; twenty wins is considered the benchmark of dominance for a starter.

And finally, one other meaningful measure of merit for relievers should not be neglected. Inherited Run Scoring Percentage (IRSP) measures the relationship between the number of baserunners a reliever inherits from his predecessor vs, the number who score. So if a reliever inherited 100 runners during a season, and allowed 20 of them to score, his IRSP would be .200. Some examples are listed HERE to provide a frame of reference. IRSP is also a way to directly compare all relief pitchers, not just the ones used in save situations.

Sunday, April 17, 2011

No Doubt About It: Los Angeles Angels Genuine Contenders In 2011, Sweep White Sox In Chicago; Jordan Walden Passes Gut Check

There's no longer any doubt about it. The Los Angeles Angels have now established themselves as genuine contenders after sweeping the Chicago White Sox in Chicago. Just as importantly, rookie Angels' closer Jordan Walden passed a major gut check.

The Angels won the first two games, 4-3 and 7-2. In the first game, Jordan Walden garnered his second save with minimal effort. So when the Angels built a 4-2 lead in game three, manager Mike Scioscia called upon Walden to slam the door shut in the bottom of the ninth after having used four pitchers. One of those four was Fernando Rodney, the former closer, and he actually had an uneventful outing.

But Walden's outing was hardly uneventful. He did not have his best stuff today. First, Carlos Quentin doubled to right. Alex Rios then walked. After a sacrifice moved the runners to second and third, Alexei Ramirez struck out on three pitches. But then Omar Vizquel walked. Bases loaded, two out.

However, Mike Scioscia stuck with Walden, realizing that working his way out of a jam is a necessary experience for a young reliever. So he let Walden face Juan Pierre, a good slap hitter. Walden repaid Scioscia's confidence; after a strike, he induced Pierre to fly out to left field, grabbing his third save of the year. Final score: 4-2 Angels.

This was Walden's first major gut check -- and he passed it with flying colors. If the Angels do win this year, one of the major decision points will be when Mike Scioscia demoted Fernando Rodney to setup man and promoted Jordan Walden to closer early in the year after Rodney misfired twice in the season-opening series in Kansas City.

But there are other reasons why the Angels will contend. Rookie Mark Trumbo has been an admirable fill-in for Kendrys Morales at first base, hitting for both average and power. Peter Bourjos, already a human vacuum cleaner in center field, has finally breached the Mendoza Line, hitting .224. Shortstop Maice Izturis is hitting .383. Alberto Callaspo is hitting .346 with power. Howard Kendrick is hitting .309 with five homers in 55 at bats. Vernon Wells is finally waking up at the plate; he's up to .148 now. Morales is in the final stages of rehab now and is expected back in May. And the starting duo of Jered Weaver and Dan Haren is being compared to the Braves' famous starting duo of Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine.

But a major test is at hand. The Angels begin a three-game series with the Texas Rangers in Arlington on Monday April 18th. The Rangers got off to a hot start, tattooing the ball all over the place. Lately, they've been slowed a bit by the loss of Josh Hamilton due to a broken arm, but are still a potent force. The Angels are scheduled to pitch Ervin Santana, Matt Palmer, and Jered Weaver during the series; I expect Palmer to lose. If the Angels can emerge from the series with at least one win, it'll show they can play with the big boys. Two wins would be a bonus. Then after Texas comes a four-game series against the Red Sox in Anaheim; despite Boston's slow start, they're not to be taken lightly. The Red Sox could just decide to resurrect themselves against the Angels.

Nonetheless, by sweeping the White Sox in Chicago, the Angels proved they're contenders.

Friday, April 15, 2011

Current 2011 American League Batting Average Of .248 The Lowest Since 1972

The Steroid Era is definitely over. If you think hitting is down in the American League in 2011, you're right; the numbers show it. According to Baseball Reference, the current American League batting average as of April 14th, 2011 is .248

That's the lowest league batting average since 1972, when A.L. batters hit .239. That's also a 12-point drop from the 2010 figure of .260. During the height of the Steroid Era, the A.L. registered figures of .277 in 1996, .276 in 2000, and .275 as recently as 2006.

Other offensive numbers have dropped, but not as noticeably. Home runs per game are only down from 0.97 in 2010 to 0.96 this year. Runs per game are down from 4.45 in 2010 to 4.39 this year (reached a high of 5.39 in 1996). Perhaps in response to the drop in hitting, stolen bases are up from 0.66 per game in 2010 to 0.74 this year as managers scramble to get more out of those batters who get on base. This drop is also reflected in pitching; the league ERA is down to 4.00, the lowest figure since the 3.92 number posted in 1992.

By teams, nine A.L. teams have batting averages of less than .250, and five of those teams are hitting .230 or less at this point of the season. In pitching, seven teams have ERAs of 4.00 or higher, but three teams have ERAs of under 3.00. There were some seasons during the Steroid Era in which no A.L. team had an ERA of under 4.00.

