June 13, 200520 yr comment_2505814 Were the Red Sox wise in letting Pedro go? It was a tough call since both Schilling and Pedro were unsure health-wise, but in retrospect, Pedro has been so good that it's starting to look like a mistake on Boston's part.Probably. I was higher on Pedro Martinez than many others, but it was a four year contract the Mets offered, and we are not even through the first year yet. The Sox can still spend that money on a free agent pitcher in the future. I disagree. Three reasons: 1) He's away from the Yankees, who have always batted him well and, as we saw towards the end of 2004, they were starting to get to him mentally a bit. Who knows how pitching 4 or 5 times against them again this year would go. 2) He wanted to be an ace, and with Schilling in Boston, he wasn't the ace. He's the go-to guy on the Mets and he relishes in that role. 3) His numbers so far this year aren't too far off from what he was doing at this time last year (ERA around 2.50, not quite as many Ks) and he struggled in the second half of the season, so let's wait until then to see what he does. He's pitching in the NL which should definitely help, but we'll see if his shoulder holds up.
June 13, 200520 yr Author comment_2505939 Point three is essentially what I said. It was NOT a mistake to let Pedro go necessarily, because he is an injury risk. Although I do think the Mets will be happy with their investment.
June 13, 200520 yr comment_2507806 Besides, it's not like the Mets had anything to lose on the deal, if Pedro would have been a bust it'd be just another bad Mets signing.
June 13, 200520 yr comment_2508330 What's the best way to gauge a prospect's potential? And more specifically, what sort of numbers indicate probable success?
June 14, 200520 yr Author comment_2510254 What's the best way to gauge a prospect's potential? And more specifically, what sort of numbers indicate probable success? Age relative to a player's level is crucial. A 20 year old tearing up AAA is much more impressive than a 20 year old tearing up Rookie ball. Otherwise, you just want players who dominate their league, or at least do very well. For pitchers, you want to see great ratios. Pitchers should have strong K/9 ratios. Hitters should have strong secondary skills beyond batting average. Remember that prospects also have fluke years and bad years, so do not simply trust their most recent year. There are a few other tricks of the trade. Look for players with many doubles in the lower level, as they can develop power as they age.
June 16, 200520 yr comment_2544706 Of the teams you expect to seriously contend into late September, what sort of trades does each one need to make? Adding onto that, what moves are these teams likely to actually make?
June 17, 200520 yr Author comment_2553180 Of the teams you expect to seriously contend into late September, what sort of trades does each one need to make? Adding onto that, what moves are these teams likely to actually make? I can't answer something this broad. Read Gammons or Buster Olney for trade rumors and such. All I will say is that mid-season trades rarely have any significant impact upon a pennant race.
June 18, 200520 yr comment_2565905 A couple questions Which website can I check comparison statistics from a certain point of a year. In other words; Where can I go to see what Derek Lee's stats were on June 18, 2004 to compare them to his stats at that time this year. So on and so forth... And what's the worst statistical season for any batter with atleast 400 at bats?
June 18, 200520 yr Author comment_2568928 Which website can I check comparison statistics from a certain point of a year. In other words; Where can I go to see what Derek Lee's stats were on June 18, 2004 to compare them to his stats at that time this year. So on and so forth... I don't know a site that has them ready. ESPN.com provides game logs for the last few seasons, and if you have some time you can add the totals yourself. And what's the worst statistical season for any batter with atleast 400 at bats? In 1968, Hal Lanier hit .206/.222/.239 for the San Francisco Giants, in 486 at bats. He drew 12 walks, collected 27 RBIs, and stole two bases in four attempts.
June 18, 200520 yr comment_2569310 Which website can I check comparison statistics from a certain point of a year. In other words; Where can I go to see what Derek Lee's stats were on June 18, 2004 to compare them to his stats at that time this year. So on and so forth... I don't know a site that has them ready. ESPN.com provides game logs for the last few seasons, and if you have some time you can add the totals yourself. And what's the worst statistical season for any batter with atleast 400 at bats? In 1968, Hal Lanier hit .206/.222/.239 for the San Francisco Giants, in 486 at bats. He drew 12 walks, collected 27 RBIs, and stole two bases in four attempts. Thank you.
June 19, 200520 yr comment_2579750 Do the Cardinals have the makings of a dynasty or is this a case of a team being good right now and unsure a couple years down the road?
