Posts Tagged Albert Pujols
1 Month Down…Our MLB Thoughts
Let's Debate!
It’s been a while, but Chris and I put together a baseball podcast…giving our thoughts on the first month of the MLB season…
Topics:
1a. Ryan Howard gets paid… How does this affect the 1st base market going forward (Fielder, A-Gonz, Pujols)
1b. Does it bother you that people still value old school statistics?
2. Rays lead baseball with a 20-7 record…only lead AL East by 1 game. Who do you like in the East now?
3. Mariners can’t score runs…Texas and Oakland look improved. What do you make of the West?
4. Homerism…how do you feel about the White Sox status now? Is it the Twins division to lose?
5. The Braves are struggling, but Heyward has been fantastic. How good can he be? Thoughts on the NL East?
6. St. Louis rules the Central. Can the Reds, Cubs, or Brewers give them a run?
7. San Diego/San Fran have surprised…you buy it? What happened to LA?
8. Fantasy Notes
Posnanski’s Future Hall Of Famers
Posted by Chris Cwik in Baseball on November 26, 2009
If Pujols Quit Now, He Might Get In...He's That Good
I consider Joe Posnanski to be a pretty smart guy. Having said that, anytime you rank the top 10 players under 30 who will make it to the Hall Of Fame, you take some big risks. Posnanski recognizes the risks right away, when he admits that if he made this list in 1985, only 4 of his 10 would currently be in the HOF. Obviously, many factors come into play when you make this type of list. Injuries, ineffectiveness, inability to live up to the hype, and other external factors can derail the careers of some of the best players in the league. Even within the article, Posnanski compares Hanley Ramirez to Nomar Garciaparra and Derek Jeter, two players who probably would have made this same list 10 years ago. You already know the rest of the story, Jeter is still a lock, while Nomar continues to sign one year deals as a super-sub. These were two of the most dynamic players in all of baseball a few years ago…and only one of them is still considered a lock for the Hall. The point is, it’s really hard to be a top player in the MLB for an extended period of time. While Posnanski makes some very good selections, its just as likely that only 4 out of 10 actually make it to the Hall. I can’t stress this enough, Posnanski picks some of the best players in the game right now…and many of them will not go on to the HOF. That’s crazy! Posnanski makes this point when he lists would-be choices from 1985, so while guys on his 2009 list all look like good selections, it’s likely that only half of the players on that list make it to the Hall. Don’t believe me? Let’s take a closer look.
MLB Postseason Trivia For YOU!
Jimmy Rollins is piece of trivia for the amount of outs he made this year.
Well how well do you know baseball trivia? Dan has given the blog some great nuggets and trivia regarding players in this year’s playoffs. There are 6 questions and a fact. How many correct answers can you get?
1. This year Jimmy Rollins became just the 3rd player ever to make 500 or more outs in a season 4 times. The other two are Dave Cash and Bobby Richardson. Who is the only other active player to make that many outs 3 times?
2. Only 3 Red Sox pitchers have ever qualified for the ERA title with a K/9 of 10.0 or greater. Lester’s K/9 was actually 9.96, but it rounds to 10.0. Lester is the first since Pedro Martinez in 2002 (Pedro did it 3 times) to do so. Who is the other?
3. Jacoby Ellsbury stole 70 bases this season, setting a Red Sox franchise record. Who was the last American League player to steal 70+ bases in a season?
4. Ellsbury was the also the first player since 1986 to steal 70 or more bases while being caught 12 or fewer times. Two players did it that year. Who are they?
5. Ellsbury, despite his great speed, also managed to ground into 13 double plays this year. Since GIDP started being kept officially in 1933, who is the only player to steal 70+ bases and ground into more double plays?
6. Albert Pujols was walked 44 times intentionally this season, 5th most all-time. Barry Lamar Bonds holds the top 3 seasons in this category. Who had the season that ranks 4th all-time?
Fact: This year’s Dodgers are the only team this decade (2000-2009) to win 95+ games without a pitcher winning at least 14 games. Chad Billingsley led the Dodgers with 12 wins this season.
MLB Playoff Analysis: St. Louis Cardinals
Posted by mradenkovich in Baseball on October 4, 2009
Can Tony LaRussa bring St. Louis another World Series?
The Cardinals came into 2009 as a team full of questions. They had Albert Pujols, but that was about it. Troy Glaus began the season on the disabled list, Khalil Greene went on the DL early, they were using a converted outfielder at second base, and were playing a rookie in center field. But as always, LaRussa and company found a way to get the job done.
After acquiring Matt Holliday and Mark DeRosa, the Cards pulled away from the Cubs and Brewers in July. This can be attributed to their two aces, Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright, as well as big performances from Joel Pineiro and Ryan Franklin. They’ve been one of the hottest teams in the NL in the last two months, and they are on their way to the World Series. Read the rest of this entry »
Future HOF: Justin Upton
Posted by mradenkovich in Baseball on August 13, 2009
One of the most valuable players in the league at 21, the sky is the limit for Justin Upton
Before you read — I will be doing a series of “Future HOF” where I claim that a certain player will be in the HOF at the end of his career. This will be mostly baseball related. I will examine players that aren’t shoe in’s – so I won’t be analyzing John Smoltz. I want to get a feel for what everyone thinks.
When I was 19 years old, I made the biggest claim of my life. I told a roommate that a kid our age would be the best outfielder our generation would ever see.
Yes, the player had played a handful of games in the majors, and was 19, so you know he had talent. It all depended on how quickly he would rise to stardom.
Now at 21, Justin Upton is already a star.
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