The Official MLB 2007 Thread

[SackAttack]

J.D. Drew is now the answer to a trivia question: who's the only player in baseball history to be involved in two separate teams hitting four straight home runs?

[SirFozzie]

All four were absolutely crushed, I don't think Manny's had landed before Lowell's was launched.

Chase Wright has a future.. in selling Vinyl siding.

(5th time in MLB history 4 straight homers, 2nd time the same pitcher gave it up)

[ISiddiqui]

I think, though, the one thing forgotten is that Matsuzaka also got lit up. He won't be going up against pitchers like Wright much more in the season. Pitched well before hand, but no support from the offense. Now the offense wakes up and he gets hammered.

[Bad-example]

Matt Cain took a 1-hit shutout into the 9th, ended up settling for a CG 3 hitter and a 2-1 victory. Great pitching, another Bonds homer and a great play by Durham to end it. After a rough opening stretch, the Giants look like a pretty decent team at 9-8. And Tim Lincecum is basically forcing his way onto the big club (18.2 IP, 28K, 5BB, 0.00 ERA, 0.75 WHIP).

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

I think, though, the one thing forgotten is that Matsuzaka also got lit up. He won't be going up against pitchers like Wright much more in the season. Pitched well before hand, but no support from the offense. Now the offense wakes up and he gets hammered.

The Yankees can do that to any pitcher in baseball, though. He had 7 k's and 1 walk, which isn't bad. The Yankees just hit the ball well tonight.

Joe Torre has used Pettitte twice out of bullpen following his regular start and were not out of April yet. They'll have to trade for a rested bullpen at the deadline if this keeps up.

[ISiddiqui]

Yay, Matt Cain... so far I'm looking pretty good picking him up as early as I did in my fantasy league .

*knocks on wood*

[Ksyrup]

Joe Torre is notorious for killing his bullpen. He's been doing it for years. It's one of the reasons I was not happy the Phillies went after Gordon. He picks out 3 guys every year - Rivera being the only one who's been able to deal with it - and runs them into the ground. Scott Proctor will be throwing up 5+ ERAs and spending some quality time on the DL in a year or two. Just ask Paul Quantrill.

[miami_fan]

CHICAGO -- Mark Prior's right shoulder still hurts, and the oft-injured Chicago Cubs pitcher will have surgery Tuesday.

Prior will have an exploratory arthroscopic procedure in Birmingham, Ala., Cubs general manager Jim Hendry said Monday. Dr. James Andrews has been given permission for a more extensive operation if he determines it is necessary.

"He's had some discomfort for a couple years," Hendry said. "It's finally gotten to a point where it's probably the right decision to let one of the best people in the world go and have a look around to see if anything can maybe be fixed, if it doesn't need something major. Dr. Andrews has the clearance if something needs to be fixed or tightened up."

Prior, who made just nine starts last season, was optioned to Triple-A Iowa after a poor spring training. He stayed in extended spring training in Arizona and went on a minor league disabled list.

Prior was 18-6 in 2003, when the Cubs were five outs from reaching the World Series. But he has been saddled with injury problems ever since. He made 21 starts in 2004 and 27 in 2005, his career untracked by injuries to his legs, elbow, oblique and shoulder. He has been on the major league disabled list eight times.

Hendry talked to the 26-year-old on Sunday.

"He was in good spirits," Hendry said. "I think he's at the point now where he realizes it's time for this to happen

Wasn't he pissed that the Cubs had the gall to send him to Iowa in the first place?

[terpkristin]

Prior and Wood make me look 'normal.' Or at least, not injury-prone.

/tk

[ISiddiqui]

A-Rod now has 14 homers in 18 games. This is absolutely incredible. And the Yanks ended up losing. A-Rod winning the MVP and the Yanks missing the playoffs with A-Rod opting out at the end of the year is looking better and better (*knock on wood*)

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

A-Rod now has 14 homers in 18 games. This is absolutely incredible. And the Yanks ended up losing. A-Rod winning the MVP and the Yanks missing the playoffs with A-Rod opting out at the end of the year is looking better and better (*knock on wood*)

As sad as it sounds, that scenario would probably top last year's Tigers season as the greatest baseball season of my life. I'm praying Wang hurts himself again, or maybe his lack of strikeout ability finally catches up to him, and Mussina continues to underperform.

Unfortunately, by June 1 they'll probably be in 1st place. But we can dream, right?

