Friday's Frosty Mug
Win Expectancy Graph
BR Box Score
Now that it's been 10 days and the ensuing winning streak is over, can we finally stop talking about Prince Fielder shoving Manny Parra? Baseball Digest Daily called it "The Shove of Inspiration."
Two-fisted Slopper isn't buying the hype on a possible 2008 return for Yovani Gallardo. Maybe there aren't enough innings to go around, but if a guy with a career 132 ERA+ wants to come back and try to pitch, I'm guessing the Brewers can find an opportunity for him from time to time.
Cardinals Diaspora is waving the white flag. They no longer think the Redbirds can catch the Brewers or the Cubs. In the meantime, The Cub Reporter asks if the Cubs should tank the NL Central to set up a more favorable playoff matchup.
Last night I was in attendance as the Iowa Cubs (managed by Pat Listach) defeated the New Orleans Zephyrs 6-3. Today, The Official Site's "Where are they now?" feature caught up with the former Rookie of the Year.
I may have been a little too hard on Big League Stew yesterday. They recently added a tattoo combining the retro logo and the Grateful Dead logo to their collection. Love or hate the retro logo, it's cool ink.
On injuries:
Blue Jays RP Scott Downs will be out at least a few more days with a rolled ankle, but may avoid the DL.
Yankees RP Dan Giese has rotator cuff tendinitis and should hit the DL any minute now.
Angels SS Maicer Izturis has an injured thumb that has kept him out of action for most of the last 10 days.
Troy Percival left yesterday's game after spraining his knee fielding a bunt. Grant Balfour came in and blew the save for him.
Aaron Rowand left last night's game with a back injury.
Brad Penny has been placed on the DL with shoulder inflammation.
Aramis Ramirez suffered a hip contusion and had to leave last night's game.
Dodgers RP Cory Wade has been placed on the DL with shoulder inflammation.
Padres SP Chris Young has been placed on the DL with a forearm strain.
Via Skyking162, I found this Lookout Landing post gathering way more stuff than I have time to read on the topic of statistical analysis in baseball. Years ago a professor friend of mine asked if I thought there would be enough interest to do a semester class on baseball statistics. Dan, if you're reading, there's your textbook.
Today is the last day to sign 2008 draft picks. Marc Hulet of Baseball Analysts has a nice roundup of what's remaining to be done.
It appears the Giants might have a hard time signing their top pick, Yonder Alonso, as he has an invitation on the table to play in the Atlantic League and live with Alex Rodriguez.
It looks like Zach Jackson had a solid but unspectacular debut with the Indians: He gave up three runs on eight hits in five innings and did not factor in the decision in Cleveland's 11-6 loss to the Orioles.
The Cubs did win yesterday, but they did it despite the efforts of Mark Kotsay, who was the first Brave in 21 years to hit for the cycle.
Oh, and this guy posted something unintelligible in the comments of a Youtube clip. (h/t Aaron Gleeman)
Drink up.
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Cub Reporter
I like how part of their playoff calculus is that both the Dodgers and Dbacks recently added a big bat in Ramirez and Dunn, but don’t stop to wonder if maybe those big bats just might help propel one of them past the NL East division winner’s W-L record, too, considering they’re only three games behind.
by Zeyes on Aug 15, 2008 9:05 AM CDT 0 recs
i think
its pretty clear by this point that the WC is coming out of the Central- the Brews and Cubs seem to be heads and shoulders above the rest of the NL
by ACB on
Aug 15, 2008 9:19 AM CDT
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Still a lot of time left. I don’t want to count my chickens before they hatch.
by SgtClueLs on
Aug 15, 2008 9:50 AM CDT
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That's not what I'm talking about
The post at Cub Reporter considers it a given that the NL Central winner as the strongest W-L team will face the weakest other division winner (assumed to be the NL West team), and the NL Central-originating wildcard winner will face NL East winner, and makes the argument that the Cubs might be better off as the wildcard because they’d then face an NL East opponent. I’m just finding it curious that they’re so sure the NL East winner will actually finish with a better record than either the Dbacks or Dodgers.
by Zeyes on
Aug 15, 2008 10:41 AM CDT
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(and of course by "either the Dbacks or Dodgers"...
I mean both the Dbacks and Dodgers.) Damned logic and sentence structure…
by Zeyes on
Aug 15, 2008 10:46 AM CDT
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wait...
doesn’t the WC winner from the NL end up having to play on the road (away-field-disadvantage) for the whole playoffs regardless of record?
