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Mighty Casey Baseball
Baseball Research and Other Random Musings
Category Archives: Atlanta Braves
If the Astros play a game and nobody watches, does anybody hear the applause?
Posted on April 9, 2014 by Paul Proia
The best fastball in baseball may belong to Royals rookie Yordano Ventura, who hit 102.9 MPH against the Rays. He averaged 99.5 MPH on his fastballs over six innings of work. The pitch that nearly hit 103 was his 93rd of the night… [MLB]
SOMEBODY must have been watching… Unfortunately, none of them have a Neilsen TV-Set Top meter reader. The Houston Astros game got a 0.0 share, losing even to the pre-game show, on Monday night. The team has had several losing records – bad records – and is in Chapter 11. [SI]
Josh Hamilton dove into first base on a grounder and tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his left thumb. He should be out nearly two months. And that, kids, is why they don't let you slide into first base in Little League, much less head first. [ESPN]
Hamilton's former teammate, Adrian Beltre, is getting a strained left quad looked at. He left Tuesday night's game unable to run. As insurance, the Rangers called up Kevin Kouzmanoff from the minors. [ESPN]
After nearly 2000 games in the MINORS, Pete Rose, Jr. still is trying to get back to the majors – as a manager. Who knew? [SI]
And when is a mascot not a mascot? When he only appears in the plazas and not necessarily on the field. The Dodgers say that the un-mascots are "unique performance characters". Yikes… [SI]
Hurry Back!
Tampa sends starter Mike Moore to the DL with a sore left elbow.
The Dodgers send A.J. Ellis to the DL for knee surgery.
Miami sends Jacob Turner to the DL for a right shoulder strain.
Seattle loses starter James Paxton to the DL wiht a strained latissimus dorsi muscle (it's in his back).
Minnesota sends Oswaldo Arcia to the DL with a right wrist strain.
Josh Beckett rejoins the Dodgers.
Craig Breslow returns to Boston.
Off to Rehab:
Taijuan Waker, Mike Minor, Tyler Chatwood, Freddy Galvis, Dane De La Rosa, and Jeff Locke
Baseball 365:
Arrivals:
(1870) Ollie Pickering
Pickering came from the Texas League and hit a couple of bloop hits as a rookie. Naturally, those bloop hits became known as Texas Leaguers – a term occasionally still used today.
(1879) Doc White
(1888) Hippo Vaughn – great Cubs pitcher from days gone by
(1909) Claude Passeau – sticking with the Cubs pitcher theme…
(1946) Nate Colbert – Padres power hitter of the early 1970s
(1961) Kirk McCaskill
(1965) Hal Morris
(1981) A.J. Ellis
(1985) David Robertson
(1982) Francisco Barrios
Barrios was just 28; died of a heart attack.
(1995) Bob Allison – KU fullback, Twins hitter.
(2001) Willie Stargell
(2009) Nick Adenhart
Nick Adenhart was a passenger in a car when it was hit by a drunk driver and he died. Adenhart had just made his first major league start of 2009 and had recently left the ballpark. I remember when this happened and wrote about it briefly here.
(1913) Ebbets Field opens with a loss – the Phillies take Brooklyn, 1 – 0, before 10,000 fans.
(1947) Commissioner Happy Chandler suspends Leo Durocher an entire season for conduct detrimental to baseball.
(1962) Houston tops the Yankees, 2 – 1, in an exhibition game at the new Astrodome. Mickey Mantle homers. There was grass in there, you know. The turf came later because grass couldn't grow after they painted the windows in the roof to help fielders track fly balls….
Posted in Atlanta Braves, Boston Red Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Florida Marlins, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Los Angeles Dodgers, Minnesota Twins, Philadelphia Phillies, Seattle Mariners, Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers	| Leave a reply
Miguel Cabrera's 2000th Hit – and other fun stuff…
Charlie Blackmon has the first six hit game in Rockies history since Andres Galarraga went 6 – 6 in 1995. [SI]
It started off a little rocky, but Masahiro Tanaka won his first start with the Yankees, going seven innings and fanning eight. [MLB]
Josh Beckett isn't coming back as soon as he had hoped. While making a rehab start, Beckett left his game in the fifth inning after injuring himself while fielding a bunt. Beckett is trying to return from thoracic outlet syndrome, but was put on the DL prior to the Dodgers going to Australia. [MLB]
Houston leadoff hitter Dexter Fowler was hospitalized with a stomach virus and likely will not play on Saturday either. [MLB]
Miguel Cabrera got his 2000th career hit – and it was a homer. My take on it is that Cabrera, if he stays healthy and productive, could finish with around 3800 career hits before it's over – the closest anyone may come to Pete Rose for the forseeable future… [FoxSports]
Jason Kipnis signed a six year extension with the Cleveland Indians, worth $52.5 million, and a seventh year option could extend the deal into 2020. The Indians have been locking down young talent, having recently signed deals with Michael Brantley and catcher Jan Gomes. [MLB]
They said I had to go to rehab…
Those extending spring training with minor league stints include Cody Ross, Michael Bourn, Matt Harrison, Stephen Pryor, Devin Mesoraco, Mat Latos, Boone Logan, Craig Breslow, Ryan Cook, Gordon Beckham, Jeremy Affeldt, Taijuan Walker, Juan Carlos Oviedo, Jonathan Broxton, and Mike Adams.
Matt Kemp returned to the Dodgers…
White Sox pitcher Nate Jones strained a muscle in his left hip.
Mets outfielder Chris Young has a right quad strain.
A's SS Jake Elmore has a strained left quad…
That must have been some 4th of July Party…
Daniel Murphy and Brian Duensing return from the paternity list, while Rays LF Sean Rodriguez heads to the paternity list… Congratulations!!!
Those celebrating with cake, cards, or remembrances on 4/4 included:
(1888) Tris Speaker
(1897) Lefty (Ray) Miner
(1916) Mickey Owen
(1924) Gil Hodges
(1941) Eddie Watt
(1942) Jim Fregosi
(1943) Mike Epstein
(1947) Ray Fosse
(1956) Tom Herr
(1975) Scott Rolen
(1987) Cameron Maybin
(1991) Martin Perez
(1876) Big Bill Dinneen – good pitcher, good bowler, decent enough umpire…
(1907) Sugar Cain
(1938) Ron Hansen – back when shortstops could field and usually couldn't hit – and Ron was one of those guys…
(1951) Rennie Stennett – second sacker of those great 1970s Pirates teams.
(1985) Lastings Millege – one assumes he's no longer a prospect… He hasn't had a major league hit since 2011.
(1974) Fred Snodgrass
Fred Snodgrass is most famous for his dropping a fly ball in the 10th inning of a game in the 1912 World Series that contributed to the Red Sox coming back and beating the Giants. What is forgotten about that play is that immediately after the drop, Snodgrass was forced to play shallow with a runner at second. When Harry Hooper launched a fly to deep right center, Snodgrass ran like the wind to haul it in – and then rifled a throw back toward second that very nearly doubled off that runner. The Giants missed a shot at getting Tris Speaker out on a foul pop, which gave Speaker a chance to drive in the tying run.
When Snodgrass returned to his native California after his playing days, we would become a banker and major of Oxnard, CA.
Snodgrass is one of about two dozen players who were interviewed for Ritter's "The Glory of Their Times" – and his story is a fascinating read.
Transactions and Events:
(1972) The Mets get Rusty Staub from the Expos for Ken Singlton, Tim Foli, and Mike Jorgensen.
(1977) The Yankees acquire Bucky Dent from the White Sox for Oscar Gamble, LaMarr Hoyt, Bob Polinsky, and cash.
