Monday, August 30, 2010
Puffs of Smoke
Speaking of smoke... Chris Sale was phenomenal against the Tribe tonight. Topping out at a brisk 98MPH and using his trademark deceptive delivery, the 6'5", 180lb sidearmer made Shin-Soo Choo and Shelley Duncan look out of their league. Pronk showed good patience before delivering a solid single up the middle, but Jason Nix went down looking and then promptly got ejected. Sale looks like the real deal. The Sox have yet to decide whether he will stick in the bullpen or return to a starting role, but he looks to have the chops either way. As Manning said, imagine if the 21 year old adds velocity as he fills out his lanky frame. Jeez.
x
Whistle Stops
ManRam is officially a ChiSock. It's a straight waiver claim as Chicago chose to take on Manny's entire salary rather than send the Dodgers a prospect in exchange for $ relief.
Jason Knapp has been clocked up to 99MPH w/ the Captains.
I was at Jacobs for Asdrubal's walk-off on Saturday. How depressing. Not only was the crowd pathetically small, not only were they disengaged from the game action, but as soon as I exited the stadium proper, no one seemed to care that the Indians had racked up a dramatic win. It's a lost season. And a shame.
Head and Shoulders has insured Troy Polamalu's hair for $1mil.
Maurice Clarett has signed a 1-yr deal with the Omaha Nighthawks of the UFL. It is likely, but not definite, that a judge will allow Mo to leave the state.
The Bengals cut free agent signee Antonio Bryant. Given that no one else will claim him due to his ailing knees, Cincy will just swallow the $8mil in guaranteed money from the 4-yr, $28mil they gave him in the spring,
Jason Knapp has been clocked up to 99MPH w/ the Captains.
I was at Jacobs for Asdrubal's walk-off on Saturday. How depressing. Not only was the crowd pathetically small, not only were they disengaged from the game action, but as soon as I exited the stadium proper, no one seemed to care that the Indians had racked up a dramatic win. It's a lost season. And a shame.
Head and Shoulders has insured Troy Polamalu's hair for $1mil.
Maurice Clarett has signed a 1-yr deal with the Omaha Nighthawks of the UFL. It is likely, but not definite, that a judge will allow Mo to leave the state.
The Bengals cut free agent signee Antonio Bryant. Given that no one else will claim him due to his ailing knees, Cincy will just swallow the $8mil in guaranteed money from the 4-yr, $28mil they gave him in the spring,
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Friday, August 27, 2010
Bullet Train Cancelled
Also...
ChiSox win Manny waiver claim. What do the Dodgers do now? Trade, release or pull him back?
Brad Hawpe signs with the Rays.
Jumping the Rails
So...
Carmelo Anthony has demanded a trade. Why? Because he feels like it. Because he's an overpaid, overindulged child (sound familiar Cavs fans?) who can dictate the economies of multiple metropolitan cities due to his ability to throw a rubber ball. It is a grace and a blessing to be gifted with such marketable talent and how these classless punks defile the beauty of the sport is a shocking disgrace. At some point the levy must break. An owner, a man with some measure of gumption, must stand up and say "no." Like the the parents of spoiled children who finally cease sparing the proverbial rod, the man on the purse strings must just say "the hell with it," and let the P.O.S. sit and decay without pay as he breaches his contract. Everything has come full circle. Enough is enough. Tell Carmelo that he can play in Denver and honor his contract or he can sit on his butt and atrophy before having to give back all his misbegotten cash.
If that weren't enough...
