This Week In Baseball 8/27-9/2

[Bruiser Chong 0]

Ned Yost is a pretty terrible manager.

 

Suppan was into the 7th on around 80 pitches, having given up one run to that point. Tying run comes to the plate and Ned immediately pulls him. The pen promptly gives up four runs.

[strummer 0]

I don't know if Bruiser or Czech want to hear this but Tom Verducci of SI was on Mike and the Mad Dog today and said the Cubs would make it to the World Series.

[Bruiser Chong 0]

Uh oh. I fully expect them to make it to the World Series and be five outs away from winning the clinching game, when without warning, Ronnie Woo-Woo snatches a foul ball from the imminent grasp of Alfonso Soriano, sparking a seven-run inning and ultimate series loss.

[strummer 0]

 

How could Chicago ever hate this man?

[Precious Roy 0]

I don't know if Bruiser or Czech want to hear this but Tom Verducci of SI was on Mike and the Mad Dog today and said the Cubs would make it to the World Series.

 

hahaha, yeah, because of their "superior pitching"

 

Great bounceback win for the Yanks tonight, and nice to hang an L on Dice-K after those first couple games against him. Beckett doesn't scare me, if Clemens can come up big tomorrow we'll have picked up a lot of that momentum we lost.

 

Also, reports that Mussina's next start is going to be skipped in favor of Ian Kennedy. It's for the best right now. Scary stat on NYYFans, of his 72 pitches against Detroit only THREE were swung on and missed.

[NYU 0]

the mets bullpen is amazing. no problems here. heilman, mota....their eras are in negative numbers, theyre so great.

 

thumbs up. ive never seen such fine men grace the pitchers mound of life ever. ever.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

If anyone has the right to bitch about bullpens, it's Daniel Cabrera.

[mike546 0]

Ian Kennedy starting on Saturday. Damn, Torre's not messing around.

[Guest Soriano's Torn Quad]

Ned Yost is a pretty terrible manager.

 

Suppan was into the 7th on around 80 pitches, having given up one run to that point. Tying run comes to the plate and Ned immediately pulls him. The pen promptly gives up four runs.

I don't think Yost is all that bad. Consider that Jeff Suppan hasn't been very good this year, making this start an aberration, and Scott Linebrink is their vaunted setup man (why, he must be, they gave up like three prospects for him), and it doesn't seem like the worst move in the world. Cubs just got hot. Yost is probably on the hot seat, though, but honestly, who are they going to bring into bumfucking Milwaukee that's gonna impress people and say "well, HE'S the missing piece of the puzzle"? The ghost of the Joe McCarthy that didn't disgrace Wisconsin? Come on. Yost isn't the reason Derrick Turnbow and Francisco Cordero are more prone to meltdowns than nuclear power plants operated by Homer Simpson. Man, was that a Dennis Miller line or what.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

Ned Yost is a pretty terrible manager.

 

Suppan was into the 7th on around 80 pitches, having given up one run to that point. Tying run comes to the plate and Ned immediately pulls him. The pen promptly gives up four runs.

I don't think Yost is all that bad. Consider that Jeff Suppan hasn't been very good this year, making this start an aberration, and Scott Linebrink is their vaunted setup man (why, he must be, they gave up like three prospects for him), and it doesn't seem like the worst move in the world. Cubs just got hot. Yost is probably on the hot seat, though, but honestly, who are they going to bring into bumfucking Milwaukee that's gonna impress people and say "well, HE'S the missing piece of the puzzle"? The ghost of the Joe McCarthy that didn't disgrace Wisconsin? Come on. Yost isn't the reason Derrick Turnbow and Francisco Cordero are more prone to meltdowns than nuclear power plants operated by Homer Simpson. Man, was that a Dennis Miller line or what.

 

The original title of this post was to be “Milwaukee Blows”, but I have a lot of friends and family in that state (my parents met at Madison, where my dad was briefly in the same graduate school program as Dick Cheney), so we’ll take it easy.

 

The Brewers have blown a lot of leads this year — 13 times they have been ahead by at least three runs, and gone on to lose the ballgame. Even more remarkably, nine of those losses have come since July 28, which is the sort of thing that gets managers and pitching coaches fired.

 

Our friends at ESPN Radio Milwaukee asked us if this is an historic number: has a team ever turned that many 3-run leads into losses and gone on to make the playoffs? The answer is yes, although it isn’t easy to do. Since 1959, just two teams have blown more than 13 3-run leads and advanced to the playoffs: the 1974 Pirates, who lost 14 ballgames that way, and the 1963 Dodgers, who lost 18 (that Dodger team had a staff ERA of 2.85, so this has to be one of the stranger statistics of all time). Several other teams did blow exactly 13 games and make the playoffs — but of course, the Brewers still have five more weeks to surpass that threshold.