Posted in Arizona Diamondbacks, Atlanta Braves, Boone Logan, Brian Duensing, Charlie Blackmon, Chicago White Sox, Chris Young - OF, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, Cody Ross, Colorado Rockies, Craig Breslow, Daniel Murphy, Detroit Tigers, Devin Mesoraco, Dexter Fowler, Gordon Beckham, Houston Astros, Jake Elmore, Jason Kipnis, Jeremy Affeldt, Jonathan Broxton, Josh Beckett, Juan Carlos Oviedo, Los Angeles Dodgers, Masahiro Tanaka, Mat Latos, Matt Harrison, Matt Kemp, Michael Bourn, Miguel Cabrera, Mike Adams, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins, Nate Jones, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Oakland A's, Ryan Cook, San Francisco Giants, Sean Rodriguez, Stephen Pryor, Taijuan Walker, Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers	| Leave a reply
Derek Jeter Says "Ouch!" – and other news…
Frank Freeman hit a pair of homers to give the Braves a win over Milwaukee. [ESPN]
Brad Miller did the same to help Seattle improve to 2 – 0 with a win over Los Angeles. [ESPN]
Derek Jeter's twentieth and final season started off like this. [FoxSports]
The Dodgers pitching injury woes continued… Reliever Brian Wilson has damaged nerve endings in his right elbow and will head to the DL. And, it will be a couple of weeks before Los Angeles will know when Clayton Kershaw will return. (How fast can Josh Beckett get back?) [MLB]
Wilson Ramos's hand injury is worse than originally suspected and he will head to the DL and likely have surgery on his left hamate bone in the hand. [MLB]
The Transaction Wire:
The Yankees placed SS Brendan Ryan on the DL with an upper back injury, retroactively applied as of March 22. Instead of giving that job to Edwin Nunez, Nunez was designated for assignment, and the Yankees called up infielder Yangervis Solarte instead. Solarte hit .429 in the spring and in the PCL has hit about .280 with some power for Texas. I'm not sure he'd hit enough, but for now the 26 year old Venezuelan infielder is getting a taste of the big leagues…
Atlanta sent pitcher Gavin Floyd on a rehab assignment.
Texas dispatched Michael Kirkman to Round Rock, designated backup catcher Chris Gimenez for assignment, and brought up pitcher Daniel McCutchen. This won't mess with too many fantasy rosters…
(1856) Tommy Bond – This is the baseball player, and not the kid who played Butch in the original Little Rascals… Bond was the first Irish-born major leaguer, a pitcher who won 234 games in the National Association and the early days of the National League.
(1869) Hughey Jennings – Hall of Fame shortstop and manager, known as Ee-Yah for his shrieks of excitement.
(1907) Another Hall of Fame shortstop, Ol' Aches and Pains – Luke Appling. In his 70s, Appling hit a home run at an old timer's game in RFK at the age of 75.
(1927) Billy Pierce
(1937) Dick "The Monster" Radatz
(1945) Hall of Fame pitcher, Don Sutton.
(1945) Reggie Smith – a great outfielder of the 60s, 70s, and 80s.
(1964) Pete Incaviglia – who, while at Oklahoma State, hit the longest homer ever seen at Hoglund-Maupin Stadium, the home of the Kansas Jayhawks baseball team.
(1970) Jon Lieber
(1972) Gil Hodges, about to manage the Mets for the season… He had just finished a round of golf in West Palm Beach and collapsed just before his 48th birthday.
(2010) Mike Cuellar, a cagey left-hander for the Orioles and many other teams – one of my favorite pitchers back in the day.
Transactions and Other Notes:
(1931) Jackie Miller, a fine young female pitcher, fans Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig in an exhibition game in Chattanooga, TN.
(1963) The Astros trade Manny Mota to Pittsburgh for prospects. Mota lasts forever.
(1976) The As start the sell-off… Reggie Jackson, Ken Holtzman and Bill Van Bommell are traded to Baltimore for Don Baylor, Mike Torrez, and Paul Mitchell.
Posted in Atlanta Braves, Brad Miller, Brendan Ryan, Brian Wilson, Chris Gimenez, Daniel McCutchen, Derek Jeter, Edwin Nunez, Frank Freeman, Gavin Floyd, Josh Beckett, Los Angeles Dodgers, Michael Kirkman, New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers, Washington Nationals, Wilson Ramos, Yangervis Solarte	| Leave a reply
2012 Gold Glove Winners – National League
Posted on January 28, 2013 by Paul Proia
First – a quick recap of how this works… Many systems look at range factors – meaning the number of plays made by a fielder every nine innings. I look at the number of plays made for every 800 balls in play. The reasons for this include the fact that some teams are loaded with high strikeout pitchers, so the fielders get less action on some teams. I also make modifications for the groundball/flyball tendencies of the teams, and try to take into consideration the number of innings pitched by lefties – as this may affect the number of plays made by the first or third baseman (see Sandoval, Pedro – 3B).
Then, once I know how many plays someone makes, I can then see how many extra (or fewer) plays someone makes, convert those plays into hits (and eventually runs saved). I can do that for double plays and errors, too. The player who saves the most runs at his position wins the award.
I make one modification for first baseman – I remove assists made by other infielders so they get more credit for the plays they make on balls fielded by them and not balls fielded by others.
Originally, this method was used to make defensive ratings for a game – so using 800 balls in play also meant that I could calculate how many points in batting average a fielder may add or take away from a hitter. So, if you see a player with a range of, say, 10.0, that means that the fielder makes ten plays more than the average fielder at his position and effectively reduces the batting average of a hitter by ten points.
I don't do this for pitchers by position – they play far too few innings, so the award is given to the team.
Catchers are done differently… They are effectively done at the team level (though we can note who was the primary catcher) and catching teams are scored in seven different ways: Team ERA, Team Winning Percentage, Fielding PCT (not counting Ks), Error Rates, Mistake Rates, Mobililty (assists not tied to stolen bases), and Opposition Base Stealing Rates. You get one point for being above average, and lose a point for being below average. It is theoretically possible to get a perfect score of seven, which happens a lot for a certain catcher in St. Louis.
Let's get on with it…
First Base:
26.1 Ike Davis, NYM (10.2 Range, 1222.1 innings)
24.5 Gaby Sanchez, MIA+PIT (15.0 Range, 697.1 innings)
23.3 Adam LaRoche, WAS (7.8 Range, 1323.1 innings)
I had no idea Ike Davis was this good, but he made a lot of plays, as did Adam LaRoche. LaRoche has the better reputation. Last year, Davis was brutal in about 225 innings, which is why you can't really take any fielder TOO seriously – at least statistically speaking – until you have seen about 2000 innings in the field. This was the second straight time that Sanchez finished second, so last year's thinking that his 2011 season may have been a fluke isn't true. He's pretty solid. If only he could find his bat…
Dishonorable Mentions:
-29.8 Allen Craig, STL (-18.8 Range, 773.2 innings)
-22.8 Anthony Rizzo, CHC (-16.2 Range, 730.2 innings)
-21.8 Bryan LeHair, CHC (-22.6 Range, 474.1 innings)
For what it's worth, the third string first baseman in Chicago, Jeff Baker, also scored poorly. Some of that is having a REALLY good keystone combination who turn a lot of double plays which would affect their ranking a bit. I don't think Rizzo will be this bad next year… Allen Craig can hit, but he needs a late inning defensive replacement.
