SixFourThree

Hidden Hunches (A.L. Edition)

September 11, 2009 by sixfourthreeblog

Quasimodo has a few hunches of his own...

Quasimodo's hunch is not so hidden.

Two weeks ago, we took a gander at the National League front-runners and the little things that are going under the radar that will help them clinch their respective divisions and achieve postseason success.

Now on to the lesser league, with their designated hitters, home run parks and players named after Japanese cars.

American League East

New York Yankees

Hidden Hunch: Look at the Gaudin numbers!

It’s going to take a mountain of momentum and offensive production to unseat the New York Stock Exchange – I mean Yankees – from atop the AL East. They have the best team money can buy. Literally. Except for their fifth starter, one Sergio Mitre, who’s barely a strikeout pitcher anymore. Since joining the Bombers July 21, he’s gone 3-2 with a 7.02 ERA and a 1.76 WHIP, and those aren’t hard-luck numbers, either; his career numbers are right in line. And limiting Joba Chamberlain’s starts doesn’t mean we’ll be seeing less Mitre.

So who’s going to step up? It has to be my man Chad Gaudin*, who’s had decent success as a Yankee – 3.42 ERA, 1.61 WHIP – but the real gem in his stats is he’s posted a .253 BAA in 23.2 IP. Now, you clearly don’t need a guy like Gaudin as anything but a middle reliever in the postseason because you can switch to a three-man rotation in October, but there are a handful of starts between now and then, and they could end up being important ones. He’s already a spot-starter, but instead of toying with Gaudin’s time off the mound, just make him the fifth starter and send Mitre back to the minors to bring in some young talent. Joe Girardi should only have to ask himself one question: Does the beard make the man, or is it the other way around?

* Note: Chad Gaudin is not, nor has he ever been, my man. It just couldn’t pass up the potential to rhyme.

It is rumored that Gaudin is a man with a plan.

It is rumored that Gaudin the Man also has a plan.

American League Central

Detroit Tigers

Hidden Hunch: O Magglio, where art thou?

Woe is the Tigers’ 2009 season. Only in the weak AL Central could a .534 team be in first place with a four-game lead. The Tigers went 16-13 in August, averaging 5.75 runs in their wins and 2.62 runs in their losses – that’s an unkind disparity. What they need is a bat to step in, one that’s been absent all year, and one that they used to be able to count on, but has since diminished into offensive obscurity.

Of course we talk of Magglio Ordoñez. Okay, so it’s not exactly “hidden” that Maggs hasn’t produced at his expected level in 2009, but who says all my hunches have to be earth-shatteringly original? The Tigers, believe it or not, have the all the “intangible” pieces in place to put together a nice post-season run: a decent rotation, reliable bullpen, good defensive players and a great manager in Jim Leyland, crazy codger that he is. The one thing they’re missing is the .300 hitting and 20+ HRs of Maggs. I think they can get going without him producing like he used to, but a return to form would strengthen their case as a postseason dark horse in the AL.

American League West

.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Hidden Hunch: Defense, defense, defense

What’s up with everyone being down on the Halos this year? This club has put together a great season with young talent and smart coaching. People have been giving flack to their rotation for allowing so many runs, but it’s not the pitchers’ faults. It’s the defense. The Angels have good pitchers that run into stacked AL lineups and are backed by a poor defense.

The Angels’ defense have an ErrR (error runs) rating of 10.3, good for last place in the American League. Consider it this way: Each Angels fielder has been responsible for an average of about 10 runs each this season. Compare that to the best team in the AL in this category (the Mariners), who have combined to each take away an average of 14 earned runs. The numbers of unearned runs the Angels defense has allowed has been the difference for them, and if they want to compete this postseason, they need to shape up or they’re going to be shipped out.

American League Wild Card

.

Boston Red Sox

Hidden Hunch: Locking ‘em down

You know what no one talks about when they talk about Boston being this great team? Their middle relievers. All we hear about is Jonathan Papelbon and his ice-cold nerves. We never hear about how the Boston bullpen (in total, to be sure) has combined for the lowest ERA by an AL bullpen, the second-fewest home runs allowed, the third-most strikeouts and the fewest total runs allowed.

