Friday, August 16, 2002

Getting the call

As most of you probably know by now, the players met today and set a strike date of August 30th.

I enjoy writing and I would consider myself a pretty decent linguist, but at this moment I am unable to express how utterly disappointed and angry I feel.

The biggest reason for my disappointment and anger is that I am, and always will be, a baseball fan.
I love the game.
I love watching it, I love listening to it, I love reading about it, I love writing about it and I love talking about it.
I love the personalities, I love the statistics, I love the memories and I love the history.

But I hate what it can do to me.

I am only twenty years old and I have never been "in love."
So, I can only imagine enjoying everything about someone, just wanting to be with them every moment you possibly can.
You like to be with them, talk with them, tell stories with them and make new memories with them.
You've been with them for quite a while and, although there are some little things about them that might annoy you, as a whole, they are everything you ever hoped for.

And then one day, they call you up and say, "It's over."

That is how I feel right now about baseball.

Except that phone call won't be a total surprise, I know it is coming on August 30th.

Now, don't get me wrong, I will always come back to baseball.
They could go on strike for 5 years and I would just be waiting for another call, telling me they are coming back.

But it still hurts.

It hurts because this has been a great season and we are so close to the end of it, the best part of it.

It hurts because my team, the Minnesota Twins, a team I have loved and followed for my entire life, are having their best season in a long time.
It hurts because the Twins have a huge lead and they are going to be in the playoffs.
It hurts because I am going to be there, hoping for '87 and '91 all over again, because there is no way the World Series Champs are going to be contracted!
It hurts because I know that, bad stadium or not, the Homer Dome will be rockin' and the Homer Hankies will be wavin'.

It hurts because there probably won't be any playoffs.

It hurts because I want to see the Giants win the wild card after going toe-to-toe with the Dodgers down the stretch.
It hurts because I want to see Barry Bonds put up a .500/.750/1.500 series on somebody and see if he is suddenly a "clutch" player.

It hurts because I want to see Oakland win the Wild Card without Giambi and then watch them finally beat the Yankees and Giambi.
It hurts because I want to see a "small market" ALCS between Terry Ryan and the boys and Billy Beane and the boys.

It hurts because I want to see if Schilling and Johnson (or Johnson and Schilling) can do it all over again.
It hurts because if they can't duplicate their performance last year, I think there might be a duo in Boston that is willing to give it a try.

It hurts because I want to see October baseball.

To see Pedro being Pedro, and the look on the other team's faces.
To see Ichiro! beat some team with infield single after infield single after infield single.
To see Maddux and Glavine once again, this time handing it over to their old pal Smoltz in the 9th inning.
To see if the Yanks can win it all again, cause there is something great about those pinstripes, that stadium and that history.
To be there chanting "EDDIE! EDDIE! EDDIE! EDDIE! EDDIE!" with the rest of the crowd as Guardado closes out the 9th.

To see Percival squinting in to get the sign from the catcher and Erstad crashing into a wall and getting up with the ball.
To see Jesse Orosco cash his Social Security check on the way to the ballpark and then pitch his usual 1/3 of an inning against some lefty slugger.
To see Barry hit a ball and stand there and stare as it splashes into McCovey Cove and see Jeff Kent congratulate him when he finally gets back around to home plate.
To see ball after ball get hit up the middle and past a diving Jeter so I can point out how bad he is defensively and then just when people are starting to believe me, to see him make a flip to homeplate or a catch falling into the stands, so the argument can go on forever.
To be there watching as Cristian Guzman hits one into a corner and cuts second, like nobody else can, on his way to third.

To see...
To be there....

It hurts because even if none of that happens, I want the chance to see what does happen.

Thursday, August 15, 2002

I have seen the future...

...and its name is Mark Prior.

I saw a 4-time Cy Young Award winner pitch today.
This 5-time league ERA champion only went 6 innings.
But the Cubs' all-time leader in strikeouts and wins did manage to strikeout 12 Astros in those 6 innings.
However, this 4 time 20 game winner didn't even get the victory.

Yeah, that's right, I saw Mark Prior pitch today.

WOW!

A couple of days ago I talked about the Marlins' own young pitching stud, Josh Beckett, who, like Prior, is a former #2 pick.
I discussed his great minor league stats and how, despite some homerific tendencies, he has been pretty good in his first full major league season.
I like Josh Beckett and his future so much that I have him on my Diamond-Mind keeper league team and next year I will pay $37 for the honor of having him on my roster, despite the fact that he will likely only throw about 110 innings this year.

My friends, Mark Prior makes Josh Beckett look like Pat Mahomes.

Including today's game, here are Prior's MLB numbers:

100 Innings
3.15 ERA
129 Strikeouts
33 Walks
76 Hits

And keep in mind, Mark Prior doesn't turn 22 until next month and this is his first season in professional baseball.

Now, the problem with Prior being so good and so young is that he appears to be in the wrong organization if he wants to avoid an arm injury.
When he first came up he had Don "What's a pitch count?" Baylor as his skipper. Baylor was, of course, fired (good news for Prior!).
Then Bruce "Pitch counts are for sissies" Kimm took over the Cubs' managerial position (bad news for Prior!)

All of that has added up to Mark Prior, 21 years old and in his 1st season of professional baseball, throwing an average of 108 pitchers per game.
Now, 108 pitches per game isn't something I would suggest to a young pitcher, but it isn't that horrible.
The worst part (at least in my opinion) is this:
124 pitches on June 7th
118 pitches on June 12th
114 pitches on July 19th
115 pitches on July 30th

and the icing on the future-arm-surgery-cake...

136 pitches on August 4th.

And that is just in the major leagues.
With that lack of concern for pitch counts and a young pitcher's arm at the major league level, I can only imagine how many pitches Prior threw in his 9 minor league starts.
And I don't even want to think about his pitch counts last season at USC.

There does seem to be a bit of good news in all of this.
Mark Prior said last week that he was only going to be throwing 40 more innings this season.
So, counting the 6 he tossed today, he is down to only 34 more.

So, it sounds like Prior knows what is best for his career, even if his managers and the rest of the Cubs don't.

I think I speak for a lot of baseball fans when I say, Bruce Kimm or whomever takes over as the Cubs' manager, please be careful with what you have in Mark Prior.
You've got something very special and it would be nice to see what he could do with about 15 (healthy) seasons in major league baseball.

The numbers don't lie

I have been stuck in history mode for the last couple of days, looking at my top 20 hitters and pitchers of all-time.
So, today I thought I would focus on the present.

Over the last week or so I have heard a lot of talk about Miguel Tejada's MVP credentials.
In addition to all the stuff I read on the internet, I've had a multi-email exchange with two different A's fans about Tejada.
Both of them were a little upset that I did not list Tejada as one of my top 5 AL MVP candidates last week.
And both of them tried to explain to me why Miguel Tejada should win the MVP over my choice, Alex Rodriguez.

I tried to be calm and listen to their reasoning and then respond to it with my reasoning.
However, that proved to be pointless, as after I was done talking (or typing actually) they would basically just say, "Yeah, but where would the A's be without Tejada?" or "Or where would the A's be if they had ARod instead of Tejada?" or something similar to that.
First of all, they would still be in Oakland. (RIMSHOT!) Thank you. I'll be here all week. Try the chicken and make sure to tip your waiter.

