Saturday, April 18, 2009
Saturday Morning
(aka Looking Back/Looking Ahead)
It's been a hectic couple of days, and my emphasis has been more on optimizing my sleep as opposed to getting up early before work just to update this blog. Ah . . . the dilemma of the blogger. As always, a Saturday morning presents a fresh opportunity.
A couple of items are still rattling in my head from this week as we head into the weekend's slate of games.
Wakening
I know it's a few days old now, but has there been a bigger (more important) starting performance this season than the one that Tim Wakefield levied on the A's on Wednesday afternoon? Some my laugh, but a 2-7 start and a 48-hour window without a game would've sent the Nation off into something in between hives and full-out crisis mode. Wakefield, my favorite Boston player, had one of his finest pitching performances when his team needed it the most. About a half-day removed from an extra inning loss in which the bullpen was taxed and the team's #3 starter was removed after one inning, Wakefield put his team on his back, coming within five outs of a no-hitter. At one point I glanced at his pitch count in the middle of the game and he had thrown 54 pitches, 44 of them for strikes. It was as if he was placing with pin-point accuracy the unplaceable pitch.
His final tally, to borrow Steven Goldman's pitching line format: (9/4/2/2/2/4) 111 pitches, 76 strikes. 9 groundouts, 14 flyouts. The A's got the ball in play against him. They just couldn't do anything with it.
He seemed unfazed by the responsibility put on his shoulders that particular day. From MLB.com's game report:
After last night's 10-8 victory over Baltimore, Boston stands at 4-6 with Beckett & Lester lined up to give them a good shot to be at .500 by weekend's close.
Snap Shots
Maybe it didn't garner too much attention nationally, but Clayton Kershaw's pitching performance on Wednesday night against the Giants was quite simply one of the great starts in recent history by a young pitcher. Don't believe me? Among other things noted by Aaron Gleeman in his report on NBC's active Circling the Bases blog on Thursday:
Kershaw's line for the night: 7/1/1/1/1/13
It's getting hard, very hard, to envision a scenario in which the Dodgers don't win the N.L. West. Especially considering Arizona's pitching problems. L.A., now winners of six straight after beating Colorado last night, have a two-game lead on the Rockies and are four up on the Snakes and Giants. Tied for 1st with the Dodgers are the Padres, also at 8-3, who won last night in Philadelphia. It's been a fun start for San Diego, but that crash to earth is inevitable. It's just a matter of when.
====
Among the numerous fables and tall tales I was weened on as young Yankee fan, one that was seemingly crafted in marble & granite was the story of the first game ever played at Yankee Stadium. April 18, 1923. The Boston Red Sox in town. A crowd of over 74,000 (later changed to 60,000 as a matter of record). Babe Ruth himself christened the new ball-palace with a decisive home run, and a century of great moments was underway. And now this young generation has a new story to pass on to their grandchildren: the compelling story of the Cleveland Indians battering around a shaky Yankee bullpen en route to a 10-2 rout on Thursday. Good times.
*The Yankees can have their overwrought and overdone stadium with the Hard Rock Cafe and New York Steak House and thousand dollar seats. But as the years go by since their last championship, and most decisively since 2004, the less oomph these Yankee fables seem to have on the team's current incarnation. Now, forever etched in history is the opening of this new edifice by a relatively mediocre Yankee team, losing in ho-hum fashion. With this current executive Yankee regime, Ruthian tales and feats of glory feel more like fodder for marketing materials than a legacy that is being built upon.
From William C. Rhoden's column in the Times yesterday:
FWIW, the Yankees' victory on Friday was more of the vintage variety: a bunch of home runs, a big hit by the Captain and a close-out by Mo. At 6-5, the Yankees are doing a bit better than "treading water," although it doesn't feel that way. Considering they've lost their starting right fielder, Matsui has already had to get his knee drained, Teixeira has already received a cortisone shot, they're without their best player for a month and have received various levels of pitching excellence and pitching incompetence (in other words, the moundsmen have been all over the map), a game over .500 seems like a good proposition in the early going.
*My first trip to the new Yankee Stadium will be in May, so I'll hold complete judgement until then.
===
Two books on my baseball reading list. The Yankees Years rejuvenated my appetite for baseball literature, and I've been reading some of Roger Angell's work, which I typically do at some point every April.
===
Good lord, Cody Ransom is struggling . . . It's almost at the point now that it's uncomfortable to watch. From Goldman's column yesterday afternoon:
Ransom added to that handi-work a 1-3 effort (a single and a strikeout) against the Indians on Friday.
===
As we were reminded of the greatest 500 home run call of them all this week, I find it ironic that another 500 home run milestone was reached last night and no one cares.
