Friday, June 29, 2012

My NL All-Star Ballot

As promised, here is my NL All-Star Ballot. If you read my AL All-Star Ballot post, you know I tend to favor hitting for my All-Star selections, so there shouldn't be too many surprises here.

First Base- This one was easy, Joey Votto. He's hitting .349, no other first baseman is even hitting over .300 right now. He's also 1st in slugging (.636), 1st in on base percentage (.474, and no one else is over .362), 2nd in home runs, 2nd in RBIs, and the leader in walks. He is 8th in fielding percentage, which isn't great obviously, but he's a monster at the plate, so that earns my vote.

Second Base- After scouring the stats, I ended up going with Jose Altuve. I honestly have no idea who is actually going to be selected, but Altuve made the most sense to me. He's hitting .309, has 12 stolen bases (both of which are tops for the position), and he's 3rd in on base percentage and slugging percentage. His fielding stats aren't great, he's 11th in terms of fielding percentage with 8 errors, but he's also had the 4th most total chances. Again, no clue who is going to start at second for the NL, but I voted for Altuve.

Shortstop- Oh if only Starlin Castro cared about his defense. That guy could be the future of the Cubs infield, but he just commits too many errors, especially for a shortstop. I went with Rafael Furcal on my ballot. Yes he's 3rd in average, but he doesn't strike out much (only 36 K's in 297 at bats), he's second in on base percentage, and 4th in RBIs. What really set him apart for me is his defensive stats. Fielding percentage he's 2nd, but Willie Bloomquist, the leader, has played 20 fewer games.

Third Base-David Wright made this one easy. He's hitting .361, no other 3B is over .285, he leads in RBIs, on base percentage, slugging percentage, and he's tied for fourth in home runs. Easy choice. Didn't even have to look at fielding stats for this one.

Right Field-This one ended up being easier than I thought it would. Andre Ethier had my vote up until about 2 weeks ago when the Dodgers decided to stop hitting. Then I looked at the actual season stats, and Carlos Beltran basically jumped off the screen. Only left fielder hitting over .300, .312 to be exact, he's got 20 home runs, and he leads in on base percentage and slugging percentage. He deserves the nod, and I don't think I ever expected myself to write that about him. 


Center Field- Why Matt Kemp? Why do you have to be hurt again? Kemp is in my opinion one of the top 3 or 4 players in the entire game right now. There is nothing he can't do, except stay healthy I guess. I went with Andrew McCutchen. Tops in average, on base, slugging percentage, home runs, RBIs, and doubles. Need I say more?


Left Field-I know Ryan Braun is probably going to end up getting the nod. But I still believe he took PEDs, so I'll never consider him for anything ever again. He's a cheater in my mind, and cheater's do not deserve to be celebrated. As much as I hate the Giants, I had to go with Melky Cabrera. He's hitting .355, his on base percentage is .398, which are both tops in the league. Also, consider that he's hitting that well playing in a pitcher's park a lot of the time. He also doesn't strike out much, so he got my vote. (Again, I feel like I'm going to puke.)


Catcher-Earlier in the month AJ Ellis would have been a no brainer for me. Now, not so much. But the choice was easy. Carlos Ruiz. He's hitting .362, and his OPS is 1.017. I don't really think I need to say much else. 


Starting Pitcher-How do you not go with RA Dickey? He's 11-1 with a 2.31 ERA and a 0.91 WHIP. All best in the league. This one was easy.


Write In-I didn't want to do it, but I had to. Bryce Harper. The kid is amazingly talented, he's a future star, and he deserves to go to the All-Star Game this year. I don't like the kid's attitude, or his approach to the media, although to be fair, that WAS a clown question, bro. At some point I think he'll mature, and then maybe I'll have a little more respect for him. But for now, I don't like the guy. But I did vote for him.


