Sunday, May 24, 2009
Sunday Morning Coffee
(The Pie-in-the-Face Edition)
It's been a strange season so far. Alex Rodriguez, tenacious? Robinson Cano stealing second base (only his third attempt of the season) setting up . . . Melky Cabrera's third walk-off hit in the first 43 games of the year?
On the morning of Friday, May 8, the Yanks woke up 13-15, looking like an old pup on its last legs. Boston stood at 18-11 and Toronto was 20-11. They were actually three percentage points behind the Rays. They were in fourth place.
They wake up today on the Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend even with the Red Sox at 25-18 and a half-game behind the floundering Jays. They lead the majors in comeback wins with 17 and have won nine games in their last at-bat. The make-up of this team has seemingly changed in an instant: I can only hope it's not fleeting.
Regardless of what happens in the next few days or even the next few weeks, this is the kind of stretch that makes the season captivating & worthwhile for a fan. Sam Borden, filling in for Pete Abraham who's on furlough, actually questioned whether this the Yankees' most exciting homestand ever. While I'm not taking that hyperbole too seriously, his general point is well taken.
----
Have you ever seen a guy who's hitting .204, yet is making the impact that A-Rod is? For all the anti-batting average guys, here's your ammo. A-Rod's OPS stands at 1.034 (.381/.653), and if you'll allow me a moment to goof around with the projections, he's on pace for 63 HR, 116 RBI, 107 BB, 71 K, 80 R. Keeping his current rates, that would leave room for 9 doubles, no triples and 17 singles.
That would be the oddest great year in the history of baseball, a sabermetrician's dream I would imagine with the power/patience combo.
However, on the horizon is that shadow, always looming. The Hip. A tweak here, a tweak there and this all comes crumbling down. But for now, his impact on this line-up has been almost immeasurable.
---
To reiterate what I wrote the other night, the Mets are a hard team to figure. I thought they were set-up to get swept in Fenway, with only a Johan Santana start giving them hope for a victory on the weekend. So the win on Friday night wasn't wholly unexpected. Last night though? I'll let Adam Rubin of the Daily News talk the floor:
Whenever occurrences like that take place at Fenway it's stunning. A great Josh Beckett start; Papelbon closing; 16-5 home record; Omir Santos . . . things just don't unravel like that for the Sox. Just a great win for the Mets, and as Rubin wrote one "that may define their season."
----
The Royals have come back to earth. Not that they were ever sky-rocketing to the outer limits of the atmosphere, but still. After beating the Mariners at home on May 7, which was their sixth consecutive victory at the time, Kansas City stood at 18-11 and three games in front of the Tigers. They proceeded to lose five in a row on the West Coast; split four with the Orioles; lose 2 out of 3 to Cleveland; and have now gotten shut out by the Cards 5-0 in two consecutive games.
In two weeks (3-11 since May 7), they've dropped seven games in the standings to Detroit who are now 24-17 and four up on K.C. Their offense has been anemic. In the last 14 days:
RS: 41, 11th in the A.L.
OPS: .704, 12th in the A.L.
Their pitching? Just as bad if not worse.
RA: 65, tied for 2nd to last with Baltimore
ERA: 5.31, 12th in the A.L.
The Royals have the game with the Cards this afternoon, and then welcome the Tigers in for three at home on Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday. The dates of these games, May 25-27, belie the importance of the series for Kansas City. A four-game cushion is already a nice one for the Tigers; the Royals aren't good enough to allow it to get much wider than that at this point.
----
Tampa's back over .500 at 23-22. They've won three in a row and have handled the Marlins with ease, winning by a combined score of 25-5 in their series so far.
----
The Twins have been rockin' and rollin' offensively. After scoring 20 against the ChiSox on Thursday, they've plated 11 and 6 in two wins against Milwaukee this weekend.
Yes, Morneau is having an MVP-caliber year so far (.343/.423/.645, 12 HR, 36 RBI), but in 21 games since returning from injury, Joe Mauer has been nearly perfect: .429/.516/..844, 9 HR, 28 RBI. Amazing for a catcher.
----
The Cubs are continuing their on-again/off-again season. They're kind of the forgotten team this weekend, as they're participating in the one intraleague series of the weekend. Maybe no one's noticing, but they've lost the first two games to the Padres (who've now won seven in a row, amazingly enough) and have now lost five in a row.
---
Enjoy the rest of the holiday weekend.
(The Pie-in-the-Face Edition)
"What a tenacious at-bat by Rodriguez."
Tim McCarver, Fox Analyst, after A-Rod tied the game in the 9th inning yesterday afternoon
Tim McCarver, Fox Analyst, after A-Rod tied the game in the 9th inning yesterday afternoon
It's been a strange season so far. Alex Rodriguez, tenacious? Robinson Cano stealing second base (only his third attempt of the season) setting up . . . Melky Cabrera's third walk-off hit in the first 43 games of the year?
