2012 AL Central Catch-All thread

[flavum]

Should have just thrown the heater up to that kid.

[Balta1701]

Should have just thrown the heater up to that kid.

Did you see how bad he looked on the first couple breaking balls?

[flavum]

Did you see how bad he looked on the first couple breaking balls?

 

Yeah, but after a couple nasty curves maybe he was looking for another offspeed.

[Balta1701]

My wife just changed the channel over to the TV Guide Channel which is currently showing Look Who's Talking.

 

The ad on at the exact second she turned that channel on? Justin Verlander, talking about Bayer Advanced.

 

Creepy.

[flavum]

Zambrano beat the Indians. Thanks, Big Z.

[caulfield12]

First Indians one-run loss all season long. They had won their prior 9 one-run games. That has to even out, just like their string of miracle comebacks and home wins did last year in the second half.

 

White Sox are on a current stretch of 51-22 in interleague games, best record in the majors during that timeframe.

 

Marlins are the most successful NL franchise in interleague play.

 

Indians had a walk-up of over 6,100 last night, the 7th highest total in Progressive Field history.

 

 

 

[LittleHurt05]

Indians had a walk-up of over 6,100 last night, the 7th highest total in Progressive Field history.

 

They all came to see the opposing manager

[High Mileage]

Here is a great read on Hosmer's struggles from the KC Star...

 

http://www.kansascity.com/2012/05/18/36175...-his-crazy.html

 

Eric Hosmer by the numbers

 

Average

2011 - .293

2012 - .174

 

On-base percentage

2011 - .334

2012 - .237

 

Slugging percentage

2011 - .465

2012 - .319

 

Walks percentage

2011 - 6.0

2012 - 7.7

 

Strikeout percentage

2011 - 14.6

2012 - 11.5

 

Line-drive percentage

2011 - 18.7

2012 - 16.0

 

Ground-ball percentage

2011 - 49.7

2012 - 52.8

 

Fly-ball percentage

2011 - 31.7

2012 - 31.2

 

BABIP*

2011 - .314

2012 - .165

 

* -- batting average on balls in play

 

Hosmer’s walk rate is up, his strikeout rate is down and he is hitting, roughly, the same percentage of line drives, ground balls and fly balls. (Point of reference: statistics show more hits occur on line drives than ground balls, and more on ground balls than fly balls.)

 

The outlier is his batting average on balls in play, or BABIP to the statistically inclined. His BABIP was .314 last year as a rookie, which is a little on the high side of baseball’s historical averages (which generally vary each year from .290 to .310).

 

Hosmer’s current BABIP is an unimaginably low .165 and translates, loosely, to simple bad luck that, well, just can’t continue. Hosmer’s BABIP is, by far, the lowest in either league. The next lowest is Blue Jays outfielder José Bautista at .178.

[iamshack]

Here is a great read on Hosmer's struggles from the KC Star...

 

http://www.kansascity.com/2012/05/18/36175...-his-crazy.html

 

Eric Hosmer by the numbers

 

Average

2011 - .293

2012 - .174

 

On-base percentage

2011 - .334

2012 - .237

 

Slugging percentage

2011 - .465

2012 - .319

 

Walks percentage

2011 - 6.0

2012 - 7.7

 

Strikeout percentage

2011 - 14.6

2012 - 11.5

 

Line-drive percentage

2011 - 18.7

2012 - 16.0

 

Ground-ball percentage

2011 - 49.7

2012 - 52.8

 

Fly-ball percentage

2011 - 31.7

2012 - 31.2

 

BABIP*

2011 - .314

2012 - .165

 

* -- batting average on balls in play

 

Hosmer’s walk rate is up, his strikeout rate is down and he is hitting, roughly, the same percentage of line drives, ground balls and fly balls. (Point of reference: statistics show more hits occur on line drives than ground balls, and more on ground balls than fly balls.)

 

The outlier is his batting average on balls in play, or BABIP to the statistically inclined. His BABIP was .314 last year as a rookie, which is a little on the high side of baseball’s historical averages (which generally vary each year from .290 to .310).

 

Hosmer’s current BABIP is an unimaginably low .165 and translates, loosely, to simple bad luck that, well, just can’t continue. Hosmer’s BABIP is, by far, the lowest in either league. The next lowest is Blue Jays outfielder José Bautista at .178.

Yeah, that is an incredible display of how much luck can seemingly affect how good a hitter is hitting the ball, when in reality, there may not be that much difference at all.

 

You just have to hope he doesn't buy into the numbers and lose confidence in himself.

[caulfield12]

Another random stat....

 

Brandon League has blown 7 of his last 8 save opportunities against the Cleveland Indians.

 

 

Talk about having someone's number.

Edited May 20, 2012 by caulfield12

[Balta1701]

Chris Perez calls out Cleveland fans on attendance.

[Quin]

Chris Perez calls out Cleveland fans on attendance.

 

I wish this was followed by "Cleve;and Indians fans call out Chris Perez on being a douchebag, team sucking."

[Steve9347]

I wish this was followed by "Cleve;and Indians fans call out Chris Perez on being a douchebag, team sucking."

They are in first place.

[Quin]

They are in first place.

 

With a negative run differential and aren't that far above .500

 

AL Central is tallest midget contest this year.

[chw42]

I wish this was followed by "Cleve;and Indians fans call out Chris Perez on being a douchebag, team sucking."

 

It'll come soon enough. The Indians started out 30-15 last year or something and look where they ended up.

[southsider2k5]

With a negative run differential and aren't that far above .500

 

AL Central is tallest midget contest this year.

 

This. They will fade. They are in the Sox ballpark as a team that should be somewhere within five games of .500 by the end of the season.

