Friday, September 25, 2009

A few notable links

Fangraphs has a good article detailing the home vs road offensive numbers for Matt Holliday. While on the Rockies, many have often criticized Holliday's numbers, stating that they were the effects of playing at Coors field for 81 games. While playing at the park some have some effects, you have to take the numbers he put up this year and figure that the guy does have some raw talent. He struggled while in Oakland, something of which I would attribute to learning a new league of pitchers and playing at that horrible park in Oakland.

Also found this article about J.P. Riccardi to be interesting also. Not sure how many of you feel about Riccardi, but I feel he makes a good point. As the title of the article states, "The division is not going to change." He talks about how difficult it is being in the American League East, with the type of spending that the Yankees and Red Sox do. He noted that during the Jays championship of 92 and 93, they had the highest payroll in all of baseball. This was something I was unaware of before reading this article.

When you look at it this way it makes sense, but you also have to see how the Rays were able to have a remarkable season last year, performing better than the Yankees with a significantly lower payroll. The Jays need to work on their farm system (which has some potential), keep their young arms healthy, and make some smarter signings. I would hate to see Halladay go, but they have little chance of resigning him and if they can receive a few young guys for him they might as well do it sooner rather than later.
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Side note: Magic number for the Yankees is 5. A sweep of the Sox would guarantee a division win on Sunday.

Also am sad that the season is almost over... Oh how I will miss baseball.

2 comments:

Kyle said...

Good post and great articles.

I agree that it's tough for Toronto. The Yankees can lose say Wang, have AJ and Joba be inconsistent, and other injuries. They have the resources to overcome it.

Same with Boston.

The Rays needed basically everything to go their way to have a season like last year. Still, I think it ultimately comes down to making wise decisions. Minimizing the bad ones and taking smart risks.

The regular season is almost over, but don't think of it as the end. Look at it as the beginning of what Yankee fans hope to be an October to remember.

It won't be easy as the Angels and Cards specifically are going to be tough. Right now, I'd probably actually pick the Cards for the WS. The Phils could be tough as could Boston. Plus, there's always some team in the playoffs that people didn't expect to get hot, but they do.

It's been a few years since the Yankees had a team that I felt could do well in the postseason. I'm looking forward to some playoff baseball.

Bruno Van Rottweiller said...

Point well taken about Tampa BUT they got how many first rounders for like ten years? They did a nice job trading BUT they had the talent to trade.

JP is a weinie head, pure and simple. He's had 8 years to field a competitive team and he's failed. I don't take anything he says seriously BTW except for this part about spending. The Rogers are so wealthy,it's sick. They make the Steinbrenners look like paupers. They are losing payroll next year with Rolen and Rios coming off the books. If they sgn O-Dog, Figgins or Matsui or Abreu,Matsui,or Odog for 20-25 mill a year their payroll would be up to 100 mill a year. With the pitching they have ,they can compete and they still wouldn't need to add payroll pitchingwise. BUT they need offense. They could resign Barajas and have one of the young kids catch and Barajas won't be expensive...so they can compete ...only of they add to their offense.

One more thing,Cito has to go! get in Buck Showalter(who hangs on winning every game)or Bobby Valentine and this club will rock. Gaston is a relic from a bygone age. Nice guy, did a decent job of managing people back in the glory days of the team..BUT that's about it. He's a lot like Joe Torre in that respect NOT a great in game manger but good with the psychological issues.

@ Kyle, good call about the playoff teams. As Jeter claims the hottesttest team wins, not necessarily the best.The Yanks will have a disadvantage pitchingwise via their spotty SP. CC has been blah in the post season, Aj has never pitched in the post season, either andy is awesome or totally bad, and Joba.....his inning limits are coming up! Yankee fans can look forward to Chad Gaudin though! I mean that facetiously though......

@ Xristina, one more thing about Doc. Doc and Brandi give so much to the community, they are such an asset to that team and TO. He is so beloved for his excellence on and off the field. He is really a great family man. Lauren must be dissapointed that can't out him! There's no dirt to dish on him......


Hey Lauren did you hear about Jeter's ex girlfriend,Mariah Carey? She likes the Kitty honey...just ask the has been rapper called Da Brat! If you couldn't tell Da Brat is DA man in that relationship. Nick Cannon makes a nice beard BUT not as nice as Jeter does......

One more thing from the gutter. Jose Canesco claimed that Roger Clemens is the only player he never saw screw around on his wife! Crazy unh? Then all that crap came out about that nutjob Mindy McCready to counteract that........