Deflating Some Of The Stephen Strasburg Hype

Last night, I heard about Jamie Moyer’s outstanding relief appearance when Pedro Martinez’s start was terminated after three innings because of a rain delay.

I’ve been a fan of Moyer’s sheer durability for a while. (And I love Pedro’s quote after the game: “You never know what you’re going to get when you put two old goats out there.”) I’m not as much a fan of Tim Wakefield, but it’s impressive to see him continue to suceed with his knuckler well into his 40s.

Meanwhile, like anyone paying any attention to professional baseball, I’d heard the hype about Steven Strasburg. I’m old enough to remember the days when Todd van Poppel was going to keep the A’s dynasty going, and Kerry Wood was going to outdo Roger Clemens and Nolan Ryan, and Ben McDonald was going to dominate the ’90s.

So, as a warning and corrective to all the Strasburg hype, here’s a list. It shows how many major league wins 13 pitchers, separated into two very different groups, have or did attain in their careers: 

 

Ben McDonald 78
Mark Prior: 42
Todd van Poppel: 40
Brien Taylor: 0
Matt White: 0
Jon Peters (the Texas high school pitching phenom who landed a Sports Illustrated cover in 1989): 0
Paul Wilson: 40
Bryan Bullington: 0
Matt Anderson: 15
Kris Benson: 69
Kerry Wood: 79

Total Wins: 363
Wins Per Pitcher: 33

 

Jamie Moyer: 257
Tim Wakefield: 189

Total Wins: 446
Wins Per Pitcher: 223

 

 

Jamie Moyer steals show in home debut for Pedro Martinez, Phillies win 5-1

It was a night of great anticipation for Phillies fans. 

It was the night they finally got to see legendary pitcher, Pedro Martinez, pitch at Citizens Bank Park. But alas, it was Jamie Moyer who would dazzle the fans on this night.

In what must have felt like an old timer’s game on the pitching mound for the Phillies, Martinez and Moyer combined for an impressive 5-1 victory for the Phillies.

Martinez took the start and lasted three innings, when a rain delay a little over an hour forced manager Charlie Manuel to replace Martinez with Moyer. Martinez had given up a demoralizing lead off home run to start the game to Arizona shortstop Stephen Drew, but recovered nicely. He allowed just one more base hit, also in the first inning, and struck out three batters in his brief three inning stint. Of his 38 pitches in the game, 26 were for strikes.

Moyer was called upon in his new role out of the bullpen for some long relief. Perhaps pitching with some added motivation to show that he belongs in the starting rotation, Moyer was as dominant as he has been all season.

The crafty lefty pitched the rest of the game after the rain delay and was fantastic in his six full innings of relief. Moyer allowed just two hits and shut the Diamondbacks out. He also struck out five batters and did not issue a walk.

Offensively, Moyer also got the job done, chipping in with a pair of base hits. On a night where the Phillies left 11 base runners stranded on the base paths, it was Carlos Ruiz who lead the charge.

Ruiz went 3-for-3 on the night, including a a base hit in the bottom of the third to push the Phillies’ lead to 3-1. The Phillies had trailed entering the third inning, but scored three runs in the inning. Pedro Feliz was called out at home to end the inning.

Ruiz and Jayson Werth each hit solo home runs in the game, which was good because Ryan Howard had a rough night.

The 1B who had hit a couple clutch home runs over the weekend in Atlanta, could not come through in two separate bases loaded situations with less than two outs. Howard went 0-for-5 on the night, including his two strike outs with the bases packed.

But its nights like these, when the big guy struggles in the clutch and the starter’s night is cut short, that make you feel like the Phillies are going to win the NL East.

The Florida Marlins picked up a win against the Houston Astros to remain 4.5 games behind the Phillies. The Atlanta Braves fell farther behind in the race, losing in New York to the Mets.

With a month to go, it will be interesting to see if the Phils can keep that distance between them and other NL East teams.

Jamie Moyer Proves Worth Against D’Backs

 

You can adjust your eyes. Jamie Moyer overshadowed Pedro Martinez in a twist of irony. 

 

Pedro Martinez was in the spotlight for his home debut, but the rain washed away his starting performance for Jamie Moyer to rise from the ashes as a reliever.