[Fouts]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

As sad as it sounds, that scenario would probably top last year's Tigers season as the greatest baseball season of my life. I'm praying Wang hurts himself again, or maybe his lack of strikeout ability finally catches up to him, and Mussina continues to underperform.

Unfortunately, by June 1 they'll probably be in 1st place. But we can dream, right?

I'm with you on this one. I'm thinking the Yankees will be looking to buy some starters at the trade deadline.

[Ksyrup]

I think they're going to need starters AND relievers. Torre is doing as awful job yet again with his bullpen. To some extent, he can't help it because his starters have been so bad. But he continues to use the same guys over and over and is going to kill any effectiveness they might have. Proctor pitched 12 times in the first 17 games; 8 of the last 12. There was no reason to pull Chase Wright after the inning he gave up the 4 HRs; I would have at least sent him out there to start the 4th and see what happens. At some point, you've just got to leave your starters in there and let them get beat to a pulp - take one for the team. Ruining your good relievers and continuing to rely on Bruney, Viscaino, Myers, Henn, etc. (all of whom have been in at least half of the Yankees games already!) has got to seriously backfire on them - right?!

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

I think they're going to need starters AND relievers. Torre is doing as awful job yet again with his bullpen. To some extent, he can't help it because his starters have been so bad. But he continues to use the same guys over and over and is going to kill any effectiveness they might have. Proctor pitched 12 times in the first 17 games; 8 of the last 12. There was no reason to pull Chase Wright after the inning he gave up the 4 HRs; I would have at least sent him out there to start the 4th and see what happens. At some point, you've just got to leave your starters in there and let them get beat to a pulp - take one for the team. Ruining your good relievers and continuing to rely on Bruney, Viscaino, Myers, Henn, etc. (all of whom have been in at least half of the Yankees games already!) has got to seriously backfire on them - right?!

They called up Phillip Hughes today, a few months, if not a full season before they wanted to. Their offense will still get them in the wild card at the very least. They've scored more runs through 18 games than any team since the '94 A's. But they're going to have tough time in August/September/October because this bullpen is going to fall apart.

Wang starts today, but he will probably regress to an ERA at or above 4. He certainly won't match last year's numbers, but he doesn't really need to. Mussina probably comes back later next week, but in '06 he had an ERA that was a run below what it had been in '04 and '05. Pettitte will be Pettitte, solid and consistent. Igawa just looks bad. Those that pegged him as middle relief look to be right thus far. He's given up 5hr and 9 walks in just over 20 innings.

The pitching is enough to win 95 games with their offense. Torre and Cashman seem to be desperate not to fall too far behind the Red Sox while they wait on their rotation to solidify. They'll get some consistency, but not what they got out of a couple guys last season.

[Ksyrup]

Jeremy Bonderman has got to be one of the worst 1st-inning pitchers of all-time. Good pitchers, that is. This is going on purely anecdotal evidence, but I swear, it seems like every other game, he's down 2-4 runs by the end of the 1st inning. It's probably not that dramatic, but I can't be imagining it, either.

[Ksyrup]

A-Rod's assault on the HR record for April has probably got nothing on Seattle's assault on the record for most postponed games in April. Counting today, they've had 5 originally-scheduled games snowed/rained out.

And really, that number is technically 9, because they had the back-ends of 2 doubleheaders, rescheduled from the games they lost to the snow, canceled that first weekend in Cleveland, then an entire doubleheader of makeup games that Monday canceled as well. So including both scheduled and makeup games, they've had 9 games canceled already!

[Schmidty]

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!

EAT IT ANGELS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Haha!!! "K-Rod". Stupidest nickname, other than "King" Felix, in baseball.

It's not over, but damn, this comeback has been awesome.

[Schmidty]

Originally Posted by Schmidty

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!

EAT IT ANGELS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Haha!!! "K-Rod". Stupidest nickname, other than "King" Felix, in baseball.

It's not over, but damn, this comeback has been awesome.

Have some class.

[Schmidty]

I hate Todd Jones. Not as a human, but as a closer. Right now, anyway.

[Logan]

Why the hell isn't the job Zumaya's?

[Easy Mac]

I heard its because he wants to play his own entrance song using guitar hero.

[Schmidty]

Bah, I sound like an idiot now.

Jones is a pile of garbage.

[dawgfan]

Originally Posted by Logan

Why the hell isn't the job Zumaya's?