A recent release of MLB financial documents reveal that the Marlins have been concealing profits for years. Whatever, right? Who cares? Wrongo. The Marlins recently dropped their cock and bull on a hapless Dade County board to procure more than 75% of the funding for their new $634mil stadium complex. Over the past two years the Marlins have accepted scads of MLB money to the tune of a cumulative $48.9mil profit. Not the just barely breaking even they whimpered, a bloody $50 million dollar profit. "We have no money," they said. "We need a new stadium," they whined. "If we don't get it, we'll leave," they hissed. So Dade County agreed to pay the price, to place the burden on taxpayers, as Jeffrey Loria et al. cackled at the rubes behind closed doors. Here's the piece that blows mind: a single $91mil loan will be paid back between 2040 and 2049 at a rate of $118mil... a year. I'm sorry, I didn't hear you right. $118 MILLION A YEAR! All tolled taxpayers will dish out $2.4 BILLION for the stadium. Long story short, if you see Jeff Loria, or any of the the Marlins money men, on the street, punch him in the face. And give him an extra one for me.
And lastly, in an occurrence that many will say signals the impending apocalypse even more strongly...
Cliff Lee over his last 4 starts -- 0-3, 8.39 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, .306 OBA, 5HR
Carmelo Anthony has demanded a trade. Why? Because he feels like it. Because he's an overpaid, overindulged child (sound familiar Cavs fans?) who can dictate the economies of multiple metropolitan cities due to his ability to throw a rubber ball. It is a grace and a blessing to be gifted with such marketable talent and how these classless punks defile the beauty of the sport is a shocking disgrace. At some point the levy must break. An owner, a man with some measure of gumption, must stand up and say "no." Like the the parents of spoiled children who finally cease sparing the proverbial rod, the man on the purse strings must just say "the hell with it," and let the P.O.S. sit and decay without pay as he breaches his contract. Everything has come full circle. Enough is enough. Tell Carmelo that he can play in Denver and honor his contract or he can sit on his butt and atrophy before having to give back all his misbegotten cash.
If that weren't enough...
A recent release of MLB financial documents reveal that the Marlins have been concealing profits for years. Whatever, right? Who cares? Wrongo. The Marlins recently dropped their cock and bull on a hapless Dade County board to procure more than 75% of the funding for their new $634mil stadium complex. Over the past two years the Marlins have accepted scads of MLB money to the tune of a cumulative $48.9mil profit. Not the just barely breaking even they whimpered, a bloody $50 million dollar profit. "We have no money," they said. "We need a new stadium," they whined. "If we don't get it, we'll leave," they hissed. So Dade County agreed to pay the price, to place the burden on taxpayers, as Jeffrey Loria et al. cackled at the rubes behind closed doors. Here's the piece that blows mind: a single $91mil loan will be paid back between 2040 and 2049 at a rate of $118mil... a year. I'm sorry, I didn't hear you right. $118 MILLION A YEAR! All tolled taxpayers will dish out $2.4 BILLION for the stadium. Long story short, if you see Jeff Loria, or any of the the Marlins money men, on the street, punch him in the face. And give him an extra one for me.
And lastly, in an occurrence that many will say signals the impending apocalypse even more strongly...
Cliff Lee over his last 4 starts -- 0-3, 8.39 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, .306 OBA, 5HR
Down the Tracks
It was suggested to me recently that the Tribe should bomb the rest of the season to grab the #2 overall pick in the 2011 draft, as it would have the deepest stock of MLB ready pitching in recent memory. Personally, I don't believe they can catch either the Pirates or the Orioles, but if any team can, it's our AAAA Indians. The consensus top 4 college pitching prospects for the 2011 draft follow --
Matt Purke - LHP - TCU - 6'3" 175 lb - Rising Soph. - 2009 #14 overall, Rangers
2010 - 16-0, 3.02, 1.07 WHIP, 11.0 K/9
Think: Clayton Kershaw
Gerrit Cole - RHP - UCLA - 6'4" 215 - Rising Junior - 2008 #28, Yankees
2009 - 4-8, 3.49, 1.12, 11.0
2010 - 11-3, 3.37, 1.17, 11.2
Think: Tommy Hanson
Sonny Gray - RHP - Vanderbilt - 6'0" 185 - Rising Junior - 2008 #821, Cubs
2009 - 5-1, 4.30, 1.45, 11.0
2010 - 10-5, 3.48, 1.37, 9.4
Think: Roy Oswalt
Taylor Jungmann - RHP - Texas - 6'6" 195 - Rising Junior - 2008 #739, Angels
2009 - 11-3, 2.00, 1.06, 9.6
2010 - 8-3, 2.03, 1.08, 9.7
Think: Jeff Niemann
Despite this load of talent here is the position player expect by many to go #1 overall --
Anthony Rendon - 3B/SS - Rice - 5'11" 170 - Rising Junior - 2008 #820, Braves
2009 - .388, 20 HR, 72 RBI, 9 SB, 31 BB, 23 K, 1.170 OPS
2010 - .394, 26, 85, 14, 65, 22, 1.340
Think: Evan Longoria
This all very far away, but with the crap we've had to watch recently (wahoo 3-2 win, props to Matty, Chris, Bat) it's fun to imagine. Cheers.
