WGNU 920 AM co-hosts Jack Clark and Kevin Slaten have paid an initial economic price for speculating about the use of steroids by Albert Pujols and Justin Verlander on the air. They have been essentially fired from their radio show after only seven episodes.
Technically, it's not a "firing", since WGNU sells its weekday airtime to insideSTL Enterprises, which has a variety of employment deals with the hosts. So Clark and Slaten were not working directly for the parent company, which means the parent company could not "fire" them. But early on Saturday August 10th, insideSTL Enterprises announced it has terminated its relationship with Jack Clark and Kevin Slaten. To cover their ass and hopefully persuade Albert Pujols to detach them from the coming lawsuit, insideSTL Enterprises said that as independent contractors, they wanted to make it clear that the opinions expressed in WGNU do not necessarily reflect the opinions of insideSTL. In addition, as independent contractors, insideSTL did not have editorial control over the show’s content. Pujols had already vowed to sue both hosts and their employer. But Pujols could still choose to name WGNU as a defendant in the suit.
At least twice in the first week of a program that made its debut August 1st, 2013, Clark said that former Pujols trainer Chris Mihlfeld told him in 2000 that he “shot him up" with steroids. Both were working in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ organization at the time. Clark also has made other steroids allegations about Pujols, attributing them to comments Mihlfeld had made to him more than a decade ago. Clark also questioned whether or not Justin Verlander was also taking steroids because the velocity on his pitches had allegedly decreased during the past two years. Both Pujols and Verlander have strongly denied the allegations.
In response, Jack Clark merely stated that he plans to make a decision on Monday August 12th, although on Twitter he wrote "I completely stand by the story i told 8 days ago about conversations 13 years ago w/ Mihlfeld. He will never admit it", and also wrote "i never accused verlander or [shawn] green of PED use. If u didn't listen to show u don't know". But Kevin Slaten was far more forthcoming and critical of insideSTL, wondering why the company was turning him loose when it was Clark who definitely stated that Pujols was using steroids. Slaten and Clark both said they were told to not only muzzle their comments but also lie to listeners of their show on Friday August 9th after a meeting shortly before the program began when they were ordered not discuss Clark’s comments. The company wanted them to say the phones were malfunctioning. Both Clark and Slaten objected, saying they couldn't run from this. Slaten characterized insideSTL president Tim McKernan as "cowardly and slimy", and said he will sue insideSTL.
Showing posts with label MLB. Show all posts
Showing posts with label MLB. Show all posts
Saturday, August 10, 2013
Friday, August 9, 2013
Jack Clark Accuses Albert Pujols And Justin Verlander Of "Juicing" (Using PEDs); Verlander And Pujols Fire Back, Hinting At Legal Action
Update August 10th: Jack Clark and Kevin Slaten fired from their radio show over the steroid allegations, and Kevin Slaten bares his soul in return. Updated post HERE.
Former major league slugger Jack Clark, who played part of his career with the St. Louis Cardinals, just recently signed on as a radio co-host on WGNU (920 AM), and he's wasting no time trying to goose his ratings. Clark said he "knows for a fact" that Los Angeles Angels' slugger Albert Pujols, who once played for the Cardinals, has used performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs), and also accused Detroit Tigers ace Justin Verlander of using PEDs as well. Fueling the controversy is the fact that after a stellar career, Pujols' body seems to be breaking down in a similar fashion to admitted PED user Mark McGwire in 2000 and 2001, and is currently on the disabled list with plantar fasciitis in his left foot, while Verlander has a comparatively mediocre 12-8, 3.74 record just two years after going 24-5, 2.40.
Clark first voiced the allegations during his show on Friday August 2nd. When co-host Kevin Slaten said he has long believed that Pujols has been a juicer, Clark jumped in and said, “I know for a fact he was. The trainer that worked with him, threw him batting practice from Kansas City, that worked him out every day, basically told me that’s what he did.” Clark also pointed his fickle finger of suspicion at Verlander, saying that although Verlander once threw 97, 98, 100 miles an hour from the first inning to the ninth inning, he can now bareley reach 92, 93 miles per hour since signing that big contract. Clark's premise is that some players deliberately juice up in order to get bigger contracts, then slack off so they don't get nailed on drug tests.
However, the trainer in question, Chris Mihlfeld, completely rebuts the story. Mihlfield said he hasn't even talked to Jack Clark in close to 10 years, and denounced Clak's statements as false. He added that he has known Albert Pujols since he was 18 years old and asserted that Pujols would never use illegal drugs in any way, saying "I would bet my life on it and probably drop dead on the spot if I found out he has". As for Pujols himself, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times is reporting that Pujols has vowed to take legal action against Clark and his present employer, identified as InsideSTL Enterprises, but offered no further specifics. ESPN recorded a complete statement by Pujols confirming his intention to sue and noting that he has been tested hundreds of times throughout his career and never once has he tested positive.
Justin Verlander also wasted little time in responding. Prior to the Tigers' August 9th game against the New York Yankees, Verlander said "It's moronic, look at the source. It's moronic to talk about something you know nothing about and clearly ... he's not watching." Verlander also rebutted Clark's claim that Verlander has lost speed off his pitches, saying that he hit 97 mph and 100 mph in his most recent start. Verlander also might be considering legal action against Clark, although he declined to comment on whether he and his attorney have discussed taking those steps.
Jack Clark has been one of the most fervent crusaders against PEDs in major league baseball and has been vociferous in his criticism of players who juiced. After Mark McGwire admitted to steroid use in 2010, Clark also came out firing, saying "All those guys are cheaters. A-Rod [Alex Rodriguez]. Fake, phony. Rafael Palmeiro. Fake, a phony. [Roger] Clemens, [Barry] Bonds, [Sammy] Sosa. Fakes, phonies. They don't deserve to be in the Hall of Fame. They should all be in the Hall of Shame. They can afford to build it. They've all got so much money. And they could all go there and talk about the next way to rub something on your skin. The whole thing is creepy. "They're all creeps. All these guys have been liars."
Former major league slugger Jack Clark, who played part of his career with the St. Louis Cardinals, just recently signed on as a radio co-host on WGNU (920 AM), and he's wasting no time trying to goose his ratings. Clark said he "knows for a fact" that Los Angeles Angels' slugger Albert Pujols, who once played for the Cardinals, has used performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs), and also accused Detroit Tigers ace Justin Verlander of using PEDs as well. Fueling the controversy is the fact that after a stellar career, Pujols' body seems to be breaking down in a similar fashion to admitted PED user Mark McGwire in 2000 and 2001, and is currently on the disabled list with plantar fasciitis in his left foot, while Verlander has a comparatively mediocre 12-8, 3.74 record just two years after going 24-5, 2.40.
Clark first voiced the allegations during his show on Friday August 2nd. When co-host Kevin Slaten said he has long believed that Pujols has been a juicer, Clark jumped in and said, “I know for a fact he was. The trainer that worked with him, threw him batting practice from Kansas City, that worked him out every day, basically told me that’s what he did.” Clark also pointed his fickle finger of suspicion at Verlander, saying that although Verlander once threw 97, 98, 100 miles an hour from the first inning to the ninth inning, he can now bareley reach 92, 93 miles per hour since signing that big contract. Clark's premise is that some players deliberately juice up in order to get bigger contracts, then slack off so they don't get nailed on drug tests.
However, the trainer in question, Chris Mihlfeld, completely rebuts the story. Mihlfield said he hasn't even talked to Jack Clark in close to 10 years, and denounced Clak's statements as false. He added that he has known Albert Pujols since he was 18 years old and asserted that Pujols would never use illegal drugs in any way, saying "I would bet my life on it and probably drop dead on the spot if I found out he has". As for Pujols himself, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times is reporting that Pujols has vowed to take legal action against Clark and his present employer, identified as InsideSTL Enterprises, but offered no further specifics. ESPN recorded a complete statement by Pujols confirming his intention to sue and noting that he has been tested hundreds of times throughout his career and never once has he tested positive.