They’ve got young guys in there, for the most part. Papelbon, Ramón Ramírez, Manny Delcarmen, Daniel Bard – they all complement Hideki Okajima quite well. They’ve got vigor and command on their side, and they’ve each got good “stuff,” whatever that means. Now with Billy Wagner in there, they’ve got a bullpen that can lock down a postseason race, the same kind of thing we saw with the Tampa Bay Rays last year. If their starters can give them 6-7 quality innings each night, this is a high-caliber, consistent bullpen that can shut games and opposing offenses down.

- Kaplowitz

Tags: Chad Gaudin, Hunches, Magglio Ordonez, Quasimodo
Posted in Kaplowitz | Leave a Comment »

Which is Worse: One Playoff Loss or an Entirely Dreadful Season?

September 1, 2009 by sixfourthreeblog

Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez expresses a common reaction of the team and its fans this season.

Originally touted as a World Series contender before a Spring Training pitch was thrown, the Mets this season quickly devolved into Murphy’s Law personified – and we’re not talking about Daniel Murphy, either.

Some say they’re cursed. Some blame the Mets’ lack of farm depth as a direct reason why they haven’t been able to compete in lieu of their myriad injuries. Whatever the excuse, the Cardiac Kids have been tugging at more than just their fans’ heartstrings this season – they’re tugging at their own.

Watching my Mets get picked off one-by-one by the DL Monster is like some sick Rube Goldberg experiment that has been completely demoralizing.

You could call me a baseball depressive this season, so I turned to someone who knows it quite well: my buddy Dan, who has been a Baltimore Orioles fan since the mid-’80s.

No, the O’s haven’t always been a hard-luck team, but the days of Ripken and Robinson are far behind them. The modern Orioles vernacular is tinged with names like Albert Belle and Daniel Cabrera.

For a really demoralizing moment, something every Orioles fans can recount with photographic accuracy, you have to go back to October 9, 1996, when 12-year-old Jeffrey Maier snatched defeat from the hands of victory and took the Orioles’ chances of going to the World Series away.

As Dan puts it, “When Jeffrey Maier reached over the fence, we were on top of the world before that. We had the heavily favored Yanks on the ropes before that, on their own turf. We were on our way to victory, and then with one move, that little puke killed the city of Baltimore.”

Think about it, you’re on the verge of ousting your rival in Game 1 of the ALCS. Taking one away from the Yanks in the Bronx exponentially increases your World Series odds. In a game that’s all about momentum, the O’s were riding high on the stuff during that fateful bottom of the 8th.

The expectations for the Mets this season, in a lot of ways, parallel the hope Baltimore felt right before Jeter hit that ball, and right before Maier claimed it as his. And all those injuries the Mets are suffering are just as cosmically out of fans’ control as Maier’s actions were for Orioles fans.

So I ask myself, as a Mets fan, which would I rather suffer:

Option 1

The deflation of seeing Maier take a shot at the World Series out of my team’s hands, the agony of seeing your dreams crushed in one fell swoop like some horrible joke from the baseball gods, a taunting reminder that this, your best chance at glory, is ultimately not your year.

Option 2

The constant turmoil and torture of seeing your team’s All-Stars and franchise players go down one-by-one, by one, with injuries both fluky and normal that last the whole season, standing idly by as pitcher after batter after pitcher suffers setbacks and gets shut down for the season, wondering if each new game will bring yet another freak injury to a promising player or even a replacement – when will the madness end?

I have to say Option 1. I can’t take the overwhelming sense of hopelessness that this season has cast upon my baseball watching. I’m paying more attention to fantasy baseball than actual baseball because at least the fantasy version affords me some modicum of reward. Option 1 is mercy and compassion compared to Option 2, which might as well be renamed the Eighth Circle of Hell, owned and operated by Fred Wilpon. Tickets starting at just $50.

