This (Half) Week in Baseball

[KingPK 0]

As I watch 4 fire trucks tend to a house where there is whips of smoke coming out of one window, the second half of the MLB season is about to begin.

 

WILL the Rangers keep their pace going and make the playoffs?

WILL someone win the Randy Johnson Sweepstakes?

WILL the Astros keep taking Boston's managerial sloppy seconds?

 

And of course,

 

WILL Al and FS' baseball debates finally pave the way for the steel cage death match we're all hoping for?

[Guest Anglesault]

I think Contreras is starting the series in Detroit.

 

Watch and see if he can give up his customary three home runs a game at Comerica.

[Vern Gagne 0]

Stewart's back for the Twins.

[sfaJack 0]

Jimy Williams out as Astros manager, Phil Garner in on an interim basis.

 

1:00 CST press conference to make it official.

[Guest FrigidSoul]

WILL Al and FS' baseball debates finally pave the way for the steel cage death match we're all hoping for?

That would be one boring cage match as we just continued arguing about certain aspects and each backed up their point.

 

Anyways, from the yahoo sports section

 

All-Star pitcher Livan Hernandez signed a three-year extension with the Expos prior to the season, but that doesn't mean he'll be with the team for much longer. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Hernandez could be traded prior to the July 31 deadline.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Does that mean anything? Anyone COULD be traded before the deadline.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

MLB Radio will air the Astros announcement live at 2pm.

[The Czech Republic 0]

A new manager doesn't make Jeff Bagwell's arm any better.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Bagwell isn't the Astros problem right now. His OPS is 818. Ken Harvey's OPS is 805, and he's considered a success. Here are their problems, the way I see it.....

 

1. Unacceptable offense from two positions, catcher and shortstop. Adam Everett (257/296/343) and Brad Ausmus (237/292/314) are absolutely dragging this team's offense. There are probably ten guys in AAA who could outhit Brad Ausmus. The Astros need to face facts and find a new catcher.

 

2. Andy Pettitte has been a relative bust. He's missed half the season so far, forcing the Astros to reach deeper into their pitching depth.

 

3. That aforementioned pitching depth isn't there. The Astros cast aside extra starters such as Jerome Robertson and Kirk Saarloos. Tim Redding has pitched horribly this season. Brandon Duckworth has given up 10 home runs in less than 30 innings. An injury to Wade Miller exacerbates the rotation's problems.

 

4. A complete lack of organizational depth. Only Chris Burke and Taylor Buchholz raise eyebrows.

 

The Astros need to fill those black holes in their lineup, and find an innings eater starter.

[The Czech Republic 0]

If Clemens pitches the second half like he pitched the All-Star Game, hoo boy. We can only hope.

 

And what happened to Roy Oswalt?

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

If Clemens pitches the second half like he pitched the All-Star Game, hoo boy. We can only hope.

 

Personally, I think the problem was Piazza. He and Clemens probably worked out a simplistic sign system, and Clemens ended up tipping his pitches. Just my theory. I can't imagine a pitcher like Clemens collapsing.

 

And what happened to Roy Oswalt?

 

Nothing. 116 Ks and just 27 walks in 130 2/3 innings. He's given up just seven home runs despite playing in a hitters' park. By any measure other than hits allowed, he's among the best in the league.

[Fuzzy Dunlop 0]

The Nomar/Unit/prospects three-way trade was discussed on ESPNEWS earlier. If this happens, I'll be very very happy.

[The Czech Republic 0]

They're now discussing it on ATH.

 

Plaschke: Won't happen because of Schilling

Cowlishaw: Ain't gonna happen

Mariotti: No, we're getting Cabrera

Smith: Boston needs to do this and will

Reali: They better or else Sox are screwed

[Guest Choken One]

If Clemens pitches the second half like he pitched the All-Star Game, hoo boy. We can only hope.

 

Personally, I think the problem was Piazza. He and Clemens probably worked out a simplistic sign system, and Clemens ended up tipping his pitches. Just my theory. I can't imagine a pitcher like Clemens collapsing.

