Since I am ordering the show tonight, I thought I might as well give some pre-match thoughts and projections.
Royal Rumble Match
Always a good show. I am a bit wary though on the HHH show. I find his character stale and his matches generally dull. It is not that he is not a good wrestler, but he is terribly methodical. Every time he wrestles a big gimmick match you know it is going 20+ minutes. HHH/Orton at Wrestlemania does not interest me in the slightest. The only thing that might make it watchable is an Evolution Fatal Four-way. In this match though, you have either HHH or the Undertaker, unless WWE throws a major curveball. Other storylines heading in are the Hornswaggle/Finlay saga, and that's about it. We'll see.
Jeff Hardy vs. Randy Orton
You know the IWC are still marks at heart. Everyone wants WWE to put Jeff over in this match although it really doesn't make good long-term booking sense. It would devalue Orton as champion even if they gave him the belt back, and Jeff as champion would not have a ready opponent apart from the Orton rematch. I'd love to see a title change though, because we're all marks at heart. Jeff has become one of WWE's better talents, and it will be a great moment when he does win the title, here or in the future.
Edge vs. Rey Mysterio
No one really believes Mysterio has a shot here.
MVP vs. Ric Flair
Again, everyone buys Flair coming out on top, possibly thanks to Matt Hardy. This Rumble card is really devoid of suspense, which makes me believe that they might try a surprise on at least one of the matches.
JBL vs. Chris Jericho
I think there might be money in a gimmick match down the road, though they would be crazy to try a blood feud blowoff on the same card as an elimination chamber, and I do not know if they can drag this out until Wrestlemania. This match honestly though gives Jericho his best shot at a great match in two years. Hopefully he can deliver.
I picked up Volume One of the Royal Rumble Anthology (1988-92) from Amazon.com. At $35 any of these sets is a great value, as each event comes out at $7 apiece. I do not know how many of you were WWF fans in the early '90s, but Coliseum Video copies of the events used to run in the neighborhood of $60. Next time your elderly neighbor complains about prices these days, remember not everything has gotten more expensive.
1988 Royal Rumble
It is harder to judge this event against the others, because it was not a standard Pay-per-view event. This show was essentially an episode of Saturday Night's Main Event with an extended battle royal attached. The Royal Rumble was not outstanding and not dull, and you got a Jumping Bomb Angels match in the deal. I still think the Islanders/Young Stallions match is poor. No crowd heat whatsoever and nearly ten minutes in-between falls. Given the show live must have run close to three hours, it has more of a vibe of "let's get this over with."
1989 Royal Rumble
The Rumble enough is solid enough but the undercard is very weak once you get past the opening tag bout. (Rougeaus and Dino Bravo against Hacksaw Jim Duggan and the Hart Foundation.) Actually there are only four matches on the show, including the Royal Rumble. The Rumble itself is again fairly good, with Demolition entering one/two, the compelling Hogan/Savage angle, the Savage/Bad News Brown feud, and the Hogan/Twin Towers feud coming into play. The match dies off with Hogan's elimination, but watching DiBiase get his comeuppance makes the match watchable.
1990 Royal Rumble
As a kid I used to fast-forward through the undercards to get to the Rumble match itself. As a result, I missed the Valentine/Garvin feud. There is great stuff between those two guys, and their submission match is a great battle of psychology, with each guy sporting their own shinguards, losing them mid-match, Garvin pelting Valentine with his own shinguard to set up the finish. Up until 2000-02 gave us some good Rumbles, this was the second best of the bunch.
1991 Royal Rumble
For the first time, this disc gave me the opportunity to watch Koko B. Ware vs. The Mountie (it was cut from the CV version). It does not matter much, but it would bug people who are completists. The overriding theme here is the patriotism in the wake of the Iraqi War. Vince really mis-measured fan reaction and it caused him to set up a drastic failure in Hogan/Slaughter at Wrestlemania VII. The first hint should have been the end of the Warrior/Slaughter match. Security guards line the aisle for Sarge's return to the dressing room, and the fan hatred is lukewarm at best. As an aside, it is amusing that Slaughter stayed with the AWA until the bitter end and never held the title. Yet Vince gave him the WWF title within six months.
1992 Royal Rumble
Let me take a few moments and lay out the reasons why this Rumble match is whitout question the greatest of all time. Not only is it a great match, it links all the participants together and just about every point of the match means something in the grander scheme. The match is really split into two parts. Part one is the prologue, Ric Flair enters third, Bobby Heenan goes apoplectic, and Flair fights for survival. The first part is setting up Flair for ironman status. There comes a point where Flair eliminates the Boss Man and Flair is left alone for several seconds. Then the fun starts with Roddy Piper entering the fray. Then Jake Roberts with his heel character, alternatively turning on Piper and Flair as the situation dictates. You have the Undertaker entering, the Savage/Roberts feud, the Hogan/Flair feud, Sid Justice becoming a legitimate force, etc. It is solid action for the last 20-30 minutes, and watching 15 years later I am surprised how quickly everything unfolds after number 30 enters.
The whole set and each event is an easy thumbs up really. I will not do star ratings, but let me take a shot at ranking the matches.
Rumbles
1. 1992
2. 1990
3. 1991
4. 1989
5. 1988
Non-Rumble Matches
1. Rockers vs. Orient Express, 1991
2. Ron Garvin vs. Greg Valentine, 1990
3. Jumping Bomb Angels vs. Glamour Girls, 1988
4. Jim Duggan/Hart Foundation vs. Dino Bravo/Rougeaus, 1989
5. Roddy Piper vs. The Mountie, 1992
Greatest Moments
1. Ric Flair wins WWF Title, 1992
2. Virgil turns face, 1991
3. Roddy Piper shocks the Mountie, 1992
4. Ultimate Warrior/Hulk Hogan showdown, 1990
5. Demolition enters first and second, 1989
Using Baseball Reference's Play Index, I came up with a list of the best player seasons by players in their final year. This list comprises players in their last season, playing 100+ games, sorted by OPS+.
1. Ted Williams
Playing in 113 games, Williams hit .316 with 29 home runs, 72 RBIs, and 75 walks (adding up to a .451 OBP). Announcing his retirement before the end of the season, Williams hit a home run in his final career at bat.
2. "Shoeless" Joe Jackson
This is actually 1920, as it took a season for the Black Sox scandal to break. Offenses around the league exploded, Jackson himself hit .382 with power and plate discipline. Jackson hit 42 doubles, 20 triples, 12 home runs, 121 RBIs, and only 14 strikeouts. With three games remaining in the season, Jackson and company were suspended by MLB in the wake of the Black Sox indictments. He was later banned for life the following season.
3. Nick Johnson
Johnson suffered a horrific leg injury in September of 2006 and missed the entire 2007 campaign. Will he ever play again? If not, note his .428 OBP for the Nationals in 2006, playing in a tough hitters' park.
