Comments on: Open Thread: Big Surprises of the 2008 Season

By: Alejandro Leal

Alejandro Leal — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 00:40:20 +0000

I’m a bit surprised the White Sox are 4-0 in elimination games this year. It’s like they don’t care if they’re losing, until the game after which they can’t lose anymore… so they win.

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By: Sarah Green

Sarah Green — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 15:04:12 +0000

I hate to say I told you so (wait, who the HELL am I kidding? I love saying that!) but I was v. disappointed with the Tigers offseason moves. But still, I did pick them to be a contender. I just thought they would lose in the postseason. All the same, while the enormity of their sucktitude was surprising, I was not surprised that there was some level of suckage.

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By: Lyndsay

Lyndsay — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 04:21:27 +0000

I am very surprised that the Cubbies are down 2-0 to the LA Mannies right now. especially given how one-note the D’s are, and how much more depth the Cs have.

also the Tigers are very much a no-brainer “surprise” – that such an all-star roster could be so insignificant, after everyone in April picked them to be a serious contender this year.

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By: Paul Moro

Paul Moro — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 22:56:43 +0000

You don’t get it, Sarah? One of us is Japanese. The other lives in Japan. One loves sabermetrics. The other loves sabermetrics. I mean, it’s like night and day.

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By: Sarah Green

Sarah Green — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 22:11:16 +0000

You, Nick, who can tell the difference?

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By: Paul Moro

Paul Moro — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 19:44:30 +0000

Sarah, it was Nick, not I.

http://umpbump.com/press/2008/06/04/reports-of-mike-mussinas-demise-were-very-premature/

But I think it has more to do with his Ks coming back than BABIP.

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By: Sarah Green

Sarah Green — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 19:30:07 +0000

But as someone (Paul?) pointed out, that really shouldn’t have been so surprising given his BABIP last year.

But anytime a pitcher wins 20 these days, it’s definitely a surprise. So I halfway agree with you. :)

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By: Coley Ward

Coley Ward — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 18:41:32 +0000

I think Mussina winning 20 was the surprising part. Last year he was washed up.

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By: Sarah Green

Sarah Green — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 18:35:35 +0000

Here’s another surprise: Mike Mussina allegedly thinking about retiring. He’s just come off a 20-win season (his first!) and is only 30 wins shy of 300. And yet he’s supposedly thinking of hanging up his spikes. Wow.

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By: Paul Moro

Paul Moro — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 17:22:01 +0000

Coley, out of the three Florida pitchers you mentioned, I do think that Volstad is going to take a step back. But Johnson and Nolasco can be a good 1-2 as long as their ability to keep walks low (which is something they did for the first time in their careers this year) isn’t a fluke.

But I still wouldn’t worry about the Marlins in ‘09 as of right now. They have like 18 players who are arbitration-eligible. Uggla, Jacobs, Nolasco, Olsen, Gregg, Willingham, Cantu, Hermida, Ross, Johnson, Mitre, Nelson, etc, etc. They can’t resign all these guys.

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