Baseball Stuff

DiMaggio, Mantle, Williams and now..... Johnny?



I can't wait to see him cleaned up. This may take some time to get used to. I was a fan before he moved to the red sux so maybe I can try and forget those years. Maybe. It didn't work for Clemens, Boggs nor Gordon, so I have my doubts. Let's see how it goes.

At least Bernie is still a Yankee. He will still be in pinstripes this year. As a backup center fielder and possibly a DH when needed, Bernie could still be awesome.


I don't usually do this but let's have a moment of silence for one of the class guys of Baseball. Elrod Hendricks passed away yesterday. He had been the Oriole's bullpen coach since 1977. Around these parts he was known as a very well respected coach and man. RIP Elrod.



One more thing, has anyone else noticed the way the Mets are building their team this off-season? I sure have. If you haven't, check it out. They are giving Willie (still a Yankee to me) a lot to work with. With the decline of the Braves and the Phillies they should take that division. I think we could be seeing another Subway Series this year. Hopefully they won't have transportation a strike then. That would be bad. ;)

Congratulations To Chicago

I guess it would be a bad thing to not congratulate Chicago on their sweep in the World Series. They did a good job kicking the Astros butts. I watched with mild interest mostly because it was Baseball. Not Yankee Baseball, but still...

I do enjoy Ozzie anyway so I'm happy for him. Plus there are a few ex-Yanks on that team. Has to be why they won. ;)

So, congratulations Chicago. Enjoy your championship. It will be fun to take it from you next year.








BTW, I'm still wondering where they got that Contreras guy. He's not the same guy who pitched in New York.

1. Shawn Chacon

Seemed like a good idea to do a recap of all the players on the roster. And so I started to look at each one, and realized it would take a while.

So I decided to do a little bit about all the pitchers - but that was still too much. Just starting pitchers? Too many for one post.

So here's a little bit about Shawn Chacon, alphabetically the first starting pitcher by last name:

	Pitchers	B/T	Ht	Wt	DOB
	39 Shawn Chacon	R/R	6-3	220	12/23/77

I was born 12/31/77 - but he's made a bunch loads more money. He was born in Anchorage, AK.

Here's what struck me when looking at his stats: the Rockies and Yankees numbers looked very similar. There's a table with his stats compared, as listed by mlb - then a table arranged by percent change. A list of the stats is here (most of them you should know - AO means fly outs).

Shawn Chacon: 2005

TEAM	W	L	ERA	G	GS	CG	IP	H	R	ER	HR	HBP
Colorado Rockies	1	7	4.09	13	12	0	72.2	69	33	33	7	8
New York Yankees	7	3	2.85	14	12	0	79.0	66	26	25	7	6
TEAM	BB	SO	WPCT	TB	BK	WP	IBB	SB	CS	PK	GO	AO	GO/AO
Colorado Rockies	36	39	.125	114	0	3	4	4	0	2	81	96	0.89
New York Yankees	30	40	.700	102	1	3	0	3	3	1	94	100	1.01
TEAM	WHIP	SLG	OBA	AVG	NP	P/IP	K/BB	BB/9	K/9	H9
Colorado Rockies	1.44	.430	.361	.260	1187	16.33	0.98	4.46	4.83	8.55
New York Yankees	1.22	.348	.309	.225	1309	16.57	1.33	3.42	4.56	7.52

Shawn Chacon: 2005 - Sorted by Absolute Percent Change

	W	WPCT	L	K/BB	ERA	SB	HBP	ER	BB/9	R	SLG	BB
+/-	+	+	-	+	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Percent Change	600%	460%	57%	36%	30%	25%	25%	24%	23%	21%	19%	17%
	GO	WHIP	OBA	GO/AO	AVG	H9	TB	G	K/9	H	AO	SO	GS
+/-	+	-	-	+	-	-	-	+	-	-	+	+	Nada
Percent Change	16%	15%	14%	13%	13%	12%	11%	8%	6%	4%	4%	3%	0%

I should have just used normalized stats, such as K/BB, ERA, BB/9, SLG, WHIP, OBA, GO/AO, AVG, etc... but I'm too lazy to separate out the counting stats (W, L, H, K, BB, etc). But I did take out a couple of stats that didn't add to the conversation. Something I know that is lacking in these tables is the run support he received, but that's a nice sub 3.00 ERA.

And just what do these tables tell us? They say damn he did well for the Yankees - increasing his winning percentage 460% on the strength of a 7-3 record for the Bombers.

It also says, nice job Shawn on getting your walks down. His K/BB ratio was more favorable to the tune of a 36% increase (and importantly above 1.00). While he gave up the same number of home runs (7) in a comparable amount of innings (72.2 CR/79 NY), he also decreased his BB/9 total by 23% (4.46 CR/3.42 NY). Pair that with a slight increase in K/9 and it was a pleasure to watch him pitch.