 

Whether Moyer had fire in his belly or that the Arizona Diamondbacks were rusty from the delay, some magic settled in for his surprising strong performance, his first bullpen appearance since 1996 as a Seattle Mariner. Six innings pitched, two hits allowed, and five strikeouts by the venerable lefty helped earn his team-leading 11th victory.  

 

Persevering through the buzz of Cliff Lee and Pedro Martinez arriving in July, Moyer lost his job in the process. Pitching from the fourth inning onward to the ninth Tuesday night, Moyer showcased what he still has to offer. Is it an indicator for how Charlie Manuel should use him?

 

The prime examples can be when impending double headers September 13 hosting the New York Mets and September 22 at the Florida Marlins. Brushing aside the six-man rotation and the unlikelihood of J.A. Happ sent down, the Phillies may have found the perfect solution down the stretch. The key is Moyer’s happiness.

 

After his domination of the Diamondbacks, though, it may have been letting a hungry lion out of his cage. He feasted on everything and the young Diamondback hitters were his prey. He may have wanted to prove to General Manager Ruben Amaro Jr. a point since he has nothing more to lose. If Amaro is truly obliged, then there will be positive results come October.

 

 

 

 

2009 MLB Award Predictions

Every sports fan loves predictions. They help fuel the competitive fire throughout the sports world.

So far, the 2009 baseball season has been a good one. Many players are having career years, or are having continued success from previous seasons.

Regardless of the reason, many players are in contention for some of baseball’s awards, including the Most Valuable Player Award, the Cy Young Award, and the Rookie of the Year Award.

Here are my predictions of who will finish the season strong and win these awards.

(Note: All stats are going into Monday’s games.)

 

Most Valuable Player

National League: Albert Pujols

Stats: .325 BA, 134 H, 38 HR, 104 RBI, 93 R, 11 SB

Albert Pujols has had a terrific year. He is batting .325 and is leading the league in home runs, runs scored, slugging percentage, and on-base percentage.

He also is second in the league in RBI.

Runner-Up: Ryan Howard

 

American League: Justin Morneau

Stats: .299 BA, 132 H, 28 HR, 94 RBI, 79 R

Justin Morneau has been a threat at the plate so far this year. He leads the league with 94 RBI, and is among the leaders in home runs and runs scored.

Runner-Up: Mark Teixeira (I wouldn’t be surprised if he finishes strong and wins.)

 

Cy Young Award

National League: Tim Lincecum

Stats: 12-3, 2.19 ERA, 205 K, 171.1 IP, 24 GP

There is no debate in my mind that Tim Lincecum will repeat as the Cy Young Award winner, unless he gets injured.

He is leading the league in ERA, innings pitched, shutouts, complete games, and strikeouts. He’s also among the league leaders in wins, H/9, K/9, and HR/9.

Runner-Up: Dan Haren

 

American League: Roy Halladay

Stats: 13-5, 2.65 ERA, 144 K, 173.0 IP, 23 GP

Earlier this season, there was probably no debate whether Roy Halladay would win the Cy Young Award. Now, there is.

He has pitched well so far this season. He leads the league in complete games and innings pitched. He is among the best in wins, strikeouts, and ERA.

Runner-Up: Zack Greinke

 

Rookie of the Year 

National League: J.A. Happ

Stats: 9-2, 2.66 ERA, 92 K, 128.2 IP, 28 GP

You may think I’m biased on this one, but the stats speak for themselves.

J.A. Happ has the sixth best ERA in the league and is second in win percentage. He leads the league in shutouts, which is good for anyone.

Runner-Up: Tommy Hanson

 

American League: Ricky Romero

Stats: 10-5, 3.70 ERA, 95 K, 121.2 IP, 19 GP

Ricky Romero is one of the hottest young pitchers in the majors. He doesn’t have the greatest stats, but no other AL rookie really jumped out at me.

If Romero stays hot, he has a good shot at winning the Rookie of the Year Award.

Runner-Up: Rick Porcello

The Lidge to Nowhere

Brad Lidge has been bad in 2009—historically, consistently, spectacularly bad.

