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This will be a long one. Fair warning.



Last night, there were five shutouts. It is becoming all to common to seeing at least two every day.

How did your hitting stats look during 'live' scoring last night? You're not alone.

Last night, every major league team played. The most runs scored was by the Giants, eight, and that was only because of a three run homer in the ninth.

There were 287 half-innings played last night. 287 chances for teams to 'put one on the board'. There was a score in only 60 frames. Making it easier, for every full three innings played last night, there were zeroes in five of the six spots on the scoreboard.

In total, despite 11 extra innings last night, there only 95 runs scored, so of those 95 runs in innings, most were 'ones'.

In the 15 games last night, there were only 11 home runs. Only three games had multiple home runs. And, no individual player had two home runs.

What does all this mean?

Nothing.

It is a snapshot of one night of games. But, it is an oddity. Those that are saying it is a pitchers year can use it as fodder for their campaign.

Maybe it is only right for the pitchers to dominate following the steroid era.



We don't need more proof to know that the pitchers have had their way this year. But, it is still fun for those of us that like unusual stats.



Batting Average Against is a fair stat. This year, there are just three teams that are giving up a batting average of more than .261. .261!



Every team in baseball now has a shutout except one, the New York Yankees.

For Yankee haters-

Money can't buy love....or shutouts.



Did you stress National League pitchers in your drafts, knowing that they would face a pitcher every nine batters?

A.L. E.R.A.- 3.85

N.L. E.R.A.- 3.80





The Minnesota Twins have been absolutely horrible as a team this year. They play in a predominantly pitchers park. Despite that, the Twins pitching staff has the highest ERA at home in baseball.

A 5.87 ERA.

And it's not even close. The next worse ERA in baseball is the Diamondbacks with a 4.70 ERA at home.

The Twins woes do not stop there. They have hit only six home runs at home this year. And June is right around the corner.

Several individual players have hit more than six home runs at home.

Overall, the Twins have 18 home runs this year. Jose Bautista has 16.



Speaking of Bautista, here is something that'll tell you just how good this cat has been since September of 2009. Since then, Bautista has hit 80 home runs. 80. The players that are next on that list are Albert Pujols and Paul Konerko, both with just 52. There is no doubt about it. Over the last nine months of baseball, there has been no better power hitter than Bautista.

And just 10 baseball months ago, he was thought of as a utility guy, I love baseball.



If his year follows the path that it is on now, where will he go in next years drafts?

Tough one.

I would guess top five. He is THE power hitter, but loses eligibility at 3b.

Next year is jumbled to say the least.

Pujols ranking will be solely dependant on where he plays. If he goes to the Yankees, Red Sox, Rangers, or Phillies he'll maintain his dominance as the number one pick.

Anywhere else, including staying with the Cardinals and he starts getting picked after another name or two in some drafts.



By NFBC adp, here are the top 10 third basemen taken in our drafts-



1. Evan Longoria

2. David Wright

3. Alex Rodriguez

4. Ryan Zimmerman

5. Kevin Youkilis

6. Adrian Beltre

7. Aramis Ramirez

8. Pablo Sandoval

9. Pedro Alvarez

10. Casey McGehee



Ouch.

None of these players are playing above expectations. Right now, I'd rather have Beltre but there is time for the others to come back from injury or underperformance.

For those that drafted a 3b off this list and are a little forlorn, don't be.

Here is the second 10-



11. Mark Reynolds

12. Chone Figgins

13. Ian Stewart

14. Jose Uribe

15. Sean Rodriguez

16. Edwin Encarnacion

17. Mike Aviles

18. Chris Johnson

19. Chase Headley

20. Scott Rolen



Yuck.

3B was a money pit in our draft. The higher we took a 3b, the more we got hurt.

Ironic really, before drafts, a lot of folks thought that with the shortage of 3b, that they must be picked high.

As of now on the NFBC player ratings, eight of the top 20 3b, were not in the top 20 of 3b that we drafted, including three of the top 10.