Two notes on the previous paragraph: 1. How many of those HRs were at home w/ the Rockies? 2. I screwed up the % change for IP because "72.2" should be calculated as "72 2/3." D'oh.

Moving on.

My first opinion on Shawn Chacon? Goofy hat-wearer.










Second opinion on Shawn Chacon? Good first game. Pitched six solid innings against the Angels - who he would later pitch well against in the ALDS.

Then I kind of forgot about him, he pitched a few games, won most of them - but I didn't really follow him too much. For those of you who had a similar approach to Chacon, here's (another) table - showing some stats from each of his starts for the Yankees. I added a column in the first section labelled "DS," which stands for "Disaster Start." This is when the runs given up is greater than the innings pitched.

DATE	GAME	W	L	ERA	IP	H	R	DS
30-Jul	LAA	0	0	0	6	4	1	N
4-Aug	@CLE	0	0	1.5	6	8	2	N
9-Aug	CWS	0	1	1.42	7	3	1	N
14-Aug	TEX	1	0	2.16	5	7	3	N
20-Aug	@CWS	1	0	1.64	8	4	0	N
25-Aug	TOR	1	0	1.8	7	6	2	N
30-Aug	@SEA	0	1	3.13	6	8	8	Y
4-Sep	@OAK	1	0	3.08	6.2	5	2	N
10-Sep	BOS	0	1	3.72	3	6	5	Y
17-Sep	@TOR	1	0	3.25	8	4	0	N
23-Sep	TOR	1	0	2.89	8	3	0	N
28-Sep	@BAL	1	0	2.76	6.2	4	1	N
		ER	HR	BB	SO	NP-S	GO-AO	K/BB
30-Jul	LAA	0	0	3	4	104-56	5-9	1.33
4-Aug	@CLE	2	0	2	4	104-62	8-6	2.00
9-Aug	CWS	1	1	3	4	120-69	7-10	1.33
14-Aug	TEX	3	1	0	5	88-53	6-4	Infinite
20-Aug	@CWS	0	0	3	5	127-78	7-12	1.67
25-Aug	TOR	2	0	4	6	119-66	8-7	1.50
30-Aug	@SEA	8	1	4	3	113-62	8-7	0.75
4-Sep	@OAK	2	1	3	3	113-70	10-6	1.00
10-Sep	BOS	5	2	3	1	77-42	5-3	0.33
17-Sep	@TOR	0	0	1	1	109-68	8-14	1.00
23-Sep	TOR	0	0	1	3	111-73	9-12	3.00
28-Sep	@BAL	1	1	3	1	91-56	11-7	0.33

Chacon also pitched in relief twice - once against Texas, giving up no runs in 1 inning of work, and once against the Red Sux, giving up 1 earned run in 2/3 of an inning pitched. He didn't pick up a decision in either relief appearance.

Two disaster starts - against the Red Sux, which hurts but can be expected with their lineup, and against the Mariners, who just plain sucked this year.

It must have been a rough time for him in the beginning, as he went 0-1 with a 1.42 ERA in his first three starts, pitching 6, 6 and 7 innings in each, respectively. He went 7-2 the rest of the way, losing only the two disaster starts - and owning Toronto, picking up 3 wins in 3 starts. He gave up 2 ER through 7 IP in his first start against Toronto and then two straight starts of shutout ball through 8 innings. Fantastic.

In the post season against the Angels, he pitched 6 1/3 innings, giving up 2 ER while striking out 5 and walking 1 - not too shabby. He dueled John Lackey, but Leiter got the win in relief and Mo pitched 2 innings for the save. Most importantly he kept the Yankees in it to force Game 5. Huge.

Selected Links

Baseball Prospectus PECOTA Card - check out the 5 Year Forecast. Huge fluctuations the past 3 years (sucked, good, sucked) but should straighten out to be a decent pitcher.

Wikipedia entry - "He throws a 88-92mph sinker, a big curveball, a slider, and a changeup."

TSN.ca entry - "Colorado Rockies traded Shawn Chacon to the New York Yankees for Ramon Ramirez and Edwardo Sierra." "Assets: His mid-90s heat mixed with a slider and change-up help him particularly tough on right-handed hitters. Shows some pretty good poise with runners on."

I've been looking for a personal interest story about Chacon, but no luck. Anyone know anything interesting about him?

Later.

I Still Have To Watch

Let's see, 9th inning, winning the game, your best reliever on the mound, one more guy to get and the series is over. Seems pretty good on paper. Until the hitter decides he doesn't want to go home yet. (Hmm, this feels familiar somehow; Remember 2001?) Anyway, kudos to the Cards and Pujols for pulling that one out of their butts last night. I thought for sure they were done. Lidge usually doesn't allow heroics like that.

