Baseball

Signing of The Savior a huge step in the right direction for Nationals

Esoteric Leave a Comment

The Savior was 13–1 with a 1.32 ERA for San Diego State this year

The Nationals were one minute and 17 seconds away from disaster on signing deadline night. But right before the witching hour, they signed Stephen Strasburg, who we’re going to dub “The Savior” around these parts.  

And you know what? Suddenly, the prospects for one of the biggest laughing-stock franchises in sports aren’t looking that bad anymore. And it all starts with Strasburg. I haven’t seen much of him, but from what I have seen during the Olympics and his senior year at San Diego State, he has a nasty hook and has a 100-mph burner.

Not only that, but Strasburg has the It Factor. He’s not the household name that a LeBron or Sid the Kid is – he logically should be, which warrants future investigation of baseball’s marketing tendencies on this site, so keep your eyes peeled – but fans of the sport know exactly who he is.

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Final Destination? Fate – with assist from WBC — has it in for the Mets

Esoteric Leave a Comment

(Clockwise from top right) Delgado, Maine, Perez, Wright, Putz, Niese, Beltran and Reyes have all fallen victim to various maladies

Never have I seen a team as cursed as this year’s Mets. Don’t get me wrong, they’ve brought it on themselves in certain ways, and GM Omar Minaya’s press conference where he called out a reporter will go down as one of the most notorious moments in New York sports history.

But it’s simply incredible to see a team completely decimated this way by injuries. It’s sad to see during the first season at a new stadium. They’re resembling the early-90’s version of this team in terms of the product they put on the field, but those teams weren’t ravaged by injuries as much as what we see here.

It’s almost like the movie Final Destination, where some sort of bad karma is picking off the Mets one by one. I’m not quite sure what they did to deserve this – Minaya’s conference came after the majority of these injuries – but God help me if I ever do the same.

To recap the grim details, here are the various appendages that have malfunctioned:

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Future shock: Feliz causing happy thoughts in Arlington

Esoteric Leave a Comment

I have seen the future of pitching, and it is Neftali Feliz.

You can keep your Strasburg, if you can sign him. Give me Rangers rookie right-hander Feliz, whose Major League debut was more like a coronation. I’ve seen some dominant pitcheNeftali Feliz at -- appropriately -- the Futures Gamers make an instant impact the past few years – Cole Hamels, Tim Lincecum, Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer come to mind – but I don’t think I’ve seen anything like Feliz’s stuff. The guy is a force of nature.

Basic baseball physics is like this: The bigger difference between your fastball and off-speed stuff, the harder you are to hit. Johan Santana remains great despite the fact that he no longer throws in the mid-upper 90s. He can work down around 89-91 mph, as long as his motion is the same and that magnificent changeup comes in around 80-84. 

Now what if I told you that Neftali brings his fastball right around 100 every time? While watching his debut on Monday night, when he came on in relief against the A’s, I was impressed when he hit 99 on the gun no fewer than eight times. Fangraphs has the whole thing mapped out – check it out, impressive stuff.

I was even more awed when Neftali hit 101 on his final pitch. But listen, you can’t just throw fast in this game. Bobby Parnell threw 100 this year but has no out pitch. Joel Zumaya, I believe, got up close to 104, but he couldn’t really pitch, and he couldn’t stay healthy. He was a gimmick. Neftali is the real deal.

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Victor Zambrano Deadline Award goes to White Sox for Peavy deal

Esoteric Leave a Comment

Jake Peavy, meet Mr. Victor Zambrano

Say the name Victor Zambrano to a Mets fan, and it’s like bringing up Catwoman to Halle Berry. It’s like the Battlefield Earth of blockbuster trades.

Dial back the calendar to the day before the Trade Deadline in 2005, and the Mets made two horrendous deals. They traded for incredibly soft right-hander Kris Benson, but far worse than that, they traded future All-Star and AL strikeout leader Scott Kazmir for wild veteran Victor Zambrano, known for walking the universe and putting up decidedly mediocre numbers when he actually did find the plate.

It was the rare occasion when the moment a trade had been consummated, you already knew it was terrible. A top prospect being traded for someone not even as good – even at that time. It was like the Mavs trading Devin Harris to the Nets for Jason Kidd, except, I mean, at least they got Jason Kidd, albeit an older, slower version.

Zambrano made three starts – one admittedly great, the other two lousy – before being shut down. He went 7-12 in 2005 before his elbow almost literally exploded in his fifth start in 2006. Meanwhile, Kazmir’s debut for the Rays less than a month after the trade resulted in five shutout innings. Pitching for mostly bad teams, Kazmir is 52-43 with a 3.87 ERA and 845 strikeouts in 804 innings.

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Joba’s future requires patience most fans don’t possess

Esoteric Leave a Comment

Editor’s note: The following is a guest submission from Tom, a friend of SportsAngle, Yankees aficionado and general baseball expert. (He knew Justin Verlander was good before the Tigers – or anyone else — did) We hope for more from Tom when the spirit moves him, or a more regular role since nobody knows baseball better.