So there you have it folks, both of my All-Star Ballots. Will be interesting to see how many I get wrong, wouldn't be surprised if that's around the 50% mark to be honest. But again, I vote for the players I think deserve to go, not my favorites. If I did that, I'd only vote for Red Sox and Dodgers. 


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My AL All-Star Ballot

Now that voting has closed for the All-Star Game, I figured why not do a post about who I voted for and why. I'll be sure to get my NL ballot up soon after this one.

First Base-This one was difficult for me. Prince Fielder and Paul Konerko are easily the top two hitters at the position, no one else is even really close right now. Konerko has the highest batting average, .320, but he only has the 5th most RBIs, which of course Fielder leads with 50, 11 more than Konerko. Ultimately, I went with Konerko. He's on a worse team and he has the higher fielding percentage. Overall he's been the best first baseman in the American League so far.


Second Base-I know I'm biased, but I honestly think Dustin Pedroia is the best second baseman in all of baseball. That being said, I couldn't bring myself to vote for him. He simply hasn't been good enough at the plate so far. I had to go with one of my least favorite players, Robinson Cano. He's the only 2nd baseman hitting over .300, he has 18 home runs (7 more than the next closest 2B) and he's first in slugging percentage, .579, the only 2B slugging over .460. While he's not great defensively, he's been a terror at the plate, and that earns him the nod. (I think I'm going to puke.)

Shortstop-We all know Jeter is going to get the starting spot, but I didn't vote for him. I voted for Alcides Escobar. He leads in batting average, he's second in slugging percentage, he's third in on base percentage, and he's tied for 9th in fielding percentage. If you can't tell, I base a lot of my All-Star votes on hitting, so that's why he got my vote.

Third Base-I went with Miguel Cabrera here. He's not leading in batting average for his position, Adrian Beltre is, but he's second. He does lead in on base percentage, slugging percentage, home runs, RBIs, and while he's not a great fielder, he did change positions this year, and he's only committed 8 errors in 73 games. For that, he gets my vote.


Right Field-Mark Trumbo. Have you seen that guy hit? He's hitting the way everyone thought Pujols would be. He leads in batting average, slugging percentage (he's slugging .625, Jose Bautista who is 2nd is slugging .550, wow), and he's 2nd in RBIs and home runs. Simply put, he's an animal at the plate so far this year.


Center Field-Granted he's played like crap the last few weeks, but how could I not vote for Josh Hamilton? 24 home runs (1st) slugging percentage .647 (1st) batting average .316 (3rd) and 69 RBIs (1st, oh and who is 2nd in RBIs? Colby Rasmus, with 45. Yeah, he has 24 more RBIs than the next closest guy.) Hopefully he picks it up in the 2nd half of the season, but he definitely deserves to be in the All-Star Game.

Left Field-Oh left field, how I hate you. There is always one position it seems that is the hardest to choose. I poured over stats and came up with hardly anything. I went with Josh Willingham and I still don't feel good about it. He's hitting .272, which is tops for the position, and he's the only left fielder slugging over .500, but still, blech. Pick it up left fielders, you all are embarrassing yourselves.

Catcher-I really, really wanted to vote for Jared Saltalamacchia. He's got the most home runs, he's 3rd in doubles, but he's only hitting .255, so I just couldn't do it. Add in his shaky defense, and I had to turn my back on Salty. I don't feel good about it, but I try not to be a totally biased homer when it comes to All-Star voting. I ended up going with Joe Mauer. He's the only catcher hitting above .300, .321 to be exact, and I think he deserves it. I know he doesn't catch nearly as many games as he used to, but face it, he's still the best catcher in the AL.

Designated Hitter-David Ortiz, David Ortiz, David Ortiz. If I have to explain why, other than my Red Sox loyalty, you obviously don't watch enough baseball. He's been tearing the cover off the ball. Put it this way, his OPS is 1.020, that should say enough.

