Division-Watching (2009)

[DPMOmaha]

that's true, I guess. 

[NatsAddict]

The local sports media barely covers the Fish.  The TV media all but ignores them completely.  But this is a bit ridiculous:

When will National League Rookie of the Year Chris Coghlan be universally-recognized by the South Florida media?

Marlins players had fun Wednesday after a Miami TV sports anchor walked up to Coghlan in the clubhouse and said, “Dan, can we get you for a minute?”

Coghlan replied: “I’m not Dan.”

For the rest of the morning, Wes Helms and Cody Ross called out to Dan Uggla: “Hey, Chris!”

Palm Beach Post

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Presented below is a link to the reaming of Tony Bernazard.  The only thing that makes me sad about this is that perhaps the Mets will hire a hitting coach who, y'know, will help them become more effective hittters.
http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/the-opposite-field-strategy

One of the more interesting nuggets to pop up in the blogosphere was this piece from John Harper in the New York Daily News on Monday. Outlined in that article is the recently fired Tony Bernazard’s strategy for Mets hitters. Simply put, the strategy is to hit the ball to the opposite field.

To put it bluntly, this strategy is downright stupid, and for a multitude of reasons

Nice use of stats to confirm what should have been obvious, as well as a good hitting mechanics discussion explaining why this effect happens.

[Nat of the Living Dead]

Presented below is a link to the reaming of Tony Bernazard.  The only thing that makes me sad about this is that perhaps the Mets will hire a hitting coach who, y'know, will help them become more effective hittters.
http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/the-opposite-field-strategy

Nice use of stats to confirm what should have been obvious, as well as a good hitting mechanics discussion explaining why this effect happens.

Hopefully Lenny Harris.

[blue911]

Regardless of your point of view, a scouting or mechanics perspective or a data-oriented perspective, there is simply nothing there to support this strategy. The fact that a team in the most competitive baseball league in the world would consider this strategy not only as a team-level strategy but also as an organizational philosophy is mind-blowing. The fact that Tony Bernazard’s idea became Mets dogma is indicting of the upper management as a whole. With good, smart leadership, this strategy is never even discussed, much less employed.

 


 

[UMDNats]

The local sports media barely covers the Fish.  The TV media all but ignores them completely.  But this is a bit ridiculous:
Palm Beach Post

Embarrassing. Wow.

[NatsAddict]

Jim Kaat is not a fan of St. Claire's trying to get every Marlins pitcher to throw an overwhelming amount of sliders:

As Florida Marlins pitchers focus on the slider, a word of caution from Jim Kaat
Friday, March 12th, 2010 at 2:37 pm
by Joe Capozzi

Had a nice interview last week with retired pitcher Jim Kaat, who won 283 games for 1959-83. Although we spoke mainly about his role helping promote a baseball exhibit at the Elliott Museum in Stuart, he spoke passionately about the game.

In particular, Kaat had interesting things to say about the slider — a pitch being tinkered with this spring by Marlins pitchers including Chris Volstad and Rick VandenHurk, among others.

Kaat’s advice: Be careful. Or don’t throw the slider at all. Here’s what he had to say:

“The problem with a slider for me is it’s a very fickle pitch. It’s an easy pitch to learn, and you fall in love with it because it’s easy to throw for a strike. You’ll throw three or four that are really good ones that have a lot of bite, but then that one mediocre one you throw…
Jim Kaat at his home in Stuart, Florida

“That’s why there are so many home runs hit in the game today and that’s why I think the majority of hitters today have slider-speed bats. It’s such an easier pitch to react to. I think for a few years we pitchers fell in love with pitching in and out, side to side. Today, with the strength of hitters, they way they can wait back with light bats and commit at the last minute.

“If I were working with a kid today, which I do a have an opportunity from time to time, I say command your fastball first, develop a good change-up and then work in a curveball. The slider would be the last pitch I recommend to anybody because too often it becomes just a mediocre fastball or a mediocre curve because it’s halfway in between there.”

Kaat, an analyst for MLB Network, said he recently spoke to Phillies manager Charlie Manuel about Cole Hamels.

“I had read where they were gona teach Cole Hamels a slider. I was a teammate of Charlie’s. I’m a good friend and I follow thr Phillies. I just kind of wanted to warn him that I learned early in my career, actually from Whitey Ford, that it’s very rare if at all that you find a pitcher who has a good curve and a good slider. They have one or the other. If they have a good slider, their curve most of the time it’s a mediocre pitch, and vice versa.

“Cole Hamels has such a good curveball that I just didn’t want to sit back and not say that to him. To me the best way to pitch today, particularly if you’re a left-hander, is fastball-changeup-curveball.

“There are more sliders hit out of the ballpark, particularly in late-game, game-on-the-line situations, than any other pitch. I know in my own career, when I started minimizing my slider and going to other pitches, particularly in the late innings, it was more beneficial to me.”

Palm Beach Post

[NatsAddict]

Yes, Peterson was called out yesterday even though Castillo bobbled the ball and it ended up on the infield grass.   About 7,000 people saw one thing, and 1 ump saw another.  Some umps need to be cut.  This was about as an obvious bad call as possible since the ball ended up about 15 feet from the play.

[NatsAddict]

Sean West optioned to Class AAA
by Tom D'Angelo

The Marlins optioned left-hander Sean West to Class AAA New Orleans today.