Anyone within 50 miles of New York who keeps even a casual eye on baseball news has surely been pushed to boredom by the exhausting debate over whether Joba Chamberlain should be used as a starting pitcher or a reliever by the Yankees. One more opinion on the subject isn’t needed — this explores the debate only in passing. What’s overlooked is the lack of patience shown by both sides of the argument — fans in particular. The much maligned Joba Chamberlain

Chamberlain’s first two months as a Major Leaguer enabled a tidal wave of hype that even the most talented pitchers wouldn’t be able to satisfy. An uneven transition to the starting rotation last season helped subdue the tri-state area, but a gem at Fenway Park — among other strong performances — kept followers wanting more than they can reasonably expect from a pitcher who will be 23 until September.

The problem is that when fans — and writers, especially in markets like New York — see what a player can do, they want nothing less than that level of production — all the time, starting right now. The truth is that Chamberlain’s best days are probably years away. And there’s nothing wrong with that. At his best, Chamberlain has shown the ability to silence a Major League offense for eight innings. At the same time, he has walked at least one batter in all but two of his starts this season — a sign that he’s still learning, and will be for some time. Just because he allows 10 baserunners in 3 1/3 innings doesn’t mean the experiment is over and he should be flung back to the bullpen. He isn’t anything resembling a finished product.

There are certainly exceptions — pitchers who pretty much turn the Major League learning curve on its head from the day they arrive. Dwight Gooden may be the best example, and more recently, Tim Lincecum has left nothing to be desired.

But pitchers who win the Cy Young Award in their second season are more uncommon than the average Joba cheerleader knows. Your team’s next big prospect may have torn up Triple-A and struck out Curtis Thigpen in his Major League debut, but he’s not Gooden and probably never will be. If he does win a Cy Young, you’ll have to wait for it, just like fans of Cliff Lee, Roy Halladay and Randy Johnson did.

It wasn’t until Johnson’s seventh season that he walked fewer than four batters per nine innings. With 300-plus wins, he’s a lock for the Hall of Fame, even if fans in 1992 were griping about his inconsistency.

So yes, leave Joba Chamberlain in the starting rotation and let him grow up there. Just realize that what he does this season is no indication of how well he’ll pitch in 2016 — if he’s even pitching at all then.

Update: Stormy weather no match for Camp Sundown

Esoteric Leave a Comment

Just a final note about Camp Sundown’s trip to Yankee Stadium – Before you get on me about the SportsAngle Curse, though it rained on Thursday night, it actually worked out perfectly, as it delayed the game so the campers could catch more of the game, a 6-3 victory over the A’s. Even the weather was smiling on this event.

I talked to a friend of the site who accompanied the campers to the game, and he said they had a terrific suite and then ended up right behind home plate in those cushy seats right behind the plate. They then went on the field and were able to hang out with Jorge Posada and Jose Molina (right). A great time was had by all.

I also paid my compliments to a Yankees PR guy, who called HOPE Week “Nourishment for the soul.” Well put, and congratulations again to the Yanks for doing something truly great for some very special people.

Newsday has a nice writeup of the hopefully-soon-to-be-annual event, along with a photo gallery.

Make no mistake: Rickey all about Rickey

Esoteric Leave a Comment

Now I’m not about to tell you brand new Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson wasn’t a great player. Of course he was. And I loved him growing up – who didn’t? He was a swashbuckling stolen base machine who referred to himself in the third person.

That said, if anyone is a better testament to selfishness, I’d like to meet him. Rickey made it an art form. andyhayt

Now, before any fans of the 45 teams Rickey played for jump down my throat, I’ll point out that in terms of sheer talent, he’s up there with anyone. I feel like his talent might be overlooked just because he wasn’t a prodigious slugger in an era where that was beginning to come into vogue. (Though his 297 home runs are nothing to sneeze at) Rickey had an outstanding eye at the plate. And you can’t discount someone who had 130 steals in a season and 1,406 in his career.

Most impressively, as Joe Posnanski of SI correctly pointed out, Rickey not only was the all-time leader in runs scored – the entire point of the sport – but also in unintentional walks, demonstrating his remarkable ability to get on base and make something happen when he did.

But you also can’t discount that in his 130-steal season, Rickey was caught an astounding 42 times – so his percentage in 172 attempts was 76%. That’s not terrible, but he still ran himself off the bases 42 times. Last year’s MLB steals leader, the immortal Willy Taveras, stole 68 bases – hardly 130 – but he was caught just 7 times (90%).