But seriously folks...

I present to you two players.
The two men both play in the same league.
They both play the same position.
And neither of them has missed a single game this season (which makes any statistical comparison pretty good).

Here are the two players and their projected stats, using their numbers as of today, for 162 games played:
(If anyone knows how to use HTML and is willing to teach me how to make a real chart, please Email me!)


-PLAYER-- AVG. OBP. SLG HR 2B RBI RUN BB SB EqA. RARP ZnRt RngF E
Player X .313 .400 .620 52 31 136 127 84 11 .336 65.2 .917 4.76 7
Player Z .301 .345 .509 36 31 131 103 36 _4 .295 40.2 .815 4.57 22


As you can see, Player X is better than Player Z in every single category, except for one, Doubles, in which they are tied.

Player X is on pace to have an On-base % that is 55 points higher and a Slugging % that is over 100 points higher.
He is on pace to hit 16 more home runs and to draw 50 more walks.
He is on pace to steal almost 3 times as many bases.
He is on pace to score 25 more runs.
He is on pace to hit for a better average and to drive in more runs.

For those of you (like me) interested in the more advanced performance metrics, which account for the differences in home ballpark, etc...
Player X has an Equivalent Average (EqA) that is over 40 points higher.
And he is 25 Runs Over Replacement Position (RARP) ahead of Player Z.

And on defense (the last three categories) he is way ahead in Zone Rating and significantly ahead in Range Factor.
And he is on pace to make 15 less Errors.

So I ask you to look at the performance of the two players and tell me in what possible way Player Z has provided more value to a baseball team than Player X.

Player X is, of course, the MVP of the AL, Alex Rodriguez.
And Player Z is, of course, Miguel Tejada.

And as for "Where would the A's be if they had ARod instead of Tejada?"

Well, let's see...
The A's are currently in 3rd place, 3.5 games behind the 1st place Mariners (and the 2nd place Angels).
Substitute ARod for Tejada (and add the 55 points of OBP, 100 points of SLG, 16 homers, 50 walks and better defense) and the A's are at least 1 spot higher in the standings and possibly leading the division.

Miguel Tejada is a very good player and he is having a great year.
But Alex Rodriguez is one of the greatest players of all-time and he is having an even greater year.

Look at the numbers and be logical, it isn't even a contest.

Wednesday, August 14, 2002

One man's opinion (Part 2: Pitchers)

For those of you who haven't checked it out yet, I suggest taking a look at my list of the "Top 20 Players of All-Time" that I posted earlier.
That list did not include pitchers, for reasons I explained in the prior entry.
Because of that and the positive email response I got to the position player list, I decided to make a "Top 20 Pitchers of All-Time" list.

Before I unveil it, a few notes:

#1) Just as I did with the hitters, the pitchers are judged on a combination of "Career" and "Peak."

#2) The most significant things I looked at were a) preventing runs, b) innings pitched and c) how their prevention of runs stacked up against their contemporaries.

That is my way of saying that Wins and Losses, while taken into account, were not very significant in my rankings.
The reason for this is simple: a pitcher cannot control how his team's offense performs (except prior to the DH and currently in the NL, but still...).
Pitcher X pitches 7 innings and allows 3 runs. His team scores him 8 runs and he gets the win.
Pitcher Z pitches 8 innings and allows 2 runs. His team only scores once and he gets the loss.

However, obviously Pitcher Z pitched better than Pitcher X. He went more innings and allowed fewer runs to score. But he gets the loss and Pitcher X gets the win.
See my point? Good.

#3) It is very tough to compare players from different eras, but it is especially tough to compare pitchers from different eras.

For one thing, the amount of runs scored during eras varies a lot:
In the 1938 American League, 5.37 runs were scored per game.
In the 1968 American League, 3.41 runs were scored per game.
In the 1998 American League, 5.00 runs were scored per game.

Also, the amount of innings that pitchers usually pitched varies tremendously too.
In the 1870s, 1880s and 1890s, pitchers routinely pitched 400, 500 and even 600+ innings in a season.
And for most of the 1900s (from about 1900-1980), pitching 300-350 innings in a season wasn't a big deal.
Recently, however, pitching 200 innings has become the bench mark for "workhorse" type of pitcher. No one has thrown 300 innings in a season in over 20 years.

#4) As I said with the hitters list, although I would like to rank Negro League players and I have absolutely no doubt that they deserve to appear on any "Top 20 players of all-time list," possibly several times, I just do not know enough about them to rank them accurately enough. Sorry.

#5) As you may have noticed with the hitters, the last stat I list in the player profile is "Average Per 162 Games." This is, of course, a lot easier to figure out for hitters. You just take the amount of games they played and divide by 162 and then divide that by their totals.
But, with pitchers that is almost impossible. So, what I did (once again with the help of Baseball-Reference.com) is to try to put each pitcher career into modern day terms. What I mean by that is listed each pitchers stats as if they averaged 34 starts per season, which is what most pitchers start currently.
For Roger Clemens and Greg Maddux it isn't going to change much, but for Cy Young and Bob Gibson, some things will look a lot different.
So, just keep in mind that all the "Average Per 162 Games" stats are showing what they would have averaged in about 34 starts per season.

#6) As always, I welcome comments on my list, but only if they are backed up by some sort of factual argument. Not just "Player A is way better than Player B, you moron!"

Okay, enough stalling! On to the list...

#1) Walter Perry Johnson
Years Played: 1907-1927 (21 seasons)
Games Pitched: 802 (666 Starts)

Career Stats:
Innings Pitched - 5,914.2
ERA - 2.17
Wins - 417
Losses - 279
Winning % - .599
Complete Games - 531
Shutouts - 110
Strike Outs - 3,509
Walks - 1,363
Hits - 4,913
HR Allowed - 97
Saves - 34
Adjusted ERA - 146

Average Per 162 Games: 274 IP - 2.17 ERA - 19 Wins - 12 Losses - 162 K - 63 BB - 227 Hits

#2) Robert Moses "Lefty" Grove
Years Played: 1925-1941 (17 seasons)
Games Pitched: 616 (457 Starts)

Career Stats:
Innings Pitched - 3,940.2
ERA - 3.06
Wins - 300
Losses - 141
Winning % - .680
Complete Games - 298
Shutouts - 35
Strike Outs - 2,266
Walks - 1,187
Hits - 3,849
HR Allowed - 162
Saves - 55
Adjusted ERA - 148

Average Per 162 Games: 250 IP - 3.06 ERA - 19 Wins - 8 Losses - 143 K - 75 BB - 243 Hits

#3) William "Roger" Clemens
Years Played: 1984-current (19+ seasons)
Games Pitched: 566 (565 starts)

Career Stats (through August 14th, 2002):
Innings Pitched - 4,017.2
ERA - 3.13
Wins - 290
Losses - 148
Winning % - .662
Complete Games - 116
Shutouts - 45
Strike Outs - 3,854
Walks - 1,304
Hits - 3,427
HR Allowed - 289
Saves - 0
Adjusted ERA - 145