My buddy Dan compared the two rather aptly:

Option 1 is like getting shot in the liver – it’s a pain unlike anything else that no one should ever have to endure, a violent, horrible, completely senseless act ending in a death that never should have been. But it’s all over in about 20 minutes, relatively a game in the span of one season.

Option 2 is more akin to dying of several different types of cancers – your body already immune and weak, only to discover that more cancers keep surfacing and your current cancers keep spreading and becoming more malignant, until finally you loosen your grip on the lifeline and slowly fade into a painless, dark void from which you will never resurface.

–Kaplowitz

Tags: Baltimore Orioles, Jeffrey Maier, New York Mets
Posted in Kaplowitz | 7 Comments »

Through the Wire

August 28, 2009 by sixfourthreeblog

Joba studied his celebration from the master.

Joba studied his strikeout dance from the king.

Lady and gentlemen,

(If we have more than one female reader, I’ll be shocked.)

(I’m not counting SixFourThree girlfriends — they have no choice in the matter.)

I’m sad to say that this will be my last posting for this bodacious baseball blog. “Why?” you ask, as you fight back hot, briny tears. “Why are you leaving us? Haven’t you heard we’re in a recession? You can’t go. First Cash for Clunkers ends, and now this?”

There, there. Dry your eyes, people-who-can’t-really-cry-because-imaginary-people-don’t-have-tear-ducts. I’m off to a better place.

At 4:16 this afternoon, I was officially claimed off of waivers. Some team plucked me off the wire, just like Rich Harden and Brad Penny. And now I’m off to the majors.

I’ll be playing in The Big Time. The Show. The Whole Megillah, as my grandpa would say. The Whole Shebang, as Ricky Martin would say. The Whole Wheat Toast, as no one would say.

(Point of clarification: Ricky Martin is my grandfather.)

How did this happen? Well, some of you may remember my plea to Scott Boras a short while back to ditch that Strasburg kid and sign me to a multi-million dollar deal. That didn’t happen. But teams this time of year are so desperate for warm bodies that I got picked up anyway.

Now, don’t think poorly of me when I tell you this, but when I heard I was claimed off waivers, I wasn’t thrilled. It’s a lot like when you get summoned to jury duty. “F**k,” I thought, censoring myself with stars even in my subconscious mind. “How did they find me?”

I can’t just be getting claimed off waivers whenever some subpar team feels like it. I’m in an ultimate frisbee league. I play poker on Wednesday nights. I got shit going on.

So I initially considered getting off of waivers the same way I’d get out of jury duty: by acting really, ludicrously racist. I called up every owner in the league and said some things about Eskimos I’m not proud of. I kept at it until a troubling thought dawned on me – If I act too racist, they’re going to send me to Wrigley field.

It was time to change course, and I knew just the thing. I’ll fake an injury. Better yet, I’ll fake a handicap! No team is going to want some cripple out there on the rubber.

Look, ma -- one hand!

But then Jim Abbott popped into my head (that’s what she said). Abbott was born without a right hand and still had a 10-year pro career, including a stint with my White Sox. Speaking of sox, Jim would have to take his off just to count how many years he was in the league.

Some say a one-handed pitcher is inspirational, and that we should give thanks. Yeah, okay, I’ll give thanks. Thanks for nothing, Abbott. You ruined my best excuse yet.

Asshole.

I was officially out of schemes. Downtrodden, I checked the waiver wire to see who had added me to their roster. It was the Indians. I swallowed my pride, plugged my nose and headed to Cleveland. The first order of business was a meeting with soon-to-be-fired manager Eric Wedge. He squirmed when I addressed him as “soon-to-be-fired” manager Eric. I guess he prefers Mr. Wedge.

“Glad to have you on board,” Wedge announced, “We need a live arm to shore up the back end of our rotation.” When I stopped snickering at “back end,” Eric was kind enough to show me around the stadium and explain the rules of the clubhouse. After each regulation, I’d interrupt and ask, “Now is that a team rule or a Wedge issue?”

