EVIL~! alkeiper

Good god what a stupid argument in the announcer's booth.

Are you finished?

Not quite Weaverball as much as a player the James' crowd appreciates. Bill James came up with a statistic called "secondary average." Essentially it took into account everything a player did outside of his batting average, such as power, walks and stolen bases. So whereas Morgan would post a pedestrian batting average, his secondary average was off the charts. And for what it's worth, James placed Morgan as the greatest second baseman of all time, citing character and leadership as a part of that. Or it could just be that James hates Rogers Hornsby.

Phils lose thanks to Ryan Franklin's throwing error.

As for Pujols/Rodriguez, I think the Bonds' watch is demonstrating that 755 isn't as easy as it looks. You never know what'll happen, especially considering Pujols is still over 500 home runs away!

God bless modern managing. Because it's merely tied in the ninth, we use the guy who was ticketed for Scranton last week.

With any luck, managers will soon figure out that the intentional walk is a stupid move that doesn't win ballgames.

VICTORINO~! Goddamn this guy is nothing but big hits.

White Sox are making a run at erasing a 10-1 deficit of their own.

Scott Erickson's warming up. When's the last time a team trailed by double digits twice in the same game?

Sorry, I've had the Phillies/Brewers on.

If this is what a slump looks like, I can't wait until Abreu heats up.

Well, when three regulars are down and you've gotten to the point where Bubba Crosby and Melky Cabrera look like regulars, why not give him the at bats and see if he learns? If you don't, why bother even keeping him on the 40 man roster? That's what bugs me about guys like Phillips. If teams think he, or Colter Bean, can't succeed in the majors despite superior minor league numbers based on scouting reports, that's all well and good. But for god sakes let them prove they can't succeed in the majors.

I don't put much stock in Giambi's DH/1B splits, as that's a function of him happening to play DH more in the first half last year, and first in the second half. I'm not sure what you heard about Duncan, but his stats indicate that his OBP and slugging percentage are both under .300. The Yankees are second in the league in runs allowed, so that's not their problem. Even if it were, Jose Veras and Colter Bean are available. Here's an ideal Yankee lineup, looking at BPro's projections... C- Posada 1B- Pena 2B- Cano SS- Jeter 3B- Rodriguez LF- B. Williams CF- Damon RF- Thompson DH- Reese The trouble is that two of those guys are in Columbus. Miguel Cairo is not a better hitter than any of the scrubs currently in the outfield. Andy Phillips is never going to be a MLB player. Ever. He's been given chances over the last two years and still can't hit anything but a fastball, and he has no plate disipline. That's an awfully harsh assessment. His projections peg him as a .255 hitter with a .317 OBP. That's not too good, but it's something in the meantime. It's not like Bubba Crosby has ever hit MLB pitching. But then again, Carlos Pena's still hitting in Columbus too.

I agree with Clint Hurdle. There's no reason for a team that plays in one of baseball's all time greatest hitting environments to consistantly lead the league in sacrifices.

Brian Kenny came on a segment on XM Radio the other day, and spent most of the time praising sabermetrics. He is very knowledgeable and it comes out in his questions and his choice of guests.

The new voting machines in Monroe County were pretty nice. They actually were not much of a departure except that instead of a level, you had a red light. The only difference is that it probably saves a TON of work after the elections for the people running the polls, as they don't have the huge reams of paper to sort through afterward I imagine.

Like I said before, the Bobby Abreu rumors are 100% baseless and it is probably the same for Torii Hunter. There's just no way a contending team trades a major player in May unless there's a situation where he *HAS* to go. The only player the Yankees have to trade is Philip Hughes, and that would be a mistake. Giambi's injury shouldn't be serious. What the Yankees need to do is get Andy Phillips into the lineup at first and DH Giambi. Put Bernie Williams in left. There's no reason for both Melky Cabrera and Bubba Crosby to be in the lineup. If they need a trade, look for guys like Jeff Conine.

Penn's walked 10 in 23 innings at Ottawa. Loewen's walked more than three batters per nine as well, and he's in Bowie. Britton's been downright dominant in Bowie, posting stats similar to Chris Ray's. I don't see a big problem with this move.

