NFBC Message Boards

Last night, this week's "Wow, I can't believe they're so good!" team, the Houston Astros, lost their first game this year in which they had the lead.

Last week's "Wow, I can't believe they're so good" team, the New York Mets, have lost three series in a row since their 10 game win streak, going 3-7. That gets little press coverage.

Nelson Cruz has homered in every stadium he has played this year.
An American Leaguer, he has homered more at Dodger Stadium this year (4) than he has at Safeco Field (3).
Cruz has hit at least four homers in every month since the beginning of last year.
Including this month, only four days old.
This year, 40% of Cruz hits have been homers this year. Last year he had 166 hits. Do the math.

Jose Altuve has NOT had a hit in four games this year.
Last July, Altuve struck out more than once in a game, five times. Including four of six games after the All-Star break.
Since then, he has never struck out more than once in a game.
And since then, he has struck 24 times....and stolen 25 bases.
Altuve led the league in hitting last year. The last fella as short in stature to lead the league in hitting was 'Wee' Willie Keeler.
Altuve's 5' 6" inch frame 'towering' over the 5' 4" Keeler.

In the first four days of May, Even Gattis has as many extra base hits as he had in April. Twice the homers.

Sometimes...ok, a lot of times, peripherals flat out lie to us.
Dallas Keuchel's k/bb is 30/13. He has given up 21 hits
Travis Wood's k/bb is 31/8. He has given up 25 hits.
Keuchel's ERA is 0.80
Wood's ERA is 4.40

We would all like to draft 20/20 players.
This year, six players have a good start in their quest to be 20/20 players.
Surprisingly, three of them are first basemen.
And all of them have five letters in their last name....sort of...
Trout 6/6
Votto 7/4
Goldy 6/5
Marte 6/4
Rizzo 4/7
Souza 4/4

Billy Hamilton has two doubles, two triples, two home runs....and three rbi

Hanley Ramirez has 10 extra base hits. All homers.

Chris Young has six homers and no starting job.
Carlos Beltran has no homers and the starting job.

Adam Eaton has no homers. And one stolen base.
Melky Cabrera has no homers. And no stolen bases.
Alexie Ramirex has no homers. And no stolen bases.
Jose Abreu and Adam LaRoche are the only White Sox with more than one homer.
During Spring Training, a writer called them the 'Go-Go Sox' with Micah Johnson, Eaton and other speed.
Four stolen bases as a team.
33 individual players have four stolen bases.
No team has less Wins than the White Sox.
(Love ya, Mike)

Only three teams in baseball have winning records at home and on the road.
The Cardinals. The Tigers. The Astros.

The Tampa Rays have one home run out of the 3/4 slots in their lineup.

Mark Teixeira fans point at his .327 obp rather than his .202 batting average.
Teixeira has walked 16 times. He has scored after walking, twice.
Personal note- OBP, with each passing year is becoming more of an empty stat.
(And yes, I know that most disagree with that statement )

Max Scherzer has a 1.26 E.R.A. and 0.84 W.H.I.P.
He has three losses.
Mark Buehrle has a 6.75 E.R.A. and 1.93 W.H.I.P.
He has three Wins.

Kyle Gibson is averaging two strike outs per game this year.
So is Andrew Miller.

you never saw me post about how good the white sox were gonna be. you pick up an ex cub ,ex notre dame guy- that was and is again- a fly ball pitcher- and throw him in the cell- trouble is coming. plus he is just bad luck. you need to write a post about "wins are just luck" for pitchers. or maybe " pitchers don't have as much control over wins" because i think that is crap on at least 2 fronts. 1) just because you can't figure out how to measure something- doesn't mean it doesn't exist 2) national league only- a pitchers hitting helps him get wins- and that is something you can measure. greg maddux could bunt, steal bases, hit the other way, and take a walk. he could field his position. he knew when the bullpen was tired, when he could pitch to contact and when he needed a "K". etc. etc. he was a winner. there are guys i watch on the mound- they just aren't winners. jeff s. is one of them. ps- david wright hurts his hammy- the gm and manager said it wasn't bad- should be back in 2 weeks- now they say they have no clue and that wright still can't run. wouldn't surprise me if he is out for the year.

I agree, Mike.
Sometimes, we have to look beyond statistics.
Some pitchers are winners, some aren't.
Some create their own luck. Be it, smart with pitches, fielding their position, or helping offensively.
Madison Bumgarner fits all that criteria.
Others do too.

I put Samardzjizjzzdjia in the same class as Clay Buchholz, or even Stephen Strasburg.
It seems like pitchers such as these, have to have everything going right for them.
When their parents bought them sundae's, they cried because of the missing cherry on top.
A 72 degree day, no errors, a pitching coach and catcher who just smile and pat them on the back, their toast lightly browned.
It seems as if one of these things go wrong, they lose.