 

You know whats amazing?

 

Im actually hearing people say Piazza tipped the pitches to the hitters to make Clemens look bad.

 

 

Are people really that stupid to think Piazza would do that?

[Guest Choken One]

I'm really not following the Johnson thing (since it's pretty much concerning the AL EAST)...but are Boston and NY the only teams realisticly getting a chance at the Unit?

 

Why isn't LA going after him or Anaheim (though I do believe i read that Johnson already said no to Anaheim).

[sfaJack 0]

1. Unacceptable offense from two positions, catcher and shortstop. Adam Everett (257/296/343) and Brad Ausmus (237/292/314) are absolutely dragging this team's offense. There are probably ten guys in AAA who could outhit Brad Ausmus. The Astros need to face facts and find a new catcher.

But Ausmus calls a great game and knows all the NL hitters. That and he throws out 30% of baserunners.

 

3.  That aforementioned pitching depth isn't there.  The Astros cast aside extra starters such as Jerome Robertson and Kirk Saarloos.  Tim Redding has pitched horribly this season.  Brandon Duckworth has given up 10 home runs in less than 30 innings.  An injury to Wade Miller exacerbates the rotation's problems.

Robertson completely sucks and Saarloos probably won't ever amount to much. He's really not much better than Pete Munro so of what use would either of these two be?

 

The biggest problem for the Astros has been their lack of offense. They've been the worst offensive team in the National League since late May/early June. Berkman is hitting about .220 since then...Kent's at about the same clip...even Beltran is only hitting .263 since the trade, just to name a few. Craig Biggio has been the only guy doing anything consistently for them lately.

 

Now I know that batting average is now an evil stat that is to be mostly rejected and all, but it's pretty telling of their collapse. The Astros led the league in runs scored in mid-May and are now 8th. Just look at how many games they've scored less than 5 runs in over that span and it's pretty easy to see why they've totally sucked lately.

[The Czech Republic 0]

I suppose the Dodgers feel their pitching staff is good enough. I think Anaheim might be running out of money.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

I don't believe it. Understand when I refer to tipping pitches, it refers to pitchers falling into a predictable pattern. For example, a pitcher will shake his head once to agree with a fastball, and again to agree with location. If he doesn't shake his head twice, its a breaking pitch, because those aren't located. So the batter (or team) figures out the pattern, and they know what is coming. Notice both home runs came on sliders.

 

As for the trade, it'd be a bad trade for the Sox. They're third in runs allowed, just three runs behind the A's for the lead in the AL. They don't need pitching. Hell, they're only five runs behind the Texas Rangers for the lead for runs scored. If the Sox simply stand pat, they're in good shape. They don't need anyone.

[Guest Choken One]

I know what you meant, I was just saying some people i heard in the general area were saying that they thought Piazza was flat out telling the hitters the pitch.

 

Clearly that wasn't case...I was just pointing out that they were idiots out there. Thats nothing new really...

[Guest Choken One]

As for the trade, it'd be a bad trade for the Sox. They're third in runs allowed, just three runs behind the A's for the lead in the AL. They don't need pitching. Hell, they're only five runs behind the Texas Rangers for the lead for runs scored. If the Sox simply stand pat, they're in good shape. They don't need anyone.

They don't need the pitching.

 

They aren't trying to get Johnson to boost their rotation (though it certaintly does)...it's all to fuck with the Yankees. It's simple as that. Sure, the Yankees would just grab some other pitcher but the Sox just want that psychological "edge" by saying "yeah you got AROD but we got the unit"...even though in the end, the Yankees would be the real winners.

[Guest FrigidSoul]

Does that mean anything? Anyone COULD be traded before the deadline.

It means that Montreal is shopping a pitcher it just signed to a 3 year extension. A pitcher that took a discount because he wanted to stay there. If he's traded other players are going to be very cautious of playing for that organisation no matter who owns it so long as Omar Minaya is running it.