To expand. There are six position players I would put on the organization's prospect list. Michael Bourn, Carlos Ruiz, Bradley Harman, Jason Jaramillo, Chris Roberson, and Mike Costanzo. Ruiz is going to be at least an MLB quality backup, ditto for Roberson. Jaramillo skipped a level and his primary asset is his defense. Harman's glove is very good and I think he just suffered a slow start. Costanzo's on the cusp and I have my doubts. That's the kind of evaluation that makes a 15th prospect. Michael Bourn? He could be a Willy Taveras type player in the majors, lots of infield hits. He's possibly the best defensive outfielder in the minors. At the very least, his skills translates into a very good 4th/5th outfielder. Right outside those guys is Michael Durant. BA rated him 17th in the organization. He's starting in extended Spring Training, and I can't knock him down until he plays poorly.

It should be clear, but then again that didn't stop Lakewood/Delmarva from cancelling their game at Citizens Bank Park.

To address the last point first, if there are pitchers available you need to take them. If you need hitting prospects, trade the pitchers for them. It's not a serious concern right now because Ryan Howard's with us until 2011, Utley until 2009 (at least), Jimmy Rollins is here through 2010 (with a reasonable option for '11), Burrell's signed through 2008, and Abreu until 2007 (with an option for '08). Golson's got to show some semblance of baseball ability to remain a prospect. He wouldn't make my top ten right now in the organization. I do think there are some hitting prospects in the organization though, and I'll produce a revised prospect list soon.