On the morning of Friday, May 8, the Yanks woke up 13-15, looking like an old pup on its last legs. Boston stood at 18-11 and Toronto was 20-11. They were actually three percentage points behind the Rays. They were in fourth place.
They wake up today on the Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend even with the Red Sox at 25-18 and a half-game behind the floundering Jays. They lead the majors in comeback wins with 17 and have won nine games in their last at-bat. The make-up of this team has seemingly changed in an instant: I can only hope it's not fleeting.
Regardless of what happens in the next few days or even the next few weeks, this is the kind of stretch that makes the season captivating & worthwhile for a fan. Sam Borden, filling in for Pete Abraham who's on furlough, actually questioned whether this the Yankees' most exciting homestand ever. While I'm not taking that hyperbole too seriously, his general point is well taken.
----
Have you ever seen a guy who's hitting .204, yet is making the impact that A-Rod is? For all the anti-batting average guys, here's your ammo. A-Rod's OPS stands at 1.034 (.381/.653), and if you'll allow me a moment to goof around with the projections, he's on pace for 63 HR, 116 RBI, 107 BB, 71 K, 80 R. Keeping his current rates, that would leave room for 9 doubles, no triples and 17 singles.
That would be the oddest great year in the history of baseball, a sabermetrician's dream I would imagine with the power/patience combo.
However, on the horizon is that shadow, always looming. The Hip. A tweak here, a tweak there and this all comes crumbling down. But for now, his impact on this line-up has been almost immeasurable.
---
To reiterate what I wrote the other night, the Mets are a hard team to figure. I thought they were set-up to get swept in Fenway, with only a Johan Santana start giving them hope for a victory on the weekend. So the win on Friday night wasn't wholly unexpected. Last night though? I'll let Adam Rubin of the Daily News talk the floor:
The comeback came in the unlikeliest of circumstances. The Mets (23-19) were limited to one run in eight innings by Josh Beckett, who outdueled Mike Pelfrey. They were facing a closer without a blemish on his résumé this season, and an opponent with the best home record in the AL entering the night and a 19-0 record when leading after six innings. And the Mets were competing shorthanded, with Francisco Rodriguez the latest injury casualty. K-Rod was taken to the hospital via ambulance after the victory with severe back spasms.
Whenever occurrences like that take place at Fenway it's stunning. A great Josh Beckett start; Papelbon closing; 16-5 home record; Omir Santos . . . things just don't unravel like that for the Sox. Just a great win for the Mets, and as Rubin wrote one "that may define their season."
----
The Royals have come back to earth. Not that they were ever sky-rocketing to the outer limits of the atmosphere, but still. After beating the Mariners at home on May 7, which was their sixth consecutive victory at the time, Kansas City stood at 18-11 and three games in front of the Tigers. They proceeded to lose five in a row on the West Coast; split four with the Orioles; lose 2 out of 3 to Cleveland; and have now gotten shut out by the Cards 5-0 in two consecutive games.
In two weeks (3-11 since May 7), they've dropped seven games in the standings to Detroit who are now 24-17 and four up on K.C. Their offense has been anemic. In the last 14 days:
RS: 41, 11th in the A.L.
OPS: .704, 12th in the A.L.
Their pitching? Just as bad if not worse.
RA: 65, tied for 2nd to last with Baltimore
ERA: 5.31, 12th in the A.L.
The Royals have the game with the Cards this afternoon, and then welcome the Tigers in for three at home on Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday. The dates of these games, May 25-27, belie the importance of the series for Kansas City. A four-game cushion is already a nice one for the Tigers; the Royals aren't good enough to allow it to get much wider than that at this point.
----
Tampa's back over .500 at 23-22. They've won three in a row and have handled the Marlins with ease, winning by a combined score of 25-5 in their series so far.
----
The Twins have been rockin' and rollin' offensively. After scoring 20 against the ChiSox on Thursday, they've plated 11 and 6 in two wins against Milwaukee this weekend.
Yes, Morneau is having an MVP-caliber year so far (.343/.423/.645, 12 HR, 36 RBI), but in 21 games since returning from injury, Joe Mauer has been nearly perfect: .429/.516/..844, 9 HR, 28 RBI. Amazing for a catcher.
----
The Cubs are continuing their on-again/off-again season. They're kind of the forgotten team this weekend, as they're participating in the one intraleague series of the weekend. Maybe no one's noticing, but they've lost the first two games to the Padres (who've now won seven in a row, amazingly enough) and have now lost five in a row.
---
Enjoy the rest of the holiday weekend.