4. Will Clark
After quietly producing quality seasons in Texas, Clark moved to Baltimore and missed half of the 1999 season. Clark played well in 2000 with the Orioles, staying healthy and again producing quality. Meanwhile in St. Louis, Mark McGwire suffered nagging injuries. The Cards looked to Clark as a stopgap, and Clark exploded, hitting .345 down the stretch and leading St. Louis to a Central division championship. The Cardinals tried to re-sign Clark for a LF job, but Clark elected retirement instead.
Let me note here that Clark's season in 1989 was every bit as good as Jim Rice's 1978, in context. Clark was a flat out better player with a better career, but of course got no Hall of Fame support.
5. Happy Felsch
See Joe Jackson. Felsch hit .338, collected 69 extra base hits, drove in 115 runners and played center field. Hall of Fame material? Probably not. He had a similar OPS+ careerwise as players such as Cesar Cedeno, Ray Lankford, Cy Williams and Rick Monday.
6. Mickey Mantle
When Mickey Mantle hit .237 with 18 home runs and 54 RBIs, he looked done. The composite batting line for the American League in 1968 was .233/.302/.346. Mantle's .782 OPS that season actually ranked 9th in the American League.
7. Dave Nilsson
Nilsson had something of a fluke season, hitting .309 in 115 games as a catcher. Nilsson departed after the season to play for Australia in the 2000 olympics, and has generally been an Australian baseball mainstay since.
8. Steve Evans
The only player on the list I never heard of. Evans jumped to the Federal League and had two very good seasons there in 1914-15. When the league folded, Evans disappeared from the majors.
9. Brian Downing
.407 OBP for the Texas Rangers in 1992 as a DH in 107 games. Downing had not played a game in the field since 1987, so only his bat carried him.
10. Buzz Arlett
Arlett hit .318/.387/.538 in his only MLB season with the Phillies. Arlett was a star in the Pacific Coast League, back when that meant something. Arlett could have easily had a productive career in the Majors, but like many players of his day preferred to stay closer to home in California.
I caught a bit of the two NFL playoff games on Sunday. (Yeah, I can dabble in the NFL if need be.) Had a few thoughts to share.
-Playing professional sport games in sub-zero conditions is fairly stupid in its own right. Players in short-sleeves and fans in body paint is downright ridiculous. I live in the Poconos, a climate that can get fairly chilly in the winter. At a certain temperature, you can deal with the chill but you don't mess around with it. It's dangerous. I can't help but think it would make much more sense to make use of Miller Park, and I can hear the howls of protest already.
-On that note, building flashy new MLB stadiums was wasteful enough but NFL as well? The multi-use stadiums in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia were one thing. But before that, NFL teams frequently played in places like Shibe Park, Yankee Stadium and Wrigley Field.
-The New York Giants based on the statistics are probably the worst team to play in a Super Bowl. The other teams with 6+ losses to reach the Super Bowl are the '79 Rams and the '88 49ers. How do they stack up long term? Let's see their three and five-year records.
Three year record
Giants: 29-19
Rams: 31-15
49ers: 33-13-1
Five year record
Giants: 39-41
Rams: 53-20-1
49ers: 58-20-1
I think that's pretty convincing. The reason I go with multi-year records is that a 14-16 game sample is simply not large enough to draw any firm conclusions. A good team wins year after year.
-Are the Giants a better team than the Packers because they won? Not necessarily. If the game were 30 minutes instead of 60, the Packers would be in the Super Bowl. One game decided by a margin of a single score hardly proves a damn thing. Any player or team can have a bad day. Again, I preach long term samples. The more data you have, the better conclusions you draw.
-Looking for weaker championship teams, I came across the 1932 Bears. No, they were not a weak team. They won seven games and lost one. They tied the other six. In their first three games, NEITHER team scored! They lost their fourth game by two points, 2-0. Interestingly their championship game was not played in Wrigley Field due to adverse weather. It was moved indoors to Chicago Stadium, a smaller sporting arena. On an 80-yard field, the NFL more or less invented arena football on the fly.
-With a team seeking a perfect season, this year's Super Bowl will no doubt draw high ratings. I do not know yet if I will watch. As you all know, I am not an especially big NFL fan. The bigger problem is that the commercials have become too big for their own good. The more I think about it, I am going to take a four hour chunk so that I can watch scads of advertisements? Not happening. I'm visiting my lady friend that weekend, I find her company more enjoyable. Besides, assuming a local sports outlet airs the Caribbean World Series again, my sports needs are satiated.
Joe Podnanski on his blog wrote a piece about RBI opportunities. Baseball Prospectus in their book Baseball Between the Numbers wrote about worst players who drove in 100+ RBIs. I figured to take a look at guys who drove in 130 or more runners in a season, to see if anyone actually had a bad season in the process. One clearly did, Moose Salters.
Salters in 1936 drove in 134 runners with the St. Louis Browns. His numbers look superficially good, but the entire American League that season hit .302. Of the six left fielders in the league who played more than 100 games, Solters ranked fifth ahead of only Joe Vosmik. Solters undoubtably saw many RBI opportunities thanks to three hitters on the team who produced a .400+ on base percentage (Harlond Cliff, Lyn Lary and Beau Bell). Oddly, Salters' year was a down year between two good ones.
While we are having fun with the Play Index, let's see who the worst pitcher was to win 20 games. Before I run this search, I am almost certain it will be a player from the 19th century, probably very early in the existance of the organized leagues. Indeed, we find Jack Lynch, who went 23-21 with a 3.61 ERA for the New York Metropolitans. A 3.61 ERA is bad? When the league average is 2.79, yes. One thing to note about 19th Century baseball. While Lynch allowed 152 earned runs, he allowed 243 total runs, 91 unearned runs. Teams committed so many errors that team defense contributed perhaps more to run prevention than team pitching.
Moving forward to the 20th century, we come up with Henry Schmidt. Schmidt went 22-13 with the Brooklyn Superbas, his 3.83 ERA leading to an 83 ERA+. He had the best win/loss percentage on his team, though they finished fifth overall in runs scored. Schmidt never pitched an inning in the majors outside of 1903.
Modern time, it is Lew Burdette. Burdette pitched 289.7 innings, walked 38 batters and gave up 38 home runs. Admittedly the ERA+ totals are not impressively low, showing that most 20 game winners have legit talent, particularly if they do it more than once. (I did not say Hall of Fame talent, so don't jump the gun on Jack Morris.)
Coming up in the near future, best swansong seasons of all time. You can probably guess #1.
Philadelphia Sports
I wanted to clarify my supposed Eagles hate. I don't hate the Philadelphia Eagles. If I watch a football game I cheer for them, and if they are in the Super Bowl, I will watch. (More on that later.) The problem comes from the Philadelphia fan base. In 2005, I attended a game between the Phillies and the Florida Marlins, September 9, 2005. The Phillies were fresh off a five game losing streak, and fell behind 4-1 by the third inning. Among the fans, an E-A-G-L-E-S chant struck up.
