National League Ledger

Recap, Analysis, and Today's Games

2003-10-01T11:21:00.000-07:00

Tuesday's Playoff Games:

Florida Marlins 0
San Francisco Giants 2
Jason Schmidt gave the Marlins a rude awakening, pitching a masterful 2-hit shutout. It was the first playoff shutout for the Giants in 16 years.

Chicago Cubs 4
Atlanta Braves 2
Kerry Wood was dominant through 7 1/3 innings, giving up 2 runs on 2 hits and going 2-for-4 at the plate, including a two run double that gave the Cubs the lead.

Minnesota Twins 3
New York Yankees 1
Eddie Guardado was shaky in the bottom of the ninth, and was saved by a fantastic catch by Shane Spencer, who was certainly the Twins greatest acquisition during the season.

Today's Games:
Marlins @ Giants (Game 2)
Penny @ Ponson
Advantage: Marlins
The Marlins got a rude wakeup call, and will be looking for blood. Watch for them to play well.

Cubs @ Braves (Game 2)
Zambrano @ Hampton
Advantage: Toss-up
Zambrano is probably arm-tired, but Hampton has a poor NLDS history. The Cubs should be feeling good after yesterday's game, so I am leaning a little toward Chicago. Nothing certain, though.

Red Aox @ Athletics (Game 1)
Martinez @ Hudson
Advantage: Red Sox
Pedro and Hitting. Hudson may not stand much of a chance.

Looking At The Playoffs

2003-09-29T19:59:00.000-07:00

First, allow me to apologize for my prolonged absence from these pages. I was doing a project for my American History class. I plan to be posting more throughout the playoffs.
Now, let me go off-course and talk about my hometown team before I take a look at the playoffs. The Diamondbacks finished their disappointing season with a 9-5 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals yesterday. I was fortunate to have seats. Now, these seats were not good. If you ever go to a D-Backs game, avoid the picnic area at all costs. That said, I am very disappointed in the Diamondbacks. They had all the ingredients for another great season. But they failed miserably. There were some good things about the season, including the young players (Kata, Cintron, Hammock, Webb, etc.), and the blend of the youngsters with the veteran players. I hope that next season, the Diamondbacks rebound and have a great season.
But this isn't a Diamondbacks blog, so lets look at the playoffs.
I really like the playoffs this year, because it isn't a cut-and-dried affair. I don't know who will win, I don't know who the team to beat is, and I love the possible matchups. For instance, the Cubs against the Red Sox in the World Series? You couldn't script a Series any better than that. Also, Minnesota and Florida are more proof that a team with a lower payroll can reach the playoffs.
The playoffs start tomorrow with the Cubs playing the Braves, and the Marlins facing the Giants. I am looking at the Cubs and Marlins to win, because of one thing: pitching. That is something the Braves and Giants have, but not in quantity. The Cubs and Marlins have great pitching.
Well, I need to get back to Calculus homework. Hopefully I'll survive.

Why do you torture me, Brian Henderson of 12 Maple Lane?!

Very Busy

2003-09-26T21:56:00.000-07:00

Sorry about the lack of posts. I have been very busy with school stuff. I should have something over the weekend. Sorry again.

I was wrong

2003-09-19T16:57:00.000-07:00

Looks like my prediction that the Cardinals would win the NL Central was wrong. The Redbirds are 5 games back with 8 left to play. They haven't been statistically eliminated yet, but it is only a matter of time. So I feel like I have to make a new prediction. Problem is, I can't. It is too close to decide between the Cubs and the Astros right now. So, I'm going to be nice to the Cubs. They are certainly going to win the NL Central. Remember that, unless it's wrong. Then forget it.

Warthog Jump

2003-09-17T16:55:00.000-07:00

Okay, this isn't baseball related, but it's so damn funny. This video clip is 3:29 long. It is just some guy who spent hours playing the X-Box game Halo. He blows stuff sky-high. It's incredibly funny. I recommend a high-bandwidth connection. My 28.8k is killing me.
Warthog Jump

Vlad to Mets?

2003-09-17T13:05:00.000-07:00

I think that it is very possible for Vladimir Guerrero to go to the Mets in the offseason. The Mets need a little more pop in the lineup, and Vlad is not getting any recognition becasue he is stuck in Montreal. This would be a good deal for both the Mets and for Guerrero. And since some Mets front office personnel have called Guerrero the "best in the majors," the Expos should get something good out of the deal.

All-Star

2003-09-12T15:58:00.000-07:00

The All-Star Game. It's always counted. It's been a showcase of the greatest players the game has to offer. The fans get to see their favorite players. But this year, for some reason, Major League Baseball and Fox decided that the 74th All-Star Game had to really "count" this time. An exhibition game was turned into something that could and probably will decide who wins the World Series. The league that won the All-Star Game would get homefield advantage in the Series. That brought us to July 15. The National League was leading 5-1 in the bottom of the sixth on the strength of a two-run double by Andruw Jones. But the AL made a comeback spanning 3 innings that was capped by a pinch-hit, two-run homer by Hank Blalock in the bottom of the eigth. The homerun was off Eric Gagne, and was basically a blown save, his only of the year. The BS doesn't show in the stats, but it affects the playoffs.
Why should the World Series be decided by a guy bowing a save in an exhibition game that doesn't mean anything? It puts asses in the seats, yes. But why? Why mess up the system? I don't know. But I would like to know something else. If it "counts," why can't the managers choose the players? If they can only use the players the fans want to see, how can they win? They should be able to pick the players themselves and use them the way they would in a pennant game, which is what MLB is trying to make the All-Star game into. I just don't get it. But you know, it is so fitting that the World Series could be lost by the NL because of a Dodger. Don't you agree?

