BASEBALL 2018---BRING IT ON!

[GrouchoTex]

I have been wondering if it hasn't been purposefully made so by the league controllers.

Okay, @Bigun, I know you've posted a great piece tying all the players and their connections in the Clinton/Obama/Trump cases, which was wonderful.
Very informative and eye-opening.

C'mon now, this is baseball.
I don't believe the 1919 world series is going on all over again.

However, if anyone can find it, it'll be you.

 

[Bigun]

Okay, @Bigun, I know you've posted a great piece tying all the players and their connections in the Clinton/Obama/Trump cases, which was wonderful.
Very informative and eye-opening.

C'mon now, this is baseball.
I don't believe the 1919 world series is going on all over again.

However, if anyone can find it, it'll be you.

 

All I'm going to say is that ticket sales are going to be a lot higher for AL west games going forward than they otherwise would have been.

[GrouchoTex]

All I'm going to say is that ticket sales are going to be a lot higher for AL west games going forward than they otherwise would have been.

True.
I remember during those hundred loss year seasons, I got a lot of free Astros tickets, and couldn't find people wanting to go.
Now, the free tickets have disappeared, and I when I buy tickets, everyone wants to go.

Do you think this Astros will ever settle on a 7th-8th-closer pitching situation?
I know Hinch has a lot of combinations he can throw out there, some (obviously) working better than others.....

[Bigun]

True.
I remember during those hundred loss year seasons, I got a lot of free Astros tickets, and couldn't find people wanting to go.
Now, the free tickets have disappeared, and I when I buy tickets, everyone wants to go.

Do you think this Astros will ever settle on a 7th-8th-closer pitching situation?
I know Hinch has a lot of combinations he can throw out there, some (obviously) working better than others.....

I know I'm gonna piss people off by saying this, but getting Osuna integrated is the key IMHO.

[dfwgator]

I have been wondering if it hasn't been purposefully made so by the league controllers.

There's a real chance that an AL team could miss the post-season and have a better record than any NL team.  Right now Seattle would have the best record in the NL, but they would be out of the AL Playoffs.

[EasyAce]

I know I'm gonna piss people off by saying this, but getting Osuna integrated is the key IMHO.

@Bigun
The news just came out---A.J. Hinch named Roberto Osuna the primary closer down the stretch.

[Bigun]

@Bigun
The news just came out---A.J. Hinch named Roberto Osuna the primary closer down the stretch.

Thanks @EasyAce!   I hope it works out for the team.

[GrouchoTex]

@Bigun
The news just came out---A.J. Hinch named Roberto Osuna the primary closer down the stretch.

@Bigun
@EasyAce

No surprise there, since that's what we got him for.
I'm thinking:

Pressley, Rondon, Osuna, 7,8, and 9,  with Devenski and Sipp going into face the one-offs (or mop up, with Will Harris)?

Peacock and McCue, earlier/long relief?

What do you y'all think?

[Bigun]

@Bigun
@EasyAce

No surprise there, since that's what we got him for.
I'm thinking:

Pressley, Rondon, Osuna, 7,8, and 9,  with Devenski and Sipp going into face the one-offs (or mop up, with Will Harris)?

Peacock and McCue, earlier/long relief?

What do you y'all think?

You would be hard pressed to find a better long relief guy than Colin McCue IMHO.

The rest looks about right as well.

[GrouchoTex]

You would be hard pressed to find a better long relief guy than Colin McCue IMHO.

The rest looks about right as well.

Although it hasn't looked so good lately, it is one of the better bullpens in the Majors.
I saw it ranked at #2 in some article recently.
The luxury is, if one goes south, there's back up.
Hopefully, they all don't go south at once.

[Bigun]

Although it hasn't looked so good lately, it is one of the better bullpens in the Majors.
I saw it ranked at #2 in some article recently.
The luxury is, if one goes south, there's back up.
Hopefully, they all don't go south at once.

