Weekend in Review

 

The Rangers didn't let Friday's disappointing loss affect their play, responding with a 7-2 victory over the Yankees to tie the series at 1-1.

MLB
NLCS, ALCS Tied at 1-1
Both series are split after a pair of games. The Rangers blew a 5-0 lead in Game 1, or they’d be up 2-0 and sending Cliff Lee to the mound. Ouch. Both series could go the distance. Don’t count out the Rangers and Giants. They’re a couple of scrappy teams with just enough to pull off the upset.

Lilly Signs Extension with Dodgers
In a somewhat surprising move, the Dodgers signed LHP Ted Lilly to a 3-year extension. Financial terms are unknown, but its unlikely Lilly—who was to be one of the top available free agent pitchers—came cheaply. Considering the Dodgers owners, the McCourts, are going through a nasty divorce, it was believed the team would not spend this offseason. Regardless, retaining Lilly is a good move for the Dodgers, giving them three solid starters in Lilly, Clayton Kershaw, and Chad Billingsley.


NFL
Injuries Galore
Eagles WR DeSean Jackson and Falcons CB Dunta Robinson collided (watch it here), knocking both out of the game with head injuries. Jackson, who already has one concussion in his young career, is said to have suffered a severe concussion…Texans star LB DeMeco Ryans tore his Achilles tendon and is out for the season…Chargers TE Antonio Gates suffered an ankle injury…The Lions lost backup QB Shaun Hill to a broken arm, but could have starter Matthew Stafford back for next week.


NCAA Football
More Undefeateds, Defeated
#1 Ohio State, #5 Nebraska, and #19 Nevada all lost their first games this week, following the ousting of #1 Alabama last week. #12 Arkansas, #10 South Carolina, #22 Florida, #23 Air Force and #24 Oregon State all lost as well. Oregon is now the #1 team in the polls, though Oklahoma leads in the BCS. Will we see a 4th #1 team in as many weeks? We’ll see…Oregon faces off against UCLA and Oklahoma has #18 Missouri (#11 in BCS).

Rutgers Player Paralyzed
Tragic news out of New Jersey. Rutgers backup DT Eric LeGrand suffered a spine injury against Army on Saturday. He is now paralyzed from the neck down. LeGrand underwent emergency surgery and is currently in Intensive Care. According to head coach Greg Schiano, “Eric, his family and the Rutgers football family believe he will recover.” Let’s hope so. I know I’ll be praying for him. It’s a scary thing, and a reminder that as passionate as well all are about our sports, the bottom line is it’s still just a game, and there are a lot bigger things in this world.


NHL
Sharks Extend Captain
Newly-named captain and former Hart Trophy winner Joe Thornton signed a 3-year extension with the Sharks on Friday. Thornton’s deal is worth $21 million over the 3-year stretch, considered by many to be a “slight pay cut” in order to help the team remain competitive.

NLCS Preview: Phillies vs. Giants

Game 1: Today, 8PM, Philadelphia

Lincecum vs. Halladay

Game 2: Tomorrow, 8PM, Philadelphia

Sanchez vs. Oswalt

Game 3: Tuesday 10/19, 4PM, San Francisco

Hamels vs.Cain

Game 4: Wednesday 10/20, 7:30PM, San Francisco

Blanton vs. Bumgarner

*Game 5: Thursday 10/21, 7:30PM, San Francisco

Halladay vs. Lincecum

*Game 6: Saturday 10/23, 3:30PM, Philadelphia

Sanchez vs. Oswalt

*Game 7: Sunday 10/24, 7:30PM, Philadelphia

Cain vs. Hamels

Roy Halladay threw a no-hitter in his first career postseason start

Who’s Hot

PHI         RHP Roy Halladay – 1-0, 9 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB/8 K, 0.11 WHIP, 0.00 ERA

                LHP Cole Hamels – 1-0, 9 IP. 5 H, 0 ER, 0 BB/9 K, 0.57 WHIP, 0.00 ERA

SF           C Buster Posey – 6-for-16 (.375), 3 R, 2B, 2 BB/5 K

                RHP Tim Lincecum – 1-0, 9 IP, 2 H, 1 BB/14 K, 0.33 WHIP, 0.00 ERA

                LHP Jonathan Sancehez – 7 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB/11 K, 0.41 WHIP, 1.23 ERA

Who’s Not

PHI         Phillies Offense – 21-for-99 (.212), 13 R (7 ER), 1 HR, 10 RBI, 10 BB/14 K

                RHP Roy Oswalt – 5 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 1 BB/5 K, 1.20 WHIP, 5.40 ERA

SF           Giants Offense – 28-for-132 (.212), 11 R (8 ER), 2 HR, 9 RBI, 13 BB/43 K

                RHP Sergio Romo – 1-0, 0.2 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 4.50 WHIP, 40.50 ERA

The Rust Factor

                Just like the Yankees, the Phillies have been sitting for a while.  However, unlike the Yankees, the Phillies open their series at home.  As a result, they’ll have an easier time adjusting.  I don’t anticipate this being a factor in this series, but it needed to be noted.