The general problem is that the fans do not stick behind their teams and support them. At the slightest provocation, they turn on the team and voice their displeasure when things go wrong. The tone of the crowd was, "we give up, we support another team now with a better chance." Of course the Phillies won the game 12-5 and made an admirable run towards the wild card (and fell short.) I think it hurts the local teams that the fans are not more generally supportive. It's tiresome to listen to "woe is me" fans. The Phillies have been good the last several years, as have the Eagles.
So they did not reach the championship. Them and 29-31 other teams. I think fans need to give up championships/playoff wins as a barometer of success. Winning any playoff series is 50/50, and winning a championship at best is an 8:1 shot in the postseason. Long term win/loss percentage is the best measure of team success in sports.
Steroids
Today Congress spent another round of hearings due to the Mitchell Report. I think the big problem specifically is that the report contained information based on the early part of the decade, before Congress held their first hearings. They could not use the report to evaluate baseball's progress. Bigger than that however, I am generally tired of steroids entering the discussion. I am honestly not interested; I would rather hear and talk about transactions and what roster moves teams are making towards next season.
I am a big fan of baseball, as everyone knows. I love the competition. I do not wish to look at the game and wonder who is and is not on steroids. No one does really. I probably support some real bozos. I think Mark McGwire should go into the Hall of Fame. I would rather pretend they do not exist than let it invade every portion of baseball evaluation. That is likely not the wisest position to take. Think of it as a coping mechanism.
1976 vs. 2008
The Phillies have not seen many good teams over their history. Their greatest team is probably the 1976 squad. That team won 101 games, one of only two Phillies teams to do so. Unfortunately that Phillies team ran into a buzzsaw called the Big Red Machine, and thus failed to win the National League pennant. A Phillies player recently surmised that the Phils could win 100 games next season. If that happens, the 2008 Phillies could rank as the greatest in franchise history. So how do they stack up against the 1976 team? I thought it might be fun to take a look.
Catcher: Bob Boone vs. Carlos Ruiz
Bob Boone in the late '70s was a good defensive catcher who added some offensive contributions as well. Boone in 1976 saw his first good season at the plate, and he would follow up with three more. Carlos Ruiz is merely adequate at this point in his career. Boone made the All-Star team in '76
Advantage: 1976
First Base: Dick Allen vs. Ryan Howard
Allen was perhaps one of the most controversial baseball players of all time. An elite talent who constantly feuded with teammates and the press. Howard is immensely likeable. Allen suffered injuries late in his career and missed some time. Ryan Howard is about two seasons away from becoming the team's franchise first baseman.
Advantage: 2008
Second Base: Dave Cash vs. Chase Utley
Of course the nod goes to Chase Utley, so let me say a few words in favor of Cash. He spent three years with the Phillies, hit for good averages but no power. The raw numbers are unimpressive. Cash however made the All-Star team all three years. Of the twelve NL second baseman, he was second or third along with Davey Lopes. (Joe Morgan of course ranks first.) So when we pass over Cash, remember that he was a very good player.
Advantage: 2008
Shortstop: Larry F. Bowa vs. Jimmy Rollins
Larry Bowa got by on gamesmanship. He had some fielding ability and was a good baserunner. He could not hit much, even relative to a typical National League shortstop. Somehow Bowa received MVP votes for his efforts. Jimmy Rollins of course just won the MVP. Can't argue with that.
Advantage: 2008
Third Base: Mike Schmidt vs. Wes Helms
Next.
Advantage: 1976
Left Field: Greg Luzinski vs. Pat Burrell
This is a real interesting comparison. Both were power sluggers with little to offer in either speed or fielding. Burrell is a better athlete. Luzinski at this point was in the midst of a run of four consecutive top-ten MVP finishes. Burrell has one top-ten to his credit.
Advantage: 1976
Center Field: Garry Maddox vs. Shane Victorino
Maddox won eight gold gloves in a row beginning in 1975. In '76, he hit .330 with 29 stolen bases. For a '70s center fielder, that is a superstar. Victorino can field with the best of them. Maddox's OPS+'s at this point however were much higher. Another clear edge.
Advantage: 1976
Right Field: Jay Johnstone vs. Jayson Werth
Play Jay every day! Johnstone was a fourth outfielder who played so well that he forced himself into a starting role. Werth did much the same thing last season. Johnstone's ability to stay healthy gives him the edge here. You may remember him by the way from his role in Naked Gun. He is the batter Leslie Nielsen calls out in dramatic fashion.
Advantage: 1976
Bench: Tim McCarver/Bobby Tolan/Ollie Brown/Jerry Martin/Tom Hutton vs. Chris Coste/Greg Dobbs/Eric Bruntlett/T.J. Bohn/Chris Snelling
Bobby Tolan and “Downtown” Ollie Brown were mainly hitters. Tolan and Tom Hutton filled in for first baseman Dick Allen when necessary. Jerry Martin was a fifth outfielder type, while Tim McCarver covered catching duties. McCarver sat behind the plate when Steve Carlton pitched. The '76 club rarely used a utility infielder. The 2008 bench looks unimpressive at the moment. The problem with the modern bench is that the increased pitching staffs have eliminated roles for extra hitters.
Advantage: 1976
Ace Starter: Steve Carlton vs. Cole Hamels
Is Carlton over Hamels really that clear? Carlton from 1974-76 went 51-34, with ERA+ figures of 117, 105 and 114. Hamels over the last two years put up a 115 and 134. Carlton would explode into an all-time great in 1977, winning the first of three more Cy Young awards. In 1976 though, Carlton was not at that level. Cole Hamels is clearly a better pitcher. The only question is how much credit do you give Carlton for durability? Thirteen pitchers compiled more innings than Carlton over that 1974-76 stretch, so he was not an anomaly of his time.
Advantage: 2008
Rotation: Jim Kaat/Jim Lonborg/Larry Christenson/Tom Underwood vs. Brett Myers/Jamie Moyer/Kyle Kendrick/Adam Eaton
Myers put up ERA+'s of 118 and 120 before moving into the bullpen for 2007. Jim Kaat won 20 games in both 1974 and '75 with superior ERAs. He fell off in 1976. Lonborg vs. Moyer is interesting, both had mixes of good and bad seasons. Lonborg from 1974-76 went 43-29. Moyer over the last three years is 38-33, but that includes a 6-12 stretch with a bad Mariners club last year.
Christenson and Kyle Kendrick were both 22 year old starters. Christenson pitched 168.7 innings, gave up 8 home runs, 42 walks and 54 strikeouts. Kendrick pitched 121 innings, 16 home runs, 25 walks and 49 strikeouts. Kendrick had a much better ERA. Tom Underwood was another 22 year old. He had some up and down seasons but none as bad as Eaton's 2007. Really, this one is too close to call for my comfort.
Advantage: Push.