The VAST majority of the Astros recent losses have not had anything to do with the pitching staff.  You have to score to win ballgames I don't care who is on the mound.

[Cyber Liberty]

The VAST majority of the Astros recent losses have not had anything to do with the pitching staff.  You have to score to win ballgames I don't care who is on the mound.

QBS, eh?  (Quiet Bat Syndrome.)

[GrouchoTex]

The VAST majority of the Astros recent losses have not had anything to do with the pitching staff.  You have to score to win ballgames I don't care who is on the mound.

Not all were due to silent bats- 3 games lately, starting with Sunday the 12th through last night, 3 late inning home runs did us in.
2 were blown saves, followed by 10th inning home runs, last night, a 3-run blast in the 8th.
I suppose if we had larger leads in all of these, it would have made a difference, of course.
You gotta close the close ones.
Maybe now, if Osuna does well, that starts to happen, but he was one of the guys who gave up a walk-off in the 10th.
I do think it's wise for Hinch to name him the closer, although I'm not thrilled that he's here.
If it settles the situation, maybe that's all it will take.
 

[Bigun]

QBS, eh?  (Quiet Bat Syndrome.)

To say the least!   

[Bigun]

Not all were due to silent bats- 3 games lately, starting with Sunday the 12th through last night, 3 late inning home runs did us in.
2 were blown saves, followed by 10th inning home runs, last night, a 3-run blast in the 8th.
I suppose if we had larger leads in all of these, it would have made a difference, of course.
You gotta close the close ones.
Maybe now, if Osuna does well, that starts to happen, but he was one of the guys who gave up a walk-off in the 10th.
I do think it's wise for Hinch to name him the closer, although I'm not thrilled that he's here.
If it settles the situation, maybe that's all it will take.
 

I just hope that A. J. can get his regular lineup back together and gelled before it's too late.

[Bigun]

QBS, eh?  (Quiet Bat Syndrome.)

When Tyler White is the best hitter you have you are in trouble.

[GrouchoTex]

When Tyler White is the best hitter you have you are in trouble.

IS Altuve back tonight?
I hadn't had a chance to look yet.
Springer was in the opening line up last night, but got scratched due to quad soreness.
QBS, Yeah, that, too.

QBS-Symptoms may included restless nights, head shaking, and finger pointing......

[EasyAce]

The Nats just traded Daniel Murphy to the Cubs and Matt Adams to the Cardinals.

OK, what did they do to piss off GM Mike Rizzo? Remember, his M.O. this year is that if you get into his doghouse, you get traded to contenders. Kind of like the father who punishes his son for driving under the influence by buying him a new 'Vette.

[GrouchoTex]

The Nats just traded Daniel Murphy to the Cubs and Matt Adams to the Cardinals.

OK, what did they do to piss off GM Mike Rizzo? Remember, his M.O. this year is that if you get into his doghouse, you get traded to contenders. Kind of like the father who punishes his son for driving under the influence by buying him a new 'Vette.

Imagine that you get into your bosses doghouse, and he talks a better company into hiring you.
We should all have a boss like Rizzo.

[DCPatriot]

The Nats just traded Daniel Murphy to the Cubs and Matt Adams to the Cardinals.

OK, what did they do to piss off GM Mike Rizzo? Remember, his M.O. this year is that if you get into his doghouse, you get traded to contenders. Kind of like the father who punishes his son for driving under the influence by buying him a new 'Vette.

I've been watching Murphy closely.   @EasyAce  While his bat is 'steady eddy', his defense has disappeared.

Why not trade him to a contending AL team with a DH?   I don't get it.   Murphy was as surprised as anyone. 

Adams, I understand.   Zimmerman is FINALLY back and platooning doesn't seem to be Adams' cup of tea (0-20 streak going)

[DCPatriot]

Imagine that you get into your bosses doghouse, and he talks a better company into hiring you.
We should all have a boss like Rizzo.

LOL!  Maybe Dennis Murphy and Bryce Harper will be teammates again as CUBS.

