baseball
Sabermetric analysis of all things baseball - on-and-off the field. Barry Bonds fan club.
From a Die Hard Fan
In 1988, the Los Angeles Dodgers played the Oakland Athletics in the World Series. Although Game 1 was being played at Dodger Stadium, the A's, who won 104 games that year, were the heavy favorites to win the championship. In the bottom of the 9th inning (Hey there, anybody who's a baseball fan knows this story from the back of their hand, bare with me while I recap the end of the game. I'm trying to let the newbies [Don't be mean, baseball needs as many fans as possible] in on the action. Thanks for the patience), Kirk Gibson, who didn't play for the majority of the game, came in to pinch hit with two outs and one on, and put the Dodgers down 3-2. The crowd went wild simply by his presence. With the count full, Kirk Gibson hits a home run to right field and the Dodgers won Game 1. By many historians, it is considered one of the most iconic moments in baseball history.
By Carlos Navarrette9 years ago in Unbalanced
Sorry Mets Fans, Firing Ray Ramirez Isn't Going to Fix Things
News broke Monday morning that long-time athletic trainer Ray Ramirez was being let go by the Mets in a host of other personnel moves. If you're at all familiar with #MetsTwitter, the responses of fans on social media shouldn't surprise you in the slightest.
By John Edwards9 years ago in Unbalanced
The Yankees Struck Gold on Aaron Hicks
While the top prospects from the Yankees farm system quickly matriculate to the majors, one player acquired in General Manager Brian Cashman’s retool has proven himself worthy of a prominent long-term role on the club. With the arrivals of Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez to the Bronx, and hot prospects like Gleyber Torres on the way, it’s easy to forget about just how good of a player Aaron Hicks has developed into. Let’s take a brief stroll down memory lane, to Baseball America’s scouting report on Hicks in 2009:
By Matt Mocarsky9 years ago in Unbalanced
The Washington Nationals Pitching Staff Could Take Them Deep into Postseason
The Washington Nationals are flat out legit, and they have been for the last couple years. Regardless, they have struggled to make a deep run in the postseason. This year could be a different story. They already clinched the NL East a few weeks back, and trail only the LA Dodgers for the best record in the entire National League.
By Quinn Allen9 years ago in Unbalanced
The AL Cy Young Race Is Close as Can Be
In all honesty, I wish that we could give out two AL Cy Young awards. Why? Because to reward only one player this season would be to do a disservice to the other contender. If Kluber wins, Sale will have been robbed, but if Sale wins, Kluber will just as equally been robbed.
By John Edwards9 years ago in Unbalanced
I'm Not Saying Jon Gray Isn't Noah Syndergaard...
The Colorado Rockies have had a remarkable season, posting a 84-73 record en route to, according to PECOTA and FanGraphs projections, about a 70% chance of making the playoffs this fall. This is the most success the Rockies have had since 2009, with six miserable seasons sandwiched in the middle. What makes their success this year so interesting is that they have largely been without their ace pitcher, Jon Gray.
By Matt Mocarsky9 years ago in Unbalanced
The Halo's Secret Weapon
The construction and mindset of Major League Baseball teams has changed since the implementation of the play-in wild-card game five years ago. More teams are in the mix. A club can hover around .500 for much of the season and still consider themselves playoff contenders. Front offices who realize their team is likely to compete in the play-in game can build their rosters to leverage themselves in the potential winner take-all match-up.
By Dylan Svoboda9 years ago in Unbalanced
Gary Sanchez and Mike Trout Are Comparably Dominant
Baseball has never been the same since 2012. That was when Angels center-fielder Mike Trout made his season debut after being recalled from AAA Salt Lake. If you like baseball, then you know what happened next. If you don’t, I’m happy to talk about it. Trout took the league by storm, finishing one of the finest seasons ever by a rookie. Since then, he’s been the best player in the game, and by margins unlike we've seen in awhile.
By Matt Mocarsky9 years ago in Unbalanced
Did the Dodgers Losing Streak Happen at the Right Time?
The LA Dodgers have done everything imaginable this year to build their roster to be the team in the National League. The team that will go all the way and plays for a World Series title. They have one of the best all around lineups in the entire game, and with the addition of Curtis Granderson in the outfield and Yu Darvish on the mound, they became that much better. They still boast the best record in all of baseball at 96 and 53, even though they're fresh off an 11-game losing streak.
By Quinn Allen9 years ago in Unbalanced
Taijuan Walker Is Starting to Get It
It’s the middle of August, and the Arizona Diamondbacks find themselves in the thick of the National League Wild Card chase. As it stands today, the D-Backs are in control of the second Wild Card position behind the Colorado Rockies. Arizona’s success has come on the strength of their starting pitching, which has accumulated the third most Wins Above Replacement in Major League Baseball, according to FanGraphs. One of their best starters this year has been longtime object-of-attention Taijuan Walker, who is our topic of discussion today.
By Matt Mocarsky9 years ago in Unbalanced