Coming Back

                Pat Burrell and Aaron Rowand return to postseason baseball in Philadelphia.  However, this time they’re in the other dugout.  Expect cheers for both when they are announced, and don’t be surprised if Pat the Bat launches a ball 450+ feet at some point.  Burrell could turn out to be the key player in this series.  He’s the one guy in the Giants lineup that can change the game with one swing of the bat.  Rowand is unlikely to play much outside of pinch-hitting.

Pat Burrell has been a monster since coming to San Francisco

Pitching, Pitching, Pitching

                All the talk coming into this series has been about the pitching.  3 (likely 4) Cy Young awards.  15 All-Star Games.  Lincecum vs. Halladay.  Sanchez vs. Oswalt.  Cain vs. Hamels.  It’s absolutely unbelievable.  Possibly the best matchup of pitching in the history of the postseason.  But let’s not discount the hitters.  I already mentioned what Burrell can do, but he’s not the only one in that lineup.  Posey is a strong candidate for rookie-of-the-year, having had a monster season.  Aubrey Huff, Cody Ross, Freddy Sanchez and Andres Torres are no slouches, either.  Then in red pinstripes you don’t have an easy out, from Shane Victorino to that guy they call “Chooch” hitting eighth.  We could see a all 2-1 games, or we could see a couple of crooked numbers.  Don’t just assume a pitchers duel.

Playing a Clean Game

                While both teams played well in the NLDS, it’s no secret they were helped out tremendously by errors committed by the opposing teams.  With the exceptional pitching featured in this series, it could be the team that makes the fewest mistakes—and does the most to create runs.

***There will be no prediction for this series.  I have a policy of not betting, voting or predicting when one of my teams are involved***

ALCS Preview: Yankees vs. Rangers

Schedule

 Game 1:              Today, 8PM, Arlington

                              Sabathia vs. Wilson

 Game 2:              Tomorrow, 4PM, Arlington

                              Hughes vs. Lewis

 Game 3:              Monday 10/18, 8PM, New York

                              Lee vs. Pettitte

 Game 4:              Tuesday 10/19, 8PM, New York

                              Hunter vs. Burnett

*Game 5:             Wednesday 10/20, 4PM, New York

                              Wilson vs. Sabathia

*Game 6:             Friday 10/22, 8PM, Arlington

                              Hughes vs. Lewis

*Game 7:             Saturday 10/23, 8PM, Arlington

                              Pettitte vs. Lee

Who’s Hot:

NYY:        OF Curtis Granderson – 5-for-11 (.455), 2B, 3B, 3 RBI, 1 BB/1 K, SB

                  RHP Mariano Rivera – 3.1 IP, 2 SV, 2 H, 0 BB/1 K, 0.60 WHIP, 0.00 ERA

                  RHP Phil Hughes – 1-0, 7 IP, 4 H, 1 BB/6 K, 0.71 WHIP, 0.00 ERA

TEX:        2B Ian Kinsler – 8-for-18 (.444), 5 R, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 2 BB/2 K

                  OF Nelson Cruz – 8-for-20 (.400), 5 R, 3 HR, 3 RBI, 0 BB/6 K

                  LHP CJ Wilson – 1-0, 6.1 IP, 2 H, 2 BB/7 K, 0.63 WHIP, 0.00 ERA

                  LHP Cliff Lee – 2-0, 16 IP, 11 H, 2 ER, 0 BB/21 K, 0.69 WHIP, 1.13 ERA

Who’s Not:

NYY:        OF Brett Gardner – 2-for-10 (.200), R, RBI, 1 BB/3K, SB

                  RHP Kerry Wood – 2 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB/3 K, 3.00 WHIP, 4.50 ERA

TEX:        OF Josh Hamilton – 2-for-18 (.111), R, RBI, 2 BB/6 K, SB

                  3B Michael Young – 3-for-20 (.150), R, HR, 3 RBI, 0 BB/6 K

                  RHP Neftali Feliz – 1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 3 BB/2 K, 3.75 WHIP, 6.75 ERA