D-backs done

2003-09-08T16:11:00.000-07:00

The Diamondbacks are finished. I hate to say it, but it is true. They are five games back. That by itself is not an insurmountable number. But when it is combined with another number, it's looks nearly impossible. The other number is also five. That's how many teams are ahead of the D-backs in the Wild Card race. It seems nearly impossible for all five of the teams ahead of them to suddenly lose it, and for the Diamondbacks to get hot at the same time. However, the outlook for next year is bright. They will have a more experienced Brandon Webb pitching every fifth day, and they will also have the rookies who were so good in June and July. The should be able to recapture the division crown next year.

Cubs In First?

2003-09-07T20:56:00.000-07:00

Don't worry, your monitor is fine. You're not seeing things. With a victory over the Brewers tonight, the Chicago Cubs jumped over the Astros into first place in the N.L. Central. With just 3 weeks left in the season, the Cubs have one of the easiest stretch schedules in all of baseball. They play the 3 against the Expos, 6 versus the Reds, 3 against the Mets, and 7 against the Pirates. If they don't make it into the postseason with that schedule, there should be an investigation. We are talking about the battlin' Cubbies, though, so don't hold your breath.
Steve Finley of the Diamondbacks seems to be picking it up. After a horrible August, he is 9 for his last 19.
Matt Morris is looking better and better for the Cardinals since coming off the DL. He three-hit the Reds after pitching no-hit ball into the seventh.
Dontrelle Willis won his first game in his last five starts. However, he still is running far behind Brandon Webb in the Rookie Of The Year race.

Umpires 2

2003-09-05T21:39:00.000-07:00

However, the umpires aren't the sole cause of wins and losses. Just minutes ago in the D-bcaks/Giants game, Marquis Grissom caught a sinking liner with one on and two outs. But first base umpire Tim Tschida called it a trapped ball. The Diamondbacks, who had a 2-1 advantage at the time, took advantage of the good brak and scored 6 more runs, making it 8-1. But the umpire didn't cause all those runs to be scored. The Giants bullpen did. They couldn't get an out. See what I'm saying? It's not the umpires fault. Well, not entirely. :P

Umpires

2003-09-05T17:44:00.000-07:00

Umpires. Say this one word and you can start a conversation that will last for hours. The main topic is the way they call the game. And this year, the umpires are freaking horrible. They can't seem to do anything right. This Questec system has completely changed the way the plate umpires call balls and strikes. Just ask Curt Shilling, who keeps records of the hitters and the umpires. He says that the strike zones have changed significantly. But the plate isn't the only area where umpires are worse. The field umpires have been much worse as well. Calls at the bases are being screwed up all over the damn place. For instance, Carlos Zambrano of the Cubs had a no-hitter going recently against the Diamondbacks recently. Shea Hillenbrand came up to the plate and hit a slow dribbler to third. The throw beat him, and Shea was clearly out by a step. But first-base umpire Bill Miller called Hillenbrand safe, breaking up the no-no. Calls like that are commonpllace this year.
Don't tell me that I can't know how hard it is to be an umpire, becaause I know. I am an umpire myself (Not in the big leagues). So I am aware of the difficulties. But the fact is, umpires have been bad this season. And unfortunately, they don't have to answer for their poor performance. They get paid the same regardless. And MLB is not trying to get them to improve, or even take responsibility. That is wrong.

D-Baxter Responsible

2003-09-03T19:57:00.000-07:00

A poll on 620ktar.com HERE is the following:
The Question

Who is to blame for the Diamondbacks struggles?

The Running Tally

Bob Brenly 18.1%

Dwayne Murphy 1.2%

The players 23.3%

Buck Showalter 0.4%

D-Baxter 57%

Predictions

2003-09-03T16:15:00.000-07:00

Here are my NL predictions and why:
NL East - Braves (Duh)
NL Central - Cardinals (Most dangerous offense, but pitching will hurt them in playoffs)
NL West -Giants (Duh)
NL Wild Card - Marlins (Super Hot, pitching and hitting both good, but Willis is a liability)

NL MVP - Albert Pujols (Has kept Cardinals in race, Triple Crown chance)
NL Cy Young - Russ Ortiz (18-5, 1.32 WHIP, ERA is question mark)
NL Cy young Alternative - Jason Schmidt (14-5, 0.95 WHIP, 3 Shutouts, 2.21 ERA)
NL Rookie Of The Year - Brandon Webb (Better numbers than an other rookie starter, except wins, run support is lacking; Willis is failing)