Even so, a big problem could become a crippling one if the Phillies handle it the wrong way. The ugly truth is that although Lidge has hurt the Phillies dearly this season, every replacement seriously being talked about would make matters far worse.

The first candidate to take Lidge’s job: Brett Myers.

Besides the fact that he missed his rehab start Saturday after he injured his eye in what may or may not have been a bar fight, Myers is a terrible replacement for Lidge. His only closing experience came back in 2007, and he was only barely adequate.

For Phillies fans who don’t remember, he looked a lot more like Wayne Gomes than Tug McGraw. He finished the season with a 2.87 ERA in relief work, but a closer look at his work in August and September tells a different story.

In those two months, during which the Phillies staged one of the greatest comebacks in baseball history, Myers blew two saves and amassed a whopping five losses.

Now, after he has spent more than half the season on the disabled list, a still not 100-percent Myers will probably be asked by the Phillies to step in and close right away for a first-place team playing in the pressure cooker that is Philadelphia.

It isn’t an enviable position to be in by any stretch of the imagination.

Scott Eyre is a reliever whose stock went up after he got the first two outs in the ninth inning of the Phillies’ 4-1 win Sunday night.

Eyre’s 1.71 ERA this season has been superb, but at the end of the day, he is still just a lefty specialist.

It’s easy to get outs when you only have to face one or two batters at a time.

If Eyre were to close, nothing would stop teams from sending up three straight right-handed hitters every ninth inning. Now that the rosters have expanded, this is an even more likely scenario.

Eyre would get shelled every other night and the Phillies would be right back where they started, only without one of the better lefty specialists in baseball.

Chan Ho Park is another reliever like Eyre, whose current success would not translate to the ninth inning.

His glory days ended back in 2001. Since then, he has been nothing short of horrendous until he came back to the Dodgers last year.

When he started 2009 with Philly, he promptly went back to his losing ways, posting a 7.29 ERA through seven starts. It seemed that Park was doomed to be one of the bigger busts of the 2008-09 offseason.

That is, until the Phillies turned him into a long-man. With a 2.57 ERA and .231 BAA in relief appearances this year, Park has discovered an invaluable niche for himself in the Phillies’ bullpen.

If Park is made into a closer, there is a very good chance he will lose the confidence that he has built back up over the past several months.

Not every pitcher has the mentality necessary to close. With only two career saves, there is nothing that indicates Park would be psychologically ready for the strain that comes with closing baseball games.

For another reason why making Park a closer is a bad idea, look no further than Ryan Madson’s short stint closing earlier this season.

Lidge had gotten off to a terrible start, and Philly management put him on the 15-day DL even though he wasn’t genuinely hurt. That way, they could try out Madson in the closing role without openly disrespecting Lidge.

The move failed in both regards.

Even before the paperwork was filled out, Lidge saw right through the obvious ploy and voiced his anger to the press. Then, Madson started blowing saves.

During the month of June, he blew three saves in six chances, a percentage far worse than Lidge’s. By the time July rolled around, Lidge was back as Philly’s closer, but the damage had been done. 

Despite being back in a less stressful role, Madson had lost his edge. He followed up his terrible June with an even worse July, during which he put up an appalling 5.11 ERA.

Since then, he has shaken off his closing hangover and held opponents scoreless, but the lesson remains clear. If Madson is used to close, even for a little while, it could potentially have long-term consequences for his future as a pitcher in any role.

Two lesser known pitchers, Clay Condrey and Chad Durbin, have also been considered as possible replacements for Lidge.

Durbin does have three saves this season, but his 4.41 ERA and 1.51 WHIP scream mediocrity.

Condrey has gotten a handful of save opportunities over the years for the Phillies, but the latest report has him coming off the DL on September 1 at the earliest.

Condrey has proven himself as a reliable reliever throughout his career in Philadelphia, but if the Phils do make a change, September 1 would be far too late.

Waiting until the final full month of the regular season to make a decision as big as replacing Lidge would hurt team morale and show vulnerability to the Braves and Marlins.

The waiver wire isn’t a viable option, either.

Sure, the Phils could grab a Chad Qualls, but how much would he really help? Even if he does clear waivers, he isn’t enough of an upgrade over the current situation anyway.