Average Per 162 Games: 242 IP - 3.13 ERA - 19 Wins - 7 Losses - 232 K - 78 BB - 206 Hits

#4) Denton True "Cy" Young
Years Played: 1890-1911 (22 seasons)
Games Pitched: 906 (815 starts)

Career Stats:
Innings Pitched - 7,354.2
ERA - 2.63
Wins - 511
Losses - 316
Winning % - .618
Complete Games - 749
Shutouts - 76
Strike Outs - 2,803
Walks - 1,217
Hits - 7,092
HR Allowed - 138
Saves - 17
Adjusted ERA - 138

Average Per 162 Games: 291 IP - 2.63 ERA - 20 Wins - 12 Losses - 110 K - 48 BB - 280 Hits

#5) Grover Cleveland "Pete" Alexander
Years Played: 1911-1930 (20 seasons)
Games Pitched: 696 (599 starts)

Career Stats:
Innings Pitched - 5,190
ERA - 2.56
Wins - 373
Losses - 208
Winning % - .642
Complete Games - 437
Shutouts - 90
Strike Outs - 2,198
Walks - 951
Hits - 4,868
HR Allowed - 164
Saves - 32
Adjusted ERA - 135

Average Per 162 Games: 273 IP - 2.56 ERA - 19 Wins - 10 Losses - 115 K - 49 BB - 255 Hits

#6) Gregory Alan "Greg" Maddux
Years Played: 1986-current (17+ seasons)
Games Pitched: 530 (526 starts)

Career Stats (through August 14th, 2002):
Innings Pitched - 3,694.1
ERA - 2.83
Wins - 268
Losses - 150
Winning % - .641
Complete Games - 102
Shutouts - 33
Strike Outs - 2,610
Walks - 794
Hits - 3,337
HR Allowed - 203
Saves - 0
Adjusted ERA - 145

Average Per 162 Games: 240 IP - 2.83 ERA - 17 Wins - 9 Losses - 170 K - 51 BB - 216 Hits

#7) George Thomas "Tom" Seaver
Years Played: 1967-1986 (20 seasons)
Games Pitched: 656 (647 starts)

Career Stats:
Innings Pitched - 4,782.7
ERA - 2.86
Wins - 311
Losses - 205
Winning % - .603
Complete Games - 231
Shutouts - 61
Strike Outs - 3,640
Walks - 1,390
Hits - 3,971
HR Allowed - 380
Saves - 1
Adjusted ERA - 127

Average Per 162 Games: 250 IP - 2.86 ERA - 16 Wins - 10 Losses - 189 K - 72 BB - 207 Hits

#8) Christopher "Christy" Mathewson
Years Played: 1900-1916 (17 seasons)
Games Pitched: 635 (551 starts)

Career Stats:
Innings Pitched - 4,780.2
ERA - 2.13
Wins - 373
Losses - 188
Winning % - .665
Complete Games - 434
Shutouts - 79
Strike Outs - 2,502
Walks - 844
Hits - 4,218
HR Allowed - 91
Saves - 28
Adjusted ERA - 135

Average Per 162 Games: 274 IP - 2.13 ERA - 21 Wins - 10 Losses - 143 K - 48 BB - 241 Hits

#9) Robert "Bob" Gibson
Years Played: 1959-1975 (17 seasons)
Games Pitched: 528 (482 starts)

Career Stats:
Innings Pitched - 3,884.1
ERA - 2.91
Wins - 251
Losses - 174
Winning % - .591
Complete Games - 255
Shutouts - 56
Strike Outs - 3,117
Walks - 1,336
Hits - 3,279
HR Allowed - 257
Saves - 6
Adjusted ERA - 127

Average Per 162 Games: 262 IP - 2.91 ERA - 16 Wins - 11 Losses - 209 K - 89 BB - 220 Hits

#10) Pedro Jaime Martinez
Years Played: 1992-current (11+ seasons)
Games Pitched: 320 (253 starts)

Career Stats:
Innings Pitched - 1,853
ERA - 2.62
Wins - 148
Losses - 61
Winning % - .708
Complete Games - 37
Shutouts - 15
Strike Outs - 2,177
Walks - 498
Hits - 1,371
HR Allowed - 138
Saves - 3
Adjusted ERA - 170

Average Per 162 Games: 220 IP - 2.62 ERA - 18 Wins - 7 Losses - 258 K - 59 BB - 162 Hits

#11) Warren Edward Spahn
Years Played: 1942, 1946-1965 (21 seasons)
Games Pitched: 750 (665 starts)

Career Stats:
Innings Pitched - 5,244
ERA - 3.09
Wins - 363
Losses - 245
Winning % - .597
Complete Games - 382
Shutouts - 63
Strike Outs - 2,583
Walks - 1,434
Hits - 4,830
HR Allowed - 434
Saves - 29
Adjusted ERA - 118

Average Per 162 Games: 252 IP - 3.09 ERA - 17 Wins - 11 Losses - 124 K - 68 BB - 232 Hits

#12) Sanford "Sandy" Koufax
Years Played: 1955-1966 (12 seasons)
Games Pitched: 397 (314 starts)

Career Stats:
Innings Pitched - 2,324.1
ERA - 2.76
Wins - 165
Losses - 87
Winning % - .655
Complete Games - 137
Shutouts - 40
Strike Outs - 2,396
Walks - 817
Hits - 1,754
HR Allowed - 204
Saves - 9
Adjusted ERA - 131

Average Per 162 Games: 222 IP - 2.76 ERA - 15 Wins - 8 Losses - 229 K - 78 BB - 167 Hits

#13) Charles Augustus "Kid" Nichols
Years Played: 1890-1901, 1904-1906 (15 seasons)
Games Pitched: 620 (561 starts)

Career Stats:
Innings Pitched - 5,056.1
ERA - 2.95
Wins - 361
Losses - 208
Winning % - .634
Complete Games - 531
Shutouts - 48
Strike Outs - 1,868
Walks - 1,268
Hits - 4,912
HR Allowed - 156
Saves - 17
Adjusted ERA - 139

Average Per 162 Games: 291 IP - 2.95 ERA - 20 Wins - 11 Losses - 107 K - 73 BB - 282 Hits

#14) Randall David "Randy" Johnson
Years Played: 1988-current (15+ seasons)
Games Pitched: 427 (417 starts)

Career Stats (through August 14th, 2002):
Innings Pitched - 2,938
ERA - 3.10
Wins - 217
Losses - 105
Winning % - .674
Complete Games - 83
Shutouts - 32
Strike Outs - 3,652
Walks - 1,214
Hits - 2,264
HR Allowed - 262
Saves - 2
Adjusted ERA - 143

Average Per 162 Games: 237 IP - 3.10 ERA - 18 Wins - 8 Losses - 292 K - 97 BB - 181 Hits

#15) James Alvin "Jim" Palmer
Years Played: 1965-1967, 1969-1984 (19 seasons)
Games Pitched: 558 (521 starts)