===
Things to watch today/questions to answer:
1. How much will Chien-Ming Wang lower his 28.93 ERA?
2. The Marlins have a great shot to be 11-1 by sundown on Sunday. 11-1. Josh Johnson (2-0 with 0.57 ERA) goes for this third win today against the 1-8 Nats. And they back that up with Chris Volstad (2-0 with a 1.50 ERA), who will be going for his 3rd win on Sunday. In case you haven't noticed, Florida has some pretty good young arms . . .
3. Good match-up tonight of southpaws at the Trop: Buehrle (1-0, 2.38) vs. Kazmir (2-0, 2.84)
4. Two teams that I'm not sure where their headed right now: Anaheim and Minnesota. Anaheim b/c of their injuries and the emotional toll this season has already taken on them, and the Twins . . . well, because they're the Twins.
5. Zack Greinke hasn't given up an earned run yet. Two starts, 11 innings of work. That comes to an end tonight in Texas, but the Royals have an excellent shot of moving +3 above .500.
6. Seattle has Bedard on the hill as they try to climb to 9-3. Of all the true surprises right now (and I'll include Toronto, Florida [I think they're good, but 9-1 good?] and San Digeo), I think the Mariners have some true sticking power just because of the flightiness of their division.
Enjoy the weekend. Today is going to be a good baseball on the radio day, with temps on the East Coast tearing into the 70s.
(aka Looking Back/Looking Ahead)
It's been a hectic couple of days, and my emphasis has been more on optimizing my sleep as opposed to getting up early before work just to update this blog. Ah . . . the dilemma of the blogger. As always, a Saturday morning presents a fresh opportunity.
A couple of items are still rattling in my head from this week as we head into the weekend's slate of games.
Wakening
I know it's a few days old now, but has there been a bigger (more important) starting performance this season than the one that Tim Wakefield levied on the A's on Wednesday afternoon? Some my laugh, but a 2-7 start and a 48-hour window without a game would've sent the Nation off into something in between hives and full-out crisis mode. Wakefield, my favorite Boston player, had one of his finest pitching performances when his team needed it the most. About a half-day removed from an extra inning loss in which the bullpen was taxed and the team's #3 starter was removed after one inning, Wakefield put his team on his back, coming within five outs of a no-hitter. At one point I glanced at his pitch count in the middle of the game and he had thrown 54 pitches, 44 of them for strikes. It was as if he was placing with pin-point accuracy the unplaceable pitch.
His final tally, to borrow Steven Goldman's pitching line format: (9/4/2/2/2/4) 111 pitches, 76 strikes. 9 groundouts, 14 flyouts. The A's got the ball in play against him. They just couldn't do anything with it.
He seemed unfazed by the responsibility put on his shoulders that particular day. From MLB.com's game report:
Before the game even started, Wakefield walked into Francona's office and told the manager that he knew full well how much the team was depending on him, considering the circumstances. With Daisuke Mastuzaka pitching just one inning on Tuesday, the Red Sox needed 10 2/3 innings out of their bullpen during that defeat.
"I did stop in his office," said Wakefield. "I said, 'I understand the circumstances today and I just want you to know that whatever happens, don't take me out. Just let me keep going.'"
"I did stop in his office," said Wakefield. "I said, 'I understand the circumstances today and I just want you to know that whatever happens, don't take me out. Just let me keep going.'"
After last night's 10-8 victory over Baltimore, Boston stands at 4-6 with Beckett & Lester lined up to give them a good shot to be at .500 by weekend's close.
Snap Shots
Maybe it didn't garner too much attention nationally, but Clayton Kershaw's pitching performance on Wednesday night against the Giants was quite simply one of the great starts in recent history by a young pitcher. Don't believe me? Among other things noted by Aaron Gleeman in his report on NBC's active Circling the Bases blog on Thursday:
Baseball-Reference.com tracks all sorts of data going back to 1954, and since then no other 21-year-old pitcher has ever totaled double-digit strikeouts while allowing two or fewer baserunners in a game. And the only pitcher since 1954 to do so before the age of 21 is Kerry Wood, who tossed that ridiculous 20-strikeout one-hitter against the Astros as a 20-year-old in 1998.
Kershaw's line for the night: 7/1/1/1/1/13
It's getting hard, very hard, to envision a scenario in which the Dodgers don't win the N.L. West. Especially considering Arizona's pitching problems. L.A., now winners of six straight after beating Colorado last night, have a two-game lead on the Rockies and are four up on the Snakes and Giants. Tied for 1st with the Dodgers are the Padres, also at 8-3, who won last night in Philadelphia. It's been a fun start for San Diego, but that crash to earth is inevitable. It's just a matter of when.
====
Among the numerous fables and tall tales I was weened on as young Yankee fan, one that was seemingly crafted in marble & granite was the story of the first game ever played at Yankee Stadium. April 18, 1923. The Boston Red Sox in town. A crowd of over 74,000 (later changed to 60,000 as a matter of record). Babe Ruth himself christened the new ball-palace with a decisive home run, and a century of great moments was underway. And now this young generation has a new story to pass on to their grandchildren: the compelling story of the Cleveland Indians battering around a shaky Yankee bullpen en route to a 10-2 rout on Thursday. Good times.