Justin Verlander also wasted little time in responding. Prior to the Tigers' August 9th game against the New York Yankees, Verlander said "It's moronic, look at the source. It's moronic to talk about something you know nothing about and clearly ... he's not watching." Verlander also rebutted Clark's claim that Verlander has lost speed off his pitches, saying that he hit 97 mph and 100 mph in his most recent start. Verlander also might be considering legal action against Clark, although he declined to comment on whether he and his attorney have discussed taking those steps.
Jack Clark has been one of the most fervent crusaders against PEDs in major league baseball and has been vociferous in his criticism of players who juiced. After Mark McGwire admitted to steroid use in 2010, Clark also came out firing, saying "All those guys are cheaters. A-Rod [Alex Rodriguez]. Fake, phony. Rafael Palmeiro. Fake, a phony. [Roger] Clemens, [Barry] Bonds, [Sammy] Sosa. Fakes, phonies. They don't deserve to be in the Hall of Fame. They should all be in the Hall of Shame. They can afford to build it. They've all got so much money. And they could all go there and talk about the next way to rub something on your skin. The whole thing is creepy. "They're all creeps. All these guys have been liars."
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Week Four Of The 2013 Season Not A Good One For The Los Angeles Angels As They Go 2-5 And Drop To 9-15 For The Season
The inspiring three-game sweep of the Detroit Tigers by the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim on April 19-21 did not prove to be a precursor to success during Week Four of the 2013 MLB season. The Angels dropped two of three to the Texas Rangers in Anaheim, although two of the games were tightly contested, and then lost three of four to the Mariners in Seattle, although two of the losses were by one run. Against Texas, the Angels had hitting but the pitching was weak; against Seattle, the pitching came around but the bats died, particularly in the last two games.
The Rangers came to Anaheim on April 22-24. In the April 22nd opener, the Angels jumped out to a 6-3 lead after six innings, fueled by Josh Hamilton's 4-for-4 performance. However, the Rangers started pecking away at rookie relievers Mike Roth and Dane de la Rosa in the top of the seventh, knotting it up at 6-6 when Scott Downs bobbled Jeff Baker's high chopper in front of the plate, permitting Adrian Beltre to score the tying run. Then in the top of the ninth, Ernesto Frieri served up a 386-foot blast to A.J. Pierzynski with two out, giving the Rangers the lead and eventually the game, 7-6.
On April 23rd, the Angels once again took the early lead, 4-0 after five innings, and once again the Rangers came back to tie it up. In the top of the sixth, with one out and two on, Nelson Cruz blasted one 439 feet off Jason Vargas to make it 4-3. Then in the top of the eighth, with Scott Downs on the hill for the Angels, two on and nobody out, David Murphy grounded into a double play, but Adrian Beltre scored on the fielder's choice. Game now tied 4-4. An error by Andrew Romine prolonged the inning; without the error, the double play would have ended the inning. But this game would end up differently, with goose eggs being exchanged until the bottom of the 11th. With one out, Howie Kendrick smacked a Joe Ortiz pitch 402 feet into center field to end the game, 5-4 Angels.
The April 24th game turned out to be an unmitigated disaster -- for the Angels. Rookie Mike Roth was given his first start of the year, and for three innings, he matched zeroes with Rangers' ace Yu Darvish. Then came the top of the fourth. The first five Texas batters reached base against Roth. The onslaught continued after David Carpenter relieved Roth; with two out and the Rangers already leading 3-0, Lance Berkman stroked a two-run single to make it 5-0. Still not hopeless yet, though. After the Rangers scored again to make it 6-0, Nelson Cruz slammed a three-run homer to make it 9-0. Now it became hopeless. In the sixth, the Rangers added two more runs to make it 11-0. Finally in the eight, with Yu Darvish long gone, the Angels woke up at scored three runs, but it was merely an afterthought. Final score: Rangers 11, Angels 3. The one positive note in the game was three scoreless and hitless innings by Jerome Williams, long after the game had been effectively decided. The Angels are now 2-4 against Texas this year.
On to Seattle for a four-game series against the Mariners. The April 25th opener, played before only 13,000 paying fans, was all Seattle. The Mariners scored two in the third, two in the seventh, and two more in the eighth. The big blow was Carlos Peguero's 451-foot solo moon shot in the third, the third-longest home run in Safeco Field history. However, Kyle Seager, 3-for-4 with three RBIs, and Jason Bay, 2-for-4 with two RBIs, sealed the Angels' fate as their hitters were virtually helpless against three Mariners pitchers. Brandon Maurer pitched the first 6.1 innings and got the win, while Garrett Richards was fairly strong for the Angels early, eventually allowing five runs in 7.1 innings. No Angel got more than one hit.
On April 26th, the Angels decided to jump off the blocks early, building a 5-0 lead after three innings on the strength of two-run homers by Hank Conger and Mark Trumbo. Meanwhile, C.J. Wilson was smoking on the hill for the Angels, striking out nine batters in only 5.1 innings. But Wilson had thrown 110 pitches, and it showed in the bottom of the sixth when the Mariners struck for two more runs, adding to the run they scored in the bottom of the fourth. But a parade of four more Angels pitchers were able to slam the door, and after the Angels added another run in the top of the seventh, they won 6-3.
The game of April 27th featured a pitching duel between the Mariners' "King Felix" Hernandez and the Angels' Joe Blanton. Blanton pitched his best game of the season, but it ultimately didn't prove good enough. The Angels struck first with two runs in the top of the third, one coming on Chris Ianetta's solo shot, his third of the year. But the Mariners tied it in the bottom of the sixth with a two-run homer by Jesus Montero, then after Mike Roth relieved Blanton in the seventh, Roth allowed an RBI single to former Angel Kendrys Morales. The Mariners held, winning 3-2.
The final game on April 28th featured a pitching duel between former Mariner Jason Vargas and current Mariner Hisashi Iwakuma, and Vargas was anxious to get payback on his ex-mates. The teams exchanged goose eggs until the top of the sixth inning, when the Angels drew first blood after Andrew Romine scored on an error. But victory was not in the cards for Vargas on this day, although he had enough gas to throw a complete game. In the bottom of the seventh, Jason Bay launched a bases-empty home run for the Mariners to tie it up. Then in the bottom of the eighth, Michael Morse launched one of his own to put the Mariners in front, 2-1. The lead stood up and the Angels lost three of four in this series, sinking to fourth place and a 9-15 record. The Angels are now 1-3 against Seattle this year. Illustrating the Angels offensive futility in this final game was the fact that Mike Trout, Albert Pujols, Josh Hamilton and Mark Trumbo combined to go 0-for-16 with six strikeouts.
What's coming up? A three-game trip to Oakland on April 29th, 30th, and May 1st. The A's eviscerated the Angels, outscoring them 28-11 during a three-game visit to Anaheim on April 9-11. However, the A's have fallen on hard times recently, dropping eight of nine games to fall from a season high of 12-4 to 13-12 before rallying to beat the Orioles in Oakland on April 28th. The A's are now 14-12, and could be vulnerable if the Angels can mesh their hitting and their pitching together. The Angels really need to win two out of three against Oakland to start some momentum. The upcoming week then closes out with a four-game series against the Baltimore Orioles in Anaheim; the Birds are in the thick of the A.L. East chase with a 15-10 record. The Angels need to win three out of four against Baltimore.
Once again, the vultures are circling around Mike Scioscia. The latest ESPN Power Rankings posted on April 29th have the Angels at number 19, no change from the previous week. They write "The Angels lead the AL in batting average, but are near the top of the league in runners left on base. They'll get a boost this week with Erick Aybar expected to return to the lineup, but will it be enough to keep them in contention?"
Facts and Stats:
-- Current Standings
-- Latest Individual Hitting Stats
-- Latest Individual Pitching Stats
The Rangers came to Anaheim on April 22-24. In the April 22nd opener, the Angels jumped out to a 6-3 lead after six innings, fueled by Josh Hamilton's 4-for-4 performance. However, the Rangers started pecking away at rookie relievers Mike Roth and Dane de la Rosa in the top of the seventh, knotting it up at 6-6 when Scott Downs bobbled Jeff Baker's high chopper in front of the plate, permitting Adrian Beltre to score the tying run. Then in the top of the ninth, Ernesto Frieri served up a 386-foot blast to A.J. Pierzynski with two out, giving the Rangers the lead and eventually the game, 7-6.