Starting Pitcher-This one was hard once I looked at the stats. David Price, Matt Harrison, and Yu Darvish all have 10 wins. There are 4 more guys who have 9 wins, and a handful who have 8. I finally settled on Chris Sale. He's 9-2, his ERA is 2.29, best among starters with a minimum of 80 innings pitched, WHIP is 0.95, 2nd only to Jered Weaver's 0.92, and he's only walked 23 batters this season, which is tied for 7th best in the league.

Write In Vote-Mike Trout. This kid is everything Bryce Harper is without the attitude. He and Trumbo are the future of the Angels. Again, if you don't know who Mike Trout is, you probably don't watch baseball. He deserves to be there.

So that was my AL ballot, and like I said, I'll get my NL one up soon. I realize at 3-4 guys I voted for probably won't be selected, but that's OK. I know most people are stat geeks like me and they just vote for their favorite player regardless of how well they've played so far.

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Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Yankees Pitching Staff Takes A Big Hit

It's rare that I write a blog post with such a big smile on my face, but this is one of them. On Wednesday the Yankees placed their ace CC Sabathia on the 15-day disabled list with a strain of his left groin. Shortly after this, in the 5th inning of their game against the Indians, Andy Pettitte took a ball off his left ankle which we now know is fractured. He is expected to miss at least 6 weeks.  In the span of just a few hours, the Yankees pitching rotation took a major hit.

Now, I have never rooted for a player to get injured, or miss time, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't pleased by this. Don't get me wrong, I'm not happy these guys are hurt, I'm happy the Yankees won't have two of their best pitchers for a little while. I'm unabashedly a Red Sox fan and a Yankee hater, so this really should come as no surprise. Hopefully this will give the Sox an opportunity to gain some ground on the Evil Empire.

The only thing that concerns me about these two guys going down is that the Yankees may throw their hat in the ring for Zack Greinke. Yankees GM Brian Cashman isn't know for making a big splash around the trade deadline, and it's been reported that they'll fill the rotation from within, but they'd be stupid not to at least inquire about a trade for the Brewers ace.  I really hope this doesn't happen, because an August and September of facing Sabathia, Pettitte, and Greinke sounds horribly painful.

For now, the Red Sox need to seize the opportunity. They're playing good baseball right now, and need to keep it rolling. They are 6.5 games behind the Yanks, which is not an insurmountable deficit. Now is the time for the Red Sox to make a run at the top of the AL East, and these two injuries might have made that just a bit easier.

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Sunday, June 24, 2012

Youkilis Traded To White Sox

It seemed a forgone conclusion coming into this weekend, but it finally happened. The Red Sox have traded Kevin Youkilis. Although it's not surprising in the least, I for one am I bit saddened by this.

Youk tripled late in Sunday's game and was lifted for a pinch runner, and we all knew why. He got a huge reception by everyone in the dugout, a standing ovation from the Fenway faithful, and came out for a curtain call. His production may has been lacking recently, although it did look like he's starting to turn things around, but real Red Sox fans will never forget him.

Sure he clashed with Manny, and he has one of, if not the ugliest batting stance in history, but hearing that YOOOUUUUK chant throughout the ballpark has become a staple of baseball. The Red Sox always travel well, and every stadium I've ever seen him play in erupted in the cheer when he stepped into the batter's box.

Will Middlebrooks will take over at 3rd base in Youk's place, and if he keeps playing the way he has, it will be a dead heat between him and Angels outfielder Mike Trout for AL Rookie Of The Year. It will be very interesting to hear Fenway's reception of Youkilis on July 16th when the White Sox visit Fenway.

UPDATE- It was reported that Youkilis was traded for a pitcher and a utility player. The pitcher is Zach Stewart and the utility player is Brent Lillibridge. The White Sox are also getting a significant amount of cash in the deal according to Ken Rosenthal, in the neighborhood of $5 million.  Also of note, with this trade, David Ortiz is the only member of the Red Sox who was on the roster for the 2004 World Series.

