Have you heard about the Yankees new switch pitcher prospect? Here he is facing a switch batter in the 9th inning in a minor league game between Staten Island (Yankees franchise) & Brooklyn (Mets franchise.)

The switch hitter came up on one side, and then the pitcher switched arms, and then the hitter switched sides, and then the pitcher switched arms, and then...

I guess you could also select such comedy options as "Sign Rey Ordonez to an extension" in his greatest hits.

Anyways, this was a month ago:

Portfolio.com

Former New York Mets G.M. and current ESPN on-air talent Steve Phillips has a new theory: Thanks to the Mitchell report, drug testing, and overall increased scrutiny, the steroids era is over and teams that play small-ball can thrive.

On the Mike and Mike Show yesterday, Phillips said "at the current pace we're on this season, Major League Baseball would be down over a thousand home runs in 2008 compared to the 2006 season."

Lets take a look at the home runs now:
2006-5386
2007-4957
2008-2134 (4735proj)
DIFF 06/08 (651) DIFF 07/08 (222)

Not quite a thousand anymore eh? MAN I SURE HOPE TEMPERATURE DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING It's warming and catching up to last year, when everyone was injecting horse steroids into their eyeballs.

Since using steroids only means you hit home runs, and never some other wacky power stat like, I dunno, lets check DOUBLES?

At bats per Double/Home Run
2006-18.32/31.07
2007-18.24/33.85
2008-18.73/35.10

Oh you wacky steroids, what won't you do? Like take plate appearances and figure out what a seemingly small change of .005 would do to an entire season!

OBP
2006-.336
2007-.336
2008-.331
(2006PA+2007PA/2 *.336) - (2008PA*.331)
DIFF= 1129 Hits&Walks over the entire season


In other news Mark Prior was eaten by a raccoon.

Labels: IHateU, Inccorect Predictions, steroids

He needs 50 more wins to get to 400 and he's only won 3 games this year. He's 42 years old. Considering all of that it seems very unlikely.

But the reason he's winning so few games this year (his record is 3-5) is not because he's become an ineffective pitcher, in fact his ERA is a solid 3.31 which is good for 12th in the NL. It's because he's pitching for a team with an awful offense (the San Diego Padres.) It's the Padres fault that his streak of 20 consecutive seasons with 13 or more wins will likely be coming to an end this year.

If Maddux can pitch three more seasons after this one (through 2011) for a team like the Chicago Cubs (why not go back one more time?) it seems quite possible he could add 50 more wins to his career total. And it doesn't seem entirely unlikely he could pitch well to age 45 or 46 considering the high level he is pitching at now at age 42. Other pitchers have done it before him.

Some examples: Nolan Ryan 46, Roger Clemens 45, Phil Niekro 48, Tommy John 46, Charlie Hough 46, Jamie Moyer 45, Gaylord Perry 45, Jack Quinn 50, Satchel Paige 46.

Labels: Greg Maddux, San Diego Padres

I was looking at the Los Angeles Angels of Satan's Less runs scored and more runs allowed than the A's. So I figured I'd take a look at who else is currently using voodoo to play close in 1 run games or many of the other 5,000 reasons the 2007 White Sox turned back into a pumpkin. (Division leaders in bold)


As you can clearly see, God's wrath against the Atlanta Braves is still intact. It's raining down foul balls into Chipper Jones' orbital bones. However, the Angels prove clearly that there is no God. The Angels are 13-8 in one run games, which should trail back to ~.500 eventually. The Mariners are 7-14 in one run games this year, after those moosefuckers got lucky to the tune of a +9 Pythagorean last year. One can only hope the hilariously same fate for the Angels. =)

Labels: IHateU, Los Angeles Angels, Oakland A's, Pythagorean Wins, YOU SONS OF BITCHES

Ken Griffey Jr. became the 6th member of the 600 club (and the 3rd new member in just the past few years) yesterday. It was only his 7th homer of the season and he's on pace for just 18 home runs (in 567 at bats) this year.

The all time home run leader board is now:

#1 Barry Bonds 762
#2 Hank Aaron 755
#3 Babe Ruth 714
#4 Willie Mays 660
#5 Sammy Sosa 609
#6 Ken Griffey Jr. 600
#7 Frank Robinson 586
#8 Mark McGwire 583
#9 Harmon Killebrew 573
#10 Rafael Palmeiro 569

Who will be next to 600?

Barring serious injury it's almost certain to be Alex Rodriguez, possibly as early as late next season. He's having a slow season thus far with just 10 homers but he is heating up now in June. He's hitting .438 in June and has 2 homers in his last 3 games.

Rodriguez needs 72 home runs to reach 600.

Who else?

Jim Thome is just 9 home runs behind A-Rod and could theoretically pass 600 before Rodriguez. He actually has 2 more home runs than Rodriguez so far this season. But Thome turns 38 this season while A-Rod will be 33.

Manny Ramirez has 504 home runs and appears likely to reach the 600 club in late 2010 or early 2011 (barring injury of course.) Ramirez is 36.

Chipper Jones has 401 home runs at age 36 and appears to be a very long shot for the 600 club, the only thing that makes me even consider him is the incredible season he's having this year. If he is one of those players that plays a high level into his early 40s he has an outside shot at reaching 600.

Vladimir Guerrero & Andruw Jones are at 373 & 370 respectively. They are both in their early 30s and could reach 600 if they avoid injury and production slow down.

But considering Jones had a bad year last year and has been plain awful this year, his chances look pretty slim at the moment. But he can fully recover from his surgery and hit like he has in the past, he has a shot.

Guerrero is also having a bad year (although not as bad as Jones) and only hit 27 home runs last year so he looks like far from a lock for the 600 club.

Labels: Ken Griffey

The Atlanta Braves' Chipper Jones is having a dream season. He's hitting .411 and he's on pace for 36 home runs and 104 RBI.

His OBP is a nearly Bondsian .489 and his slugging percentage is .640.

If the season ended today he'd clearly be the MVP.

Do I think he can finish the season above .400? No. It's still early. But he's having a helluva a season.