Career Stats:
Innings Pitched - 3,948
ERA - 2.86
Wins - 268
Losses - 152
Winning % - .638
Complete Games - 211
Shutouts - 53
Strike Outs - 2,212
Walks - 1,311
Hits - 3,349
HR Allowed - 303
Saves - 4
Adjusted ERA - 125

Average Per 162 Games: 249 IP - 2.86 ERA - 16 Wins - 9 Losses - 139 K - 82 BB - 211 Hits

#16) Carl Owen Hubbell
Years Played: 1928-1943 (16 seasons)
Games Pitched: 535 (431 starts)

Career Stats:
Innings Pitched - 3,590.1
ERA - 2.98
Wins - 253
Losses - 154
Winning % - .622
Complete Games - 260
Shutouts - 36
Strike Outs - 1,677
Walks - 725
Hits - 3,461
HR Allowed - 227
Saves - 33
Adjusted ERA - 130

Average Per 162 Games: 253 IP - 2.98 ERA - 17 Wins - 10 Losses - 118 K - 51 BB - 243 Hits

#17) Robert William Andrew "Bob" Feller
Years Played: 1936-1941, 1945-1956 (18 seasons)
Games Pitched: 570 (484 starts)

Career Stats:
Innings Pitched - 3,827
ERA - 3.25
Wins - 266
Losses - 162
Winning % - .621
Complete Games - 279
Shutouts - 44
Strike Outs - 2,581
Walks - 1,764
Hits - 3,271
HR Allowed - 224
Saves - 21
Adjusted ERA - 122

Average Per 162 Games: 247 IP - 3.25 ERA - 17 Wins - 10 Losses - 166 K - 113 BB - 211 Hits

#18) Edward Charles "Whitey" Ford
Years Played: 1950, 1953-1967 (16 seasons)
Games Pitched: 498 (438 starts)

Career Stats:
Innings Pitched - 3,170.1
ERA - 2.75
Wins - 236
Losses - 108
Winning % - .690
Complete Games - 156
Shutouts - 45
Strike Outs - 1,956
Walks - 1,086
Hits - 2,766
HR Allowed - 228
Saves - 10
Adjusted ERA - 132

Average Per 162 Games: 230 IP - 2.75 ERA - 17 Wins - 7 Losses - 142 K - 78 BB - 200 Hits

#19) Steven Norman "Steve" Carlton
Years Played: 1965-1988 (24 seasons)
Games Pitched: 741 (709 starts)

Career Stats:
Innings Pitched - 5,217.1
ERA - 3.22
Wins - 329
Losses - 244
Winning % - .574
Complete Games - 254
Shutouts - 55
Strike Outs - 4,136
Walks - 1,833
Hits - 4,672
HR Allowed - 414
Saves - 2
Adjusted ERA - 115

Average Per 162 Games: 245 IP - 3.22 ERA - 15 Wins - 11 Losses - 193 K - 85 BB - 219 Hits

#20) Rik Aalbert "Bert" Blyleven
Years Played: 1970-1992 (22 seasons)
Games Pitched: 692 (685 starts)

Career Stats:
Innings Pitched - 4,970
ERA - 3.31
Wins - 287
Losses - 250
Winning % - .534
Complete Games - 242
Shutouts - 60
Strike Outs - 3,701
Walks - 1,322
Hits - 4,632
HR Allowed - 118
Saves - 0
Adjusted ERA - 118

Average Per 162 Games: 245 IP - 3.31 ERA - 14 Wins - 12 Losses - 182 K - 65 BB - 228 Hits

Received Serious Consideration (in no particular order): Robin Roberts - Juan Marichal - Eddie Plank - Dazzy Vance - Dizzy Dean - Jim Bunning - Phil Niekro - Fergie Jenkins - John Clarkson - Tim Keefe - Ed Walsh - Hal Newhouser - Gaylord Perry - Mordecai Brown - Amos Rusie - Nolan Ryan - Hoyt Wilhelm - Dennis Eckersley - Don Drysdale - Joe Wood

If there are enough email questions and comments, I will probably do another "notes" style entry like I did with the position player list.
I am sure there are a couple of choices that people might want to debate...

Tuesday, August 13, 2002

One man's opinion (Part 1: Hitters) continued...

From the emails I got, it sounds like a lot of people enjoyed my "Top 20 Players Of All-Time" list.
So, I decided to put together a pitchers list too.

But first, a couple of notes (some in response to email questions or comments) about the list of position players...

As you can probably tell from the list, I value defense up the middle, meaning center field, shortstop and second base.
I also value catcher a lot too, but that is a whole different story (a little more on that later).
Of the top 20 players: 5 played primarily center field (Mays, Mantle, Cobb, Speaker, DiMaggio), 1 played primarily shortstop (Wagner), and 3 played primarily second base (Morgan, Hornsby, Collins).
I think, in terms of purely defensive value, that shortstop is actually #1, slightly ahead of center field.
However, there just aren't that many shortstops that I would consider even candidates for the top 20 players in baseball history, despite how much credit I added on for defense and position.
I think there is an obvious reason for this: Until recently, shortstop was seen as a completely defensive position.
Save for a few exceptions, shortstops in the majority of the first century of baseball were slick-field/no-hit or even decent-field/no-hit.
Honus Wagner is obviously an exception, which is why he is so great and why he is #3 on my list.
Arky Vaughan was another exception, but I don't think his career was long enough to deserve a spot in the top 20.
In 30 or 40 years, if I were to re-do this list, I believe that more than one shortstop would show up (a little more on this later too).
I listed Vaughan and Cal Ripken Jr. in my "Received Serious Consideration" list, but I really could not see any justifiable way (in my mind at least) to put them in the top 20 ahead of McGwire or Frank Robinson or Jimmie Foxx.

Several emails asked what the breakdown of playing era was for the players on my list.
I hadn't really thought about that before I made the list and maybe I should have.
Before I show that, I just want to point out that, with a list this small (only 20 guys) as few as 1 or 2 players could really skew the data, as far as charting when the players played. What I mean is, if I exchanged Arky Vaughan for Mark McGwire, I lose someone who played primarily in the 1980s and 1990s and I replace them with someone who played primarily in the 1930s and 1940s. And when each player makes up 5% of the entire list, doing that replacement really affects things a lot.

Anyway, here is the decade-by-decade breakdown. I basically just listed decades in which a player played at least 5 years (so McGwire gets the 1990s, but not the 1980s and 2000s). Obviously not a perfect method, but I had to make the cutoff somewhere and 5 seasons sounded like a good number.):

1900s: 2 (Wagner, Cobb)
1910s: 6 (Ruth, Wagner, Cobb, Speaker, Hornsby, Collins)
1920s: 7 (Ruth, Cobb, Speaker, Gehrig, Hornsby, Collins, Foxx)
1930s: 4 (Ruth, Gehrig, Hornsby, Foxx)
1940s: 4 (Williams, Musial, DiMaggio, Foxx)
1950s: 5 (Mays, Williams, Mantle, Musial, Aaron)
1960s: 5 (Mays, Mantle, Aaron, Morgan, Robinson)
1970s: 4 (Aaron, Morgan, Schmidt, Robinson)
1980s: 3 (Henderson, Morgan, Schmidt)
1990s: 3 (Bonds, Henderson, McGwire)

Obviously adding McGwire for the 1980s or DiMaggio for the 1930s or Mays for the 1970s could change things quite a bit.
But, basically, you can see that it is a pretty even distribution.

