2006 MLB Season Discussion (1 Viewer)

[Mike Frezon]

Curt Schilling throws 96 mph on pitch #114 today?!

 

[Patrick Sun]

What's he doing throwing 114+ pitches this early in the season?

 

[Jason Seaver]

Making up for last year's lost time, clearly.

114 isn't so much, and it's not as though he is becoming ineffective toward the end. 100 pitches is a good rough guideline, but even at his age, Schilling's not like Pedro in that he really wears down quickly.

 

[EricW]

so you think a 56 game hit streak is less impressive than a .400 season?!?!?!?

there've been alot more who flirted with 400 seasons than there have been who've flirted with a 56 game hit streak, i think.
just to quantify, there've been a handful who've hit .380+ iirc, while i don't think anyone else's even gone over a 45 game hit streak?

 

[Brian Perry]

To put Rollins' 38-game streak in perspective:

Since 1900, there have only been 28 hitting streaks of over 30 games, and only three over 40 (DiMaggio-56, Rose-44, Sisler-42).

One baseball writer described the odds of DiMaggio's streak this way:

So how impressive was it to hit 56 in a row? Over the course of the simulation (which used DiMaggio's career stats up until 1940), the average hitting streak was about 19 games long with a standard deviation of about 5, leading the authors to conclude that, "what happened in 1941 is the equivalent, more or less, of reaching into the adult American male population and pulling out someone 3' taller than 'Shaq'."

 

[Marvin]

I'd guess someone will hit .400 before anyone hits in 57 straight games.

Which one is more "impressive" is another question. I suppose someone could go 1 for 5 in 57 straight games, in which case hitting .400 over an entire season would seem like a bigger accomplishment.

Not that DiMaggio or Rollins were doing that, of course.

In any case, I don't know if hitting in 57 straight games over 2 seasons should have been considered setting a new record. But I guess we won't have to deal with that issue after all. A 36 or 38 game streak is still nothing to sniff at.

 

[Shane Martin]

Breaking Dimaggio's hit streak to me is more impressive than hitting 400. IMHO I think Ichiro might break .400 at some point.
Remind me of this towards the end of the season if he is on the disabled list. I think he'll wear himself down quicker than he needs to be.

Then again I think him throwing 114 pitches might be indicitive of their bullpen but that's merely an observation.

How about them Brewers?

 

[Mike Frezon]

A consecutive game hitting streak can be the result of a number of odd factors--outside of a hitter's ability: intentional walks, unintentional walks, hits-by-pitch, illness/injury, extra innings, close games/blowouts, infields playing in (rather than back), weather (such as wind), or who is pitching or playing in the field against you. It doesn't matter if you go 1-for-7 or 6-for-8 on day #34.

One of the things about the Dimaggio story is that while he goes hitless on day #57...he then goes on another 16 game hit streak...meaning he hit safely in 72 of 73 games.

But, I am always amazed that during the streak (of 56 games) he ONLY hit .408. I know, I know....408 over a couple of months is outstanding. But you'd think it would be even higher. Joe D., though, had 34 one-hit games in that stretch.

To hit .400 for a season shows that you have been consistently good over a 162 game season. You may have had slumps. You may have had hitting streaks. But, over the long haul, you have performed with excellence.

Mind you, the hitting streaks are all impressive...Rollins included. I'm just comparing the two accomplishments and think hitting .400, in my mind, is the greater one.

I hope Ichiro can hit .400 some year. I always used to think Tony Gwynn or Wade Boggs might do it.

The only reason I've given this so much thought is the story of the 1941 MVP voting. The writers gave the '41 MVP to DiMaggio over Williams that year...even though Ted hit .406 and finished first in average, OBP, slugging %, OPS, games played, runs scored, home runs, and bases on balls. Joe D. finished first in RBI's, total bases and extra base hits.

And its not like everybody was hitting .400 in Williams's day. The last guy before Ted to hit .400 in the AL was Harry Heilmann who hit .403 in 1923!

 

[Casey Trowbridg]

Jason Schmidt is looking really good, and stop me if you've heard this before, but another Braves starter has problems in the early innings, Smoltz gave up 4 runs in the second.

Edit: Andruw Jones just tied up the game with a 3-run homer.

Edit 2: John Smoltz has gone deeper into this game than any Braves starter has so far this season.

 

[Patrick Sun]

Both Chipper and Marcus get hurt, and Reitsma blows a 1-run lead. 3-4 roadtrip is not the way to open the season, Bravos!

 

[Mike Frezon]

Yeah, well my new bestest friend, Coco Crisp may be out a month with a broken finger. :frowning:

But, never fear...one of my other bestest friends, Adam Stern (late of Team Canada) kicked in today with a 2-for-5 outing and 2 RBIs!

And...Wakefield, Foulke and Papelbon all look good today.

 

[Casey Trowbridg]

No injury is good, but I guess if I had my pick, I'd rather Chipper have the ankle injury as opposed to the knee injury they thought he might've had.

 

[Patrick_S]

I was certainly happy to see the Cubs sweep the Cards.

 

[EricW]

it's been a loooong time since i read my baseball history, but i think the reason dimaggio got the mvp was not so much the writers liked Joe, but rather they hated Williams... who rarely gave interviews and disliked the press. iirc, the voting was VERY close (as in less than 5 'points' between the 2) and one boston writer left Williams off his ballot completely - out of spite. had he given Williams even a mediocre position, Williams would have one it that year.

 

[Jeff Gatie]

Granted DiMaggio was a better fielder than Williams and a case could be made for this tipping DiMaggio over the edge, but what EricW says is true. The press hated Williams and the feeling was mutual. Ted made no bones about it and would tell anyone within earshot how he felt about writers. Joe, on the other hand, was loved by the press.

 

[Eric Peterson]

Me too! That was kick-ass except for the fact that I had to listen to Joe Morgan and is equally inept partner. Who in their right mind thought that these guys were good announcers? If I were a new baseball fan, I would have the opinion that neither had ever watched a game let alone that one of them was in the HOF. Embarrassing!!!

Please ESPN, if you're going to let these no talent bozos continute to broadcast, then don't let them do anymore Cubs games. It's painful.

 

[Patrick_S]

While I agree about Morgan, (what Cubs fan wouldn't?) Miller is an excellent announcer with a well deserved reputation as one of the best in the business.

 

[Eric Peterson]

I guess that I'd have to hear him separately, but he just comes off as a doofus. Last night, during an Interview with LaRussa in the 5th inning, he actually asked LaRussa "How long are you going to leave your starter in?". HUH?

Morgan clearly has a bias against the Cubs, but I'm unaware of any history between them. From your comment, it sounds like you might have more information. What is their history?

 

[Jason Seaver]

He was on the Reds.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Eric: That is all true. Williams and the spsortswriters had a mutual dislike for each other. Williams called the writers the "knights of the keyboard" with complete disdain. But it's still wrong. After all, the sportswriters don't particularly like Barry Bonds either...but he's won seven of the damn things...including 4 of the last 5!

My entire (admittedly sour grapes) point-of-view on this is simply that hitting .406 (in solely my opinion) is a much greater accomplishment than hitting in 56 straight games. The two things shouldn't even be compared. You can be lucky and hit in 56 straight games. You can't be lucky and hit .406.

And for Williams to lose out on the MVP (in this bit of ancient history--but that's part of what makes "talkin' Baseball" so much fun) for whatever reason is an injustice.