Bullpen: Ron Reed/Gene Garber/Tug McGraw/Ron Schueler/Wayne Twitchell vs. Brad Lidge/Tom Gordon/J.C. Romero/Ryan Madson/Francisco Rosario
Lidge at his peak is an elite pitcher, but neither of his last two seasons tops Ron Reed in 1976-77. Garber had a better season in '76 than Gordon last year, but Gordon's established performance gives him the edge there. McGraw over Romero is not as clear-cut as you might think. McGraw's ERA+ from 1972-76: 197, 94, 86, 126, 143. Romero from 2003-07: 91, 135, 128, 68, 243. Ron Schueler was a mediocre pitcher enjoying a fluke year, Madson is better. Ditto Wayne Twitchell. One reliever pitched a single additional game for the '76 club. The 2008 team looks bad due to lack of depth, but the '76 Phillies literally had nothing.
Advantage: 2008
The 1976 Phillies won 101 again in 1977. If the 2008 club is to match up with that standard, they have their work cut out for them. The 1976 club had more hitting depth, the 2008 Phils have deeper pitching and a historically good infield. I hope the Phillies can make a run at 100 wins though. The team has lacked an all-time great season, and this is a great shot with their entire core firmly in their prime.
SEMIFINALS
San Diego 5
Atlanta 4
WP: Heath Bell
LP: Peter Moylan
Sv: Trevor Hoffman
Brian Giles drew a bases loaded walk in the eighth inning to force in the winning run. The major turning point of the game occurred in the fourth inning, when Josh Bard drove in two RBIs with a two-out double and Justin Germano followed up with an RBI single.
Colorado 5
St. Louis 4
WP: Jeff Francis
LP: Ryan Franklin
Sv: Manuel Corpas
Troy Tulowitzki drove in the go-ahead run in the sixth with a single and David Eckstein's error in the eighth allowed an insurance run to score.
That gives us San Diego @ Colorado for the finals, fittingly.
QUARTERFINALS
San Diego 5
Minnesota 4
WP: Greg Maddux
LP: Carlos Silva
Sv: Trevor Hoffman
Padres scored four in the fifth, including Adrian Gonzalez's two-run home run.
Atlanta 3
Chi. Cubs 1
10 Innings
WP: Peter Moylan
LP: Scott Eyre
Sv: Rafael Soriano
The Braves prior to the tenth scored just one run on 12 hits. The Cubs only managed two hits in the game. Kelly Johnson drove in he go-ahead runs with a double in the tenth.
Colorado 5
Oakland 4
WP: Josh Fogg
LP: Lenny Dinardo
Sv: Manuel Corpas
Brad Hawpe homered for the Rockies. Travis Buck hit three doubles in a losing effort.
St. Louis 10
San Francisco 7
WP: Adam Wainwright
LP: Matt Cain
Sv: Jason Isringhausen
Cain imploded, giving up four runs without recording an out. The Cards scored nine of their runs in the first three innings. Chris Duncan collected four RBIs in the victory.
Semifinal Matchups:
Atlanta Braves @ San Diego Padres
St. Louis Cardinals @ Colorado Rockies.
This is something that I had floating in my head the last few days. A lot of wrestling reviewers will give negative star ratings to a particularly bad match. Often times it is prompted not by the workers involved, but the sheer idiocy of the booking of the match. In many cases the reviewer goes into the match expecting to hate it. But what truly merits negative stars? In my opinion, it is not enough to put together a boring match. I think a negative star match must fit one of X criteria.
1. The match contained several noticeable, blown spots.
Let's see what they messed up here.
1. Nowinski comes in late to break up a pin attempt.
2. Trish attempts a springboard manuever but Gayda is out of position.
3. Trish attempts a leg sweep but Gayda fails to take the move properly, stumbling to the mat.
4. Trish tries twice to set up the bulldog but Gayda fails to position herself properly.
5. When Trish does go for the bulldog, she misses completely. Gayda sells it anyway.
That is an easy one, it won Wrestling Observer's Worst Match of the Year award for 2002. Now, even good wrestlers will blow spots. Good workers will work it into the flow of the match, making it somewhat indistinguishable for casual wrestling fans. Knowledgeable wrestling fans notice, but they know it is a work anyway.
2. The match contained booking so bad that it insulted the intelligence of the viewing audience.
The Fingerpoke of Doom. WCW advertised Goldberg vs. Kevin Nash and instead gave the fans a ten second "angle" match that turned many against WCW for good.
When does a comedy match merit negative stars? For the most part, if the crowd dies. If the crowd is into the match, you can't really punish the workers because you did not like it. I give an exception to a match such as The Four Doinks at Survivor Series '93. When working the match requires ignoring the established rules of the game, that falls under bad booking.
3. The match denigrated into a shoot with the wrestlers losing all cooperation, preventing the match from reaching an intended conclusion.
This one is extremely interesting, Bruiser Brody vs. Lex Luger. Brody sees fit not to sell anything Luger does until Luger just gives up, draws the DQ and leaves the cage.
I wish I could find Andre the Giant vs. Akira Maeda. I have seen it before. There is a perception often that a better worker gave it to the lesser worker and taught him a lesson, or exposed him. More often it just becomes a disorganized mess with both wrestlers standing awkwardly until someone steps in. Failing to complete a wrestling match is an overlooked, but deserving reason to issue negative stars.
What does not merit negative stars? Two workers stepping into the ring, giving a reasonably competent exhibition of professional wrestling but boring the audience. That merits a dud IMO. Dave Meltzer gave Andre the Giant vs. Big John Studd negative stars. That was a pretty dull match with no high spots outside the finish. But it looked legit and the crowd enjoyed it. That can not possibly be negative stars.
I rarely rate matches but if I did, my scale would give a basic match at least *, just for stepping in the ring. If the match was bad, that lowers the score as far as a dud, providing the combatants did not at least embarrass the sport. In my view, that is the criteria for negative stars.
Since my dad sent something out on my outbox, I occasionally get emails from the HRCC of Pennsylvania. That's some Republican lobbying group. Got this one in today.
If you want to lobby for your cause, that is perfectly fine. Politics is all about that. In this case, I agree with them on the merits of the issue. I am against putting tolls on I-80. Principally, it is a national highway and if New Jersey hasn't put tolls on it, no state should. What bothers me is when they try arguments such as the one bolded above. Trucking companies are charging less than they have to currently because there are no tolls on I-80? Putting that aside, gasoline prices have risen 300% in the last eight years. Let me make a quick count of the business lost. Certainly doesn't seem to stop developers from putting up a shopping outlet featuring a Best Buy, or a waterpark themed resort, or a brand new Casino and resort.
Honestly, how stupid do you think I am? If you want a good argument, state that drivers will clog already crowded side roads to avoid toll plazas. That's a good argument, and it will carry further appeal to the citizens. It's direct.