I'm bummed for Andy though. No matter what, I still see him as a Yankee and I hate to see his team lose. I want them to get to the Series for 2 reasons really. 1 - Andy Pettitte and 2 - Craig Biggio. One deterrant for me is that bum Clemens is on this team too, but what the hey.

And how did I miss this story? Yanks get permission to talk to Mazzone I don't think I would mind that move a bit. Except for the rocking back and forth all the time, Mazzone is a tried and true Pitching Coach that we sorely need. I wonder how serious they are?

I think whoever wins this series is in deep doodoo against the White Sox anyway. They will be well rested and their pitching kicks ass. BTW, how come Contrearas (sp?) didn't pitch like that in New York? Look at the loser we got for him. Not the best move the Yanks have made in a while, eh?

I thought I would be totally bummed against Baseball after the Yanks lost, but I'm only partially bummed. This series is entertaining. Still, I can't wait until next year. Hey KB, are you keeping the countdown until Spring Training again?

thanks anyway guys

18 weeks to pitchers & catchers.

xo yall.

Renewed Blog

So, after last night's debacle I feel OK to post here again. Funny how superstitous Baseball people can be. It seemed to me (way back when) that every time I posted here something bad would happen to the Yankees. So I stopped and they won the division. Weird, I know, but whatever works, right?

So now I will attempt to make this blog something special over the off season so that in the Spring it will be a gem for our boys in pinstripes.

I do want to say that this has been a tough year, but a decent one. After the horrible start, we really don't have a lot to complain about. Although I will. Starting with the stupid-ass umpires in last nights game. Plus, I believe Bubba needs some more experience out there in the field. That or he needs to learn to respect his elders. ;)

So next season we should be in good shape when it comes to the starting pitching. With Chacon, Wang, Small, Mussina, & Johnson the starting is good. Question mark beside Johnson of course. It's the middle relief that we need more of. That and we need Torii Hunter. (I like that rumor. I hope it's real.) Obviously, I would prefer Bernie still being a Yankee but I would also like to see some good defense out there. There are few better than Hunter.

Can you tell I'm already psyched for the 2006 season? Uh huh.

So I will watch some of the remainder of the playoffs with mild interest. Yes, it is still Baseball and I am an addict. I just don't care who wins. The great part is that the bums from boston can't win. That is sweet at least.

So everyone, get ready for next year. I already am. And to all the team members here, any suggestions to make this blog Yankee-worthy, lemme know.

George Is No Yankee

I no longer believe that George Steinbrenner is a Yankee. Maybe I just managed to delude myself into thinking he was. No more. Here is why:

First, the obvious; he wants to build a new stadium. I think he's lost his mind. Yankee Stadium is the jewel of Baseball. It has seen more championships than any other sports teams' home. It has been home to the greatest list of ballplayers in the history of the game and some of the greatest moments there ever will be. It houses the Yankee ghosts that help us through the rough moments. It is the Cathedral for all of Baseball and should be considered hallowed ground. George wants to leave it behind.

The Stadium is for watching the team play ball. It is not for trying out the latest cuisine, sipping exotic drinks, enjoying a dip in a pool (a la Arizona). It is where real fans come to see Baseball. Not just show up to be distracted by the stadium extras. It is called a "Baseball Stadium" after all.

I've heard people argue that it isn't the original stadium anyway. Keep in mind that it was just renovated, not replaced in 1973 - 1976. The ground is the same ground that the Yankee greats walked and it is to be respected and cherished. The basic building is the same and the facade is still there. It is the home of the Yankees. Period. George doesn't think so.

Yep, the new stadium will bring in lots more money, but that brings me to my second point; why do we need more money? George shouldn't be allowed to get his hands on more money. Spending it on free agents has only destroyed the team. Buying players never works. Look to the current team and see where it gets you. This years team reminds me of the bought teams from the 1980's. All potential, no results. The Yankees need to do things the right way, starting with the farm system. That is the reason for the recent dynasty. A good mix of home grown talent and a few veterans with maybe one or two plug-ins where necessary during the season. That's how the Yankees won so much between 1995 and 2001. Not by bowing to George's whims and becoming saddled with old guys whose salaries are huge. Not to mention the young talent given up in deals leaving the farm system depleated.

More revenue will mean bigger salaries and bigger names. Probably won't mean more championships.

The great Yankee teams were founded on hard work, good management and dedication of the great and sometimes not so great players. The current state of the Yankees is to pay for the name and lose chemistry, lose balance, lose respect and untimately, lose games. Old George never learned this lesson. He keeps trying to buy his way out of losing.

If George was a true Yankee he would respect the game and the legend of the Yankees. He would allow the team to be run properly and let the Baseball people build a team, not field a bunch of high priced names. He would let the team win. George is no Yankee.

Question Of The Day

Has anyone seen the Yankees? I remember seeing them in early May, but they seem to have gotten lost. If you see them anywhere, please send them back to the Bronx asap because we have a pennant to win and we really should get started on it soon.

Thanks.

YB