To my surprise, he didn’t find that funny. Decent enough guy, but he needs to loosen up, laugh a little. Get a Thai massage, watch a Tyler Perry movie or something.

Speaking of Tyler Perry, I watched a “Meet the Browns” marathon on TBS in the hotel room before bed. That’s all for now, readers. It’s been a long day, and I need my sleep before the pennant race heats up. For other teams, not for the Indians, of course. I’ll check in with updates from the road to tell you all about my crazy new life as a professional athlete. Or as my grandpa would say, livin’ la vida loca.

Yours truly,

Daniel

Tags: Cleveland Indians, Jim Abbott, Ricky Martin, waivers
Posted in David | Leave a Comment »

Hidden Hunches Heading into September

August 26, 2009 by sixfourthreeblog

We can't quite figure out Manny's hair, but we do try to figure out how he can get L.A. back to the playoffs.

It doesn’t take a baseball die-hard or a writer from Baseball Prospectus to tell you that Albert Pujols’ success at the plate is going to exponentially help the postseason hopes of the St. Louis Cardinals. Or that C.C. Sabathia is going to need to perform at his best in order for the New York Yankees to hold their lead in the American League East.

These are what you’d call Obvious Observations. There as easy to notice as Charlie Manuel at a Green Day concert.

But by digging a little deeper, you learn that the Phillies need to shore up their middle relief in order to stay atop the National League race, and that the Giants need to balance out their home/road performance if they want to maintain their playoff hopes.

These are what you’d call Hidden Hunches. You have to look closely to see them, like trying to find reason or purpose in Manny’s dreads.

We’ll start in the NL today with those teams that would currently be in the playoffs, and move over to the lesser league next week, so check back for more!

National League East

Philadelphia Phillies

Hidden Hunch — The Phillies have a reliable offense with Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Shane Victorino leading the way. But close games – those often played in the postseason – usually are low-scoring affairs when teams need strong bullpen performances. Bullpen stalwarts Jack Taschner, Rodrigo Lopez and Chad Durbin have all posted ERAs above 4.40 this season and have combined for more than 100 IP. Closer Brad Lidge’s struggles haven’t alleviated the Phils’ problems, either.

National League Central

St. Louis Cardinals

Hidden Hunch — Back of the rotation consistency has been the Cardinals’ only Achilles Heel this season. Kyle Lohse and Todd Wellemeyer (both currently on the DL) have been less than savory, but thanks to run support have combined for a 12-17 record; not a great tally. So all eyes are going to be on new addition John Smoltz, as the Cardinals make their playoff run. Were his nine strikeouts last week against the Padres for real, or was it simply a product of a good night against a glorified Triple-A team?

National League West

Los Angeles Dodgers

Hidden Hunch — Two Dodgers need to step up as September approaches: Clayton Kershaw and Manny Ramirez. Kershaw is going to have to make sure his starts turn into wins, especially given Chad Billingsley’s recent struggles. But more importantly, Ramirez needs to earn his keep as the Dodgers’ offensive catalyst. He only has four homers and 16 RBI in 130 post-all-star break at-bats. Even more troubling is his 36 strikeouts over that span.

NL Wild Card

Colorado Rockies

Hidden Hunch — Whatever the Rockies are doing to keep Huston Street comfortable, they just need to keep it up. A once-volatile closer with Oakland, Street has settled down since finding a hope and a permanent closer’s job in Colorado. He’s 33-for-34 in save chances this season and has converted all his save opportunities since the all-star break. If he can maintain his poise and confidence on the mound this September, the Rockies should have no trouble digging deep and making another Rocktober run.

–Kaplowitz

Tags: Colorado Rockies, Los Angeles Dodgers, Manny Ramirez, National League, St. Louis Cardinals
Posted in Kaplowitz | 1 Comment »

(Bull)Pen Pals: Root For Your Rival?

August 24, 2009 by sixfourthreeblog

Unlike the teams, can Twins and White Sox fans get along as the end of the season approaches?

