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The New York Mets seem intent upon paying K-Rod his $17.5 million next year.
K-Rod's contract becomes guaranteed next year with 55 games finished this year.
Frankie was just called upon to pitch the 9th inning for the Mets in a game that they lead 7 - 3 and have a 99% win expectancy. The Mets must have some other pitcher on the roster capable of pitching an inning without giving up 4 runs.
With everyone at or near a third of the way through the season, it's interesting to multiply some of the cumulative stats by three to project some possible season totals. Some career years are in the making if things continue as they are.
Albert Pujols hit his ninth homerun today in a losing effort against the Giants, but his numbers still are shockingly poor. At present he projects to a .262-.329-.411 line with 27 homeruns and 88 RBI.
Albert's .794 OPS for April and .684 OPS for May are easily the worst consecutive months of his career. In April and May of 2007, Albert's OPS were .832 and .916, an .874 average for the two months. That had been the worst of his career before 2011. His OPS is presently .740.
So what are we looking at here?
Real decline which may be expected to continue?
A player who lied about his age when he began and is now suddenly playing his actual age?
Albert Pujols hit his ninth homerun today in a losing effort against the Giants, but his numbers still are shockingly poor. At present he projects to a .262-.329-.411 line with 27 homeruns and 88 RBI.
Albert's .794 OPS for April and .684 OPS for May are easily the worst consecutive months of his career. In April and May of 2007, Albert's OPS were .832 and .916, an .874 average for the two months. That had been the worst of his career before 2011. His OPS is presently .740.
So what are we looking at here?
Still don't know.
Albert isn't swinging at any more pitches outside of the strike zone
2011: 24%
Career: 20% but has been around 22% the last 3 years
He's not showing any decrease in his ability to make contact
2011: 88%
Career: 86%
He's walking a lot less
2011: 9%
Career: 13%
His BABIP is low
2011: .253
Career: .312
His ISOlated power is way down
2011: .138
Career: .288
A mix of bad luck and not hitting the ball hard?
Home runs per fly ball
2011: 12%
Career: 20%
That's a big difference.
What's with the BABIP?
Line drives
2011: 15%
Career: 10%
Fly balls
2011: 35%
Career: 45%
There's the lack of power. Fewer line drives leads to fewer doubles. Fewer fly balls leads to fewer home runs and doubles.
Ground balls
2011: 50%
Career: 41%
When there is a big change in a player's batted ball profile the reasons are usually: mechanical, injury (which can lead to a mechanical problem), or overall decline in skills.
I don't have the slightest idea which, if any, of those it may be.
Albert isn't making good contact. Lots of ground balls and his fly balls aren't going as far.
The Yankees are on a pace to win 93 games. They won 95 last year.
The staff ERA has fallen steadily since April and is now at 3.52. The last year the Yankees had a lower ERA was 1978, except for the strike-shortened 1981 season.
They are on a pace to score 849 runs, 10 fewer than last year, and allow 636 runs, 57 fewer than last year.
The Indians' improvements in these areas seem almost miraculous to this point. But I still believe the Tigers will win that division.
The Cardinals as a team are on a pace to ground into 201 double plays this year, smashing the record of 170 by the 1990 Red Sox. Granted, the Cardinals are batting this year with a lot of men on base.
Ichiro's a machine, but eventually even they run out of steam. I wouldn't want to place too large a bet on him not making it, though. And those slow-footed Sox managed to maintain their excellent GIDP tradition without the help of Jim Rice and Carl Yastrzemski.
Chris Carpenter was, for a moment, on a pace to record more Complete Games than Wins, going through 9 innings for a potential 2-1 loss, but the Cards tied it and spoiled his 2nd CG against 1 Win. How long has it been since a pitcher won fewer games than his complete games total?
Chris Carpenter was, for a moment, on a pace to record more Complete Games than Wins, going through 9 innings for a potential 2-1 loss, but the Cards tied it and spoiled his 2nd CG against 1 Win. How long has it been since a pitcher won fewer games than his complete games total?
In 1986, Tom Candioti of the Indians led the AL in complete games with 17. He was 16-12 for the year. The year before that Bert Blyleven led the AL with 24 complete games and posted a 17-16 record.
And of course Billy Martin's overworked horses in Oakland were expected to finish what they started, and none did more often than Rick Langford in 1980 who completed 28 games while going 19-12.
The last time any pitcher completed 30 or more games in a season was 1975 when Catfish Hunter did it for his new boss, George Steinbrenner. Hunter went 23-14.
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