My friends regard me as a baseball nut, and for the most part that is true. Name any year, and I can tell you who played in that World Series off the top of my head. Further along however, I fall flat. Ask me who won the National League West in 1979, and I might not remember. Major League Baseball expanded its playoff format in 1969, adding a League Championship series. Most of us remember the great World Series, as they are prevailent, produced on dvd. The LCS however sometimes fades into oblivion. Unless your local team was involved in a memorable series, you may not ever hear about it. Certainly, ESPN Classic's insistance on never showing complete baseball games means some absolute classics are forgotten. Hopefully, this will begin a series of articles about those series. I intend to relive those series, as well as the losing teams involved. 1980 National League Championship Series Best of Five 1980 Houston Astros The Houston Astros (then known as the Colt 45s) began as an expansion team in the 1962 season. The 'Stros amased a fine collection of talent over the years such as Joe Morgan, Jimmy Wynn, Larry Dierker and Don Wilson, but could not quite make it to the top of the National League West. Sharing a division with the Big Red Machine will do that. The Astros of course played their home games in the Houston Astrodome. Fans know about the dome and artificial turf, but relatively few fans realize how tough a hitters' park the Dome was. Astros' hitters were perenially underrated, and some pitchers were overrated. The Astros finally broke through in 1980, as we will see. The Lineup C: Alan Ashby (.256/.319/.347, 93 OPS+) 1B: Art Howe (.283/.350/.445, 129 OPS+) 2B: Joe Morgan (.243/.367/.373, 115 OPS+) SS: Craig Reynolds (.226/.262/.304, 64 OPS+) 3B: Enos Cabell (.276/.305/.351, 90 OPS+) LF: Jose Cruz Sr. (.302/.360/.426, 128 OPS+) CF: Cesar Cedeno (.309/.389/.465, 147 OPS+) RF: Terry Puhl (.282/.357/.419, 124 OPS+) A few interesting players here. Any of the three outfielders could play center, and Terry Puhl in fact did play 30 games in center that season. Jose Cruz is perhaps one of the most underrated players in baseball history. Cruz hit 106 home runs on the road, but only 59 at home. Playing in the Astrodome most of his career cost him perhaps 50 home runs over the years. Cruz certainly deserved more than two All-Star nods. He is not quite a Hall of Fame caliber player, but he's better than Jim Rice, for example. Cesar Cedeno could be a Hall of Famer. He was a better player than many center fielders currently in the Hall, and might well have been had he not decended rapidly after age 30. Cedeno still played over 2,000 games thanks to an early start, and finished his career with 550 stolen bases. Joe Morgan left the Cincinnati Reds after the 1979 season, returning to the team that originally drafted him. Morgan remained one of the most disciplined hitters in the game, drawing 93 walks and stealing 24 bases in 1980. Despite a .243 batting average he was one of the more productive second basemen in the league, even at the age of 36. Enos Cabell on the other hand rated as the player most often criticized by young baseball author Bill James. Cabell hit .276 on the season, at a glimpse an acceptable average. But then you dig in the stat sheet and see a meager 26 walks, almost no power, and he was caught stealing 13 times against 21 successes. Craig Reynolds' hitting stats are appaling, but it was common for teams in that era to play unproductive hitters at short, preferring defense. Frank Taveras (Mets, 80 OPS+), Larry Bowa (Phillies, 70 OPS+), Tim Foli (Pirates, 73 OPS+), Luis Gomez (Braves, 26 OPS+), Johnnie LeMaster (Giants, 59 OPS+), and Ozzie Smith (Padres, 71 OPS+) comprised some of the league's starting shortstops. When you remember the Padres' trade of Ozzie to the Cardinals for Garry Templeton, consider that Templeton was the only starting shortstop in the league to hit above the league average in 1980. Ashby of course starred as an announcer for the Astros for several years, and Art Howe went on to become a successful manager in the majors. The Rotation Joe Niekro (20-12, 3.55 ERA, 92 ERA+) Nolan Ryan (11-10, 3.35 ERA, 98 ERA+) Ken Forsch (12-13, 3.20 ERA, 103 ERA+) Vern Ruhle (12-4, 2.37 ERA, 138 ERA+) J.R. Richard (10-4, 1.90 ERA, 173 ERA+) Joaquin Andujar (3-8, 3.91 ERA, 84 ERA+) Joe Niekro was in the midst of a late career surge, posting his second consecutive 20 win season. Given his stellar record and the fact that he was a knuckleballer, I think Niekro's mediocre ERA is the result of staying in games longer than most pitchers when his team had a big lead. That's just a guess. Niekro's son Lance currently plays for the San Francisco Giants. Nolan Ryan remains the game's most overrated pitcher. For all the flack Bert Blyleven receives about not being a winning pitcher, the same tag could be applied to Nolan Ryan, who had a worse win percentage and lower ERA+. Ryan in 1980 had 14 no decisions, of which his team won 11. He did pitch a large number of innings, as did Niekro. Vern Ruhle's season was entirely a fluke. He never again won more than nine games in a season, and finished his career with a below average ERA. He did however become a successful pitching coach, first with the Phillies and then with the Astros. J.R. Richard is one of baseball's most tragic cases. Beginning in 1976, Richard ranked among baseball's best pitchers. Despite surrendering over 100 walks a season, he won 72 games from 1976-79. He found his control in 1979 and posted yet another career year. Richard's first half performance in 1980 netted him his first All-Star appearance, a starting assignment