*The Yankees can have their overwrought and overdone stadium with the Hard Rock Cafe and New York Steak House and thousand dollar seats. But as the years go by since their last championship, and most decisively since 2004, the less oomph these Yankee fables seem to have on the team's current incarnation. Now, forever etched in history is the opening of this new edifice by a relatively mediocre Yankee team, losing in ho-hum fashion. With this current executive Yankee regime, Ruthian tales and feats of glory feel more like fodder for marketing materials than a legacy that is being built upon.
From William C. Rhoden's column in the Times yesterday:
On its own merits, the new Stadium is a gem. Every effort was made to duplicate and, in many instances extend, the charm of the old Stadium. The signature frieze at the top of the stadium bowl is back, the manually operated auxiliary scoreboard is replicated, and a gap between the bleachers and right field allows us to get a peek at the No. 4 elevated train.
But some crucial things did not make the trip across the street — and they never will.
Mystiques are created by championships and championship moments: title fights, football classics and World Series victories. The old mystique is gone. You can argue that the mystique began to fade seasons ago.
But some crucial things did not make the trip across the street — and they never will.
Mystiques are created by championships and championship moments: title fights, football classics and World Series victories. The old mystique is gone. You can argue that the mystique began to fade seasons ago.
FWIW, the Yankees' victory on Friday was more of the vintage variety: a bunch of home runs, a big hit by the Captain and a close-out by Mo. At 6-5, the Yankees are doing a bit better than "treading water," although it doesn't feel that way. Considering they've lost their starting right fielder, Matsui has already had to get his knee drained, Teixeira has already received a cortisone shot, they're without their best player for a month and have received various levels of pitching excellence and pitching incompetence (in other words, the moundsmen have been all over the map), a game over .500 seems like a good proposition in the early going.
*My first trip to the new Yankee Stadium will be in May, so I'll hold complete judgement until then.
===
Two books on my baseball reading list. The Yankees Years rejuvenated my appetite for baseball literature, and I've been reading some of Roger Angell's work, which I typically do at some point every April.
===
Good lord, Cody Ransom is struggling . . . It's almost at the point now that it's uncomfortable to watch. From Goldman's column yesterday afternoon:
The Yankees' 5-5 start is discouraging, but it's not as depressing as is Cody Ransom's first 10 games as A-Rod substitute. Ransom is not a kid. He's a 33-year-old vet. He has had six shots at a big league career since 2001 without ever catching on. We are likely looking at his last chance to have at least a single season in the major leagues, first as Alex Rodriguez's substitute, then as his caddy. The odds were against Ransom succeeding, because his long experience in the minors showed that he would not hit with enough consistency. Despite this, his small-sample hot streak of last fall gave hope that he could make it. This is the kind of player who is great fun to root for. Unfortunately, Ransom is now 3-for-30 with 10 strikeouts, and it is difficult to see how the Yankees can afford to keep playing him, however quickly A-Rod is expected to come back, or even how they can retain him on the Major League roster once Rodriguez is active. Thursday's defeat had many fathers, but any kind of contribution from Ransom early on might have meant a different complexion to the game.
Ransom added to that handi-work a 1-3 effort (a single and a strikeout) against the Indians on Friday.
===
As we were reminded of the greatest 500 home run call of them all this week, I find it ironic that another 500 home run milestone was reached last night and no one cares.
===
Things to watch today/questions to answer:
1. How much will Chien-Ming Wang lower his 28.93 ERA?
2. The Marlins have a great shot to be 11-1 by sundown on Sunday. 11-1. Josh Johnson (2-0 with 0.57 ERA) goes for this third win today against the 1-8 Nats. And they back that up with Chris Volstad (2-0 with a 1.50 ERA), who will be going for his 3rd win on Sunday. In case you haven't noticed, Florida has some pretty good young arms . . .
3. Good match-up tonight of southpaws at the Trop: Buehrle (1-0, 2.38) vs. Kazmir (2-0, 2.84)
4. Two teams that I'm not sure where their headed right now: Anaheim and Minnesota. Anaheim b/c of their injuries and the emotional toll this season has already taken on them, and the Twins . . . well, because they're the Twins.
5. Zack Greinke hasn't given up an earned run yet. Two starts, 11 innings of work. That comes to an end tonight in Texas, but the Royals have an excellent shot of moving +3 above .500.
6. Seattle has Bedard on the hill as they try to climb to 9-3. Of all the true surprises right now (and I'll include Toronto, Florida [I think they're good, but 9-1 good?] and San Digeo), I think the Mariners have some true sticking power just because of the flightiness of their division.
Enjoy the weekend. Today is going to be a good baseball on the radio day, with temps on the East Coast tearing into the 70s.