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Tuesday, June 19, 2012

What To Do About Kevin Youkilis

The most rampant trade rumor flying around the MLB circles right now is that the Red Sox are shopping Kevin Youkilis to anyone who will listen. While it isn't surprising that Youkilis is at the center of all these rumors, I'm really not so sure trading him is the right thing to do, or that the Sox will be successful in doing so.

I know Youkilis rubs a lot of people the wrong way. Some see him as having an attitude problem and not the greatest of teammates. I'll be the first to admit that sometimes I could do without his attitude. But overall, I think it's just a matter of him caring so much about his performance and how it effects the team. He knows he's struggling, he knows the team is struggling. So yeah, he should be upset with himself, and as an emotional person, it shows. Personally, I think every team would benefit from having a player that wears his emotions on his sleeve. Granted he didn't get along with Manny, but other than that, I've never heard of a player having a problem with him.

I don't there are going to be many teams interested in Youkilis right now. He isn't producing at the plate, and hasn't been since the All-Star break last year. He ended up hitting .258 last season, by far the lowest of his MLB career, and this year he's hitting a paltry .216. This just isn't what teams are going to be looking to trade for. Not only that, but what kind of offers are the Sox going to get for him? I can't imagine it would be anything more than a reliever and some low A-ball players or some draft picks.

All in all, I don't think trading Youkilis is the answer to the Sox problems, especially with the way outfielders have been getting hurt. I heard during the game on Tuesday that the Red Sox have started 13 different outfielders this year. So while having Adrian Gonzalez play right field isn't the ideal situation, it does seem necessary at times. So with Gonzo in right, Youkilis starts at 1st, and Middlebrooks is at 3rd. Like I said, this isn't ideal, but I don't think it's all that bad either. I think holding on to Youkilis at least until Carl Crawford and Jacoby Ellsbury come back, is important. After that, then let's evaluate the situation, and if Youkilis still isn't producing, and Middlebrooks is, then trading Youkilis for some prospects would seem more logical.

But until that happens, everyone should just relax. The Sox have a tiny 3-game winning streak right now, and the uproar of trade rumors isn't going to have a positive effect. Youkilis is an emotional player, and screwing with his psyche isn't going to help him pull out of this slump.

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Monday, June 18, 2012

Roger Clemens Found Not Guilty

One of the biggest wastes of taxpayer money finally came to an end on Monday, Roger Clemens was found not guilty of perjury. Twitter is all a fuss with people complaining about it, which leads me to ask this question. Do you really care? And if you do, why?

Whether or not Clemens lied to Congress means absolutely nothing to you or me. Our daily lives are not impacted in the least. Did he knowingly use performance enhancing drugs? Probably, but so did literally hundreds of other players. I'm not suggesting that makes it OK or anything, but I simply don't care anymore.

Clemens definitely has Hall of Fame worthy statistics, and I do think this whole fiasco should, and will, have a negative effect on his being elected. I've long held the belief that players who were caught and/or admitted using PEDs should not be allowed in the Hall of Fame. That means Alex Rodriguez is out, same with Mark McGwire. My thought process is this, if one of the known cheaters is enshrined in Cooperstown, they all should be. That means Pete Rose gets in. The members of the 1919 Black Sox scandal who would otherwise be in the Hall finally get in. You can't allow one type of cheating and not others. That simply doesn't make sense.

Barry Bonds was convicted of obstruction of justice in 2011 that stemmed from an appearance before a grand jury back in 2003. Again, how are our daily lives impacted by this? Why isn't taxpayer money and government officials focusing on much more important things? I feel the same way about this new Lance Armstrong thing. I just don't care. I'm over it. Did he cheat? Maybe, but until you show me some physical evidence, leave me alone.

All in all, I think I'm glad Clemens was found not guilty. There wasn't any substantial physical evidence. This was a case of he said vs. he said. Clemens and Bonds will both be in their first year of eligibility next year, and it will definitely be interesting to see how the votes are tallied. But until then, lets just leave it alone.