to boot. Unfortunately, Richard suffered a series of bizzare ailments that year. Many fans and reporters thought Richard was a lazy player, and that he was loafing. On July 30, Richard suffered a major stroke, requiring emergency surgery. Richard never pitched in the majors again. Some other intriguing players on the Astros that season included current Padres' manager Bruce Bochy and long time closer Dave Smith, making his debut season. The Astros ended the regular season in a tie with the Los Angeles Dodgers, necessitating the first regular season playoff in the National League since 1962. (Oddly, of the seven regular season playoffs in N.L. history, the Dodgers have been in five of them). The Astros had held a three game lead over the Dodgers with three to go. However, those three games happened to be against the Dodgers, in Dodger Stadium. The Astros lost all three games to force the playoff. However, the Astros won the playoff easily, 7-1 behind the pitching of staff ace Joe Niekro. The NLCS The first two games took place at Veterans Stadium. The Phillies won game one 3-1, thanks to Greg Luzinski's two run home run in the sixth. Game Two saw the Astros and Phillies go into extra innings tied 3-3. The Astros scored four in the tenth, including Dave Bergman's two run triple. The Phillies had a chance to score a run in the ninth, but Lee Elia held Bake McBride at third base. Games three through five would be played at the Houston Astrodome. Game Three saw the Astros and Phillies trade zeros through ten innings. Joe Niekro pitched ten scoreless innings, striking out two and walking one. Denny Walling's sacrifice fly scored Rafael Landestoy, winning the game for the 'Stros. Game Four saw the Astros take a 2-0 lead into the eighth inning, but the Phils scored three runs. The Astros tied the game in the ninth, leading the game into extra innings for the third straight time. In the top of the tenth, Pete Rose scored on Greg Luzinski's RBI double, and the Phillies went on to win. Rose famously scored on a close play at the plate, knocking down catcher Bruce Bochy. Rose was widely praised for his aggressiveness. What's forgotten is that Manny Trillo followed up with a double that would've scored Rose anyway. But there were two outs, and no tomorrow. Game five saw the Astros again take a 5-2 lead into the eighth inning. Phillies down three against Nolan Ryan. In the eighth, Rafael Landestoy replaced Joe Morgan at second base, a defensive manuever the Astros made all series. Larry Bowa led off the inning with a base hit to center field. Bob Boone followed with a hard grounder off Ryan's glove, runners at first and second. Greg Gross reached on a bunt down the third base line, loading the bases. Pete Rose followed with a walk, forcing in a run. At this point, Astros' manager Bill Verdon replaced Ryan with Joe Sambito. If the Astros made a mistake in the series, this is it. Bowa's hit was the hardest hit ball of the inning. Boone and Gross's hits were both infield shots. Rose walked on a full count. The pitch before ball four, which Bowa fouled out, was clocked at 99 mph. I honestly think Ryan came out too soon. Sambito came in to pitch to left handed Bake McBride, who was pulled for Keith Moreland, a righty. There goes the platoon split. Moreland grounded to second, forcing out Rose but scoring a run. 5-4 Astros, first and third for the Phillies, one out. Ken Forsch came in to replace Sambito. Mike Schmidt struck out in a key spot, leaving two outs. Del Unser bailed out Schmidt and the team, hitting a single to right that scored the tying run. With runners on first and second, Manny Trillo tripled to left, scoring two runs and giving the Phillies a 7-5 lead. Bottom of the eighth, the Phils attempted to lock down the game by bringing in Tug McGraw. McGraw however, running on fumes, could not get the job done. Two consecutive RBI singles by Rafael Landestoy and Jose Cruz tied the game yet again. Top of the tenth, Del Unser doubled and Garry Maddox hit a two out double to plate Unser, giving the Phils the lead. Maddox's double was a simple base hit, but Puhl had to dive for it knowing that if it fell in, the Phils would take the lead. The Astros went in order in the bottom of the tenth to give the Phillies the pennant. Noteable about that last half of the inning was Enos Cabell swinging at ball four and flying out to center field for his trouble. In that five game series, four game went into extra innings. If you watch the Phillies' broadcast, you note Tim McCarver laughing hysterically as the Phillies win the pennant on Maddox's catch. It was an extremely hard fought series, and the Phillies really felt like they simply survived that game, not just won it. In my mind, it rates as the greatest game in Phillies' history, due to its combination of excitement and importance. The Phils would go on to defeat the Kansas City Royals in six games for their first and only World Series championship. The Astros again reached the postseason the following season. After taking the first two games from the Dodgers, they lost the next three and the series. They lost to the New York Mets in the 1986 NLCS, puncuated by a 16 inning classic game six. Division series appearances in 1997, '98, '99 and 2001 all resulted in losses, giving the Astros seven consecutive playoff series losses. They finally broke that streak in 2004, and won their first National League pennant in 2005.

Of course not. In the span of 10-14 games, anything can happen. This says nothing more than that the '95 Indians won a fictional tournament.

I watched Karsey pitch in Scranton about two weeks ago, and he easily has something left in the tank.