And on a side note, I'm tired of their "OMG big cities will eat your money" cry that they seem to bring out on every issue.
http://www.wnep.com/Global/story.asp?S=7338739" target="_blank">http://www.wnep.com/Global/story.asp?S=7338739
Thank god Cordaro lost. Him and his Yankee-loving attitude can go fuck themselves. Instead of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons, I now have the Yankees and their corporate interests grubbing every penny, catering to the well heeled and providing no excitement or incentives in return. The Yankees provided NO giveaway items this year. The atmosphere is completely dead, and the ONLY selling point is that these are the AAA Yankees.
The history in Lackawanna County is that the commissioners tend to stick their noses in the baseball team for publicity. In this case, Cordaro has negotiated a deal where an outside entity can buy the team. If they do, there is nothing stopping that entity from then moving the team. Which is likely, because Scranton is NOT in a class with Buffalo, Louisville or Columbus as far as cities go.
The Lehigh Valley IronPigs open up next season. They may be the lowly Phillies and not the mighty Yankees. But their management provides baseball for the FAN.
With the preponderance of baseball statistics on the internet, you might question the need for an annual statistics book. Certainly, baseball-reference.com provides a plethora of statistics along with sorting options and statistical splits that a printed version simply can not match. In this environment, a publisher needs to add a few bells and whistles to entice paying customers.
First off, if you feel the need for a print stat book of any kind, stop now and buy the book. That said, here are a few other features. The book offers a look at the first version of the "Fielding Bible" awards. The publishers chose a panel of ten voters, ranging from Bill James and Rob Neyer to the Tangotiger online fan poll. Honestly, this strikes me a bit elitist. It is one thing to say you can improve the process. It is another to assume you are a better voting group because you disagree with the results. The awards are improved by the nature of the process, each voter submits a weighted ballot rather than choosing a single player. If they selected candidates the same way the actual gold glove awards do, three of the picks would change.
You get the usual chapters you expect. Park factors, managers' records, platoon splits, etc. The manager index demonstrates how many lineups a manager used, how many pinch-hitters and runners used, and more than a dozen other categories. Some other records are compiled. Particularly useful are baserunning statistics, chronicling how often a player went from first to third on a single, or scored from second on a single, or scored from first on a double. The best baserunner in 2007 of course was Jose Reyes. The best baserunning team suprisingly was the Kansas City Royals.
Much has been made of the Young Talent Inventory. That James produced a list based solely on 2007 statistics seems quite sloppy. I believe it is an example of the commerce aspect of the book, needing to attach names and essays to the book in the interest of sales. The player comments however are interesting. Player projections are covered (only for established players), as well as win shares. I wish the publishers would simply list the win shares in the career register.
Amazon currently lists this book around $15. For that price, it's a solid purchase.
THIRD ROUND
Minnesota 4
Boston 3
Torii Hunter gave the Twins the lead in the first inning with a three run double. The Sox scored two runs in the ninth but their comeback fell short with the tying run on base.
San Diego 6
Chi. Sox 0
Jake Peavy pitched eight scoreless innings for the victory.
Chi. Cubs 4
Kansas City 2
Alfonso Soriano's three-run home run in the second inning sparked the offense for the Cubs.
Atlanta 7
NY Yankees 4
The Braves scored four runs in the fifth inning, including two on Kelly Johnson's triple. The Braves scored two insurance runs in the ninth on an E-5 and a passed ball.
Oakland 8
LA Angels 5
The A's scored seven runs in the fourth and fifth innings, led by three RBIs by Mark Ellis. Chad Gaudin and Jered Weaver combined for five wild pitches.
Colorado 6
Washington 0
San Francisco 11
Buffalo 6
The Giants dominated the mid-innings, breaking up a 3-3 tie in the fifth off Jeremy Sowers and cruising from there. Randy Messenger allowed three Buffalo runs in the ninth.
St. Louis 9
Cleveland 3
C.C. Sabathia allowed seven earned runs in the loss.
That leaves us with the elite eight. Tomorrow's matchups...
Minnesota Twins @ San Diego Padres
Atlanta Braves @ Chicago Cubs
Oakland Athletics @ Colorado Rockies
San Francisco Giants @ St. Louis Cardinals
SECOND ROUND
Boston 10
Nashville 2
Minnesota 3
LA Dodgers 2
The Twins scored two in the seventh to take the lead for good. Johan Santana allowed two runs and struck out eight in 7 1/3 innings pitched.
San Diego 9
Florida 2
Scott Olsen allowed seven runs (five earned) and walked five and threw two wild pitches in less than four innings of work.
Chi. Sox 3
NY Mets 2
Eight innings and two earned runs allowed for Mark Buehrle, while Bobby Jenks picked up the save. Paul Konerko and Jermaine Dye hit home runs in the victory.
Kansas City 3
Arizona 2
Brian Bannister drove in his own go-ahead run with an RBI double in the 7th, and the Royals held on to win against Brandon Webb.
Chi. Cubs 6
Omaha 5
Atlanta 17
Texas 5
NY Yankees 6
Pittsburgh 2
Alex Rodriguez hit two home runs for the Yankees in the win. Melky Cabrera drove in three.
LA Angels 4
Tampa Bay 0
John Lackey pitched eight shutout innings, striking out nine.
Oakland 7
Milwaukee 4
Travis Buck broke a 4-4 tie in the ninth with a two-run home run.
Colorado 10
Baltimore 6
The O's bullpen imploded, allowing seven runs in the final two innings.
Washington 7
Detroit 3
San Francisco 12
Portland 2
Buffalo 5
Seattle 4
Ryan Mulhern's home run in the first inning gave the Bison a 3-0 lead. The Mariners fought back, bringing the tying run to third in the ninth, but Ichiro struck out to end the game. Ichiro did drive in three of the Mariners' four runs.
St. Louis 7
Toronto 1
Cleveland 2
Sacramento 0
Due to the sheer number of games, no details unless necessary.
Red Sox 28
R-Phils 2
Nashville 11
Richmond 3
Minnesota 6
Indianapolis 5
Torii Hunter 3-run HR
LA Dodgers 4
Norfolk 1
San Diego 7
Round Rock 1
NY Mets 7
Charlotte 6
10 Innings
Chi. Sox 11
New Orleans 2
Arizona 13
Ottawa 9
Kansas City 5
Iowa 2
Omaha 7
Houston 5
11 Innings
Shane Costa tied the game with an RBI double in the 9th and Mike Aviles put the Wranglers ahead with a two run shot in the 11th.
Atlanta 6
Pawtucket 1
Texas 15
Louisville 1
Pittsburgh 7
Durham 5
NY Yankees 15
San Antonio 6
LA Angels 8
Trenton 0
Tampa Bay 10
Toledo 1
Milwaukee 8
Tacoma 2
Oakland 5
Albuquerque 2
Colorado 4
Memphis 0
Baltimore 3
Fresno 2
4 2/3 scoreless innings of relief from Dan Giese.
