Comments on: The Rubber Match http://umpbump.com/press/2007/04/12/the-rubber-match/ In-your-face baseball commentary Sat, 21 Nov 2009 16:48:13 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Danny O http://umpbump.com/press/2007/04/12/the-rubber-match/comment-page-1/#comment-14110 Danny O Tue, 08 May 2007 15:42:13 +0000 http://umpbump.com/press/the-rubber-match/#comment-14110 The thing to remember about Francouer is that he is a local boy who was a number one draft pick and hit a homer in his ML debut. In fact, I think it was a go-ahead homer. Local connections + goodlooks + much hype + great debut = hope for dad and moist panties for mom. BTW, he did catch a few boos April of 2006 when he couldn't hit a watermelon with a yardsign. But he turned it around and had a decent year for a free-swinger. The thing to remember about Francouer is that he is a local boy who was a number one draft pick and hit a homer in his ML debut. In fact, I think it was a go-ahead homer. Local connections + goodlooks + much hype + great debut = hope for dad and moist panties for mom.

BTW, he did catch a few boos April of 2006 when he couldn’t hit a watermelon with a yardsign. But he turned it around and had a decent year for a free-swinger.

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]]> By: Paul http://umpbump.com/press/2007/04/12/the-rubber-match/comment-page-1/#comment-52403 Paul Thu, 12 Apr 2007 19:23:18 +0000 http://umpbump.com/press/the-rubber-match/#comment-52403 On second thought, I'm wondering if a bunch of these errors that the Sox commited with Wakefield on the mound weren't passed balls. I don't envy anyone who has to catch knuckleballers. But kids, there's a lesson here - if you want to be a ballplayer but can't hit, throw, run, or do anything lefthanded, learn how to catch a knuckleball. That's the Mirabelli way. By the way, I wonder who's catching Charlie Haeger now? On second thought, I’m wondering if a bunch of these errors that the Sox commited with Wakefield on the mound weren’t passed balls. I don’t envy anyone who has to catch knuckleballers. But kids, there’s a lesson here – if you want to be a ballplayer but can’t hit, throw, run, or do anything lefthanded, learn how to catch a knuckleball. That’s the Mirabelli way.

By the way, I wonder who’s catching Charlie Haeger now?

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]]> By: Coley Ward http://umpbump.com/press/2007/04/12/the-rubber-match/comment-page-1/#comment-52401 Coley Ward Thu, 12 Apr 2007 18:51:13 +0000 http://umpbump.com/press/the-rubber-match/#comment-52401 Paul, I think the lesson to be learned here is that Sox fans shouldn't worry about Wakefield tonight, they should worry that their team seldom plays well behind him. I wonder why that is? Paul, I think the lesson to be learned here is that Sox fans shouldn’t worry about Wakefield tonight, they should worry that their team seldom plays well behind him. I wonder why that is?

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]]> By: Sarah Green http://umpbump.com/press/2007/04/12/the-rubber-match/comment-page-1/#comment-52404 Sarah Green Thu, 12 Apr 2007 16:58:39 +0000 http://umpbump.com/press/the-rubber-match/#comment-52404 Wakefield hasn't gotten good run support in a long, long time. I feel for him. Josh Beckett, on the other hand, got a number of wins last season that he didn't deserve, simply because the Red Sox swung the bats well when he was pitching. Oh, ye fickle, fickle game. Wakefield hasn’t gotten good run support in a long, long time. I feel for him.

Josh Beckett, on the other hand, got a number of wins last season that he didn’t deserve, simply because the Red Sox swung the bats well when he was pitching.

Oh, ye fickle, fickle game.

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]]> By: Paul http://umpbump.com/press/2007/04/12/the-rubber-match/comment-page-1/#comment-52402 Paul Thu, 12 Apr 2007 16:35:25 +0000 http://umpbump.com/press/the-rubber-match/#comment-52402 One thing here caught my attention - he's 0-5 in his last 17 outings against the Mariners. He's only had five decisions in these 17 outings? Doesn’t this seem odd? So I looked it up. And it's a misleading stat. Since that five-hitter he threw against them in July of ’97, out of those 17 games that Yahoo is referencing, Wakefield only started seven of them. While it’s true that three of his last four starts against them have been terrible, the Yahoo article does correctly point out that his last start against them went well, throwing a complete game but being the hard-luck loser in a 3-0 loss (On a side note, guess who started for the Mariners that game – holding the Red Sox to no runs, five hits, two walks, five Ks in 6 1/3 innings? It was current Red Sox punching bag, Mr. Joel Pineiro!). on 4/15/06. Within his last 17 outings against Seattle, Wakefield hasn’t been that bad. He’s pretty much been regular old Tim Wakefield: ERA: 4.18 K/9: 6.80 BB/9: 4.30 HR/9: 1.27 WHIP: 1.58 I also looked at all of his games since that July ’97 five-hitter (as in, not just against the Mariners). His ERA has actually been better against Seattle over that time (4.18 vs. 4.40), and he missed more bats (6.8 K/9 vs. 5.9 K/9). The big difference is that he’s been wild, walking almost two additional batters per 9 innings, which accounts for a good chunk of the high 1.58 WHIP. Also, the Red Sox defense, for whatever reason, did him no favors. While his ERA against Seattle over that span is 4.18, errors ballooned his runs allowed per game to 5.07. That’s a pretty big disparity. You can win games allowing 4.18 runs per game. But 5.07? That’s tough. So I wouldn’t put too much stock into the 0-5 record. Wakefield probably deserved to win a couple of those seven starts. And he’s been just as mediocre against Seattle as he’s been for pretty much everyone else. One thing here caught my attention – he’s 0-5 in his last 17 outings against the Mariners. He’s only had five decisions in these 17 outings? Doesn’t this seem odd?

