2003 ML Baseball Discussion Thread (1 Viewer)

[Phil L]

Anyone see the Seattle-Oakland game yesterday?

Ted Lilly pitched a great game. He's done very well in his last few starts.

Jeff Weaver probably won't even be on the post-season roster.

 

[Steve_Tk]

Anyone watch Sunday night baseball last night on ESPN? Yeh me neither.

I did see the Oakland game till the GS.

 

[Dan Hine]

For you guys that Say Prior will win the NL Cy Young, tell me why? In what areas has he outperformed anyone else?

 

[Scott Weinberg]

Mark Prior

ERA - 2.42 (2nd in NL) in 204.2 innings (11th in NL)

Wins - 17 (2nd)

Strikeouts - 235 (3rd)

3 Complete Games (T-4th)

Opponent's BA Against - .230 (T-8th)

I'm fairly impartial to who wins the NL Cy Young Award, but those are some pretty impressive numbers.

 

[Dan Hine]

Jason Schmidt,

ERA: 2.33 (1st)

Innings: 200.2 (with one less start than Prior so far since Mark just started last night...Jason should be ahead soon)

Wins: 16, again with one less start

Strikeouts: 206 (a little behind here)

Complete Games: 5 (2nd)

Opponents BA: .203 (1st)

Winning %: .762 (1st)

Sure, it's not a runaway race...but I still think Jason has a clear advantage.

 

[Aaron Reynolds]

Anyone catch last night's Jays game? Horrorshow.

Here's the skinny: Apparently, MLB is concerned that there is bad blood between the Jays and Rays (based on what evidence? I don't know), so five minutes before game time, a warning comes from MLB that beanballs will not be tolerated. It is communicated verbally to Carlos Tosca and Lou Pinella as the players are taking the field. Tosca doesn't tell Roy Halladay, because he doesn't want to throw him off of his game so close to the first pitch.

By the sixth, we're in a nothing-nothing tie. Roy was pitching fantastically, but Rob Bell was pitching even better: he took a no-hitter into the seventh.

Top of the sixth, Lugo hits a solo home run. Then, Aubrey Huff gets a single. Rocco Baldelli comes up, and Roy misses with a cutter, hitting Baldelli. Instantly, home plate ump Phil Cuzzi ejects him. It was obvious to everyone involved, including Baldelli (who was quite classy about it in the post game interview and went up another couple of notches in my respect for him) and the D-Rays TV crew, that the bean was not intentional, but Cuzzi tosses Roy anyways, refusing to explain.

Next inning, Toby Hall is nicked by a pitch from replacement pitcher Dan Reichert. Cuzzi, refusing to consult with the other umps, says that Hall was swinging (he quite plainly wasn't), and calls it a foul ball. Hall strikes out, complains, and Cuzzi ejects him, even though Hall was absolutely in the right.

Yeah, uh, thanks, Cuzzi, but that's not really a make-up call of any value.

This is the same Phil Cuzzi who earlier in the year called an obvious ball four a strike because Delgado had already started on his way to first, and then proceeded to call the next two balls, both of them way out of the strike zone, strikes, for a strikeout. Delgado remarked afterwards that they were the two worst strike calls he had seen as a baseball player, so perhaps this was Cuzzi's revenge.

It was my 60th game in attendance this season. Bleah.

By the way, if there are any Toronto-area fans reading this, I have about a dozen spare tickets to tonight's game that I'm giving away to whoever wants 'em. They're cheap seats, but good cheap seats. Drop me a line if you're interested at [email protected] .

 

[Patrick Sun]

Let's welcome Jamie Moyer to the 20-40 club (winning 20 games at the age of 40 or older). I think only 5-6 other pitchers have achieved this feat (Phil Niekro, Grover Alexander, Cy Young (twice), Warren Spahn, and maybe one more that I'm forgetting).

 

[Mark Zimmer]

The umpires are really overreacting to hit-by-pitch; there was a game a week or two ago involving the Brewers where the opposing pitcher walked a guy and hit two Brewers without getting an out, and the ump warned both benches. Excuse me? The guy clearly isn't trying to hit someone when he loads the fricking bases with HBPs, he just can't control where he's throwing the damn ball. No one's going to clear the benches over that.:rolleyes

I definitely counted the Cubbies down & out too hastily....in a tie for first place with 6 to go. Talk about a hold-your-breath situation. But they've really got to dominate the Pirates and Reds, because the Astros have had little trouble schmucking the Brewers hard thus far this season, and they finish with 4 games against the Crew.

