Designated Hitter or Pitcher?

There has been a great controversy on whether or not the pitcher should bat in National League games.

The ones in favor of the pitcher batting are the conservatives. They believe baseball should be kept the traditional way. That there shouldn't be an extra player just to bat. That player should have to play the field just like everyone else. Also the designated hitter has turned into a position to give players a partial day of rest. Another thing the DH is used for is a place for older players to stay on the team, but their decaying defense won't effect any of the game. The conservatives believe that the game shouldn't be played like that; if a guy is fatigued and can't play that day just sit him out and use him as a pinch hitter if needed.

AJ just moments away from breaking his orbital bone. 

The other side of the controversy are the offense hungry fans. They want to see the home run and don't want to see the automatic out or the sacrifice bunt. That out is not always automatic. This past week I went to the Yankees-Mets game and Chris Young recorded a hit after the Yankees intentionally walked a batter to load the bases. Also the fans that want the DH don't want the pitcher to get injured. AJ Burnett broke his orbital bone practicing bunting this season and plenty other pitchers have gotten hurt batting and running the bases as well. Yeah, the pitchers can get hurt hitting, but so can offensive players, which can hurt the team just as much.

You can vote either way: for or against the DH. Next year Major League Baseball may integrate the American and National Leagues, so the DH controversy may arise. We will see in March of 2013 what the call is. Vote in the poll on the side of this post to share your opinion.

Goose Eggs

Madison Bumgarner pitches a 9 inning shutout against
the Reds to move the streak to 4 games without
allowing a run

The Giants' pitching rotation has been on a tremendous streak as of late. They swept the Dodgers and took first place yesterday with a win over the Reds. The catch is over those 4 games they have not allowed a run. Barry Zito, Ryan Vogelsong, Tim Lincecum, and Madison Bumgarner all pitched shutouts in their respected games. The bullpen has been a help to. Santiago Casilla and Sergio Romo have made the back end of the bullpen lights out even with the absence of Brain Wilson. Matt Cain gets the mound tonight. Let us see if he can make the streak 5 games without allowing a run.

Trouble in NY

The Yankees have always been a well hitting team and this year the pitching has finally come around. The Yankees have been on a stretch where the starting pitchers have gone 6 or more innings consistently with a low ERA.

Before the season started the Yankees traded top catching prospect Jesus Montero for the 22 year old pitcher Michael Pineda. Pineda was injured before the season started and that was where the pitching problems began. It was a blessing to the Yankees and their fans when word that the 240 game winner  Andy Pettitte was making a return from retirement to fill the roll.

In the beginning of the season Freddie Garcia and Phil Hughes were no where as good as they were in the past and eventually Garcia would be sent to the bullpen. Hughes has shown why he won 18 games in 2010 in a few games, but it seems like you get all or nothing when he pitches.


Perhaps the biggest blow to the Yankees was the injury to Mariano Rivera. Rivera tore his ACL and partially tore his meniscus. X-Rays also showed he had a blood clot in his leg. Rivera would undergo surgery and be out for the entire year. The all time saves leader hinted this might be his last season, but he said he will come back next year. Rafael Soriano has taken over the role as closer. 


Yesterday the Yankees put CC Sabathia on the 15 day DL with a strained abductor muscle. That was a huge blow to the Yankees to lose their ace starter. During yesterday's game against the Indians Andy Pettitte took a ball off the ankle and X-rays showed that it was fractured. Pettitte is said to be out for a minimum of 6 weeks.   


The Yankees may hit a rough patch now, but their offense could bail them out. Pettitte should return somewhere in August. In August and September the Yankees play a lot of games against the American League East. They will get Joba Chamberlain and David Aardsma back soon to help the already good bullpen. 


Adam Warren and Freddie Garcia are said to fill the gap for Sabathia and Pettitte, but other alternatives could be a trade. Rumors have flown around that Zach Greinke, Cole Hamels, Ryan Dempster, and Matt Garza are available for trade. The one acquisition that has held much significance is the signing of Hiroki Kuroda who has a 3.40 ERA in 15 games this season. 

Sing Us a Vogelsong

The Giants have a definite ace on the mound when Ryan Vogelsong pitches. Yesterday Vogelsong took the mound against the Dodgers in San Francisco in an important series in the NL West. Vogelsong knew he had to pitch well, because his counterpart was Clayton Kershaw, the 2011 Cy Young award winner.

In the game last night Vogelsong pitched 7 shutout innings allowing just 7 hits and 1 walk. Kershaw also was strong pitching 6 innings allowing 2 runs to score. The Giants' bullpen would come in to close the door. With Lincecum not pitching as well as he should, Vogelsong has been a major part of the Giants' pitching staff. The Giants' pitching is the strongest part of their team, which makes Vogelsong so beneficial to the team. He has a 7-3 record and a 2.23 ERA over 96.2 innings this season. He doesn't strike out many batters, but relies heavily on his defense.