[catfish1957]

As I had posted on another thread, the AL west and the NL west are getting interesting.
As an Astros fan, more interesting that I would like.

Yep, case study of what happens when your 3 best players go down with an injury at the same time. 

If they don't return in earnest soon, it is not out of the question that we miss the playoffs.   The M's game last night proved that.

[catfish1957]

I know I'm gonna piss people off by saying this, but getting Osuna integrated is the key IMHO.

It sure didn't help.  Whether it soured the clublhouse this badly?  I'd sure hope not.

[EasyAce]

I've been watching Murphy closely.   @EasyAce  While his bat is 'steady eddy', his defense has disappeared.

Remember, @DCPatriot , defense was never really Murphy's calling card. His bad defense was a big reason the 2015 Mets blew a World Series they could have won.

Why not trade him to a contending AL team with a DH?   I don't get it.   Murphy was as surprised as anyone.

Why deal a pair of serviceable relief pitchers to contenders just because you only thought they were malcontents and didn't bother trying to ascertain the actual truth? The only shock is that Rizzo didn't trade Murphy or Adams to the Red Sox, last seen still running away with the American League East.

[DCPatriot]

http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/24450643/mlb-stephen-strasburg-rough-return-sends-red-flag

Stephen Strasburg's rough return overshadows Nats' walk-off win


WASHINGTON -- Don't let the crazy finish fool you.

Yes, the Washington Nationals defied the odds, overcoming a rocky return by Stephen Strasburg to beat the Phillies 8-7 in dramatic fashion. Sure, Ryan Zimmerman's walk-off, replay-review, two-run homer off Philadelphia closer Seranthony Dominguez helped the Nats clinch a huge series between NL East rivals. Indeed, it's the first time since mid-May that Washington has taken a series from a team with a winning record.

But that's all window dressing. The cold hard truth -- the tummy-turning takeaway for a Nats squad that's trying to go all Cinderella down the stretch -- is that much like the rest of Washington's season, Strasburg's return did not go according to plan.

The hope was that Strasburg, making his first start in more than a month and only his second since June 8, would show no ill effects from the shoulder and neck issues that have plagued him, and would provide the Nats with a much-needed boost. But that's not how it went down.

....."I don't really know," Strasburg said when asked what might have led to his decreased velocity. "I saw it too. I'd like to think that it's -- I don't know if it's rust. I think it's just endurance. Hopefully that's what it is."

continued at link.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

[DCPatriot]

IMO, it's just that Strasburg had no minor league start....merely throwing off a mound in a game simulation...ONCE!

I tend to agree to with him....it's a matter of endurance.

Thing that bothers me is that his 'game face' was expressionless.   He's definitely not happy.

[Polly Ticks]

Interesting entry on Dale Murphy's blog this week.

On Sunday, Aug. 12, Cubs rookie David Bote belted a two-strike, two-out, bases-loaded, walk-off grand slam to straightaway center to give Chicago a 4-3 win over the Nationals at Wrigley Field.

The next few moments? Some of the best baseball can offer.

Bote air-planed his way around the bases, chucked his helmet a mile into the North Side night, and got mobbed at home plate by teammates as the Friendly Confines erupted in delirium.

It was as exciting a moment as you’ll see in the dog days of summer.

Unfortunately, Bote, a former 18th-round pick, spent the next morning apologizing for what was surely the best, most thrilling moment of his young baseball career. The alleged offense? Bat-flipping.

“It just kind of happened,” Bote said on 670 The Score in Chicago. “I didn’t even realize I did it until I saw it on the replay. I thought, ‘Oh man, I did bat-flip it.’ Obviously, I meant no disrespect by any means. It was just the heat of the moment. I got it good, and I was wishing it out.”

Two things here. One, I don’t know if what Bote did even qualifies as a bat flip. It was more of an excited drop, a roll off the fingertips. And two – and far more importantly – no one on the Nationals complained about Bote’s theatrics, such as they were.

