2010 MLB Catch-All Thread

[chw42]

Trevor Cahill is technically a luckier version of Justin Masterson...

 

Masterson's GB%: 59.7% (1st in AL)

Masterson's BABIP: .331

Masterson's ERA: 4.73

Masterson's FIP: 4.06

Cleveland's Infield UZR: -15.2

Average on GB: .252

OPS on GB: .509

XBH on GB: 2

 

Cahill's GB%: 55.3% (2nd in AL)

Cahill's BABIP: .222

Cahill's ERA: 2.61

Cahill's FIP: 4.15

Oakland's Infield UZR: 36.2

Average on GB: .136

OPS on GB: .282

XBH on GB: 3

 

As you see, it's really not how hard people are hitting the ball off of Cahill or Masterson on ground balls. Both have only allowed 2 and 3 XBH respectively on ground balls. Yet, the average disparity is 116 points, yes 116. This is how much of a difference a good infield defense makes, as the difference between the Oakland and Indians infield defense is around 50 runs.

 

We get one of these guys every year, but this is an extreme case.

[Balta1701]

Lotsa playoff/NL east injury news came through last night after I left.

 

Jimmy Rollins has a hamstring strain. Day to day.

 

John Johnson (Marlins) is being shut down for the season with a back strain.

[witesoxfan]

Then why is average considered one of the five primary "tools"?

 

I know the basic thought is that getting base hits is a primary tool, but I think it has more to do with making contact in general, which is a symptom of bat control. There are several guys who make great contact that aren't great hitters.

[Jordan4life_2007]

Lotsa playoff/NL east injury news came through last night after I left.

 

Jimmy Rollins has a hamstring strain. Day to day.

 

John Johnson (Marlins) is being shut down for the season with a back strain.

 

My fantasy starting pitching is getting murdered. I've lost Strasburg, Nolasco, Santana, Johnson and Morrow across 4 leagues. Strasburg/Santana have legitimate injuries. But more and more teams that are out of the race in September are just shutting their guys down out of paranoia. I understand their logic. But god damnit! I'm trying to win fantasy titles. Yes, I know you don't give a s***. Just venting.

[Kyyle23]

Lotsa playoff/NL east injury news came through last night after I left.

 

Jimmy Rollins has a hamstring strain. Day to day.

 

John Johnson (Marlins) is being shut down for the season with a back strain.

 

Josh?

[Balta1701]

Josh?

Yeah, him. Typo. Morning. Coffee. Blah.

[justBLAZE]

Troy Tulowitzki needs a freaking shower, dude is filthy.

[fathom]

Another reason to hate Nick Swisher...he's engaged to the delightfully hot Joanna Garcia.

[Jordan4life_2007]

Troy Tulowitzki needs a freaking shower, dude is filthy.

 

Troy Tulowitzki knocked in seven of the Colorado Rockies nine runs Wednesday in their 9-6 win over the San Diego Padres. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Tulowitzki is the second player in MLB history with more than 10 home runs and more than 25 RBI in any 14 games of September/October (Hank Greenberg did it in 1940 with 12 HR and 31 RBI). He also tied Ralph Kiner (1949) for the most home runs through the first 15 games of September with 11 (hit two on Wednesday). The Rockies’ club record for homers in a month is 12, accomplished most recently by Matt Holliday in 2007.

Edited September 16, 2010 by Jordan4life

[Balta1701]

Can we all agree that if AJ Pierzynski did this and it wound up costing a team in the AL East a game...he'd be treated as the worst villain in baseball history?

[southsider2k5]

Can we all agree that if AJ Pierzynski did this and it wound up costing a team in the AL East a game...he'd be treated as the worst villain in baseball history?

 

Unless he was a Yankee...

[SoxAce]

Unless he was a Yankee...

 

Yep. Doing it costing the Red Sox? Ya.. the East coast bias wouldn't live it down. Doing it against Minnesota? ...the f*** is that state gonna do? I gotta say though being with Minka Kelly has made Jeter an excellent actor now-a-days. Plus, didn't JD do that in the playoffs?