In that 1982 season, add up his hits, walks and HBP, take out his homers and triples (when he likely wouldn’t be stealing a base) and it comes to 247 – and he ran 172 times, 69% of the times he put himself on base. I’ll take out his two steals of home and the 19 times he stole multiple bases successively after getting on, and it still comes to 61%. (I admit, it’s an inexact science because it doesn’t factor in getting on base via fielder’s choices, errors and things of that nature, but it’s still telling)

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Wisest of moves results in incredible catch, perfect game

Esoteric Leave a Comment

Until recently, I thought Endy Chavez’s catch in the 2006 NLCS was the most amazing clutch play I’d seen as a baseball fan, and it may still be, given the circumstances and what was on the line. buehrle

But Dewayne Wise’s catch with nobody out in the ninth inning to preserve Mark Buehrle’s perfect game was up there. What made it more incredible was his juggling act on the way down from the wall. To go to such lengths to preserve a no-hitter is incredible, and almost took the attention away from Buehrle’s feat. (MLB.com currently leads with Wise instead of Buehrle)

The most amazing thing of all is that Wise was put in before the inning began as a defensive replacement. The first thing the guy does is preserve Buehrle’s perfecto.

What a managerial move. What a catch. He leaves something to be desired as a hitter, but Dewayne Wise can play for my team any time.

Ode to access: An unbiased Stadium review from Row 13

Ron Epstein Leave a Comment

Editor’s note: The same week RjE went to the Stadium and shared his thoughts, the Yankees planned to host the folks from Camp Sundown for a wonderful sleepover event. SportsAngle is a huge advocate of the cause and the event – for more info on Camp Sundown, check out their site and feel free to make a donation.

Monday Night, 7/20/09, The Bronx.

I’ve spent the last year hearing about how amazing the new Yankee Stadium is, and how I had to get out there to experience the difference. On this site, our resident commentator, Esoteric, referred to it in a tongue-in-cheek fashion as an “Ode to Excess.” (Author’s Note I: I refuse to believe the words of someone who bills themselves as “Esoteric”). Being that the Orioles were in town, I decided that there wasn’t a better time than right now to sit through nine innings of torture (Author’s Note II: I am a long-time suffering O’s fan).

• Thanks to a family friend, my fiancé (Kelly) was able to score incredible seats 13 rows behind home plate, down in Kate Hudson territory. The face value on my ticket was $hudson325. I only need to ask one question… What recession?
• We parked at one of the River Street garage lots. $19 for Event Parking. In this horribly dank, musty lot, three fans were pounding down cheap beer and listening to Metallica. Yep, sounds about right.
• We walked around the exterior of the stadium, noticing how out-of-place the stadium felt right in the middle of the Bronx. Walking by a sea of cheap-o-marts and dollar stores into this posh, billion-dollar facility was surreal.
• Kelly decided to wear her Mariano Rivera jersey to the game, while I decided to sport an Orange-and-Black O’s jersey with no name or jersey number on the back (Author’s Note III: There is no point in getting an Orioles player’s jersey, as they will be gone from the team once their rookie deal expires).
• Yankee fans are heckling me. I’ve been told to “Go back to Baltimore!”
• We meet up with some friends and enter the Stadium. We are not patted down, and security is more relaxed than I expected.
• We walk around the interior, and right away, it felt like a cross between Citizens Bank Park and the old Stadium. It also felt smaller, and cleaner.

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Yankees offer special visitors a night to remember

Esoteric Leave a Comment

We take so many things for granted every single day and don’t even know it, like the simple act of walking outside and feeling the warmth of the sun on your face.

What if you couldn’t do that?

Wayne Coffey’s excellent article in the NY Daily News on Sunday called our attention to a rare subset of very special people who don’t have that very basic luxury. About 250 people in the United States and 1,000 worldwide have an affliction called Xeroderma Pigmentosum (XP), in which their skin and eyes simply can’t handle ultraviolet light, be it from the sun, or even from fluorescent lights and television sets.

People who are affected by XP are about 2,000 times more likely to get cancer, and they often have to have up to hundreds of painful surgeries at very early ages. Their hearing and eyesight are often affected. Perhaps most striking, because of their condition, they can’t go outside during the day unless every inch of their body is covered, forced to live a mostly nocturnal existence to avoid the dangerous rays of the sun. In addition, their life expectancy, though it has improved through research, is not as long as the rest of the world’s.

Thankfully, there’s a place up near Poughkeepskie, N.Y., named Camp Sundown – created yanks480by the parents of a young lady with XP – where people affected by the disease can come together free of charge for a healthy dose of nighttime fun. They hold carnivals, take trips and play games, all under the cover of moonlight and the supervision of caring and loving counselors. In addition, the Camp is part of a foundation that contributes money to researching XP.

And none other than the New York Yankees are making sure that these very special individuals have a very special evening.

On Thursday night, as part of the Yankees’ Hope Week – which included a visit on Tuesday from Andy Pettitte, Alex Rodriguez and Joba Chamberlain with little leaguer Tom Ellenson (see picture), who has cerebral palsy – the campers will travel to the Bronx to catch some of the Yankees’ game against the A’s from their very own suite.

And after the game is over, Camp Sundown has the run of Yankee Stadium.

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