Results tagged ‘ mariners ’

It’s Time To Fire Dayton Moore!/A New Home For Jeff Francoeur

Sorry for the late post, I typed it all this morning but the server lost it.
  • What Was Omar Minaya Thinking!
Mets trade OF Ryan Church to the Braves for OF Jeff Francoeur
Standard Analysis: Jeff Francoeur is a swing-at-everything, horrible hitter.  He is also a defensive black hole.  THE END.
Statistical Analysis: Since his superb rookie season that got him on the cover of Sports Illustrated, Jeff Francoeur has gone downhill, mightily.  Normalizing his stats to allow for the 2009 season, since that rookie year, Francoeur has hit:
.262/.305/.409, 18 HR, 32 2B, 3 3B, 78 R, 91 RBI, 34 BB, 121 SO  Ouch.
Church is a interesting player, lightyears better than Francoeur.  Batting line:
.277/.349/.453, 16 HR, 36 2B, 2 3B, 68 R, 75 RBI, 51 BB, 122 SO
Church somehow manages to strikeout more than Francoeur, but makes up for it with walks, something Francoeur does not do.
Defensively, Church is at the uppermost reach of above-average, and Frenchy is slightly below-average.
Church is superior offensively, defensively, and the better baserunner.  The only problem with this acquisition for Atlanta is that trading a righty hitter for a lefty hitter creates a situation where they would have 6 lefty hitters facing a LHP.  Why anyone would want Jeff Francoeur is a mystery, and why the would give up church for him is a bigger one.
  • Mariners trade SS Yuniesky Betancourt to the Royals for RHP Danny Cortes, and LHP Derrick Saito
Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik showed his trade savvy, and Royals GM Dayton Moore showed his utter lack of baseball knowledge by agreeing to this trade.
Yuniesky Betancourt is a poor offensive player who doesn’t get on base, a atrocious defensive player who sports a -18 UZR at SS, a poor baserunner, and a player who doesn’t listen to his coaches, and who doesn’t have any sort of work ethic whatsoever.  That the M’s got anything for him is shocking.  That they came away with a pair of top prospects is beyond words.
Danny Cortes is a top-tier starting prospect at Double-A with a strong fastball, he relies on the strikeout. He has some control-related issues to work out, but still projects as a number 3 starter.
Derrick Saito is a cannon armed relief pitcher who is dominating A ball.  He strikeout many, walks few, and is not prone to the longball.  He isn’t closer material, but he should develop into a effective lefty middle reliever/setup man.
Betancourt will be no help at all to the Royals, he has a expensive contract, and will have no place in KC once Mike Aviles returns before the 2010 season.  The Royals are out of the playoff chase, and would have had no problem with keeping all-glove no-hit Tony Peña in the lineup as they finish out another losing season.  This was a pointless acquisition.
Dayton Moore has a history of bad moves with the Royals, this ridiculous trade is the final straw.  Fire Dayton Moore!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh, and congratulations to Jonathan Sanchez on his no-hitter!
Fire Dayton Moore!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fire Dayton Moore!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fire Dayton Moore!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fire Dayton Moore!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fire Dayton Moore!!!!!!!!!!

And one last thing…
FIRE DAYTON MOORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Edgar Martinez Belongs In The Hall Of Fame

