Random Collection of Thoughts re: MLB action April 24

The surprising New York Mets took three out of four from the St. Louis Cardinals.  The nifty factoid to take from Thursday's 4-1 loss is the difference in average age in terms of the pitchers used in the game.  The Mets used Bartolo Colon, Carlos Torres, Scott Rice and the returning Daisuke Matsuzaka for an average age of 35.  The Cardinals used Lance Lynn, Kevin Siegrist, Carlos Martinez and Eric Fornataro for an average of 25.25. 


Toward the end of the exhibition season, Erik Bedard let it be known that if he was not in the starting lineup he would consider retirement over coming of the bullpen.  In Bedard's first start on April 18th, he never made it out of the 3rd inning while giving up 4 runs on 6 hits.  Bedard's second start came Thursday night giving up 4 runs on 5 hits while issuing 5 walks while struggling to make it through 4 innings.  Proving to the Tampa Bays Rays you belong, you're doing it wrong Mr. Bedard!!


How do you comeback from a sweep at the hands of a divisional rival?  If you are the Oakland A's, you throttle another divisional opponent 10-1.  Beating down divisional opponents was a theme in the AL East


The Baltimore Orioles defeating the Toronto Blue Jays by a touchdown, 11-4.  The New York Yankees beat the Boston Red Sox so badly, the Sox sent outfielder Mike Carp to pitch the 9th inning.  FIVE WALKS later that misery was over.


Scanned all the infielders stats using the stat column "at bats" to sort each position.  Safe to assume the players making the Top 10 in the "at bats" category are everyday starters.  Here is a look at the slowest starts by players in the top 10 of their respective positions using their batting average as a gage so far this season.

1. C - Sal Perez .213, Buster Posey .229, Juan Castro .217
2. 1B - Nick Swisher .205, Edwin Encarnacion .233
3. 2B - Aaron Hill .232, Brian Dozier .224
4. 3B - Marcus Semien .235, Martin Prado .234, Pedro Alvarez .176, Brett Lawrie .157
5. SS - Ian Desmond .200, Brad Miller .221, Asdrubal Cabrera .238

Collection of Random Thoughts re April 20 in the MLB

We will start with an internet high five to the two teams who accomplished sweeps this past weekend, the Oakland A's and the Miami Marlins.  The A's swept the Houston Astros, a team with a total payroll of 45 million and a fat chance to make the playoffs.  The Marlins swept the Seattle Mariners, a team that pays Robinson Cano 24 million per year and has a slim chance to make the playoffs.  Makes you realize that a slim chance and a fat chance at the playoffs really are the same.


In a world we have noses that run and feet that smell, having your team get their collective butt kicked one game is not to be taken too seriously.  The New York Yankees lost to the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday 16-1 - - Yanks would win Sunday 5-1.  The Chicago White Sox would lose to the Texas Rangers by a combined 18-3 score from their Friday and Saturday matchups - - the Sox would win 16-2 on Sunday.  The Milwaukee Brewers would open their four game series in Pittsburgh against the Pirates with an 11-2 loss - - it would be the only game in the series the BrewCrew lost.


Speaking of the Brewers, this is how Carlos Gomez made headlines on Sunday April 20.  This is how Carlos Gomez made headlines on Wednesday September 25, 2013.  For the 2015 season, I'd like to put $20 that the Carlos Gomez induced brawl will be the final week of August.


The San Francisco Giants played two more one run games this past weekend making it 11 of their 19 games decided by only one run this season.  Both the New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays have played only two one run games each thus far in 2014.  I'm accepting witty comments about beer sales because I know they are there for the sharing.


With two National League games going to 14 innings on Sunday, one of them including the New York Mets, I came across this fascinating tidbit of knowledge.  Did you know that 14 innings is the NL record for Opening Day longest game?  The record has been tied 7 times with the New York Mets being involved in the last two times it has happened.  Here is the source to the obscure find.

Random Collection of Thoughts re April 16 in the MLB

The Washington Nationals defeated the Miami Marlins Wednesday to improve their record versus Miami to 5-1 in 2014.  The Nats have also swept the New York Mets but have gone 1-5 versus the Atlanta Braves, aka, the only team they have played with a legitimate playoff hope.  Up next, the World Series runner ups the St. Louis Cardinals who just squished the Milwaukee Brewers 9 game winning streak by only allowing one run in their first two matchups against the Brew Crew.  The first of four Cardinal pitchers the Nats will face is three time Cy Young Award finalist Adam Wainwright.  Will the real Washington Nationals please stand up!?


Top of the 9th, Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Cliff Lee gives up singles to the first two batters of the final frame and Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Julio Teheran is due up in a 1-0 game in favor of the Atlanta.  This situation is the perfect example of why managing a team in the "designated hitter" American League is much easier.