I understand Bote not wanting to step on anyone’s toes. After all, he’s 25 years old, this was his 34th major league game, and he’s been optioned to the minors several times this season. He just wants to keep his head down, work hard, not be a distraction, and earn his spot. I get that. I respect that.

But this unrequested apology for a bat flip that didn’t occur goes right to the heart of one of baseball’s biggest problems: its unrelenting adherence to unwritten rules, its aversion to self-expression, its allergy to fun.

Well, it’s time to put an end to that – starting now.

Yes, on this day, August 20, 2018, I would like to issue the following proclamation:

By the authority vested in me as an old, old-school, no-celebration guy from the 1980s (and as the writer of this blog), I hereby authorize bat-flipping as an acceptable demonstration of joy and exuberance. It shall no longer be deemed a sign of poor sportsmanship or disrespect for an opponent.

The game will henceforth be liberated from the oppressive, monotonous, mundane ways of its founding fathers. (If they’re offended by that, well, I won’t tell them if you won’t!) Gone is the 19th century. Upon us, a new world. With electricity. And air conditioning. And Instagram. House of Highlights has over 10 million followers for a reason. That reason? Sports are fun – for fans and athletes alike. As a side note, I’ve yet to see a bat-flip highlight – or any Major League Baseball highlight – on there. Football, basketball, and soccer dominate clips – yet another indication of baseball’s marketing woes.

As a result, baseball players shall no longer be required to play baseball as if they’re playing chess. And sipping tea. While tip-toeing in a tuxedo.

Instead, happiness will be not only permitted, but encouraged. Hitters can admire home runs. Pitchers can pump fists and shout excitedly after clutch strikeouts. We, as players, fans, and rational-thinking beings, will understand that no harm is intended by these expressions of spontaneous joy.

(Other unwritten rules will be addressed in a future blog.)

Still, we must have some ground rules to ensure proper decorum. As such:

• There will be no taunting of opponents. The absence of aggressive, showy behavior will reinforce to fans and players that no disrespect is intended during moments of excitement.

• If your team is losing, bat-flips will look weird. If your team is losing by a lot, they will look very weird. Use discretion.

• If you flip your bat for a hit that stays in the park – or for a ball that winds up being caught or goes foul – you are going to look stupid. Not just in that moment, but for all of eternity thanks to YouTube, Instagram, and the Internet. Be smart.

• If you want to earn style points while flipping your bat, there’s plenty of inspiration online.

• If you’re so inclined to involve the umpire with your bat-flip, kudos to you!

• In addition, choreographed celebrations and handshakes are not acceptable in Major League Baseball; the NFL owns that. Taking off your jersey as you’re rounding the bases is not acceptable; soccer owns that. But if your teammates want to tear your jersey off at home plate, that’s acceptable.

• If you hit a home run and want to know the launch angle or exit velocity, you must retire. As in, immediately. As in, don’t enter the clubhouse. As in, shower at home. As in, we’ll ship your belongings to you. Maybe.

Okay. We good? Good.

I bring a unique perspective to this. I’m so old, I was around when the high-five was invented. True story: When we hit home runs, we would run the bases with our heads down. When we crossed home plate, we would shake hands with the guy on-deck or maybe tip our cap to the fans. Then we would go to the dugout and literally shake hands with every single teammate and coach. All of them.

That all changed with the high-five. At the time, it was a disruptive invention, a revolutionary display of exuberance that would forever change the nature of spontaneous celebration.

I remember thinking, “Is this okay? Are we allowed to do this?”

Yes, we were. And yes, we are. It was a seminal moment in our culture’s movement toward expressions of joy and achievement.

Thus, as someone who didn’t know if a high-five was acceptable, I’m telling you: the bat-flip is okay.

Want to have some fun? Watch Allen Iverson’s practice rant – but replace every practice with bat-flips. That will sum up my opinion on the matter.