Matt Purke - LHP - TCU - 6'3" 175 lb - Rising Soph. - 2009 #14 overall, Rangers
2010 - 16-0, 3.02, 1.07 WHIP, 11.0 K/9
Think: Clayton Kershaw
Gerrit Cole - RHP - UCLA - 6'4" 215 - Rising Junior - 2008 #28, Yankees
2009 - 4-8, 3.49, 1.12, 11.0
2010 - 11-3, 3.37, 1.17, 11.2
Think: Tommy Hanson
Sonny Gray - RHP - Vanderbilt - 6'0" 185 - Rising Junior - 2008 #821, Cubs
2009 - 5-1, 4.30, 1.45, 11.0
2010 - 10-5, 3.48, 1.37, 9.4
Think: Roy Oswalt
Taylor Jungmann - RHP - Texas - 6'6" 195 - Rising Junior - 2008 #739, Angels
2009 - 11-3, 2.00, 1.06, 9.6
2010 - 8-3, 2.03, 1.08, 9.7
Think: Jeff Niemann
Despite this load of talent here is the position player expect by many to go #1 overall --
Anthony Rendon - 3B/SS - Rice - 5'11" 170 - Rising Junior - 2008 #820, Braves
2009 - .388, 20 HR, 72 RBI, 9 SB, 31 BB, 23 K, 1.170 OPS
2010 - .394, 26, 85, 14, 65, 22, 1.340
Think: Evan Longoria
This all very far away, but with the crap we've had to watch recently (wahoo 3-2 win, props to Matty, Chris, Bat) it's fun to imagine. Cheers.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Motion Sickness
I am now quite glad that I've been in a cave for the last week and have just become privy to the results of the current 5 game losing streak. On top of ALL 5 STARTERS getting shelled (so much for my faith in Tomlin and Gomez), here are the numbers to weep loudly on:
Indians outscored 30 to 4.
Tribe 27-161 at the plate. Quick math later, that's .168. .168? That's like only batting Gimenez and Valbuena, over and over.
It gets worse. Over that span the lineup has accumulated only 3 XBH (2 2B & a Choo homer) which translates to a .199 slugging %. The team has walked just 7 times for a .202 OBP. Add 'em up and the team OPS over the last 5 games is .401. I challenge anyone to find a worse stretch for a team. Like, ever.
Back to those starters: 27.2 IP, 44 H, 27 ER, 11 BB, 15 K, 8.78 ERA, .321 OBA, 1.99 WHIP.
I'll stop now before we all start reaching for razor blades.
Indians outscored 30 to 4.
Tribe 27-161 at the plate. Quick math later, that's .168. .168? That's like only batting Gimenez and Valbuena, over and over.
It gets worse. Over that span the lineup has accumulated only 3 XBH (2 2B & a Choo homer) which translates to a .199 slugging %. The team has walked just 7 times for a .202 OBP. Add 'em up and the team OPS over the last 5 games is .401. I challenge anyone to find a worse stretch for a team. Like, ever.
Back to those starters: 27.2 IP, 44 H, 27 ER, 11 BB, 15 K, 8.78 ERA, .321 OBA, 1.99 WHIP.
I'll stop now before we all start reaching for razor blades.
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