Second Base:
25.7 Darwin Barney, CHC (9.6 Range, 1270.1 innings)
22.2 Dan Uggla, ATL (8.7 Range, 1348.1 innings)
17.2 Freddy Galvis, PHI (19.3 Range, 416 innings)
Barney is awesome – you have to watch him and Starlin Castro play together… That's an impressive middle infield. The rest of the team, however, is brutal. Dan Uggla had an outlier season – he's usually around league average. I don't expect that to happen again. Freddy Galvis is crazy quick, but he can't hit enough to hold that position. Neil Walker of Pittsburgh just missed this list…
-25.3 Rickie Weeks, MIL (-9.6 Range, 1344.3 innings)
-15.9 Emmanuel Burriss, SF (-32.4 Range, 269.1 innings)
-15.0 Daniel Murphy, NYM (-5.5 Range, 1127.2 innings)
Weeks has had leg injuries and they apparently cut into his range… Hopefully he can bounce back to where he was a couple of years ago. Burriss didn't really play a lot, but when he did either (a) the ball never seemed to come his way, or (b) he stands still a lot. I don't believe he is really that bad…
Third Base:
25.2 Pablo Sandoval, SF (15.2 Range, 842 innings)
18.9 Placido Polanco, PHI (11.3 Range, 664.2 innings)
15.5 Adam Kennedy, LAD (33.4 Range, 225 innings)
*14.4 Ryan Zimmerman, WAS (5.5 Range, 1280.1 innings)
There are a couple of teams that had larger amounts of innings thrown by left handers, which skewed the ratings of a couple of players – starting with the top two names on this list. Throw in the fact that neither player made it to 1000 innings, Ryan Zimmerman would have won my award. By the way – the ball found Adam Kennedy. He's a good fielder, don't get me wrong, but he's not really 33 plays per 800 better than average.If had kept that rate for as many inning as, say, Ryan Zimmerman had played you're talking about 70 or more extra assists, and 25 extra putouts…
-18.9 Hanley Ramirez, MIA+LAD (-11.0 Range, 860.1 innings)
-15.6 Chris Nelson, COL (-9.8 Range, 647.1 innings)
-15.1 Greg Dobbs, MIA (-19.0 Range, 262.1 innings)
The optimists in Florida (and last year I was one) hoped that Ramirez would battle the position to a draw – but that didn't happen. And he wasn't hitting the way he had in the past. So he had to go. Somebody had better figure out if he can play center or left. So Hanley left and the Marlins tried Greg Dobbs, who isn't very good either (and he's not as bad as those stats suggest). Polanco gets his turn in 2013…
Shortstop:
37.4 Brandon Crawford, SF (19.1 Range, 1101 innings)
31.6 Starlin Castro, CHC (14.5 Range, 1402.2 innings)
16.4 Andrelton Simmons, ATL (18.9 Range, 426 innings)
Simmons and Paul Janish played comparable numbers of innings and had comparable range numbers… Brandon Crawford was a very pleasant surprise for the Giants, proving to be a dependable and able glove man. Now, some of this was due to the higher numbers of innings pitched by lefties, and some of this is due to his youthful range. I don't see him doing this two years in a row, but you never know. Starlin Castro continues to get better. It's sad that such a wonderful combination such as Castro and Barney is stuck on such a horrible team.
-22.6 Jose Reyes, MIA (-8.7 Range, 1410.2 innings)
-21.5 Ian Desmond, WAS (-10.9 Range, 1139.1 innings)
-15.1 Willie Bloomquist, ARZ (-16.8 Range, 528.1 innings)
I have said for some time now that Reyes and Jimmy Rollins (who was fourth on the bad list…) are overrated and have been consistently overrated for years. The Marlins would have been better served to have put Hanley in left, put Reyes at third, and put Emilio Bonifacio at short. Bonifacio has better range and is great on the double play. Reyes has a flashy arm and a bigger contract. Ramirez is too bulky and if you watch him play you notice how he doesn't just let loose with his arm but he kind of guides his throws. They are not shortstops anymore.
Left Field:
The best left fielders play less than 500 innings. There's no way you can give a gold glove to Austin Kearns who just happened to play his 142 innings when a right handed hitter pulled a fly ball his way. Shane Victorino played left for the Dodgers – he was legitimately good there, saving the Dodgers about 11.5 runs.
Looking at the guys who play left field a LOT, you have:
8.7 Alfonso Soriano, CHC (2.5 Range, 1183 innings)
5.5 Ryan Braun, MIL (2.4 Range, 1318 innings)
4.4 Melky "the Cheater" Cabrera (2.4 Range, 898 innings)
By the way, tons of people get innings at this position – more than any position other than pitcher…
-20.1 J.D. Martinez, HOU (-10.4 Range, 833 innings)
-18.5 Matt Holiday, STL (-6.3 Range, 1312.2 innings)
-17.8 Carlos Gonzalez, COL (-6.4 Range, 1127.2 innings)
J.D. can't be that bad – or else he took his hitting slump out to the field with him. Holliday continues to get slower. Gonzalez should be a much better fielder than this, but few guys look good in Colorado…
Center Field:
16.3 Angel Pagan, SF (6.0 Range, 1279.1 innings)
14.5 Jon Jay, STL (6.0 Range, 993.1 innings)
9.3 Kirk Nieuwenhuis (13.6 Range, 372 innings)
The third best regular was Michael Bourn… Pagan had his best year – not sure if he can repeat this level, but he is really, really good (and stayed healthy). Jon Jay had a great season as well… You know who had a remarkably good season in center? Bryce Harper. Harper's range was the equal of both Pagan and Jay – he just played 700 innings.
-22.9 Dexter Fowler, COL (-9.0 Range, 1026 innings)
-13.5 Matt Kemp, LAD (-7.5 Range, 911 innings)
-13.3 Drew Stubbs, CIN (-5.2 Range, 1107.1 innings)
You can see the problems that Colorado had with these last three positions – Fowler, Gonzalez, and Chris Nelson. I'd love to know how much of this is the park – it's a huge outfield and has more holes than anywhere else. Matt Kemp's body defied him in 2012. We'll see if he can come back. Stubbs was sent to Cleveland, so don't expect him to erase the ghosts of great Indian center fielders gone by…
Right Field:
26.1 Jason Heyward, ATL (8.9 Range, 1337.2 innings)
15.9 Justin Upton, ARZ (5.6 Range, 1280.2 innings)
15.1 Jayson Werth, WAS (10.7 Range, 608.2 innings)
Heyward had a great season and, like Upton, is just entering his prime. I wonder which one gets to play in left next year. I'd move Upton there and tell him it's time to break out and play like Hank Aaron. Werth has been a great right fielder for years. By the way, #6 on the list is that kid Harper again… If he had played a whole year in center or right, he makes one of the two lists and MIGHT have won the award in center field…
-17.2 Andre Ethier, LAD (-6.6 Range, 1256.1 innings)
-16.7 Carlos Beltran, STL (-6.9 Range, 1126.2 innings)
-16.2 Hunter Pence, PHI+SF (-5.5 Range, 1408.2 innings)
Ethier and Kemp didn't help the pitching staffs, did they? Beltran's knees are now problematic, and Hunter Pence occasionally looks awkward out there – but he tries hard.
Catchers:
Yadier Molina, STL
Carlos Ruiz, PHI
A.J. Ellis, LAD
Molina and the Cardinal catchers were above average in every category, capped by throwing out 35 of 73 base runners. Ruiz and Ellis were above average in six of the seven categories and dead even in the seventh. Ruiz gets props for working with the great Phillie rotation, while Ellis probably doesn't get as much credit as he deserves for the Dodgers success last year. Ellis and Ruiz had comparable stats against base runners, but Ruiz had the better back up in Erik Kratz. I saw him – big dude, strong arm, looks like a take charge type.
The worst catching was either Chicago or San Diego, both of whom scored at -5. Both teams had losing records, staffs that couldn't keep the ball away from hitters, and tended to be mistake prone. The worst teams against the run were Pittsburgh and Washington…
The Marlins pitchers made more plays per 800 balls in play and were the only team with significantly more double plays started than errors committed (21 – 8). The average team was about 12 – 14. As such, I give the award (if I have to pick a player) to Mark Buehrle.