[Guest Soriano's Torn Quad]

Good folks up at ESPN Milwaukee. They're much more in favor of Yost there than at the other sports station in town, which seems to be crusading for Yost's firing.

 

I just don't think it's Ned's doing. It's a young team that is evidently not suited, physically nor mentally, to the rigors of a 162-game pennant race. Their window will only open more in the coming years, as these guys mature and fully develop. A rotation led by Gallardo, Parra, and Sheets will be very promising, much more than the current iteration with Bush, Vargas, and Suppan smoke-and-mirroring their way through the years with varying degrees of success. The Linebrink trade may prove to be a setback, however. Anyway, my point is that Ned Yost has seen these guys through their development, and it's only fair to let him see this project--and rebuilding the Milwaukee Brewers into a contending team is a large project indeed--to its completion. He's liekd and respected by most of his players, and he generally does a solid job in games. I don't think a change would be worth it.

 

I've attempted more analysis of the Brewers and White Sox today than I have my own Favorite Team. I'm gonna go read up on the Reds now to continue avoiding having to discuss the Cubs.

 

p.s.: Milwaukee Blows, what? A .16?

 

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

If anyone has the right to bitch about bullpens, it's Daniel Cabrera.

and Erik Bedard..

and Jeremy Guthrie

and (to some recent extent) Steve Trachsel

 

The bullpen has LOST 31 GAMES!!!! Most in the majors (ahead of 2nd place TB with 26).

 

11 runs given up to the freaking D-Rays in one inning on 9 hits. They might as well just start calling Single A Ball guys up from down here after Sept 1 since Im sure there are a few Shorebirds pitchers who could pitch better than any pitcher in the bullpen.

 

If the bullpen only lost 1/2 as many games, the Os would be flirting with .500 now instead of well on their way to year 10 of sub .500 baseball.

 

Startling statistic: Going back to the 30-3 Rangers game, the OS Bullpen has a 22.95 ERA in just 20 innings.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

If anyone has the right to bitch about bullpens, it's Daniel Cabrera.

and Erik Bedard..

and Jeremy Guthrie

and (to some recent extent) Steve Trachsel

 

11 runs given up to the freaking D-Rays in the 9th. They might as well just start calling Single A Ball guys up from down here after Sept 1 since Im sure there are a few Shorebirds pitchers who could pitch better than any pitcher in the bullpen.

 

 

Remember when the Orioles spent the whole offseason signing bullpen guys to exhorbitant contracts? That was funny.

[Guest]

The Dodgers are starting to play well again. Sure you can look at the teams they're beating and say, "well, they suck (and you'd be right)," but they've been in every game because their starting pitching has begun to come around. Even in the games they lost to the Mets, they've been keeping runs off the board. They've only had a starter give up more than 3 runs once twice in their last 13 games. And one of those games had Brett Tomko as the starter, so it doesn't count. The hitting hasn't been solid, but if you continue to get pitching like that, the run support should come around and give the team a bit of breathing room. Tight games have been far too prevalent.

 

I don't think we'll make the playoffs or anything, but playing like this to finish the season would be nice. It's in the Dodgers own hands here, if they pull out a series win against the Padres in San Diego this weekend, their playoff chances are suddenly beginning to look like possible reality. IF they managed to sweep the Padres, they'd be getting hot going to Chicago and San Francisco, the latter of which we've feasted on at their home park in the recent past. Lot of divisional games coming up, in a very tight race. Each team makes their own destiny.

 

The hitting has been incredibly poor, but it's still getting the job done. For now.

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

If anyone has the right to bitch about bullpens, it's Daniel Cabrera.

and Erik Bedard..

and Jeremy Guthrie

and (to some recent extent) Steve Trachsel

 

11 runs given up to the freaking D-Rays in the 9th. They might as well just start calling Single A Ball guys up from down here after Sept 1 since Im sure there are a few Shorebirds pitchers who could pitch better than any pitcher in the bullpen.

 

 

Remember when the Orioles spent the whole offseason signing bullpen guys to exhorbitant contracts? That was funny.

$42 million total..$19 of it to Blowez. But its not just the guys they signed..Chris Ray was supposed to be huge this year after last but he contributed to some of the 21 blown saves that resulted in 20 loses alone...granted I think he was hurt and kept pitching..and now hes gone for all of next year.

[Prophet of Mike Zagurski 0]

The Dodgers are starting to play well again. Sure you can look at the teams they're beating and say, "well, they suck (and you'd be right)," but they've been in every game because their starting pitching has begun to come around. Even in the games they lost to the Mets, they've been keeping runs off the board. They've only had a starter give up more than 3 runs once twice in their last 13 games. And one of those games had Brett Tomko as the starter, so it doesn't count. The hitting hasn't been solid, but if you continue to get pitching like that, the run support should come around and give the team a bit of breathing room. Tight games have been far too prevalent.