The decline in hitting is not mirrored in the National League. The N.L.'s batting average is currently .258, up from .255 in 2010. The latter figure was the lowest since 1992, which was a down year offensively for all of major league baseball. Stolen bases are up from 0.56 per game in 2010 to 0.71 this year. On the other hand, power is down in the National League, from 0.93 home runs per game in 2010 to 0.85 this year, the lowest since 1992. On the pitching side of the house, league ERA is down slightly to 4.01.

In contrast to the A.L., 13 of the 16 N.L. teams have batting averages of over .250. Four teams are hitting .280 or better. On the pitching side of the house, 10 of the 16 N.L. teams have ERAs of under 4.00, but four teams are over 5.00.

The National League is outhitting the American League even though it's the American League which uses the designated hitter.

Jeremy Lundblad picks up on this trend on ESPN. He notes that while A.L. teams are hitting almost the same at home (.246) as on the road (.247), N.L. teams are substantially better at home (.271) than on the road (.251). He also points out that A.L. teams are hitting .237 at night compared to .256 during the day. And finally, Lundblad reveals an interesting age gap in American League pitching; those who are age 30 or younger combine for a 3.73 ERA, while those older combine for a 5.06 ERA. The American League has received an influx of young pitchers.

As temperatures warm up and pitchers begin to tire, we can expect American League hitting to rebound. But the A.L. is still on track to have its worst hitting season since 1992, at the very least. After the excesses of the Steroid Era, it's good to see some balance back in baseball.

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Billionaire Ron Burkle Surfaces As Possible "Savior" Of The Sacramento Kings; NBA Commish David Stern Intrigued

The drama involving the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association took an interesting turn on April 14th, 2011, and it may result in the Kings staying put.

During the April 14th meeting with the NBA Board of Governors at the St. Regis Hotel in New York City, various parties made their respective pitches. The three Maloof brothers (George, Gavin, and Joe), the current co-owners of the Kings, made a pitch to their fellow owners about what's good and bad about Sacramento and Anaheim. George Maloof claimed they made progress, and are likely to seek formal seek permission to move the team, most likely to Anaheim, by the league-imposed deadline of Monday April 18th. However, he suggested that the Kings could stay in Sacramento if they sense that owners are opposed to the move.

Anaheim Mayor Tom Tait was also present, and later said that he made the case to the NBA that the Anaheim could support the team and that they are very excited. Tait also noted that he did not get questions from the NBA owners he met with. AP news video embedded below:



But overshadowing the Maloofs was the emergence of a possible buyer with serious financial stroke, who wants to keep the Kings in town. Sacramento lobbyist Darius Anderson, representing billionaire Ron Burkle, presented his principal's plan alongside Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson. Burkle, whose wealth is estimated at $3.2 billion, wants to buy the team and keep it in Sacramento. However, it appears he'll insist upon a new arena, although Anderson did not specify who would pay for it. Sacramento voters previously rejected an attempt to build a new arena with tax dollars.

The mere mention of Burkle's name clearly piqued the interest of the most influential voice in the NBA. When Kevin Johnson told Commissioner David Stern he might have a buyer for the Kings, Stern made a crack about it being a local car dealer. But when Johnson mentioned Burkle's name, Stern reportedly got real quiet and said, "You've got Burkle?" Burkle co-owns the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins and was instrumental in getting a new arena built in Pittsburgh to keep the team from moving to Kansas City three years ago.

The Sacramento Bee reports that if Burkle is unsuccessful in his attempt to buy the Kings, and the Kings leave town, he's likely to try to buy another NBA franchise and relocate it to Sacramento. The New Orleans Hornets, a troubled franchise literally taken over by the league in 2010, would be the most likely candidate. Although the Maloofs have previously stated they don't want to sell the Kings, the team's value has steadily declined. According to Forbes, the team's value has dropped from $350 million in 2008 to $293 million this year, ranking the Kings at 24th in the NBA. The prospect of further decline might make an offer by Burkle more attractive.

The best-case scenario would be to keep the Kings in Sacramento. Despite the fact that they've fallen on hard times artistically during the past three years, the fans continue to support the team. Yahoo Sports details the top five moments in Kings' history HERE. Some indicate they'll continue to support the team even if it moves. There's also a potential legislative roadblock to an Anaheim move; the leader of the California state Senate, President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, has introduced a bill requiring the Maloofs to repay a $77 million loan to the city of Sacramento before they can move the club to Anaheim. The bill is broadly worded and would prohibit any professional sports club from relocating within California unless the franchise has paid off its existing debt.

Furthermore, as much as I would like to see Anaheim get an NBA team, the Kings are not the answer. SoCal already has two teams, the Lakers and the Clippers. While both share the Staples Arena, L.A. is Lakertown, and the Clippers will always be the "little brother". A move to Anaheim, preferably without Clippers owner Donald Sterling, would enable them to get a fresh start and develop a true identity of their own.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Human Rights Campaign Gets Campy Because They Think Lakers Superstar Kobe Bryant Called A Referee A "Faggot"

The self-appointed gay rights watchdog Human Rights Campaign (HRC) has called upon Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant to apologize for allegedly calling a referee a "fucking faggot" during an April 12th, 2011 game between the Lakers and the San Antonio Spurs in Los Angeles. They cite as anecdotal evidence the fact that TNT play-by-play announcer Steve Kerr apparently reacted, announcing on the air that TNT "might want to take the camera off him right now, for the children watching". As additional evidence, HRC cites a statement by English rugby star Ben Cohen, described as a straight ally who is a staunch supporter of LGBT equality, in which Cohen condemns Bryant as well.