So I looked it up. And it’s a misleading stat.

Since that five-hitter he threw against them in July of ’97, out of those 17 games that Yahoo is referencing, Wakefield only started seven of them. While it’s true that three of his last four starts against them have been terrible, the Yahoo article does correctly point out that his last start against them went well, throwing a complete game but being the hard-luck loser in a 3-0 loss (On a side note, guess who started for the Mariners that game – holding the Red Sox to no runs, five hits, two walks, five Ks in 6 1/3 innings? It was current Red Sox punching bag, Mr. Joel Pineiro!). on 4/15/06.

Within his last 17 outings against Seattle, Wakefield hasn’t been that bad. He’s pretty much been regular old Tim Wakefield:

ERA: 4.18

K/9: 6.80

BB/9: 4.30

HR/9: 1.27

WHIP: 1.58

I also looked at all of his games since that July ’97 five-hitter (as in, not just against the Mariners). His ERA has actually been better against Seattle over that time (4.18 vs. 4.40), and he missed more bats (6.8 K/9 vs. 5.9 K/9). The big difference is that he’s been wild, walking almost two additional batters per 9 innings, which accounts for a good chunk of the high 1.58 WHIP. Also, the Red Sox defense, for whatever reason, did him no favors. While his ERA against Seattle over that span is 4.18, errors ballooned his runs allowed per game to 5.07. That’s a pretty big disparity. You can win games allowing 4.18 runs per game. But 5.07? That’s tough.

So I wouldn’t put too much stock into the 0-5 record. Wakefield probably deserved to win a couple of those seven starts. And he’s been just as mediocre against Seattle as he’s been for pretty much everyone else.

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]]> By: Zvee http://umpbump.com/press/2007/04/12/the-rubber-match/comment-page-1/#comment-12916 Zvee Mon, 09 Apr 2007 22:01:07 +0000 http://umpbump.com/press/the-rubber-match/#comment-12916 Coley, Let up on Francouer man. What you didn't notice when referencing your boys Morneau and Howard is that they are 25 and 27? respectively. Morneau, in his first two seasons, hit .271 and .239. Howard spent seasons shoring up his skills in the minors while fellow Phil Jim Thome blocked his ride to the majors. The Braves were in a position to bring Francoeur to the majors when he was 21, and he's developing as a hitter in the league. To me, it's impressive that, even after pitchers adjusted to his approach last season, Frenchy was still able to hit 29 homers and surpass the 100 rbi mark. The reasons why Braves fans love Francoeur are quite evident: he's an elite athlete that has excelled at every level. He has a badass arm and hoses people all over the place. He hits homers and chicks dig the long ball...and dudes like his cute fiance. Don't even get me started on Pat the Bat. He's the least clutch baseball player I've EVER seen and he acts like a tremendous jackass. Coley,

Let up on Francouer man. What you didn’t notice when referencing your boys Morneau and Howard is that they are 25 and 27? respectively. Morneau, in his first two seasons, hit .271 and .239.

Howard spent seasons shoring up his skills in the minors while fellow Phil Jim Thome blocked his ride to the majors.

The Braves were in a position to bring Francoeur to the majors when he was 21, and he’s developing as a hitter in the league. To me, it’s impressive that, even after pitchers adjusted to his approach last season, Frenchy was still able to hit 29 homers and surpass the 100 rbi mark.

The reasons why Braves fans love Francoeur are quite evident: he’s an elite athlete that has excelled at every level. He has a badass arm and hoses people all over the place. He hits homers and chicks dig the long ball…and dudes like his cute fiance.

Don’t even get me started on Pat the Bat. He’s the least clutch baseball player I’ve EVER seen and he acts like a tremendous jackass.

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