Reminder: It's Much More than the Game

It's all about perspective.

Many times we say all that matters is who won.  It doesn't matter how ugly the game was or how many points were scored.  The bottom line is who gets the "W" and who gets the "L".

However, there's so much more going on than just the ticks on the scoreboard.

Yes, there's each separate play.  There's individual players and statistics.  Injuries, mistakes and nuances.  Many little games inside the bigger game.  Many smaller stories inside the bigger story.

But even the big story is part of an even bigger story.  The biggest, in fact.  It's a platform to do good.  Not well...good.

Some, like former head coach Tony Dungy and the late great Reggie White used their platforms to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ--sharing his teachings and inspiring others to be good people. 

Others, like former NFL running back Warrick Dunn and MLB pitcher Jamie Moyer have capitalized on their All-Star status to improve the community--Dunn by establishing a foundation to help low-income, single mothers to provide a home for their children, and Moyer through his foundation to assist children in dealing with the death of a parent or other loved one.

One of the greatest examples of athletes doing good is one you probably didn't even know had a connection to sports: The Ronald McDonald House.

I didn't even have a clue that the organization was actually started by a member of my hometown Eagles.

But that it was--established through the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia by former Eagles tight end Fred Hill after his daughter, Kim, was diagnosed with leukemia at the age of 3.

Kim Hill was the inspiration for the
Ronald McDonald House.
(Photo from Fred Hill via NYT)

I discovered this through an article in the NY Times, which notes the path the charity took, from its initial establishment by Hill, Stan Lane (neighbor) and the Eagles owners, through the Shamrock Shake to being officially named the Ronald McDonald House.

Kim Hill passed away on Saturday, due to brain cancer.  She wasn't expected to reach adulthood, but lived to be 44.  Kim worked as a manager at McDonald's, and served as a spokeswoman for the charity. 

Let this be a reminder that while there are athletes and owners who are guilty of greed and selfishness, there are also many, many in the sports business that find their blessings to simply be the vehicle to a greater destination.  And without that vehicle, many of those destinations may not be reached, their purposes not realized.

Kim was an inspiration to many.  Her story--as well as the stories of so many others--should be told over and over, a reminder of what is right with the world, even in the face of tragedy and death. 

RIP Kim.  Your legacy will live on forever and you will always be an inspiration.

This Isn't Ice Dancing!

One of the top two teams all season, the Flyers of late look more like Brian Boitano and Scott Hamilton than Brian Boucher and Scott Hartnell.

So what's going on with this team?

Chris Pronger says the team needs to want it more.  That's for sure.  Just because you've hit 40 wins, been among the best of the best this season and virtually locked up a playoff spot doesn't mean you can relax and practice toe loops.

"Stick with the program and don’t
try to do too much out there,"
said captain Mike Richards after
the Flyers 7-0 loss to the Rangers on Sunday.

Now, being pre-occupied with wedding stuff and the traveling that goes along with it, I haven't had much of a chance to see too much hockey lately.  But what I have seen--including the final 30 minutes of the pitiful 7-0 loss at the hands of the rival NY Rangers--has been nothing short of pathetic.

In particular, its the defense that has looked the worst.  I've seen at least 3 goals the past two games that were of no fault to the goalies.  When an opposing forward gets not one, not two, but three cracks at the puck, your defense is seriously slacking.  Especially with the bruising d-men on this roster, that player should have been burried after his first shot.

A goalie should only have to make the first save.  Two at the most.  Calling on your goalie to make three saves in a row on the same player is just asking for another tally in the "L" column.

Yesterday's embarassment at Madison Square Garden was possibly the worst Flyers game I've seen in my lifetime...certainly the worst of recent memory.  No goals in 60 minutes.  Against a team you scored 3, 4, 4, and 4 goals against in your previous 4 meetings? 

It wasn't just the defense yesterday.  And it certainly hasn't been the only thing wrong with the team.  Peter Laviolette called out the power play in the Inky last week (0-fer in the last 14 attempts), and the team has been dealing with injuries they were previously able to avoid.  Carter, Betts, Powe, Carcillo, Pronger, O'Donnell...all have missed time recently due to injury/illness.  That's going to contribute as well.

But on the whole--and especially against the Rangers--it boils down to pride.  The team has to come out and play like they want to win.  They have to play like they did all season.  I just finished reading "Quiet Strength" by Tony Dungy, and one of the things that stuck out to me was that he always told his team "Do what we do."  That's exactly what the Flyers need to do.  Don't change your M.O.  It's worked all season.  Keep it up.