On April 23rd, the Angels once again took the early lead, 4-0 after five innings, and once again the Rangers came back to tie it up. In the top of the sixth, with one out and two on, Nelson Cruz blasted one 439 feet off Jason Vargas to make it 4-3. Then in the top of the eighth, with Scott Downs on the hill for the Angels, two on and nobody out, David Murphy grounded into a double play, but Adrian Beltre scored on the fielder's choice. Game now tied 4-4. An error by Andrew Romine prolonged the inning; without the error, the double play would have ended the inning. But this game would end up differently, with goose eggs being exchanged until the bottom of the 11th. With one out, Howie Kendrick smacked a Joe Ortiz pitch 402 feet into center field to end the game, 5-4 Angels.
The April 24th game turned out to be an unmitigated disaster -- for the Angels. Rookie Mike Roth was given his first start of the year, and for three innings, he matched zeroes with Rangers' ace Yu Darvish. Then came the top of the fourth. The first five Texas batters reached base against Roth. The onslaught continued after David Carpenter relieved Roth; with two out and the Rangers already leading 3-0, Lance Berkman stroked a two-run single to make it 5-0. Still not hopeless yet, though. After the Rangers scored again to make it 6-0, Nelson Cruz slammed a three-run homer to make it 9-0. Now it became hopeless. In the sixth, the Rangers added two more runs to make it 11-0. Finally in the eight, with Yu Darvish long gone, the Angels woke up at scored three runs, but it was merely an afterthought. Final score: Rangers 11, Angels 3. The one positive note in the game was three scoreless and hitless innings by Jerome Williams, long after the game had been effectively decided. The Angels are now 2-4 against Texas this year.
On to Seattle for a four-game series against the Mariners. The April 25th opener, played before only 13,000 paying fans, was all Seattle. The Mariners scored two in the third, two in the seventh, and two more in the eighth. The big blow was Carlos Peguero's 451-foot solo moon shot in the third, the third-longest home run in Safeco Field history. However, Kyle Seager, 3-for-4 with three RBIs, and Jason Bay, 2-for-4 with two RBIs, sealed the Angels' fate as their hitters were virtually helpless against three Mariners pitchers. Brandon Maurer pitched the first 6.1 innings and got the win, while Garrett Richards was fairly strong for the Angels early, eventually allowing five runs in 7.1 innings. No Angel got more than one hit.
On April 26th, the Angels decided to jump off the blocks early, building a 5-0 lead after three innings on the strength of two-run homers by Hank Conger and Mark Trumbo. Meanwhile, C.J. Wilson was smoking on the hill for the Angels, striking out nine batters in only 5.1 innings. But Wilson had thrown 110 pitches, and it showed in the bottom of the sixth when the Mariners struck for two more runs, adding to the run they scored in the bottom of the fourth. But a parade of four more Angels pitchers were able to slam the door, and after the Angels added another run in the top of the seventh, they won 6-3.
The game of April 27th featured a pitching duel between the Mariners' "King Felix" Hernandez and the Angels' Joe Blanton. Blanton pitched his best game of the season, but it ultimately didn't prove good enough. The Angels struck first with two runs in the top of the third, one coming on Chris Ianetta's solo shot, his third of the year. But the Mariners tied it in the bottom of the sixth with a two-run homer by Jesus Montero, then after Mike Roth relieved Blanton in the seventh, Roth allowed an RBI single to former Angel Kendrys Morales. The Mariners held, winning 3-2.
The final game on April 28th featured a pitching duel between former Mariner Jason Vargas and current Mariner Hisashi Iwakuma, and Vargas was anxious to get payback on his ex-mates. The teams exchanged goose eggs until the top of the sixth inning, when the Angels drew first blood after Andrew Romine scored on an error. But victory was not in the cards for Vargas on this day, although he had enough gas to throw a complete game. In the bottom of the seventh, Jason Bay launched a bases-empty home run for the Mariners to tie it up. Then in the bottom of the eighth, Michael Morse launched one of his own to put the Mariners in front, 2-1. The lead stood up and the Angels lost three of four in this series, sinking to fourth place and a 9-15 record. The Angels are now 1-3 against Seattle this year. Illustrating the Angels offensive futility in this final game was the fact that Mike Trout, Albert Pujols, Josh Hamilton and Mark Trumbo combined to go 0-for-16 with six strikeouts.
What's coming up? A three-game trip to Oakland on April 29th, 30th, and May 1st. The A's eviscerated the Angels, outscoring them 28-11 during a three-game visit to Anaheim on April 9-11. However, the A's have fallen on hard times recently, dropping eight of nine games to fall from a season high of 12-4 to 13-12 before rallying to beat the Orioles in Oakland on April 28th. The A's are now 14-12, and could be vulnerable if the Angels can mesh their hitting and their pitching together. The Angels really need to win two out of three against Oakland to start some momentum. The upcoming week then closes out with a four-game series against the Baltimore Orioles in Anaheim; the Birds are in the thick of the A.L. East chase with a 15-10 record. The Angels need to win three out of four against Baltimore.
Once again, the vultures are circling around Mike Scioscia. The latest ESPN Power Rankings posted on April 29th have the Angels at number 19, no change from the previous week. They write "The Angels lead the AL in batting average, but are near the top of the league in runners left on base. They'll get a boost this week with Erick Aybar expected to return to the lineup, but will it be enough to keep them in contention?"
Facts and Stats:
-- Current Standings
-- Latest Individual Hitting Stats
-- Latest Individual Pitching Stats
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Los Angeles Angels Sweep Detroit Tigers In Anaheim On April 19-21, But A Hot Texas Rangers Squad Is Next
Last Sunday, I thought maybe the 2013 Los Angeles Angels had finally turned the corner on their disappointing start after they beat the Houston Astros two out of three in Anaheim and, most importantly, getting good pitching in the last two games of that series. But that was temporarily derailed after two straight losses to the Twins in Minnesota. On April 15th, the Twins clubbed the Angels 8-2, lighting up Joe Blanton for four runs on nine hits in 4.2 innings, and then sealing the Angels' fate with three more runs against reliever Mark Lowe. On April 16th, the Angels came a bit closer, battling back to tie the game 4-4 after 3.1 innings, but starter Jason Vargas couldn't hold them, and reliever Jerome Williams continued his on-again, off-again pattern by being tagged for three runs in 3.1 innings. The Angels battled back from an 8-4 deficit with two in the top of the ninth, but fell short, 8-6. The April 17th game was postponed.
Here we go again; Angels now 4-10.
But then a ray of hope appeared back in Anaheim. In the first game of a three-game series against the defending American League champion Detroit Tigers on April 19th, the Angels broke out to a 3-0 lead behind a solid performance by Tommy Hanson. But Angel fans, knowing the pitching problems, couldn't relax -- until the bottom of the eighth inning, when the Angels broke loose for five runs to take an 8-0 lead. The big blow was a bases-loaded triple by Peter Bourjos, who went three-for-four in the game. The Angels made a controversial move by batting Bourjos first and moving Mike Trout down to the number two spot in the order, and it seems to be working. The Tigers fired back with a token run in the top of the ninth before bowing 8-1.
On April 20th, the Angels decided not to keep their fans in suspense for seven innings. In the bottom of the first, they exploded for nine runs enroute to a 10-0 win over the Tigers. The big blow was a grand slam home run by Mike Trout in his second at bat of the inning, turning a 5-0 start into a 9-0 route and sending Tigers' starter Rick Porcello to the showers. But the other good news for the Angels was Garrett Richards' second good start of the season -- this time, seven innings of shutout ball. He allowed only two hits, walked none, and struck out eight, lowering his season ERA to 2.55. If he keeps this up, Mike Scioscia needs to put him in the rotation full time, and bump either Joe Blanton or Jason Vargas, whichever of the two is worse. We could answer that question as early as April 22nd when Blanton opens against the Texas Rangers. On the Tigers' side of the house, Drew Smyly pitched 5.2 innings of shutout relief, striking out seven; with Rick Porcello struggling, Smyly may have just become a candidate to replace him in the rotation.