Vogelsong pitched in Japan for a few seasons after not finding success at the Major League level. When returning the the Majors in 2011 with a 2.74 ERA his presence was seen. Also in 2012 with the aforementioned 2.23 ERA Vogelsong's career turnaround has been a great story. Don't let his 4.31 career ERA fool you, his stuff is nasty. He may just make the All Star Team.

A Change of Sox

Kevin Youkilis was traded to the White Sox yesterday. He'll hang up his Red Sox uniform and wear the White Sox uniform from here on out. Youkilis was pushed out of his position at 3rd base by Will Middlebrooks. In the trade the Red Sox received Zach Stewart and Brent Lillibridge, a pitcher and a utility player respectively.

Youkilis was part of the 2004 and 2007 World Series championship teams with the Red Sox and has performed well over the course of his career. Youkilis' best trait is his on base percentage. over the course of his career he has a .388 on base percentage and in 2011 he had a .373 on base percentage. He averages 23 home runs a season with close to 90 RBI's. If Youkilis can raise his on base percentage in 2012 from .315 to somewhere above .350 he would be a major help to the White Sox in pursuit of the AL Central or one of those 2 wildcard slots. 

A productive line up for the White Sox would be the following:

1. Alejandro De Aza CF

2. Kevin Youkilis      3B

3 .Paul Konerko       1B

4. Adam Dunn          DH

5. Alex Rios              RF

6. AJ Pierzynski        C

7. Dayan Viciedo      LF

8. Gordon Beckham 2B

9. Alexi Ramirez       SS

2012 All-Star Game

As we get through the dog days of summer the temperature heats up and so do some hitters. I never understood why the All-Star Game is in the middle of the season, but what ever. The All-Star Break is fun to watch: with the Home Run Derby and the Actual All Star Game being the main events. The polls for the All-Star Game are going to close soon so this is who should make it in.

Catcher:

National League: Carlos Ruiz (.354 AVG, 9 HR, 38 RBI)
American League: A.J. Pierzynski (.286 AVG, 12 HR, 41 RBI)

First Base:

National League: Joey Votto (.367 AVG, 13 HR, 45 RBI)
American League: Prince Fielder (.306 AVG, 10 HR, 44 RBI)

Second Base:

National League: Brandon Phillips (.288 AVG, 9 HR, 42 RBI)
American League: Robinson Cano (.299 AVG, 14 HR, 33 RBI)

Third Base:

National League: David Wright (.358 AVG, 8 HR, 39 RBI)
American League: Miguel Cabrera ( .308 AVG, 14 HR, 55 RBI)

Shortstop:

National League: Starlin Castro (.302 AVG, 6 HR, 38 RBI)
American League: Derek Jeter (.313 AVG, 7 HR, 25 RBI) 


Outfield 1:


National League: Ryan Braun (.321 AVG, 20 HR, 51 RBI)
American League: Josh Hamilton (.331 AVG, 22 HR, 64 RBI) 


Outfield 2:


National League: Carlos Gonzalez (.337 AVG, 17 HR, 51 RBI)
American League: Curtis Granderson (.252 AVG, 21 HR, 41 RBI)


Outfield 3: 


National League: Melky Cabrera (.363 AVG, 6 HR, 35 RBI)
American League: Adam Jones (.302 AVG, 18 HR, 39 RBI)

Designated Hitter: 


American League: David Ortiz ( .313 AVG, 18 HR, 49 RBI) 


The All-Star Game is not a popularity contest. Some of the players that lead the ballot aren't the best at their positions. The winner of the All-Star Game gets home field advantage in the World Series. That means if your favorite team is in the World Series they can have the best chance to win. So pick the best players so your team can get home field advantage. 

 

Dickey's Dominance

R.A. Dickey has been nothing short of dominant this season. He leads the MLB in wins with 11 and has a 2.00 ERA. With his win last night Dickey has pitched back to back 1 hitters. Additionally he has not allowed an earned run since his start on May 22 against the Pirates. That was 6 games ago.

The knuckle ball is Dickey's primary pitch and he has perfected it. The undetermined movement makes the batter buckle his knees, then it drops in for a strike. It is the hardest pitch to perfect, but Dickey has done so. 13 out of 14 of his starts have been quality starts. That means at least 6 innings pitched with 3 or fewer runs allowed.

I don't know what else to say. You can't predict a knuckle ball and that shows with 103 strikeouts and only 67 hits in 99 innings pitched. Dickey is 37 years old, so go get them R.A.