HRC issued the following statement:

“What a disgrace for Kobe Bryant to use such horribly offensive and distasteful language, especially when millions of people are watching. Hopefully Mr. Bryant will recognize that as a person with such fame and influence, the use of such language not only offends millions of LGBT people around the world, but also perpetuates a culture of discrimination and hate that all of us, most notably Mr. Bryant, should be working to eradicate. Bryant and the Lakers have a responsibility to speak up on this issue immediately. America is watching.”

Another gay-rights watchdog has joined the hunt. The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) has contacted the Lakers and is demanding disciplinary action. Outsports, a LGBT sports website, wants Bryant suspended for one playoff game.

But did Kobe Bryant actually use the word "faggot"? Watch the video below; you'll see it at the 0:35 minute point:

http://youtu.be/t84p7mcK2Pk



It looks like it, but one cannot be absolutely sure. He could have said the phrase "fucking fake". It is also quite possible that Steve Kerr was cautioning the television audience because of the use of the word "fucking". And why does it really matter, anyway; such words are used in the heat of battle. Kobe Bryant has a reputation for being foul-mouthed, but no one has called him out for taking the name of the Lord in vain.

The L.A. Times reports that Bryant expressed public regret over the incident, saying "what I said last night should not be taken literally. My actions were out of frustration during the heat of the game, period. The words expressed do NOT reflect my feelings towards the gay and lesbian communities and were NOT meant to offend anyone." But HRC doesn't think that's good enough because it creates one of those legendary "teachable moments"; presumably, they want him to go on the pro-gay trail and "atone" for his actions. I'm sure HRC wouldn't be too upset if Kobe Bryant shoveled some money at them, either.

Why is Kobe Bryant so upset over a technical foul? Because it's his 15th of the season, and if he reaches 16, he'll face a one-game suspension from the league. But he won't serve the suspension until the first game of the 2011-12 season, because technical foul totals are reset when the playoffs begin. So he won't be suspended during the playoffs, which means he over-reacted.

Update: CNN now reports that the NBA has fined Kobe Bryant $100,000 for "offensive and inexcusable" comments he made during Tuesday night's game. Bryant also personally apologized to HRC President Joe Solomonese. GLAAD has issued a statement supporting the NBA's decision.

Public Reaction: Comments posted to the TMZ story are distinctly unsupportive of HRC.

Posted at 7:58 AM on Apr 13, 2011 by MAXny:
WOW!!! As a proud, proud gay man I DO NOT find it offensive. The Human Rihts Campaign DOESN'T speak for all LGBT persons. Stop making a mountain out of a molehill. There are much bigger problems in the world, than Kobe saying, f*ggot. Stop crying, man up, bitches.

Posted at 8:06 AM on Apr 13, 2011 by Bigeasy:
Stupid made up organization trying to become known over a non-issue. That ref didn't see what Kobe said and I'm sure even the players next to him couldn't hear it. So basically Kobe is being criticized for someone reading his lips and guessing what he said. Get over it.

Posted at 8:09 AM on Apr 13, 2011 by onedollarbill:
Jesus, people need to get the sand out of their collective vagina. So what... Kobe was pissed and said something off color in the moment. I'm sure there is not a person here that hasn't said something insensitive, racist, or other when pissed driving on the freeway. The only reason this is even "news" is that it's coming from someone on TV. The country and its political correctness is one in a long list of things that is wrong.

Posted at 8:11 AM on Apr 13, 2011 by Grace:
I am offended with his use of the f***k word just as much as the next word. Bad language is never acceptable when referring to ANYONE!

Grace makes an interesting point. Why wasn't HRC offended by the use of the OTHER f-word?

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Welcome To Sports Unveiled

This is the second blog of the "Unveiled" series, the other being Mormonism Unveiled. I will be sharing my thoughts and ideas about sports in general, with emphasis on my favorite teams. These include the Los Angeles Angels (who should be called the ANAHEIM Angels, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Los Angeles Lakers, the Los Angeles Clippers (who should move to Anaheim and leave Donald Sterling behind), the Utah Jazz, the Denver Broncos, the Los Angeles Kings, and the Anaheim Ducks. I'll also discuss the best baseball simulation on the market, Strat-O-Matic, from time to time.

Yeah, I spent nine years of my childhood in Orange County, California, where I learned to root for Southern California teams. I started rooting for the Broncos during 1973-75 when I lived in Colorado Springs. And since I have ties to Utah, I root for the Jazz.

I also did root for BYU and Utah, but I'm not too happy about BYU going independent, nor am I pleased with Utah going to the Pac-12. Those teams were the heart and soul of the Mountain West Conference, which was a good conference. But I suppose I hope they do well.

Enjoy the ride.