Bullpen roles have become so codified and rigidly defined since the definition and subsequent popularization of the Save rule that the "closer" is now almost exclusively saved for 9th innings rather than any critical situation in the latter part of the game (or the occasional blowout if he hasn't had much work lately). There are a lot of key situations in games in the 6th, 7th and 8th innings that have a large part in shaping the outcome of a game - these are known as "high-leverage" situations. And while logic and common baseball strategy prior to the the popularization of the Save rule would dictate you use your bullpen ace in these situations, that's not managing by "the book" in current baseball strategy.

In order to both placate player and fan expectations and more effectively manage relief situations, it appears that some managers are placing their most effective relievers in "setup" roles that allow the manager to use them in critical 6th, 7th and 8th inning "high-leverage" situations before handing the game over in the 9th to the "closer". Leyland seems to be doing this with Zumaya and Bobby Cox appears to be doing this with Soriano and Gonzalez.

Checking Fangraphs, it appears that Jones on average is used in more high-leverage situations, but not by much. Not surprisingly, Zumaya's greater effectiveness has resulted in him posting a higher Win Probability Added than Jones.

[Schmidty]

Originally Posted by dawgfan

Lots of words

The next time I go to Seattle, we need to have drinks or lunch or something.

[JonInMiddleGA]

After giving up 6 more runs in three innings tonight, Mark Redman's ERA is now just a tick over 10. Between him & Davies, the Braves have to start looking for ways to get at least one more starter if they believe they're a legit contender for at least the division.

[dawgfan]

Originally Posted by Schmidty

The next time I go to Seattle, we need to have drinks or lunch or something.

Sure, let me know.

[miami_fan]

Memo to Marlin pitchers


THROW A FUCKING STRIKE!

Thanks

[Logan]

0-0 between the Rockies and Mets after 9. Rocks go up 1 on a triple by their kid SS whose name I can't pronounce or type (but he looks like a hell of a player).

Two outs, two strikes, and Damian Easley ties it up with a bomb to center. His 2nd hit of the season, both HRs.

The Mets have been great at finding a different utility guy to step in and have an impact every year.

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by Logan

0-0 between the Rockies and Mets after 9. Rocks go up 1 on a triple by their kid SS whose name I can't pronounce or type (but he looks like a hell of a player).

Two outs, two strikes, and Damian Easley ties it up with a bomb to center. His 2nd hit of the season, both HRs.

The Mets have been great at finding a different utility guy to step in and have an impact every year.

Tulowitski looks great defensively.

I jumped out of my chair when Easley hit the homer. Then was ready to turn the game off when I saw Willie sent Shoeneweis out for the 11th.

[Ksyrup]

Watching the Yankees lose every night is so much fun. I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts.

[Logan]

Originally Posted by Atocep

Tulowitski looks great defensively.

I jumped out of my chair when Easley hit the homer. Then was ready to turn the game off when I saw Willie sent Shoeneweis out for the 11th.

And Endy Chavez drag-bunts in the winning run.

[MizzouRah]

Congrats for kicking our asses Reds!

[Butter]

Glad to help out.

[Lathum]

Man, I was all excited to settle in and watch a Mets day game.

IT's 9-0 in the fourth

[Ksyrup]

They don't have a 10-run rule, though, so you'll still be able to see the last 5 innings.

[Lathum]

nice.

9-0 and the Rockies are attempting to sacrifice bunt.

I really hope Helton or Holiday gets drilled.

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by Lathum

Man, I was all excited to settle in and watch a Mets day game.

IT's 9-0 in the fourth

Pelfrey needs to learn how to throw a changeup. Right now he's fastball/slider and thats it.

[JonInMiddleGA]

http://sports.myway.com/news/04252007/v9550.html

CHICAGO (AP) -Oft-injured Cubs pitcher Mark Prior will miss the entire 2007 season after surgery on his right shoulder, the biggest setback yet in his once-promising career.

The 26-year-old Prior had surgery Tuesday by noted orthopedist Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala. Andrews also worked on Prior's rotator cuff.

Prior has been beset by injuries since his first full season in the majors in 2003, when he almost pitched Chicago into its first World Series since 1945.

Prior was not on the Cubs' active roster to start the year and was optioned to Triple-A Iowa after a poor spring training. He instead went to extended spring training in Arizona, but pitched only two innings there April 12 before reporting discomfort in his shoulder.

The right-hander went to Dr. Lewis Yocum in California before going to see Andrews, who told Prior last October he had genetic looseness in his shoulder joints.

