Lots of Stuff and Junk

[DOUGHBOYS]

For those that think Josh Hamilton peaked a little too early this year, you may be right.
Broadcasters always like to say, 'So and so has hit in 12 of his last 13 games.' This is a way of pumping a player and telling us he's been hitting well lately.
We won't hear, 'Hamilton has struck out in 17 0f the last 18 games in which he has had an at bat, that's every game in June except for one'...
But he has.
He's also had one home run during the month and finished up a series against hapless Rockies pitching by going one for 12 with eight strike outs. His only hit, a single, had him falling over himself at home plate before running to first.
Owners should worry.

Empty hitters in Stats Ball.
They look great as far as real baseball, but in our world, they are really only helping us in one category.
Over the years, the best 'empty hitter' has been Placido Polanco. He's not disappointing this year. In fact, without Howard and Utley to help his stats, Polanco is on his way to a great empty campaign.
Polanco's batting line is .273/25/2/15/0. He needs to work on his average before becoming a Miguel Cairo type and loses starting time.
Another guy with Polancoitis this year is Michael Young. Young, hitting in possibly the best lineup in baseball is making his owners squirm for taking him in the fifth round.
Young's line is .270/34/3/29/2
To make things worse, the Astro's, the runt of team's in Texas, have a 3b floating around on faab in Chris Johnson who has a batting line of .285/29/6/32/3 beating Young in every category but one.
What came first?
The Houston Astro's or George Jetson's dog?
The answer at the bottom of the post.

While we're talking about empty stats, let's speak of a couple of catchers who have probably gotten a little more credit than deserved. We give catchers a little more slack in Stats. With some rosters, as long as they're not hurting our average it leaves some owners happy.
Joe Mauer owners can then be ecstatic about his .313 batting average, but the lack of Mauer power probably has them wanting more.
AJ Ellis, an early season darling for his owners has turned into....well...AJ Ellis.
Ellis has a .286/23/6/26/0 batting line.
Since June 4, he has hit under. 200 and has one rbi to his name.


Let's pick on one more catcher, but not for his 'empty stats'.
I wanna puke when baseball people over-emphasize on base percentage. I get it. Things happen when guys are on base, but that is not always the end all be all.
I want Adam Dunn and Joey Votto hacking.
Walks are demerits for guys like this. Especially sloths like Dunn or Prince Fielder who only serve to clog baselines.
Carlos Santana is always talked about for his strong on base percentage. Whoop-de-doo.
Santana has 41 walks, which with Cleveland's tail end of the lineup, neither helps his team or his owners.
Santana is hitting right around his weight at .230 and has five home runs this year. Yes, one LESS than AJ Ellis.
During the off season when 'experts' write about how his average will improve because of his propensity to take a walk... move on.
Look at this way, Santana is only swinging at pitches in a small zone and hitting .230
If he expands that zone, his average will plummet more. For him, it is best to be thought of as being a select hitter than a bad hitter.
Even though right now, he is both.

Here's a list of second hitters in the lineup from a selected day this week:
Rasmus
HRamirez
Betancourt
Jay
Pacheco
Andrus
Pena
Pierre
AsCabrera
Lowrie
Boesch
Tabata
Revere
Heisey
NMorgan
Beckham
Prado
Pedroia
Theriot
Weeks
Granderson
Valdespin
Hairston Jr
Hunter
Harper
Hardy
Gutierrez
Maybin
AHill
Castro

For years, Managers have been using the two-spot in the order for different purposes.
A guy that can handle the bat.
A guy that'll take a few pitches.
A guy he's looking to get going by hitting him in front of the third hitter.
Whatever.
I look at that list and I see only HRamirez, Granderson, and Pedroia as high draft picks in Stats Ball drafts.
Others like Andrus, AsCabrera, Prado, and Castro belong near the top of a lineup.
And still others like Harper, Rasmus, Beckham, and Aaron Hill have thrived in that two-spot, although they will most likely fade later.
I could make a case for Carlos Pena being in the two-spot. Adam Dunn, Carlos Santana and other on base guys belong in the two-spot as well. Heck, if they're going to predominantly walk, they may as well do it in front of big hitters.
The others are only there because of desperation, lack of good players in an overall lineup, or lack of good managing.
I want my best players or at least guys that are getting on base at bat more than players like Jay, Valdespin, NMorgan, Hairston Jr., Heisey are a waste at that spot.
If having speed like Heisey, Maybin, Pierre, or Tabata and deemed not 'good enough' to lead off, wouldn't it make more sense to put that batter with speed down in the lineup to eke out a run instead of in front of your best hitter where he may walk around the bases?
Maybe it's just me.