Players who could have an impact like Jason Frasor and Heath Bell almost certainly wouldn’t clear waivers. If the Phillies were going to make a run at Frasor or Bell, then they should have done it before the July 31 deadline.

Besides, the Philadelphia front office already spent a lot of money to get Cliff Lee, so it’s unlikely that they would be willing to open the checkbooks again this season.

Though they may not be able to make any more meaningful pick-ups at this point, a player the Phillies acquired over a month ago could end up being their savior.

Pedro Martinez, as it turns out, is the perfect player to replace Lidge.

His only experience in relief may have been early in his career, but Martinez said he was open to closing when the Cardinals floated the idea back in March.

At this point, a move to closer would help Pedro just as much as it would help the Phillies. He still has a live fastball and great command over a variety of pitches.

Although he doesn‘t have much closing experience, he has more big game experience than the rest of the Phillies pitching staff combined. He also wouldn’t have to log as many innings as he would if he were starting, so his arm would stay stronger.

Moving Pedro to the bullpen would open up room in the rotation for Jamie Moyer. The Phillies would be able to kill two birds with one stone by filling the need they have at closer and appeasing team leader Jamie Moyer.

If Charlie Manuel truly wants to save the Phillies’ season, he is going to have to think outside the box on this one.

What’s being looked at right now would not only make the Phillies worse, it would almost certainly result in a bullpen implosion.

In 2008, the Phillies’ relief pitching was best in the National League and second best in all of baseball. One year later, those ranks have dropped to seventh and 13th, respectively.

Pedro would surely help, but Philly management hasn’t said or done anything to suggest that moving Martinez to the bullpen is even on the radar.

The only other realistic alternative at this point is to sit tight with Lidge. It isn’t a particularly appealing scenario, but at this point, continuing to roll the dice with Lidge is the only thing Philadelphia can do.

Before Philly can win another championship, the city’s troubled closer will have to conquer his demons once and for all.

Brad Lidge Continues Relentless Pursuit Of Blown Saves Record

Philadelphia Phillies: Six Starters, No Closer

Brad Lidge Is Holding the Philadelphia Phillies Back

The lone clip from today’s Philadelphia Phillies game I witnessed was Jayson Werth’s go-ahead home run. I relied on text message alerts to fill me in on the rest.

All I had known was that the Phillies had taken their 3-2 lead into the ninth against the Atlanta Braves.

Last year, I would have completely ignored any more updates, knowing there was no possibly way the Phillies could blow the game. In fact, not once did they blow a game in which they had the lead entering the ninth.

This season is a completely different story.

Brad Lidge, the hero of yesteryear, has turned into a complete nightmare.

So, back to earlier this evening.

I never received a message alerting me of the Braves tying the game. I still have yet to receive that message.

But the message notifying me of the final score? Yes, that one I did, unfortunately, receive.

I hadn’t known whether Brad Lidge had entered the game. I had hope and prayed he hadn’t, but was still unsure. Then my eyes scanned the rest of the message, only to find the losing pitcher was who I had feared it to be.

Brad Lidge had blown his eighth save of the season. Do the math, and you’ll see that’s eight more than in 2008 (8 – 0 = 8).

Any other closer in the league would have lost their job weeks ago. Not Lidge.

Somehow, the Phillies and a number of their fans continue to support him. Not I.

A professional baseball team can’t win with a closer who blows a save every four opportunities. You can’t be successful with a closer with an ERA above 7.00. It simply isn’t possible.

A closer who has eight blown saves by mid-August shouldn’t continue to hold his job. If he does, the only affect he will have on the team is a negative one.

So when does enough become enough? When does Charlie Manuel cease to believe removing Lidge is the wrong decision?

A manager having faith in his players is always a positive. Yet, in some cases, it reaches too far. The Brad Lidge situation resembles just that.

There won’t be too many situations in the postseason where the Phillies won’t have to worry about blowing games. Almost every game will come down to the wire.

If Brad Lidge is going to be relied on to hold onto the lead come October, the Phillies are in trouble.

The naysayers argue that there isn’t a much more reliable replacement.

Pardon me, but is that a joke?

Whether it’s Chan Ho Park, Brett Myers, or some other reliever, it’s tough to imagine anyone could do worse than Lidge is right now.