A lof of emails asked me about current players, specifically about 2 guys: Bonds and Alex Rodriguez.
With Bonds, I ranked him as if this were his final season. So, I basically gave him credit for the next 50 games or so that are left in this season, at his 2002 level, and then I pretended he retired.
Same thing with Rickey Henderson, although that obviously doesn't impact things as much as it does with Bonds.
That said, if Barry can play another 3 or 4 years and maintain a level of performance that is anywhere near what he has done the last 2 years, he is going to move up the list.
Heck, even if Barry plays 3-4 more years at anywhere near as well as he did from about 1990 to today, he is going to move up the list.

As for ARod...
As anyone who has read my blog already knows, I believe ARod is the Most Valuable Player in the AL this season. I also believe that he was the MVP of the AL in at least 2 other seasons. So, obviously, I think he is pretty good.
I actually thought about putting him in the top 20, but this is only his 9th season and that is just not enough in my mind.
Most of the guys on the list played over 20 seasons, with the fewest being Joe DiMaggio, with 13.
However, like with Bonds, if ARod can maintain this level of performance for the next 5-7 years (at least) he is going to find himself very high up on the my list.
I believe he has a good shot at being the greatest shortstop of all-time, which would place him at #3. And once you are at #3, pretty much anything is possible, especially if he plays 20 seasons or something like that.

I also wanted to add something about another active player, Mike Piazza.
Piazza is the only guy still playing that is on my "Received Serious Consideration" list, and I really did give him consideration.
But, once again, this is only his 11th season, which makes it very difficult for him to be on the list.
As with ARod, I believe Piazza has a very good chance to be on the list eventually, although with catchers, you never know when they might suddenly just completely break down (which is why I think there aren't any catchers on the list).
And, with his lack of throwing arm, if he isn't hitting, he isn't worth a whole lot.

I think that covers just about everything I wanted to add about the list, at least at this point.
Keep those emails coming, and if anyone else asks a good question or brings up a good subject, I will do another "notes" post.
But, I should get started on that list of pitchers!
So, check back later...

Monday, August 12, 2002

One man's opinion (Part 1: Hitters)

The players apparently met to set a strike date today and decided to postpone a decision until Friday, in the hopes that a new agreement can be reached before then.
It sounds like good news, but I am being cautiously optimistic.

Not much else going on in baseball today and a very light schedule tonight.
Because of that, I thought I would give my own thoughts on a discussion that I saw on BaseballPrimer.
The thread was basically about Bonds and his place among the elite in the history of baseball.
It basically evolved into a "Who are the top players of all-time?" argument, among a couple of other topics.

So, I figured I would do a little "research" on Baseball-Reference.com (the greatest site ever made, besides this one of course) and try to come up with my own top 20 players of all time list.

First of all, I only ranked position players, no pitchers. This was mostly because it is very difficult to figure out where to rank pitchers in a list like this, at least for me. It is much easier to simply rank all the hitters in a list and rank all the pitchers in a list.
If I get enough positive response from this post, I will do a list of pitchers soon too.

Here are the basic things you need to know:
#1) I ranked players based on a combination of "Career" and "Peak."
#2) Defense is very significant in the rankings. Both what position they played and how well they played it.
If two players are complete equals offensively and one played shortstop and the other played left field, I am going to rank the shortstop higher.
Also, if two players are equals offensive and both played the same position, if one was a great defender and the other was a good defender, I am going to rank the great defensive player high. You get the point right?
#3) Although I would like to rank Negro League players and I have absolutely no doubt that they deserve to appear on any "Top 20 players of all-time list," possibly several times, I just do not know enough about them to rank them accurately enough. Sorry.
#4) I welcome comments on my list, but only if they are backed up by some sort of factual argument. Not just "Player A is way better than Player B, you moron!"

Here we go...

#1) George Herman "Babe" Ruth
Years Played: 1914-1935 (22 seasons)
Main Position(s) Played: Right Field (1,131 games) - Left Field (1,057) - Pitcher (163)

Career Stats:
Batting Average - .342
On-Base % - .474
Slugging % - .690
RBI - 2,213
Runs - 2,174
Hits - 2,873
Home Runs - 714
Doubles - 506
Triples - 136
Walks - 2,062
Stolen Bases - 123
Adjusted On-Base% + Slugging % - 207

Average Per 162 Games: .342/.474/.690 - 46 HR - 33 2B - 9 3B - 143 RBI - 141 Runs - 133 BB

#2) Willie Howard Mays Jr.
Years Played: 1951-1952, 1954-1973 (22 seasons)
Main Position(s) Played: Center Field (2,827 games)

Career Stats:
Batting Average - .302
On-Base % - .384
Slugging % - .557
RBI - 1,903
Runs - 2,062
Hits - 3,283
Home Runs - 660
Doubles - 523
Triples - 140
Walks - 1,464
Stolen Bases - 338
Adjusted On-Base% + Slugging % - 156

Average Per 162 Games: .302/.384/.557 - 36 HR - 28 2B - 8 3B - 103 RBI - 112 Runs - 79 BB

#3) John Peter "Honus" Wagner
Years Played: 1897-1917 (21 seasons)
Main Position(s) Played: Shortstop (1,887 games) - Right Field (272) - First Base (248) - Third Base (209)

Career Stats:
Batting Average - .327
On-Base % - .391
Slugging % - .466
RBI - 1,732
Runs - 1,736
Hits - 3,415
Home Runs - 101
Doubles - 640
Triples - 252
Walks - 963
Stolen Bases - 722
Adjusted On-Base% + Slugging % - 150

Average Per 162 Games: .327/.391/.466 - 6 HR - 37 2B - 15 3B - 100 RBI - 101 Runs - 56 BB

#4) Theodore Samuel "Ted" Williams
Years Played: 1939-1942, 1946-1960 (19 seasons)
Main Position(s) Played: Left Field (1,984 games) - Right Field (169)

Career Stats:
Batting Average - .344
On-Base % - .482
Slugging % - .634
RBI - 1,839
Runs - 1,798
Hits - 2,654
Home Runs - 521
Doubles - 525
Triples - 71
Walks - 2,021
Stolen Bases - 24
Adjusted On-Base% + Slugging % - 190

Average Per 162 Games: .344/.482/.634 - 37 HR - 37 2B - 5 3B - 130 RBI - 127 Runs - 143 BB

#5) Barry Lamar Bonds
Years Played: 1986-current (17+ seasons)
Main Position(s) Played: Left Field (2,177 games) - Center Field (171)

Career Stats (as of August 12th, 2002):
Batting Average - .294
On-Base % - .425
Slugging % - .592
RBI - 1,615
Runs - 1,796
Hits - 2,415
Home Runs - 600
Doubles - 506
Triples - 73
Walks - 1,858
Stolen Bases - 489
Adjusted On-Base% + Slugging % - 175