Detroit 6
Syracuse 2
Washington 4
Salt Lake City 1
Portland 7
Philadelphia 6
Figures. Jamie Moyer allowed four runs in three innings.
San Francisco 9
Rochester 7
Trailing 7-5 in the ninth, Kevin Frandsen hit a grand slam home run to win the game. Rochester walked Barry Bonds intentionally to load the bases.
Seattle 2
Columbus 0
Buffalo 4
Cincinnati 1
Buffalo's Adam Miller struck out seven batters over six innings of work. Bronson Arroyo struck out eight in the loss.
Toronto 11
Colorado Springs 5
St. Louis 6
Oklahoma 5
13 Innings
Chris Duncan hit a three-run, game tying home run with two outs in the ninth. Four innings later, Duncan's RBI single won the game for the Cards.
Sacramento 7
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre 1
Cleveland 9
Huntsville 0
It's time for another sim tournament. The concept here is simple. The 64 best teams in organized baseball. One week, single elimination. All 30 MLB teams, all 30 AAA teams, and four AA teams. Much like the NCAA tournament, upsets galore. The basics are that there is no rest for teams. When you win, you go on to face a new team the next day. The four AA teams consist of the champions of the Texas, Southern and Eastern Leagues, plus the Reading Phillies (because it's my tournament and they're only Red Sox fodder anyway). The champions of the International and Pacific Coast Leagues get a home field matchup in the first round. Home field goes first to the team from the higher level, then to the team with the better record.
Here is how the field fleshes out.
Boston
Reading Phillies
Richmond
Nashville
Minnesota
Indianapolis
LA Dodgers
Norfolk
San Diego
Round Rock
Florida
Tucson
NY Mets
Charlotte
Chicago White Sox
New Orleans
Arizona
Ottawa
Kansas City
Iowa
Chi. Cubs
Las Vegas
Houston
Omaha
Atlanta
Pawtucket
Texas
Louisville
Pittsburgh
Durham
NY Yankees
San Antonio Mission
LA Angels
Trenton
Tampa Bay
Toledo
Milwaukee
Tacoma
Oakland
Albuquerque Isotopes
Colorado
Memphis
Baltimore
Fresno
Detroit
Syracuse
Washington
Salt Lake City
Philadelphia
Portland
San Francisco
Rochester
Seattle
Columbus
Cincinnati
Buffalo
Toronto
Colorado Springs
St. Louis
Oklahoma City
Sacramento
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre
Cleveland
Huntsville Stars
Expect first round results next Saturday.
Not a live game this time but worthy of an entry nonetheless. Today the Phillies clinched the National League East on the final day of the season. I will leave the taunting for Mets fans out if this one. I grew up in a family that was not big into baseball, so I don't really remember a great deal about the 1993 season. This is the first time I have vivid memories of the Phillies reaching the postseason. For those who wonder why cheer for a traditionally failing team, here you go. I can not imagine any division championship being as sweet to Yankee fans as today's victory was for Phils' fans.
I don't think it's an exaggeration to say this season was the best baseball season I experienced. Around fifty live games attended. The highlights...
-Watching the Texas Rangers score 30 runs on the Baltimore Orioles.
-Seeing Louisville's Chris Dickerson hit for the cycle.
-Catching Andy Pettitte implode against the Oakland Athletics, in Yankee Stadium.
-Watching Sal F'n Fasano steal a base, straight up.
-Getting an autograph from Joba Chamberlain.
-Seeing back-to-back doubleheaders in Williamsport and Scranton.
This season included 37 games in Scranton, three in Philadelphia, one trip to Williamsport (doubleheader), a doubleheader in Baltimore, a seat in the bleachers of Yankee Stadium (overrated), two games in Reading, and shots in Harrisburg, Trenton and Lakewood. Ranking the parks by best ballpark experience.
1. Citizens Bank Park (Philadelphia)
2. Oriole Park at Camden Yards (Baltimore)
3. First Energy Stadium (Reading)
4. First Energy Park (Lakewood)
5. Waterfront Park (Trenton)
6. Commerce Bank Park (Harrisburg)
7. Bowman Field (Williamsport)
8. Yankee Stadium
9. PNC Field (Scranton)
A couple days off from work gave me an opportunity to catch a ballgame. Much of the local Eastern League was on the road, leaving Reading as the only local minor league team in town. Checking the Majors, I noticed the Phillies and Orioles both played home games. Running the choices by my friend, we agreed that Baltimore was a solid option as I have been to the other parks already this season. For a bit of background, I have been to Baltimore a couple times, but never to the ballpark. The last time was July of 2001. Knowing we were staying in the Inner Harbor, I bought tickets to two baseball games. Unfortunately Baltimore had an underground train wreck, and the games were wiped out for the duration of my vacation.
Camden Yards is easy to get to, given that I-83 ends right at the Inner Harbor with minimal traffic to boot. Parking is it's usual adventure in an unfamiliar area but not too bad. Honestly, Camden is probably the most crowd-friendly ballpark I have ever been to. Bringing in outside food and drink is NOT prohibited like it is in seemingly every professional ballpark (note to Eastern and New-York Penn Leagues: league rules my ass). Walk in and of course you're greeted by the Eutaw Street promenade, the area behind the right field wall and in front of the B&O Warehouse. Leaving that building intact is the most brilliant move any park designer has done. The area of course has it's various stands including Boog's Bar-b-que. Arrive early and you can meet Boog Powell himself, as I did. Powell was nice enough to sign my ticket stub, and is approachable and gregarious. Boog and Eutaw Street are a couple of the features copied by Citizens Bank Park (Bull's Bar-b-Que and Ashburn Alley).
We sat about ten rows from the field on the first base side. What is the advantage of watching two second-division teams on a Wednesday? Sparse crowds give you a better opportunity for good seats. The seating isn't quite as comfortable as in Philadelphia but that is expected. The O's took a three-run lead early in the game, scoring one in the first and two in the third. O's fans in our section seemed lukewarm towards Miguel Tejada due to his contract and production. That is what you get with a big contract. You pay for the first years of production with the last years.
Jarrod Saltalamacchia kicked off the scoring with a two-run single in the fourth, and Ramon Vazquez followed up with a three-run home run. Vazquez's home run was a no-doubter, and really Cabrera's only serious mistake of the night.
This was the first game of a doubleheader, which is very important to know when evaluating this game. Saltalamacchia led off the sixth inning with a home run, and Trembley responded by pulling Cabrera with 96 pitches thrown, 62 for strikes. In came Brian Burres, holding a 4.45 ERA at the time. Whatever went wrong with Burres who knows? He gave up a single to Vazquez, who advanced on a wild pitch. Catalanotto walked. Ian Kinsler failed a sacrifice bunt. Michael Young singled on a line drive, loading the bases. O's fans rode the outfielders for not diving for the balls. What they miss is if they dive and miss, it's a triple. I'll come back to this however. Marlon Byrd hit a grand slam to put the game effectively out of reach, 10-3. If I have a thrill outside of the 30 spot, it's seeing Byrd come up big. The Phillies never gave Byrd a fair shot after his poor 2004 season.