[southsider2k5]

http://www.csnchicago.com/baseball-chicago...&feedID=661

 

What happened to the Twins?

May 21, 2012, 9:43 pm

 

JJ STANKEVITZ

 

The White Sox clung to a slim lead in the AL Central after their game on July 18, 2010. But it was clear to anyone watching Minnesota was the better team, and it was only a matter of time before they blew past the White Sox en route to their sixth AL Central title in nine years.

 

Through eight games against the Twins in 2011, the White Sox were 1-7 and had been no-hit by Francisco Liriano. By July, when the Twins took three of four from the Sox at U.S. Cellular Field, it was established that Minnesota was a bad team. Yet the Sox still couldn't beat them.

 

But in the final 10 games against Minnesota last season, something finally clicked for the White Sox. Zach Stewart nearly threw a perfect game on Sept. 5 in Minneapolis. A month earlier, they swept away the Twins in a three-game series at Target Field. Overall, the Sox won eight of those 10 games against Minnesota in the season's final two months.

 

The Sox didn't eradicate some curse against Minneosota. Instead, it would appear that the Twins' poor pitching and questionable front-office decisions finally caught up with them against a team that, simply, was better.

 

Minnesota went 63-99 in 2011, the second-worst record in the majors and their worst season since a 22-year-old A.J. Pierzynski and a 23-year-old David Ortiz had cups of coffee in 1999. Through about one-fourth of the 2012 season, Minnesota is 14-27. This time, it's the worst record in baseball.

 

Pitching has been Minnesota's greatest ailment. As a staff, Twins pitchers have an MLB-worst 5.43 ERA, and there may not be relief in sight. A 4.86 staff FIP -- a good predictor of future pitching success -- is similarly the worst in baseball.

 

Minnesota's bullpen doesn't deserve to be lumped in with its starters, though. The Twins' relief corps hasn't been bad, sporting a middle-of-the-pack 3.61 ERA heading into Tuesday.

 

It's been the starting rotation that has dragged the Twins into the depths of baseball's standings. Through 41 outings, Twins starters have a 6.67 ERA -- that's nearly three runs higher than the ERA of White Sox starters. Nick Blackburn, Liam Hendriks, Francisco Liriano and Jason Marquis have combined for an ERA near nine in 24 starts, although none of those guys may wind up starting a game for the Twins any time soon.

 

P.J. Walters and Scott Diamond will start against the White Sox, and they've provided some relief in five combined starts. But neither are going to strike many batters out, and neither represent a long-term solution. For years, the Twins had enough pitching depth to fill in if someone needed to be replaced in their rotation. They don't have that anymore.

 

Making matters worse, the Twins' front office has made some questionable moves in recent years. They traded JJ Hardy for hardly a fair return and overpaid for Matt Capps in the form of catcher Wilson Ramos (who would've allowed them more flexibility with Joe Mauer than, say, Drew Butera).

 

Marquis has bombed, as has Tsuyoshi Nishioka. Their defense has taken a hit -- remember how those old Ron Gardenhire teams played such immaculate defense? That's not the case anymore.

 

For years, Minnesota's pitching and defense went hand-in-hand. They had some dominant arms -- Johan Santana, Liriano for a few seasons -- but they were aided by fantastic defense. As those dominant arms left or struggled, they were able to get by with the Nick Blackburns of the world by still having great defense.

 

Without that high level of glovework, Minnesota's pitchers have struggled. It's no accident the Twins has ranked last in the American League in hits and strikeouts per nine innings in the last two seasons.

 

And, of course, injuries have bludgeoned the Twins in the last few years. Mauer, Scott Baker, Justin Morneau and a host of others haven't been healthy in the last few years, and the lack of those players -- either on the field or producing at a high level -- has been the icing on the foul-tasting cake of the Twins' struggles.

 

The Twins come to Chicago winners of four of their last five games, including a two-game sweep of Detroit at Comerica Park and a series win over the Brewers in Milwaukee.

 

But the one loss in there, which came Sunday, saw the Twins fall to Milwaukee by a score of 16-4. It was a painful reminder of where Minnesota stands.

 

In dead last.

[ptatc]

Yeah, that is an incredible display of how much luck can seemingly affect how good a hitter is hitting the ball, when in reality, there may not be that much difference at all.

 

You just have to hope he doesn't buy into the numbers and lose confidence in himself.

Or is it that he is trying to be more patient (increased walk rate and decrease strikeout rate) and is being too passive and not making good contact thus the lower BABIP.

[Benchwarmerjim]

Their defense has taken a hit -- remember how those old Ron Gardenhire teams played such immaculate defense? That's not the case anymore.

 

I will say the defense is a lot better this year than the last couple of years. Jamey Carroll has kind of solidified the infield. Willingham is a statue in LF, but is an upgrade ove Delmon 'rollerskates' Young.

 

But, the starting pitching has cost this Twins team early this year, and it might be too big of a hole to dig out.

[southsider2k5]

paul hoynes ‏@hoynsie

 

Chris Perez saves 16th straight game as #Indians sweep Tigers. Tribe beats Verlander for 1st time since 9/29/2010. 3-0 vs. Tribe in 2011.

[caulfield12]

Very similar positions to last year.

 

Tribe was 7 games back at this time last year, now 6 this season.

 

 

[Balta1701]

Very similar positions to last year.

 

Tribe was 7 games back at this time last year, now 6 this season.

This doesn't seem right.

[Harry Chappas]

This doesn't seem right.

 

I think he meant Tigers not Tribe.

[Brian]

Baseball, hot dogs, apple pie, and 3rd place.

[iamshack]

Baseball, hot dogs, apple pie, and 3rd place.

Niiiiice