Posted in A.J. Ellis, Adam Kennedy, Adam LaRoche, Alfonso Soriano, Allen Craig, Andre Ethier, Andrelton Simmons, Angel Pagan, Anthony Rizzo, Arizona Diamondbacks, Atlanta Braves, Austin Kearns, Brandon Crawford, Bryan LeHair, Bryce Harper, Carlos Beltran, Carlos Gonzalez, Carlos Ruiz, Chicago Cubs, Chris Nelson, Cincinnati Reds, Colorado Rockies, Dan Uggla, Daniel Murphy, Darwin Barney, Dexter Fowler, Drew Stubbs, Emilio Bonaface, Emmanuel Burriss, Erik Kratz, Florida Marlins, Freddy Galvis, Gaby Sanchez, Greg Dobbs, Hanley Ramirez, Houston Astros, Hunter Pence, Ian Desmond, Ike Davis, J.D. Martinez, Jason Heyward, Jayson Werth, Jeff Baker, Jimmy Rollins, Jon Jay, Jose Reyes, Justin Upton, Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Los Angeles Dodgers, Mark Buehrle, Matt Holliday, Matt Kemp, Melky Cabrera, Michael Bourn, Milwaukee Brewers, Neil Walker, New York Mets, Pablo Sandoval, Paul Janish, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, Placido Polanco, Rickie Weeks, Ryan Braun, Ryan Zimmerman, San Francisco Giants, Shane Victorino, St. Louis Cardinals, Starlin Castro, Washington Nationals, Willie Bloomquist, Yadier Molina	| Leave a reply
Rating the Pitchers: 2012 National League
In rating pitchers, my system looks at the number of runs allowed per nine by each pitcher, then is modified by a couple of things – the park in which he pitches, and the defense of the players behind him. When I have that, I compare the number of runs he allowed to what the average pitcher might have allowed in the same number of innings to get a positive number of runs saved, or a negative number of runs – essentially how many additional runs that pitcher cost his team. In case you were curious, the average NL pitcher allowed 4.3054 runs per nine…
A pitcher in Colorado had a lot of things going against him. First, games in Colorado scored about 400 more runs (5 per game for both teams combined) than Rockies road games. Then, the defense behind him was brutal – costing pitchers an extra 100 runs. Meanwhile, the pitchers in San Francisco got help from the park, and the team's fielders (about 45 runs).
Top Starters:
37.91 Kris Medlin, ATL (138.00 innings)
33.34 Johnny Cueto, CIN (217.00)
31.06 Kyle Lohse, STL (211.00)
30.34 Clayton Kershaw, LAD (227.67)
28.98 R.A. Dickey, NYM (233.67)
22.27 Ryan Dempster, CHC (104.00)
21.95 Gio Gonzalez, WAS (199.33)
21.79 Cole Hamels, PHI (215.33)
21.15 Wade Miley, ARZ (194.67)
20.83 Cliff Lee, PHI (211.00)
Honorable Mentions:
Jordan Zimmermann
Yovani Gallardo
Matt Cain
Mat Latos
Zack Greinke
The NL Cy Young award went to Dickey, the uniqueness of his being a knuckleballer making his season seem so improbable – given how baseball loves smoke or power and loathes gimmicks. Still, the system says that the most effective pitcher was a guy who pitched essentially a half-season (half a season from 15 years ago), which will happen from time to time. Medlin finished with a 1.57 ERA, gave up fewer than a baserunner per inning and allowed but a homer every 23 innings. Personally, I would have voted for Dickey and then Johnny Cueto, who didn't get the same kind of help from his defense or park as Dickey.
Ryan Dempster didn't pitch nearly as well in Boston as he did in Chicago before he left, and the Phillies decline can partially be traced to losing the performance of an ace (Roy Halliday). Additional props shall be given to Clayton Kershaw who essentially repeated his Cy Young performance from 2011.
Kyle Lohse can't get an offer from someone? People remember too well how he pitched before he got to St. Louis and must think that he can't carry this to another team…
Top Relievers:
22.41 Craig Kimbrel, ATL (62.67 innings)
21.73 Aroldis Chapman, CIN (71.67)
16.19 Mitchell Boggs, STL (73.33)
14.38 Rafael Betancourt, COL (57.67)
14.37 Wilton Lopez, HOU (66.33)
13.72 Brad Ziegler, ARI (68.67)
13.56 David Hernandez, ARI (68.33)
13.54 Luke Gregerson, SD (71.67)
13.53 Craig Stammen, WAS (88.33)
13.25 Matt Belisle, COL (80.00)
Jason Motte
Eric O'Flaherty
Jonathan Papelbon
Craig Kimbral was only slightly more effective than Aroldis Chapman, who will likely become a starter. Both pitchers were crazy good – Kimbrel allowing just 27 hits and 14 walks in 62.2 innings, while striking out 116 batters. Chapman pitched nine more innings, gave up a few more hits and a few more walks, and struck out a hair fewer per nine. Those two were well ahead of the next guy (Boggs), and to be honest, there wasn't much difference between the next several guys.
Rafael Betancourt may be the best setup man in baseball and has been for many, many years now.
Worst Pitchers:
-44.88 Tim Lincecum, SF (186 tortuous innings)
-28.58 Erik Bedard, PIT (125.67)
-26.23 Chris Volstad, CHC (111.33)
-25.96 Jordan Lyles, HOU (141.33)
-24.77 Ross Ohlendorf, SD (48.67)
-22.07 Kevin Correia, PIT (171.00)
-21.56 Barry Zito, SF (184.33)
-20.41 Justin Germano, CHC (64.00)
-20.12 Jair Jurrjens, ATL (48.33)
-19.15 Tommy Hanson, ATL (174.67)
Usually, Tim Lincecum is on the top starter list – and the Giants gave him every chance to get his season on track. Instead, he finished 10 – 15 and didn't miss a start. His K/9 rate was still pretty good, but he walked too many guys and was hurt by the long ball. Throw in the fact that his defense and park were actually HELPING him, and that 5.18 ERA is even worse, really.
That both San Francisco and Atlanta were able to make it to the post season with TWO starters who were killing them is impressive. And Pittsburgh was loaded with poor starters and still were competitive for most of the season.
In the case of Jurrjens and Ross Ohlendorf, this was the case of eight or nine brutal starts rather than a full season of below average misery. Ohlendorf was allowing more than 4.5 runs than the average pitcher every nine innings.
Posted in Arizona Diamondbacks, Aroldis Chapman, Atlanta Braves, Barry Zito, Brad Ziegler, Chicago Cubs, Chris Volstad, Cincinnati Reds, Clayton Kershaw, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels, Colorado Rockies, Craig Kimbrel, Craig Stammen, David Hernandez, Eric O'Flaherty, Erik Bedard, Gio Gonzalez, Houston Astros, Jair Jurrjens, Jason Motte, Johnny Cueto, Jonathon Papelbon, Jordan Lyles, Jordan Zimmermann, Justin Germano, Kevin Correia, Kris Medlin, Kyle Lohse, Los Angeles Dodgers, Luke Gregerson, Mat Latos, Matt Belisle, Matt Cain, Milwaukee Brewers, Mitchell Boggs, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, R.A. Dickey, Rafael Betancourt, Ross Ohlendorf, Ryan Dempster, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, Sean Marshall, Sergio Romo, St. Louis Cardinals, Tim Lincecum, Tommy Hanson, Wade Miley, Washington Nationals, Wilton Lopez, Yovani Gallardo, Zack Greinke	| Leave a reply
Happy Birthday, Emil "Dutch" Levsen
Posted on April 29, 2012 by Paul Proia
Emil Levsen, the last major league pitcher to throw complete game wins in both games of a doubleheader, was born on this day (April 29th) in 1898.
Levsen was born in Wyoming, Iowa and earned a degree from Iowa State University. After college, he was signed to pitch for the Cedar Rapids Bunnies, a member of the Mississippi Valley League in 1923. There, Levsen – a husky, broad-shouldered righthander – won 19 of 23 decisions and earned notice when he pitched nine innings of relief against Rock Island and faced just 27 batters. A Cleveland Indians scout signed him for Tris Speaker, and Levsen pitched a couple of games in relief at the end of the season.
Speaker liked what he saw – a big fastball and sharp curve, and a smooth side-armed delivery that threw strikes. However, Speaker thought the kid needed some seasoning, so Levsen was dispatched to Terre Haute in the Three-I league for 1924. There, Levsen continued his winning ways, taking 14 of 22 decisions with a listed ERA of 2.02. A similar thing happened during spring training of 1925 – Levsen was sent to Rochester in the International League and again he was solid – 14 – 9 with good control. In 1926, Levsen wouldn't need seasoning – he'd be in the Indians rotation.
The 1926 Cleveland Indians were a very good team featuring Luke and Joe Sewell, first baseman George Burns, an aging but able Tris Speaker, and ace pitcher George Uhle. Uhle carried the staff on his back – winning 27 games and pitching 318 innings. The number two guy was Dutch Levsen.
Levsen got off to a great start and the Indians were in the playoff hunt. On August 28th, facing the Boston Red Sox, Levsen cruised through 30 batters by inducing easy flies and pop ups. The Sox got but one run on four hits. As the game came to a close, Burns challenged Levsen to throw the second game. "Pitch the second game, Emil, and I'll buy you the best hat in town."
