June 23
One good reason
If one were to vote for the All-Star team in terms of statistics, here are the two teams with players ranked by position by the Baseball Prospectus:
1B: Jason Giambi, Oak.; Ryan Klesko, S.D.
2B: Bret Boone, Sea.; Jay Bell, Ari.
3B: Troy Glaus, Ana.; Albert Pujols, St.L.
SS: Alex Rodriguez, Tex.; Rich Aurilia, S.F.
LF: Shannon Stewart, Tor.; Barry Bonds, S.F.
CF: Bernie Williams, N.Y. (AL); Andruw Jones, Atl.
RF: Juan Gonzalez, Cle.; Sammy Sosa, Chi. (NL)
C: Jorge Posada, N.Y. (AL); Charles Johnson, Fla.
DH: Manny Ramirez, Bos.
Among those ranked as the worst at their respective positions are Cal Ripken, Balt., 3B; Kevin Young, Pitt., 1B; Derek Bell, Pitt., RF; Marvin Benard, S.F., CF; Enrique Wilson, N.Y. (AL), SS.
One good reason
Since 1983, the Dodgers have had only three players voted to start in the All-Star Game: Darryl Strawberry, Steve Sax and Mike Piazza.
Are you listening, lucky?
"You know this isn't your week," mused one AL West Coast scout, "when your start in Dodger Stadium gets scratched to enable you to start at Coors Field two days later." This happened to Arizona's talented rookie left-hander Nick Bierbrodt. (He was the winning pitcher in the game on Thursday as the Diamondbacks beat the Rockies, 14-5).
That same scout polled six of his colleagues who were in Arizona during spring training as to how many thought Angels rookie shortstop David Eckstein would make the major leagues. "Not one thought he'd make it to May," says the scout. "And he's turned out to be close to the Angels' MVP."
However, you know it is your week when you're starting (June 16) at home for the Brewers and there's a power failure in the first inning, enabling you to start the next day. In the contract world, Jamey Wright got credit for two games started, and since he gets a $25,000 bonus for each start after No. 25, it was his lucky blackout.
Trouble waiting to happen
The Cardinals called up Jerry Spradlin this week, but the day he reported, he went right to the trainer's room. But before taking the mound, he underwent an MRI that detected a slight tear of the labrum in his throwing shoulder that will require him to be on the disabled list for six weeks.
Walk like a man
A rundown of Alfonso Soriano's statistics for the first three months of the season:
|
Month
|
BA
|
BB
|
K
|
OBP
|
SLG
|
|
April
|
.274
|
2
|
8
|
.278
|
.396
|
|
May
|
.270
|
1
|
12
|
.290
|
.360
|
|
June*
|
.325
|
6
|
8
|
.379
|
.424
|
* Through June 21.
In my tree
Pitching coaches preach the value of first-pitch strikes.
Here are the leaders:
Rick Reed, N.Y. (NL), 72.6%
Curt Schilling, Ari., 71.5%
Brad Radke, Min., 70.6%
Javier Vazquez, Mon., 68.8%
Greg Maddux, Atl., 66.3%
The trailers:
Britt Reames, Mon., 44.4%
Dan Reichert, K.C., 50.4%
Ryan Dempster, Fla., 51.3%
Matt Clement, Fla., 51.6%
C.C. Sabathia, Cle., 52.0%
(Source: Elias Sports Bureau)
Crossing muddy waters
Cal Ripken's announcement that he plans to retire at the end of the year prompts noting the players who have played the most games during the last five seasons, 1997-2001:
Sammy Sosa, 708
Andruw Jones, 707
John Olerud, 707
Rafael Palmeiro, 705
Jeff Bagwell, 701
Chipper Jones, 701
Garret Anderson, 697
(Source: Elias Sports Bureau)
Please, please, stay (just a little bit longer)
Cleveland's starting pitchers have thrown the fewest innings of any AL staff, 370, and have a 5.27 ERA. When they recently lost seven of eight, the eight pitchers who started against them were a combined 19-37.
If I had a boat
Tim Wakefield is like the America's Cup -- he's in the limelight every three years:
1992: 8-1, 2.15
1995: 16-8, 2.95
1998: 17-8, 4.58
2001: 5-1, 2.08
Rest of career: 44-60, 4.88
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