The Rest Factor

                  Who will it benefit more?  The Yankees, who haven’t played in six days?  Or the Rangers, who won’t have to worry about any rust accumulation?  This should be a bonus for Texas.  They’ll still be high from the franchise’s first post-season series victory, but will still have had a few days to settle down.  They’ll be playing in their home park—sure to be deafening (though they’ve never won a home playoff game in 6 tries)—against a starter who struggles sometimes when he’s too intense in C.C. Sabathia.  The Rangers need to jump early on the southpaw so that the other initialed lefty (C.J. Wilson) can play with the lead. Advantage: Texas

MVP Candidate Josh Hamilton has struggled with a rib injury since September.  He went 2-for-18 in the ALDS.

The Stars

                  The Yankees looked like the Yankees against the Twins…they played like a team who would settle for nothing less than a championship, from top-to-bottom.  The Rangers on the other hand, were a mixed bag.  Some players starred—like Lee, Kinsler and Cruz—but others, like Young and Feliz, struggled, especially in compared to their regular season campaigns.  The Rangers have to get their entire team on board to beat the Yankees.  Advantage: New York

Prediction  

(Hey, it's another theory...not fact!)

•  Rangers take Game 1 by jumping on Sabathia early.  Wilson stifles the Yankees left-handed bats (his .176 SLG against was the lowest in baseball this year), though he’s not flawless. Rangers lead, 1-0
• Game 2 goes to the Yankees, as Texieria launches a home run off Colby Lewis for the difference.  Phil Hughes turns in a solid 7-inning performance. Series Tied, 1-1
• Lee leads Texas to a victory in Game 3 with another strong outing.  Lee is 6-1 in his last 8 games against the Yankees including an unbelievable 4-0 with a 1.16 ERA and 2 complete games in the Bronx.  Andy Pettite pitches well, but can’t compete with the ace. Rangers lead, 2-1
• Game 4 proves to be a microcosm of the entire series.  AJ Burnett and Tommy Hunter are both knocked out before the 5^th inning and the lead goes back and forth a number of times.  The see-saw ends with the Rangers on top in a wild, high-scoring affair with Young as the catalyst. Rangers lead, 3-1
• The Yankees bounce back in Game 5 behind their ace, Sabathia.  A double-digit strikeout performance sends the Yankees to the airport with momentum on their side.  CJ Wilson pitches well, but stays in the game a little too long, giving up a 3-run bomb to Rodriguez before exiting. Rangers lead, 3-2



Colby Lewis will start twice in the ALCS

• In Game 6, Lewis extracts his revenge.  The pitcher who returned from Japan after figuring out how to pitch doesn’t let Texieria beat him today, striking him out twice to go with a weak pop-up.  The Rangers manufacture a key run early with aggressive baserunning and Vlad Guerrero hits a clutch home run off of Wood in the 7^th, erasing a great performance from Hughes, as the Rangers take the series with a one-run victory. Rangers win series, 4-2.

Yesterday's Transactions (10/13/10)

MLB

• Atlanta Braves hired Fredi Gonzalez as their new manager.
• This is a nice choice.  Gonzalez was among the most qualified candidates available, and he's familiar with the organization.  He should allow the Braves to continue contending despite the loss of forever manager Bobby Cox.  You have to feel bad for Terry Pendelton, though.
• St. Louis Cardinals claimed RHP Bryan Augenstein off waivers from Arizona Diamondbacks
• Not a bad depth move.  Augenstein was decent in the low minors, though struggled after a brief, but successful stint at AA in 2009.  Only 24 in 2011, Augenstein could develop into a useful spot-starter/long man under the tutelage of some talented pitching coaches in St. Louis.

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NFL

• Philadelphia Eagles traded RB Mike Bell to Cleveland Browns for RB Jerome Harrison
• Two different backs, both fell out of favor with their respective teams.  Bell had trouble being the change-of-pace back in the Philly ground game and Harrison lost his starting job to Peyton Hillis.  This move should play out nicely for both teams, but on the surface looks like the Eagles got the better deal.
• Minnesota Vikings placed CB Cedric Griffin on Injured Reserve
• Ouch.  An already struggling team loses a key piece of it's pass defense.  Aaron Rodgers, Matt Stafford and Jay Cutler have to be happy right now.
• San Diego Chargers placed LB Shawne Merriman on Injured List
• Merriman must be waived once he's healthy.  Quite the fall for someone who was arguably the best defensive player in the game a few years ago.  The Chargers look bad, and this can't make them any better.  Guess Tila Tequilla did some damage.
• San Diego Chargers sign T Marcus McNeill to 5-year contract extension
• Never a bad move to lock up a good, young player, especially at an important position like LT.  If your QB goes down, so does your chances of hoisting the Lombardi Trophy.  I'm curious to the financial cost.

