Wednesday, August 20, 2003
Barry
From the couch at my new apartment, I can vaugely make out the lights of Pacific Bell Park twinkling in the background. I had the better view of the Braves-Giants tilt last night on Fox Sports Net. Of course Barry had the best view. The one at home plate. With a 2-1 count. In the top of the 10th.
Joe Sheehan of Baseball Prospectus (if you're not a subscriber, you should be) writes today that there's a 30 percent chance of Bonds hitting a home run this year with a two ball, one strike count. Sheehan also shows that Bonds, toiling in the worst hitters park in the league, hits significantly better at his home park than Todd Helton hits in Coors Field. And then there's this nugget. With an 0-2 count, Bonds is hitting .317 with a .404 on base and a .683 slugging. The major league average at 0-2 this year is .156/.167/.231. That's not domination. That's a legend.
From the couch at my new apartment, I can vaugely make out the lights of Pacific Bell Park twinkling in the background. I had the better view of the Braves-Giants tilt last night on Fox Sports Net. Of course Barry had the best view. The one at home plate. With a 2-1 count. In the top of the 10th.
Joe Sheehan of Baseball Prospectus (if you're not a subscriber, you should be) writes today that there's a 30 percent chance of Bonds hitting a home run this year with a two ball, one strike count. Sheehan also shows that Bonds, toiling in the worst hitters park in the league, hits significantly better at his home park than Todd Helton hits in Coors Field. And then there's this nugget. With an 0-2 count, Bonds is hitting .317 with a .404 on base and a .683 slugging. The major league average at 0-2 this year is .156/.167/.231. That's not domination. That's a legend.
Tuesday, August 19, 2003
Off The Scrap Heap
No team in the NL has been as active as the Cubs in trying to remake themselves, with all the emphasis on assemblying spare parts and nearly washed-up veterans to create a semblance of a major league offense. The scorecard.
Player: Randall Simon
Position: Left-handed first baseman
Role: Not the wurst choice, but certainly won't hot dog it. Relieves Karros against tough right handers (which should mean ALL right handers, but it won't). Will he fare any better than Big Choi? Doubtful.
Player: Tony Womack
Position: Weak-hitting middle infielder
Role: Traded for a 21-year-old, I mean 22-year-old, I mean 23-year-old (make up your mind) minor league reliever that you've never heard of and most likely never will. Will play second base until Grudzielanek's broken hand is healed and then find a nice comfy seat on the bench. Still better than Neifi Perez and Augie Ojeda.
Player: Armaris Rameriz
Position: Good-bat, no-glove third baseman
Role: At the plate -- Ole! It's a home run. In the field -- Ole! It's a double.
Player: Kenny Lofton
Position: Centerfielder
Role: Harsh on the Chicago media. Most despised player of his generation in the press box. San Francisco writers preferred the Barry Bonds 'you don't exist' treatment to Lofton's 'you're not a human being' act. During the Series last year Lofton was trying to warm up with Shawon Duston and urged him to throw a ball that would have pegged at least one working reporter. Duston (and any reasonable human being) opted not to, even moreso irritating Kenny.
Player: Doug Glanville
Position: Backup Centerfielder
Role: Gives Cubs Ivy Leauge dominance (Penn) along with Mike Remlinger (Dartmouth). Can't really think of anything else.
No team in the NL has been as active as the Cubs in trying to remake themselves, with all the emphasis on assemblying spare parts and nearly washed-up veterans to create a semblance of a major league offense. The scorecard.
Player: Randall Simon
Position: Left-handed first baseman
Role: Not the wurst choice, but certainly won't hot dog it. Relieves Karros against tough right handers (which should mean ALL right handers, but it won't). Will he fare any better than Big Choi? Doubtful.
Player: Tony Womack
Position: Weak-hitting middle infielder
Role: Traded for a 21-year-old, I mean 22-year-old, I mean 23-year-old (make up your mind) minor league reliever that you've never heard of and most likely never will. Will play second base until Grudzielanek's broken hand is healed and then find a nice comfy seat on the bench. Still better than Neifi Perez and Augie Ojeda.
Player: Armaris Rameriz
Position: Good-bat, no-glove third baseman
Role: At the plate -- Ole! It's a home run. In the field -- Ole! It's a double.
Player: Kenny Lofton
Position: Centerfielder
Role: Harsh on the Chicago media. Most despised player of his generation in the press box. San Francisco writers preferred the Barry Bonds 'you don't exist' treatment to Lofton's 'you're not a human being' act. During the Series last year Lofton was trying to warm up with Shawon Duston and urged him to throw a ball that would have pegged at least one working reporter. Duston (and any reasonable human being) opted not to, even moreso irritating Kenny.
Player: Doug Glanville
Position: Backup Centerfielder
Role: Gives Cubs Ivy Leauge dominance (Penn) along with Mike Remlinger (Dartmouth). Can't really think of anything else.