p1_martinez_all.jpg

There are just seven players in major league history with at least 300 HR, at least 500 2B, a career batting average of at least .300, a career on-base percentage of at least .400, and a career slugging percentage of at least .500.  Their names are Ted Williams, Babe Ruth, Stan Musial, Rogers Hornsby, Lou Gehrig, Manny Ramirez, and Edgar Martinez.  Five are in the Hall Of Fame, one is still active, and Martinez will be on the Hall Of Fame ballot this year.  The knock on Martinez is that voters seem to be reluctant to induct a designated hitter, because they didn’t play the “whole” game.  Martinez’s fielding was actually not all that bad of a fielder.  He started his career as a okay-fielding third baseman, with the understanding that he would move to first base later in his career.  But in an exhibition game prior to the 1993 season, Martinez suffered an injury from which he never fully recovered, causing him to move full time to the DH slot.  The injury also caused him to miss most of the 1993 and 1994 seasons, his age 30 and 31 seasons.  Martinez was an extremely durable player, but he did miss the majority of three seasons with injury, he also lost three years at the beginning of his career when he was blocked at third base.  So, despite is 18-year career, he only really had 12 full seasons.  Eliminating his injuries, Martinez’s numbers over a full 162-game season are solidly consistent, from age 27-41: .313/.421/.521, 25 HR, 42 2B, 1 3B, 181 H, 99 R, 102 RBI,  97 SO, 105 BB.  Martinez was a rare breed of hitter.  A slugger with a huge home park, he could easily consistently have belted 30 HR out of any other, he learned to drive the ball for extra bases, and high RBI totals, and the big one, in 8 of his 12 full seasons, walked more than he struck out, often by large amounts.  Hank Aaron, the “great” most comparable to Martinez, 35 HR, 31 2B, .307/.375/.559 per year, didn’t come anywhere close to doing that.  Oh yes, did I forget to mention that Martinez was a great playoff hitter.  I think I neglected to say that he played in a huge pitchers era.  Fit the pieces together, Edgar Martinez is a Hall Of Famer, and the voters must put him there.

Draft Analysis

1. Stephen Strasburg, RHP, Nationals

Who was surprised by this selection?  In every scout’s eye he the perfect pitcher.  Only time will tell.
2. Dustin Ackley, 1B/CF, Mariners
This was the best possible pick for the Mariners.  Ackley was the best hitter in the draft.  His bat will profile best in center, so hopefully Ackley’s arm is back at full strenght followingTommy John surgery.  Read the Mariners Nation recap at Bleeding Blue and Teal
3. Donovan Tate, CF, Padres
I do not like this selection for the Padres.  Tate is one of those athletes with soooooo muuucccchhhh potential, and one that scouts drool over.  Drafted out of HS with a strong college commitment and high bonus demands, Tate won’t be wearing a Padres uniform.
4. Tony Sanchez, C, Pirates
Alright Pirates fans, you can crawl back into your shells now.  This was a signability pick period.  Rumor even has it that Sanchez and the Pirates agreed to a contract before the draft.  Sanchez is supposedly defensively ready for the big leagues, and has a developing bat, but I don’t trust the MLB Network “analysts”, who didn’t say a single negative thing about any player.  Enjoy Pittsburgh!
5. Matt Hobgood, RHP, Orioles
Many analysts had the Orioles taking another highschooler, Zach Wheeler.  While signability definitely factored into this pick, Hobgood has very good command, a hard fastball, and is built like a workhorse.  Baltimore could have done far worse.

On Pace, Who’s Gonna Keep It Going

1. Adrian Gonzalez, 1B, Padres, is on pace for 67 Homeruns

Will he keep it up?  No.  No one is allowed to hit more homeruns than Sammy Sosa!!!!!!!
2. Chris Davis, 1B, Rangers, is on pace for 250 Strikeouts
Ouch!  Will he keep it up?  Probably not, but I can see him challenging the strikeout record, 204, set last year by Mark Reynolds.
3. Evan Longoria, 3B, Rays, is on pace for 168 RBI
Will he keep it up?  Slim chance, Manny Ramirez had 165 in 1999, and Alex Rodriguez had 156 in 2007, but I don’t consider Longoria that talented a player, yet…
Pitching coming later…
This Day In Baseball History

1891-Charles Garder Radbourn wins his 300th game beating the Beaneaters at South End Grounds in Boston, 10-8. ‘Old Hoss’, who will finish 484 of the 497 games he starts, will end his 11-year career this season with 309 victories.

1918-Facing only 28 batters, Dutch Leonard tosses his second career no-hitter as he holds the Tigers hitless in the Red Sox 5-0 victory at Navin Field. ‘Hub’ had also pitched a no-no against the Browns two seasons ago at Fenway Park.

1935-Babe Ruth announces his retirement from baseball.