Myers may not have been any more than an average closer in 2007, and his return from injury leaves questions to be answered. But it isn’t very likely that he can be much worse than Lidge.

All I ask from the Phillies is to never see Brad Lidge enter a save situation for the remainder of 2009. I can’t handle another blown save.

Maybe next year can play out a bit differently. It’s possible that in the offseason he may be able correct what has been hampering his ability to pitch this season.

But for now, someone else deserves a shot to close out games.

Just don’t make me sit through another agonizing outing from Brad Lidge.

It’s Crushing Time for Ryan Howard and the Philadelphia Phillies

Bam, bam, bam. Boom, boom, pow.

Depending on your age, take the above references for what Ryan Howard is going to do to the rest of the league from now until October.

Ryan Howard’s solo home run, his 28th of the year, won last night’s game against the Atlanta Braves, 3-2. The picture, shown above, is courtesy of Philly.com.

Before a home run the night before in Chicago, Howard had gone 57 at-bats without a home run.

Sitting at 28 home runs prior to the game against Atlanta on Aug. 15, look back in time. Last year, Howard hit 11 home runs in September and October and finished with 48 home runs. The year before he hit 47 home runs, and in his MVP year in 2006, he hit 58 home runs.

That is an average of 51 home runs a year. And I will eat my hat if Howard does not hit at least around 45 home runs this year, barring injury.

That is 17 home runs in a month and a half. If he hits 11 home runs in September and October again this year, it means he would have to hit six home runs for the rest of August.

Done.

Howard still swings at bad pitches, as do many power hitters, and will still strike out a lot.

But while Mets fans were crowing (and the national media) about how Carlos Delgado carried the Mets last August, Ryan did his speaking with the bat in September, when winning counted the most.

Howard came into this season about 25 pounds lighter.

Good pitchers are hitting around 150 innings by this time of the year and hopefully, for Phillies fans, they will be tired and make more mistakes.

And if that happens, Howard will hit home runs to left field, right field, and deep, deep into straight away center field.

When he is hot, he is just a joy to watch.

Like Albert Pujols, you don’t want to miss his at-bats.

Because sometime special is likely to happen.

And his name is Ryan Howard.

I’d like to think even 50 home runs is not out of reach if he can get fight.

When Fans Attack: The 10 Worst Fanbases in Sports

It seems in recent years, the people that watch sports have begun to take the term “sports fanatic” a little too literally.

It seems more and more people will curse at children and the elderly, throw things, and even enter the field of play, all for the love of their team.

It happened again the other night in the so-called “friendly confines” of Wrigley Field, when a fan threw a beer on Phillies outfielder Shane Victorino as he attempted to make a catch.

Indeed, going to sporting events and rooting for the visiting team has become a dangerous activity.

But the violent fanbase is not the only example of bad fans out there; there are numerous factors that go into determining the worst fans.

So, with that in mind, here are 10 fanbases in sports to avoid.

 

10. Chicago Cubs fans

The Shane Victorino thing aside, Cubs fans make this list for their continuous “woe is me” attitude. Nobody likes sports fans who feel sorry for themselves, and Cubs fans are the best at that. If the Cubs lose three games in a row in April, they start thinking about next year. I mean, c’mon.

 

9. New York Rangers fans

Somebody needs to tell these people that the New York metro area actually has two other hockey teams.

New York Rangers fans act like they own the hockey world and frown upon anyone who roots for the Devils and Islanders, despite the fact that both clubs have won more Stanley Cups in the past 50 years than the Rangers (Islanders four, Devils three, Rangers one).

 

8. Boston Red Sox fans

Remember that nerd from high school that developed some computer chip, struck it rich, and now thinks he’s hot stuff? Well, that’s the Red Sox fan in a nutshell.

Only a few years ago they were the AL version of Cubs fans, always down, always pessimistic, always willing to accept failure. They were lovable losers.

Then they win a couple of rings, and BAM, now they’re Yankee fans. Nothing like forgetting your roots. Sickening.

 

7. St. Louis Cardinals fans

People have referred to them as the best fanbase in baseball. They’re always happy, and they never boo their own team or players. It’s like having a fanbase full of Mr. Rogers clones and kindergarten teachers.