Snakebit Offense, Poisonous Pitching

2003-09-03T15:42:00.000-07:00

First, a disclaimer. If I ever seem to lean toward to the Arizona Diamondbacks, I can't help it. They are my home team, but I try not to let that sway me.
The Diamondbacks need to break out of their hitting blues. They are the only team in the Wild Card Race who can't seem to manage to put together runs. They don't get the small things done, and they don't get big innings. With the guys they have (Spivey, Gonzalez, Finley, Mondesi, Hillenbrand, etc.) they should be scoring many more runs, and with their pitching (Johnson, Shilling, Webb, Batista), they should be winning a lot of games. But they have scored an average of 3.3 runs per ballgame, while giving up 3.4 runs. Do the math. If they don't run off a streak of high scores, they are done. Period. Done.
My playoff and awards predictions are coming soon.

Interleague almost over

2003-09-01T10:36:00.000-07:00

Finally, interleague play is almost over. Seems like it was longer this year. Boston takes on Philadelphia in a cross league Wild card matchup, and Arizona faces Kansas City on Thursday to make up a rainout in June.

Wild Card Update

2003-08-31T22:12:00.000-07:00

The race has opened up slightly. The Marlins and Phillies remain tied for the top spot in the NL Wild Card, with wins against the Expos and the Mets, respectively. The Expos fell to 3 back with the loss. The Dodgers kept pace at 1 and a half back with a victory over the Rockies. The Astros fell to 2 back with a loss to the Padres, and the Diamondbacks fell to 3 back with a loss to the Barry-less Giants. For full standings, click here. Goddamn this thing is crazy...

Bonds In Hospital

2003-08-31T22:02:00.000-07:00

Barry Bonds has been transported to a Phoenix hospital to monitor his rapid, irregular heartbeat. Bonds was removed from Saturday night's game vs. the Diamondbacks when his heartbeat was rising to about 160-170 beats per minute. Regular heart rate is about 60-100 bpm. It is not certain whether Bonds will return to the lineup Monday. Are the D-backs fans gonna boo him for that too? They boo him for everything else.

Stadium Stupidity

2003-08-31T10:37:00.000-07:00

Finally, someone wrote about all the stupid things fans do at baseball games. It focuses on Dodger Stadium, but can apply to any ball park. Stadium Stupidity. Its all true.

No Good In The Minors; Back to the Majors

2003-08-31T10:06:00.000-07:00

The Tigers declined to sign a new pitcher today. Phil Mickelson, the righty with the blazing 67 mph fastball, was not signed to pitch for the AAA Toledo Mud Hens this weekend. Mickelson golfs left-handed but throws righty. Since Mickelson was unable to make it in the minors, he'll have to go back to trying to win a major. What scares me is that Mickelson still thinks he can do this.

"If I can get my velocity up, we may revisit this," he said. "Golf is my No. 1 priority and always will be. Throwing a baseball is an important part of my workout program, so if I can get my speed to 85 mph or above consistently, I wouldn't rule out trying this again."

Supposedly Lefty has a very good curveball and splitter, so if he could throw harder, he might be successful. By successful I mean win at least one game in his career, which would top his PGA Major record.

2003-08-30T16:59:00.000-07:00

Phil Mickelson is a wank. Here's why. But my real topic is the Rookie of the Year award. I would love to know why Dontrelle Willis was anointed before July to be the ROTY, and nobody has looked at anybody else. There are a couple players that are much more deserving of the award than Willis. Specifically, Diamondbacks' starting pitcher Brandon Webb and Mets' first baseman Jason Phillips. I think that Brandon Webb is the best rookie in this 2003 season. He leads all rookie starters in most pitching categories, and if you compare his numbers to Willis's, Webb is clearly the better pitcher.

Webb-Willis Comparison

You might say, "But Willis has more wins." True, but with the way Webb has pitched this season, if he got any kind of run support from the anemic D-Backs offense, he could easily be 15-5 or something like that. So in conclusion, Brandon Webb should be the Rookie Of The Year. But there is still a lot of baseball left, and things can change. One thing is for certain: Willis is not the 2003 ROTY.

2003-08-30T11:37:00.000-07:00

Wow! How about the National League Wild-Card race? Six teams within a game of each other, and eight within a game and a half. That is, if you include the Cardinals and Astros, who are tied for first in the NL Central. One of those two will be in the playoffs at that spot. The thing is, none of the teams seems to want to win this thing. The Phillies are 2-8 in their last ten games, but are still tied with Florida for the top spot. The Diamondbacks, who in my mind have the best shot at the Wild Card with their pitching, are only 5-5 on their current 13-game homestand. If any of the 8 teams start stringing together victories, that team will most likely be this year's Wild Card team. Here are the standings in MLB as of today. I will be watching this thing like a hawk. Stay tuned.

2003-08-30T00:04:00.000-07:00

Hey Hey! I've started the blog. This is my goal: to create a blog with comprehensive scores, my analysis, and new from the baseball world. I'm a junior in high school, so updates will be on a semi-regular basis. Please check back for my first news and analysis sometime on Saturday or Sunday. Thanks