The Flyers do certain things well.  They're aggressive.  They're smart.  They're hard workers.

If they keep that up, they've got a great shot at topping last season.

If they decide a triple axel is more fun, they're much more likely for an early exit from the playoffs.

NLCS Review: Phillies Fall to Giants

The Giants celebrate their victory over the Phillies in Game 6 of the NLCS to win the NL Pennant

I don't want to do this.

I mean, I really don't want to do this.  I put it off for a day, but I suppose I owe it to you all.

As a Phillies fan, nothing was more frustrating than the past week and a half.  Watching a team that was built to win championship after championship play like the Phillies of 2000 (65-97) was agonizing. 

The Giants' offense--self-described as "torture"--looked more like your favorite slippers and a warm blanket when compared to that of the Phillies.

Yeah, it really was that bad.

Before I get too carried away, let's look over the points discussed in the NLCS Preview.

The Rust Factor
The Phillies didn't really show so much rust in Game 1.  At least not looking back on it.  At first, it may have appeared that way--Roy Halladay didn't have his "A" game, and the offense sputtered and struggled to score.  But as we reflect on the series as a whole, it wasn't rust for the offense, and maybe, just maybe, the Giants were so well prepared that they were able to jump on every opportunity and mistake.

Coming Back

Cody Ross hurt the Phillies more than
any other Giant in the NLCS

Neither Pat Burrell, nor Aaron Rowand wound up doing much damage to the Phillies in their return to Philadelphia.  Actually, both were quite ineffective.  Burrell hit a measly .211 and knocked in just one run.  Rowand started a couple of games and went 1-for-5 with a run scored.  In the end, it wound up being another guy the Phillies were quite familiar with in Cody Ross that did the most damage.

Pitching, Pitching, Pitching
Well, we didn't really see much in the way of pitchers' duels, but we didn't exactly see the scoreboards light up, either.  This was a dirty series where most of the runs were scrapped together.  No pitcher was truly dominant (aside from maybe Roy Oswalt in Game 2), but on the flip side, only Jonathan Sanchez really failed on the hill.  In the end, pitching really didn't determine this series.  The offenses did, but not in the way I expected, either.

Playing a Clean Game

Here's where the games were decided.  Chase Utley played some poor defense all series.  Placido Polanco drilled Buster Posey in the back on a throw to first.  Shane Victorino couldn't corral an over-the-shoulder catch at the wall.  The Phillies offense, well, they couldn't do anything right.  They had a horrible approach at the plate, swinging at bad breaking pitches and taking belt-high fastballs.  And they had opportunities, they just didn't take advantage of them.  On the other side of the field, the Giants jumped on every bad pitch and made a point to get the runner home one way or another.

Not to take anything away from the Giants--they clearly wanted this more and played a damn good series--but the Phillies beat themselves first and foremost.  A team with this much offensive talent should not finish a six game series with a triple slash line of .216/.314/.321.  Note the last number.  The Phillies are known for their home run power.  Their postseason lineup slugged .449 in the regular season.  Ouch.

Chase Utley and the Phillies position players
couldn't do anything right against the Giants,
in the field or at the plate

The Phillies couldn't do anything right at the plate this series.  They struckout 56 times while walking just 20.  They left 45 runners on base (7.5/game) and hit just .178 (8-for-45) with runners in scoring position.  Countless times they couldn't drive a leadoff baserunner home.  The only player who actually hit the baseball--Ryan Howard--finished without an RBI (and 12 K).

I'll leave you with a rundown of some key players in the series.

 Giants

• Cody Ross - .350, 3 HR, 5 RBI, 4 R, 2 BB/5 K
• Matt Cain - 1-0, 7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 5 K/3 BB, 0.714 WHIP, 0.00 ERA
• Tim Lincecum - 1-1, 14.1 IP, 12 H, 5 ER, 16 K/4 BB, 1.116 WHIP, 3.14 ERA
• Brian Wilson - 1-0, 3 SV, 5 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 7 K/2 BB, 0.800 WHIP, 0.00 ERA

Phillies

• Roy Oswalt - 1-1, 14.2 IP, 14 H, 3 ER, 14 K/3 BB, 1.159 WHIP, 1.84 ERA
• Carlos Ruiz - .167, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 2 R, 1 BB/7 K
• Chase Utley - .182, 1 RBI, 5 R, 4 BB/2 K
• Ryan Howard - .318, 0 RBI, 1 R, 3 BB/12  

 

 

ALCS Review: Rangers Dominate Yankees

The Rangers took down the defending World Champion Yankees in six games

Very few, if any, saw this coming.