Ultimately, David Bote had nothing to apologize for. If anything, he should be praised for doing something that has only been done 27 times since 1925.

The madness must stop. When in doubt, play the game, love the game, and show the game you love it. We, as fans and players, will all be better off.

https://dalemurphy.com/bat-flips-were-talking-about-bat-flips/

[EasyAce]

IMO, it's just that Strasburg had no minor league start....merely throwing off a mound in a game simulation...ONCE!

I tend to agree to with him....it's a matter of endurance.

Thing that bothers me is that his 'game face' was expressionless.   He's definitely not happy.

@DCPatriot
He did say after the game that it bothered him not being there for so much of the season. And who can blame him? When he's healthy, he's one of the best in the business. He may be aware, too, that if he had been healthy all season, the Nats might be sitting at the top of the NL East heap, maybe with the record the Braves have now, maybe one or two wins more.

You wonder, too, how long before he rebuilds the endurance he spoke of. And if that'll still be too late to save the Nats' season.

[DCPatriot]

Aye caramba!!

My NATS have gone 27 innings without scoring vs. the METS.   The METS!!!

Adding insult to injury...both the Braves and the Phillies have lost too!     A chance to get to 5.5 and they blew it!   

[Cyber Liberty]

Aye caramba!!

My NATS have gone 27 innings without scoring vs. the METS.   The METS!!!

Adding insult to injury...both the Braves and the Phillies have lost too!     A chance to get to 5.5 and they blew it!   

I hear ya.  The Team That Shall Not Be Named lost last night, so now they're tied with the Rockies for first in the NL West.

[musiclady]

Finally got to a Tribe game and watched Corey Kluber take the lead in the MLB with his 18th win!

Not a high scoring game against KC, but a solid win, and very much fun to be there!

[catfish1957]

Finally got to a Tribe game and watched Corey Kluber take the lead in the MLB with his 18th win!

Not a high scoring game against KC, but a solid win, and very much fun to be there!

Looks like Nola and  Scherzer are the NL favorite for CYA this year.  Looks also ike a close battle between Kluber and Sale in the AL.

All four have had great seasons.  Would hate to have to choose.

[EasyAce]

Looks like Nola and  Scherzer are the NL favorite for CYA this year.  Looks also ike a close battle between Kluber and Sale in the AL.

All four have had great seasons.  Would hate to have to choose.

Keep in mind Jacob DeGrom is having a better season than all of them except for the fact that his team can't win for him. He's had 25 straight starts surrendering three or fewer runs (and only gave up three in four starts), the first pitcher to do that in a season since the dead-ball era (1910, to be specific); he leads the Show in ERA (1.68), adjusted ERA+ (your ERA adjusted for the parks in which you pitched; deGrom's is 210), and fielding independent pitching (2.07; basically, FIP is your ERA when defensive plays behind you are removed from the equation); he's given up the lowest percentage of home runs (0.4 per nine innings); and, if his team had won all his no-decisions while he was still the pitcher of record his record right now would be 19-8. He could be, and might be, the first Cy Young Award winner since Felix Hernandez do win the award despite fewer than 15 wins. (He also leads pitchers in win probability added, with 5.1, which says even more against his sorry team.) And it's a shame that baseball's best pitcher this year pitches for a team whom he could take to court and sue for non-support and there wouldn't be a judge on the bench who'd say he wasn't justified.

[catfish1957]

Keep in mind Jacob DeGrom is having a better season than all of them except for the fact that his team can't win for him.

No doubt deGrom has had a fine year, but I would be shocked if he pulled off the CYA this year.  The Writers tend to avoid "shoulda / coulda" aspects when voting.  For my team, Nolan Ryan's '87 season was a good example.

[DCPatriot]

No doubt deGrom has had a fine year, but I would be shocked if he pulled off the CYA this year.  The Writers tend to avoid "shoulda / coulda" aspects when voting.  For my team, Nolan Ryan's '87 season was a good example.