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Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Andre Ethier Agrees To 5-Year $85 Million Extension

Now that the Kings have captured the Stanley Cup, it's time to get back to writing about baseball.

By now you've probably heard that the Dodgers have locked up the bash brothers. Kemp got his well-deserved contract in the offseason, and it's about time 'Dre got his.

While the terms of the deal haven't been officially confirmed, it's reported that the deal will be for 5 years, and be guaranteed for $85 million. It's also being reported that there is a vesting option for a 6th year that would push the deal to $100 million. Have to thank Dylan Hernandez, the LA Times Dodgers beat writer for that. If you're on Twitter and you're a Dodgers fan, he's a must follow- @dylanohernandez

While on the surface this is a ton of money for a player who has already had his 30th birthday party, it makes a lot of sense for the Dodgers. Ethier is a fan favorite, he's proven time and time again that his nickname, Captain Clutch, is well deserved, and he's a good clubhouse guy.  I know there were rumors about him wanting to join his buddy Dustin Pedroia in Boston, but that was never anything more than speculation.

The one-two punch of Ethier and Kemp is going to be a lot of fun to watch over the next 5-6 seasons. Both of them could and probably will start in numerous All-Star Games, and they could very easily lead the Dodgers back to the World Series. Both of them are Silver Slugger and Gold Glove candidates year in and year out, and it seems as though they get along with everyone on the team. Also, it's possible that near the end of Ethier's deal, he could end up playing some right field or even first base if necessary.

All in all, I'm very pleased with the contract extension. The Dodgers front office has shown the fans, and Ethier, that they are committed to keeping talent instead of trading it away. That's the kind of baseball the fans expect in LA.

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Monday, June 11, 2012

Kings Win The Stanley Cup

Well it only took 45 years, longer than any other NHL franchise has waited to hoist Lord Stanley's Cup, but the Los Angeles Kings are Champions.

This was one of, if not the most, impressive postseason performances by a team in any sport. They barely squeaked into the playoffs, but once they were in, they ran over everyone. Overall the Kings went 16-4 throughout the postseason. They only went to Game 6 once, which they dominated to finally put the Devils away.

The only thing I can think of that comes close to this run is the 2004 Red Sox. We all know that story, and it was historical, just like this one is. I could sit here and ramble on and on about stats, but that's just not necessary.

The Kings played with more heart, more passion, and more desire than anyone else in the playoffs. That's why the Cup will belong to them for the next year. It is/was an absolutely amazing run, and I know it sounds weird, but I could not be more proud of that team. Sure there were a few ESPN guys who picked them pre-season to  make it to the Stanley Cup Finals, but I don't think anyone picked them to win the whole thing.

I'm literally struggling to find words right now. I'm still in shock. All I can say is......

GO KINGS GO!!!!!!!


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Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Kings One Win Away From The Stanley Cup

I don't think I can write an intelligent blog post about the Kings at this point. I'm so impressed with the way they've been playing, I simply can't describe it. Quick has shown just how great he truly can be, and the rest of the team has rallied around him.

They finally got a powerplay goal, 2 in fact, and everything seems to be firing on all cylinders. No one is overstepping their role, and the entire team is functioning as a unit. You can see how frustrated the Devils are. Even when they manage to get a good shot on goal, Quick turns it away. I don't need to talk about stats at this point, the games speak for themselves.

What does concern me, is after romping in Game 3, there could be a setback in Game 4. I don't expect this to happen, but I wouldn't be all that surprised if it does. I really can't contain my excitement and nervousness at this point, so I'm going to keep this pretty short.

Lastly, and maybe more importantly, after Game 1 of the very first series against the Canucks, my brother in-law stayed with us for the weekend. We were talking about the game and I happened to say, "Not that I don't want this to happen, but if the Kings win the Stanley Cup, I'll get an LA Kings tattoo." It might be time to start thinking about designs. I don't want to count my chickens before they hatch, but the thought is definitely in my head.

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