On April 21st, Angel fans had to wait 13 innings for a decision. After spotting the Tigers a 1-0 lead, the Angels lashed out with three runs in the bottom of the third, sparked by Albert Pujols' two-run double. However, the Tigers knotted it up at 3-3 in the top of the fifth after Prince Fielder launched one into the seats with a man on. From there, the two teams exchanged goose eggs until the bottom of the thirteenth, although Angels' reliever Ernesto Frieri dodged a serious bullet in the top of the ninth. Frieri faced a bases-loaded situation with two out after giving up a hit and walking two, but he induced Victor Martinez to fly out. Then in the bottom of the 13th, with nobody out, Mark Trumbo launched Phil Coke's 3-1 pitch into the left field seats to seal the Tigers' doom, 4-3. As a result, the Tigers fall to 9-9, while the Angels improve to 7-10. Getting the win was the on-again, off-again Jerome Williams, who was "on" again with three scoreless innings, allowing just two hits. Now if Williams could just learn to be a bit more consistent...
Prognosis: This week, the turnaround may be for real. While the games were at Anaheim, the opponent was not the Houston Astros, a team in transition. The opponent was the Detroit Tigers, a legitimate contender. Furthermore, the Angels outscored the Tigers 22-4 in the series, although 14 of the runs came in two big innings. The April 21st game may be a bit more representative of how the Angels can play against another contender.
But...the Angels have the Texas Rangers on their menu next. Although they'll be playing in Anaheim, the Rangers just came off a three-game sweep of the Seattle Mariners in Texas, outscoring the Mariners 23-3. The Mariners are also in transition, but are not that bad. The Rangers are now 12-6, while the Mariners dwindle to 7-13. The Angels are outhitting the Rangers .287 to .245 so far this season, but the Rangers are outpitching them by a wider margin, with an ERA of 2.72 vs. 4.81 for the Angels. Scheduled starters for the Angels are Joe Blanton (0-3), Jason Vargas (0-2), and Tommy Hanson (2-1). Even at home, it will be tough for the Angels to win two out of three, which is what they need to keep their momentum going. A sweep of the Rangers would be real icing on the cake, but that's highly improbable. And now we've learned that Albert Pujols is not at 100 percent -- he's struggling with plantar fasciitis, an inflammation in his left foot. Pujols said he felt discomfort while running to second base on his double. Josh Hamilton is down to .176, going through what Pujols did last April. On the other hand, relief pitcher Michael Kohn has made a successful return from injury, pitching a scoreless inning in the 10-0 win over Detroit, so that will further stabilize the bullpen.
ESPN Power Rankings posted on April 22nd have the Angels at number 19, up four places from the previous week. They write "A walk-off home run from Mark Trumbo on Sunday capped a three-game sweep of the defending AL champion Tigers. It was the Halos' first sweep of the year, indicating they may have found the groove they've been searching for all season. The Angels need to keep the ball rolling as the Rangers roll into town on Monday".
Facts and Stats:
-- Current Standings
-- Latest Individual Hitting Stats
-- Latest Individual Pitching Stats
Here we go again; Angels now 4-10.
But then a ray of hope appeared back in Anaheim. In the first game of a three-game series against the defending American League champion Detroit Tigers on April 19th, the Angels broke out to a 3-0 lead behind a solid performance by Tommy Hanson. But Angel fans, knowing the pitching problems, couldn't relax -- until the bottom of the eighth inning, when the Angels broke loose for five runs to take an 8-0 lead. The big blow was a bases-loaded triple by Peter Bourjos, who went three-for-four in the game. The Angels made a controversial move by batting Bourjos first and moving Mike Trout down to the number two spot in the order, and it seems to be working. The Tigers fired back with a token run in the top of the ninth before bowing 8-1.
On April 20th, the Angels decided not to keep their fans in suspense for seven innings. In the bottom of the first, they exploded for nine runs enroute to a 10-0 win over the Tigers. The big blow was a grand slam home run by Mike Trout in his second at bat of the inning, turning a 5-0 start into a 9-0 route and sending Tigers' starter Rick Porcello to the showers. But the other good news for the Angels was Garrett Richards' second good start of the season -- this time, seven innings of shutout ball. He allowed only two hits, walked none, and struck out eight, lowering his season ERA to 2.55. If he keeps this up, Mike Scioscia needs to put him in the rotation full time, and bump either Joe Blanton or Jason Vargas, whichever of the two is worse. We could answer that question as early as April 22nd when Blanton opens against the Texas Rangers. On the Tigers' side of the house, Drew Smyly pitched 5.2 innings of shutout relief, striking out seven; with Rick Porcello struggling, Smyly may have just become a candidate to replace him in the rotation.
On April 21st, Angel fans had to wait 13 innings for a decision. After spotting the Tigers a 1-0 lead, the Angels lashed out with three runs in the bottom of the third, sparked by Albert Pujols' two-run double. However, the Tigers knotted it up at 3-3 in the top of the fifth after Prince Fielder launched one into the seats with a man on. From there, the two teams exchanged goose eggs until the bottom of the thirteenth, although Angels' reliever Ernesto Frieri dodged a serious bullet in the top of the ninth. Frieri faced a bases-loaded situation with two out after giving up a hit and walking two, but he induced Victor Martinez to fly out. Then in the bottom of the 13th, with nobody out, Mark Trumbo launched Phil Coke's 3-1 pitch into the left field seats to seal the Tigers' doom, 4-3. As a result, the Tigers fall to 9-9, while the Angels improve to 7-10. Getting the win was the on-again, off-again Jerome Williams, who was "on" again with three scoreless innings, allowing just two hits. Now if Williams could just learn to be a bit more consistent...
Prognosis: This week, the turnaround may be for real. While the games were at Anaheim, the opponent was not the Houston Astros, a team in transition. The opponent was the Detroit Tigers, a legitimate contender. Furthermore, the Angels outscored the Tigers 22-4 in the series, although 14 of the runs came in two big innings. The April 21st game may be a bit more representative of how the Angels can play against another contender.
But...the Angels have the Texas Rangers on their menu next. Although they'll be playing in Anaheim, the Rangers just came off a three-game sweep of the Seattle Mariners in Texas, outscoring the Mariners 23-3. The Mariners are also in transition, but are not that bad. The Rangers are now 12-6, while the Mariners dwindle to 7-13. The Angels are outhitting the Rangers .287 to .245 so far this season, but the Rangers are outpitching them by a wider margin, with an ERA of 2.72 vs. 4.81 for the Angels. Scheduled starters for the Angels are Joe Blanton (0-3), Jason Vargas (0-2), and Tommy Hanson (2-1). Even at home, it will be tough for the Angels to win two out of three, which is what they need to keep their momentum going. A sweep of the Rangers would be real icing on the cake, but that's highly improbable. And now we've learned that Albert Pujols is not at 100 percent -- he's struggling with plantar fasciitis, an inflammation in his left foot. Pujols said he felt discomfort while running to second base on his double. Josh Hamilton is down to .176, going through what Pujols did last April. On the other hand, relief pitcher Michael Kohn has made a successful return from injury, pitching a scoreless inning in the 10-0 win over Detroit, so that will further stabilize the bullpen.
ESPN Power Rankings posted on April 22nd have the Angels at number 19, up four places from the previous week. They write "A walk-off home run from Mark Trumbo on Sunday capped a three-game sweep of the defending AL champion Tigers. It was the Halos' first sweep of the year, indicating they may have found the groove they've been searching for all season. The Angels need to keep the ball rolling as the Rangers roll into town on Monday".
Facts and Stats:
-- Current Standings
-- Latest Individual Hitting Stats
-- Latest Individual Pitching Stats
Saturday, April 13, 2013
Have The 2013 Los Angeles Angels Finally Turned The Corner After A Come-From-Behind 5-4 Win Over The Houston Astros?
The Los Angeles Angels, who stumbled into Game #2 of a three-game home series against the Houston Astros on Saturday April 13th, 2013, appeared to be on their way to another loss when they trailed 4-1 after seven innings. But they staged a come-from-behind 5-4 over the Astros, leading this Angel fan to wonder if perhaps the worst is over and the high-priced, multi-talented Angels will start playing up to their championship potential.