In our latest edition of (Bull)Pen Pals, two AL Central fans debate whether they should and can root for their usual rivals once the playoffs begin, or when their team is eliminated from competition. Play ball!

My Flyover State Friend-

As Midwesterners currently exiled on the East Coast, we share a unique comradeship. You are one of the few people who truly understands the pain I feel when ESPN spends 4 consecutive nights covering the Yankees/Red Sox series (ahem, this past weekend) and I have to wait for a messenger pigeon to tell me the score of the White Sox/Twins game.

I want you to know that although the current pennant race leaves me no choice but to passionately root against your team, our respective franchises share too many similarities and have had too many epic battles for me not to have a soft spot for them. May the best team win the division and if on the off chance it is not mine, I look forward to supporting yours when they match up against these buy-a-ring teams on the East Coast.

In Central Solidarity,

Zoberman

—————–

Dear ChiSoxKid,

It’s true – we both share the East Coast-bias pain. This season, the pain is only compounded because my beloved Twins have tanked and are no longer a match for the traditional AL powers. However, I’m not going to let this pain skew my general beliefs on when it is appropriate to root for rivals.

In most seasons, I’ll pull for whichever AL Central team faces off against the buy-a-ring teams. (If you remember, I was there with you in the fraternity house shower in ‘05 when we popped bottles following BigBadBobbyJenks’ biggest save of his career.) But that’s the thing – this year, your Green Sox have imitated those very teams. And I’d argue an imposter is worse than the real thing.

With the acquisitions of Jake Peavy and Alex(is?) Rios, Chicago has taken on big salaries for little on-field benefit in ’09. Especially in light of his uninspired recent effort for Charlotte, Peavy likely will not factor positively into the playoff race. And assuming Rios’ contract for the next five years is just silly! Comparing these harebrained moves to the classy one Detroit pulled off (trading Baltimore a Single-A relief prospect in exchange for free-agent-to-be Aubrey Huff), I’m admiring Dave Dombroski and laughing at Trader Williams.

I’m sticking to my guns. Go Twins – then Tigers, Rangers, Angels, Rays, Red Sox, and Yankees (in that order).

All my love,

Chubbs

Tags: (Bull)Pen Pals, AL Central, Chicago White Sox, Minnesota Twins
Posted in Chiat, Zoberman | 1 Comment »

Back to School Baseball-Style

August 20, 2009 by sixfourthreeblog

In order to do well in school, students will need this backpack.

Many schools across the country are now in session, with more opening their doors in the near future. With that in mind, here is the ideal schedule for a baseball fan (period, subject, teacher, and course summary listed).

1^st period – Math – Geo-metry Soto

Learn about shapes and sizes with the Cubs catcher, last season’s N.L. Rookie of the Year. Soto will spend ample time talking about the sphere-shaped baseball and the pentagon that is home plate.

2^nd period – Science – Lou Marson

Another catcher (Cleveland’s) instructs this astronomy class, where he will lecture on how far a baseball would travel in outer space. There will be a special focus on the red planet, Marson’s expertise.

3^rd period – Foreign Language – Denard Span-ish

A natural choice to teach this class, the Twins outfielder – who runs muy rápido – will teach his students crucial vocabulary: beisbol, pelota, and home rrrrrun.

4^th period – Lunch – Adam Eaton

The Rockies pitcher will serve as more of a supervisor than teacher in this environment. Also, given that Eaton somehow signed a $24-million contract before the 2007 season, he will be providing free lunch to all the students.

5^th period – English – Jesse Litsch-erature

During this course, the Toronto pitcher will discuss symbols, themes and imagery with his students. In addition to the Pledge of Allegiance, students in this class will be required to recite O, Canada.

6^th period – Band – Steve Sax

Coming out of retirement, the former Dodgers and Simpsons star will lead the school’s pep band. Favorite pieces include Charge! and, of course, Take Me Out To The Ballgame.

7^th period – Spelling – Mark Buehrle

In order for students to learn how to properly sew players’ names onto their jerseys, Mr. Perfect will explain how “Buehr” sounds like “Brrr”. Guest teachers will include Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Jhonny Peralta.