There are a lot of drafters that cannot leave kids alone. Right, Mrs Hosmer?

Here is a stat that may leave these drafters with a little queezy feeling.

Ryan Braun, Geo Soto, Chris Coghlan, and Buster Posey are the last four rookies of the year. Here are their rookie of the year averages, followed by their second year average



Ryan Braun- .324 (.285)

Geo Soto- .285 (.218)

Chris Coghlan- .321 (.268)

Buster Posey .305 (.275)





For those of you who have read this whole thing-

Guess who leads the Atlanta Braves in rbi?



Think about it.....



Think a little more....



The answer is leadoff man, Martin Prado



[ May 19, 2011, 12:21 PM: Message edited by: DOUGHBOYS ]

Actually Dan, I think there were 5 last night.



And aside from Seattle - I believe wet conditions and rain soaked fields definitely were a factor in any game played East of the Mississippi yesterday. The field for the Mets/Wash game was an absolute mess.

I was one of the few who believed in Jose Bautista this year but I didn't have the balls to draft him in the late second/early third. I'm disgusted watching him "on pace" to cumulatively outperform all other 3B combined (or so it seems).



Jose Bautista



A) The last player in MLB still using the cream and the clear

B) Proof that aliens can possess the human body

C) A mechanical adjustment can turn even the most average player into a bonafide superstar

D) This is a prolonged dream you will soon awake from



Has there ever been a player to begin his career with 6 years of mediocrity who then transformed himself into the best power hitter in baseball once he turned 29?

You are a correctomundo, Ryan.

Five shutouts last night. And fixed.

Also, my 3b list did not include Bautista. I used a site that did not have him eligible at 3b since he hasn't played there this year. My bad on that one.



[ May 19, 2011, 11:25 AM: Message edited by: DOUGHBOYS ]

Originally posted by Scott Boras:

I was one of the few who believed in Jose Bautista this year but I didn't have the balls to draft him in the late second/early third. I'm disgusted watching him "on pace" to cumulatively outperform all other 3B combined (or so it seems).



Jose Bautista



A) The last player in MLB still using the cream and the clear

B) Proof that aliens can possess the human body

C) A mechanical adjustment can turn even the most average player into a bonafide superstar

D) This is a prolonged dream you will soon awake from



Has there ever been a player to begin his career with 6 years of mediocrity who then transformed himself into the best power hitter in baseball once he turned 29? Cecil Fielder ? just off the top of my head...

Originally posted by Quahogs:

quote:Originally posted by Scott Boras:

I was one of the few who believed in Jose Bautista this year but I didn't have the balls to draft him in the late second/early third. I'm disgusted watching him "on pace" to cumulatively outperform all other 3B combined (or so it seems).



Jose Bautista



A) The last player in MLB still using the cream and the clear

B) Proof that aliens can possess the human body

C) A mechanical adjustment can turn even the most average player into a bonafide superstar

D) This is a prolonged dream you will soon awake from



Has there ever been a player to begin his career with 6 years of mediocrity who then transformed himself into the best power hitter in baseball once he turned 29? Cecil Fielder ? just off the top of my head... [/QUOTE]Cecil only played 82 games or less in his first 4 seasons before figuring it out in Japan and hitting 38 homeruns in his age 25 season and proceeded to crush the ball in MLB during his age 26 season. Plus wasn't Fielder regarded as a big time power prospect? Good example, but much less of a shock to me than what Bautista has done.

Luis Gonzalez?

Ra oool. Ibanez !



Luis: good one.. he sure was rocking and rolling for a while there...



Nice job so far Rob i.e. both your Mains and the ULT we are in. Way to hit it out so far

The best answer may be a pitcher.

Shuffling between the starting role and the bullpen for the first six years of his career, Sandy Koufax went 36-40

His next six years.... 129-47 and the Hall of Fame.



I can't think of an also ran hitter who has done what Bautista has done. Incredible, really.

Originally posted by Quahogs:

Ra oool. Ibanez !



Luis: good one.. he sure was rocking and rolling for a while there...