1951-Due to the poor lighting during a Alabama-Florida League contest at Peanut Stadium in Headland, Alabama, Ottis Johnson of the Dothan Browns fails to get out of the way of a fastball thrown by Jack Clifton. The 24-year-old Class D minor League outfielder undergoes surgery and spends eight days in the hospital before dying on June 10 as a result of being hit by Dixie Runners hurler’s pitch.
R.I.P.

1987-Using their the number one pick overall in the draft, the Seattle Mariners select Ken Griffey, Jr. The signing of ‘Junior’, son a major leaguer Ken Griffey, will play a major role in Seattle’s success in the mid-1990′s.

1990-Randy Johnson becomes the first Mariner to pitch a no-hitter as the ‘Big Unit’ shuts out the Tigers, 2-0. The southpaw strikes out eight while walking six in the first no-hitter ever thrown in the 14-year history of the Kingdome.

1999-In the first-year player’s draft, the Devil Rays select North Carolina prep star Josh Hamilton as the top pick. It is the first time since 1993, when Alex Rodriguez was selected, that a high school player has been chosen first.

2000-With the Tigers visiting Wrigley Field for the first time since the 1945 World Series, Cubs’ reliever Rick Aguilera pitches a perfect ninth inning for his 300th save to nail down a 2-0 Chicago victory.

What’s Wrong With The Cubs????

  • Padres 7  Cubs 2

This weekend the Padres, the Padres!!!!! swept the Cubs, this should not happen.  What is wrong with the Cubs?  Their offense was supposed to be improved after adding Milton Bradley, but every hitter except a much improved Kosuke Fukudome is slumping, some hitters, especially Derrek Lee, Geovany Soto, and Bradley, never even started hitting.  The Cubs’ bullpen is a mess, it looked good on paper, and I will admit that I supported the Kevin Gregg acquisition this offseason, but the fact of the matter is, Gregg is not a closer, he throws too many strikes right over the plate, and the rest of the bullpen can’t throw strikes.  The starting rotation has been good, but they haven’t been getting run support, and it would be nice if the starters weren’t taking turns going to the DL.  The Cubs need to right the ship now.

This Day In Baseball History


1923- Ty Cobb surpasses Honus Wagner ‘s record for most runs scored in a career. The ‘Georgia Peach’ crosses the plate for the 1,741 time.

1935- At Forbes Field, Babe Ruth as a member of the Boston Braves, hits three homers and a single. The ‘Sultan of Swat’s’ seventh inning solo shot of Gary Bush, which travels over 600 feet and clears the roof, will be the Bambino’s 714th and final home run.

1937- Future Hall of Famer Mickey Cochrane’s career ends after being beaned with an 3-1 inside fastball thrown by Yankee hurler Bump Hadley. Near death at first, the Tiger catcher/manager will spend six weeks in the hospital and will return to the team only as its skipper.

1951- Willie Mays makes his major league debut.

1981- Carl Yastrzemski, playing in his 3,000th game, all in a Red Sox uniform, scores the deciding run in an 8-7 victory over Cleveland. The future Hall of Famer will finish his 23-year career in the majors appearing in a total of 3,308 contests for Boston.

1982- In the third inning of Chicago’s 2-1 loss to Padres, Cubs’ right-hander Fergie Jenkins whiffs shortstop Gary Templeton to record his 3,000th career strikeout. The Canadian-born hurler becomes the seventh pitcher in major league history to reach the milestone.

2005- In a game against the Orioles, the Mariners battery consist of a pair of 42-year olds as Jamie Moyer throws to backstop Pat Borders. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it marks the first time in major league history that two players 42 years or older have been the starting pitcher and catcher for a team.

2008-Former major league pitcher Geremi Gonzalez imgres.jpg
 is killed by lightning standing on a dock in western Venezuela. The 33-year-old pitcher, who was signed by the Cubs as an amateur free agent in 1991, also hurled for the Devil Rays, the Red Sox, the Mets and the Brewers before being released by Milwaukee in 2006.

R.I.P. Geremi

Credit

This Day In Baseball History-www.nationalpastime.com
Geremi Gonzalez-ESPN.com

| back to blog home |
Theme: MLB “fan” | Get a free blog at WordPress.com
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.