Yeah, the Texas Rangers are a damn good team.  But c'mon, this is the Yankees we're talking about.  They've been penciled into the 2010 World Series since they won the 2009 Series.

But, as they say, that's why they play the games.

To the uneducated observer, it would appear as though the Rangers were the perennial playoff team and the Yankees were the team that just won its first ever playoff series.

The fact that the opposite is true only makes what the Rangers accomplished that much more impressive.

First, let's review my series preview (as you may recall, I predicted the Rangers in 6).

I mentioned two key factors that would play a major impact in the outcome of the series: the rest factor and the star factor.

Boy did they ever.

First, concerning the rest factor, I noted that there was a legitimate possibility that the Yankees could come out flat, allowing the Rangers to jump out to an early lead at home.  Well, they did, but unfortunately for the Rangers, the bullpen couldn't hold their 5-0 lead and the Yankees stole Game One.  Still, the Rangers proved to themselves that they could beat the Yankees.  And that was all they needed.

Then, the stars.  This is where the series really took shape.  Bottom line: the Rangers stars were up to the task and the Yankees stars faltered.

I'll recap this with a review of the key players for each team:

Rangers

• Elvis Andrus - .333/.379/.407, 2 RBI, 4 R, 4 SB, 2 BB/3 K
• Nelson Cruz - .350/.435/.800, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 6 R, 3 BB/6 K
• Vlad Guerrero - .269/.269/.346, 3 RBI, 2 R, 0 BB/8 K
• *Josh Hamilton - .350/.536/1.000, 4 HR, 7 RBI, 6 R, 4 SB, 8 BB/4 K
• Ian Kinsler - .250/.333/.400, 3 RBI, 1 R, 2 SB, 3 BB/3 K
• Michael Young - .333/.357/.444, 4 RBI, 3 R, 1 BB/7 K
• Cliff Lee - 8 IP, 1-0, 13 K/1 BB, 2 H, 0 ER, 0.375 WHIP, 0.00 ERA

Yankees

Rodriguez and the Yankees failed
miserably against the Rangers in the ALCS

• Robinson Cano - .348/.375/.913, 4 HR, 5 RBI, 5 R, 1 BB/3 K
• Derek Jeter - .231/.286/.423, 1 RBI, 2 R, 2 BB/7 K
• Alex Rodriguez - .190/.320/.286, 2 RBI, 4 R, 1 SB, 3 BB/4 K 
• #Mark Texeira - .000/.176/.000, 1 R, 3 BB/4 K
• Phil Hughes - 8.2 IP, 0-2, 6 K/7 BB, 14 H, 11 ER, 2.423 WHIP, 11.42 ERA
• Andy Pettitte - 7 IP, 0-1, 5 K/0 BB, 5 H, 2 ER, 0.714 WHIP, 2.57 ERA
• CC Sabathia - 10 IP, 1-0, 10 K/4 BB, 17 H, 7 ER, 2.100 WHIP, 6.30 ERA

*Named ALCS MVP
#Injured in Game 4

As you can see, the Rangers came out and got the job done.  Some-Cruz, Hamilton and Lee-were nearly unstoppable, while the rest held their ground and came up big when it was most crucial.

The Yankees, on the other hand, got almost nothing out of their stars.  Cano was spectacular, but he got no help from the rest of the lineup and the only game the Yankees got good starting pitching (Pettitte in Game 3), they couldn't muster up enough run support to pull out the victory.

Colby Lewis dominated the Yankees
in two starts, winning both

Before I wrap this up, I want to note the stellar performances by Colby Lewis.  Lewis-who pitched in Japan the last two years-was dominant against a potent Yankees lineup, shutting them down to the tune of 9 hits and three earned runs over 13.2 innings, posting a 1.98 ERA and a 1.098 WHIP in two victories.  Lewis' ace-like performances took the pressure off Cliff Lee and the offense, and quite possibly was the key player in the series.