Average Per 162 Games: .294/.425/.592 - 41 HR - 34 2B - 5 3B - 109 RBI - 121 Runs - 126 BB

#6) Mickey Charles Mantle
Years Played: 1951-1968 (18 seasons)
Main Position(s) Played: Center Field (1,745 games) - First Base (262)

Career Stats:
Batting Average - .298
On-Base % - .421
Slugging % - .557
RBI - 1,509
Runs - 1,677
Hits - 2,415
Home Runs - 536
Doubles - 344
Triples - 72
Walks - 1,733
Stolen Bases - 153
Adjusted On-Base% + Slugging % - 172

Average Per 162 Games: .298/.421/.557 - 36 HR - 23 2B - 5 3B - 102 RBI - 113 Runs - 117 BB

#7) Tyrus Raymond "Ty" Cobb
Years Played: 1905-1928 (24 seasons)
Main Position(s) Played: Center Field (2,194 games) - Right Field (706)

Career Stats:
Batting Average - .366
On-Base % - .433
Slugging % - .512
RBI - 1,937
Runs - 2,246
Hits - 4,189
Home Runs - 117
Doubles - 724
Triples - 295
Walks - 1,249
Stolen Bases - 892
Adjusted On-Base% + Slugging % - 167

Average Per 162 Games: .366/.433/.512 - 6 HR - 39 2B - 16 3B - 103 RBI - 120 Runs - 67 BB

#8) Stanley Frank "Stan" Musial
Years Played: 1941-1944, 1946-1963 (22 seasons)
Main Position(s) Played: First Base (1,016 games) - Left Field (943) - Right Field (750) - Center Field (325)

Career Stats:
Batting Average - .331
On-Base % - .417
Slugging % - .559
RBI - 1,951
Runs - 1,949
Hits - 3,630
Home Runs - 475
Doubles - 725
Triples - 177
Walks - 1,599
Stolen Bases - 78
Adjusted On-Base% + Slugging % - 159

Average Per 162 Games: .331/.417/.559 - 25 HR - 39 2B - 9 3B - 104 RBI - 104 Runs - 86 BB

#9) Henry Louis "Hank" Aaron
Years Played: 1954-1976 (23 seasons)
Main Position(s) Played: Right Field (2,184 games) - Left Field (313) - Center Field (293) - First Base (210) - Designated Hitter (202)

Career Stats:
Batting Average - .305
On-Base % - .374
Slugging % - .555
RBI - 2,297
Runs - 2,174
Hits - 3,771
Home Runs - 755
Doubles - 624
Triples - 98
Walks - 1,402
Stolen Bases - 240
Adjusted On-Base% + Slugging % - 155

Average Per 162 Games: .305/.374/.555 - 37 HR - 31 2B - 5 3B - 113 RBI - 107 Runs - 69 BB

#10) Tristam E. "Tris" Speaker
Years Played: 1907-1928 (22 seasons)
Main Position(s) Played: Center Field (2,690 games)

Career Stats:
Batting Average - .345
On-Base % - .428
Slugging % - .500
RBI - 1,529
Runs - 1,882
Hits - 3,514
Home Runs - 117
Doubles - 792
Triples - 222
Walks - 1,381
Stolen Bases - 432
Adjusted On-Base% + Slugging % - 158

Average Per 162 Games: .345/.428/.500 - 7 HR - 46 2B - 13 3B - 89 RBI - 109 Runs - 80 BB

#11) Henry Louis "Lou" Gehrig
Years Played: 1923-1939 (17 seasons)
Main Position(s) Played: First Base (2,137 games)

Career Stats:
Batting Average - .340
On-Base % - .447
Slugging % - .632
RBI - 1,995
Runs - 1,888
Hits - 2,721
Home Runs - 493
Doubles - 534
Triples - 163
Walks - 1,508
Stolen Bases - 102
Adjusted On-Base% + Slugging % - 179

Average Per 162 Games: .340/.447/.632 - 37 HR - 40 2B - 12 3B - 149 RBI - 141 Runs - 113 BB

#12) Rickey Henley Henderson
Years Played: 1979-current (24+ seasons)
Main Position(s) Played: Left Field (2,299 games) - Center Field (427)

Career Stats (as of August 12th, 2002):
Batting Average - .279
On-Base % - .402
Slugging % - .420
RBI - 1,108
Runs - 2,278
Hits - 3,034
Home Runs - 294
Doubles - 508
Triples - 66
Walks - 2,171
Stolen Bases - 1,402
Adjusted On-Base% + Slugging % - 127

Average Per 162 Games: .279/.402/.420 - 16 HR - 27 2B - 4 3B - 59 RBI - 122 Runs - 116 BB - 75 SB

#13) Joe Leonard Morgan
Years Played: 1963-1984 (22 seasons)
Main Position(s) Played: Second Base (2,527 games)

Career Stats:
Batting Average - .271
On-Base % - .392
Slugging % - .427
RBI - 1,133
Runs - 1,650
Hits - 2,517
Home Runs - 268
Doubles - 449
Triples - 96
Walks - 1,865
Stolen Bases - 689
Adjusted On-Base% + Slugging % - 132

Average Per 162 Games: .271/.392/.427 - 16 HR - 27 2B - 6 3B - 69 RBI - 101 Runs - 114 BB - 42 SB

#14) Joseph Paul "Joe" DiMaggio Jr.
Years Played: 1936-1942, 1946-1951 (13 seasons)
Main Position(s) Played: Center Field (1,638 games)

Career Stats:
Batting Average - .325
On-Base % - .398
Slugging % - .579
RBI - 1,537
Runs - 1,390
Hits - 2,214
Home Runs - 361
Doubles - 389
Triples - 131
Walks - 790
Stolen Bases - 30
Adjusted On-Base% + Slugging % - 155

Average Per 162 Games: .325/.398/.579 - 34 HR - 36 2B - 12 3B - 143 RBI - 130 Runs - 74 BB

#15) Rogers Hornsby
Years Played: 1915-1937 (23 seasons)
Main Position(s) Played: Second Base (1,561 games) - Shortstop (356) - Third Base (192)

Career Stats:
Batting Average - .358
On-Base % - .434
Slugging % - .577
RBI - 1,584
Runs - 1,579
Hits - 2,930
Home Runs - 301
Doubles - 541
Triples - 169
Walks - 1,038
Stolen Bases - 135
Adjusted On-Base% + Slugging % - 175

Average Per 162 Games: .358/.434/.577 - 22 HR - 39 2B - 12 3B - 114 RBI - 113 Runs - 74 BB

#16) Michael Jack "Mike" Schmidt
Years Played: 1972-1989 (18 seasons)
Main Position(s) Played: Third Base (2,212 games) - First Base (157)

Career Stats:
Batting Average - .267
On-Base % - .380
Slugging % - .527
RBI - 1,595
Runs - 1,506
Hits - 2,234
Home Runs - 548
Doubles - 408
Triples - 59
Walks - 1,507
Stolen Bases - 174
Adjusted On-Base% + Slugging % - 147

Average Per 162 Games: .267/.380/.527 - 37 HR - 27 2B - 4 3B - 107 RBI - 101 Runs - 102 BB