Bottom of the 11th, Houston Astros down 2 runs with a man on and the most publicized rookie since Wil Myers steps into the batters box for the hometown team.  George Springer falls behind 1-2 in the count.  The count goes full at 3-2.   Springer fouls off two balls and then...the strikeout.  Springer would finish the night 1-5 with a walk and two strikeouts.  For the record, the 2013 AL Rookie of the Year Myers started his pro career with an 0-4 at the dish.


This is what happens when a position player pitches in a MLB game - - 1 inning pitched, 1 hit, 2 walks and 2 runs against.  With no other options available, the Chicago White Sox had to practically hand the game over to the Boston Red Sox in the 14th inning.  Captain Obvious says both teams are very happy Thursday's game is NOT a matinee!


In this day of parity/mediocrity I try to always to acknowledge sweeps of a series. An internet high five to the  New York Mets, New York Yankees and the Baltimore Orioles.


Here is a montage of Kendrys Morales' and Stephen Drew's 2014 season.  The question is what is the true reason for their free agency?  Is it

• a)  Teams waiting until after June 5 - 7 draft  to avoid compensation pick  OR
• b) Morales and Drew would rather earn no money rather than be "underpaid"?

Random Collection of Thoughts re: April 5th in MLB

Pennants are not won in April, they are lost.  Cincinnati Reds I'm looking at you!  Starting out the season having the St. Louis Cardinals taking two of three from you at home is forgivable. Going into New York and having the Mets take the first two games from you almost inexcusable.  I will assume the Reds can avoid the sweep at the hands of the Mets but going into St. Louis for the next series, the feeling has to be that one out of three won't be enough.




In the dogfight that the NL Central will be for playoff seeding, the Pittsburgh Pirates were gifted two series with the Chicago Cubs with the St Louis Cardinals sandwiched in the middle.  Anything less than 6-3 for the Pirates should be considered a failure to start the season.  I would have waited until then before I extended the contracts of General manager Neal Huntington and manager Clint Hurdle.


Tonight's pitching lines from the Mariners Felix Hernandez (8.1 IP 6 hits 1 run 8 K's) and the Marlins Jose Fernandez (6.2 IP 3 hits 0 runs 8 K's) make me really hope the two pitchers face off against each other when their respective teams play a three game series April 18 through 20th.


The Boston Red Sox page on MLB.com only allows me to go back to 2000.  This is the first time in the new millennium that the Red Sox have lost their 1st two home games of a season.


The last undefeated team in the MLB is the Detroit Tigers.  That in and of itself is not that shocking.  The fact they are only 4-0 and are the last perfect team is the surprising part.

Mount Roidmore, Skidmarks, Cubans, Short Memories, Curses & Runaway Strollers MLB-Style

Barry Bonds has started his "return" to baseball.  Eric Chavez says thank you to one of the heads of Mount Roidmore. "A lot of players are outspoken about it," Chavez told USA TODAY Sports on Sunday morning. "They just forget how many riches, for lack of a better word, that all of us have enjoyed. Ownership, MLB, those guys brought baseball to a whole new level as far as popularity is concerned. That's something I'll never forget." - See more at: http://www.prosportsdaily.com/articles/as-bonds-returns-one-player-thanks-him-for-riches-294549.html#sthash.hLREPGyd.dpuf 


So if you are Kyle Drabek, Drew Hutchinson, Dustin McGowan or Esmil Rogers of the Toronto Blue Jays how do you not feel like a skidmark on underpants when it's widely reported that right fielder Jose Bautista, shortstop Jose Reyes and first baseman Edwin Encarnacion are actively pursuing Ervin Santana?


Coming into pre-season, the 3 Cuban names I heard a lot of: Jose Abreu of the Chicago White Sox, Alex Guerrero of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and recently signed Aledmys Diaz of the St Louis Cardinals.  Abreu likely the one to be in the starting lineup come the season opener.  That's a lot of freakin money to be sitting on bench (possibly in the minors).


I laugh every time I heard the rumour of Giancarlo Stanton being to the Red Sox.  Apparently the Marlins organization have short memories, or don't read Twitter (check front page "Sweet Tweets" to see what I'm talking about).


NY Mets 3B David Wright run the #faceofMLB contest leading into the exhibition season.  He has started 0-7 at the plate.  If Wright starts the regular season 0-7, can I coin the overdramatic phrase "Curse of faceofMLB"?


Now, I admit, sometimes when the game is on, my kids don't receive enough of my attention.  I'm very glad to report that my attention span has never faltered as badly as this parent in the funny linked video - - > http://wapc.mlb.com/cutfour/2014/03/10/69054142/fan-leaves-baby-in-runaway-stroller