The Angels entered the game mired in a five-game losing streak. They had been swept three straight at home by Oakland, outscored 28-11. They lost the opener to Houston 5-0, barely making a peep offensively. Their 2-8 start matched the 1961 Angels for the team's worst start in history. And after seven innings of Saturday's game, it looked like another setback as they trailed Houston 4-1.
But then in the bottom of the eighth, the Angels woke up. Albert Pujols led off with a single. Then with one out, Mark Trumbo doubled, sending Pujols to third. Howie Kendrick hit what was supposed to be a sacrifice fly to right field, but Astros right fielder J. D. Martinez turned it into an error, scoring Pujols and sending Trumbo to third, while Kendrick hustled to second base on Martinez' slow recovery. It was now 4-2 Astros, still one out. Then Chris Ianetta hit a sacrifice fly to center field for the second out, scoring Trumbo, but when Kendrick reversed course and tried to go back to second, he was thrown out. Inning ended with the Astros leading 4-3.
Could the unthinkable happen? With one out in the bottom of the ninth, Luis Jimenez walked. Then with two out, Mike Trout singled, sending Jimenez to second. Up stepped Pujols -- a much different hitter than he was in 2012. Pujols smacked a 1-0 pitch deep into left field for a double, scoring both Jimenez and Trout. Angels win, 5-4. Also noteworthy was Josh Hamilton's first home run of the season; he's struggled offensively, perhaps trying too hard to impress his new teammates and the Angels' fans.
For the second day in a row, the Angels' much-maligned and much-ravaged pitching staff performed competitively. Garrett Richards, starting in place of the injured Jered Weaver, allowed a credible four runs, three hits and three walks over 6 1/3 innings, in the process becoming the first Angels starter this season to get past the sixth inning. After Sean Burnett pitched two-thirds of a scoreless inning, allowing a hit that allowed one of Richards' runs to score and a sacrifice fly that led to another run, putting the Astros up 4-1 at that point, Michael Roth, who had just been called up from Double-A Arkansas to replace the injured Kevin Jepsen, pitched the last two innings and slammed the door shut, striking out four and allowing no hits or walks. Roth deservedly got the win in what is only his second year in pro baseball, and Halos Daily says Roth can hit the low 90s with his fastball, gets a unique break on his breaking ball because of a low 3/4 arm slot, and shows a pretty solid changeup. Roth has even blogged about his minor league experiences.
The Angels' pitching has been a source of trouble all season so far, beginning in spring training. In Cactus League competition, the Angels coughed up 229 runs, worst in all of baseball, leading to a 10-20 record. However, most of the runs were given up by pitchers who didn't make the big club, so there weren't too many worries. Then came the three-game disaster against Oakland, when they were outscored by 17 runs. After the first loss to Houston, the team ERA soared to 5.38. The vultures began circling over the head of the previously untouchable manager Mike Scioscia. On Sunday, C.J. Wilson will take the hill for the final game against Houston; since Wilson is now the de facto ace with Weaver laid up, a strong performance from him is necessary to get the Angels on a roll. A three-game series in Minnesota early next week gives the Angels an opportunity to pick up some ground before concluding the week with a tough series against the Tigers in Detroit.
Facts and Stats:
-- Current Standings
-- Latest Individual Hitting Stats
-- Latest Individual Pitching Stats
The Angels entered the game mired in a five-game losing streak. They had been swept three straight at home by Oakland, outscored 28-11. They lost the opener to Houston 5-0, barely making a peep offensively. Their 2-8 start matched the 1961 Angels for the team's worst start in history. And after seven innings of Saturday's game, it looked like another setback as they trailed Houston 4-1.
But then in the bottom of the eighth, the Angels woke up. Albert Pujols led off with a single. Then with one out, Mark Trumbo doubled, sending Pujols to third. Howie Kendrick hit what was supposed to be a sacrifice fly to right field, but Astros right fielder J. D. Martinez turned it into an error, scoring Pujols and sending Trumbo to third, while Kendrick hustled to second base on Martinez' slow recovery. It was now 4-2 Astros, still one out. Then Chris Ianetta hit a sacrifice fly to center field for the second out, scoring Trumbo, but when Kendrick reversed course and tried to go back to second, he was thrown out. Inning ended with the Astros leading 4-3.
Could the unthinkable happen? With one out in the bottom of the ninth, Luis Jimenez walked. Then with two out, Mike Trout singled, sending Jimenez to second. Up stepped Pujols -- a much different hitter than he was in 2012. Pujols smacked a 1-0 pitch deep into left field for a double, scoring both Jimenez and Trout. Angels win, 5-4. Also noteworthy was Josh Hamilton's first home run of the season; he's struggled offensively, perhaps trying too hard to impress his new teammates and the Angels' fans.
For the second day in a row, the Angels' much-maligned and much-ravaged pitching staff performed competitively. Garrett Richards, starting in place of the injured Jered Weaver, allowed a credible four runs, three hits and three walks over 6 1/3 innings, in the process becoming the first Angels starter this season to get past the sixth inning. After Sean Burnett pitched two-thirds of a scoreless inning, allowing a hit that allowed one of Richards' runs to score and a sacrifice fly that led to another run, putting the Astros up 4-1 at that point, Michael Roth, who had just been called up from Double-A Arkansas to replace the injured Kevin Jepsen, pitched the last two innings and slammed the door shut, striking out four and allowing no hits or walks. Roth deservedly got the win in what is only his second year in pro baseball, and Halos Daily says Roth can hit the low 90s with his fastball, gets a unique break on his breaking ball because of a low 3/4 arm slot, and shows a pretty solid changeup. Roth has even blogged about his minor league experiences.
The Angels' pitching has been a source of trouble all season so far, beginning in spring training. In Cactus League competition, the Angels coughed up 229 runs, worst in all of baseball, leading to a 10-20 record. However, most of the runs were given up by pitchers who didn't make the big club, so there weren't too many worries. Then came the three-game disaster against Oakland, when they were outscored by 17 runs. After the first loss to Houston, the team ERA soared to 5.38. The vultures began circling over the head of the previously untouchable manager Mike Scioscia. On Sunday, C.J. Wilson will take the hill for the final game against Houston; since Wilson is now the de facto ace with Weaver laid up, a strong performance from him is necessary to get the Angels on a roll. A three-game series in Minnesota early next week gives the Angels an opportunity to pick up some ground before concluding the week with a tough series against the Tigers in Detroit.
Facts and Stats:
-- Current Standings
-- Latest Individual Hitting Stats
-- Latest Individual Pitching Stats
Friday, December 14, 2012
If You Can't Outpitch Them, Outhit Them: Los Angeles Angels Lose Out On Zack Greinke, Take Josh Hamilton As Consolation Prize
I guess Los Angeles Angels' General Manager Jerry Dipoto decided that if you can't outpitch them, then you outhit them instead. After losing out on the Zack Greinke sweepstakes to the Los Angeles Dodgers, they scored a valuable consolation prize in hard-hitting Texas Rangers' outfielder Josh Hamilton, signing him to a five-year, $125 million contract. This is less than the guaranteed $147 million for six years offered Greinke by the Dodgers.
Hamilton would become the Angels' left fielder, joining Mike Trout in center field and Mark Trumbo in left field. He is younger and adds considerably more power than the departed left fielder Torii Hunter, who chose to sign with Detroit. While Josh Hamilton has a reputation for streakiness on offense and has had to work through a few personal issues, he is still one of the most dangerous offensive players in the game. In 2012, he smacked a career-high 43 home runs and drove in 128 runs; he's hit as high as .359 in 2010.
But all this offense was displayed as a Texas Ranger. The Rangers play their home games in one of the most hitter-friendly parks in the major leagues. In contrast, Anaheim Stadium is more of a pitcher's park. So can Hamilton produce offensively in Anaheim? ESPN's Michael Veneziano seems to think so; his analysis revealed that only one the homers Hamilton hit last year would not have gone out of Anaheim Stadium.
