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Rank Relief: When Aroldis Chapman loses, he give up the long ball

May 19, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Freddy Galvis ran into one to steal the series for the Phillies

Freddy Galvis ran into one to steal the series for the Phillies

The Reds have been red hot of lately and looked like they were set to take another series win against the Phillies.  That was not to be today.  Aroldis Chapman has been one of the better closers over the past year and a half, but when he’s missing some movement on the fastball, it’s not too difficult to run into.   And when someone runs into a 99-100 mph fastball, the ball tens to travel far.  That’s what happened today.

RR 5.19 - 2

Erik Kratz hit a solo home run and then Freddy Galvis hit a home run.  Game over.  One funny quirk to te 9th inning was Charlie Manuel pinch running Cliff Lee for Delmon Young.  Lee was promptly picked off of first and prevented Kratz’s homer from being a walk off.  No worries when Freddy Galvis is involved though.

 

 

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Rank Relief: So bad that John Axford got a win

May 19, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Jeff Bianchi delivers a single up the middle to give the Brewers the lead

Jeff Bianchi delivers a single up the middle to give the Brewers the lead

John Axford was an early season source of rank relief, but since he was moved to middle relief he has mostly stayed off the radar.  Fortunately for him, he actually pitched well today and backed into a win.  Joe Kelly was the loser today. In the bullpen after losing the fifth starter spot to Shelby Miller (smart choice), he came in today in a tied game in extra innings – a high leverage situation.  He started off rough with a couple singles.  Let’s see what happened.

RR 5.18 - 4

3 singles, 1 walk.  He almost got out of it with two ground outs, but Bianchi came through to seal the game for the Brewers.  The Cardinals have had some some bullpen issues with Jason Motte out fo the year and having to send Edward Mujica down to the minors for a stint.  If they want to keep the best record in baseball, they better fix it.

We know it won’t happen often so let’s celebrate when Axford gets a win.  Bourbons on me.

 

 

 

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iOOTP 13: Toronto Blue Jays are better in the sim world than the real world

May 15, 2013 by Leave a Comment

I got my copy of iOOTP 13 a few weeks ago and dove right in.  I decided to go with the Toronto Blue Jays this time around to see if  my sim team could match up to the expectations of the real world team this year.

If you’re used to the iOOTP format, you will pick up right where you left off.  The action is pretty smooth as you’d expect and the set up is pretty much exactly the same.

I went with the re-draft new season format.  I like that in this version you can pick what teams are in the league.  It has randomize function.  I tried to stick to the real thing.  I like the re-draft because I like fantasy baseball, but it would probably be fun to take a team on the cusp like the Orioles and see what you can do with them.  Here is pretty much the offense I drafted.

2013-04-21 23.27.11

I’m pretty sure I went Trout, Stanton, Castro, Zunino and Eaton were my top picks.  I heavily leaned towards young players because I knew my payroll wouldn’t be very high to begin with.  Check the staff I came up with after the jump: [Read more...]

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WAR: Who is the most valuable so far?

May 10, 2013 by 1 Comment

Is Carlos Gomez the best player in baseball?

We are only 35 some odd games into the season, but some players are already have great seasons.  Let’s take a quick look at the players that are most impacting their teams positively.  For this we will use Baseball-reference.com WAR calculation.  In case you aren’t familiar WAR represents “how much better a player is than what a team would typically have to replace that player.”  Pretty basic on the surface but complicated to represent with numbers.  Read their full explanation here.  who let’s see who is pacing the majors this year.

WAR 1

Carlos Gomez has been ridiculous this year.  It took him three organizations and some time, but he finally fulfilling his prospect promise.  The pitchers get half the spots here and 5 of the top 6.  The steroid era is over apparently.  Let’s give the batters some credit and exclude the pitchers.

WAR 3

Well the Rockies and Braves both having two players on this list seem to back up their winning records.  You may be curious why Andrelton Simmons is on here.  Well this includes defense.  Since defense is inherently harder to measure, let’s look at just what happens at the plate.

WAR 4

This is starting to look more like what you might expect when you think of the best players in baseball (Wait…maybe not Starling Marte, but he’s having a good season.)  This is a measure I like because it focuses on the runs that a player creates at the plate or on the bases.  And runs are the only way to win a baseball game.  Finally, let’s get to the pitchers who having been keeping the runs off the board.

WAR 2

Kevin Slowey?  Travis Wood?  Matt Harvey is having a tremendous season and has launched himself to the top of the pitching board.  With familiar names at the top balancing out some surprises at the bottom…bottom of the top 10.