After a strikeout, five straight singles, the last four on line drives. Three runs scored on those, at which point Trembley pulled Burres in favor of Rob Bell. Bell is the mop-up man, and recovering from Steve Blass disease (the same ailment that Rick Ankiel suffered as a pitcher). Bell gave up one more RBI single and got the last out on a fly ball. The Rangers went in order in the seventh. At this point, the O's fans were waiting for the second game.
I don't need to bore you with the full details of the eighth and ninth, you can check the play-by-play if you want. In the eighth the fans were cheering for a mercy rule. At the ninth when Ramon Vazquez homered again to make it thirty, the fans cheered heartily. I think everyone realized at that point they were in the midst of a historic game, not just a mere blowout. This all came about because manager Trembley wanted to save his relievers for game two. After the Rangers hung six in the ninth, there was no reliever warming up behind Shuey.
You can question not using a prime reliever or at least an outfielder, but it was just one game in the end. I made the observation that this was Baltimore's "rope a dope" strategy to win game two. The Rangers got a three spot early and the O's tied it in the third. As an aside, I saw game two pitcher Garrett Olson pitch last year with Bowie, and earlier this year with Norfolk. It was 10pm after the third, and we departed. With six innings to go, there was no reason to try and stick it out with a three-hour drive home ahead.
Overall, Camden Yards is a wonderful ballpark. The only complaint you can make is that the amenities aren't quite on par with the newest parks. That's nit-picking. Even the concourses are larger and easier to navigate than Citizens Bank Park. No reason not to get to Camden at least once.
A discussion a couple days ago prompted the statement that we can not compare Bonds' MVP awards to Ruth, because modern MVP voting did not exist until 1931. This is true. What if modern voting did exist however? I decided to come up with an MVP for each season from 1915-35, the years Ruth was active. My intention is not to demonstrate how many MVPs Ruth should have won, or deserved. Rather it is to predict voting patterns.
With that in mind, a couple notes. One, voters would likely look for a player on a contending team. In an eight-team league, first division (top four) would get the job done. Second, remember that certain statistics such as On Base Percentage and Slugging Percentage did not exist. RBIs did not become an official stat until 1920. THE most important statistic of the time was batting average.
1915: Ty Cobb
Cobb won the batting crown by a 37 point margin and stole 96 bases, 45 more than the nearest competitor. His performance kept the Tigers in contention, falling just 2.5 back of the pennant winning Red Sox.
1916: Joe Jackson
Tris Speaker was the dominant offensive player of the season, but would voters go for a player on a sixth place team? Odds are the voting would come down to Cobb and "Shoeless Joe" Jackson. The White Sox finished just two back as Jackson hit .341, a 33 point increase over his previous season. Voters love a step-up performance, so my gut tells me Jackson would take this award.
1917: Eddie Cicotte
The White Sox won the American League by a sizable margin. Cicotte won 28 games and lost 12. His 28 wins were 10 over his previous career high. In addition, Cicotte led the league in earned run average.
1918: Walter Johnson
Here is a tough one. Ruth went 13-7, led the league in slugging and OPS. The problem is that neither hitting statistic existed at that time. Ty Cobb was again the dominant offensive force, but would voters again take a player on a seventh place team? Walter Johnson takes the award for winning the pitching triple crown on a team that finished just four games out.
1919: Ty Cobb
The Tigers went 80-60, and yet another Cobb batting title would prompt the voters. Ruth led the league in OBP, slugging and OPS. The problem is that the Red Sox finished fifth. When the trade occured the following winter, writers were not jumping all over themselves to declare the Sox traded the best player in the league. At the time, observers considered hitting for home runs a foolish endeavour that prized the individual over the team.
1920: Babe Ruth
Three team race between the Indians, White Sox and Yankees. There are three possibilities here. One is Ruth and his 54 home runs. A second is Tris Speaker and his .388 batting average for the pennant winners. A third is Eddie Collins with his .372 batting average and being one of the "clean" Sox. I think 54 home runs is too much to ignore at this point.
1921: Babe Ruth
59 home runs along with a .378 batting average, third in the league.
1922: George Sisler
The St. Louis Browns finished a mere game behind the Yankees. While Ruth fell back to 35 home runs, Sisler hit .420. Voters at the time would have loved batting average. They have never voted for a guy having a down season, no matter how good that down season still is.
1923: Babe Ruth
No contest. The Yankees finished 16 games up, Ruth hit .393.
1924: Walter Johnson
Johnson won the actual MVP award in this season with another pitching triple crown. The Senators won their first pennant this season as well.
1925: Roger Peckinpaugh
With Ruth on the mend the race becomes wide open. Stan Coveleski finished 20-5, and led the league in ERA as the Senators won their second consecutive pennant. Peckinpaugh won the damned thing though.
1926: Babe Ruth
Bounceback season as Ruth hits .372 and leads the league in RBIs by a healthy margin.
1927: Lou Gehrig
The RBI crown gives Gehrig the award here as the voters likely would like to switch up the award here and there.
1928: Lou Gehrig
Again Gehrig would have the batting edge here. Ruth and Gehrig tied for RBIs, but I think Gehrig would have more team credibility that the voters might go for.
1929: Al Simmons
Simmons barely missed a batting crown and led the league in RBIs for the league champion.
1930: Al Simmons
A batting crown, second in RBIs. A note that I would not underestimate the voters giving Mickey Cochrane one of these awards.
1931: Lefty Grove
1932: Jimmie Foxx
1933: Jimmie Foxx
1934: Mickey Cochrane
1935: Gabby Hartnett (NL)
Four for Ruth, best I can manage. You can argue for him getting six or seven. That said, let's see what Win Shares has to say about the best players in each season.
1915: Ty Cobb
1916: Tris Speaker
1917: Ty Cobb
1918: Babe Ruth
1919: Babe Ruth
1920: Babe Ruth
1921: Babe Ruth
1922: Red Faber
1923: Babe Ruth
1924: Babe Ruth
1925: Al Simmons
1926: Babe Ruth
1927: Babe Ruth
1928: Babe Ruth
1929: Al Simmons/Jimmie Foxx
1930: Lou Gehrig
1931: Lefty Grove
1932: Jimmie Foxx
1933: Jimmie Foxx
1934: Lou Gehrig
1935: Arky Vaughan (NL)
1. Raw drafts Brian Kendrick and Paul London
This draft harkens back to the memorable NFL draft of 1976 when the Minnesota Vikings drafted the entire offensive line of the University of Oklahoma with their first pick. It was a brilliant move then and a brilliant move now.