Nice job so far Rob i.e. both your Mains and the ULT we are in. Way to hit it out so far Thanks; much appreciated coming from the Champ. I'm waiting for you to make your run in those Ultimates. I know it's coming.



I think the one Ultimate team (the 2nd one I think) is pretty good and is a good bet to finish in the money if Zimmerman and Cruz come back and stay healthy. The other one simply isn't good enough offensively to hang around the top all season (I don't think) and I've pretty much blown my FAAB money already (benching Ludwick and Plouffe this week for the zeros of Edwin and Nix was a brilliant managerial move)



I'm psyched about the AC ME now that Utley and Pagan are coming back.

How about Roger Maris. He was fairly non-descript for 4 seasons (in which he was traded twice) before he became a Yankee and an home run king.

LuGo and Ibanez both good examples, though neither became THE best power bat outside of Gonzalez's 2001 Brady Anderson experiment which was, incidentally, unsustainable. Bautista could hit 50 AGAIN. Will anyone else hit 40?



I was thinking about Koufax as I posed the question. He fits the Bautista definition perfectly. Not quite as old as Bautista, but several years of mediocrity followed by undeniable greatness. Best pitcher of all time?

Originally posted by Ryan C:

How about Roger Maris. He was fairly non-descript for 4 seasons (in which he was traded twice) before he became a Yankee and an home run king. Maris actually hit 28 HR in his second season. I did not know that before just now looking it up.

Originally posted by Hells Satans:

quote:Originally posted by Quahogs:

Ra oool. Ibanez !



Luis: good one.. he sure was rocking and rolling for a while there...



Nice job so far Rob i.e. both your Mains and the ULT we are in. Way to hit it out so far Thanks; much appreciated coming from the Champ. I'm waiting for you to make your run in those Ultimates. I know it's coming.



I think the one Ultimate team (the 2nd one I think) is pretty good and is a good bet to finish in the money if Zimmerman and Cruz come back and stay healthy. The other one simply isn't good enough offensively to hang around the top all season (I don't think) and I've pretty much blown my FAAB money already (benching Ludwick and Plouffe this week for the zeros of Edwin and Nix was a brilliant managerial move)



I'm psyched about the AC ME now that Utley and Pagan are coming back. [/QUOTE]Yes you are positioned well. I'm pinning my hopes on how fortunes can turn on a dime along with 70% of the season left to play. I can do nothing but toil in obscurity near the bottom and hope the tide turns. I don't know much about the leader's team details in general (since there's nothing I can do about them) but I do know your placements and I'm envious

Originally posted by Hells Satans:

quote:Originally posted by Quahogs:

Ra oool. Ibanez !



Luis: good one.. he sure was rocking and rolling for a while there...



Nice job so far Rob i.e. both your Mains and the ULT we are in. Way to hit it out so far Thanks; much appreciated coming from the Champ. I'm waiting for you to make your run in those Ultimates. I know it's coming.



I think the one Ultimate team (the 2nd one I think) is pretty good and is a good bet to finish in the money if Zimmerman and Cruz come back and stay healthy. The other one simply isn't good enough offensively to hang around the top all season (I don't think) and I've pretty much blown my FAAB money already (benching Ludwick and Plouffe this week for the zeros of Edwin and Nix was a brilliant managerial move)



I'm psyched about the AC ME now that Utley and Pagan are coming back. [/QUOTE]Bob, I was outspoken about your AC team. I liked your draft a lot.

Maris was also a starter, as much for being an accomplished outfielder as well as a good hitter.



Best pitcher of all-time for Koufax?

Yes.

My criteria being, that if my family would live or die depending on a pitchers ability to win a game against any given team, I would take Koufax in his prime.

Statistics can make better cases for other pitchers, but I'll take Koufax.

On a per AB basis, there's really not much difference between Bautista and Gonzalez's breakout years. Bautista always had decent power.



From 2005 -2009, Bautista hit 1 HR every 28 ABs. In 2010, Bautista hit 1 HR every 10.5 ABs.