#17) Edward Trowbridge "Eddie" Collins
Years Played: 1906-1930 (25 seasons)
Main Position(s) Played: Second Base (2,650 games)

Career Stats:
Batting Average - .333
On-Base % - .424
Slugging % - .429
RBI - 1,300
Runs - 1,821
Hits - 3,315
Home Runs - 47
Doubles - 438
Triples - 187
Walks - 1,499
Stolen Bases - 744
Adjusted On-Base% + Slugging % - 141

Average Per 162 Games: .333/.424/.429 - 3 HR - 25 2B - 11 3B - 75 RBI - 104 Runs - 86 BB - 43 SB

#18) James Emory "Jimmie" Foxx
Years Played: 1925-1945 (20 seasons)
Main Position(s) Played: First Base (1,919 games)

Career Stats:
Batting Average - .325
On-Base % - .428
Slugging % - .609
RBI - 1,922
Runs - 1,751
Hits - 2,646
Home Runs - 534
Doubles - 458
Triples - 125
Walks - 1,452
Stolen Bases - 87
Adjusted On-Base% + Slugging % - 163

Average Per 162 Games: .325/.428/.609 - 37 HR - 32 2B - 9 3B - 134 RBI - 122 Runs - 102 BB

#19) Frank Robinson
Years Played: 1956-1976 (21 seasons)
Main Position(s) Played: Right Field (1,281 games) - Left Field (820) - Designated Hitter (321) - First Base (305)

Career Stats:
Batting Average - .294
On-Base % - .389
Slugging % - .537
RBI - 1,812
Runs - 1,829
Hits - 2,943
Home Runs - 586
Doubles - 528
Triples - 72
Walks - 1,420
Stolen Bases - 204
Adjusted On-Base% + Slugging % - 154

Average Per 162 Games: .294/.389/.537 - 34 HR - 30 2B - 4 3B - 105 RBI - 106 Runs - 82 BB

#20) Mark David McGwire
Years Played: 1986-2001 (16 seasons)
Main Position(s) Played: First Base (1,763 games)

Career Stats:
Batting Average - .263
On-Base % - .394
Slugging % - .588
RBI - 1,414
Runs - 1,167
Hits - 1,626
Home Runs - 583
Doubles - 252
Triples - 6
Walks - 1,317
Stolen Bases - 12
Adjusted On-Base% + Slugging % - 163

Average Per 162 Games: .263/.394/.588 - 50 HR - 22 2B - 1 3B - 122 RBI - 101 Runs - 114 BB

Received Serious Consideration (in no particular order):
Mike Piazza - Eddie Mathews - Mel Ott - Cal Ripken Jr. - Johnny Bench - Yogi Berra - Arky Vaughan - Duke Snider - Tony Gwynn - Nap Lajoie - Wade Boggs - Harmon Killebrew - Jackie Robinson - Charlie Gehringer - Joe Jackson - Hank Greenberg - Pete Rose - Carl Yastrzemski - George Brett

Misc.

Yesterday's pair of postings (if you missed them, here is #1 and here is #2) about the Curt Schilling vs. Josh Beckett matchup (or lack thereof) were responsible for the 2nd biggest amount of reader emails that I have gotten so far, behind only the Mike Mussina entry.

The #1 topic of the emails? People who either are Marlins fans or have Josh Beckett on their various fantasy baseball teams and are frustrated with his great-one-start/horrible-the-next-start performance this season.
While I am not a Marlins fan, I do have Mr. Beckett on my Diamond-Mind keeper league team. So, I feel your pain. My advice: Just be patient with him. He is only 22 years old and not many 22 year old pitchers have even this much success in the major leagues. So if you think he is struggling right now, just wait until he starts pitching well...

Remember last week when I mentioned how sad I was that I had not received any death threats because of this Blog? Well, I didn't get a death threat yesterday, but I did get my first truly negative email.
The subject? Diamondbacks announcer Rod Allen.
Yes, the same Rod Allen I quoted about 1,000 times in yesterday's "Game Diary."
Apparently this person felt as though I unfairly ridiculed some of the things Mr. Allen said on the air yesterday.
I wrote the person a reply, asking for some specific instances of unfairness.
So, if I hear from them again anytime soon, I will make sure to keep you all informed.

So thanks to everyone who has emailed me already and please keep doing so in the future.
And to those of you who have been thinking about emailing me but haven't, well, why not?! I enjoy them and I always respond, so send away!
And to those of you have have not even been thinking about sending me emails, well, why not?! Start thinking about it!
Here is the email address: AaronGleeman@aol.com

I'll be back later with some actual baseball entries...

Sunday, August 11, 2002

Diary of a Madman

Coming to you LIVE from the living room of my house and armed with nothing more than a laptop and a bag of Skittles, here is my running diary of the Curt Schilling vs. Josh Beckett matchup that I wrote about earlier.

PRE-GAME:

Greg Shulte and Rod Allen are our announcers tonight.

"When Womack is getting on base consistently, Bob Brenly can do a lot of things." - Rod Allen.
When exactly would that be Rod? Womack has a .310 OBP this year.
We might be in for a long night of announcing.

I was just informed that Schilling has only allowed 4 stolen bases all season (with 4 caught stealing), so this should be an interesting contrast.
The Marlins lead the league in stolen bases.

FIRST INNING:

Sure enough, the first guy to reach base against Schilling, Eric Owens, steals second, beating a good throw.

"Mark Lemke has the best career numbers against Schilling, hitting .484." - Greg Shulte.
As a Twins fan, I know how that feels.
"F@#%ing Lemke!" - Me in 1991 (Yes, that's right, I swore when I was 8)

Josh Beckett takes the mound.
The first two things that the announcers say about him:

"Unable to throw that breaking ball because of the blister." - Rod Allen.
"Gave up back-to-back-to-back homers to the D-Backs earlier in the year." - Greg Shulte.

I hope the game goes better than his introduction.

"Tony [Womack] has really turned his game up a notch since the all-star break." - Rod Allen.
Is Rod Allen on the Tony Womack payroll or something?!
Womack since the break: .284/.324/.358 (AVG/OBP/SLG). That's not "turning it up a notch," even for Tony Womack.

Beckett is not getting the best possible Marlins D behind him tonight. Millar at 3B and Mordecai at SS could both hurt him, although he is mostly a flyball pitcher.

Beckett is consistently getting his fastball up to 95. His curve is checking in at about 74-75.

With two strikes on Quinton McCracken, Beckett throws him a big curve, which McCracken hits the other way for a double. Why throw a curve in that situation?
Rod Allen agreed with me (Yippeeee!): "Why throw him a curve when you are throwing the fastball by him?"

McCracken scores the 1st run on a ground ball right back up the middle. I don't know if another SS could have gotten to it, but...

"Durazo projected over a full-season is scary." - Rod Allen.
FREE ERUBIEL!!!!!!! Oh wait, they did? Nevermind.

Either the gun is broken or Beckett is throwing at exactly 95 on every fastball.

The 2nd runs scores on a Matt Williams single to right field (on a fastball).

With 2 outs and 2 runs in, Beckett gets a trip to the mound by the pitching coach.