However, Rangers Ballpark sits at a higher elevation and has warmer temperatures during the summer, both of which cause balls to go further. In contrast, night games at Anaheim Stadium are played at sea level and the air is cooler and heavier when the marine layer moves in. Thus we can expect some decrease in Hamilton's home run totals. How much? Let's look at Albert Pujols for an example. In his first year as an Angel in 2012, he dropped from 37 homers to 30. While some of that may be attributable to adjusting to American League pitching, some of it must also be attributable to the stadium. Thus we can expect Josh Hamilton to produce 30-35 home runs; anything beyond 35 would be a bonus. Combined with a .300 batting average, that would be a productive year. By the way, Hamilton is batting .260 and slugging .440 at Angels Stadium in his career, while he has a .315 BA and .592 slugging percentage at Rangers Ballpark.
Hamilton would become the Angels' left fielder, joining Mike Trout in center field and Mark Trumbo in left field. He is younger and adds considerably more power than the departed left fielder Torii Hunter, who chose to sign with Detroit. While Josh Hamilton has a reputation for streakiness on offense and has had to work through a few personal issues, he is still one of the most dangerous offensive players in the game. In 2012, he smacked a career-high 43 home runs and drove in 128 runs; he's hit as high as .359 in 2010.
But all this offense was displayed as a Texas Ranger. The Rangers play their home games in one of the most hitter-friendly parks in the major leagues. In contrast, Anaheim Stadium is more of a pitcher's park. So can Hamilton produce offensively in Anaheim? ESPN's Michael Veneziano seems to think so; his analysis revealed that only one the homers Hamilton hit last year would not have gone out of Anaheim Stadium.
However, Rangers Ballpark sits at a higher elevation and has warmer temperatures during the summer, both of which cause balls to go further. In contrast, night games at Anaheim Stadium are played at sea level and the air is cooler and heavier when the marine layer moves in. Thus we can expect some decrease in Hamilton's home run totals. How much? Let's look at Albert Pujols for an example. In his first year as an Angel in 2012, he dropped from 37 homers to 30. While some of that may be attributable to adjusting to American League pitching, some of it must also be attributable to the stadium. Thus we can expect Josh Hamilton to produce 30-35 home runs; anything beyond 35 would be a bonus. Combined with a .300 batting average, that would be a productive year. By the way, Hamilton is batting .260 and slugging .440 at Angels Stadium in his career, while he has a .315 BA and .592 slugging percentage at Rangers Ballpark.
Thursday, December 6, 2012
As Zack Greinke Eyes Texas, Los Angeles Angels Sign Starter Joe Blanton And Reliever Sean Burnett
It appears that those of us Angels fans who were hoping that Zack Greinke would re-sign with the Halos will be disappointed. The word from ESPN on December 6th, 2012 is that he's leaning towards the Texas Rangers, which will make them stronger. Update: Greinke eventually signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers for six years at a guaranteed $147 million.
But it appears the Angels already accounted for that possibility. On December 5th, they announced the signing of free agent Joe Blanton to a two-year contract worth $15 million, with a club option for a third year. The right-hander split time between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2012, compiling a 10-13, 4.71 record.
The one advantage Blanton brings to the table is that he can eat up innings -- when he's healthy. Blanton missed much of 2011 with a right elbow injury. In 2012, he worked 191 innings. He also knows where he's throwing; he walked only 34 batters and struck out 167 for an excellent 4.88 strikeouts-to-walks ratio. Unfortunately, he either doesn't put enough mustard on the ball, or else he can't move it around the strike zone deceptively enough, because he also yielded 207 hits and served up 29 homers. Ervin Santana had the same problem in 2012, and the Angels dumped him to Kansas City for a song. Halos Daily points out that the heavier air at Anaheim Stadium could suppress Blanton's gopher balls, and that some of those deep flies could be reeled in by flyhawks such as Peter Bourjos and Mike Trout. Blanton's career ERA is 4.37, and in only two seasons did he post an ERA of less than 4.00. This is offset somewhat by a winning 83-75 lifetime record.
So now an Angels starting rotation of Jered Weaver, C.J. Wilson, Tommy Hanson, and Joe Blanton takes shape, with Jerome Williams and Garrett Richards competing for the number five spot. This is a rotation which can win if backed up by a good bullpen. And the Angels took another step towards strengthening that bullpen by signing left-handed middle reliever Sean Burnett away from the Washington Nationals pending completion of a physical. Despite posting a 1-2, 2.38 record with 31 holds in 2012, Burnett pitched the entire second half with a bone spur in his left elbow, which required relatively minor surgery following the postseason, so the physical is a precaution to determine his recovery progress. The Los Angeles Times reports that Burnett signed for two years at $8 million.
Thus Burnett joins a bullpen already headed up by Ernesto Frieri, Kevin Jepsen, and newcomer Ryan Madson. Despite Frieri's success as a closer in 2012, the Angels have already penciled in Madson as their closer for 2013, thinking that Frieri can be more helpful as a middle reliever where they were plagued with inconsistency in 2012. Madson had 32 saves for the Phillies in 2011; he was injured all of 2012. Scott Downs is also slated to return in 2013.
Maybe it's a good thing that the Angels decided to get two lesser but still useful pitchers for the same price they would have paid for Zack Greinke.
But it appears the Angels already accounted for that possibility. On December 5th, they announced the signing of free agent Joe Blanton to a two-year contract worth $15 million, with a club option for a third year. The right-hander split time between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2012, compiling a 10-13, 4.71 record.
The one advantage Blanton brings to the table is that he can eat up innings -- when he's healthy. Blanton missed much of 2011 with a right elbow injury. In 2012, he worked 191 innings. He also knows where he's throwing; he walked only 34 batters and struck out 167 for an excellent 4.88 strikeouts-to-walks ratio. Unfortunately, he either doesn't put enough mustard on the ball, or else he can't move it around the strike zone deceptively enough, because he also yielded 207 hits and served up 29 homers. Ervin Santana had the same problem in 2012, and the Angels dumped him to Kansas City for a song. Halos Daily points out that the heavier air at Anaheim Stadium could suppress Blanton's gopher balls, and that some of those deep flies could be reeled in by flyhawks such as Peter Bourjos and Mike Trout. Blanton's career ERA is 4.37, and in only two seasons did he post an ERA of less than 4.00. This is offset somewhat by a winning 83-75 lifetime record.
So now an Angels starting rotation of Jered Weaver, C.J. Wilson, Tommy Hanson, and Joe Blanton takes shape, with Jerome Williams and Garrett Richards competing for the number five spot. This is a rotation which can win if backed up by a good bullpen. And the Angels took another step towards strengthening that bullpen by signing left-handed middle reliever Sean Burnett away from the Washington Nationals pending completion of a physical. Despite posting a 1-2, 2.38 record with 31 holds in 2012, Burnett pitched the entire second half with a bone spur in his left elbow, which required relatively minor surgery following the postseason, so the physical is a precaution to determine his recovery progress. The Los Angeles Times reports that Burnett signed for two years at $8 million.
Thus Burnett joins a bullpen already headed up by Ernesto Frieri, Kevin Jepsen, and newcomer Ryan Madson. Despite Frieri's success as a closer in 2012, the Angels have already penciled in Madson as their closer for 2013, thinking that Frieri can be more helpful as a middle reliever where they were plagued with inconsistency in 2012. Madson had 32 saves for the Phillies in 2011; he was injured all of 2012. Scott Downs is also slated to return in 2013.
Maybe it's a good thing that the Angels decided to get two lesser but still useful pitchers for the same price they would have paid for Zack Greinke.
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Dan Haren Reportedly Signs With Washington Nationals Pending Physical; May Come Back To Haunt The Angels
ESPN is reporting that Los Angeles Angels pitcher Dan Haren, whose contract was bought out by the Angels for $3.5 million in November, has signed with the Washington Nationals, although the signing is contingent upon a successful physical. Haren's performance was impeded by back problems during the 2012 season. Halos Daily reports the contract is for one year at $13.0 million.
If healthy, Dan Haren would provide veteran leadership to a Nationals rotation already including Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez, Jordan Zimmermann and Ross Detwiler, which helped lead the Nats to the National League Eastern Division title in 2012. One of Haren's past strengths has been his durability; he's made at least 30 starts in eight straight years. Last year was his first time on the disabled list.