[fathom]

Yep. Doing it costing the Red Sox? Ya.. the East coast bias wouldn't live it down. Doing it against Minnesota? ...the f*** is that state gonna do? I gotta say though being with Minka Kelly has made Jeter an excellent actor now-a-days. Plus, didn't JD do that in the playoffs?

 

Yep, it was the batter before Konerko's infamous grand slam.

[Whitewashed in '05]

Yep, it was the batter before Konerko's infamous grand slam.

He didn't put on a show though. He just looked at the ump and took a step forward and the ump rewarded him first.

[fathom]

He didn't put on a show though. He just looked at the ump and took a step forward and the ump rewarded him first.

 

Pretty sure he held his wrist though. The worst "fake HBP" took place earlier in 2005, when Berkman acted like he was hit in the head against the Cubs, even though it clearly hit his bat and bounced away.

[Brian]

Pretty sure he held his wrist though.

 

He didn't.

 

Jeter is funny when his team gets into brawls. Stays to the back and out of the way.

[knightni]

Dye had a HBP that wasn't in game 2 of the '05 series. He got on 1st, Konerko hit the grand slam.

 

 

[BigSqwert]

Joe Torre stepping down. Mattingly to replace him.

[smalls2598]

Donny Baseball will be the Dodgers coach next year, per Rotoword:

 

The Los Angeles Times reports that the Dodgers will have Don Mattingly replace Joe Torre as their manager at the conclusion of the season.

The Times reports that Torre could remain with the organization, though there's been speculation that he'll have opportunities to manage elsewhere if he'd like. It's been assumed since the day both were hired that Mattingly would eventually replace Torre, but recent speculation had the Dodgers seriously considering Tim Wallace instead. Considering that Mattingly has never managed at any level and he hasn't exactly brought out the best in players as a hitting coach, he could well prove to be a bust as Torre's replacement. Sep. 17 - 2:50 pm et

[SoxAce]

And Cub fans panties are starting to drop.

[Balta1701]

And Cub fans panties are starting to drop.

I couldn't imagine Joe Torre being that dumb.

[flavum]

Torre should head to his home in Hawaii and never look back. He's 70. It's time.

[Balta1701]

Torre should head to his home in Hawaii and never look back. He's 70. It's time.

I could see him staying on for another year or two somewhere if he really wanted to.

 

I just can't see him going anywhere that isn't obviously loaded and ready for an immediate playoff run.

[BigSqwert]

I could see him staying on for another year or two somewhere if he really wanted to.

 

I just can't see him going anywhere that isn't obviously loaded and ready for an immediate playoff run.

The Chicago White Sox say hi.

[BigSqwert]

Corked Bats Don't Help Power Hitters

 

What distance a power hitter gains using a lighter corked bat he loses in collision efficiency. But a singles hitter may get solid contact more often with the lighter, illegal bat. Steve Mirsky reports.

 

Baseball players sometimes cheat! One popular method has been to cork the bat. You drill out some of the core of the bat, and replace the heavy wood with light cork. You can then swing the lighter bat faster, and thus hit the ball further.

 

Of course, most ballplayers aren’t physicists, so they don’t realize that by making the bat lighter, they’re reducing the collision efficiency. You swing faster, but get a limper contact. In theory, anyway.

 

So physicists led by the University of Illinois’s Alan Nathan tested corked bats under controlled conditions. The doctored lumber actually usually causes the ball to go less far, they found. The work appears in the online forum the Physics arXiv. [http://bit.ly/9At1lX] So for a power hitter to cork his bat is a bad idea.

 

But the researchers note that, ironically, a corked bat might result in more homers from non-homer hitters. Who can watch a pitch slightly longer before swinging, make up for the lost time with a faster swing and achieve more solid contact more often. So a corked bat is a bad idea for Sammy Sosa, who got caught using one. But a good idea for, say, Bucky Dent.

 

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