Now, the Rangers will rest, fine tune and prepare themselves for the biggest stage they've ever seen.  Their opponent in the World Series, be it the Giants or the Phillies, will have their hands full with this group.  It should be quite the spectacular sight to see the dominant rotation that comes out of the NL face off against this group of violent and deadly bats.

Baseball fans, we're in for a treat.

This Buster Posey Kid Is Pretty Damn Good

For those of you outside the cities of San Francisco and Philadelphia, I've got some news for you.

Buster Posey is a damn fine ballplayer.

I don't just mean he could have a good career.  I mean he's already one of the top 5 catchers in baseball.

No, that's not a joke or an exaggeration.

Posey has been an integral part of the
Giants success in 2010.

The numbers speak for themselves.  A .305/.357/.505 triple slash line over 443 plate appearances.  18 home runs, 67 RBI and 58 runs scored.  A respectable strikeout rate (13.5%) and a good arm (his 37.1% of runners caught ranked 4th in the National League in 2010).

And it's not just luck.  His .315 BABIP (batting average on balls in-play) was significantly lower than his minor league BABIP.

He might not be Joe Mauer--yet--but he sure looks like a young Mauer.  His pure ability to hit is special, and his knowledge of the game far surpasses that of most players his age.  Sounds a lot like Mauer at 23.

And he knows how to handle a pitching staff, too, as the Giants led the major leagues in ERA, Strikeouts and Hits Allowed in 2010.  Though they do have a great staff that also excelled in 2009, the catcher is still responsible for calling the game and gaining the pitchers trust and confidence (allowing the pitcher to focus on making his pitch, instead of worrying about pitch selection).

But where Posey's star has really shone bright, has been the postseason.  Hitting .344/.400/.438, Posey has been an imposing force in the middle of the San Francisco lineup.  He hasn't had the flashy numbers--0 HR, 2 RBI, 4 R and a SB--but he's been a smart and productive hitter, driving the ball hard and working great at bats.

And if the Giants make it to the World Series, Posey's star will no longer be a secret.

Redemption: What the Phillies and Yankees Must Do to Win

The preseason favorites.  The favorites after 162 games.  The favorites after Game 6 in 2009.

The Yankees and the Phillies.

Both losing to teams that were looked at as questionable contenders at the start of the season.  Unproven teams with little-to-no postseason experience.

But yet they stand on the wrong side of the hyphen.

Here's why, and how they can change that.

Yankees
The Yankees need the most help, looking up at a 3-1 deficit.  Oh yeah, they still have to face Cliff Lee again, and play two games in Arlington.  Ouch.  The list of what the Yankees have to do is a mile long.  Or one item long.  Depends on what approach you want to take.

The Yankees still have to face this guy--in Texas--if they want a chance to repeat as world champions

The List:

• Turn the pressure around.  Even though the pressure is on the Yanks right now to win three straight, they can't allow themselves to be enveloped by that pressure.  Take some, use it for fuel, and turn the rest onto the Rangers.  Prove to them you aren't out of it, and make them fear you just because you're the Yankees, and if anyone can do it, it's the Yankees.
• Make the Rangers work for their last win.  That means taking pitches and getting to the bullpen.  It means driving the ball hard, even if it's for an out.  It means not giving them easy outs.  They need 27 outs.
• Jump on the starters early.  You've now seen CJ Wilson and Colby Lewis in the series.  You know what they've got.  Know what pitch you can hit, and jump on it.
• Play perfect defense.  A good team makes you pay for giving them 4 (or more) outs in an inning.  A team like the Rangers uses it to put you away.

Or the short list:

• Play Yankees baseball.

Phillies
The Phillies are in a better position.  Down 2-1, they still have the best pitching trio in baseball set to pitch in 3 of 4 games...not-so-coincidentally, the number of games they need to win to move on to the World Series.  The problem is, the Giants have a pretty good trio of their own.

The List:

• Stop helping the Giants.  The whole reason you're facing the Giants instead of the Braves is because of errors.  You can't give a team extra outs and expect to survive.  The Phillies almost suffered that fate against the Reds in Game 2, except that the Reds defense turned around and gave those outs right back to the Phillies...and then some.
• Get a strong outing from Joe Blanton in Game 4.  Winning Game 4 would be huge, but most important is that the team isn't out of the game early.  With the Philly offense sputtering (okay, more like breaking down a few miles from home), the pitching needs to be extra sharp.
• Take Cody Ross out of the game.  Okay, not really.  I'd never wish an injury on anyone.  But you have to do something to keep this guy from hurting you.  Pitch around him.  Don't let anyone on base in front of him.  But most importantly, don't throw the ball down and in.