However, this move could come back to bite the Angels in the ass. The Angels already dumped Ervin Santana, who blew up to a 9-13, 5.16 record in 2012 when he coughed up an AL-leading 39 home runs, and it is uncertain if they can re-sign Zack Greinke, who's being arduously romanced by the free-spending Los Angeles Dodgers as of this post. The Angels did try to fill the prospective gap by trading reliever Jordan Walden to Atlanta for starter Tommy Hanson, but guess what? Like Dan Haren, Hanson also had back problems in 2012. Hanson was 10-5, 3.71 before the All-Star break, but 3-5, 5.69 in the second half after he went on the disabled list from July 31st to August 17th with a lower back strain.
I guess the Angels think a 26-year-old with a back history is a less risky investment than a 31-year-old with a back history.
The Angels still have 20-win ace Jered Weaver and C.J. Wilson, but Wilson was a bit inconsistent during the second half of the season. After getting off to a 9-4, 2.36 start through June 26th, Wilson went 4-6, 5.24 the rest of the way. Then there's Greinke -- IF he can be re-signed. Then there's Hanson, who must prove he's overcome his back problems. Then we have to hope that Jerome Williams and Garrett Richards can pan out; both were inconsistent at times in 2012. While Williams at least has pinpoint control, the same cannot be said for Richards, who walked one batter every two innings.
If Greinke doesn't re-sign and Williams and Richards don't rise to the occasion, the Angels will wish they had Haren back, particularly if Haren returns to form. Haren is a workhorse who can eat up innings. Perhaps the Angels got a bit gun-shy after being burned so bad by Scott Kazmir and disappointed by Joel Piniero, but it's possible they may have pulled the trigger on Dan Haren a bit too quickly. If Haren's back to normal, the Washington Nationals become the overwhelming favorite to win the N.L. East in 2013 -- and can be spoken of as a potential World Series champion.
If healthy, Dan Haren would provide veteran leadership to a Nationals rotation already including Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez, Jordan Zimmermann and Ross Detwiler, which helped lead the Nats to the National League Eastern Division title in 2012. One of Haren's past strengths has been his durability; he's made at least 30 starts in eight straight years. Last year was his first time on the disabled list.
However, this move could come back to bite the Angels in the ass. The Angels already dumped Ervin Santana, who blew up to a 9-13, 5.16 record in 2012 when he coughed up an AL-leading 39 home runs, and it is uncertain if they can re-sign Zack Greinke, who's being arduously romanced by the free-spending Los Angeles Dodgers as of this post. The Angels did try to fill the prospective gap by trading reliever Jordan Walden to Atlanta for starter Tommy Hanson, but guess what? Like Dan Haren, Hanson also had back problems in 2012. Hanson was 10-5, 3.71 before the All-Star break, but 3-5, 5.69 in the second half after he went on the disabled list from July 31st to August 17th with a lower back strain.
I guess the Angels think a 26-year-old with a back history is a less risky investment than a 31-year-old with a back history.
The Angels still have 20-win ace Jered Weaver and C.J. Wilson, but Wilson was a bit inconsistent during the second half of the season. After getting off to a 9-4, 2.36 start through June 26th, Wilson went 4-6, 5.24 the rest of the way. Then there's Greinke -- IF he can be re-signed. Then there's Hanson, who must prove he's overcome his back problems. Then we have to hope that Jerome Williams and Garrett Richards can pan out; both were inconsistent at times in 2012. While Williams at least has pinpoint control, the same cannot be said for Richards, who walked one batter every two innings.
If Greinke doesn't re-sign and Williams and Richards don't rise to the occasion, the Angels will wish they had Haren back, particularly if Haren returns to form. Haren is a workhorse who can eat up innings. Perhaps the Angels got a bit gun-shy after being burned so bad by Scott Kazmir and disappointed by Joel Piniero, but it's possible they may have pulled the trigger on Dan Haren a bit too quickly. If Haren's back to normal, the Washington Nationals become the overwhelming favorite to win the N.L. East in 2013 -- and can be spoken of as a potential World Series champion.
Friday, November 30, 2012
AP Survey Indicates Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, And Sammy Sosa Won't Get Enough Votes For The Hall Of Fame In 2013
Apparently the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) can't overlook the association of Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and Sammy Sosa with performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs). On November 30th, 2012, ESPN reports that a survey of prospective voters by the Associated Press indicates that Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and Sammy Sosa will not get enough votes for induction into the Hall of Fame on their first try in 2013. In fact, Sosa fares worst of all.
Players need to be named on at least 75 percent on BBWAA ballots for inclusion. Ballots must be submitted to the BBWAA by December 31st, and selections will be announced on January 9th, 2013. Inductions will take place on July 28th. Among voters who expressed an opinion, Bonds received 45 percent support, Clemens 43 percent and Sosa 18 percent. To gain election, Bonds and Clemens would need more than 80 percent support among the voters not surveyed and Sosa would need to get more than 85 percent.
Bonds has denied knowingly using steroids, although a positive test was introduced as evidence during his criminal trial in 2011, in which the jury hung. Clemens has repeatedly denied drug use and was acquitted in 2012 on charges he lied to Congress when he said he didn't take steroids or human growth hormone. Although Sosa was among the 104 positive tests in baseball's 2003 anonymous survey, he told a congressional committee in 2005 that he never took illegal performance-enhancing drugs. But despite the denials, David Lariviere still thinks there's enough evidence against the three, writing "As a voter for 20 years, there is no way I could vote for any of these three men simply because there is more than enough evidence that they cheated at least once and, most likely, more often. Obviously, there’s no way to know how often they used the performance-enhancing drugs and how much it elevated their statistics, which should automatically disqualify them" in Forbes. But Lariviere presents no objective evidence, believing that mere association with PEDs automatically creates a character issue.
Also typical of those opposed to their inclusion is Thom Loverro, a columnist for The Washington Examiner, who wrote "No one would dare say that Bonds, a seven-time National League MVP with 762 home runs, isn't a Hall of Famer. Nor would anyone say that Clemens, with 354 career victories, 4,672 strikeouts and seven Cy Young Awards, shouldn't be enshrined in Cooperstown. The same goes for Sosa, who finished with 609 career home runs, including 243 of them from 1998 through 2001. Except they cheated -- all of them. And this Hall of Fame is not just about numbers. Three of the six criteria for election to Cooperstown are sportsmanship, integrity and character. Bonds, Sosa and Clemens fail on all three counts."
But typical of those who don't object to their inclusion is San Francisco Chronicle columnist Bruce Jenkins, who wrote in an e-mail response "The Hall of Fame's 'character' clause should be stricken immediately, because it's far too late to turn Cooperstown into a church. Whether it was gambling (rampant in the early 20th century), scuffing the baseballs, corking bats, amphetamines or steroids, players have been cheating like crazy forever. It's an integral, if unsavory, part of the culture. I've always had the same criteria: which players were the best performers of their particular era -- so absolutely, I'll vote for Bonds, Clemens and Sosa."
The distinction between Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens on the one hand, and Sammy Sosa on the other, also has to do with their career records. Jim Caple of ESPN.com believes Bonds and Clemens have stronger resumes than Sosa. The public echoes this distinction in a current Sports Nation poll which now shows Bonds with 44.5 percent, Clemens with 44.0 percent, and Sosa with only 25.7 percent. I agree with this assessment because Bonds and Clemens were more consistent throughout their careers, while Sosa was not particularly productive during the first four years of his career. But Jon Greenberg of ESPN Chicago thinks Sosa's "good" years were simply too good for Sosa to be delayed or passed up.
Bleacher Report writes, "Regardless of what you think of them as people, there was nothing illegal about what they did and they weren't the only ones doing it. Voting individuals need to get off their high horses and address the different baseball culture that existed in the early '90s and 2000s". And the "cheating" argument loses its punch when you consider that Gaylord Perry, who wrote a book confessing to using the spitter as his "out" pitch for several years, is ALSO in the Hall of Fame. Unless Bonds, Clemens, and Sosa either confess to using PEDs or objective evidence appears, this should not ban them from the Hall of Fame.