2. Smackdown drafts Kenny Dykstra
Good move drafted a pick here with a lot of upside. Kenny's name has a 2:0 K/BB ratio, a great sign for an up and coming young prospect. However, Dykstra leaves trails of tobacco juice in the outfield and some of his ideas come well out of left field. Injuries are a concern.
3. ECW drafts Viscera
Poor pick here from the ECW brand. Just like Big Val E. Puccio and Sal E. Graziano, Viscera will show ECW why big fat f*cks in wrestling don't age well, if at all.
4. Raw drafts The Sandman
The Sandman's 4-9 record looks unimpressive but his caliber of competition has been strong and he did win at Wrestlemania. If the Sandman can kick his smoking and drinking habits, he might finally realize the potential we all saw back in Joel Goodhart's Tri-State promotion years ago.
5. Smackdown selects Ryan Leaf
Awful. Awful pick. What the hell are they thinking?
6. ECW drafts the Miz.
He's still better than Justin Credible.
7. Raw drafts Daivari.
Raw must now decide whether to develop Daivari as a wrestler or as a manager. His wrestling skills are solid enough presently but scouts worry that his clothesline is too long and big-league wrestlers can make him swing and miss with it too often. As a manager, Daivari could not handle the Great Khali and one of my correspondents says, "how can he manager when he can't even manage him?" Yeah, I've since fired that guy.
8. Smackdown drafts the Major Brothers
Oh c'mon now. You really expect me to care? I'm getting something to eat.
9. Raw selects Willie Regal
Solid pick. His father Steven was a big star in World Championship Wrestling last century, and if William can tap into those bloodlines he can go far.
10. Smackdown selects Victoria
I'm going to dip into serious mode here a second. Melina is the top ladies' heel on Raw. Allowing Victoria to move to Smackdown where she can fill the same role is beneficial for all involved.
11. Raw selects Jillian Hall
This is why ECW skipped, because you can find better talent on the indies. Remember when we heard WCW was hiring 10-20 women and we all laughed at the utter stupidity?
Oh yeah, something smart alecky to say. Screw it. I've honestly NEVER seen this woman on tv.
12. Smackdown drafts Eugene.
Eugene? That's retarded. Good athlete but not much upstairs. Kind of like Kyle Drabek.
13. ECW drafts Johnny Nitro
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Last night Tampa Bay's Edwin Jackson lasted 1/3 of an inning, giving up five runs, five hits, two walks, and two home runs. Currently his ERA stands at 8.20 along with a gaudy 0-8 win/loss record. Anthony Reyes of the St. Louis Cardinals was also 0-8 upon his return to the minors. Four pitchers in the Majors collected ten or more wins in a season without a loss. How about on the opposite end, the pitchers with the most losses in a season without a win? Are Jackson and Reyes close?
1 Terry Felton 1982 13 0 4.99 -11
T2 Russ Miller 1928 12 0 5.42 -12
T2 Steve Gerkin 1945 12 0 3.62 -4
4 Charlie Stecher 1890 10 0 10.32 -48
T5 Tom Tuckey 1909 9 0 4.25 -17
T5 Rod Beck 1996 9 0 3.34 6
T5 Heathcliff Slocumb 1997 9 0 5.16 -4
T5 Earl Hamilton 1917 9 0 3.14 -5
T5 Stump Wiedman 1880 9 0 3.40 -15
T5 Edgar Gonzalez 2004 9 0 9.32 -25
Very close. The first column is the season, second is number of losses, third is wins, fourth is Earned Run Average and fifth is Runs Saved Above Average (RSAA). RSAA simply measures the runs above or below what a pitcher with a league average ERA would have allowed in similar innings. Rod Beck immediately strikes me as he pitched well in 1996, posting a 3.34 ERA. Looking at his gamelogs from that season, Beck entered the game just 7 times with his teams behind, 6 times with the game tied and 50 times with his team ahead. Talk about being setup to fail.
Terry Felton is baseball's hard luck man. Felton pitched in three other seasons for the Minnesota Twins, finishing with an 0-16 record.
Jackson is close, but the problem is that pitchers of this nature are unlikely to continue pitching. He may well have pitched himself out of the rotation in favor of Jason Hammel at this point. If Jackson is out, he falls well short of the mark of pitching futility. The standard remains Steve Blass, who lasted 88.7 innings with an ERA of 9.85 in 1973.
Rain Delay
Most of you know I went to Raw on Monday. Tuesday I attended the Scranton/Durham game, on assignment from Baseball Info Solutions. I've been working my other job 730-5 all week, so the lack of sleep Monday night hurt. Still I figured, at least I'd get home a bit earlier from the game, right? Rain was in the forecast, but I didn't figure they would wait two hours to finish up a game. In the top of the eighth, the game resumed with maybe 50 fans in attendance, along with the stadium staff. All for seven more outs of baseball. Dustin Mohr created a scare in the ninth when he hit a home run shot 20 feet foul. Imagine that game going into extra innings. With such a small crowd, you can hear the game chatter from the field. It's certainly a unique experience and I like it in a way. It's too bad you have to sit through crappy weather to get to it.
Monday I attended the show live in Wilkes-Barre, PA. I've been busy recently so I have been unable to post my thoughts in full until now. I have the show recorded on DVR but I haven't watched it yet. Therefore my conception of what I watched might be slightly different than what aired on television.
Dark match: Lance Cade/Trevor Murdoch d. Cryme Time. Good little tag match.
All of the matches were good save Candice vs. Krystal. Benoit/Lashley was fun, and there was some pro-Benoit sentiment in the arena. John Cena got his fair share of boos but there were mostly Cena supporters. Honestly, I think Cena gets booed more because it's the cool thing to do than anything he really does. The Hardy Boys were both quite over.
We got Snitsky, the hometown product. Snitsky got quite a few cheers and certainly the Miz was not going to steal his thunder. The reverse-decision was nonsense though. Here in the Pocono Mountains, you're allowed to continue beating on your opponent. It's kind of a reward.
Overall, considering appearances by Roddy Piper and Dusty Rhodes, I feel like I hit the jackpot in getting this show in my area. A tremendous night of wrestling overall.
A couple of ground-rules I'm working on for the upcoming tournament.
1. DH Rule: The NCAA, along with nearly all baseball leagues apart from the National League, uses the designated hitter. I'm thinking of adopting that for this tournament. Obviously it's bound to create a stir particularly with some regionals that have four non-DH clubs.
2. Home Era: Usually when running tournaments I would have the eras "normalized" for era, meaning if you played at the 1911 Philadelphia Athletics, you were playing in the 1911 American League. This time, ALL games will be played in 2006 terms. Deadball era teams will have to adjust to the modern era.
3. Time Frame: In doing my simulation, I am going to run each regional one at a time. This makes it easier for me since I can focus on just four teams. When that is completed however, games will be posted together. Each regional contains six games with a seventh if necessary. My presentation would run seven days. Each day results of one game from each regional would be posted.
Any questions/comments?
