MLB Daily Thread: 08-08-17: Trout gets 1,000 hit on 26th b-day

[soxfan1468927]

For me, it would depend on the health of the respective clubs when it gets closer to October.

I thought the same damn thing last year...

 

[SlinkyRedfoot]

I thought the same damn thing last year...

Yeah, that was fucking insane. That's the crapshootidity of the MLB playoffs. All you can do is try to mitigate it.

If I was just looking at 2016 as a whole, I'm not sure I'd say that a healthy Indians squad was better than the Red Sox or Blue Jays and definitely not the Cubs. When the injuries started to hit in September, I thought to myself, 'well, it was a fun season and I'm glad they made the playoffs.'

If you'd have told be before the ALDS that the Indians would eventually force extras in game seven of the WS against the Cubs, I'd have asked you to share whatever narcotics you were on.

 

[PolarVortex]

Something rotten reeks in Phillie:
Dutch Dalton (55), Tug McGraw (59), John Vukovich (59), Johnnie Oates (58), Ken Brett (55) all died of brain cancer before their 60th birthday. Vukovich, McGraw and Oates were teammates in 1976. McGraw and Dalton were teammates in 1983.

 

[SlinkyRedfoot]

Beat the Red Sox and Blue Jays in eight games with 1.7 starting pitchers. . .

Call me superstitious, but I'm concerned that we burned a whole lot of luck in last year's postseason.

 

[SlinkyRedfoot]

Something rotten reeks in Phillie:
Dutch Dalton (55), Tug McGraw (59), John Vukovich (59), Johnnie Oates (58), Ken Brett (55) all died of brain cancer before their 60th birthday. Vukovich, McGraw and Oates were teammates in 1976. McGraw and Dalton were teammates in 1983.

87.4% of Philly's population look like cheesesteak sandwiches with feet.

 

[PolarVortex]

87.4% of Philly's population look like cheesesteak sandwiches with feet.

Several years ago Mrs Vortex and I flew to the Least Coast and took a drive from Charlotte to Cleveland, with stops in Richmond, DC, Baltimore, Atlantic City, Phillie, and Pittsburgh. Phillie was easily the most depressing city in the bunch. When a city can beat out Cleveland and Baltimore for such an dubious honor, that's saying something.

 

[SlinkyRedfoot]

Houston, as a team, is hitting .301 since the All-Star Break.

They lead the AL in all four slash stats since the break.

.301/.353/.512/.865

Of course, I wouldn't be surprised if they've faced the easiest pitching since the break. Three games each against MIN, SEA, BAL, PHI, DET and TOR and four against TBR.

Tampa Bay is the only team they've faced with an ERA better than league average. The Twins, Tigers and Orioles rank 26th, 27th and 28th respectively in team ERA - that's over 40% of their post-break games against teams with a combined ERA of 4.86.

They've got a good offense, no doubt, but it's overrated because of the cupcake schedule they've faced all season.

 

[navamind]

They lead the AL in all four slash stats since the break.

.301/.353/.512/.865

For reference, Jose Abreu is hitting .291/.347/.509 on the year. Their OPS+ is currently higher than the 1927 Yanks.

 

[SlinkyRedfoot]

Several years ago Mrs Vortex and I flew to the Least Coast and took a drive from Charlotte to Cleveland, with stops in Richmond, DC, Baltimore, Atlantic City, Phillie, and Pittsburgh. Phillie was easily the most depressing city in the bunch. When a city can beat out Cleveland and Baltimore for such an dubious honor, that's saying something.

Word. When a guy from Cleveland calls a place a shithole, you know it's bad.

Last year I made the joke that the democratic party is always trying to one-up the republicans; RNC was held in Cleveland so the dems said, "oh yeah, so you're having your RNC in a shit hole? We'll have our DNC in a total puke-stained shit hole! Take that, fuckers!"