From 1991-2000, Gonzalez hit 1 HR every 31 ABs. In 2001, Gonzalez hit 1 HR every 10.7 ABs





Of course, Gonzalez dropped down to about 1 every 20 ABs the rest of his career, while Bautista is now Barry Bonds, so it doesn't really hold.

Originally posted by Hells Satans:

On a per AB basis, there's really not much difference between Bautista and Gonzalez's breakout years. Bautista always had decent power.



From 2005 -2009, Bautista hit 1 HR every 28 ABs. In 2010, Bautista hit 1 HR every 10.5 ABs.



From 1991-2000, Gonzalez hit 1 HR every 31 ABs. In 2001, Gonzalez hit 1 HR every 10.7 ABs





Of course, Gonzalez dropped down to about 1 every 20 ABs the rest of his career, while Bautista is now Barry Bonds, so it doesn't really hold. Agree on all counts

From BR:



Using their seasonal June 30th ages, here are the players to hit 40+ homers at least once at the age of 29 or older who never did it at age 28 or younger:



Rafael Palmeiro 4

Jason Giambi 3

Jeff Bagwell 3

Greg Vaughn 3

Andres Galarraga 3

Jay Buhner 3

Mike Schmidt 3

Frank Howard 3

David Ortiz 2

Jim Edmonds 2

Willie Stargell 2

Jose Bautista 1

Carlos Pena 1

Alfonso Soriano 1

Travis Hafner 1

Jermaine Dye 1

Carlos Beltran 1

Derrek Lee 1

Javy Lopez 1

Phil Nevin 1

Luis Gonzalez 1

Larry Walker 1

Tino Martinez 1

Ken Caminiti 1

Ellis Burks 1

Brady Anderson 1

Dante Bichette 1

Ryne Sandberg 1

Dale Murphy 1

Andre Dawson 1

Tony Armas 1

Ben Oglivie 1

Dave Kingman 1

Davey Johnson 1

Billy Williams 1

Frank Robinson 1

Dick Stuart 1

Roy Sievers 1

Hank Sauer 1

Gus Zernial 1

Al Rosen 1

Roy Campanella 1

Ted Williams 1

Hack Wilson 1

Cy Williams 1

David Ortiz isn't a bad comparable

Originally posted by DOUGHBOYS:

Maris was also a starter, as much for being an accomplished outfielder as well as a good hitter.



Best pitcher of all-time for Koufax?

Yes.

My criteria being, that if my family would live or die depending on a pitchers ability to win a game against any given team, I would take Koufax in his prime.

Statistics can make better cases for other pitchers, but I'll take Koufax. Top 5 "life on the line, in their primes"



Koufax

The Big Unit

Pedro

Halladay

Maddux



Just throwing them out there. Randy Johnson and Pedro Martinez were both disgustingly dominant over a 5 year stretch at the height of the steroid era. How great would they have been in any other era, or were they in on it too?



You can trust Halladay to go 9 on any given night. If you needed a win to live, he's a good candidate to make sure no bullpen kills you.



Maddux might be the smartest pitcher ever to live. If he couldn't pitch you to a win, he'd have a MacGyver backup up plan for you.

great thread

His bat speed has gotten ridiculously fast. It is very similar to Bonds on roids. I am not sure how he developed that bat speed all of a sudden without drugs. It is truly incredible. He hit a lazer last night that that about killed Longoria. Hard to hit a ball harder. Guy is amazing. He can wait so long to swing as his bat speed is deadly. I don't seen any extended slump coming. He is too good.

statements like these are mind boggling knowing where bautista was a few years ago with the pirates....



I don't seen any extended slump coming. He is too good.





sadly...i agree. ive seen enough of him that you cant throw him a fastball... any pitcher who does is asking for it. i need to find a more appropriate description than impressive.

So....Where do we rank him if next year's draft were now?



He loses 3b eligibility. But, that is the only negative.

I'm guessing that as of now, Pujols, Tulo, and Bautista may be the top three and not necessarily in that order.

Am I wrong?