There you have it.  The best players of the 2013 as judged by the stats.

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The one where Vlad Guerrero plays Dominoes with a gun-wielding man in a Dominican Hut

April 25, 2013 by Leave a Comment

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This picture is indeed an artifact of sorts. Special thanks goes out to our friend Detroit Stars for tracking down this special request.

You will not find this picture of legend residing anywhere else on the internet, and the internet is a very large and scary place. Here we witness one of the greatest ballplayers of the modern era likely playing a game of dominoes that his life was riding on. Directly behind him, an amigo enjoys some paella. The contestant sitting clockwise to Vlad has a pistol in his lap. The man across from the former Expos star is tipping a bottle of something, waiting for Vlad to finish his move.

I remember one night as a youngster watching Baseball Tonight. Vlad Guerrero picked a ball up on the warning track (I think it was in Colorado, but it might have been in that old Canadian dome). Guerrero fired a strike that didn’t hop to home plate or third base and nailed the runner. Not only did this man have 40/40 skill, and lay dominoes with Dominican murderers; but he had one of the best arms I’ve ever seen in the outfield.

We don’t talk enough about Vladimir Guerrero on this blog. Carry on.

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April 20, 2013 by Leave a Comment

America is Forever.

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10 Bold Predictions for 2013: The Guys We Promise to have a HUGE Year

March 26, 2013 by 2 Comments

Eric+Hosmer

As part of our preview for the upcoming 2012 season, we’ll be doing a 10 Bold Predictions for 2013 series that will be featured between now and Opening Day. Our fifth prediction: these guys will be monsters in 2013.

This is a tough post to actually structure. I want to just bullet all these guys and let it ride, but I feel you’re owed more than that. These guys are going to have really good to absolutely monstrous 2013 seasons. Sure it’s mostly on a gut feeling, and no I haven’t reviewed their fly ball rate or their poor BABIP from last season that’s sure to rise.

You’re just going to have to take my word for it on these guys. And feel free to bookmark it and come back to it when the season is over. These guys are either going to become household names or have a spike like Ian Desmond did last season before tapering off slowly, or this season will be the one anomaly on the back of their baseball card. And we’re not going to use any guys who are already studs either, because that’s just low-rent.

Bank on the following players to have the best season of their careers in 2013:

Ike Davis: Over the Valley Fever, time to ride. The last time an ‘Ike’ was this good at hitting something, Tina Turner was topping the Billboard Top 100 charts.

Eric Hosmer: Every once in a while, there’s guys who are just too damn good to be down for long. He had a great spring, and reminded us of Joey Votto in his rookie year. He’s going to look a lot like Votto before Votto won an MVP this year which is pretty strong.

Homer Bailey: Bailey will be the best starting pitcher statistically in the Reds rotation this year now that they’ve put Aroldis Chapman in the bullpen. Pencil him in for 18 wins and an ERA around what he did last year. Somehow he’ll scrape 200 innings out of his arm that experts told us would break down years ago. Bailey will never have a season like this again, falling short of being the top of rotation stud many though he would be for a decade.

Adam Eaton: He’s going to miss some time to begin the season, but when he hits the lineup he’ll be an immediate impact in Arizona. Eaton is the real deal and a throwback version of yesteryear’s ballplayer. They just don’t make them like this guy anymore. He’ll hit .300, and if you extrapolate the numbers he puts up to 162 games, he’ll make your eyes bulge.

Josh Rutledge: Everyone is so excited about the return of King Tulo that they forget about the nice little player that developed right in front of their eyes last year. I say Rutledge puts up better offensive numbers than Tulo does in 2013.

Brandon Belt: Belt hasn’t really done what he was expected to do yet. This is the year you can count on a nice average, 23 to 25 home runs, and 80 to 85 RBI.

Starling Marte: Dread Pirate McCutchen finally gets a real first mate in Pittsburgh. Marte has the ability to do 25 homers and 40 steals as early as this season. Even if he misses, how does something like 18 long ones and 38 steals sound?

Anthony Rizzo: Here’s one of the safest bets in baseball to do .270 and 35 home runs.

Derek Holland: Someone that NO ONE is talking about is going to go out and contend for a Cy Young this year. It happens every damn year. Some relative, decent pitcher comes out and all of the sudden ‘finds it’ and they go 18-3 with a shiny ERA. Holland will have Kyle Lohse numbers from last year or something closer to it.

