This Week in Baseball 4/1 - 4/8

[Dobbs 3K 0]

Yes. And because other than Milwaukee and Pittsburgh in your division, who will both blow, you don't have obsessed fans on this board.

 

Someone hasn't been paying attention to what the Brewers have put together this off season, but that's no surprise. Barring injuries like they had last year (yeah, your team's going to suck when two starting pitchers and three quarters of your starting infield go down) these aren't going to be your older brother's Milwaukee Brewers. They're going to win a lot of games they would have rolled over and lost in the past few years.

 

Nice game they had yesterday...I liked how they actually jumped on a struggling pitcher and scored some runs, where in the past they probably would've not executed, and given him a chance to get back into a groove.

[The Man in Blak 0]

I've got the Brewers making it into the playoffs as a wild card and I still feel pretty good about that prediction - they've got the talent and balance to potentially be the strongest team in the NL, believe it or not, but the numerous injury risks (Sheets, Weeks, Hardy) and chances for regression (Bill Hall, most notably) have tempered my optimism for their shot at the division.

[The Man in Blak 0]

Denny Matthews is outstanding. I don't think there is a better play-by-play man when it comes to detail, keeping the listener informed and in the game.

 

It's odd to say, since he's been calling the Royals' games ever since they came into the league in the late 60's, but Matthews is one of the most underrated play-by-play guys in any sport, in my opinion.

[Guest Queen Leelee]

Someone hasn't been paying attention to what the Brewers have put together this off season, but that's no surprise.

I picked them to finish 2nd in the Central.

 

But, they'll still probably blow. And Sheets will catch some rare case of deathly pneumonia, or something.

[The Man in Blak 0]

Interesting blog post from Curt Schilling, regarding his opening day start.

[HarleyQuinn 0]

http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/...is-zone-rating/

 

Good article on the new Zone Ratings. Think Adam Everett's D really warrants the #2 spot though?

[Guest Queen Leelee]

That says Jeter is a poor fielder. Lies.

[vivalaultra 0]

I knew Adam Everett deserved the GG last year. Damn Omar Vizquel and his 'legacy'! However, his defense definitely doesn't warrant the #2 spot.

[Guest Queen Leelee]

What about Everett's scrappiness though, viva.

[The Man in Blak 0]

Bill Hall at the first step look a little below average, but made a tremendous number of plays outside his zone. This year he is being moved from shortstop to center field, but this may be a mistake as he makes many more plays than the average shortstop.

 

Kind of an odd statement to make without comparative numbers for J.J. Hardy. who would be replacing Hall at SS. In addition to that, wouldn't Hall's extraordinary range at SS (but lackluster ability to field ground balls in his zone) actually be a point in favor of the argument towards moving him out to center field, where he can get more use out of his range?

[vivalaultra 0]

What about Everett's scrappiness though, viva.

 

Take the 's' off of scrappiness and that about describes Everett's offense, yeah...

[geniusMoment 0]

Classic, I can already smell the viva meltdown. I say be memorial day he's left broken and despondent, sitting in his own filth on the unkept floor of his shitty apartment.

[Guest Queen Leelee]

Nah. Even if the Lastros are like 50 games out, he'll think they can come back again like 2004.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/...is-zone-rating/

 

Good article on the new Zone Ratings. Think Adam Everett's D really warrants the #2 spot though?

I think he's the best defensive shortstop in baseball.

[vivalaultra 0]

I wouldn't put anything past the 'Stros. I'm not gonna have a meltdown after the first game of the season. Yeesh, I'm not a Cubs' fan or a Yankees' fan or something. Going by precendent, the 'Stros lost on Opening Day in 2004 and made it to the LCS. They lost on Opening Day in 2005 and made it to the WS. They won on Opening Day last year and didn't make the postseason. I still see them winning 88-90 games this year, as long as Adam Everett doesn't hit 2nd all year, Brad Lidge either gets his 'problems' sorted out in Houston or somewhere else, and Carlos Lee doesn't blatantly try to hit a 500+ foot homerun to the Crawford Boxes every at bat like he did last nite for whatever reason. There were lots of good things about the team last nite...Luke Scott hit a monster homerun, Chris Burke went 3 for 4, Ensberg hit well, Roy O. pitched like a sonofabitch. And, the best sign is that this new offensive juggernaut of a team actually scored TWO WHOLE RUNS last nite! Clearly that's a vast improvement over the offenses of 05 and 06.