Dustin Ackley improved his second Main Draft status by probably a full round by hitting a home run vs. the Athletics in that season opening Japan series.
Ackley has only hit three more since.
Some owners during the second draft took Tom Wilhelmson for his 'sure win'.
Then dropped him.
Since, Wilhelmson has become the Closer.
Karma or fate?

Speaking of Closers.
When you have a Closer that you have no qualms about getting in the game to get you a save, you have an elite closer.
Right now, these are the elite Closers-
Kimbrel
Rodney
Johnson
Clippard
Soriano
CPerez
Papelbon

Cases can be made for others, but for now these guys are elite.... and only two (Kimbrel and Papelbon), sniffed the upper half of our Closer lists going into the season.
Go figure.

Before this year, Luke Hochevar was a better maychup pitcher at home than on the road. From 2009-11, his ERA was a full two points better at home then on the road.
This year, he has no wins and his ERA at home is 8.59 and 3.88 on the road.
Go figure.
Last year on June 15, he was 4-7.
That is his record now.
He went on to finish last year 7-4 to give him an 11-11 record.
This week, he has two starts. At home vs. Tampa, on the road vs. Min.
If rostered, would you start him?


The trivia question is a little bit of a trick question-
The Jetson's premeired in September of 1962.
Houston played its first game before that in April of 1962.
But, they were called the 'Colt 45's' from 1962-64
In 1965, in their new home (dome), the AstroDome, their name was changed to the Astros.

Just a little more junk....
If owning the Astros and ready to make a switch to the American League...
Why not go all out?
The name 'Astros' means little now with the Dome gone.
Change the name and uniform colors and be done with those first 50 years of being a National League club.

[DOUGHBOYS]

Just an addendum and only noticed because I own both of them....
Carlos Santana has one homer over his last 142 at bats.
Not to be out done, Alex Gordon has one homer over his last 200 at bats.
Way to go, fellas!

[KJ Duke]

Dan, any thoughts on the Rockies strategy of going to a 4-man rotation made up of #5 starters?

[Raskol]

I heard they just signed Sidd Finch to a minor league deal.

[DOUGHBOYS]

Desperation is the first thing that comes to mind, Kevin.
I know they're trying to instill in them to throw strikes, but personally, I thought that was what the Minors are for.
The Rockies brass are trying to polish poop and when trying to polish poop, it only makes more of a mess.
If the Rockies were trying to win with this idea, they'd have a bullpen that was Hell on hitters. Instead, their bullpen, for the most part, should be limited too...To zero pitches per game.

I make light of them, but does anybody really care whether any of those are pitchers are on a count? Chances are they'll be bounced from games earlier than their counts anyway. I do like new ideas. or old ideas coming back, but as far as the Rox throwing White or Francis or Freidrich or Outman or Guthrie every fourth or fifth day, the pitch count won't matter because the quality of pitcher will dictate opening the bullpen earlier anyway.

To sum it up, the Rockies have a staff of fifth pitchers pitching in a four man rotation. While other teams can afford to skip their fifth pitcher, the Rockies throw one every day.
Some question with the numbers at Coors, whether the humidor is still in use.
It is.
Bad pitching trumps a humidor every time.
The All Star break would be a good time for the Rox to fire Jim Tracy. The players look very comfortable losing. This is partly the fault of GM Dan O'Dowd who went after these amicable losers. But, sense it seems to take an act of God to fire a GM in baseball these days, Tracy has to go.

I hope I was direct enough

[DOUGHBOYS]

As an addition, if we were to take the Giants staff of Cain, Lincecum, Bumgarner, and Vogelsong along with a healthy Casilla, Romo, and Brian Wilson, I think it could be a workable four man rotation with the bullpen to back it up.
Especially for a September run to the pennant. Use Zito as the long guy for those days when they get blown up.
It would be tough to do this over a full season. There are just too many injuries and circumstances like rain outs and double headers that would screw things up.
But as for a September run, not only would this provide constant quality on the mound, it would also give the pitchers a playoff mentality before actually reaching the playoffs.
A lot of plusses (shuddup spell checker!)for a staff that is stocked.