While Nola has more wins than Scherzer, Max leads in all categories.

He shouldn't be penalized if the NATS don't make the postseason.

[EasyAce]

No doubt deGrom has had a fine year, but I would be shocked if he pulled off the CYA this year.  The Writers tend to avoid "shoulda / coulda" aspects when voting.  For my team, Nolan Ryan's '87 season was a good example.

They don't have to shoulda/woulda with deGrom. Except for his won-lost record his important stats speak as well for themselves as King Felix's did.

@DCPatriot
They won't generally hold whether his team didn't make the postseason against a qualified Cy Young candidate. Think of Steve Carlton in 1972 for one example.

[DCPatriot]

They don't have to shoulda/woulda with deGrom. Except for his won-lost record his important stats speak as well for themselves as King Felix's did.

@DCPatriot
They won't generally hold whether his team didn't make the postseason against a qualified Cy Young candidate. Think of Steve Carlton in 1972 for one example.

I'm glad to hear you say that, @EasyAce

Nobody works harder at his craft than Max Scherzer.  No run support early on.

Like Mike Mussian did with the Orioles...he'll go inning by inning against an EASYACE, but make one mistake that leaves the yard.  Hopefully a solo shot.  Or two....  And they'd lose 3-1 or 2-0

[EasyAce]

I'm glad to hear you say that, @EasyAce

Nobody works harder at his craft than Max Scherzer.  No run support early on.

Like Mike Mussian did with the Orioles...he'll go inning by inning against an EASYACE, but make one mistake that leaves the yard.  Hopefully a solo shot.  Or two....  And they'd lose 3-1 or 2-0

@DCPatriot
More pitchers than you think won Cy Young Awards in seasons when their teams didn't make the postseason.

One across the board era:

Dean Chance (Angels, 1964)*

National League:

Mike McCormick (Giants, 1967)
Bob Gibson (Cardinals, 1970)
Ferguson Jenkins (Cubs, 1971)
Steve Carlton (Phillies, 1972)
Tom Seaver (Mets, 1975---his third)
Randy Jones (Padres, 1976)
Gaylord Perry (Padres, 1978)
Bruce Sutter (Cubs, 1979)
Steve Carlton (Phillies, 1982)
Dwight Gooden (Mets, 1985)
Steve Bedrosian (Phillies, 1987)
Mark Davis (Padres, 1989)
Greg Maddux (Cubs, 1992)
Pedro Martinez (Expos, 1997)
Eric Gagne (Dodgers, 2003)
Brandon Webb (Diamondbacks, 2006)
Jake Peavy (Padres, 2007)
Tim Lincecum (Giants, 2008, 2009)
Clayton Kershaw (Dodgers, 2011)
R.A. Dickey (Mets, 2012)

American League:

Denny McLain (Tigers, 1969)
Gaylord Perry (Indians, 1972)
Jim Palmer (Orioles, 1975, 1976)
Steve Stone (Orioles, 1980)
Roger Clemens (Red Sox, 1987, 1991)
Bret Saberhagen (Royals, 1989)
David Cone (Royals, 1994)
Pat Hentgen (Blue Jays, 1996)
Roger Clemens (Blue Jays, 1997, 1998)
Pedro Martinez (Red Sox, 2000)
Roy Halladay (Blue Jays, 2003)
Cliff Lee (Indians, 2008)
Zack Greinke (Royals, 2009)
Felix Hernandez (Mariners, 2010)
David Price (Rays, 2012)
Corey Kluber (Indians, 2014)

* Don Drysdale won the Cy Young Award in 1962 (one across the board), but his Dodgers tied for the pennant with the Giants at season's end and played a three-game playoff to decide the flag. With Sandy Koufax still ailing and not quite all the way back from his mid-season circulatory ailment, the Dodgers lost in three games and the Giants went on to lose the World Series to the Yankees.