West pitched two innings in A games, allowing a hit and walking three, before he walked seven in 1 2/3 innings in a B game Saturday against the Orioles.

“We need him to just pitch, get his control down as we saw last year,” manager Fredi Gonzalez said. “He’ll be back. There is not question he’ll be back.”

West was 8-6 with a 4.79 ERA in 20 starts as a rookie in 2009. He was among seven candidates for the final three spots in the rotation at the start of spring, although Anibal Sanchez has appeared to grab one of those spots after pitching four scoreless innings against the Mets on Sunday.

Gonzalez mentioned Sanchez today in the group with Josh Johnson and Ricky Nolasco for the rotation. Chris Volstad, Rick VandenHurk and Hayden Penn are vying for two of the final three spots with Clay Hensley putting himself in the running as a dark horse. Andrew Miller’s struggles have pushed him to the back of the competition.

Volstad starts today against the Twins. VandenHurk starts Tuesday in Viera against the Nationals followed by Penn.

The guess is Volstad and VandenHurk win the final two spots, which gives the Marlins an interesting decision to make about Penn, who is out of options. He could serve as an emergency starter and long man in the bullpen or try to trade him. If he is in the bullpen that leaves no room for Burke Badenhop.

Palm Beach Post

Badenhop has been the only play of any significance, at least any positive significance, received for Cabrera & Willis.  Miller's contract is an MLB contract, so he will be on the roster as Loria keeps all MLB contract on roster rather than sending them down and paying $400K to somebody who might be actually able to contribute.  Maybin is still a question mark.  The Fish are trying to unload Miller on somebody, but Beinfest can't find a GM more stupid than himself.  The Fish would be stupid to send down Badenhop, so that's exactly what they'll do.

All of Beinfest's famed depth at pitching has resulted in Johnson, Nolasco and then a fiasco.  Closer Leo "1st Batter HR" Nunez is yet to convert a save - nobody outside the Marlins FO & Randy "Let Me Destroy Your Career" St Claire is surprised.

[NatsAddict]

The Marlins rotation looks like it is going to be:

Johnson
Nolasco
Sanchez
VandenHurk
Hayden Penn - seriously  .

Sean West has been sent down, Miller is going to be a mid-relief  designated BB guy, and is looks like Volstad is going to be sent down.

The Marlins may have their worst pitching staff in their history.

[HalfSmokes]

I'd take the top two over almost any other team's 1 and 2.

[Nat of the Living Dead]

The Marlins may have their worst pitching staff in their history.

Obviously you haven't been paying any attention to the Nats Spring Training campaign.

[NatsAddict]

I'd take the top two over almost any other team's 1 and 2.

The 1 & 2 are a 1 & 3, though when Nolasco is sharp, he is very good.  

Sanchez has no durability, and after 60 pitches cannot throw a strike at all.  The other two are also members of the Bullpen Employment Assurance Committee.  The pen could see well over 400 IP just in the starts of those three.  By the time JJ and Nolasco get their 2nd starts, they won't have any pen left to finish the game.  It will be rare to have the pen coming to JJ with less than 15 innings of service over the previous three games.  JJ will do his job, but the pen will give away his wins.

[houston-nat]

I'd take the top two over almost any other team's 1 and 2.

1. Hernandez/Lee
2. Lincecum/Cain
3. Carpenter/Wainwright
4. Lackey/Lester
5. Jurrjens/Hanson
6. Johnson/Nolasco

Yeah.

[Lintyfresh85]

Sadly, until Strasburg joins to the rotation, the Nats five doesn't even come close to touching that one.

[NatsAddict]

Obviously you haven't been paying any attention to the Nats Spring Training campaign.

Actually, I have.  But I said worst in Marlins history.

Sidenote:  Fredi & St Claire really do not get along, with Fredi all but outright public accusing St Claire of incompetence.

[Nat of the Living Dead]

Actually, I have.  But I said worst in Marlins history.

Sidenote:  Fredi & St Claire really do not get along, with Fredi all but outright public accusing St Claire of incompetence.

They'll have career games every time they pitch against the Nats. 

[NatsAddict]

They'll have career games every time they pitch against the Nats. 

If you think so highly of St. Claire, you can have him back!

[Nat of the Living Dead]

If you think so highly of St. Claire, you can have him back!

Never said anything about St. Claire. He is fine where he is.

[Kevrock]

St. Claire was awful.

[KnorrForYourMoney]

I can't wait for Hayden Penn to throw a shutout against the Nats.

[tomterp]

St. Claire was awful.

Nobody was saying that the first 2-3 years here.

[The Chief]

Nobody was saying that the first 2-3 years here.

I thought this too, but I didn't want to rile up the mob.

[tomterp]

I thought this too, but I didn't want to rile up the mob.

In fact (fact in my mind) if we went back to the beginning of time and tallied up all the posts in which "the Saint" was either praised or criticized, I bet the praise posts still outnumber the damnation posts, even without adjusting for posters who root for other teams.   

[NatsAddict]

In fact (fact in my mind) if we went back to the beginning of time and tallied up all the posts in which "the Saint" was either praised or criticized, I bet the praise posts still outnumber the damnation posts, even without adjusting for posters who root for other teams.   

You callin' me an exception?