 

I don't think we'll make the playoffs or anything, but playing like this to finish the season would be nice. It's in the Dodgers own hands here, if they pull out a series win against the Padres in San Diego this weekend, their playoff chances are suddenly beginning to look like possible reality. IF they managed to sweep the Padres, they'd be getting hot going to Chicago and San Francisco, the latter of which we've feasted on at their home park in the recent past. Lot of divisional games coming up, in a very tight race. Each team makes their own destiny.

 

The hitting has been incredibly poor, but it's still getting the job done. For now.

 

Getting rid of Tomko also helped.

[Guest]

Yeah.

 

If only Jason Schmidt had stayed healthy.

[Failed Bridge 0]

Joba brings the intensity.

He's already pretty husky so I'm hoping he keeps on eating thus leading to the natural nickname of "Jaba". Then if he takes over for Rivera as the closer he can come out to that weird music that was playing in Jaba's chamber in the original movies (not the redone ones with the terrible lounge singer). That weird thing playing the space flute can be shown over the huge Yankee Stadium screen.

[cabbageboy 0]

I'm amused that the Yankees actually have a guy named Joba.

 

The Cubs going to the World Series? Ha! I would be shocked if they held off a resurgent St. Louis to win the division. Cubs have to play 4 in STL in Sept. and the other teams on each team's schedule are pretty "eh." Cardinals might have a slightly tougher schedule with the Phillies and D'Backs upcoming, but not that much tougher.

 

As far as the Brewers go, I think they are done.

[mike546 0]

Dodgers claim Loaiza off waivers, and the A's just let him go. I'm guessing Bored is smiling somewhere.

[Bored 0]

I don't know about smiling as Loaiza's $7 million/year deal suddenly didn't look so bad after this past offseason's spending spree on mediocre starting pitchers. It's a peculiar move to just let someone go like this without even getting a PTBNL. They desperately need to address their offensive woes this offseason and this could part of equation to free up some money. It could also be they aren't confident he will be healthy enough to give them 25-30 starts in 2008 as he's pretty much been sunk cost this year after spending the first three and a half monts on the DL. I guess they weighed the possiblity of him reinjuring himself the last month of the season and killing any trade value he'd have in the offseason. Or maybe they've lost their minds and really think Rich Harden will be healthy again.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

It took hours and hours of sitting in front of a television screen, but Eric Gagne might have solved a pretty important riddle.

 

What Gagne and a few other Red Sox [team stats]discovered while reviewing video during the recent homestand was the 31-year-old pitcher was tipping his pitches.

 

'We’ve reviewed film very extensively and we felt like there were some things he might be doing which would indicate the pitch he was throwing,' said Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell. 'To alleviate that we made some subtle adjustments.'

 

What the Red Sox reliever was doing was holding his glove down by his waist before his delivery and then grabbing for the ball in a different manner, depending on the pitch. For a fastball he was coming in more from the side, for a breaking ball from the top.

 

I'm not sure how much this explains about Gagne's recent struggles, but it is something. It's not like switching teams would make you change your mechanics or pitch set-up. It'll be interesting to see what happens going forward.

[UseTheSledgehammerUh 0]

Off to Game 3 for Mets/Phils. Tomorrow we're supposed to get some rain in the afternoon.

 

Wonder if Werth starts tonite...

[Craig Th 0]

My cousin is at the Yanks/Sox game, behind homeplate.

 

Fuckin bitch.

[DMann2003 0]

What in the world will it take for more people to know about Aaron Harang? Seriously this man is the foundation along with Phillips, Hamilton and Keppinger of the Reds team that with a few more pieces will be a true competitor. 14-3 so far on the season, and will probably have a record of like 17-4 or 18-3 by the end of the season, and no press will give him his due. That's okay though, Cincy has few bright spots on this team, but Harang shines brightest.

[milliondollarchamp 0]

Thank you Marlon Anderson!

[NYU 0]

What the FUCK was Marlon Anderson doing?! Holy shit, Green would have been safe and the game would be tied!

 

Baseball fundamentals. You cannot use your hands to SHOVE the second baseman off his feet! Disgusting.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

That was an awful play by Marlon Anderson there. I have both the SNY and Comcast Philly broadcasts, and both agree it was correct to call interference.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

What the FUCK was Marlon Anderson doing?! Holy shit, Green would have been safe and the game would be tied!

 

Baseball fundamentals. You cannot use your hands to SHOVE the second baseman off his feet! Disgusting.

Minor detail, it was pinch runner Endy Chavez running from third.

[Spaceman Spiff 0]

He means Green running to 1st.