(1962 was a good year for Dodgers winning awards they didn't deserve. There's a case to make that Cincinnati's Bob Purkey actually should have won the Cy Young Award that year, but voters then and for many years to come had a bias against pitchers whose repertoires included the knuckleball, and Purkey---having the best season of his career---threw the knuckleball almost half the time, in addition to good breaking stuff otherwise. And Maury Wills won the National League's Most Valuable Player award for no reason better than that he smashed Ty Cobb's single-season stolen base record; there's a real case to make that either Willie Mays or Frank Robinson should have been the NL's MVP that year.)

[DCPatriot]

Thanks for that detailed reply, @EasyAce

Glad the Cy Young award hasn't become a popularity contest.

IMO, the King of the Hill (Max Scherzer) needs to 'demonstrably' be dethroned. 

Put the W-L record aside, it's Max's to lose.

[EasyAce]

Thanks for that detailed reply, @EasyAce

Glad the Cy Young award hasn't become a popularity contest.

@DCPatriot
There were a couple of Cy Young Awards that did seem to be awarded in a kind of popularity contest. I mentioned Don Drysdale above. Drysdale was one of the most popular pitchers of his time; compared to his public image who the hell was Bob Purkey?

Bob Turley won the 1958 Cy Young Award despite Warren Spahn being arguably the season's best pitcher across the board; I suspect voters were swayed by Turley's better winning percentage and ignored how many more he walked than Spahn did. (Spahn struck out eighteen fewer hitters than Turley but also walked---wait for it---52 fewer batters. And Turley led the American League in walks, which also negated his ability to keep the hits down to a minimum.) But even if Spahn had his own reputation what was he against a Yankee even if he did win the 1957 award? What Turley had in his favour---he was tough to hit; 1958 was the fourth straight year in which he led the majors in fewest hits per nine innings. What he really had against him---in his Cy Young season his fielding independent pitching (4.04) was almost twice his ERA while he was winning 21 games. The following year, he had the same FIP . . . and his won-lost record turned up 8-11. And to think they called Eddie Yost the Walking Man . . .

Some of us still can't figure out, too, how 1990 AL Cy Young winner Bob Welch fooled everyone with those 27 wins. He wasn't exactly Sandy Koufax or Steve Carlton. He had a 2.95 ERA . . . but a 4.19 fielding-independent pitching (FIP) rate. His 1.65 K/BB ratio was under the American League average. He only struck out 125 batters all season long. So how did he win those 27 games? With the best run-support in the American League---he was given 5.21 runs per nine innings to work with, which was well over the league's 4.39 per nine average. If you look at the Cy Young Award finishers for that year and see their overall records, there's a huge case that Roger Clemens should actually have won the award.

[GrouchoTex]

@EasyAce
@DCPatriot

Jim Palmer/Nolan Ryan in 1973 comes to mind as a popularity contest for the Cy Young award.
Palmer had 1 more win than Ryan.
Ryan, playing on a bad Angels team, had 21 wins, 383 strikeouts, 2 no-hitter (and came close to 5!).

[EasyAce]

@EasyAce
@DCPatriot

Jim Palmer/Nolan Ryan in 1973 comes to mind as a popularity contest for the Cy Young award.
Palmer had 1 more win than Ryan.
Ryan, playing on a bad Angels team, had 21 wins, 383 strikeouts, 2 no-hitter (and came close to 5!).

There's a case that John Hiller, the Tigers' relief pitcher, actually should have won the 1973 Cy Young Award: he had the league's best walks/hits per inning pitched rate, its best ERA (1.44, and he appeared in 65 games, and he usually pitched two innings or better while leading the league with 38 saves), and his 8.4 win probability added rate was the best in the league that season. But the Cy Young voters weren't quite ready to hand the prize to a relief pitcher.

[Formerly Once-Ler]

! No longer available

[EasyAce]

Mike Piazza, New York Mets---two-run homer in the first game in New York after 9/11, ten days later . . .