8^th period – Social Studies – His-Torii Hunter

The Angel outfielder will highlight great moments in baseball history, like that time he robbed Barry Bonds of a homer in the all-star game. Then students will debate which giant leap was greater: Hunter’s or Neil Armstrong’s.

–Gluskin

Tags: Adam Eaton, Back to School, Denard Span, Geovany Soto, Jesse Litsch, Lou Marson, Mark Buehrle, Steve Sax, Torii Hunter
Posted in Gluskin | Leave a Comment »

New Nat Strasburg Worth His Contract

August 19, 2009 by sixfourthreeblog

Stephen Strasburg has 15 million reasons to be happy.

Luckily for the Nationals, they inked a deal at the last minute with “the best pitching prospect ever,” Stephen Strasburg. The deal is reportedly for four years and in excess of $15 million, which shatters the previous record $10.5 million Mark Prior received in 2001.

The whole Strasburg drama created quite an unnecessary stir leading up to the deadline. Besides the ridiculous hoopla made over the negotiations going slowly (as if he was ever going to sign before 11:30 p.m. Monday night), the thing that was most bothersome to me was the pundits who made ridiculous comparisons and argued the Nats should not break the bank for this guy.

Perhaps the most common comparison seen over the last few weeks was the one between Strasburg and the previous “best pitching prospect ever,” Prior. Analysts cited Prior, Ben McDonald, and others as reasons why Strasburg would not pan out and shouldn’t receive some earth-shattering bonus. Aside from the ignorance of assuming that totally different people with totally different circumstances could portend the future of someone else (and ignoring that Strasburg is universally considered better than any of those guys), the thing that bothers me most is that people don’t seem to realize how beneficial it is to shell out money for top-tier prospects.

Prior’s case is undoubtedly the most commonly cited. He came out of USC with his polished, clean delivery, a 95-plus mph heater, and three pitches ready to dominate the league and head off to Cooperstown in 15 years. After receiving his then-record contract, arm injuries derailed Prior’s career, and the Padres released him in April. And so his case was highlighted as to why the Nationals should not spend too much on Strasburg.

But was Prior really a bust? Maybe in terms of unrealistic expectations. But let’s not forget those expectations arose not only from scouting reports but also from what he actually did. In Prior’s first full year in the majors, he went 18-6 with a 2.43 ERA, finished third in the Cy Young voting, and helped lead the Cubs to the NLCS. The team came within Steve Bartman’s interference (or more importantly and much more forgotten, a booted double play ball by Alex Gonzalez) of making the World Series for the first time since 1945.

Wasn’t that season alone worth $10.5 million? Salaries then are not what they are today, but there were exactly 40 players in the 2003 season who made $10.5 million. Included in that list are pitchers like Kevin Appier, Darren Dreifort, and Chan Ho Park. Maybe more to the point is that future Hall of Famers like Greg Maddux, Randy Johnson, Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, Mike Mussina, and Pedro Martinez all made more than $10.5 million that season…and nobody considered them overpaid despite the fact that every single one of them had a worse season that year than Prior.

For his career, Prior finished (and I’m assuming he’s finished even though he has not yet officially retired) 42-29, with a very respectable .592 winning percentage (which, as a point of reference, is a full 66 points ahead of Nolan Ryan’s). He had a lifetime 3.51 ERA and was better than the league average in every season until his last, at age 25, when he was clearly pitching injured. No, Prior will never be the Hall of Famer that most people expected when he burst onto the scene, but he was certainly worth a $10.5 million investment.

There’s no way to know what Strasburg will do in his career. If he was on the open market, however, even in this depressed economy, he would make far more than $15 million in his first two years as a pro; in fact my best guess is that teams like the Yankees, Red Sox, or Mets would probably offer him something in the range of 6 years/$90 million, which averages out to $15 million a year. Don’t believe me? Just remember that the Red Sox forked out more than $100 million for five years of Daisuke Matsuzaka.