Levsen asked Speaker if he could give it a go, and Speaker – knowing that Uhle, who was scheduled to throw the second game, could use a day off – allowed Levsen to pitch. Levsen matched his first game, allowing just four-hits and one run, and cruised to a second victory.
Levsen was given more than a week of rest until his next start, but he was off – he didn't finish the first inning. In fact, Levsen was hit pretty freely in most of his remaining starts (44 hits in 33 innings), excepting a must-win game against the Yankees, a Ruth and Gehrig-led team that Levsen held to just two hits. The Yankees finished the season more strongly, though, and won the pennant with the Indians finishing second, just a couple of games back.
The next spring, Levsen's arm came up lame. He struggled to a 3 – 7 record, and was never able to get back on track. A few years later, the Indians gave up on him. Dispatched to New Orleans in 1930, Levsen retired just seven years into a professional baseball career.
While the statistics suggest otherwise, Levsen never blamed his doubleheader victories for his dead arm. "I pitched fine after the doubleheader. I held the Yankees to two hits in one game. Spring training was just too much."
Levsen never left baseball entirely, becoming involved in youth programs and eventually becoming the president of the Junior Legion in Iowa. He also owned a creamery in Springfield, Iowa, a short drive outside of Cedar Rapids. Later, he got into life insurance sales and worked briefly with the Department of Agriculture in Cincinnati. He died on 12 March 1972 while retired near Minneapolis.
Dolgan, Bob. "Let's Pitch Two", Cleveland Plain Dealer, 24 April 2001.
"The Middle Man Merits a Salute", Baseball Digest, August 1986, Pages 23 to 32.
"Early Indians Find Bad Weather at Spa", The Sporting News, 28 February 1924, Page 2.
"Cedar Rapids Signs Marquardt as Boss", The Sporting News, 26 January 1939, Page 10.
"Echoes of an Earlier Day", The Sporting News, 9 September 1926, Page 1.
"Speaker No Doubt Hopes So, At Least", The Sporting News, 19 March 1925, Page 2.
Also, I used data found at Retrosheet.org and Baseball-Reference.com
The Atlanta Braves activated Tim Hudson from the 15-day DL, which means that Cory Gearrin heads back to AAA Gwinnett.
Others celebrating with cake, cards, and remembrances include:
(1879) Noodles Hahn – a decent pitcher at the beginning of the 20th century
(1933) Ed Charles
(1934) Luis Aparicio
(1947) Tom House
(1951) Rick "The Roostah" Burleson
(1952) Bob McClure
(1966) John Vander Wal
(1971) Sterling Hitchcock
(1978) Tony Armas
Posted in Atlanta Braves, Baseball History, Cory Gearrin, Tim Hudson	| Leave a reply
Guillen Suspended for Thoughtless Remarks Regarding Fidel Castro
Ozzie Guillen headed home to Florida to further apologize to Cuban baseball fans who are angry over his comments about Fidel Castro, and have threatened to boycott and picket the Marlins at their new stadium. Meanwhile, Ken Rosenthal wrote that Guillen deserved a suspension for his "thoughtless remarks". The Marlins agreed, suspending the Marlins manager for the next five games. [FoxSports]
Judith Reese was celebrating her 69th birthday on Sunday when she was struck on the head by a line drive that hooked foul off the bat of Michael Cuddyer. Reese suffered a concussion and was released later in the afternoon. [FoxSports]
Chipper Jones was activated Tuesday, missing just four games following minor knee surgery to repair a torn meniscus. The Braves legend homered in his first game back… [MLB]
Mets third baseman David Wright fractured his right pinkie finger, requiring a splint. Wright jammed his finger diving back to the bag on a pickoff throw. The broken finger cannot be operated on, so it's just a matter of time before he and doctors decide he can play.
Andy Pettitte's first minor league outing was considered a success. Pettitte went three innings, fanned two, and gave up a run. The Yankees might need him… [ESPN]
Washington closer Drew Storen's injured elbow is going to get a look-see from Dr. James Andrews. He felt discomfort following a simulated game on Monday.
Other Transactions:
San Diego placed pitcher Dustin Moseley on the 15-Day DL with a strained shoulder, while first baseman Daric Barton returned to the A's after a short DL stint. To make room for Barton, Brandon Allen was designated for assignment – he could be picked up by someone, or he could be heading back to AAA.
Let's Make a Deal!!!
The Red signed second baseman Brandon Phillips to a six-year deal with $72.5 million.
The Indians signed catcher Carlos Santana to a five-year, $21 million contract.
Ian Kinsler's deal was waiting on a required physical and should be signed on Wednesday. Kinsler's deal is worth $75 million over five years.
Those celebrating with cake, cards, or remembrances include:
I missed a day – here are birthdays for 4/9 first…
(1888) James "Hippo" Vaughn
(1909) Claude Passeau
(1946) Nate Colbert
(1963) Jose Guzman
Ollie Pickering, in one of his first games since being called up from the minors, hit a couple of bloop singles to reach base. As Pickering had played in the Texas League, they became known as Texas Leaguers… Pickering was a pretty quick outfielder who bounced around a few teams and leagues over a long career at the turn of the last century.
Now for the 4/10 celebrants…
(1868) Tacky Tom Parrott (See below.)
(1897) Ross Youngs (See below.)
(1930) Frank Lary (The Yankee Killer)
(1946) Leroy Stanton
(1948) Lee Lacy
(1950) Ken Griffey – the kid on the Big Red Machine…
(1963) Mike Devereaux and Marvin Freeman
(1982) Andre Either – who homered today in a Dodger win…
Ross Youngs is probably as little known as any Hall of Famer, Youngs played on the Giants in the 1920s and was a fantastic hitting outfielder. He died in 1928, he was barely into his 30s, which was among baseball's biggest tragedies prior to Lou Gehrig's death in 1941.
According to "Major League Baseball Profiles" a two-volume set edited by David Nemec that gives amazing details about the lives of hundreds of players who played in the various major leagues from 1871 – 1900, Tom Parrott was one of the original characters of the name. "Tacky" is an old slang term – we might call him "Weirdo" or "Crazy" or "Whacky" or something like that now. He had large gyrations prior to pitching, threw one of the original lobbed pitches (high arching slow pitches), was quite the entertainer and airhead, and was also one of the best hitting pitchers who ever played. His days in the big leagues were rather short – about four years – but he played in the minors for at least a decade after that, mostly in Texas. When his baseball career was over, he used his skills as a cornet player and served as a professional musician for the rest of his days.
Posted in Andy Pettitte, Atlanta Braves, Brandon Allen, Brandon Phillips, Carlos Santana, Chipper Jones, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, Colorado Rockies, Daric Barton, David Wright, Drew Storen, Dustin Moseley, Florida Marlins, Ian Kinsler, Michael Cuddyer, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Oakland A's, San Diego Padres, Texas Rangers, Washington Nationals	| Leave a reply
2012 Season Forecast – Atlanta Braves
2011 Record: 89 – 73
Runs Scored: 641 (10th in the NL)
Runs Allowed: 605 (3rd in the NL)
The Braves actually played better than can be expected based on the ratio of runs to runs scored (estimated 86 wins).
2011 Season Summary:
Never really a threat to win the division (to my dismay as I predicted them to surprise many to win the east), the Braves were never really bad. They could win in four spots of the rotation, but they couldn't generate enough offense to make it easy. Off seasons by Jason Heyward, Chipper Jones, Dan Uggla (he needed a 30-game hitting streak to get to .233 on the season), and anyone who played center field offset a bullpen led by Craig Kimbrel and Jonny Venters that held every lead… Well, until the last ten days of the season. Like their old cousins in Boston, the Braves couldn't get that one or two wins that would have sealed the deal and wound up being kicked out the playoffs by the Cardinals.
