Stuff

[DOUGHBOYS]

Only because of a walkoff three run homer by Aaron Hill last night, did we have a game with eight runs last night.
Not a TEAM with eight runs, a GAME with eight runs. That was with every team playing and included three extra inning games.
Maybe hitters have shut it down early this year.

Why didn't the Tampa Rays make the post season this year?
Maybe because with Evan Longoria and Carlos Pena rostered, BJ Upton and Ben Zobrist were the only two hitters with 20 home runs.
Worse, Tampa didn't have a hitter with 80 rbi
Despite this lack of power, it hasn't stopped Tampa from being fourth in Major League Baseball in the usual power accompanying stat, that being, strike outs.

The hardest teams to strike out?
The Royals, Twins, and Indians.
This may give a hint as to which division had the weakest pitching this year.

Pitchers hate the Brewers.
How else can we explain that 90 Brewers hitters were hit by a pitch this year.
The Brewers almost lapped the field here as second place was the White Sox with just 65 batters hit.
Just 29 Giants were hit by a pitch this year.
A side benefit of PED's?
Melky Cabrera was never hit with a pitch. Stealth?

Mike Trout has 49
Coco Crisp, Shane Victorino, and Jose Reyes have 39.
Angel Pagan has 29.
Pedroia and Jay have 19.
If any of these players reach first base with second unoccupied, it's guaranteed they will attempt a stolen base.

When I saw Jose Tabata after getting promoted this season, I thought he looked a little butterballish.
This stats bear it out. Tabata only had eight stolen bases, and was among leaders in getting caught, having his hand in the cookie jar 12 times.

Rave all you want about Mike Trout. He's been spectacular to watch this year.
What really stands out to me is that he's a rookie, a leadoff hitter, has a reputation already for stealing bases, yet was nabbed just four times in 53 steal attempts. Just four times.
Chalk up another one for the ROY.


18 players have 100 rbi
Only 12 have 100 runs scored.
Miguel Cabrera, Ryan Braun, Josh Hamilton, and Curtis Granderson are the only players who have done both.

Before the season, it is common to have a drafter forecast a 30/30 season for his just drafted player.
This time of year, reality sets in. Only Ryan Braun and Mike Trout did it this year.

Only one player has more than 100 walks this year (Adam Dunn)
This is the first time since 1994 (Frank Thomas) that only one player exceeded 100 walks.

Between Mike Trout and Bryce Harper, 226 runs scored.
Draft day darlings Hosmer and Lawrie?
138 runs scored.

If playing today, Prince Fielder, Ichiro, Adam Jones, and Starlin Castro are the only players to play in 162 games this year.

Max Scherzer, Yu Darvish, Yovani Gallardo, Cliff Lee, and Zack Greinke all had over 200 strike outs this year.
What all of them did not have, was a complete game.

Ricky Romero has a little history on his side in being a super pitcher next year.
He tied for the lead in walks allowed with 105.
Last year's leader in walks allowed?
Gio Gonzalez.

Romero's k/bb ratio of 127/105 is hideous.
It rivals Barry Zito of 2008, when Zito had a 120/108 ratio.
That same year, Daniel Cabrera had his 95/90 ratio

For the second year in a row, Justin Verlander led baseball in innings pitched.
Flipping a middle finger to those that count pitches.

The Giants had three pitchers with 190 strike outs.
The Rockies didn't have any TWO pitchers with 190 strike outs.
The Rockies didn't even have a pitcher with 90 strike outs.

Oh, and that drivel about limiting pitches to force Rockies pitchers to throw strikes?
Rockies pitchers have given up the third most walks in baseball this year...

And, Oh again, the Rockies pitching staff gave up a batting average of .291.....
No other staff was close...

As further illustration of how useless the 'quality start' stat is, guess which team led baseball in quality starts this year.
Go ahead, think about it.
Think about a bad team.
A bad team with only 73 Wins, but 100 quality starts.
Yes, the New York Mets.
A first six innings of Dickey, Niese, and Young...
A last three innings of Moe, Curly, and Larry

Last, an attaboy to Miguel Cabrera.
Unless Josh Hamilton has a great day today, Cabrera wraps up a Triple Crown.
The greatest Triple Crown of the modern era, or maybe ever was Mickey Mantle's in 1956.
Mantle led all of baseball in each of those categories.
I rank Cabrera's close to his feat.
Yaz actually was tied with Harmon Killebrew with 44 homers in 1967.
And in 1966, six National League hitters had a better batting average than Frank Robinson.
Cabrera's Triple Crown is an earned Triple Crown.
And he did it while playing a new position for his club. A tougher position than that of Yaz, Robbie, or the Mick.
Attaboy Miguel Cabrera.

[DOUGHBOYS]

Sorry, looking under the wrong subject when beginning this post.....

[DOUGHBOYS]

And sorry again, I left one out....

Ryan Braun has had a fantabulous season.
A batting line of 41/112/.320

At the same time, Justin Upton has been a huge disappointment to his drafters.
Upton's line is a pedestrian 17/67/.276

Both had 63 walks.
Braun had 12 more doubles and stole 13 more bases putting himself in scoring position more often.

Yet, with all this going for Braun, both Braun and Upton scored 107 runs.
Yep, Braun still misses Prince...

[headhunters]

forget about all that- verlander for sure is the best drafter of an upton. he scores more than all these guys.

[KJ Duke]

Triple crown ... how about a quad crown? (which is what fantasy players would care about)

Anyone would be a huge longshot to ever achieve this, but for Trout and possibly Kemp it is feasible.

[Joe Sambito]

Mike Trout has 49
Coco Crisp, Shane Victorino, and Jose Reyes have 39.
Angel Pagan has 29.
Pedroia and Jay have 19.
If any of these players reach first base with second unoccupied, it's guaranteed they will attempt a stolen base.[/b

]

Tony Campana had 29 as well. He too likes round numbers, he just swiped #30.

[DOUGHBOYS]

Thanks Andy, I did leave Campana off. Good catch!

Kevin, that would be a feat.
For all we know, a full season of Trout this year may have been his best window.
If he continues this career path, he'll be put into an rbi place in the lineup, probably third, and may be a bit more limited in his stolen bases with Pujols behind him.
Why stop there?
Lets have the Quint Crown.
Mantle led all of baseball, not just his league, in four categories and 'only' finished 14th in stolen bases.