[The Czech Republic 0]

Wow, the Expos are really just closing up shop, aren't they. There's not gonna be a team left to move to Washington or Norfolk.

[Guest FrigidSoul]

As for the trade, it'd be a bad trade for the Sox.  They're third in runs allowed, just three runs behind the A's for the lead in the AL.  They don't need pitching.  Hell, they're only five runs behind the Texas Rangers for the lead for runs scored.  If the Sox simply stand pat, they're in good shape.  They don't need anyone.

I don't believe it just because sources can't get the damned team in Chicago straight when they talk about the trade. Some people say the White Sox where he was all but traded to before the A-Rod/Manny deal fell through, some people say to the Cubs since they have problems at SS. Not to mention Theo has been going above and beyond on trying to make Nomar happy and want to stay here. He's still trying to work an extension with him and has told him not believe a single word saying he could be dealt.

 

Contrary to popular belief the Red Sox do have a bunch of prospects they could deal for Johnson on their own. Abe Alvarez, Hanley Ramirez, Kevin Youkilis, Kelly Shoppach, Matt Murton, Anastacio Martinez, etc. I'm willing to bet that a deal of Abe Alvarez, Hanley Ramirez, Anastacio Martinez, and a throw in of Ramiro Mendoza to just eat innings for them this year and to make Johnson not as expensive would work. That gives Arizona a future left handed starter, a bullpen prospect who could close games one day, their future SS, and somebody to eat innings and keep their young pitchers from over throwing.

 

Edit: The Red Sox could use something though. A lefty specialist. BJ Ryan would be nice.

Edited July 14, 2004 by FrigidSoul

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

But Ausmus calls a great game and knows all the NL hitters. That and he throws out 30% of baserunners.

 

That's 29.1%, and its a big drop from his previous totals. The worst catchers in the league only catch about 20% of basestealers. That means Ausmus has added a grand total of 5 outs thanks to his runner-killing abilities. No way that makes up for a .292 OBP.

[The Czech Republic 0]

Nomar on his worst day > Gonzalez on his best. I'm all for that.

A rotation of Martinez/Schilling/Johnson/Wakefield is scary.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

It means that Montreal is shopping a pitcher it just signed to a 3 year extension. A pitcher that took a discount because he wanted to stay there. If he's traded other players are going to be very cautious of playing for that organisation no matter who owns it so long as Omar Minaya is running it.

 

So now idle speculation equals solid fact? Any GM worth his salt will trade a player like Hernandez IF a suitable trade comes his way. But I don't think the Expos are actively shopping Livan.

[Guest FrigidSoul]

Its not fact, but if they are shopping him then you have to take into account what else I said. Al, you're pretty hostile today...do you need a hug? I'm here for you pal.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Ok, I'll take into account what else you have to say......

 

It's bullshit. Players don't make personnel decisions based on whatever mid-season trades teams made last season. When has a player ever said, "Well, they made a terrific offer, but they traded Toolsy McClutch last year, so I don't trust them."? Players have learned long ago that baseball is a business, and teams do whatever is in their best interests to win. If (hypothetical), Livan Hernandez were dealt, I'd look at that team and say, "this is an organization that cares about winning more than it cares about keeping a few people happy." And that's the kind team who decides its time to show Brad Ausmus the door. And that team will win games.

[The Czech Republic 0]

So how IS Toolsy McClutch this year? I heard his numbers have been way way down.

[sfaJack 0]

But Ausmus calls a great game and knows all the NL hitters. That and he throws out 30% of baserunners.

 

That's 29.1%, and its a big drop from his previous totals. The worst catchers in the league only catch about 20% of basestealers. That means Ausmus has added a grand total of 5 outs thanks to his runner-killing abilities. No way that makes up for a .292 OBP.

Yeah, I know. My statement was (supposed to be) a sarcastic regurgitation of the Astros' company line when it comes to Ausmus. Must not have come across that way.