May 30, 2006
a back can only take so many pats
Just to make note, in case anyone missed it...
Wait till July - I guarantee he'll come around once the thermometer breaks 75...
If you were here with me while I type this, you'd be sure to have the infinite pleasure of listening to the unforgettable sound of this horn I keep next to the keyboard. It sounds so sweet...so very sweet.
Here's yesterday's weather report out of New York City. If you check closely, the temperature at the time of Randy Johnson's first pitch was 87 degrees. By the time he left the mound, it was roughly 85 degrees. This link here will give you Big Rand's line from the game. So what if I was off by thirty days or so? I'm merely a baseball man - I'm no meteorologist. If I knew at the time of my last post that the Bronx would suddenly heat up quicker than buzz around Taylor Hicks, there's no doubt I would've predicted this performance. I only figured it would take a little while for summer to come back to the city.
At this point in his career, Johnson is incapable of putting forth a quality start unless he can feel a phantom mullet forming from the sweat beads on the back of his neck. Once he feels that special tingling sensation you can only get from a mullet waving in the wind, Randy hears the non-stop repeat of Achy Breaky Heart in his head that provided his inspiration so long ago. It brings our man back to the old days, the all-or-nothin days, the great big bird-killin' days. Big Rand's power lies in the back of his neck, and if it's not properly stimulated his performance suffers. It's a fact.
So make sure you check Baltimore's weather forecast before Saturday's game in Camden Yards. Anything higher than 80 will equal a quality start for the Unit. If we can pump it up to 95, though, put your money on some serious no-hit baseball.
May 23, 2006
those mighty yankees...
With the Yanks only 1-4 over their last five games and everyone on the planet talking about how much these injuries are going to damage their chances for a playoff run, I decided to come out of summer hibernation and document my rebuttal to this week's most popular anti-Yankee radio rants:
Rant #1:
"This team is drowning without Sheffield and Matsui - lifetime backups and rookies are no substitution for All-Stars!"
This point has some validity behind it, considering the power and run production lost when both corner outfielders dropped to the DL. Yes, it's difficult to replace consistent performers such as Sheff and UpperDeki, but the dropoff hasn't been quite as bad as everyone assumes. Most analysts look at a starting outfield like last night's (Terrence Long, Bernard, Melky Cabrera) and automatically think the team has no shot to put up big numbers. Personally, I disagree - if the analysts were to look more closely at the numbers, they'd realize that the Yankee outfield really isn't the main problem with their recent scoring drought.
1) Melky's batting .306 (45 points higher than Matsui this year) having hit safely in 9 of 12 games. He doesn't have Matsui or Sheffield's power, but he certainly isn't swinging like a total scrub. He's been able to get on base in key situations against both the Rangers and the Mets and I'm starting the think the 3rd baseman could learn a few things by rethinking his approach to similar situations and simply try to 'see the ball, hit the ball' much like Cabrera.
2) My least favorite nimble-fingered classical guitarist happens to have put on a sudden batting surge. Since Friday, Bernard's 7 for 11 with 3 RBI and 4 doubles. His On-Base Percentage since the start of the Mets series is a ridiculous .692, and although he's not quite Gary Sheffield, he's been producing just fine as his replacement.
3) In terms of defensive prowess, the dropoff has been negligible. Cabrera hasn't been able to make the same break on a flyball as Matsui, but at the same time he's proven to have a significantly better arm. Jeter and Posada are the reason that Texeira was called out a week ago, but don't forget that Melky made up for his initial booting of the ball by gunning it into Derek so he could make the turn. I'm no longer surprised when the kid makes a great throw - instead I look forward to seeing if he can pick up an assist on a baserunner who has no idea the kid has a cannon. Everytime he has an opportunity to throw someone out, I'm reminded much more of Sheff than I am of Hideki.
Rant #2:
"The pitching staff stinks. Randy Johnson is bringing the entire ship down, and the Yankees are going to have to make a move for a starting pitcher really soon."
This one's easy. I'm really starting to believe that today's baseball analysts choose to ignore facts, only discussing whatever happens to be the hot topic of the day, regardless of validity. If it sells, you'll hear in on the airwaves. The particular point about Big Rand is about right - he's just plain terrible, and it seems to me the only reason for it is that he's a complete candy-coated pansy - but the idea that the Yankee pitching staff is terrible is just plain wrong.
1) In reality, the Yanks have the 2nd-best ERA in the American League (4.13, 7th best in the Majors). Apparently this statistic means nothing to talk show hosts and the Baseball Tonight panel of experts. All they want to focus on is how Johnson can't throw his slider anymore (exactly how he pitched in the colder months of last year, mind you, when he ended up winning a paltry 17 games. Just wait till July - I guarantee he'll come around once the thermometer breaks 75) and the team has no ace. I suppose they just don't care that the Yankees have given up the lowest total of runs in the AL East, not to mention holding opponents to just a .254 batting average, also 2nd in the AL.
2) Mussina has stepped in to fill the role of the ace with an ERA of 2.57 and a 0.98 WHIP. He's also averaging 7.97 Ks per 9, as high as he's been since 2003, when he went 17-8. When Mussina's name appears on the Hall of Fame ballot around 2013, I'm guessing that this year will be one of the many seasons that voters will reference when deciding his credentials.
3) The rest of the staff has been much better than the average back of a rotation. If you take away Johnson and Mussina's numbers, the remaining starters have managed an ERA of 4.84 (accounting for 23 starts in which the other 4 starting pitchers allowed 69 earned runs). It's not a top-notch statistic, but it's good enough to pick up a couple wins until Moose comes back around as a stopper.
Rant #3:
"Alex Rodriguez is terrible as a clutch hitter. This guy may be the only MVP who consistently proves his critics right. He's known for racking up his stats during the least important moments of the game, as evidenced by his 9th-inning homerun against the Red Sox' sorry excuse for a middle reliever, Keith Foulke, with the team down 8. Where was he when they needed a rally in the 6th?"
Well, yeah. Um.... Ok. This can be a tough one, especially since the 3rd baseman catches so much flack simply for being the $250 Million Man. I could write so much about this particular topic right now, but I think I'll revert to my Uncle Howaboudabudski on this one instead, who so eloquently described Rodriguez's clutch-time efforts after last year's ALDS Game 5 loss to the Angels:
"AROD is the ALL TIME CHOKE, there is no denying it.
Some Sabermetician should look for a game when the box score shows batter #9 2 for 4, #1 3 for 4, #3 3 for 4, #4 3 for 4, with three crappy runs to show for it.
Remember last year against Boston when Jeter led off with a single, they sacrificed him to 2nd and Arod tapped to the pitcher?
Baseball is a game of percentages, and slumps do occur. But there is no way that when the team is down & out and one guy creams a homer to get it close, then leads off the last chance ninth with a ringing single and then a guy with Arod's talent and resume follows him against the same pitchers and shits the bed just because of percentages. This came after a season of 130 RBI, then he suddenly goes 0 for 4.5 games, and I'm supposed to chalk it up to the odds and the element of randomness?
When they announced AROD's signing I marked up an I Heart AROD shirt and now it's in shreds, that fucking choke."
Absolutely, Uncle Bud - may we never forget.