But more importantly, the biggest thing to remember here is that history actually supports the Nats’ decision to hand over money to Strasburg. It is incredibly unlikely he will not produce $15 million worth of value over the next four years, and that’s before we even get into the whole marketing aspect and consider that his debut will likely be the Nats’ first sellout since opening their new park last year. Prior may not have lived up to the expectations, but he certainly lived up to his contract.

–Aiken

Tags: Chicago Cubs, Mark Prior, MLB Draft, Stephen Strasburg, Washington Nationals
Posted in Aiken | 1 Comment »

Hitting For the Cycle is Overrated

August 18, 2009 by sixfourthreeblog

Felix Pie: Cycle Machine

Whenever a player hits for the cycle, it receives widespread attention from the media and fans. Sure, hitting a single, double, triple and home run in the same game – if done in order, it’s known as a “natural cycle” – is a cool accomplishment. But it does not measure a player’s talent, and it is not as rare of an accomplishment as it seems.

There are only certain players who have a good chance of completing the cycle: solid contact hitters with some speed and luck. For example, Minnesota’s Carlos Gomez hit for the cycle last season, while Baltimore’s Felix Pie did so last week. Each of these players is a struggling outfielder who has yet to live up to his expectations. But they are also quick, capable hitters who can stretch a double into a triple and hit the ball over the wall.

After Pie’s cycle last week, I heard one commentator say that Pie helped his future trade value by doing so, since the Orioles are frustrated with his lack of progress. How can this be possible? His ability to collect those four hits in one game should not stand as a measure of his overall talent. In 70 games this season, he is hitting below .250 with a poor on-base percentage, just above .300.

Pie’s cycle was the seventh in the major leagues this season, the most for a single year this decade; in fact, there were three cycles collected within a week span in April. Is there a reason for this? Have ballparks suddenly become more cycle-friendly?

Getting the cycle is more of a freak occurrence than anything else. It obviously takes skill to achieve it, but many slower hitters in recent history (Aubrey Huff, 2007; Mark Kotsay, 2008) have likely benefitted from a good bounce or two on their way to the feat. Even though they hit for the cycle, that doesn’t improve their overall career credentials.

The cycle’s frequency this season makes the accomplishment more diluted. For whatever reason, it seems like people at times are more fascinated by the cycle than a no-hitter. Remember when Jonathan Sanchez threw a no-no against San Diego last month? It was quickly forgotten, even though there have been full seasons without a no-hitter in recent history: 2005, 2000.

Meanwhile, there has been at least one cycle hit in each season since 1981. That marks 28 consecutive years for the cycle. There have been five full seasons (including the two listed above) without a no-hitter during that span. It seems like we should appreciate that accomplishment more, while easing up on our love for the cycle.

–Gluskin

Tags: Aubrey Huff, Baltimore Orioles, Carlos Gomez, cycle, Felix Pie, Jonathan Sanchez, Mark Kotsay, No-Hitter
Posted in Gluskin | Leave a Comment »

The Cubs Clever Beer-Spilling Prank

August 15, 2009 by sixfourthreeblog

The culprit (white shirt with blue hat) accuses a fellow bleacher bum.

No Cub fan has garnered more attention than Johnny Macchione since Northbrook native Steve Bartman infamously interfered with a foul ball. On Tuesday night, Macchione poured his beer directly onto Shane Victorino just as the center fielder was trying to make a catch.

The perfectly timed spill distracted Victorino, but it was not enough to prevent him from catching the ball. I know most Cubs fans are disgusted with Macchione’s behavior, but I believe they should instead be proud. Unlike most Cub fans, Macchione was paying close attention to the game and out of desperation for his team, he instinctively timed a spill so perfectly, almost preventing Victorino from making the catch.

Then, with even more presence of mind, Macchione was able to slip out of the game unnoticed and some unlucky bystander was falsely accused and thrown out of the game. Considering Macchione was probably at least 10 beers deep at that point, I am thoroughly impressed with his ability to spill his beer directly onto Victorino and then guilefully escape the stadium unscathed.