Steve Finley hits a single to almost the exact same spot as Williams did, Durazo is sent home (all the way from 2nd) but Juan Encarnacion makes a great throw to the plate that beats him by 2 steps (on the fly).

Not a great start for the kid.

SECOND INNING:

Julian Tavarez is a very ugly human being.

Steve Finley makes a great running catch for the 3rd out of the inning, on a Mike Redmond would-be double, right in front of the pool in right-center.

"No one covers more ground than Steve Finley" - Rod Allen.
I wonder how many team announcers, out of 30, say that exact same thing when their CF makes a good play?

Chad Moeller smokes a fastball to almost the same spot that Finley made the catch, although a lot faster. It bangs off of the wall, right in front of the pool, for a double.

Schilling pops up his 1st bunt attempt (trying to get Moeller to third), but Redmond almost collides with the ump (CB Buckner) and misses it. Schilling pops up the 2nd attempt, foul. Takes the 3rd pitch, just outside. Doesn't chase the 4th, a bouncer outside. Schilling smacks the 5th pitch for a single into right field, the same exact place that Matt Williams and Finley hit their singles.

"It is going to be a short afternoon for Beckett if he doesn't start throwing some breaking balls and changeups for strikes." - Rod Allen.
I wonder if the blister is still bothering him.

The 3rd run scores on a grounder to third. Millar fields it and has a play at home and "Would have thrown Moeller out by 10 feet," according to Rod Allen.
Instead, Millar pauses and then throws to 2nd, for 1 out, but too late for the double play. So far that left side of the infield isn't exactly helping Beckett.

"Millar is not a 3rd baseman by trade." - Rod Allen. That just struck me as funny for some reason.

Womack steals 2nd on a 3-1 pitch. Decent throw by Redmond, but Luis Castillo couldn't hold onto it on the bounce.

McCracken strikes out on a 3-2 pitch.

Spivey draws a 3-2 walk. Beckett thought he had the K with a good curveball, but Buckner called it a ball.

He gets Luis Gonzalez looking on a 3-2 pitch to end the inning.

3-2, 3-2, 3-2...I am noticing a pattern (me smart!).

3RD INNING:

The D-Backs have a "Flyball Fund" contest where a viewer picks an outfielder. If that guy catches a flyball that inning, the contestant gets 20,000 airline miles or something like that.
What a lame contest.
How about the "Infield Single" contest or the "Sacrifice Bunt" fund?

Matt Williams has increasingly diminished range at 3B, but he can still pick it.

"Matt is one of only 7 players to win gold gloves in both leagues." - Rod Allen.
Rod Allen, right on cue.

Schilling is getting it up there at 95-96 pretty consistently.

He throws Beckett all fastballs and Ks him on 5 pitches.

The Marlins seem to be taking an awful lot of pitches early in the count, which probably isn't the greatest idea ever.

Greg Shulte is apparently unwilling to say the word "Damn."
He says "The Best Sports Show, Period." You would be surprised at how many of the announcers do the same.
By the way, did I mention "F@#%ing Lemke?" Just checking.

The screen flashes this graphic: Erubiel Durazo against righties = .316. against lefties = .167.
"If he played against lefties more, the average would be higher." - Rod Allen.
Durazo hit .188 against lefties last year. So I guess, technically, Rod is right.

"Finley with a deep drive to left, there she goes!" - Greg Shulte.
The ball was actually hit to right field and Encarnacion caught it in front of the fence. But, who's counting.

4TH INNING:

Eric Owens singles past a diving Matt Williams (there is that range I talked about earlier). Owens is now 2-2.

Later, Schilling has Derrek Lee picked off at first, but Lee takes off for 2nd and Durazo's throw is wild.

Schilling Ks Preston Wilson to end the inning.

"McCracken was a great pickup by Joe Garogiola Jr. A lot of teams were scared off because of his knee problems." - Rod Allen.
Yeah, his knees and his .219 AVG last year, after hitting .129 in 2000 and .250 (with no power or OBP) in 1999.
But I agree about it being a good pickup (after the fact obviously). McCracken is hitting .326/.387/.489 this year.

Womack steals second and goes to third as the throw bounces past Castillo (and Mordecai) and goes into centerfield. That is twice now that Castillo hasn't been able to catch a throw on a bounce.

FIFTH INNING:

Josh Beckett is apparently done for the evening. He is being brought back to the dugout and Homer Bush is in the on-deck circle.

Well, so much for my big matchup, huh?

At least Schilling is still dealing.

Homer grounds into a fielder's choice to end the inning. D'OH!

Carl Pavano is in for Beckett.

Beckett's final line:

4 IP
7 Hits
3 ER
3 SO
3 BB
0 HR
85 Pitches (48 Strikes).

He couldn't get his breaking ball over for a strike, so he was forced to pitch from behind a lot.
And when he did try to come back with the fastball, it caught way too much of the plate.
He didn't get much help from his defense (aside from Encarnacion's throw) but it wouldn't have mattered, he got hit pretty hard.

Well, Beckett is gone and so are my Skittles. My attention is drifting and the remote control is calling my name.

I might have to check out the Giants game and see what Superman is doing...

For those of you in living in Arizona, Florida or with MLB Extra Innings...

If you have the ability to watch the Diamondbacks/Marlins game that is set to start in about a half hour, I suggest you do so.
If only for the pitching matchup: Curt Schilling vs. Josh Beckett.
Everyone knows how great Schilling has been this year (my favorite stat: 18 wins, 19 walks, 18 homers allowed).
But, I assume that not everyone knows about (or has seen) Josh Beckett.
Beckett was the #2 overall pick in the 1999 draft (behind Josh Hamilton).
He shot through the Marlins' minor league system in a hurry.
Here are his major and minor league stats, prior to this year:

Major Leagues:
24 IP
1.50 ERA
14 Hits
24 Strikeouts
11 Walks
2 Wins and 2 Losses

Double - A:
74.1 IP
1.81 ERA
50 Hits
102 Strikeouts
19 Walks
8 Wins and 2 Losses

Rookie/A:
125 IP
1.65 ERA
77 Hits
162 Strikeouts
30 Walks
8 Wins and 3 Losses

Combined numbers:
223.1 Innings
1.69 ERA
141 Hits
288 Strikeouts
60 Walks
18 Wins and 6 Losses

Take a look at that Strikeout to Walk ratio again. The hits to innings pitched isn't too shabby either.
His only real problems, prior to this year, have been staying healthy and giving up the long ball.

And this year, his problems have become more prevalent.
He has missed significant time this season because of a blister on his right (pitching) hand that just won't stay away.
And when he has been healthy enough to pitch, the long ball has killed him.

He has given up 12 homers in only 82 innings this year.

His other stats look pretty good however:

82 IP
65 Hits
87 Strikeouts
33 Walks

Oh, and I forgot to mention, he turned 22 in May.

This kid has an extremely bright future.
And, if everything goes right, he might have the same kind of succes that another power pitcher that allows his share of homers has had.
He'll get a good look at what he is trying to become tonight against Curt Schilling (37 homers allowed last year and 18 so far this year).

I'm off to watch the game. I'll give a report when it is over.