The Braves have ample starting pitching. Tim Hudson won 16 games and was well above average all year long. Three others made between 22 and 25 starts – all were successful. Jair Jurrjens, who is constantly on the trading block, was the best of the lot (13 – 6, 2.96 ERA), but Tommy Hanson and Brandon Beachy were both decent. Mike Minor took on 15 starts and continues to improve – he's nearly a league average pitcher now and could be ready for a rotation slot. Only Derek Lowe struggled – he fell off the map in the second half – and has been dispatched to Cleveland to see if he has anything left. The Braves even have prospects in Julio Teheran and Randall Delgado if needed. Looking forward, the rotation could still be solid if not a hair better than last year. Hudson and Jurrjens might take a slight step backward, but Beachy and Minor could be better and one of the rookies will most certainly be better than Derek Lowe last year.
In the bullpen, three pitchers had absolutely stunning years. Closer Craig Kimbrel saved 46 games and was 16 runs better than the average pitcher in his 75 innings. Set up man Jonny Venters was even better – 21.5 runs better than average. The best of the lot was Eric O'Flaherty, who had a 0.98 ERA in just shy of 74 innings and saved the team nearly 25 full runs. George Sherrill, Scott Linebrink, and Christian Martinez were also above average pitchers last year. Looking ahead, it's hard to see the Braves being BETTER than that – it's rare to save that many runs over 70+ innings – so I think gravity is going to pull this team back some 25 runs. O'Flaherty can't possibly have a sub 1.00 ERA again, for example. This will still be a good unit, but it can't be THAT good again.
Catching:
Brian McCann is one of the premier offensive catchers in the game and his defensive skills are pretty good. His backup Dave Ross remains dependable and adds a little offense. As a unit, this is one of the three best teams in baseball behind the plate. At issue is the fact that McCann may be the best offensive player on the team – but his best seasons seem to be two or three years ago.
Infield:
Defensively, an infield of Freddie Freeman, Dan Uggla, Alex Gonzalez, and Chipper Jones is, at best, not bad but not too good either. It's actually better when Martin Prado plays third. Offensively, they put up runs – and that's one reason the Braves win games.
Freddie Freeman is going to be one of the better first basemen in the NL – already a fair fielder and an above average hitter, he will be an all-star for many years to come. Dan Uggla has been a steady, dependable power source and is good on the double play. Tyler Pastornicky is going to get every shot to take over at short, now that Alex Gonzalez has been allowed to leave. Gonzalez gave you flashes of power, but his bat isn't great anymore and his glove is now just pretty good for an old guy. Pastornicky will have better range, but might not match the offense. As for Chipper Jones, he's nursing sore knees and has already said that 2012 will be his last season. Defensively, he's been problematic at third for a while but his bat has been good enough. Now, that's not going to be the case. When Jones is gone, Prado or Eric Hinske will get innings. It sure would be more beneficial if Prado hit closer to .300 than .260 as he did last year.
I think Freeman and Uggla will be slightly better this year, which should make up for the team losing runs at short and third – call it a wash…
Outfield:
I think that the Cubs have a weak outfield in terms of production. The Braves aren't much better.
In left, you had Martin Prado – decent glove, middling power, and slightly worse than league average production. That's LEAGUE average, not LEFT FIELD average – where you want someone who hits 20+ homers and might drive in 85 or more runs. Prado went 13 – 57 – .260 with hardly any other benefits (4/12 SBs, 34 walks in 129 games). If Jose Constanza can hit the way he did in 109 at bats last year, that wouldn't hurt. Unfortunately, he's not a banger either – he's a burner and could play center for many teams.
In center, nobody hit. Michael Bourn will be there all year, but he's never hit .300 and doesn't hit for power. Nate McClouth hit .228 with four homers and Jordan Schafer was less productive (and sent to Houston for Bourn). A full year of Bourn will be better, though, than what the Braves had last year.
In right, you had sophomore Jason Heyward, who fell off the map after such a promising rookie season. I don't see him hitting .227 again. He still shows some patience at the plate and his power remains.
The problem may be a lack of a plan B. Eric Hinske remains, as does Constanza, but even a returning Matt Diaz doesn't look to help much if a hole opens up in the outfield.
Prado gives the Braves some versatility, as does Hinske. Diaz can pinch hit and platoon some. Josh and Jack Wilson are around, but don't offer much offense (and Jack is getting up there in years) and both are losing defensive skills, too. Ross is good behind the plate. It's a full bench, but maybe not a great one.
Prospects:
The top prospects in AAA mostly made it for cups of coffee last year, including Constanza, Teheran and Pastornicky. The one who didn't was undrafted first baseman Mauro Gomez, who might be able to help out. I don't have a read on his glove, but he's a decent power bat – might hit .250 with 20 homers in the big leagues. He just doesn't have a place to play here. Another guy who wouldn't kill you might be pitcher Todd Redmond, who had decent numbers at AAA Gwinett, going 10 – 8 with 142 Ks and just 47 walks in 169.2 innings. The problem is that he's been at AAA for three years now and he's probably going to have to get a shot somewhere else as he's not high on the prospect list.
The best hitter in AA isn't high on the prospect lists either – that's 26 year old Ernesto Mejia, who has stats like Mauro Gomez and, thus, has nowhere to play. Some like infielder Mykal Jones, but he's not going to replace Pastornicky any time soon. Pitchers Arodys Vizcaino and Randall Delgado got shots – they have major league stuff and are just kids. Another good arm might be Brett Oberholtzer, who is close but needs more strikeouts to move up more quickly. Reliever Billy Bullock has quite the arm, but lacks in control (65Ks, 34BBs in 49.2 innings).
A+ Rome features catcher Joe Terdoslavich, a power hitter who had 52 doubles to go with 20 homers. A one-time former #1 pick, Cory Rasmus has the stuff, but needs to find the strike zone more frequently – and stay healthier.
2012 Forecast:
I think the offense can be 25 runs better than last year – might even be more than that – because Bourn is here all year and Heyward will be better. On the other hand, I think that the gravitational pull that will be working against the bullpen will equally offset that 25 run gain. Throw in the fact that two other teams may well be challenging for the top spot in the NL East, the Braves will be lucky to finish with 85 wins, which might be third or fourth in this division.
Posted in Alex Gonzalez, Arodys Vizcaino, Atlanta Braves, Billy Bullock, Brandon Beachy, Brett Oberholtzer, Brian McCann, Chipper Jones, Cory Rasmus, Craig Kimbrel, Cristian Martinez, Dan Uggla, Dave Ross, David Ross, Derek Lowe, Eric Hinske, Eric O'Flaherty, Ernesto Mejia, Fredrick Freeman, George Sherrill, Jack Wilson, Jair Jurrjens, Jason Heyward, Joe Terdoslavich, Jonny Venters, Jordan Schafer, Jose Constanza, Josh Wilson, Julio Teheran, Martin Prado, Matt Diaz, Mauro Gomez, Michael Bourn, Mike Minor, Mykal Jones, Nate McLouth, Randall Delgado, Scott Linebrink, Tim Hudson, Todd Redmond, Tommy Hanson, Tyler Pastornicky	| Leave a reply
Marlins Open 2012 With Excitement, Ali, and a Loss
The Miami Marlins opened up the new stadium with fireworks, but couldn't put together any hits off of Cardinals starter Kyle Lohse in a 4 – 1 loss on opening night. Muhammad Ali delivered the game ball, which was pretty cool and very sad at the same time. You could hear the cheers for Ali throughout the stadium, but the effects of Parkinson's disease are painfully obvious – the tremors are very visible and Ali looked so much older (he's 70) than the man I remember as a kid.
I met Ali when working for Sprint in Kansas City in 1992. Even then, his voice was softened and he slurred, and there were small tremors in his hands. I remember two or three things about that visit. First, his hands were enormous. When I shook his hand, his hand practically devoured mine. Second, he still had a great sense of humor – he did this joke where he claimed he could move a briefcase with his mind. When it didn't move, he asked us, "Who do you think I am? I'm a boxer, not a magician." Finally, what I really remember was thinking to myself that this was the closest thing to meeting God that I will likely ever experience. I mean – it was HIM, Ali. The Greatest. Of all the people I have met, it was the only time I can remember being totally awed by someone's presence.