I replayed the video over and over and for the life of me could not make out who was the culprit of such a clever prank. The day after the game, Macchione courageously — to save face for all Cub fans — turned himself in and was charged with two misdemeanor counts.

Like the Cubs, Macchione tried his best, but came up on the losing end of things.

–Taylor

Tags: Beer Spill, Chicago Cubs, Johnny Macchione, Philadelphia Phillies, Shane Victorino
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Word on the Street (August 14, 2009)

August 14, 2009 by sixfourthreeblog

In this installment of our public poll question, we turn our attention to two newsworthy pitchers.

And a good day to you, sir...

What’s Next for Smoltz?

After a disappointing season, the Cy Young winner and 8-time All Star was recently cut by the Boston Red Sox, leaving many to speculate about his future. What do YOU think the future holds for the starter/closer/starter again?

Steve Berg, VP Sales

Inspired by the “Three Amigos” , Smoltz will reunite with fellow fortysomethings Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine. After polishing off a case of Milwaukee’s Best Ice, the guys’ll reminisce about their glory days when the balls were fast and the women were faster. This 3-man wrecking crew will share a downtown Atlanta loft and be known simply as M.S.G. (Maddux, Smoltz, Glavine). On nights when the guys have put down more than their fair share of Beast Ice, they’ll stumble into a Chinese restaurant and wait for someone to order a dish without MSG. Then they’ll pop out from behind a paper fan and shout, “You don’t know what you’re missing!” before stumbling out the front door.

Denise Farnsley, principal

Probably porn.

Hank Geary, gardener

Call me crazy, but I see Smoltz signing a one-month contract with the Mets. And I see him turning things around, especially back in the National League where he feels more comfortable. I see him giving the fine folks at Citi Field a few quality starts. Then, in the last weekend of the season, I see him taking the mound against his former team, the Braves. I see him striking out the side in the first inning, then cruising through the second and third frames. Maybe he gives up two ’seeing eye’ singles, but he induces a double play and gets out of trouble in the fourth. But the fateful fifth rolls around, and suddenly Smoltzie is struggling.

I envision him serving up long bomb after long bomb. Yes sir, the Braves are taking Johnny deep early and often. I see Mets’ skipper Jerry Manuel making the call to the pen and slowly trudging out to the mound to remove his once-proud pitcher. Smoltz sees Manuel and senses the jig is up. But then Smoltz slowly unbuttons his Mets jersey, revealing (to everyone’s surprise) another jersey underneath. A BRAVES JERSEY! Oh my god, it’s an Atlanta Braves jersey. And WHAT’S THAT??? A steel chair? And oh no, Manuel isn’t looking, and WHACK! A steel chair to the head. Right in his head.

Manuel is down, folks, and he’s not getting up. And look up, it’s John Smoltz on the turnbuckle. What a big time elbow drop! And John Smoltz is the new intercontinental champion. Anyway, that’s how I see it all going down.

Just one man’s opinion…

Arroyo Won’t Say No

Cincinnati pitcher Bronson Arroyo says he’d still take andro and amphetamines if they weren’t banned by Major League Baseball. Arroyo admits these drugs are dangerous, but adds, “drinking and driving is also dangerous, and how many of us do it at least once a year? Pretty much everybody.” What do YOU think?

Jeanette Huckell, cosmetologist

Finally, Tony La Russa has someone to carpool with!

Suzanne Veros, human resources

You can always count on Bronson to tell it like it is. In fact, in that same report he’s quoted as saying baseball owners just care about “making money.” I never thought of it that way. I suggest you put on a shower cap before you read this story. That way when your mind is blown, you won’t get brain all over your blouse.

I hear Bronson also has an explosive theory about how politicians “lie a lot.” I think he’s really going to turn some heads on Capitol Hill.

Isaac Stahl, restauranteur

You know what I think? I think that when you ask a rhetorical question like “how many of us drink and drive at least once a year,” you shouldn’t give an answer to it. It’s rhetorical for a reason, numbnuts.

- David

Tags: Bronson Arroyo, John Smoltz
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