Cheering and saying good job for bad play is OK in youth sports, but not for professionals. I’m sorry, but if somebody on my team strikes out four times, I’m not giving him a standing ovation, period.

These fans make the rest of us normal people look bad.

 

6. New Jersey Nets fans

Do they even exist?

If they do, then this is how pathetic they are…when the Nets were on their way to the Finals against the LA Lakers, I decided to go to an Eastern Conference championship game against the Celtics. I drove to the arena, walked up to the ticket window, and purchased two tickets on the day of the game.

Empty seats for a conference title game means you really suck as a fanbase.

I bet they’ll be the first to cry foul when the Nets move to Brooklyn, too.

 

5. Philadelphia Eagles fans

These are the same fans who hate their quarterback, despite the fact that he’s never in trouble, played with a broken ankle, and led the Eagles to five NFC title games and one Super Bowl in 10 seasons.

And don’t even think about wearing your team’s colors in “The Linc.” I once saw them smack a cheesehead off a 10-year-old kid’s head.

But what do you expect from fans who once threw snowballs at Santa Claus?

 

4. Dallas Cowboys fans

Nothing is more pathetic than an elitist fanbase whose team hasn’t even won a playoff game since Bill Clinton was President.

Still, Cowboys fans will argue how good they are every year (even when they’re not), how Tony Romo is the best QB in the division (even though he has yet to win a big game, while Donovan McNabb has been to five championship games and one Super Bowl, and Eli Manning has won a Super Bowl), and how they’re the Yankees of the NFL (even though the Steelers have won more championships).

And when they have no argument, they just revert to talking about the 1990s.

 

3. New York Yankee fans

The elitist snobs of the fan world, the Yankees have won more championships than any team in any sport, and their fans will let you know it.

Never mind that the Yankees haven’t won it all in almost 10 years, didn’t make the playoffs last year, and are currently behind the rival Boston Red Sox in championships this decade. Yankee fans will still walk with their noses in the air as they make their way to their $2,500 seats to watch their $200 million team, while still complaining that the Yankees didn’t get Roy Halladay at the trade deadline.

The Yankee fan has a sense of entitlement and little sense of fiscal responsibility or reality.

 

2. Oakland Raiders fans

These people are just lunatics, period.

They paint their faces, dress like Tina Turner in Mad Max, and actually believe that despite weighing only 150 pounds, wearing face paint, a mohawk, and shoulder pads with foam spikes will strike fear in the hearts of pro football players who are big enough to get tackled by Ray Lewis and live to tell about it.

And their team still sucks.

 

1. Philadelphia Phillies fans

If Philadelphia had 10 sports teams, then chances are no other city would crack this list.

For years these fans simply used the baseball season to pass the time until it was time to travel to Lehigh University to watch Eagles training camp, but now that the Phillies are champions, there are Phillies jerseys and caps all over the place, more and more McNabb jerseys being replaced by Ryan Howard jerseys.

As a Mets fan I have personally had my manhood challenged, my wife and son insulted, food and drinks thrown at me, walked to my seats amid chanting of @$$ hole, and had a grown man tell my children they suck for being Mets fans. I can personally attest to these individuals being vile, bottom-feeding, fickle sports fans.

These same people gave the best third baseman ever, their very own Mike Schmidt, a terrible time his entire career, and once threw batteries at J.D. Drew (come to think of it, who wouldn’t love to throw batteries at J.D. Drew?).

They are simply the worst fanbase in all of sports, period.

 

Honorable Mention: New York Mets fans

These people love to have their hearts broken, wallow in their own misery, and still make signs that say “Ya Gotta Believe,” even when their team is seven games under .500 and 12 games out of first.

The worst type of this fan is one who is so disgusted with his team that he makes up a list of terrible fanbases just so he can put the Yankees and Phillies in the top five, because he has no other argument against those fans this year other than “you guys suck.”

 

So there it is—proof that violence isn’t the only factor in determining a terrible fanbase. Sometimes it’s something as simple as living in Philadelphia.

Note from the author: This article is a joke meant to poke fun at ourselves for taking our sports so seriously. I even take a shot at myself at the end for even writing this article. If I offended anyone, I apologize.

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