Cody Ross has killed the Phillies through three games.  Limiting his opportunities is a key to the Phillies' comeback attempts

• Shake up the lineup.  I don't really care how you do it, but Charlie, you've got to get this offense jump-started.  They hit .212 in the NLDS against the Reds, and are under .200 in the NLCS.  Maybe you put Jimmy Rollins back in the leadoff spot.  Maybe you sit Raul Ibanez against the lefty tonight, going instead with Ben Francisco.  Maybe you completely change the lineup (the Phillies have five guys in their lineup who have led-off for this team in the past, and another with the OBP to do so).
• Hit home runs.  Ryan Howard is hitting the ball hard, but not out.  He needs to launch one to energize this team.  A home run out of the leadoff spot would serve well to set the tone for the offense as well.
• Capitalize on opportunities.  You know why Cody Ross is killing you?  It's because he's doing what you're not...taking a mistake pitch, or his pitch, and jumping on it.  Don't let opportunities--like leadoff baserunners and belt-high fastballs--go to waste.
• Know when to be patient and when to be aggressive.  Guys like Lincecum and Cain don't give you much to hit, so when you get a fastball, swing.  They handled Sanchez perfectly.  As a guy who can be wild, they were patient early and walked a bunch.  Then as the game wore on, Sanchez tried harder to throw strikes, and the Phillies jumped on fastballs thrown early in the count.

That might seem like a lot, and frankly, it is.  But it's nothing that these teams haven't done for years with roughly the same group of guys.  A Phillies-Yankees rematch is still a possibility, and until a team has been beaten four times, don't count either of them out.  This could--and frankly, should--be one heck of a finish.

Statistic of the Week: WHIP

This is a feature I'd like to start here on the blog. I not only want to use this blog for commentary, but also as a place where sports fans can learn. Part of that learning will be history lessons--telling stories about events that shaped sports and the people that made them what they are today. But it also involves knowing the terminology, and some of the most complicated of those are statistics. This section will help you understand what someone means when they throw out some seemingly-random acronym.

Pedro Martinez posted the lowest single-season WHIP (0.7373) in 2000 with the Red Sox

WHIP stands for Walks + Hits per Inning Pitched.  It is a simple sabermetric statistic that is used to show how effective a pitcher is at keeping the opposing team off the basepaths.  It is measured by adding the number of hits and walks, and then dividing that total by the number of innings pitched.

Naturally, the lower this number is, the better the pitcher should be at keeping the bases empty.  And after all, if the other team can't reach base, they can't score runs.

The statistic was probably invented by the man who is credited with inventing fantasy baseball: Dan Okrent.  Okrent, who designed the game as a way to have fun with friends, created the statistic by using the Strat-O-Matic baseball game and a newspaper.  The statistic was originally called IPRAT (Innings Pitched Ratio), and was later renamed WHIP.

Okrent developed the statistic in 1980, and it didn't take long for the stat to become integrated as a useful tool for fans and baseball professionals alike.

The stat however, is not without its flaws.  In the Wall Street Journal article that credits Okrent for creating the statistic, the Director of Baseball Operations for the Tampa Bay Rays, Dan Feinstein, notes the team ignores the statistic when evaluating players.  He gives the following explanation in the article for the organization's decision:

“Once a ball is hit, the pitcher has no control over the outcome of the play, with the exception of the home run,” Mr. Feinstein explains. “There are too many factors that determine whether or not that ball will be a hit, including ballpark size and dimension, positioning of the defense and ability of his defenders.”

 That said, WHIP is one of the more widely-accepted sabermetrics in baseball.  While there will never be one single, flawless statistic in sports, in context, there are many useful pieces of data.  It is up to us, as humans, to properly apply each statistic properly.

I'll wrap up this post with a list of the leaders in this statistic.  Please note, that for single-season data, a minimum of one inning pitched per game is required.  For career data, a minimum of 1000 innings pitched is required.


Lowest Single-Season WHIP: 0.7373, Pedro Martinez (2000)
Lowest Career WHIP: 0.9678, Addie Joss (1902-1910)
Lowest Career WHIP (Active): 1.0035, Mariano Rivera (1995-present)