Posts Tagged John Smoltz
MLB Playoff Analysis: Boston Red Sox
Posted by Monty in Baseball, MLB Postseason on October 6, 2009
Can Boston win their third World Series in the last six years?
The Boston Red Sox have become the model for running a successful baseball organization. There is a reason they have been called the “Moneyball” team with money. They draft and develop young players as well as anyone in baseball as seen with Pedroia, Youkilis, Ellsbury, Lester and Papelbon. As well as bring in some players via trade, Martinez, Bay, Beckett. Plus they have some great young arms on their 40-man roster such as Buchholtz, Bard, Bowden and Tazawa. They have made some recent mistakes, Dice-K and Mike Lowell signings come to mind, but on the whole they do a great job in a division that has the Yankees and Rays competing for the playoffs. Boston’s transition from Manny Ramirez and Ortiz carrying the offense from 2003-2007, to winning 95 games in 2008 and 2009 while losing Manny half way through 2008 and an inconsistent Ortiz in 2008 and 2009, is very impressive.
Season Recap: The Red Sox entered the 2009 season with a surplus of potential starting pitchers. Beckett, Lester, Wakefield, Matsuzaka, Penny, Masterson, Buchholz, and Smoltz were all capable of starting. Boston moved Masterson to the bullpen, before trading him, and went with Beckett, Lester, Wakefield, Dice-K and Penny as their starting 5. The rotation faced a fair amount of problems but was carried by Jon Lester and Josh Beckett. Jonathon Papelbon was great as the team’s closer and the offense scored the 3rd most runs in MLB behind the Angels and Yankees. Boston started out the season 8-0 vs. the Yankees, only to see New York take the next 9 of 10 from Boston. Boston was in a fight with Tampa Bay and Texas for the Wild Card. The Rays fell out of the race in late August, while Texas hung around with Boston in September. On September 4th, Texas pulled within 2 games of Boston after a 4-game winning streak. After that day, Texas went 4-8 in their next 12 games and fell out of the Wild Card race. Boston finished the season at 95-67 with a +137 run differential.
MLB Playoff Analysis: St. Louis Cardinals
Posted by mradenkovich in Baseball, MLB Postseason 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 »
Penny Is Money In The Bank?
Brad Penny, 8-8 with a 5.28 ERA and a .293 Opp BA, becomes the 2nd starter opening the season with the 2009 Boston Red Sox, that has found immediate success in the National League. The other starter is John Smoltz, he is 1-0 with a 0.82 ERA in two starts for St. Louis.
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.
A Bronx Bombing
The New York Yankees have lost one of their eight series’ since the All-Star Break, take a guess to whom. That’s right, everybody’s favorite Sox, the Chicago White Sox. Anyway, enough South Side love, this isn’t about them, it’s about the team the other Sox, just plain hate. The Yankees have exploded out of the All-Star gate winning 20 games out of a possible 26 and outscoring their opponents 139-103. Three losses to the White Sox, and three losses to the rest of their opponents, darn it, I just brought up the White Sox again.
Those opponents: Detroit, Baltimore, Oakland, Tampa Bay, Chicago, Toronto twice, and Boston, with four of those teams fighting for the playoffs. Not only have the Yankees beaten some quality teams, but they have earned wins over the following pitchers: Justin Verlander, Edwin Jackson, James Shields, Matt Garza, Mr. Perfect Game Mark Buehrle, and future PGA tour man John Smoltz.
| Bombs Away | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yankees This Season | Home | Road | ||||
| Games | 58 | 55 | ||||
| BA | .278 | .281 | ||||
| Runs Scored | 326 | 304 | ||||
| HR | 105 | 68 | ||||
| OBP | .362 | .357 | ||||
| *Entering Wednesday | ||||||
Ok, ok, the Yankees are having a great 2nd half, I get it, good teams go on hot streaks, so what? Well, the Yankees are putting themselves in the driver’s seat for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. That matters because the Yankees are hitting at New Yankee Stadium, as well as any other stadium, as if their games are at Williamsport, PA. (Little League World Series starts in nine days.) Entering Wednesday, the Yankees are 40-18 at home this season. They won 48 games at the Old Yankee Stadium last year.
Johnny B. Great
John Smoltz may have pitched for the final time in MLB Thursday evening. Smoltz threw 3 1/3 innings, gave up 8 earned runs and two home runs to Yankees hitters in a 13-6 Red Sox loss. His loss was the first for the Red Sox as a team versus the Yankees this season in nine games, and more importantly, it dropped Boston 3.5 games behind New York for first place. Not exactly a triumphant finish by any stretch. Smoltz had a couple decent starts this season, but since July 20th, in 4 starts his ERA is 11.25 and opposing hitters have a .389 BA against him. Smoltz was struggling and the Red Sox have invested too much into this season, 122 million dollar payroll and sending three players for all-star catcher Victor Martinez, to wait around for Smoltz to improve.
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