If you were wondering, R.A. stands for Robert Alan.  

How Could You Be So Winless?

Cliff Lee has been as good as he has ever been in 2012, but he still has not recorded a win. Since his break out year in 2008 Lee has a 2.88 ERA. So far through 11 starts Lee has a 3.48 ERA and 0 wins. Also with a 1.120 WHIP in 2012 you can't blame anything on Cliff Lee.

On the opposite side of the spectrum Tim Lincecum has a 6.19 ERA, but has 2 wins. Lincecum has 14 starts in the 2012 season with a WHIP close to 1.500. Lincecum has been terrible on the mound this year and Cliff Lee has been fine, but Lincecum has more wins. This is strictly the fault of the offense.

A 3.48 ERA means Cliff Lee will pitch nine innings and give up in between 3 and 4 runs. The reason why Lee doesn't have a win is because the Phillies' offense can't score more than 3 or 4 runs in 9 innings. With the absence of Ryan Howard and Chase Utley the Phillies offense is lacking power. Additionally after Jonathon Papelbon their bullpen isn't very good. So when it looks like Lee will get a win the bullpen may blow the lead.

Nova-CAIN

Matt Cain must have used some novacaine on the Astros, because he made their bats numb. A perfect game for Matt Cain. The fifth no hitter (not including the Mariners' combined no hitter) of the 2012 season and the second perfect game. The Giants' right hander struck out 14 batters and didn't give up a hit or a walk over 9 innings pitched.

Not only did Matt Cain dominate the Astros he also got a hit and scored a run. This guy can do it all. Congrats to Matt Cain and the San Francisco Giants.

Cain also got a little help from his defense with 3 defensive plays that were almost hits. To view all 27 outs and the amazing plays click HERE

Jorge Soler

Jorge Soler is a 20 year prospect from Cuba. Soler plays the outfield and had a batting average of .304 and an on base percentage of .500. Additionally he had a .522 slugging percentage. Soler is a star in Cuba.

The Cubs won the bidding for Soler and they now have the rights to negotiate with him. The deal they offered is said to be 9 years worth 30 million dollars. Soler will most likely start in the minor leagues and work his way to the majors.

What The ... ?

Through the first third of the 2012 season there have been plenty of "What the...?" moments. How about the standings in the NL East.

The Washington Nationals are in first place with a 35-23 record. They swept the Red Sox over the weekend and have proven that they are serious contenders. Also the Phillies have fallen significantly from their 102 victories in 2011 to a 29-33 record. The Phillies are on pace to win 77 games on the 2012 season. If that renders true, it may be one of the biggest collapses ever. The Mets were doubted by everyone, but their hot start to the 2012 has not depleted yet. With a comeback year from David Wright, a break out year from R.A. Dickey and Santana's rejuvenated success the Mets find themselves just 4.5 games out of first with a 32-29 record.

Some players who made you say "What the ..." are Melky Cabrera, Carlos Ruiz, Josh Reddick, Ryan Vogelsong, James McDonald, and R.A. Dickey. They are all having seasons out of the ordinary and are pushing to make all star appearances. The only player of the preceding to ever be selected for an all star game was Ryan Vogelsong. He never had success at the major league level and even pitched in Japan for a few years. Vogelsong finally found a home in San Francisco and turned into one of their many aces.

Combo Order

The Seattle Mariners had a combined no hitter on Friday night against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Kevin Milwood pitched 6 scoreless and more importantly hit less innings. After the 6th inning he had to leave the game with an injury. Furbush pitched 2/3 of an inning, Pryor pitched 1/3 of an inning, Luetge pitched 1/3 of an inning, League pitched 2/3 of an inning, and Wilhelmsen pitched an entire inning and recorded the save. None of the preceding pitchers allowed a hit.

Click HERE to see all 27 outs. 

Greatest Pitcher Ever

Greg Maddux

I'll admit it, i'm pitching biased. If you can't win, you can't score. So who was the best pitcher ever?

Ok, i'm going to start off by saying if a pitcher pitched before 1925 I consider their stats irrelevant. The game was not developed, the hitters weren't as good as they were later on. So people look at some of the old players and see they have 400 wins. It is very misleading. If a pitcher pitched the majority of their career before 1925 I refuse to compare them to someone today. To add on to the previous statement: How many great hitters can you name from the 1910's and how many can you name from the 1980's?

There are three pitchers in competition for the greatest pitcher ever. They are the following: Greg Maddux, Warren Spahn, and Nolan Ryan.

Greg Maddux pitched from 1986-2008. His career ERA is 3.16  and has 355 wins. His most dominant season was cut off due to the 1994 strike. With  25 starts under his belt Maddux had 16 wins with a 1.56 ERA and 202 innings pitched. The average OPS in 1994 was .747.