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NHL

• Chicago Blackhawks D Niklas Hjalmarsson two games for hit on Buffalo Sabres RW Jason Pominville
• Watch the hit here.  I don't know if this is a suspendable hit or not.  It's definitely borderline.  I'd probably have let it go.  He didn't leave his feet, didn't go for the head, and it was a sideways hit, not from behind.  You can't take the hard hits out of the game.  It is a contact sport.  And frankly, if Pominville didn't leave the game, he wouldn't be suspended at all.
• San Jose Sharks assigned G Thomas Greiss to Worcester (AHL)
• Greiss didn't stand much of a chance of cracking the NHL roster, barring an injury to Antero Nittymaki or Anti Niemi, the two goalies signed in the offseason to replace longtime starter Evgeni Nabokov.  The 24-year-old will be an NHL starter, and soon -- he put up a 2.68 GAA and .912 SV% in 12 decisions (7-4-1) last year.

"Year of the Pitcher"

"The Year of the Pitcher"

That’s what 2010 has been dubbed—and rightfully so. Strikeouts are up. Walks are down. So are home runs, runs scored and batting averages (or on-base percentage if you’re a Sabermetrics nut). Ditto for all the offensive stats. In fact, only stolen bases held steady with 2009, and no relevant stats increased.

While those home runs are sexy, and crooked numbers appease the “casual fan,” it’s pitching that’s important for a ball club to be successful.

Look at the eight playoff teams this year.

Only two teams finished with an ERA over 4: New York at 4.06 and Cincinnati at 4.02 (who not-so-coincidentally led their respective leagues in runs per game). League-average ERA was 4.08 in 2010.

But then consider the pitchers who are leading their teams into October. Halladay, Hamels and Oswalt in Philadelphia—one of the best trio’s in history. Their NLCS opponents: Lincecum, Cain and Sanchez of the Giants. Sabathia, Pettitte and Hughes in New York. Cliff Lee. David Price.

Hell, even if you forget the playoffs, just look at some of the teams who “overachieved” in 2010.

Roy Halladay threw two no-hitters this season

• Atlanta—who had little to no offense, especially without Chipper Jones for most of the year—wound up winning the wild card.
  
• San Diego—picked by many to bring up the rear of the NL West—weren’t eliminated from playoff contention until Game 162.
  
• Oakland—who looked deep in the rebuilding process—hung around with Texas into the All-Star break.

Then others, with strong offenses (think St. Louis, Boston, Colorado, Milwaukee) couldn’t hang around for the full season, largely because of a lack of quality pitching depth.

If you look at the numbers, this year marked a decent improvement for pitchers, but the pendulum has been swinging away from the plate and back to the mound for a number of years now. Runs scored (along with most offensive stats) have been dropping since 2006.

Naturally, pitching stats have gone the opposite direction.

But why was this year so dominant?

Some might suggest it’s got something to do with steroids and P.E.D.’s. I disagree, largely because they can benefit pitchers just as much, if not more, than hitters.

Others claim it’s just the natural swing of things. I can buy that, as one side is constantly looking for the upper hand, and once they get it, the other side will try even harder to counteract that. The natural ebb and flow…yin and yang, if you will.

One of my favorite theories is that of “The Rise of the Cutter,” suggested by Dave Cameron of U.S.S. Mariner and Fangraphs. I highly advise reading the article. It’s short, but informative. It’s just amazing it took 15 years for people to learn from Mariano Rivera.

So in the end, maybe we should have expected 6 ½ no-hitters this year. It really wasn’t all that far-fetched. 2011 should be another dominant year for pitchers, but I wouldn’t anticipate the pendulum swinging much further away from the batters, either.

Another Crack of the Bat

So, with some added free time, new exposure to sports talk radio (my old car wouldn't pickup AM...the new one even has XM!), and a constant interest in writing I decided to get the old blog idea rolling again.


Basically, you'll just get my two cents on things.  I'll try to make it somewhat original and insightful.  At the very least not just chewing up and spitting out the news.

Some things I'd like to try out here over time include predictions, educational pieces (understanding certain stats, sports histories, biographical pieces, etc), podcasts, transaction reviews and my "Vegas" picks.

But these are just ideas.  For now, enjoy!

-Jason