Max Scherzer: I’m honestly 99% certain that Scherzer will have better numbers than Verlander will in 2013. People now know why I pick the Tigers to be a World Series contender so easily, and it’s not Miggy and Fielder.

Chris Tillman: I think in a down year for the Orioles, it will be Tillman and not a Chris Davis who impresses the most. Tillman is a lottery ticket type guy, but I think he shows a little bit of magic in 2012.

Yonder Alonso: Laugh at the lack of power last season all you want. Go ahead, talk about Yasmani Grandal being the young breakout star on the Padres. Yonder from The U is going to make all you doubters look foolish in 2013. Look for .285, 25, and 100 RBI from the forgotten man in San Diego.

If we go for any more than that, we’re going to start predicting guys that everyone is all over. And that’s no fun. Look for these guys to climb in 2013. We’ve just got a feeling about them. Write it down, in permanent marker, on your grandmother’s antique dinner table in fact.

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One More Lonely Week Without Baseball

March 24, 2013 by Leave a Comment

baseball-on-mound-c

As you watch the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament wind down today, keep in mind that in one week’s time from right now we’ll all be preparing for the big Sunday Night season opener on ESPN.

Then all things start anew. With a new spring spawns new hope in all good things. There’s something magical about this time of year, and only someone who follows the sport of baseball like a religion can understand it.

As sad as it is when the baseball season ends, this is at the other side of the spectrum. We’ve got a half of a year before we even have to let that thought enter our minds. And a week from right now is like a Christmas Eve of sorts.

Just one week from now and we’ll have real, meaningful baseball on every night to entertain us and to write about. It honestly can’t get here soon enough. But at the end of the day, we’ve practically all made it. Even another snowstorm or two can’t ruin the fact that spring has arrived; and it’s baseball season.

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2013 Tampa Bay Rays Team Preview

March 18, 2013 by 2 Comments

It’s really hard to not like the Rays if you are just a fan of baseball.  They do more with less than pretty much any team in the league.  They have the worst ball park in the majors, they play in front of sparse crowds most nights (19k on average – lowest in the league), and still manage to compete in usually the toughest division in baseball year   in and year out.  They haven’t finished lower than 3rd in the AL East since 2007.  Their highest paid player is David Price who signed for a one year arbitration deal of $10M.  There only long term contracts are Evan Longoria and Matt Moore who both are likely under market value.  They aren’t afraid to trade away great players or even just simply let them go in FA (see Carl Crawford and BJ Upton).  They have managed to keep the farm system stocked for years.  They are what every smaller market team wishes their team could be like. (given financial constraints)  This past offseason they parted with two major contributors in James Shields and BJ Upton, both of whom were in line for market priced pay days the Rays couldn’t afford.

What did they do to replace that production?

Major Off-Season Moves:

  • Acquired OF prospect Wil Myers from Royals
  • Signed 2B Kelly Johnson
  • Acquired SS Yunel Escobar
  • Acquired 1B James Loney

This looks about like what the Rays would do.  Traded for one blue chip prospect in Wil Myers.  He’ll likely be a superstar for the Rays while they control him and he’ll either sign him to a team friendly extension or trade him for more prospects.  The rest of the signings look like mildly liked veterans that the Rays could get for discounted prices and hope to hit on a few of them.  Kelly Johnson is a solid player and will allow Ben Zobrist to play full time in the OF.  Yunel Escobar didn’t endear himself in Toronto after an unfortunate makeup incident.  He’s talented, but comes with some baggage.  I’m not so sure the talent will come to fruition in Tampa.  James Loney will play first, but will likely platoon a decent amount while Ryan Roberts slides over to fill in.

Let’s get tot he rest of that lineup. [Read more...]

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When Love Came to Town

February 27, 2013 by Leave a Comment

junior

Since you’re all my friends and we all have another month to wait out until the regular season begins, I’m going to introduce you to a little modern miracle aided by technology.

I want to direct you over to MLB.com’s Classic Highlights.

Go ahead, have a look. You’ll find everything you need there. Also make sure to say goodbye to your spare time. Scroll through the pages and you’ll see a lifetime of memories. Some you’ve seen before and know well and some that will be new to you.

Baseball’s most dramatic moments captured in video form, dating back all the way to when your father was young. If there’s anything you highly recommend, post it in the comments section.

This will keep you busy until the first pitch of opening day and probably beyond. Speak highly of me. If you want to thank me, watch every Darryl Strawberry clip you can find.