Prior is 42-29 with a 3.51 ERA in the majors. He made just nine starts last year for the Cubs after three trips to the disabled list and took a slight pay cut this season, from $3.65 million to $3.575 million.

[MikeVic]

So does Prior retire now?

Who is this Zumaya guy anyway? I just read two or three posts/articles that mentioned him today.

[dawgfan]

Originally Posted by MikeVic

Who is this Zumaya guy anyway? I just read two or three posts/articles that mentioned him today.

Joel Zumaya

Fireballing right-hander, throws harder more often than any other pitcher in the game.

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by Bad-example

Russ Ortiz beat the DBacks tonight. He has looked pretty good so far. SF has some pretty good pitching this year.

Fascinating video analysis of Russ Ortiz and why he's pitching better this year:

hxxp://www.baseballthinkfactory.org/files/mechanics/discussion/quick_mechanics_take_russ_ortiz/

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by dawgfan

Joel Zumaya

Fireballing right-hander, throws harder more often than any other pitcher in the game.

Joel Zumaya, he of Guitar Hero elbow last year in the playoffs

SI

[dawgfan]

Originally Posted by Bad-example

And Tim Lincecum is basically forcing his way onto the big club (18.2 IP, 28K, 5BB, 0.00 ERA, 0.75 WHIP).

Lincecum is amazing. Everybody knew he could miss bats, but what's impressing me is that he's walking less people so far in AAA than he was in college. If he can keep his walk rate from getting out of hand, there's no reason to think he can't be one of the top starters in the game (other than injury concerns of course).

FWIW, the bullpen mechanics guy has no issues with his mechanics...Tim Lincecum mechanics analyzed

[Bad-example]

Originally Posted by dawgfan

Lincecum is amazing. Everybody knew he could miss bats, but what's impressing me is that he's walking less people so far in AAA than he was in college. If he can keep his walk rate from getting out of hand, there's no reason to think he can't be one of the top starters in the game (other than injury concerns of course).

FWIW, the bullpen mechanics guy has no issues with his mechanics...Tim Lincecum mechanics analyzed

Interesting stuff. I hope the Giants can resist the desire to bring him up too quickly. His latest start on Monday was 6.1IP 6BB 4K 1ER. Current totals 3-0 0.36ERA 25.0IP 9H 11BB 32K at Triple-A.

[Bad-example]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

Fascinating video analysis of Russ Ortiz and why he's pitching better this year:

hxxp://www.baseballthinkfactory.org/files/mechanics/discussion/quick_mechanics_take_russ_ortiz/

He sure looks a lot better without that spare tire he was carrying around. Ortiz was my favorite Giants pitcher before he was traded away. It is great to see him doing well for SF again.

[Crapshoot]

Originally Posted by dawgfan

Lincecum is amazing. Everybody knew he could miss bats, but what's impressing me is that he's walking less people so far in AAA than he was in college. If he can keep his walk rate from getting out of hand, there's no reason to think he can't be one of the top starters in the game (other than injury concerns of course).

FWIW, the bullpen mechanics guy has no issues with his mechanics...Tim Lincecum mechanics analyzed

Yeah, CBW did some good stuff - he talked about Lincecum right when he had been drafted and loved him.

Lincecum is the great white hope for us Giants fans - Lincecum, Cain, pray for rain.

[dawgfan]

I like Brandon Morrow, but I get the feeling the M's will regret they passed on Lincecum.

[Fouts]

Originally Posted by dawgfan

Lincecum is amazing. Everybody knew he could miss bats, but what's impressing me is that he's walking less people so far in AAA than he was in college. If he can keep his walk rate from getting out of hand, there's no reason to think he can't be one of the top starters in the game (other than injury concerns of course).

FWIW, the bullpen mechanics guy has no issues with his mechanics...Tim Lincecum mechanics analyzed

Wow. It's like the guy is jumping at the plate with his long leg stretch. Throwing 97mph and a big stride at you sounds pretty scary for the batter.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by dawgfan

I like Brandon Morrow, but I get the feeling the M's will regret they passed on Lincecum.

WTH do the Dallas Stars have to do with baseball?

[SackAttack]

Originally Posted by sterlingice

Joel Zumaya, he of Guitar Hero elbow last year in the playoffs

SI

"No pitchers were harmed in the making of this game.

Except Joel Zumaya.

He had it coming."

Hardest I've ever laughed at a game's credits.