Back to baseball…
If you are an Orioles fan, this can't be good… The Orioles lost a charity baseball game to the State College of Florida Manatees – a community college team – 2 – 1 in eight innings. A couple of years ago, the Manatees beat Pittsburgh, a team that went on to lose nearly 100 games… [Bradenton.com]
Andy Pettitte threw a scoreless inning against the Mets and hopes to get ready in time to join the Yankees in May. If he makes it back, he'll get a one-year, $2.5 million dollar contract. [SI]
Torii Hunter accidentally set off the alarm in his house, leading to a visit from a couple of gun-wielding police officers. The officers were merely following protocol and the guns were never pointed directly at Hunter. However, Hunter's identification was in an upstairs bedroom and he was tailed as he walked up to get his wallet. [ESPN]
Vanderbilt pitching recruit and potential first round draft pick Stephen Gant was found dead near his Linden, TN home apparently having committed suicide by gunshot. An investigation into Gant's death continues. [FoxSports]
Tampa closer Kyle Farnsworth will go on the DL with soreness in his elbow caused by a muscle strain. He joins B.J. Upton (back) and Sam Fuld (surgery, right wrist) on the DL. [ESPN]
Other players who found their way to the DL as the season started include:
Tim Hudson (back)
Ryan Madson (TJ Surgery)
Carl Crawford (wrist)
Grady Sizemore (back)
A.J. Burnett (eye socket)
Ted Lilly (neck)
Stephen Drew (ankle)
Charlie Morton (hip)
Andrew Bailey (thumb)
Jose Ceda (TJ Surgery)
Ryan Kalish (shoulder)
Joba Chamberlain (dislocated ankle)
and a number of players who will get 15 days after being nicked up in spring training.
Transaction Wire:
The details of the deal signed by the Reds and first baseman Joey Votto were released – 12 years and $251.5 million, the third largest contract in value and the longest in terms of years in baseball history. The deal includes a club option in 2024 (!) when Votto would be 41 years old. This more than doubles the contract given to Ken Griffey, Jr. – at one time the largest contract signing in Cincinnati history… [ESPN]
The New York Mets signed Jonathan Niese to a five year extension worth more than $25 million. Niese won 11 for the Mets in 2011. [SI]
Washington pitcher John Lannan was optioned to AAA, and wasn't happy about it. Lannan was an opening day starter in 2009 and 2010, and has requested a trade. [ESPN]
The Twins sent pitcher Scott Baker to the DL and optioned starting pitcher Jason Marquis to AA New Britain to get work since both missed time in Spring Training. [SI]
In a late spring training trade, the New York Yankees sent pitcher George Kontos to San Francisco for catcher Chris Stewart. Stewart was given the backup job, which meant that Francisco Cervelli was unhappily dispatched to AAA. Kontos pitched well at AAA last season earning a cup of coffee in September. The big right hander is a Northwestern Grad… As for Chris Stewart, he's a catch and throw guy – not much of a hitter even in the minors. He must be pretty good – Cervelli has logged a lot of innings the last couple of years so it's a bit of a surprise to see Cervelli moved to AAA.
This is the time when players are optioned to AAA or recalled to the majors having earned a spot on the roster – it's a long list. A couple of things caught my eye, though…
Nick Johnson made the Orioles roster
Felix Pie was released by Cleveland
Bill Hall was released by New York.
Those celebrating with cards, cake, or remembrances include:
(1876) Bill Dinneen – pitcher, later an umpire
(1907) Merritt (Sugar) Cain… Today, he'd get the song Cocaine played when he came to the plate. Shouldn't Lorenzo Cain have the nickname "Sugar"?
(1938) Ron Hansen
(1951) Rennie Stennett – one of my favorite Pirates of the 1970s…
(1976) Ross Gload
(1985) Lastings Milledge
Posted in A. J. Burnett, Andrew Bailey, Andy Pettitte, Atlanta Braves, B.J. Upton, Baltimore Orioles, Bill Hall, Boston Red Sox, Carl Crawford, Charlie Morton, Chris Stewart, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, Felix Pie, Florida Marlins, Francisco Cervelli, George Kontos, Grady Sizemore, Jason Marquis, Joba Chamberlain, Joey Votto, John Lannan, Jon Niese, Jose Ceda, Ken Griffey, Kyle Farnsworth, Kyle Lohse, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Los Angeles Dodgers, Minnesota Twins, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Nick Johnson, Pittsburgh Pirates, Ryan Kalish, Ryan Madson, Sam Fuld, Scott Baker, St. Louis Cardinals, Stephen Drew, Tampa Bay Rays, Ted Lilly, Tim Hudson, Torii Hunter, Washington Nationals	| Leave a reply
2011 NL Best and Worst Pitchers
Posted on February 21, 2012 by Paul Proia
Finally getting caught up on my statistical analysis as I head into the 2012 Spring Training season… First of all, God Bless Sean Lahman, whose baseball database makes it possible to write queries and look at statistics using a Microsoft Access relational database… The rest is doing the math.
When I review best and worst pitchers, I look at the total number of runs saved relative to the league average pitcher. I get data for runs allowed per nine innings, then adjust for the pitcher's home park and finally I adjust for the defense of the players behind that pitcher. The best pitcher is the one who saves his team the most runs – the worst is the pitcher who costs his team the most runs.
Top Starting Pitchers of 2011:
Roy Halliday (PHI) 45.37 saved runs – 233.2 innings
Cliff Lee (PHI) 43.94 – 232.2 innings
Clayton Kershaw (LAD) 37.81 – 233.1 innings
Cole Hamels (PHI) 34.28 – 216 innings
Ian Kennedy (AZ) 31.53 – 222 innings
Johnny Cueto (CIN) 20.82 – 156 innings
Jair Jurrjens (ATL) 17.56 – 152 innings
Jhoulys Chacin (COL) 17.53 – 194 innings
R.A. Dickey (NYM) 15.92 – 208.2 innings
Vance Worley (PHI) 15.53 – 131.2 innings
You want to know why the Phillies won 100+ games, it's because they had three of the top four starting pitchers, and a fourth who wound up in the top ten. Even Roy Oswalt (not listed) was an above average pitcher. Clayton Kershaw was a fantastic choice for the NL Cy Young award, but the numbers suggest what we all know – Roy Halliday is the best pitcher in baseball.
Worst Pitchers of 2011:
Bronson Arroyo (CIN) 27.88 (extra runs allowed)- 199 innings
J.A. Happ (HOU) 25.44 – 156.1 innings
Derek Lowe (ATL) 25.20 – 187 innings
Livan Hernandez (WASH) 24.16 – 175.1 innings
Ricky Nolasco (FLA) 23.26 – 206 innings
Casey Coleman (CHI) 22.88 – 84.1 innings
Edinson Volquez (CIN) 22.31 – 108.2 innings
Jonathan Sanchez (SF) 21.19 – 101.1 innings
Chris Volstad (FLA) 20.64 – 165.2 innings
Barry Zito (SF) 19.3 – 53.2 innings
The guy who usually tops this list is a starter who keeps getting run out there as if his team has no other options. Certainly, the Reds should have been able to address the Bronson Arroyo problem by now (nearly 30 extra runs allowed than an average pitcher over the course of 199 innings), and running him out there every fifth day was problematic. The Marlins have the same issue with Ricky Nolasco. He's got amazing stuff, but for some reason keeps getting hit. If he doesn't turn things around, the Marlins will have to find another option. By the way, the Marlins can't afford to have two guys on the bad list and make the playoffs. The Brewers used to be on this list – and then they got five league average pitchers to match up with their amazing offense and made the playoffs.
By the way, this is total runs that one player cost his team. Barry Zito, for example, was far worse per inning than Arroyo. Had Barry been allowed to throw 200 innings, at the rate he was going he would have given up close to 75 extra runs. The Giants had other options, so Zito was removed from the rotation before any further overall damage could be done.