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It’s Time to Budget (MLB.tv is now available)

February 6, 2013 by Leave a Comment

mlbtv

You have to give MLB.com credit for jumping on fans like me the day after the NFL season ends and striking while the iron is hot. I got the e-mail in each of my three inboxes this morning, MLB.tv is now available for order.

MLB.tv Premium is the one you want, and it’s $129.99. That one will allow you to watch baseball on your computer, your smartphone or iPad, or your Playstation 3 and it’s all in HD.

I can’t even estimate how much money MLB.tv saves me during the summer months. The $130 is a bargain when I take into consideration how many nights I choose to willfully spend at home watching Mike Trout late-night after the Reds are on here locally. I also get the option to see any big pitching match-up of any couple of horses that I have on my fantasy team (when all I’m rooting for is hanging zeroes and K’s). Plus, there nothing like knocking off early on a Friday and coming home to see the Cubs play at 2:30 in the afternoon to kick off your weekend.

I don’t care what my wife says this money should go towards, there’s nothing more important than happiness and you only live once. If you are a baseball junkie do yourself a favor and get this for yourself. The only downfall is once you’ve lived in the luxury once, you’ll never be able to go through baseball season without it again. You’ve been warned.

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Merry Christmas from Diamond Hoggers

December 24, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Things have been slow around here since the day that the Reds got knocked from the playoffs (followed up the next night by the Nationals collapse), but business is going to pick up soon. With the NFL season winding down, it’s soon going to be time to start covering all-things baseball again. I’m still kind of ouchie about the way last season ended, but the show must go on.

Just wanted to do a short post this morning that says for you and yours to enjoy your holiday season.

Thank you for your continued support of Diamond Hoggers.

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One More Day of Sunshine

October 3, 2012 by Leave a Comment

I can’t believe it. Our beautiful regular season has dwindled down to just one final day. It’s like that sad part of the candle that’s all crumpled wax and barely any wick left. It’s been a wonderful, memorable spring and summer. This has been the most enjoyable season of my adult life. So many amazing storylines. It delivered everything I wanted to see in a regular season and then some.

I find myself so preoccupied worrying about the Reds and their postseason destiny that I almost forget what is going on around me in the baseball world. Miguel Cabrera is closing in on a TRIPLE CROWN today (and he’s not sitting to preserve it)! Bryce Harper didn’t flop, but rather had the type of 19-year old season that a future legend in this game would have (4.8 fWAR).

Then there’s Mike Trout. Glorious Mike Trout. A 10.3 fWAR in his own right, he single-handedly willed the Angels back into the race until the final few days. He’s been just unbelievable to watch all season long.

Not to mention my fantasy rotisserie baseball league championship run comes down to today, and I could still lose it. We’ll find out where the Reds are headed by the time the sun sets and possibly by the time most people get off work. The Yankees and Baltimore are in for a wild finish this evening for the divisional crown. It’s going to be a fast and furious couple of days for our sport–with a brief pause in there tomorrow. For a baseball fan, this is the time to really enjoy the greatest forms of excitement and drama the game has to offer.

Another summer gone and just a few battles left. A lucky few will be carved out forever as immortals, while most will be forgotten. I’ll always remember the glorious regular season that 2012 provided me with.

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Weekend Wrap Up

August 20, 2012 by Leave a Comment

-Congrats to Adam Dunn on his 400th career home run. An opposite field shot that landed in the Kauffman Stadium fountain; I find it fitting that this milestone blast came on a Saturday night. Adam Dunn is a Saturday night type of guy. I remember so many of the 400 Dunner. Right down to your first.

-The Pittsburgh Pirates survived 19 innings of baseball on getaway day in St. Louis to beat the Cardinals 6-3 today. As the game wore on, I had a thought. I decided that these two teams were playing for much more than just a single ‘W’ in the standings. The loser of this game could not possibly recover, and the winner would survive to fight another day. I think this is the nail in the Cardinals coffin, truly.

-The Cincinnati Reds pulled a little more magic from their hat on Sunday, winning in the bottom of the 9th inning against the Chicago Cubs. The Reds took 3 of 4 over the weekend. It’s just one of those rare years for the Cincinnati Reds. Everything is turning to gold. Xavier Paul? Ryan Ludwick? Todd Frazier? It’s all flowing for the Redlegs right now, and it’s not about to stop anytime soon.

-The only Grady Sizemore mention on any baseball blog today. Sizemore’s status? Yup, still hurt.

-Bryce Harper homered today, his 12th. Your Harper home run post coming momentarily.

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