June 21, 200520 yr comment_2598689 Metropolitans question.... Why the hell is Ishii in the rotation, and why has Aaron Heilman been treated like the plague while pitching great? David Wright's our best hitter. sadly. Why the hell isnt he batting higher in the lineup
June 21, 200520 yr Author comment_2598829 Do the Cardinals have the makings of a dynasty or is this a case of a team being good right now and unsure a couple years down the road? With better luck, this team would already be a dynasty. They have reached the playoffs four of the last five years, and averaged 95 wins a season over that span. Their primary concern for the future is the continued success of Jim Edmonds (who is now 35), but as long as Albert Pujols is on the team, they should make an impact. Who would have ever thought in 2001 that McGwire's replacement would quickly eclipse him in franchise history?
June 21, 200520 yr Author comment_2598859 Why the hell is Ishii in the rotation, and why has Aaron Heilman been treated like the plague while pitching great? Proven starters always get preference until they have absolutely proven they are worthless. Heilman will get his opportunity. avid Wright's our best hitter. sadly. Why the hell isnt he batting higher in the lineup Wright is the real deal. Again, he will move up in the lineup in due time. In the meantime, remember that a batting order does surprisingly little to influence run production.
June 22, 200520 yr Author comment_2614212 What you think of Chris Carpenter? Carpenter has become a star pitcher thanks to improved control. The only issue is whether he can remain healthy.
June 22, 200520 yr comment_2614479 Does Dontrell Willis deserve the Cy Young award at this point in time?
June 22, 200520 yr Author comment_2615849 Does Dontrell Willis deserve the Cy Young award at this point in time? Yes. Roger Clemens is pitching better, but Willis' W/L record is much more impressive. Plus, Willis has two shutouts to his credit.
June 22, 200520 yr Author comment_2617798 How about the AL Cy Young? Does Garland get the nod there? I would actually give the nod to Roy Halladay, who is 10-4 despite receiving less than half the run support Garland has enjoyed, and with better peripherals to boot.
June 22, 200520 yr comment_2619047 Does Dontrell Willis deserve the Cy Young award at this point in time?Yes. Roger Clemens is pitching better, but Willis' W/L record is much more impressive. Plus, Willis has two shutouts to his credit. I'd still give it to Clemens, who has the unfortunate luck of pitching for a team that has already been shutout close to 10 times this season. He gets no run support, and thus, his W/L record is lousy. Put him on a team that gets decent offense, and he's the clear-cut Cy Young.
June 22, 200520 yr Author comment_2620434 Does Dontrell Willis deserve the Cy Young award at this point in time?Yes. Roger Clemens is pitching better, but Willis' W/L record is much more impressive. Plus, Willis has two shutouts to his credit. I'd still give it to Clemens, who has the unfortunate luck of pitching for a team that has already been shutout close to 10 times this season. He gets no run support, and thus, his W/L record is lousy. Put him on a team that gets decent offense, and he's the clear-cut Cy Young. Clemens is probably having a slightly better season on the mound. But when Willis has a sub-2.00 ERA, I am not going to go through the trouble of arguing against an 11-2 record.
June 22, 200520 yr comment_2621212 Wood and Prior are supposedly not all that far off from returning. If it should come to transpire, what's the likely rotation going to be like? Zambrano, Wood, Prior, and Maddux have their spots, but who gets the fifth spot? Williams, Rusch, or Mitre. Of those three, who would you think would be the best fit in the fifth spot? And since Wood will probably be back before Prior, which guy loses their starting spot first?
June 23, 200520 yr Author comment_2622629 Wood and Prior are supposedly not all that far off from returning. If it should come to transpire, what's the likely rotation going to be like? Zambrano, Wood, Prior, and Maddux have their spots, but who gets the fifth spot? Williams, Rusch, or Mitre. Of those three, who would you think would be the best fit in the fifth spot? And since Wood will probably be back before Prior, which guy loses their starting spot first? 1. Glendon Rusch2. Sergio Mitre 3. Jerome Williams There is your pecking order.
June 23, 200520 yr comment_2628380 How long until Jim Thome becomes a legitimate problem? You keep hearing, "Oh, he'll end up with his 30 HRs, 100 RBIs" and "Once the summer rolls around and he gets warm, look out." But since last year's AS game he is hitting at a .238/.379/.432/.811 clip. Not terrible numbers, but not worth 15 mil/yr and holding down someone in AAA who is murderizing everything in his path.
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