I seem to recall the Cubs have a losing record on the road, despite being for a long time, “the best team in baseball.” Whereas the Brewers and the Cards have a winning record on the road…
so, by all means, tank the rest of the year, see what it gets you…
by PagsBrewCrew on
Aug 15, 2008 12:32 PM CDT
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and by whole playoffs
I’m not a complete dumbass. I realize that every game is not played on the road, but rather one-more-than-half including the first couple.
by PagsBrewCrew on
Aug 15, 2008 12:33 PM CDT
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cycle schmycle
Bill Hall was the player of the game when a certain catcher named Chad hit for it for the good guys.
by Braunstalker on Aug 15, 2008 9:11 AM CDT 0 recs
Chad Magruder? (check the picture caption)
BCB's "very own marginally deserving all-star!"
by battlekow on
Aug 15, 2008 9:47 AM CDT
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I don’t really see the problem with Gallardo coming back. There is always room for good pitching.
To rebut:
1) I doubt he would go into the starting rotation.
2) The minors might be done, but he could still pitch simulated games.
3) Comparing him to Liriano is a stretch. Liriano had a bad arm injury and Tommy John surgery. Because YG had a knee injury and he has probably been keeping an upper body workout.
I don’t see any reason to keep trotting Mota and Gagne out for high leverage innings when Yovani is available.
by grant76 on Aug 15, 2008 10:03 AM CDT 0 recs
One more thought.
I would love it if going into the playoffs we had a 7-8-9 bullpen of CV-Gallardo-Torres. With the starters pitching 6+ all the time, we wouldn’t have to hold our breaths with the other guys.
by grant76 on
Aug 15, 2008 10:06 AM CDT
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Assuming Gallardo takes to the bullpen well
I don’t see why he wouldn’t, but weirder things have happened.
Obscure baseball records and more at my blog, Recondite Baseball.
by TheJay on
Aug 15, 2008 10:07 AM CDT
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Even without YoGa
you still have McClung, Riske, the starter dropped when the team goes to a four-man rotation, Torres, Villy and Shouse* as all better options than Gagne or Mota. You only need four of them for the entire playoffs given travel days, so Gagne and Mota shouldn’t even be allowed in a uniform until the 12 inning of a playoff game.
*Used against lefties or a weak hitting righty sandwiched between two lefties.
by Getting Yosted on
Aug 15, 2008 10:13 AM CDT
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They've already said there's no chance of him stretching his arm out enough to go back into the rotation
BCB's "very own marginally deserving all-star!"
by battlekow on
Aug 15, 2008 11:03 AM CDT
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Speaking of catcher contracts
Kendall, Victor Martinez, Brian Schneider, and Jason Varitek should form an offseason barbershop quartet singing about being paid for not hitting. Kenji Johjima can be their manager. The comedy stylings of Paul Lo Duca can open for them.
Obscure baseball records and more at my blog, Recondite Baseball.
by TheJay on Aug 15, 2008 10:59 AM CDT 0 recs
Hmmm
I’m envisioning a song called “6-4-3” to the tune of “Hello Dolly.”
"I will agree that the attitude [at BCB] is ridiculous and they have done so much to instigate animosity and then block us from responding. Real mature!"
by roguejim on
Aug 15, 2008 11:42 AM CDT
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On the "he's-still-around" front...
Los Angeles Dodgers
Purchased the contract of RHP Tanyon Sturtze from Las Vegas.
Sturtze once lost 18 games in a season, which isn’t quite as bad as it sounds considering he was playing for the 2002 Devil Rays, but it’s amazing he’s on his seventh team in a career going back to 1995 despite being right-handed and never all that good.
He’ll probably throw four shutout innings in relief this series, though.
Obscure baseball records and more at my blog, Recondite Baseball.
by TheJay on Aug 15, 2008 12:15 PM CDT 0 recs
7 million?
Not to be a jerk, but I hope Yonder Alonso breaks something so it doesn’t quite work anymore.
by Braunstalker on Aug 15, 2008 4:49 PM CDT 0 recs
who would the brewers play in the postseason if the season ended today?
is there a link that is updated?
"I wore 37 in Tampa... my brother Marcus wore 37... my brother Sam wore 73... my nieces and nephews wear 37... It's a family thing." McClung
by Jamie in LA on Aug 15, 2008 5:13 PM CDT 0 recs
btw
Alonso = Reds 1st round pick
The Giants 1st pick was Buster Posey, who signed yesterday.
Also, cheese.
by Jeff Sackmann on Aug 15, 2008 6:00 PM CDT 0 recs
Posey hasn't technically signed yet
BCB's "very own marginally deserving all-star!"
by battlekow on
Aug 15, 2008 6:28 PM CDT
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oh.
well, that’s what I meant :).
or something.
Also, cheese.
by Jeff Sackmann on
Aug 15, 2008 7:03 PM CDT
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