Cheech Tremendous

Excellent post, MIB. I still like to use them as a tool to measure underlying tendencies, but I've made the point here many times that a good team should overperform its record to some degree and vice versa. A good shut-down closer and a young team is a perfect storm for outperforming the PWL (e.g. Arizona). Next year will be a true test for the Diamondbacks. How will they perform with regards to their pythagorean record? Is their performance a function of the team's construction, or an exception that proves the rule? EDIT: By the way, run distribution and win expectancy makes my head hurt.

Jim Tracy out in Pittsburgh. Link 67, 68, and 71 wins in his last three years (1 with Dodgers). At least he's consistent.

Arizona also outperformed their pythagorean record by about 11 wins this year, so they are extremely lucky to even be in this position. They are going to have to improve a lot in the offseason to even have a hope of getting back to the playoffs next year.

So Chien-Ming Wang isn't quite as effective when the groundscrew doesn't leave the infield grass waist high? Get outta here.

So I went and picked up Selvin Young just to screw with the guy who has Travis Henry. Maybe he'll get desperate and deal me something good.

If Miggy Cabrera is available, I'd give up Ellsbury and Buchholz for him. He's probably going to be one of, if not the best player in the league for the next five to ten years.

#217. Douchebag refusing to write Benoit's name whenever he is talking about him. Its not clever or funny. It's stupid.

I think Cal and Ernie are okay in the studio, but Frank Thomas is just horrible. Not only is bad in front of the camera, he's afraid to say anything because he still has to face most of these guys next year. I know everyone is down on TBS so far, but I see some promise in their coverage. I think with more time to work out the kinks they'll be able to put out decent to above average coverage.

Someone call Tim McCarver and let him know that a multi-run inning started with a homerun and not a walk. It'll blow his mind.

Interesting stuff: -That was Beckett's third career CG shutout in the playoffs. That ties him with Whitey Ford and Mordecai "Three Finger" Brown for second on the all-time list. He is just one behind Christy Mathewson for first place. -It was the Sox' first CG shutout in the playoffs since Luis Tiant did it in 1975.

What a tremendous performance by Beckett. Dominating stuff from start to finish and efficient in the process.

Nothing's really for sure when it comes to postseason baseball, but the Red Sox have the upper hand in their series with the Angels. LAA is in a situation where Matthews, Jr. is off the postseason roster and Vlad's injury will force him into the DH role. That significantly impacts their outfield defense and the team's pitching staff tends to put the ball in play a lot. Not a good comination. As noted, Lackey has struggled against the Sox in the past, and the late-season demise of Scott Shields has their normally strong bullpen looking like a weakness. That's not a good sign when facing a team that gets to the bullpen faster than any other due to everyone in the lineup taking a massive amount of pitches.

EDIT: Wrong thread

St. Louis Post-Dispatch says that Walt Jockety is out in St. Louis. One would think that LaRussa might not be far behind. Cincinnati appears to be the proverbial soft-landing for the two.

You do realize that's a really well-known song, don't you?

I would hope not. Tom Glavine as a Met will forever be remembered now for that one game. Not his 300th win. Not his games against the Dodgers and the Cards in the 2006 playoffs. No, Game 162 against the Marlins will be what he is remembered for. Mets fans are never going to fully trust him again, and it will do much more harm for the franchise than good if they decide to pick up that $13 million option. Bye Tommy. Go pitch together with your BFF John Smoltz and leave the Mets alone until you're pitching 2-hit shutouts against them next season. It's a player option, not a team option. If Glavine decides to come back next year and feels that he won't get that money on the open market, he'll return to the Mets.

Hate to be the one to break it to you, but Jones' glove isn't that special anymore. EDIT: I take that back. Scouts seem to say that he has lost a step in center, but John Dewan of the Fielding Bible (who I always defer to on defensive issues) has Andruw as the best CF in baseball this year in his +/- fielding metric, even above Coco Crisp (who I thought would be the landslide winner).

You'll rarely hear me say an ill word about Scott Boras. His job is to get the most money for his clients and there is no one better in sports at doing just that. It may not be good for the fans or the owners, but that's not his concern. The one exception to this is Boras' training programs that have derailed the careers of several young pitchers in recent years (Hochevar, Craig Hansen, Pelfrey, etc.). That should be outside the scope of his services.

Quick notes from today: -Omar Minaya says Randolph will be back next year. Tom Glavine, on the other hand, probably won't be. He has a $13 million option, but rumors are he'd like to return to Atlanta. -Andruw Jones will not return to Atlanta next year. The Braves could take a look at a rental like Mike Cameron or Kenny Lofton -Adam Eaton did not make the Phillies playoff roster -Tim Wakefield was scratched from the Red Sox playoff roster due to a back injury. Jon Lester will replace him -Scott Schoenweis reportedly received shipments of steroids when he played for the Chicago White Sox.

I've never heard a single soul say that until you just did. They're probably friends. Does not count. Also, the time on my post says that nobody up to that point had said Hoffman was better, after all, Helton probably made that quote an hour later. What did you want him to say? "We did it against a closer who has a great reputation because he's racked up the most saves in history, but in reality the save is a meaningless stat and it wasn't that hard to rough up a flyball pitcher in the thin air of Colorado when his change-up and weak fastball have no separation." Doesn't quite have the same ring to it, you know?

I think Philly-Chicago and Boston-NYY would be best for baseball as a business and provide the best matchups for the fans. I know a lot of people are sick of the Sox and Yanks, but they are still the two most popular teams with a ton of backstory and a history of good games.

So what's next for Isiah Thomas now that he's been found guilty of harrassment? Does Dolan finally fire him? Does the league suspend him? Could be an interesting couple of months in Knickland.

Carlos Pena and Dmitry Young won the Comeback Player of the Year awards for their respective leagues. Pena was a total lock in the AL, but Young surprised me. I though Josh Hamilton and Rick Ankiel had the inside track on the award. Matt Holliday's totally clutchy hit last night brought him up to second in the National League in Win Probability Added (WPA - 2nd to Prince Fielder). You could make a case that he won the MVP award solely on last night's performance, both in the traditional and sabermetric way of determining value.

There's no need for an f-you because I don't think he cares at all. He knows he messed up, but realizes it was for something petty that's going to be forgotten in time anyways. No need to try and draw the ire of the league by making moves for the sole purpose of pissing them off. That's just bad business.

Oh and let's all shit ourselves trying to figure out this save us 222 thing when anyone with half a brain knows that it's just Jericho.