 

[Steve_Tk]

I wonder if Philly's postseason chances are going to come down to the last day when Millwood will pitch against the Braves....

 

[Phil L]

Aaron,

The warnings were probably because of the beanball stuff between Tampa and NYY on Sunday.

Prior vs. Schmidt, I give Prior the advantage because

1. Schmidt pitches in a great pitcher's par, Prior pitches at Wrigley
2. Schmidt never has to face Barry Bonds.

 

[Jerry Klawiter]

Minnesota Twins clinch for the first time in thier history while at home.
Way to Go Twins.
Very nice way to enter into the playoffs.
The Twins are HOT and ready to play ball!.

 

[Steve_Tk]

Better call Sears and make sure the AC's are ready for the postseason.

And Phillies, what the hell are you doing!

 

[Dan Hine]

Phil,

You have a point regarding each pitchers home field...but Prior hasn't faced Bonds at all this season.

 

[KurtW]

On the Maddux vs Clemens thing. I'd take Maddux over Clemens myself, but you really couldn't go wrong either way. Clemens is a workhorse, a freak of nature that is STILL overpowering people 20 years later. Maddux is the magician. Abracadabra, it's now the 7th inning, he's thrown 70 pitches, walked 1, allowed 4 hits, struck out 4, and your team still has a goose egg on the scoreboard - I hope that's not John Smoltz I see in the 'pen.... And he's done it his entire career (I'll leave the whole 15 wins for 16 straight years to someone else). I want consistency in my ballclub, and Maddux has easily been the most consistent starter on the planet since 1988. Clemens has been the most dominant.

And yes, Maddux has to face 8 "real" hitters and a pitcher, but that also means he's got to bat (and take reponsibility for his actions at the plate - when's the last time Clemens took one on the back?)

I think Prior will win the award because he's pitched like a machine all year, and if the Cubs somehow win the Central, he'll get a ton of votes right there. I think it'll come down to how he finishes his last start. If it's another 14k 8 inning masterpiece and he ends up with 18 wins, he's got to be considered the forerunner. Jason Schmidt's been just as good, but everyone expected the Giants to make the playoffs. The Cubs were always an afterthought. Take Schmidt away, and the Giants still win the West - comfortably. Take Prior away, and the Cubs are at .500. I wouldn't want to hit against either of them.

 

[Aaron Reynolds]

The warnings were probably because of the beanball stuff between Tampa and NYY on Sunday

I'd believe that, except Tampa was allowed to hit Jays without consequence. Monday, Roy hits two guys, so clearly by accident that the Rays players and Rays media even call it accidental, but he's ejected. Tuesday night, Zambrano hits Delgado and then Woodward, no ejection, no warning. Towers retaliates by throwing way way behind Huff, and is ejected. Lopez later throws way way behind Crawford, and is ejected. And both benches and both bullpens empty.

Why is Zambrano given freebies when Halladay is not? Here's why: because the call Monday night was stupid, and the calls Tuesday were the right calls.

I brought a large HEY PHIL: EJECT THIS banner, which I displayed for four innings to much cheering (and smiles from the ushers) until an usher came to me, quite upset, and told me that they had received a call from MLB who dictated that the sign was inappropriate and must come down.

Nice to know that I have that much power to irritate.

 

[Jason Seaver]

Hey, you got a Clutch Hit on Baseball Primer. It means you've arrived and have the power to annoy Bud Selig.

And yes, Maddux has to face 8 "real" hitters and a pitcher, but that also means he's got to bat (and take reponsibility for his actions at the plate - when's the last time Clemens took one on the back?)

I'm pretty sure that the HBP rates in the AL and NL are about the same, so that's not really much of an argument. If I recall correctly, the AL has a few more batters hit every year, but they also have more come to the plate.

 

[Aaron Reynolds]

All part of my evil plan....MUAHAHAHAHA!

 

[Jason Seaver]

Can annoying Bud Selig really be considered an evil plan?

 

[Aaron Reynolds]

Sure, if you're Bud Selig.

 

[Jason Seaver]

Yeah, but it's well established that Bud Selig lives on Bizarro World, so if he says something is evil, it's very likely that he's confused or it's good.