Players need to be named on at least 75 percent on BBWAA ballots for inclusion. Ballots must be submitted to the BBWAA by December 31st, and selections will be announced on January 9th, 2013. Inductions will take place on July 28th. Among voters who expressed an opinion, Bonds received 45 percent support, Clemens 43 percent and Sosa 18 percent. To gain election, Bonds and Clemens would need more than 80 percent support among the voters not surveyed and Sosa would need to get more than 85 percent.
Bonds has denied knowingly using steroids, although a positive test was introduced as evidence during his criminal trial in 2011, in which the jury hung. Clemens has repeatedly denied drug use and was acquitted in 2012 on charges he lied to Congress when he said he didn't take steroids or human growth hormone. Although Sosa was among the 104 positive tests in baseball's 2003 anonymous survey, he told a congressional committee in 2005 that he never took illegal performance-enhancing drugs. But despite the denials, David Lariviere still thinks there's enough evidence against the three, writing "As a voter for 20 years, there is no way I could vote for any of these three men simply because there is more than enough evidence that they cheated at least once and, most likely, more often. Obviously, there’s no way to know how often they used the performance-enhancing drugs and how much it elevated their statistics, which should automatically disqualify them" in Forbes. But Lariviere presents no objective evidence, believing that mere association with PEDs automatically creates a character issue.
Also typical of those opposed to their inclusion is Thom Loverro, a columnist for The Washington Examiner, who wrote "No one would dare say that Bonds, a seven-time National League MVP with 762 home runs, isn't a Hall of Famer. Nor would anyone say that Clemens, with 354 career victories, 4,672 strikeouts and seven Cy Young Awards, shouldn't be enshrined in Cooperstown. The same goes for Sosa, who finished with 609 career home runs, including 243 of them from 1998 through 2001. Except they cheated -- all of them. And this Hall of Fame is not just about numbers. Three of the six criteria for election to Cooperstown are sportsmanship, integrity and character. Bonds, Sosa and Clemens fail on all three counts."
But typical of those who don't object to their inclusion is San Francisco Chronicle columnist Bruce Jenkins, who wrote in an e-mail response "The Hall of Fame's 'character' clause should be stricken immediately, because it's far too late to turn Cooperstown into a church. Whether it was gambling (rampant in the early 20th century), scuffing the baseballs, corking bats, amphetamines or steroids, players have been cheating like crazy forever. It's an integral, if unsavory, part of the culture. I've always had the same criteria: which players were the best performers of their particular era -- so absolutely, I'll vote for Bonds, Clemens and Sosa."
The distinction between Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens on the one hand, and Sammy Sosa on the other, also has to do with their career records. Jim Caple of ESPN.com believes Bonds and Clemens have stronger resumes than Sosa. The public echoes this distinction in a current Sports Nation poll which now shows Bonds with 44.5 percent, Clemens with 44.0 percent, and Sosa with only 25.7 percent. I agree with this assessment because Bonds and Clemens were more consistent throughout their careers, while Sosa was not particularly productive during the first four years of his career. But Jon Greenberg of ESPN Chicago thinks Sosa's "good" years were simply too good for Sosa to be delayed or passed up.
Bleacher Report writes, "Regardless of what you think of them as people, there was nothing illegal about what they did and they weren't the only ones doing it. Voting individuals need to get off their high horses and address the different baseball culture that existed in the early '90s and 2000s". And the "cheating" argument loses its punch when you consider that Gaylord Perry, who wrote a book confessing to using the spitter as his "out" pitch for several years, is ALSO in the Hall of Fame. Unless Bonds, Clemens, and Sosa either confess to using PEDs or objective evidence appears, this should not ban them from the Hall of Fame.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Why Barry Bonds And Roger Clemens Deserve Election To The Major League Baseball Hall Of Fame
I can think of no better excuse to re-start this blog than the latest Hall of Fame ballot which has just been published on November 28th, 2012. Included on the ballot are three prominent superstars who are suspected to have used performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) during their careers -- Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and Sammy Sosa. For all three, it is their first time on the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) ballot; they will each need to be named on at least 75 percent of the BBWAA ballots to qualify for induction. The outcome will be announced on January 9th, 2013.
All three have imposing credentials. Barry Bonds is the all-time home run champion with 762 and won a record seven MVP awards. Roger Clemens set a record with seven Cy Young trophies and Sammy Sosa hit 609 homers. But all three were linked to PEDs, although unlike Mark McGwire, who's also on the ballot this year for his seventh time, they've never admitted to using the drugs. I've hot-linked their names to the career stats on Baseball Reference.
Reaction to their possible induction is mixed. Much of the public seems receptive, since none of the three admitted to using PEDs. Here's a screenshot of a Sports Nation public poll currently in progress.
However, Curt Schilling, currently an ESPN analyst who's on the HOF ballot for the first time this year, said he'd never vote for them. "Here's the thing, it generally goes this way with people who are caught doing stuff: You generally never catch someone on the first go-around. These guys to some degree or another in different cases cheated and in some cases cheated for a lengthy period of time", said Schilling.
The problem is that so many players were linked to PEDs during the "Steroid Era" of the late 90s/early 00s that you would have to keep out the lion's share of superstars who played during that era. Is it their fault that the Lords of Baseball refused to recognize the problem and take corrective measures during that time? Furthermore, these players didn't take PEDs to get high; they took them to get more out of their bodies. Conscious of the fact that they were making seven-figure salaries at the time, they felt the need to get more out of the physical tools that already put them at the top of their game. Just because these superstars were making gargantuan salaries doesn't mean they didn't still take personal pride. They wanted to help their teams win -- and prolong their careers as long as possible.
Consequently, unless they suddenly admit they took PEDs, I would consider Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens to be slam dunks for admission to the HOF this year. In the case of Sammy Sosa, I'm not so enthusiastic -- while he hit 609 career home runs, he was not consistent throughout his entire career. His first four years were rather ordinary, and he aged quickly in his 30s, so Sosa should wait. I predict of the three, Roger Clemens may have the best chance to get selected this year, since he succesfully defended himself in two trials for allegedly lying to Congress (although Congress never gets put on trial for lying to us).
All three have imposing credentials. Barry Bonds is the all-time home run champion with 762 and won a record seven MVP awards. Roger Clemens set a record with seven Cy Young trophies and Sammy Sosa hit 609 homers. But all three were linked to PEDs, although unlike Mark McGwire, who's also on the ballot this year for his seventh time, they've never admitted to using the drugs. I've hot-linked their names to the career stats on Baseball Reference.
Reaction to their possible induction is mixed. Much of the public seems receptive, since none of the three admitted to using PEDs. Here's a screenshot of a Sports Nation public poll currently in progress.
However, Curt Schilling, currently an ESPN analyst who's on the HOF ballot for the first time this year, said he'd never vote for them. "Here's the thing, it generally goes this way with people who are caught doing stuff: You generally never catch someone on the first go-around. These guys to some degree or another in different cases cheated and in some cases cheated for a lengthy period of time", said Schilling.
The problem is that so many players were linked to PEDs during the "Steroid Era" of the late 90s/early 00s that you would have to keep out the lion's share of superstars who played during that era. Is it their fault that the Lords of Baseball refused to recognize the problem and take corrective measures during that time? Furthermore, these players didn't take PEDs to get high; they took them to get more out of their bodies. Conscious of the fact that they were making seven-figure salaries at the time, they felt the need to get more out of the physical tools that already put them at the top of their game. Just because these superstars were making gargantuan salaries doesn't mean they didn't still take personal pride. They wanted to help their teams win -- and prolong their careers as long as possible.
Consequently, unless they suddenly admit they took PEDs, I would consider Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens to be slam dunks for admission to the HOF this year. In the case of Sammy Sosa, I'm not so enthusiastic -- while he hit 609 career home runs, he was not consistent throughout his entire career. His first four years were rather ordinary, and he aged quickly in his 30s, so Sosa should wait. I predict of the three, Roger Clemens may have the best chance to get selected this year, since he succesfully defended himself in two trials for allegedly lying to Congress (although Congress never gets put on trial for lying to us).
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.
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.
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:
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:
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.
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 family of Gary Carter issued a statement of their own:
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.
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.
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:
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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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