Warren Spahn

Warren Spahn pitched from 1946-1965. He recorded a career 3.09 ERA and has 363 wins in his career. Spahn's most dominant season was 1953. In that year he recorded a 2.10 ERA and 23 wins for the Milwaukee Braves. He pitched 265 innings that year and was dominant throughout. The league average OPS was .747 in 1953.

Nolan Ryan pitched from 1968-1993. Ryan recorded 324 wins and had a 3.19 ERA in that time. His most dominant season was 1972 when he pitched for the California Angels and had a 2.28 ERA, 19 wins over 284 innings pitched. The average OPS that season was .649.

Nolan Ryan

I know what you're saying: What about strikeouts? It doesn't matter how many strikeouts a pitcher gets as long as he gets the out. Strikeouts come into play when you evaluate relief pitchers. Just like a no hitter is nice to watch but the most important part is that the team got the win. So let us take out Nolan Ryan from the race because his ERA was higher in an era that had weaker hitters.

Warren Spahn and Greg Maddux are the competitors now. Maddux got 355 wins in 740 games. Spahn got 363 win in 714 games. Spahn pitched in a time where there was weaker hitters and Maddux pitched through the Steroid Era. Its hard to compare two pitchers who pitched 40 years apart, because there are so many intangibles.

Pud Galvin not
considered

For now I will declare this a tie between Warren Spahn and Greg Maddux, but slightly in favor of Maddux. Be sure to share your opinions in the comments.
 

The Draft

Carlos Correa was the first pick in the 2012 draft. He was taken by the Astros 20 years after they passed on a prospect named Derek Jeter. It was a wise decision to choose Carlos Correa. AS history may show the Amateur Draft rankings don't mean much of anything.

Many teams select prospects as the first overall, but they don't pan out. In 1984 the first overall pick was Shawn Abner by the New York Mets. You will be shocked by the players picked in the second round. Pick 31 was the greatest pitcher ever, Greg Maddux (355 wins and 3.16 ERA). Pick 47 was Tom Glavine another fantastic pitcher (305 wins and 3.54 ERA). Pick 50 was Al Leiter (162 wins 3.80 ERA).

In the 1999 draft the first 2 picks worked out wonderfully, Josh Hamilton (#1) and Josh Beckett (#2) both have successful careers at the major league level. Other names selected in the first round that year are: Barry Zito (#9), Ben Sheets (#10), Alex Rios (#19) and Brian Roberts (#50). The most successful selection from the 1999 draft did not come the first 1 round, but in the 13th. 29 other teams had the chance to pick this player and 401 picks were before him. Albert Pujols was #402. The Cardinals' first pick was #30 and they chose Chance Caple who never made it to AA.

Although the draft day is filled with optimism most of the players will never make it to the major leagues. The picks selected in the latest parts of the draft can make it and be some of the greatest ever.

Aroldis Chapman

In a world where fastballs rule Chapman is king. With 28 innings in the 2012 season Chapman has not allowed a single earned run. He has been a "lights out" out of the bullpen allowing just 7 hits and 9 walks. That equates to a 0.571 WHIP. After an injury to Ryan Madson and then inefficacy as closer by Sean Marshal; Chapman made his way into the closer role. As a closer so far he has recorded 5 saves. Along with his great stats Chapman has an astonishing 50 strikeouts.

A fastball is coming out of Chapman's hand 75% of the time and on average 97.3 miles per hour. Chapman's average fastball velocity in 2010 was 99.6 miles per hour. Chapman may be not throwing the ball as hard, because he doesn't need to or he may be doing so to prevent injury. He has reached 102 this year, but not very often

Chapman has been a smarter pitcher as well. 12% of his pitches are sliders and 12% of his pitches are Changeups. The slider clocks in at 88 miles per hour and the change up clocks in at 93 miles per hour. The mix of off speed pitches may be the major part of Chapman's success in 2012.

Don't Mess With a Johan

I'm almost positive that you love my corny titles, but on Friday, June 1st you did not want to mess with Johan Santana. Santana put together a gem; pitching the first no hitter in Mets history and the third in 2012.

It was no easy task to get through the power packed lineup of the St. Louis Cardinals, but Santana did. At 134 a career high Santana walked 5 batters but did not allow a hit. The defending world champs had a few well struck balls, but the defense backed up Santana. Former Met Carlos Betran struck a ball down the line and it was called foul. The replay later revealed  that it was a fair ball, but the umpire's call stood.

There have been 122 no hitters since the Mets were added to the MLB in 1962. In 2012 the Mets can finally say they have pitched a no hitter.