[The Man in Blak 0]

Classic, I can already smell the viva meltdown. I say be memorial day he's left broken and despondent, sitting in his own filth on the unkept floor of his shitty apartment.

 

It's moments like these when I feel like I should apologize for the Pujols homer in the NLCS.

 

(But I'm not gonna.)

[Dobbs 3K 0]

Hall moving to CF was best for everyone. Hardy and Weeks are locks in the middle positions, and Ryan Braun (who is going to be an offensive monster) is probably going to be playing at 3B by the All-Star break. With no real standout prospects coming up to play centerfield (other than possibly Tony Gwynn Jr.) Hall moving to the outfield makes a lot of sense. He has the athleticism for it.

[vivalaultra 0]

Classic, I can already smell the viva meltdown. I say be memorial day he's left broken and despondent, sitting in his own filth on the unkept floor of his shitty apartment.

 

It's moments like these when I feel like I should apologize for the Pujols homer in the NLCS.

 

(But I'm not gonna.)

 

Oh, and another reason why that's not accurate...I live in a house, not an apartment, dum-dum! Personally, I think Lidge would've been craptastic even without the Pujols' homer. He showed patches of suckiness throughout the 2005 season. Batters just started sitting on his slider and pounding his fastball. I don't think he's psychologically damaged. He's just had...a...very long...string...of...bad...luck...for...the last...several years...in...very...high profile...situations.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

Fun with numbers after one day: Adam Dunn has a VORP of 3.7 already. Hank Blalock had a VORP of 0.0 all last year.

[Vern Gagne 0]

Man, I hadn't noticed that Bruiser was gone until now but come to think about it I wish that he weren't.

 

 

I think Bruiser's in school. So he's probably focusing on his studies right know.

[Vern Gagne 0]

Listened to a lot of baseball on the radio yesterday. Rating the announcers I heard.

 

1. Kansas City

2. Colorado

3. Minnesota

4. Philadelphia

5. Seattle

 

Denny Matthews is outstanding. I don't think there is a better play-by-play man when it comes to detail, keeping the listener informed and in the game. The Mariners' radio announcer (Dave Niehaus?) was awful. He could not decide whether the Athletics' starter was Haren or Harden, switching between the two mid-broadcast.

 

 

What are your opinions of the Twins team?

 

I was disapointed to see Dave Henderson is no longer with the Mariners. Don Sutton is know with the Nationals. I've always liked Sutton in the booth, it's too bad he's stuck with Bob Carpenter.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

At some point the Twins' announcers went deeper into game strategy, which I liked. I'm frustrated already by Gary Matthews adding comments out of baseball cliches 101, like it's the first time I've ever seen a baseball game before. Their play-by-play man is good, I enjoyed hearing him last postseason.

[geniusMoment 0]

Potentially huge, season changing news out of St. Louis:

 

ST. LOUIS -- Chris Carpenter will miss his next turn in the St. Louis Cardinals' pitching rotation due to right elbow inflammation.

 

Carpenter allowed five runs in six innings of a 6-1 loss to the New York Mets in Sunday night's opener. The Cardinals said Carpenter will be evaluated over the next three days.

 

Carpenter had been slotted to pitch again on Friday, jumping ahead of Adam Wainwright and Anthony Reyes to keep him on his regular routine despite two off days in the opening week.

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

Lets see how the Os do tonight with Alberto Castillo behind the plate and D-Cab on the mound.

[The Man in Blak 0]

Literally beat me to it, as I was about to post some clips from the Post-Dispatch article. Edmonds and Spiezio have owies as well.

 

Edmonds, who missed all but the last week of spring training games, has "ouches," La Russa said after the first game. La Russa is not sure how long Edmonds will be able to play tonight.

 

Scott Spiezio, who started many games in the outfield this spring, will not start tonight either because "his back is barking," La Russa said. Spiezio had some issues with neck spasms late in spring training and only pinch hit in the first game.

 

If Carpenter goes down for any extended period of time, the Cardinals are sunk and TSM NL Only team is officially screwed.

[Guest]

Wow.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

They'll be fine. They can have David Eckstein pitch in his place. He's just gritty and scrappy enough to make it work.

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

Who names their son BOOF?

 

seriously.

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

Damnit.

 

D-Cab is gonna be out by the 5th inning because hes thrown 100+ pitches again even though he'll probably have 10 Ks

[Guest]

Though it will be funny to see Kaufman Stadium and about 10 others that were jam packed today like 1/4th full tomorrow and Wednesday.

Good call. Miller Park is 1/2 full at best.