! No longer available

[GrouchoTex]

Did Y'all here about the Gurriel Brothers tonight?
Lourdes Gurriel hit two home runs for Toronto.
Yuli Gurriel hit 2 for the Astros, A grand slam, and a 2 run shot, has 7 RBI overall, still in the 8th.
Lourdes actually hit 3 home runs in a three straight at bats.
The last at bat he had last night, and his first two at bats today.
Real life Bash Brothers.
Elias Sports said it was the first time 2 brothers each hit two home runs on the same day.
Yule, who's no slouch, says his younger brother Lourdes is better than him.
Houston travels to Toronto next week.
I can't wait.
It ought to be a blast.

[catfish1957]

.
[/quote]

BTW...we clinched a playoff spot tonight.

Up to moment fan graph prediction of this year's WS winner

Houston-         22.6%
LA Dodgers-    20.4%
Boston-           15.1%
Cleveland-       13.1%
NYY-               10.0%
Chi Cubs-          8.5%
Atl-                   3.0%
Milwaukee-        2.8%
Oakland-           2.1%
St. Louis.           1.6%
Colorada-           0.7%
Philadelphia-       0.1%

[Bigun]

Astros Win!! Astros Win!!  Astros Win AGAIN!!!

[EasyAce]

Astros Win!! Astros Win!!  Astros Win AGAIN!!!

They tied a record, too, for most consecutive postseason games with at least one home run---they've now hit at least one in twelve straight such games.

Now to the ALCS. Where whomever they play won't be quite the pushovers the Indians proved to be.

If it's the Astros against the Red Sox, the Astros have a great chance if they can get past the Red Sox's starters and get into that none-too-steady bullpen early and often. If it's the Astros against the Yankees, it probably won't be a short set since the Yankees are a little more experienced this time around and their bullpen is better this year than it was last year. Plus both teams didn't change all that much this year, so they're each familiar with each other and the Yankees should be less prone to the mistakes they made in last year's ALCS. Astros vs. Yankees, it'll probably go seven again with no assurance the Astros make a return World Series engagement. Astros vs. Red Sox, it could be five or six with the Astros coming out on top and going back to the Series.

For now. Remember Andujar's Law: in baseball, there's just one word---you never know.

[musiclady]

That was seriously the worst game I've ever seen........

But only one of the two teams playing deserved to go on, so....

Do it again, Astros!

[catfish1957]

They tied a record, too, for most consecutive postseason games with at least one home run---they've now hit at least one in twelve straight such games.

Now to the ALCS. Where whomever they play won't be quite the pushovers the Indians proved to be.

If it's the Astros against the Red Sox, the Astros have a great chance if they can get past the Red Sox's starters and get into that none-too-steady bullpen early and often. If it's the Astros against the Yankees, it probably won't be a short set since the Yankees are a little more experienced this time around and their bullpen is better this year than it was last year. Plus both teams didn't change all that much this year, so they're each familiar with each other and the Yankees should be less prone to the mistakes they made in last year's ALCS. Astros vs. Yankees, it'll probably go seven again with no assurance the Astros make a return World Series engagement. Astros vs. Red Sox, it could be five or six with the Astros coming out on top and going back to the Series.

For now. Remember Andujar's Law: in baseball, there's just one word---you never know.

(1) Yankee's bullpen?  You don't think the Astros bullpen is 100% better?  Last year we didn't hardly have a bull pen at all, as evidence AJ's use of starters in relief.  This year the pen is rock solid and now have a reliable closer in Osuna, vs. last year's head case Giles.

(2) Not much change in Houston?  We added a No. 2 pitcher who might be No. 1 in 2/3 of the rest of the League (Cole).  I'll venture we have the best 1-2 starting punch in baseball (Verlander / Cole) . Our No. 3 is a recent Cy Young winner too btw.  The ALDS was prime example of that level of dominance.

In any case, you underestimated us last year, so I don't mind if you do it again.   

Like you quoted....  "You never know" We'll know soon.

@EasyAce