 

[SlinkyRedfoot]

For reference, Jose Abreu is hitting .291/.347/.509 on the year. Their OPS+ is currently higher than the 1927 Yanks.

#TheBeautyOfFacingCupcakePitching

 

[soxfan1468927]

Of course, I wouldn't be surprised if they've faced the easiest pitching since the break. Three games each against MIN, SEA, BAL, PHI, DET and TOR and four against TBR.

Tampa Bay is the only team they've faced with an ERA better than league average. The Twins, Tigers and Orioles rank 26th, 27th and 28th respectively in team ERA - that's over 40% of their post-break games against teams with a combined ERA of 4.86.

They've got a good offense, no doubt, but it's overrated because of the cupcake schedule they've faced all season.

But if you really wanted to dig into it, you would have to see what pitchers they faced. Twins team ERA might suck, but they faced Berrios and Santana, both with better than average ERAs. Just as an example. Can also work in reverse of course.

 

[navamind]

It's not like the Indians are facing the toughest pitching either. Three of the bottom 10 ERAs belong to AL Central teams (Twins, White Sox, Tigers).

 

[navamind]

But if you really wanted to dig into it, you would have to see what pitchers they faced. Twins team ERA might suck, but they faced Berrios and Santana, both with better than average ERAs. Just as an example. Can also work in reverse of course.

this too. it's an annoying exercise, or at least because I'm too lazy.

 

[SlinkyRedfoot]

But if you really wanted to dig into it, you would have to see what pitchers they faced. Twins team ERA might suck, but they faced Berrios and Santana, both with better than average ERAs.

Absolutely fair point - I was looking at it from the 50,000 foot level.

Then again, those are only two out of twenty-two games, and if you want to dig deep, while both of those pitchers have below league average ERAs for the season, they've been spitting the bit here in the second half.

ES
1st half - 2.99 ERA
2nd half - 4.35 ERA

JB
1st half - 3.53 ERA
2nd half - 4.81 ERA

 

[SlinkyRedfoot]

It's not like the Indians are facing the toughest pitching either. Three of the bottom 10 ERAs belong to AL Central teams (Twins, White Sox, Tigers).

Word.

If I saw someone saying that the Indians have an historically great offense, I'd be pointing that out.

 

[PolarVortex]

For reference, Jose Abreu is hitting .291/.347/.509 on the year. Their OPS+ is currently higher than the 1927 Yanks.

Meh. The 1927 Fraudkees. Why does everyone make such a big deal out of them. They didn't have a balanced attack at all. It was all Ruth and Gehrig. They went nuts that year. Crazier than even for them. Combs and Lazzeri were pretty good too. But there were weak spots in their lineup. I think the most interesting thing about that team is that, in 1927, they had a 5-man rotation and a relief pitcher who won 19 games.

 

[Used 2 B Hu]

That was about the only thing relevant that took place last night

The most important thing is that the Mets didn't lose again

 

[SlinkyRedfoot]

this too. it's an annoying exercise, or at least because I'm too lazy.

Since June 4th, Berrios' ERA has increased from 2.76 to 3.86.

Since June 1st, Santana's ERA has increased from 1.75 to 3.27.

 

[Used 2 B Hu]

All Rise? Try Sit Down! How MLB has caught up to Aaron Judge

figured out

They're the same damn thing!!! Whomever put that graphic together, I hope they get fired and go back to counting crumbs at the cracker factory

 

[soxfan1468927]

Absolutely fair point - I was looking at it from the 50,000 feet level.

Then again, those are only two out of twenty-two games, and if you want to dig deep, while both of those pitchers have below league average ERAs for the season, they've been spitting the bit here in the second half.

ES
1st half - 2.99 ERA
2nd half - 4.35 ERA

JB
1st half - 3.53 ERA
2nd half - 4.81 ERA

It is only two because those just happened to be the only two I looked at. And it was the first two games. Santana had a 2.99 ERA going into the game against the Astros and Berrios had a 3.53 ERA going into the game.