Top Relievers of 2011:
Eric O'Flaherty (ATL) 24.99 (runs saved) – 73.2 innings
Tyler Clippard (WASH) 21.58 – 88.3 innings
Jonny Venters (ATL) 21.58 – 88 innings
Craig Kimbrel (ATL) 16.36 – 77 innings
John Axford (MIL) 15.50 – 73.2 innings
Joel Hanrahan (PIT) 15.41 – 68.2 innings
Fernando Salas (SD) 14.76 – 75 innings
Mike Adams (SD) 14.15 – 48 innings
Sean Marshall (CHI) 14.08 – 75.2 innings
Ryan Madson (PHI) 12.63 – 60.2 innings
Few surprises here – guys who gave up hardly any runs in a decent number of innings. The Braves certainly had the best bullpen in 2011.
Worst Relievers of 2011:
Hong-Chih Kuo (LAD) 18.39 (extra runs allowed) – 27 innings
Aneury Rodruiguez (HOU) 14.62 – 85.1 innings
Ryan Franklin (STL) 14.17 – 27.2 innings
Dan Runzler (SF) 13.84 – 27.1 innings
Matt Maloney (CIN) 12.54 – 18.2 innings
I'll cut off the list at five – guys who make this list are people who wind up in AAA or released before you know it. Still Kuo was bad – basically six runs worse than any other guy every nine innings he pitched. Aneury Rodriguez was the lone exception…
Posted in Aneury Rodriguez, Arizona Diamondbacks, Atlanta Braves, Barry Zito, Bronson Arroyo, Casey Coleman, Chicago Cubs, Chris Volstad, Cincinnati Reds, Clayton Kershaw, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels, Colorado Rockies, Craig Kimbrel, Dan Runzler, Derek Lowe, Edinson Volquez, Eric O'Flaherty, Fernando Salas, Florida Marlins, Hong-Chi Kuo, Houston Astros, Ian Kennedy, J.A. Happ, Jair Jurrjens, Jhoulys Chacin, Joel Hanrahan, John Axford, Johnny Cueto, Jonathan Sanchez, Jonny Venters, Livan Hernandez, Los Angeles Dodgers, Matt Maloney, Mike Adams, Milwaukee Brewers, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, R.A. Dickey, Ricky Nolasco, Roy Halliday, Roy Oswalt, Ryan Franklin, Ryan Madson, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, Sean Marshall, St. Louis Cardinals, Tyler Clippard, Vance Worley, Washington Nationals	| Leave a reply
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text:
Microsoft Windows 10 New Features You Didn't Know About
Windows 10 is Microsoft's finest operating system for a long time. It is a shape-shifter that varies the interface depending on whether a standard or a touch-based device is used. It fixes the damage incurred by Windows 8 by deleting the embarrassing Charms bar and getting the long-held Start Menu back.
Far more has improved with the default browser Edge, the launch of Cortana's digital assistant, access to Microsoft's file-based OneDrive cloud storage, and much more.
Search and Cortana
Windows 10 is adding Microsoft's Siri-like Cortana automated assistant. (It first appeared on Windows Phones in 2014.) Over the years, Cortana's has undergone considerable improvements. It was first tightly incorporated with the Windows search and the results were displayed in the search box. It has also been able to do a number of things as varied as playing music and monitoring smart appliances in your house.
But the days are gone. Microsoft has severely reduced Cortana's functionalities, and it is no longer deeply linked to Windows and Windows Search. Now, Cortana is its own program that functions like every other Windows 10 software, including a resized window to be transferred across the screen.
The Start menu
The biggest complaint that windows users had about Windows 8 was the death of the Start menu. It's back with vengeance in Windows 10. On your monitor or laptop, when you use Windows 10, you boot straight into the desktop. To start the Start menu — the key command for typical PC users, press the Start button on the bottom left of the desktop. (the users of Windows 10 on a tablet would see a Start screen.
Handling Windows updates
After years of concerns, in the spring of 2019 Microsoft actually gave several consumers what they'd been calling for since Windows 10 was launched — the option to control whether to install the twice-yearly feature upgrades Microsoft launches for Windows. Previously, Windows 10 Pro, Business and Education licenses could postpone upgrades, but Windows 10 Home users could not avoid them unless they used sneaky workarounds (none of them ideal). And even those that were able to postpone installations were unable to set them off indefinitely.
The Edge browser
With Windows 10, eventually, Microsoft is abandoning Internet Explorer — almost. You still find it, but it is not the default browser, and it has mainly stopped development work. Today and tomorrow's browser is Edge.
Using Windows 10 on a tablet or 2-in-1
One of the main drawbacks of Windows 8 is that it pushed users with personal computers to use a tablet GUI. In Windows 10, Microsoft adjusts the function called Continuum which automatically detects the computer you use and switches the GUI to Windows 10 — Windows 8-like Start screen for tablets and the Start menu for desktops.
Adaptively, Continuum operates. If you're using a tablet with a keyboard connected, such as a Microsoft Surface, it shows the laptop interface, so if you remove the keyboard, it checks if you want to move to tablet mode, which uses the Start screen interface.
How to Boost Your Windows 10 Performance?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


In fact, odds are pretty good that you'll find it coded as a liability. I'm talking about people. From top to bottom, side to side, beginning to end, and everywhere in between people are the most critical part of every single internal and external function in your business. Whether we're talking about your team, your customers, or your partners these people are what drive your business. They deliver success or failure, profit or loss. People are everything. People are your greatest asset.
They do the work, buy your stuff, and supply, distribute, market….you get the idea, the list goes on and on. My mindset about business was largely shaped by my family, and if you did deep you'll likely discover that some of your most fundamental beliefs (whether positive or negative) also come from what you learned at home.
My grandfather owned a business, my parents had a side business, and of course, most of my family members worked for a business of one form or another. I overheard a lot of conversations about business, but I didn't think of them that way because it sounded like conversations about people. Whether or not your family members owned businesses, odds are you also grew up overhearing some of these conversations.
"So you're laying people off?" I asked. All eyes looked up from their printouts to glare at me like I was an idiot. I was pretty young at the time, so I let them make me feel foolish. All these years later though, I know they were the foolish ones. There were things we could do to save those jobs, we were the people with the power to do it. Sadly a dehumanizing work culture prevented the sort of creative thinking that was needed at that moment, and many others I experienced in the coming years.
As it turns out, I wasn't alone. Around the world, there were lots of people sitting at boardroom tables questioning how we arrived at a place where we no longer referred to people as, well, PEOPLE. Maybe they grew up like me, in families where they still witnessed the selfless sort of leadership that values employees as your greatest asset, or maybe they just had the good sense to see the absurdity of corporate culture for what it is.
Either way, John Elkington found a way to clearly reframe the way we look at business with his Triple Bottom Line. Rather than viewing the bottom line as profit alone, Elkington asserts that we evaluate the economic, environmental, and social impacts of a business. Some say, people, planet, and profit and occasionally you'll hear this referred to as 3BL, or even impact businesses.
Corporate Social Responsibility, or CSR, is often relegated to a few programs For a while, the business community largely viewed the triple bottom line as a cute concept that academics talk about, but impractical in practice, but capitalism has a funny way of fleshing things out.
According to Mintel, 56% of Americans stop buying from companies they believe are unethical. And it's not just a matter of boycotts either. People consciously choose ethics over price, meaning they'll pay more for products and services that align with their values. According to Neilson research, 55% of consumers will pay more for socially responsible goods and services.
Elkington actually suggests adjusting our accounting to reflect this triple bottom line. Others choose to organize their businesses as B Corporations. Some businesses set up charitable foundations. While all of these are wonderful things to do, you don't have to start with a structural change to your business.
My grandfather had never heard of CSR or B Corps, he just used common sense. He knew the people who worked for him were helping him to grow his business, and he valued their contributions. He understood that they had families to feed and bills to pay.
Realizing that people are your greatest asset changes everything. If you think about the ROI of your equipment purchases, what about the ROI of the salaries you pay? How can you invest in the lifeblood of your company by investing in your people? While this can take the form of salaries, it also can be positive feedback or flexible work schedules. Sometimes it's creature comforts like better coffee or a new microwave for the breakroom.
Whatever the needs may be, your customers and your staff are too critical to be reduced to facts and figures. These real, live, dynamic beings are far too important. As your greatest asset, they have to be the first thing you think about in every decision you make.